Book: Red Carpet Diaries (about one year after Book 3)
Word Count: ~1100
Rating: PG-13 (some adult language)
Summary: Seth gets to experience âholidayâ Jessica when Hanukkah rolls around.
Authorâs Note: Happy Hanukkah to all those who celebrate! Thought Iâd write a little fic about my favorite Jewish character in Choices in honor of the first night of Hanukkah. This piece is for Day 22 of both the Choices December Challenge (Hanukkah) and 41 Days of Cheer (Holiday).
âHere, taste these,â Jessica said, shoving a plate of latkes across the kitchen island.
Seth glanced up from the script he was flipping through. Ethan Blake had been sending him a lot of scripts lately, but honestly, none of them had resonated with Seth. He knew he should have capitalized on his increased name recognition after Ninradell, but he just wasnât sure what heâd wanted to focus on for his career. Should he be trying for more big-franchise blockbuster type roles, even though that wasnât really his passion? Should he be looking at the comedic parts, even though those tended to be more supporting roles? Should he stick to movies, or would television be a better fit? Or should he return to his roots, focusing on his standup now that more people might be interested in him?
Unsure of what he truly wanted, heâd only taken a couple of recurring guest spots in some TV shows and a highly billed supporting role in an action comedy over the past year. Instead of acting, heâd spent more time focused on his writing, much to Ethanâs chagrin. Oh well, that had meant that heâd been able to travel with Jessica when sheâd been filming on location in Australia, which had been much nicer than when they were both frantically busy throughout their entire engagement, barely seeing each other when they lived in the same city. Plus, heâd gotten to host SNL, so as far as he was concerned, that alone made the year since the release of Ninradell a professional success.
However, if Jessica kept feeding him fried food, his career options might be a moot point, as he was going to put on so much weight and would only get hired as the fat funny friend. Growing up, his mom had only made special foods for the first night of Hanakkuh, the rest of the nights often consisting of lighting the menorah and him and Caleb quickly opening their gifts between homework and clubs and sports. But Jessica had been frying and baking for five nights straight at this point, and that was in addition to the dozens of Christmas cookies sheâd been baking and stocking the freezer with over the past few weeks. If he only gained 10 pounds over December, it would be a miracle.
Sighing, he grabbed the fork off the plate and started in on yet another batch of latkes. They were tasty - Jessicaâs cooking always was - but he was getting a little tired of having to serve as her Jewish food critic. He felt like an ass for even having thoughts like that, but after four nights of latkes and sufganiyot and fritters and donuts, Seth just wanted a damn salad. But he couldnât complain about his wifeâs cooking, particularly when it was all for his holiday, so he dug in dutifully.
After a couple of bites, he looked over at Jessica, standing behind the stove top, staring at him expectantly.
âTheyâre good, Iowa,â he said between bites.
âAre they better than yesterdayâs? Iâm trying to get them crispier.â
âThey were both good. Theyâve all been good.â
Jessica sighed heavily at that. Apparently, that was the wrong answer.
âJessica, I donât know what to tell you. You know youâre a great cook. Literally everything youâve made for Hanukkah has been amazing.â
âBut these are the foods you grew up with, and Iâve never made them before.â
âAnd Iâm telling you, you did an awesome job. What else do you want me to say?â
âI just want to be sure Iâm replicating your childhood Hanukkahs.â
âJessica, I love you, but that is an insane goal.â
She scowled at him, so he pressed on, trying to explain himself before things devolved into a fight.
âFirst, I was raised in a very liberal Reform home. My parents essentially transformed Hanukkah into Jewish Christmas, so you could serve me eggnog and some of those cookies youâve been baking and it would feel normal to me. Second, unless you want to fly my brother out so he and I can get in a fight before he leaves for a shift at Jungle Jims and you drive me to the Y for swim class, you wonât be able to truly capture the essence of my childhood Decembers. Third, and most importantly, the day I compare any aspect of you to my mother is the day you should file for divorce. So please, Jessica, do not make me compare your latkes to my motherâs.â
Jessica bit her lip and smiled at that, pausing for a few moments before she spoke up.
âI know how important holiday traditions are, and I just⊠I just want our kids to look back on my holiday meals with fond memories.â
Ah, well that explained a lot. They had been talking about trying to get pregnant starting sometime in the new year. And while the thought both simultaneously excited and scared the shit out of Seth, Jessica was clearly viewing this holiday season as a trial run for the future. A future where she obviously envisioned herself as some Hallmark movie version of a mother.
âJessica, they will love your holiday meals because youâll be the one making them. You could serve them frozen pizza and they would love it. Whatever you want to serve, that will be our tradition, okay? Or if you want me to handle the Jewish crap, thatâs fair too. Weâll figure it out year by year, alright?â
âNo way are you allowed to cook any holiday meals, Jewish or otherwise.â
âIâm a decent cook!â Seth retorted, but Jessica just cocked an eyebrow at him. âFine, Iâm an adequate cook,â he amended.
âThe Valentineâs dinner debacle of 2018 says otherwise.â
âThe steaks were just a little overly charred.â
âAnd the rolls were not cooked through and the vegetables were beyond rubbery and you forgot about dessert in the oven so the sprinklers went off-â
âAlright, alright, I concede that meal did not turn out well. Are you ever gonna let me live that down?â
âNope,â she said, shaking her head as she flipped the rest of the latkes onto another plate, walked around the island, and joined Seth on the stool next to his. And while he knew that it was just in Jessicaâs nature to go a little nuts about this sort of thing, that she would always be the type to go all out for the holidays, well sitting here, enjoying a home-cooked meal with her was more than festive enough for him. Whatever the future held for them and their family, spending it together would always matter more than what was on the menu.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Book: Open Heart (about 5 months after the end of Book 1)
Word Count: ~1000
Rating: PG
Summary: Bryce and Cassieâs weekend trip to Cape Cod didnât exactly turn out as planned
Authorâs Note: The last of my very late Autumn prompts, renting a cabin! This one was requested by @octobereighth way too long ago, but Iâve finally delivered! Trying to be efficient here and also use this for day 14 for 41 Days of Cheer (travel) because I live by myself and therefore feel no shame with a little double dipping!
âStop hogging all the blankets,â Cassie moaned as she tugged at the fleece currently spread across the center of the bed.
Bryce opened his mouth to retort, but it hurt too much to speak. His throat felt raw and burning, like hundreds of little scalpels were being dragged along his pharynx. He wanted another cough drop, but they were all the way in the bathroom, and the ten feet between the bed and the sink might as well be ten miles for how far away it felt.
This was not how Bryce had pictured this weekend going when heâd suggested to Cassie that the two of them rent a cabin on Cape Cod for a long weekend as a mini getaway after Cassie mentioned having to go from August to April without a week of vacation. But between trying to avoid the insanity of summer costs on the Cape and conflicting rotation schedules, they hadnât been able to get out there until November.
The cold weather would have been bad enough, but Bryce was confident they would have been able to adapt, find ways to enjoy themselves in spite of the biting winds and gloomy skies. What they hadnât counted on was an early influenza season. And while being in the OR for his trauma call rotation meant that Bryce always got to wear a mask around patients, Cassie was in the ED this block. Of course, theyâd both gotten their flu shots this year, but as theyâd informed patients countless times, the flu vaccine didnât provide perfect protection. This year, they were both in the unlucky camp.
Cassie had warned him that sheâd had some chills and rigors a couple of days before they were set to leave, offered to cancel and steer far clear of him, but Bryce had blown off her concerns, convinced that she was just imagining that sheâd caught influenza when it was far more likely that sheâd contracted some other, less severe virus. He had clearly been very wrong.Â
So, instead of a romantic getaway in a little cabin for 4 days, 3 nights, they were instead both miserable, aching, febrile, congested, and just plain gross-feeling. They were paying $145 a night to lay around in bed, buried under every blanket they could find in the rental. If Bryce wasnât so exhausted, he might have been more annoyed by that fact, but all he could find the energy to do was to roll over before falling back asleep.
Bryce drifted off at some point, even though it was the middle of the afternoon. Between the flu and his weird sleep schedule on his current rotation, falling asleep during the day was very easy. Eventually, he woke up shivering, reaching to tug some of the blankets back from Cassie, but finding her half of the bed empty.
âCassie?â he croaked out, his voice raspy, dry, and distorted.
A few seconds later, Cassie shuffled around the corner, wrapped in a blanket and carrying a glass of water. âHereâs your Tamiflu,â she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper as she set the glass of water and a couple of pills on the bedside table, âand some ibuprofen.â
Bryce picked up the orange and white capsule, but left the three red tablets on the nightstand, shaking his head, âI donât need ibuprofen.â
âBryce, you have a fever.â
âI know. The fever is an evolutionary advantage that helps the human body fight off viral infections. Iâm not going to purposely undo that.â
âFine, be miserable.â
âFevers are only uncomfortable as you are spiking one. Once you reach your new-â Bryce countered, but he was cut off as Cassie let out a miserable groan.
âEnough, enough,â she said, crawling back under the covers on her side of the bed, mumbling something about âdoctorsâ and âterrible patients.â Bryce took a sip of water to take the Tamiflu, noticing that Cassie hadnât bothered to unwrap the blanket sheâd been wearing as a cape as he did so.
âYou planning on sharing that blanket?â he asked as he set down the glass of water and grabbed his phone in exchange.
âNo,â she answered matter-of-factly before rolling to face him.
Bryce just stared at her for a moment, but when she raised her eyebrows defiantly, he knew how he had to respond. Mustering all his energy, he flung his body over to her side of the bed, wrapping his arms around her and grabbing at the blanket.
âBryce!â she rasped out, wheezing out a few chuckles at his sudden move. Unfortunately for them both, the blanket somehow ended up on the floor in the midst of it all. âNow look what youâve done,â she said, her tone much more playful than her words, wrapping her arms around his neck as they settled into a loose cuddle.Â
âGross, youâre all clammy,â she added with another couple of weak giggles.
âOne, you are just and gross and clammy as me. Two, this situation is one hundred percent your fault, so youâre gonna help me pick out a restaurant for dinner.â
âBryce, youâre insane if you think Iâm leaving this cabin.â
He just shook his head, holding up his phone, âDelivery, Cassie. I donât plan on letting you leave this bed.â
Normally, an innuendo like that would lead to some flirting back and forth before things escalated, but given the circumstances, Bryce was glad to draw a genuine laugh from Cassie, even though it did trigger a bit of a coughing fit. Sure, this was probably no oneâs idea of a good weekend trip, but it could be a lot worse. At the end of the day, most trips were more about the company than the destination, anyway.
Summary: Hana knows Riley is her best friend. Sheâs just not sure sheâs Rileyâs best friend.
Authorâs Note: This piece was inspired by several things, including my irritation that we didnât have access to the closets from TRR 1-3 in The Royal Holiday. Riley Liu/Walker would hate both of the ballgowns presented in that book, they just arenât her style. Why wasnât she allowed to wear any of her other gowns or her winter coat or her leather coat or...
Anyway, I digress. This piece was also inspired by a little blurb I wrote as part of an ask from @burnsoslow about Riley Liuâs most prized possession. It got me thinking about if Hana knows how much that dress means to Riley, so for the prompt âFriendshipâ for 41 days of cheer, I thought I would explore that topic. This piece isnât completely canon compliant, but considering the lack of access to the closet is dumb and PB had their own continuity errors in The Royal Holiday, Iâm counting this one as part of my canon!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hana still had to remind herself to be kind to herself at times. It was a new skill she was working on, that she had been working on for some time, in all honesty. She better knew what she wanted out of life when it came to goals and achievements, but she all too often caught herself slipping into old patterns when it came to interpersonal relationships. It was hard, after all, to undo years of thinking that love was a quid pro quo transaction. It required work to not think that she had to provide some service or skill to earn affection, to remember that there were people in this world who loved her just for being herself.
The holiday season was both a blessing and a curse in that regard. Hana was certainly grateful to have an invitation to spend Christmas with her closest friends, but in some other ways, it was difficult to stay in a festive mood. The holidays might be a time of cheer and good spirits, but it was also typically considered a time for family. And even though her mother had promised to make more of an effort to see her as the woman she was, not the woman she hoped for, the strain on that relationship still weighed on her.Â
Still, Hana was doing her best to stay positive and focus on all the love and warmth sheâd found with her friends. She did love them all - Maxwell, Liam, Drake, and Riley. Riley, in particular, was a better friend than sheâd ever dreamed she could have. She never imagined having someone she considered a true best friend until she met Riley. And while she knew Riley cared about her deeply, she often felt an imbalance there. Because while Riley was her best friend without question, she wasnât sure if Riley felt the same way about her. She certainly was very close to Maxwell, sharing zany inside jokes that often flew right past Hana, referring to him as her brother, and naming him her âMan of Honor.â And of course, her connection with Drake was obviously deep and rich, encompassing friendship in addition to the romantic love they shared.
It was a concern that drifted through her mind from time to time, and Hana wasnât sure if it was a founded fear or if this was merely her old, toxic ways of analyzing relationships. She knew intellectually she shouldnât be worried about where she ârankedâ among Rileyâs friends, but sometimes her soul just ached, full of fear that she hadnât done enough, been good enough, to earn Rileyâs true friendship.
It was harder now, after the wedding. Sheâd been staying at the palace since then, wanting to give Drake and Riley some privacy as a newlywed couple, both for their sake and for her own. But going forward, she wasnât sure if she would really be welcome to return to Valtoria. Drake and Riley likely didnât want a friend hanging around, disrupting their family, intruding on their private life like a stray kitten, so pathetic and pitiful that they couldnât say no to taking her into their home.
She knew that neither Riley nor Drake were big on planning, so she hadnât wanted to bring up her living arrangements. But the clock was ticking down on their time in Lythikos, and while she had plans to head to Ramsford with Maxwell to help him prepare for the New Yearâs Eve Beaumont Bash, the fact that she didnât have firm plans after that was quite unsettling.
All these thoughts ran through her mind as she touched up her lipstick and tucked a stray hair into her braid, but she resolved to shove them aside as she made her way to meet up with the group on Christmas morning. Everyone was festive in their own way, even Drake deciding to forego the grumpy act, and the cheer was starting to lift Hanaâs worries. But when it was Rileyâs turn to show off her holiday outfit, Hana was floored when she stepped out not in the new red ball gown, but in the dress Hana herself had given her back in Shanghai.
As the boys complemented Riley on her festive attire and Olivia scoffed that her choice was more appropriate, Hana just stood there, partially in awe, partially worried. Riley hadnât chosen to forego a more stunning piece just as a gesture to her, had she? So, as the group moved to head out of the boutique into the entry hall, Hana caught Rileyâs eye and jerked her head, signaling her to stay back so she could talk to her.
âPlease donât feel like you have to wear that dress just because weâre here together. I completely understand if youâd like to wear a new gown for this occasion.â
âDonât be silly, Hana. This is the dress I want to wear.â
âYouâd really rather wear that dress than the beautiful gown Olivia selected?â Hana was sure her eyebrows were nearly at the top of her forehead, but she was just so surprised by that statement.Â
âOf course. When have you ever seen me in something so poofy and over the top? That gown isnât me at all.â
Hana tried to maintain a neutral face, but Rileyâs words stung more than they should. She just didnât like the other option. Sheâd probably just picked out a random red dress to pack, so that was why sheâd chosen this dress. Forcing a smile, Hana nodded gently and moved to rejoin the group, but she must not have kept her face still enough, because Riley grabbed her forearm and tugged her backwards slightly.
âHana, this a beautiful dress, but thatâs not why I love it. No one has ever given me anything so personal, so thoughtful. You designed this piece that looks amazing and suits me and my personality so damn well. You somehow blended my style and your background into a dress thatâs basically a work of art. All for me. Hana, I never thought anyone would put such thought into a gift for me.â
âOh, Iâm sure youâve gotten better gifts in the past.â
Riley shook her head, raising her eyebrows and letting out a little sigh, âTrust me, Hana. Before you met me, no one had given me so much as a Starbucks gift card in years. You, on the other hand, crafted a very personal and time consuming gift within months of knowing me, a gift that I will treasure forever.â
âYou arenât just saying that?â
âNo, Iâm not just saying that,â said Riley. âWanting to fit into this dress will serve as my diet and fitness inspiration for years to come,â she added with a wink.
Hana laughed at that, linking her arm through Rileyâs and walking out of the boutique. As they made their way towards the entry where Liam, Maxwell, Drake, and Olivia where undoubtedly waiting for them, Riley kept talking.
âIn addition to this gift, I should properly thank you for your very thoughtful wedding gift.â
âYou already thanked me for the shoes.â
âNo, I meant the fact that you stayed at the palace for the past couple of weeks. Weâve really appreciated having a bit of time with just the two of us, particularly since we couldnât schedule our honeymoon right away. But Drake and I want you to know that you shouldnât feel like you have to keep staying away. You can come home with us tomorrow if you want.â
Hana swallowed carefully, not wanting to start crying over something Riley was treating as so matter of fact, but the combination of relief and love she felt at that moment was nearly overwhelming. But it wasnât the time for an emotional outburst, it was a time to celebrate, so Hana just smiled and shook her head, âI wouldnât want to disappoint Maxwell; heâs so been looking forward to us party planning together. Iâll return to Valtoria after New Yearâs.â
âSounds good,â said Riley as they rounded the corner, breaking off to go talk to Olivia once they reached the entryway. While Riley had made her gratitude for the dress known, Hana couldnât help but feel like she had been given an even greater gift just now. Her best friend planned to share her home with her even after getting married.
And so she thought until she arrived at Valtoria just over one week later, finding a framed photo on top of the dresser in the bedroom sheâd been using. The photo had been taken by Maxwell when they were leaving Shanghai; Hana remembered it well. Riley had been telling her about all the wonderful things about New York City and how excited she was to share them with her. Theyâd both been giggly and giddy, and Hana had hugged Riley, laughing and silly. And here that photo was, framed and sitting on top of a piece of paper on which Riley had scrawled
Welcome home!
This time, Hana couldnât help but cry, a few tears trailing down her cheek. Because her best friend didnât think she was sharing her home with Hana - she saw her home as Hanaâs home. And that degree of love was simply overwhelming.
For their Christmas card, Barb Powell used one of her favorite shots from summer break. Chris had come home for a few weeks and they enjoyed having him home again. AJ didnât want to let him leave and may have hid his Jeep keys the day he had to leave.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming