Ashton Hill Naked Sundays

"Tarlee, I assume? Estelle has told me how you ambushed her and made her attend an event she shouldn't have been at last night. Are you sure you want to come in here yelling and demanding things from her when no one would blame her for not wanting to talk to you at all today or the next week? Perhaps an apology would be a better idea, don't you think?" Ethan said softly, but with an air of confidence that knocked the wind out of the young woman who faced him. "Tell you what, why don't you run down to that quaint little bakery and grab some croissants for us all, and when you return I might consider letting you in to apologise to Estelle." He shut the door on Tarlee and walked back into the living room, quite confident that the girl would do as she was told.

"Oh my God," Estelle giggled in a whisper. "I can't believe you just did that!"

"Silly little bitch needed to hear it. You can't just stomp all over people's feelings and then feel like you're entitled to harass them the next day because the scheming didn't work out as planned. She needs to apologise for putting you in that position, not demand answers like you did something wrong," Ethan rolled his eyes.

"You're my hero, you know that?" Estelle laughed.

"I know. Now, shall we pack a bag so you can come home with me for the night, or shall we give the people of this town something to talk about?" he grinned at her, making her laugh all the more.

"I'd rather just spend time with you," Estelle said thoughtfully, and lapsed into silence as she hugged him and placed her head on his shoulder. "Do you think if we tried again it might be different this time? I love you more than anyone else in the world."

"You think you could get over that hurdle now?" he asked her, seriously considering her. They had slept together a couple of times experimentally as they had grown up. They weren't related by blood, only proximity, after all, and they loved each other, but each knew the other was broken in ways that made them too careful when navigating the perils of a real and intimate sexual relationship.

Neglected and rejected by parents who were too self-involved to care what they did, they had clung to each other, and it had been inevitable in the beginning to take that step. They had thought it would be perfect, but it was a disaster from beginning to end, and had only driven them apart for several years as his self-destructiveness had rubbed off on her, and she rebelled against everyone and everything by being a slutty fangirl for Jason Jones. He hadn't been much better at the time, but then she had shown up at his apartment, truly broken and desperate. He had taken her in then and looked after her like a lost baby bird.

He had forced her back to school, indulged her disappearance from the music scene and the friends she had known, and, for his part, he had gotten his act together and stopped flirting with danger the way he had been because of his commitment to fixing her. They'd spent eighteen months together loving each other platonically, playing house and having short-lived affairs out of sight of each other. It had been the happiest time in his life, and then she had been sent out to this sad little town by the Department of Education, and he had been left on his own again to face the world without his touchstone to keep him grounded.

Each time he felt like falling apart in the city, he came here to this little town and played house with the one person in the world he truly loved. They had talked about trying a sexual relationship again, on and off, but he believed that she was as scared as he was to lose what they had now when it didn't work out. He knew he would fuck it up; he always fucked up any relationship that threatened to get too close or demand too much of him. It was better this way. He knew it was. He wasn't about to risk the love they had for a fuck that could never be as good as they hoped it would be.

"Probably not, but I live in the hope that things might change one day," she smiled.

"No you don't, and neither do I. We have the perfect relationship as it is. Why complicate it with sex," he said what was on his mind. "Besides, you're obviously still hung up on Jason or you wouldn't have freaked out last night and called me."

"Oh God," she sighed. "He touched me, and I was back there, being that girl. When he kissed me and pulled me against him, all I wanted was to beg him to fuck my brains out the way he used to. If Darren hadn't intervened, I don't know that I would have said no to anything he wanted."

"So, don't say no. You're stronger, better and more beautiful than ever. See him again. Have the talk he wants, but do it on your own terms. Until you do, you will continue to be hung up on him and hurting. Either fuck him and get him out of your system to clear the way for someone new, or fuck him and take him back, but do it on your terms and stay in control." He said.

"I'm not sure I can do that," she admitted.

"Well, as I see it, being a guy and putting myself in his shoes, Jason's been pining away for you for five years, or so he says. He suddenly finds you again, and he has a way to find you and get to you now. He'll use your friends, one of whom he has the business card of, and the other has already admitted she put her contact details on his band's Facebook page to win the tickets. How long do you think it will be before he shows up here and disturbs your boring little life if you don't nip it in the bud?" Ethan said in a lecturing tone.

"Nip it in the bud, how?" she asked, horrified at the thought that Jason could show up here at any moment and disturb her perfectly lovely life in this small town.

"Call him, tell him you will talk to him. You can name a hotel and book separate rooms that you can retreat to if things get too much. I promise to be close by if you need me," he said and squeezed her hand. "I think you sort of have to face the music this time. He doesn't seem like the type to give up easily." Ethan chuckled at his own pun, but refrained from pointing it out to her.

"I don't know how to get in contact with him." She procrastinated, knowing that Ethan wouldn't take that as a reason not to do it. The thought of Jason disturbing her well-ordered life in Ashton Hill by showing up here was making her feel ill again. "I guess you're right, though. Can you help me do it?"

"That will be breakfast," Ethan grinned and went to answer the now softer knock at the door.

"I'm sorry," Tarlee said contritely. "I just don't understand what happened last night. Any of it."

"Much better," Ethan nodded, allowing her into the cottage. "Suffice to say, Estelle dated Jason before the band hit the big time. He cheated on her once too often, and she left him rather than be used as a place to park his cock occasionally."

"But the song?" Tarlee said plaintively. "He loves her and wants her back. It can't have been as bad as you say."

"Trust me, little girl, there are two sides to every story. Men rarely admit when they fuck up on such a grand scale. He probably doesn't have any idea why she left or what he did wrong because no girl has ever betrayed him that way and cheated on him," Ethan lectured.

"Who are you?" Tarlee finally broke free of his authoritative stance and looked past the gorgeous façade and authoritative manner.

"Ethan Eastman, Estelle's big brother," he held out his hand, noting her firm handshake, and considered her in terms of her friendship with his sister who was vulnerable right now.

"I need to make a call, and you still need to apologise properly, me thinks," he indicated where Estelle sat on the couch staring into space, lost in thought, allowing him to do all the talking with Tarlee so far.

*****

Chapter 4

Jason pulled up at the trendy spa hotel and handed his keys to the valet, taking the ticket and stowing it in his jacket pocket. He'd considered riding, but at the last minute borrowed Red's car in case he was able to convince Estelle to go somewhere that they could talk alone. It was a long shot, but then he had never thought he would get the call he had this morning from one of the producers at Crazy Horse records asking him to go on a double date with Ethan Eastman and his sister, Estelle. He hadn't even known Stella had a brother.

He moved inside slowly, aware that he was a little earlier than he had been told to arrive. He found the small lounge bar and looked around, seeking out the one woman who had filled his every thought since he had seen her the night before. Not recognising anyone immediately, he walked toward the bar, planning on grabbing a light beer while he waited, when he heard his name. Turning, he saw a tall, leggy brunette tottering toward him on too high heels and frowned.

"Penny?" he asked.

"The one and only. Thanks for coming, Jason. I've been trying to pin Ethan down to a date for months, and his sister is gorgeous, so it won't be too much of a hardship for you. I really appreciate you doing this for me," Penny whispered excitedly.

"Are they here?" he asked as the understanding hit him as to why the invitation had come through someone he barely knew, only having met the woman on the few occasions they had been at the corporate studios. Still, Stella and her brother must have instigated it, asked for him specifically to accompany Penny tonight, which meant Stella wanted to see him, despite what had happened the night before.

"Yes, apparently she's nervous that he set her up on a blind date tonight, so she just needed a moment to yell at him alone," she giggled. "I somehow doubt she will mind when she sees it's you though. She's a big fan... so he said," Penny grinned happily. "Thanks again for doing this for me."

"She didn't know I was coming?" he asked wide-eyed, wondering what the hell these people were thinking, especially her brother, who had obviously set this up. He followed Penny's gaze to what he had thought was a couple arguing when he walked in and had dismissed it. Taking another look, he could see that the beautiful blond in the stunning emerald green dress was a more elegant and cultured looking version of the Stella he knew. This was Estelle Eastman, and he was suddenly nervous about meeting the woman the younger carefree Stella had become. He moved toward them, not wanting her to think he had anything to do with the ambush, and desperate for her to stay and talk to him.

"You know I'm right," Ethan said. "Suck it up, Princess, and you will get your answers." He turned his head, seeing Jason come close enough to overhear them. "Jason, glad you could make it. Isn't this place awesome?"

"Stella? I had nothing to do with this," Jason said, ignoring Ethan.

"I know," she sighed. "My brother, Ethan," she introduced them properly, saying Ethan's name as if that explained everything. "He thinks we need to talk, so we may as well while we're both here. God, I need a drink!"

"I'll get it," Ethan offered. "Champagne, Jason? Or would you prefer a beer?"

"Light beer would be great, pure blonde if they have it," Jason said, not taking his eyes from Estelle. "Shall we sit?" he asked her, and followed her to a small cluster of couches around a small table. "Can we just forget last night ever happened and start again, please?" he asked.

"I don't think we can," she said honestly. "It obviously brought up a lot of old memories for both of us, and, as Ethan was at pains to point out to me today quite often, people remember things differently depending on how they looked at the situation." Estelle paused and looked up at the waitress approaching them.

"I hate to interrupt, but would you mind if a got a photo," she held up her phone. "My friends won't believe that you were here, of all places."

"Have a seat for a second," he invited the girl.

"If you could just..." the girl went to pass her phone to Estelle, but Jason took her hand that held the camera and lowered it back down, holding it for a moment before he spoke again.

"Now imagine you and I are sitting here trying to say something really important to each other," he said softly in his deep bass voice. "Now imagine Stella came over and interrupted me before I could say that important thing to you, and she handed you a camera so you could take my picture with her and ruined our moment together. Do you think you would be very happy or that I would be thrilled that the girl I was trying to win back was angry at me because a fan had treated her like the hired help?" He asked, looking at her badge. "How forgiving would you be in her situation, Marie? Do you still think I have a shot with the girl I really want?" he snapped a selfie of them together and handed her back her phone.

"I'm sorry," the young girl stammered, "So sorry," she stood up and backed away a few steps before fleeing back to the bar.

"Could you please call me Estelle now. No one has called me Stella in years," Estelle said. "I guess that happens a lot," she looked at the girl standing behind the bar staring at the selfie Jason had taken for her.

"Not to me, Eric gets mobbed far more often than I do," Jason shrugged as if it was just part and parcel of the trip to stardom he was on. "About last night," he began again. "I should have just admitted I was an arsehole to you back then and apologised for taking you for granted. I'm sorry," he said contritely, looking into her eyes, trying to convey the sincerity of his apology as he held her gaze. "You only heard part of the conversation Eric and I were having that day. You misunderstood what we were saying, but I am sorry I was such an arsehole that what you heard made you leave. Not just leave, but vanish without a word to anyone."

"I didn't misunderstand. I heard you very clearly," she argued.

"Trouble in paradise already?" Ethan said, coming back with the drinks. His presence automatically calmed Estelle. "The whispers up at the bar are a running commentary on if you're that Stella? Am I missing something?"

"Jason sings a ballad for Stella at every one of his concerts, but he has always refused to record it," Penny explained. "I don't know why they would think that's you. That's not even your name."

"Estelle is close, so maybe they got confused," Ethan said. "So, there is no version of this song anywhere online? Why not record it, get it out to a bigger audience? People obviously know about it," he indicated the bar staff over his shoulder.

"It could possibly be online if people recorded during a concert, but the Crazy Horse people have been pretty vigilant about taking that stuff down since we signed with them," Jason said.

"I've got a friend who can find anything online," Ethan dug his phone out of his pocket.

"He's got all sorts of friends," Estelle rolled her eyes. "Now you see why you can't call me Stella anymore." She said to Jason.

"I don't care who knows you're the girl I want," Jason shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Maybe I don't want the world to know who I am. Not all of us are destined to be superstars like you and Ethan," she complained.

"Point taken. I'll be more careful," he said sincerely. He needed Estelle to know that he would do whatever it took to get a second chance from her.

Ethan was the perfect host of this little get together. He was gregarious and funny, as he never let the conversation lapse into silence, and Estelle was on her third glass of wine when Ethan's phone lit up with at text holding a link to a badly recorded version of the ballad. They all fell silent as Ethan played it, and this time Estelle listened to the words more carefully.

If I could write the perfect song I'd write that song for you I'd fill it with the raging passion About the way, I felt for you Every melodic word Would heal your heart's deep scar And maybe for a moment It could be your guiding star To bring you back to me Come back to me Stella.

Because I'm walking in the moonlight And it just doesn't feel right There's no stars in the sky 'cause I haven't got a reason why You disappeared the way you did Why you vanished, and you hid.

If I could write the perfect song I'd write that song for you A melody of hidden treasures Filled with sapphire blue But a million jewels Couldn't say a thing That won't be said in three words That if spoken just might Bring you back to me Come back to me Stella.

Because I'm walking in the moonlight And it just doesn't feel right There's no stars in the sky 'cause I haven't got a reason why You disappeared the way you did Why you vanished, and you hid.

The chorus repeated again, and then a second time with a little variation, and the phone went silent. The three others all looked to Ethan for his verdict, as they had all heard it before. Though Estelle had been too stunned the first time she heard it to take it all in, this time she heard the words and was equally stunned by it.

"The words are heartfelt; the melody is catchy, but I think it's the heartbreak behind it that sells it. I doubt he'd sing it or they'd want to record it if you two sorted your shit out once and for all," Ethan said, looking at Estelle meaningfully.

"Yes, Ethan, I get it, you don't have to use a sledgehammer," Estelle rolled her eyes at him. She swallowed the rest of wine in one gulp and stood to look at Jason. "Come on then, you wanted to talk, let's talk, but let's do it privately," she led the way from the table and the bar.

With a sense of relief, Jason stood and followed her eagerly. His head spinning with exactly what he wanted to say to her now that she knew how much he wanted her back in his life.

*****

Estelle opened the door to the suite Ethan had booked for her and held it open for Jason to follow her in. She closed and locked the door before moving to the middle of the room and began to unzip her dress, determined to get what she came for, confirmation that memory enhanced reality and what they had was not as good as what they remembered. She needed to scratch that itch and get him out of her system once and for all so she could move on with her life.

"Nice room," Jason said, looking around before turning his gaze on her. He stared at her as her dress fell to the floor to puddle around her feet. "I thought we came here to talk?" he asked in a voice made gravelly by the sight of her matching strapless bra and thong which covered only a small part of her flawless pale skin.

"So, talk," she said, unperturbed, stepping out of the dress and bending to pick it up and fold it over the back of a chair. She had taken a lot of care dressing tonight, and had chosen the least obstructive items of lingerie, albeit not the sexiest things she owned. She wore no stockings, and, after ensuring he got a good look at her body, she kicked off her heels and reached around to unclasp her bra as he gaped at her, still not speaking. "You're not talking," she pointed out.

"You're very distracting," he said in his own defence.

"Fine, I'll talk then," Estelle said matter-of-factly, placing her bra over the same chair as the dress and turning back to him, enjoying the effect her nudity was having on him. "Your song is a lie from beginning to end. We didn't have that sort of relationship."

"We did, I loved you. I took you everywhere with me. Everyone knew what you meant to me," Jason denied her accusation.

"Sure, we hung out with the band, but rarely together, we were just in the same room. We never held hands or hugged in front of any of them. Most of the time I sat with Greg, who gave me far more attention than you ever did when everyone was there. We never went on a date, never celebrated anniversaries or Valentine's days, or did anything even remotely romantic to show that we were a real couple or had a real relationship," she shrugged and watched him take all of that in for a few moments. Then she hooked her thumbs into the sides of her thong and bent in half, scooting the flimsy material down her legs and stepping out of it.