If Paradise Was on Earth: (Huntington Beach BOOK 3) Page 3

  “Oh, Alice. I agree. I listen to that any time I am discouraged by this world. A nice little pick-me-up, if you will. It’s gotten me through a lot of rough times,” Richard whispered. There weren’t many people at the drive-in cinema today, and they were separated from the others that were attending, by a few cars. No one would hear him, but it being such a sensitive matter, he felt it was safest to be quiet.

  “Richard… look at me,” Alice said.

  “What is it?” Richard said, and locked eyes with Alice.

  “You are so pained by your past. You try to hide it, and you try to put on a brave face, but I see those tiny little glimpses of your sorrow in your eyes when you are reminded of them. I know you haven't spoken much of it. Talk to me, Richard. Open up. I swear it will help with the healing process."

  “I’ve never spoken about it because it brings all the feelings rushing back and I become a total mess. And I drink. And I don’t want to slip into that deep, dark hole again,” Richard said.

  Alice saw his eyes welling up with tears, and she pulled him closer and let him break down in her arms. Her hug made him feel better, and it felt like it had a healing effect on him. He held her tightly.

  “I won’t let that happen, Richard.”

  Richard sighed and looked at her. It was true that he’d never opened up, and he wasn’t even sure how to go about it.

  “Are you sure? Isn’t it uncomfortable to be talking about my dead wife? Won’t you get jealous?”

  “No. That was a chapter in your life, and I can’t be mad at you for loving someone before me. That would be unfair. From what I've heard, she was an amazing person. Tell me more.”

  “Well, we met early on in high school. Got married a little while after we moved in together at 18. She was an artist, and I worked an office job. My boss was terrible. Haha, I was miserable because of that place. I made enough money to survive and be a little comfortable, but barely. Looking back at it now though, the money I made at that place was not worth the torture they put me through,” Richard said.

  “Yeah, I understand that. No amount of money is worth your suffering.”

  “Exactly. Charlotte was depressed. She’d suffered from it since she was a teenager, but it went untreated over the years, and she refused treatment as an adult. She was worried she would become a different person, or that her art would be affected. She was good at what she did, but she was a struggling artist. Finding clients is difficult,” Richard said.

  "She was an artist? That's incredible. I thought Emily was talented, it looks like she got it from her mother. Never stop pushing her to pursue that - she's going to be brilliant someday."

  “Oh, I definitely won't stop. Especially starting at such a young age, she’ll be so good by the time she is an adult. So many people regret not starting hobbies and things that require ten thousand hours for mastery sooner in their lives.”

  They cuddled for the rest of the movie, and Alice fell asleep on Richard’s shoulder. He sat there for a few minutes, too scared to disturb her rest. He stroked the beautiful blonde strands of her hair out of her face and stared at her a little longer before planting a kiss on her forehead.

  Alice grumbled, and with a Mhmm? She woke up.

  “Wakey wakey,” Richard whispered.

  “How long have I been asleep?” Alice said, sitting up and stretching as best as she could in the cramped space of the car.

  “Not long, you did miss the end though,” Richard said.

  “Ah man, sorry about. I have a tendency to fall asleep during movies. I can’t help it,” Alice said and pouted.

  “I find it cute, don’t worry about it,” Richard said.

  “So, what else do we have planned for the night?” Alice said, her voice slightly raspy and dry from the sleep.

  “It’s a surprise, come, let’s throw our trash away and head back to the house.”

  They collected all the trash and their belongings and handed the car key back to the man at the front desk. They were the last people there, and the staff was already cleaning up and turning off for the night.

  “I hope you had a wonderful time,” the man at the front desk said.

  They walked hand in hand back to Richard's house. It was dark out, and the breeze was ice cold. They made it back to Richard's house and set all their things down.

  “Okay, wait here, just give me a minute, I need to prepare,” Richard said excitedly.

  Alice waited patiently in the living room, and Richard came back. His face was beaming with a bright smile.

  Richard covered Alice’s eyes and led her to the bedroom.

  “Open your eyes,” Richard whispered.

  On the bed, there were yellow rose-petals scattered in a heart-shaped pattern. In the center of the heart, there was a big red box, wrapped in a yellow ribbon. Around the bedroom, there were tea candles lit on every surface possible, the bedside tables, the dressers. Alice gasped and covered her mouth with both of her hands.

  “Oh Richard, that’s so beautiful, thank you. What a sweet gesture!” Alice beamed.

  “I couldn’t find sunflower petals to scatter in the room, yellow roses had to suffice. I am sorry,” Richard said and hung his head down low.

  “No, no, this is perfect, Richard. Thank you so much for putting all this effort in.”

  “Go on then, open the box. There are a few surprises in there for you.”

  Alice did as she was told, undid the ribbon, and lifted the lid off the box. She looked inside the box, and there were a few small things, a sunflower necklace with her initials engraved in the center. Alice immediately tried to fumble to put it on, and Richard stood behind her and helped her. He planted a soft kiss on the back of her neck.

  “Thank you, Richard. I will never take it off,” Alice said and twisted her neck to kiss him.

  “I knew you would like it. Go on, open everything else,” Richard said.

  She went for the second box, the smaller one, and saved the larger box for last. She opened it, removed the decorative tissue paper, and she chuckled when she saw what it was.

  “Oh my goodness, you saucy devil. Lingerie?” Alice said, “I’ve been meaning to buy some more just for you.”

  “Try it on,” Richard said, a big, dorky smile on his face again.

  Alice immediately unbuttoned her blouse, let it fall down her shoulders, and then onto the floor. She unzipped the skirt, and it dropped to the floor, to reveal that she was in fact, not wearing any panties or a bra, the whole night. Richard didn’t notice her not wearing a bra, since it was already night and dark out, and knowing she was bare underneath her clothing the entire time made his manhood throb and grow. Alice pulled the panties on, which were a sheer fabric with small embroidered sunflowers scattered on it, with a yellow hem. She pulled the bralette on, which had two bigger sunflowers on to cover where her nipples would show through. Richard inhaled sharply at how good Alice looked.

  “Oh… my…” Richard whispered.

  He licked his lips and moved in to kiss her. Alice removed his shirt, to reveal his strong, muscly arms and chest. She bit her lip, swooning at the sight of his body.

  He moved the box out of the way, and they dropped down onto the bed.

  “I’m guessing you like it then?” Alice whispered in Richard’s ear as he planted kisses all over her neck and collar bone. Alice ran her fingers through his hair and let out soft moans at each kiss.

  “Yes, I do, you look so damn good,” Richard said.

  He slid his hand down her body, letting his fingers lightly tickle her skin, and pleasured her over her panties. They made love, and Richard made sure Alice reached climax a few times before he finished off. They laid on the bed, panting, and trying to catch their breath.

  “Wow, Richard,” Alice said between heavy breaths, “it just keeps getting better every time. I never knew sex could be this good.”

  He turned to face her and rested his face on his arm.

  “I’m guessing you’ve had a lot of disappointing
sexual experiences then?” Richard said.

  Alice blushed.

  “Haha, yeah, I guess you could say that. No one has ever cared enough to make sure I was having a good time too. This is just so different. It feels so right. It doesn't feel like a chore, where I have to do all the work.”

  “Well, my dear Alice. You’ve been with the wrong men, then. I don’t understand how people just don’t care about their partner's pleasure too. It’s so strange to me. Nothing feels better than knowing I have made my woman happy and satisfied,” Richard whispered.

  “Your woman? Hmm… I’ve fought against my parents wanting me to be owned by a rich husband these past few months. But hearing those words come from your mouth makes me want to go for round two. I’m yours. I like the sound of that. Just rolls off the tongue so nicely,” Alice said.

  “You’ve been mine since the first day I laid my eyes on you.”

  “Richard, I wasn’t joking when I said I was ready for round two… Don’t tempt me.”

  “Haha, sorry, I’ll stop. Oh! We forgot about your last present! Open it up!”

  Richard grunted as he pulled himself up and grabbed the last box. He handed it to Alice, and she shook it lightly. It was a little bit heavy. She opened it up, and gasped.

  “Richard, no way! This is incredible. A Canon 2000D?”

  “You like it? I know you’ll use it. There’s a lot of beautiful things in this city that you can capture.”

  "But Richard, this is so expensive… How could you afford it? Take it back. This is too much."

  “Alice, relax. I already owned it before. I bought this for, uh, Charlotte but she passed away before I could give it to her for her birthday. It’s just been sitting in my closet for years now. I thought it might be best to give it to someone who deserves it and will actually use it. I hope you don’t mind; I hope it’s not too awkward…”

  Alice smiled. She didn't find it weird at all. Charlotte was a big part of his life and she would never judge him or see him differently because of anything to do with her.

  “Richard, this is incredible. I am so flattered that you found me worthy of this. I will cherish this forever."

  “Phew. Good. I wasn't sure if it would be too strange of a gift. But also, maybe in a little while when the weather is perfect and the sea is calm, you, Emily, and I can take a photo together. I have all the equipment for it, the lenses, and the tripods, all that stuff. We can set it up on a tripod. We’ll get the photos framed and I will put it in the living room.”

  Alice smiled sincerely. He really did love her. He really did want her in his life.

  “Yes Richard, I would love that,” Alice said and pecked him on the lips.

  4

  Fiona

  J eremy read the morning newspaper, as he usually did every day, with a cup of black, sugarless coffee. A headline on the third page made him chuck the paper down on the table and stand up angrily.

  “What is it, my love?” Fiona said, noticing his distress.

  “Someone has exposed our plan to the public. This is going to make things very difficult for us. Look,” Jeremy said, and chucked the newspaper to Fiona. She found the page and read it out loud.

  “The Rineheart Family: Monsters in Disguise.”

  “We’ve been very careful with all of this so far. Even if there was some outrage, it would have been at a later date, when we’ve already built and there was no going back,” Jeremy said.

  He stroked the hair on his chin.

  "Someone must have alerted the media. How else would everyone know about it?" Fiona said.

  "Yeah, you're right. Hopefully, this doesn't blow up too quickly. We can't have this happening. Construction is due in only a few months."

  Jeremy paced around the room. He knew how much power the people could have when they were in groups and all believed in the same thing. If enough people were notified of this movement, then they very well could stop it from happening. He scoffed.

  “It’s disgusting, Fiona. Why won’t people let us have our peace?” Jeremy spat.

  “We’ll figure this out, Jeremy. You just focus on your work, and I am sure it will work out,” Fiona said softly.

  “Don't act so calm. You don't even seem to care! Do you even care that our entire empire is at risk with this? We have been in this situation before because of Alice’s antics, I’m not letting it happen again. No way. Why did you have to raise such a wild child, Fiona?”

  “Excuse me? Huh. How dare you say that to me? She is our daughter. Don’t you dare blame this on me. Have you ever considered that that’s just who she is, and we won’t be able to change that? Spend a little less time working and a little more time on self-reflection and get your shit together!”

  “Oh, me? Get it together? Pfft. You haven't had to work a day in your life. I took you away from that terrible poverty-ridden life. You get everything you want and need, plus more! Don’t challenge me like this. You know I don’t like it when women challenge me, Fiona.”

  “What? Are you going to strike me again? Do it then, since I’m not the perfectly trained little submissive wife that you want!” Fiona shouted.

  “Fiona!” Jeremy spat,

  Jeremy raised his hand above his head but brought it back down to his side. Fiona could see his temper was rising but with clenched fists and a red face, he tried to compose himself,

  “I have some business to tend to. I won't be back until tomorrow.”

  “Fine! Go!” Fiona shouted, and opened the door for him to leave.

  He gathered his suitcase and left with a brisk walk. Fiona slammed the door hard when he was out of sight.

  Fiona slid down the wall and broke down into tears. She knew who alerted the papers and the media. She knew it was Alice, but she didn’t tell Jeremy. For Alice to do something so brash and risky, it needed to be for something important. Richard must have meant the world for her to try and stop the hotel from happening. Fiona hadn’t seen Alice so happy in years. The conversation they had the day before just solidified it. She really was in love, and she wouldn’t let anything bad happen to him.

  Fiona was proud. She was proud of her daughter risking everything for Richard. She was proud of her daughter growing into a strong, assertive woman. Unlike her mother. Who was weak, and small, and scared. She was proud of her for standing up for herself and what she believed in. The opposite of the kind of woman Jeremy wanted Alice to be.

  5

  Alice

  T he sun was bright and hot. If it weren’t for the cold sea breeze, people would have stayed indoors. The wind wasn’t too rough, rather just added a slight coldness to the air. It was a perfect day for taking a picture. Richard dressed in navy blue chinos, and a white dress shirt that had the sleeves rolled up to the perfect spot where it would show off his bulky arms. Alice loved it when men rolled up their sleeves like that, especially when Richard did it. Alice wore a beautiful dress that was tight in the center of her waist and flowed down to just above her knees. Emily insisted on wearing a fairy princess dress, refusing to do the photo unless Richard let her wear it. It was pink and purple and had fake Swarovski diamonds littered all over it. They were just outside of Richard’s house.

  Alice set up the camera on the tripod, making sure that it was firmly placed into the sand, and making sure that along with the three of them, the beautiful view of the ocean and the sky were visible in it as well. Richard held Emily in his arms, and he softly said, “Alice, Alice, look behind you.”

  She looked to where he was pointing and saw her mother, dressed in a power suit and struggling to traverse the sand in her heels. Fiona had wrapped a hair scarf over her head to protect her hair from the harsh sun. As Alice waited for her to approach, her mind raced like crazy. How did her mother know where Richard’s house was? Why was she even there?

  “Mother. What are you doing here???” Alice whispered. She didn’t want Richard or Emily to hear the potential squabble she and her mother could have.

  “Sorry, I don’t
mean to interrupt. I found out his address when the city sent the letter for us to sign, and then sent it to him. I am sorry for intruding, but I was just so curious to meet him. Don’t worry, your father is out of town on business, so he isn’t involved in this,” Fiona whispered back.

  “So, you came here to meet my boyfriend?” Alice said. She laughed.

  “Basically, yes.”

  “Well, then. If you don’t mind, help us take the photograph,” Alice said.

  Alice walked up to Richard, and he positioned Emily so that they held her in between the two of them.

  “What the hell is your mother doing here?” he whispered, trying his best not to move his lips too much so Fiona couldn’t make out what he was saying.

  “I have no idea. She’s softened up a bit. Just hear her out. This must be important. We can talk about it later.”

  “Say cheese!” Fiona said loudly.

  Richard and Alice said cheese, while Emily, who at this age, was struggling with pronouncing ch, excitedly said TEESE!!!

  “Beautiful, beautiful! Just a few more for safety sake!” Fiona said and snapped a few more pictures.

  “Thanks, mother.”

  “It’s a pleasure my darling,” Fiona said. They walked up to the camera and inspected the pictures. They were perfect, and they would definitely be framed.

  "Richard Turner. It's a pleasure to meet you, well, meet you as a potential son in law, anyway," Fiona said and reached out her hand to shake his.

  “Mrs. Fiona Rineheart. It's a pleasure to meet you as a potential mother in law," Richard smiled and shook her hand firmly.

  Alice picked up the camera equipment and put it all back in its carry case, allowing Richard and Fiona to have their moment.

  "Would you like to come in for some tea, coffee, wine, or whiskey, Mrs. Rineheart?” Richard said.

  “What a gentleman. I’ll have a coffee, thanks. One sugar and a splash of milk,” Fiona said.

  They made their way inside together, wiping the sand off their shoes on the doormat. Richard set Emily down near the coffee table, or rather, her art space, and she entertained herself as the adults went to the kitchen.