�Thanks,� Claire said. �I�m glad you enjoyed it. C�mon, let�s get the dishes taken care of.� She grabbed her plate and glass and they walked into the kitchen.
"Now it's my turn to banish you from the kitchen. You cooked, I'll clean." Darren just shook his head when Claire looked as though she would protest. He kissed her cheek. "Now go."
"Okay. I'm going to go call Serena, then, since I didn't call her last night when we got in. And then, I've gotta take a shower."
"Alright. There's wash cloths and towels in the hall closet upstairs, and there should be shampoo and soap and stuff in the shower."
Claire went upstairs into Darren's bedroom. She picked up the phone off the nightstand and dialed Serena's number. She really wasn't all that surprised when Ben answered the phone. "Hi Ben, it's Claire. Is Serena around?"
"Hi Claire. Yeah, she's here, just a sec."
"Claire?"
"Hi Serena. Sorry I didn't call last night, but it was pretty late by the time we got here, and I didn't want to wake you guys up."
"That's okay, I'm just glad that you're calling now and that you guys made it there okay. So how's San Francisco?"
"It's just as incredible as I remember it. Oh, you'll never believe what happened to us in the airport last night, though. Guess who we ran into?"
"I have no idea. Who?"
"My mother. She was there on a layover from one of her trips. So now Darren will have the joyous honor of meeting my family tomorrow."
"So I take it you weren't planning on introducing Darren to them?"
"Serena, you've met my step-father. You know there's no way he's going to be okay with me being here with Darren. I don't even think he's going to like Darren. And while I don't care what his opinion is about my life, I don't want Darren to be hurt by it."
"Yeah, I understand how you feel, but you never know, Sam may surprise you. He might decide that he likes Darren. Just don't borrow trouble. Don't worry about it until there's actually something to worry about."
"You're right. Thanks Serena. I'm gonna go take a shower, but I'll call you again before we come back and let you know how it all went."
"Okay, bye sweetie."
"Bye." Claire reached over and hung up the phone and then lay back down on the bed for a few moments. She sighed, deciding that she would do her best to take Serena's advice and not worry about tomorrow until tomorrow gave her something to worry about. She got up and headed into the bathroom, stopping at the closet to grab a towel and wash cloth. She took a quick shower and went back downstairs to find Darren listlessly flipping through the TV stations. She sat down next to him on the couch.
Darren wrapped his arm around Claire and she rested her head on his shoulder. "So how's Serena?"
"She's fine. I told her I'd call her again before we went back."
"Okay. What do you say to a walk around Sausalito?"
"Sounds great. I've never been here before. We only ever went to the wharf and Chinatown before." The two walked around, hand in hand. Darren showed her some of his favorite places, and there was one that she absolutely fell in love with. It was an outcropping of rock that looked down on the bay. It was an incredible view, and the two sat there looking out and just enjoying being near each other for over an hour. The setting sun made for an even more incredible view. But it also brought even more of a chill to the January air.
Darren felt Claire shiver in his arms. "Cold love?"
She turned and smiled up at him. "A bit."
"Shall we go back home then? It's my turn to cook for you."
Claire turned around and gave him a quick kiss, and they headed back to Darren's house. Once there, Darren stepped into the kitchen and Claire followed. �Nope. You wouldn�t let me help this afternoon, so I�m not letting you help tonight.�
�Okay, but you�re not getting rid of me that easily. I�ll stay and keep you company while you slave away over a hot stove,� Claire said smiling.
Darren wrapped his arms around her waist. �Deal,� he said as he bent down and kissed her softly. All too soon, he pulled away and started rummaging through the refrigerator. �Now, what am I going to cook?� Darren thought for a while and then pulled out a bunch of different veggies and put them on the counter. He put some rice on to boil and began chopping the veggies. He sang bits and pieces of Hold Me and Santa Monica while he cut up the vegetables. Claire was sitting on the countertop enjoying listening to him sing.
After Darren finished cutting up the veggies, there was still about 20 minutes left on the timer for the rice. He went over to Claire, put his hands on her waist and lifted her off the counter. He pulled her close to him and began singing I Knew I Loved You softly in her ear. The two danced slowly to the rhythm Darren�s voice was creating. Claire could feel her entire body coming alive in his arms�she just felt so wonderful being close to him.
Darren was feeling the same as he pulled her body even closer. �I�m in love,� he thought. �I�m totally and completely in love. But it�s so soon�surely she can�t be feeling the same for me yet. But maybe she does�I don�t know�but I have to tell her soon, or I think I�m gonna burst with it.� The two stayed in each other�s arms until the rice was finished cooking. Darren sang a couple of other songs, and planted soft kisses all over Claire�s face and neck. When they finally did pull apart so that Darren could finish cooking, Claire was unsure of whether or not she could stand up without help. She held onto the edge of the counter until she was sure and her heartbeat had returned to normal.
Darren busied himself by saut�ing the veggies, but he was also unsure of how he was managing to stand up on his own. When the veggies were almost done, he added the rice, and then grabbed two plates. When the food was done, he put it on the plates, and the two carried them into the dining room along with napkins, silverware, and glasses of water.
After they finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen, they settled down on the couch to watch a movie. The two cuddled and talked and watched movies until it was time for bed. Claire was still nervous about Darren meeting her family the next day, but she was able to fall asleep without too much trouble. As for Darren, he lay awake for quite some time, thinking about his feelings for the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms.
The pair awoke to Darren�s alarm blaring at them the next morning. Claire rolled over out of his arms and groaned. �It can�t be morning already,� she said groggily. The pair had stayed up late listening to music and talking, both avoiding the one subject that was most pressing on their minds. But somehow the conversation had never lagged or felt awkward. When they finally had decided that they should get some sleep, it was past 3 am.
Darren reached over and turned off the alarm. �I�m afraid it is time to get up. Well, it is for me in any case. You can stay here and sleep if you want, but I have to go to this meeting.� He turned to her and kissed her forehead. �In fact you probably should. I�m used to getting almost no sleep with my career, but you�re probably not.�
Claire looked at him as though he were crazy and laughed. �Darren how long were you in university in Australia? It can�t be that much different than it is here. College students rarely sleep. We drink coffee and Pepsi instead. I�m coming with you, and then we can leave for my parents� house from there. It makes more sense than you having to turn right back around and come back here for me.�
�Alright then. You want the bathroom first or second?�
�I�ll go make breakfast. You can have the bathroom first.�
�Okay then.� Darren gave Claire a quick kiss, and then climbed out of bed and headed for the shower.
Claire lay there for a few minutes just relishing in the happy feeling she was having, before getting up herself to head downstairs to the kitchen. She pulled eggs and cheese out of the refrigerator, and made up scrambled eggs with melted cheese. She had just finished toasting a couple of bagels when Darren came downstairs dressed in a pair of khakis and an olive green colored sweater. �Looks good,� he said. Darren opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of orange juice. He set it on the table along with two glasses. Claire carried over the plates of food and silverware. They ate in companionable silence, though Claire caught Darren staring at her a couple of times. She could feel herself blushing a bit, and hoped he didn�t notice. No such luck, however. When she looked up from her food again, Darren just grinned at her and winked. Claire smiled back, and reached over and squeezed his hand. They finished their food, and Darren cleaned up the kitchen while she went upstairs to take a shower.
Claire glanced at the small clock that Darren kept on his bathroom counter. �Probably so that he can know exactly how much time he can spend staring at the mirror every morning,� Claire thought, smiling. It was one of those habits that many people would find annoying, but Claire found that it just made Darren even more endearing to her. She saw that she only had about 45 minutes to get ready before they had to leave. She hurried through her shower, and went into the bedroom to get dressed. She realized that what to wear was not going to be an easy choice as she riffled through everything she and Darren had bought the day before. In the end, she decided on a pair of dark grey slacks and Darren�s favorite of the two sweaters they had bought�a light blue one with small flowers embroidered around the collar. She slipped into a pair of black loafers and went downstairs.
Darren�s meeting with his producers was taking longer than they had anticipated, and Claire was glad that she had thought to grab a book off his shelf before they left the house. But she was starting to get bored with reading. She marked her place in the book with a scrap of paper she dug out of her purse and leaned back against the wall. More than anything, she was feeling nervous and anxious about having Darren meet her parents that afternoon. She knew that everything would go okay at her father�s house, but it was when Darren met her step-father that she was worried about. Sam had never really approved of any of the decisions Claire had made about her life and her future, and she was sure that her feelings for Darren were going to be no exception. The nervousness was beginning to make her antsy, so Claire stood up and started walking around the small office where she was waiting for Darren. He came in a few minutes later.
�Sorry that took so long love. But we�re finally done, and everything�s set for me to start recording in London a month after the tour is over.�
�London?� Claire asked a bit surprised.
�Yeah, there�s some sound engineers there that I really want to work with, so I�m going to be doing some of the album there and some of it here.�
�I see,� Claire said. �Sounds like fun.�
�Yeah, I think it will be. We should probably get going to your parents� house, though.� Darren handed Claire his cell phone and she called her father to let him know that they were coming over. He was surprised to hear from her, but happy that he would be able to see her again. Then Claire called her mother, and told her that they were going to stop at her dad�s first, but they�d be over there by five.
Everything went great at her dad�s house. She introduced Darren, and the two men hit it off right away. Her younger brother came home for a while, and that went okay as well, but he left soon after. Long before Claire wanted, it was time for them to leave to go over to her mom�s.
When they arrived, Claire let them in with her key, and called out. �Hello? Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, anyone here?�
She heard her grandma�s voice before she saw her, sitting in her chair in the living room. �Hi Claire Bear! We�re all in here.�
Darren smiled at the endearment. Claire blushed. �Old childhood nickname,� she muttered. They walked into the living room, and Claire was soon engulfed in hugs from her family. Darren hung back for a few minutes, letting them have their reunion time together. She turned to him after a few minutes. �Darren, I want you to meet my grandparents, �Nancy and Phillip Andrews. Grandma, Grandpa, this is Darren Hayes.�
�Hi Darren, it�s nice to meet you,� they both said at the same time.
�It�s nice to meet you both too. Claire�s told me a lot about you.� Darren said as he shook their hands.
Darren and Claire sat down on the couch next to her grandma�s recliner, and they began peppering him with questions. Claire smiled to herself thinking how lucky she was that her family wanted to know all about him and make sure he was good enough for her. And yet, at the same time, she wanted to shout to the heavens that he was too good for her. About 15 minutes later, they could hear the door to the garage opening.
�Sam must be back from the grocery store. I sent him out to get chicken and ground beef. Daddy decided he wanted to barbecue tonight, so we�ll eat outside on the porch,� Sarah said as she got up to go into the kitchen and help her husband with the groceries.
Her grandparents began asking Claire how school was going, and she told them about being almost finished with her thesis. �You must be glad to be almost done,� her grandpa remarked. �How long is it?�
�Yes, I am glad to be almost done, but I�ll be even more relieved once the defense is over with and I find out if I�m going to graduate with honors or not. It�s about 95 pages long all in all.�
Darren commented, �You know the first time she told me that, we were out to lunch with a friend, and he and I had both just taken sips of our drinks and we choked when we heard the length. I never had to do anything close to that when I was in university.� He turned to face Claire. �I�m very impressed by your dedication.�
Claire blushed. �Thanks Darren.�
Her grandmother added, �Yes, we�re very proud of our little Claire Bear.�
Her flush turned an even deeper shade of red. �Thanks Grandma.�
Sam walked into the living room. �Hello Claire,� he said rather coldly.
�Hi Sam. This is Darren Hayes. Darren, this is my step-father Sam James�
Darren stood up and held out his hand to Sam. �It�s nice to meet you.�
Sam hesitated a moment, looking Darren up and down in a sort of appraising way, then shook his hand. �Hello Darren.�
�Claire, your mother wants your help in the kitchen.�
�Okay.�
�I�ll come with you,� Darren said. The two walked into the kitchen, and were both assigned jobs cleaning meat or washing veggies.
Claire saw Darren cringe at the thought of working with the raw hamburger, and laughed. �Here, you cut up the onion and tomatoes, I�ll make the burgers.�
�Thanks sweetie. Sorry, just too many years spent as a vegetarian, I guess.�
�It�s okay, I understand.� Claire got out a large bowl, put the meat in it, poured in some worsteshire sauce, and added seasonings. Then she reached in with her hands and mixed it all up. She formed the meat into patties and put them on a plate to take outside to her grandpa who was warming up the barbecue grill. Darren had finished with the veggies, and after Claire washed the meat off her hands, they took everything outside to her grandpa.
There were a few awkward moments during dinner, but that was to be expected, and all in all, everything went really well. Darren handled everyone�s questions well, and soon was being treated as if he had always been a part of the family. He just had that quality about him that made people feel they�d known him forever. After dinner, Claire started clearing away the dishes. She declined Darren�s offer to help, telling him to relax. She carried a load of dishes into the kitchen and was busy rinsing them off and putting them in the dishwasher. She heard someone come into the kitchen and assumed it was Darren. Without turning around, she said, �Darren, darling I meant it when I said you didn�t need to help. Go relax, I�m sure you could use some rest after this morning.�
�You little slut, how dare you act like this!�
Claire spun around. �Sam! You scared me. I thought you were Darren. And I don�t understand what you mean. What am I doing wrong now?�
�Don�t start getting an attitude with me! You know what I mean.�
�No, I really don�t. I haven�t done anything wrong.�
�Oh no? You meet this guy less than two weeks ago and you�re already living in his house with him? What did you sleep with him the first day you met him? I know what these pop star types are like. All they think about is money and getting laid! So tell me, is he getting everything from you that he wants? Is that your way of paying him back for the plane ticket and the clothes?�
�You�re sick Sam. More so than I ever thought before. And I don�t have to justify the way I live my life to you or to anyone else other than G-d. You can think what you want, I�m not answering your accusations.� Claire started to walk out of the kitchen to go back and get the rest of the dishes.
�You little b*tch, you�re going to answer me!� He grabbed her arm and pulled her back, and slapped her across her face. �Now tell me!�
�No! I don�t have to answer to you any longer. I am 21 years old, and no longer under your control.�
�You ungrateful little brat!� he hissed. �Don�t you realize that I�m the one who has made your life possible? You could never afford to live the way you do if it weren�t for me!�
Claire jerked away from him. �You really are crazy. My college fund, which was started by my FATHER pays for my education, and I pay for my car and everything else I need by working my butt off at my work-study job! I owe you nothing,� she said more calmly than she felt. But she could feel the tears coming, so she ran quickly to the bathroom and locked the door.
Claire wasn�t sure how long she stayed in the bathroom crying, but soon Darren was knocking on the door. �Claire, are you okay?�
She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, wincing a bit at the pain from where Sam had hit her. �I�m fine Darren. I�ll be out in a minute.� She stood up and looked in the mirror. She splashed some cold water on her face, hoping that she could hide the fact that she�d been crying, but knew that there would be no such luck when she looked back in the mirror and could see the beginnings of a bruise forming on her cheek. She just hoped that Darren wouldn�t notice that, because she didn�t think she was up to explaining.
No such luck. As soon as she walked out of the bathroom into the hallway, Darren let out a gasp. �Claire, what happened? Why is your face all bruised?� He pulled her into his arms.
Claire tried to smile. �It�s okay Darren, don�t worry about it. I�m fine.�
�Want to try again? I�m not buying that for a minute.�
�Please Darren, I can�t talk about it right now. I don�t want to spoil the evening for everyone. I have some make-up in my purse that should cover it. I�ll tell you everything you want to know once we get back to your house, okay?�
Darren guessed what had happened when Sam had come back outside, his expression still mottled with anger. He had seen how cold the man had been to Claire when he came into the living room. He didn�t understand why she was protecting him, but decided to let her have her way. �Okay love. But we ARE going to talk about this when we get back home.�
Claire smiled up at him. �Thank you Darren.� She kissed him softly and then went to find her purse. She managed to cover the bruise fairly well, and the evening proceeded without further incident, though Darren was having a difficult time being even remotely civil to Sam. He ignored the man as much as he could.
They left an hour later, and when they got back to Darren�s house, and once they were settled on the couch in the living room, he said, �Okay. Will you tell me what happened now?�
