She opened her laptop and typed in the password. She paused as she realized this would be her second romance. What was up with that? She always thought she would work on a serious drama that dealt with tough issues, but for some reason, it was matters of the heart that spoke to her. Jackson’s image came to mind and she smiled. He’d definitely had an influence over her.
And then she realized what she could give him for Christmas—herself. She could wrap up a piece of paper that said something about her being New York–bound. She liked the idea. She just hoped that he would, too.
But first, she had to get some writing done. When her computer booted up, it automatically loaded to her email. It was one thing to skip town and not take calls, but totally sealing herself off from life was another thing altogether. As long as she kept up on her emails and listened to her voice mails, she let herself buy into the illusion that she was on top of things.
The top email in her inbox was from her agent. There was a high-priority flag. Her agent really needed to take some time off and enjoy the holiday. After all, it was Christmas Eve.
The subject line caught and held Serena’s attention:
Call me ASAP! Damage control needed!
Damage control? For what? She hadn’t been in town for days. There was no way she could have done anything to require such a message. And then she noticed that there was an attachment.
Her agent wasn’t an alarmist, so dread was churning in her empty stomach. Her finger hovered over the open button. She knew that once she looked at it that it would cast a cloud over this wonderful holiday season. Was it so wrong for her to want this bit of heaven to last just forty-eight hours more? Besides, who would be looking at the tabloids over the holiday?
She closed her email and opened a new word processing document. She put the email out of her mind and instead concentrated on the idea that had come to her last night while she’d been kissing Jackson.
One of the hardest things for her to write was the opening line. It carried so much weight. It had to snag the viewer’s attention. It had to set the tone for the entire movie.
And so Serena typed out a sentence that would be read as part of the heroine’s thoughts...
This was to be a Christmas unlike any other.
It was okay. It gave an idea of what was to come. But it didn’t pop. It wouldn’t stand out and make the viewers forget about their popcorn and soda. Nor would it draw them to the couch to sit down and find out what happened next.
Her mind wandered back to her Christmas present for Jackson. Her mind started playing over all of the various messages that she could write. It could be a long letter, explaining what their time together had meant to her and how she’d been able to regain her trust in her judgment and in men. But that seemed like too much.
Perhaps she should tell him how much fun she’d had with him and that she didn’t want it to end. Something like: This wasn’t an ending but rather a beginning.
And then she realized the best route was the simplest one. Nine little words would tell him everything he needed to know.
She opened a blank document and started to type. She played with the font size and the color until she ended up with:
My ?’s in New York...
so I’m moving there.
She made it so the font filled the page and then she printed it. She searched the desk until she found an envelope. Now all she needed was to dress it up. After all, it was a Christmas present of sorts.
But she had no wrapping paper. She would have to be inventive. Her gaze strayed to the Christmas tree and latched onto the red velvet bows attached to the end of random branches. One of those would be perfect.
And so she decorated the envelope and placed it beneath the Christmas tree. Now she couldn’t wait for Christmas. She hoped this present would make him as happy as it did her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ALONE AGAIN...ON Christmas Eve.
Instead of getting upset over finding the spot next to him empty, Jackson just smiled. He knew last night when Serena got her stroke of genius that it wouldn’t be long until she headed to the keyboard to start her next screenplay.
He was proud of her for following her dreams, even though she didn’t know for sure how they would turn out. She may be famous, but she was known for her acting, not her writing. There was no guarantee that any production company would get behind her screenplays. But he was excited to know that his interview might help pave this new road for her.
He grabbed his phone to see if his agent had sent him the interview. His fingers moved over the screen until he pulled up the email with the attached video. A smile pulled at his lips. After they’d talked on the phone, Jackson had followed up with an email. He made sure to tell his agent to add music at the beginning as well as some visual narrative. Nothing was to be overlooked. This was that important to him.
Jackson played the video. It was just as he’d imagined—no it was better. And the most striking part was Serena Winston. She was a star, even when she wasn’t on the big screen. Beyond her undeniable beauty, there was an air about her—the kind that princesses and queens possessed.
The bedroom door creaked as it opened. Jackson pressed Pause on the video. Then he turned off his phone. There was no way that he was letting her see it. Not yet. This was special and it was his Christmas gift to her.
Serena poked her head inside. “Morning, sleepyhead.”