Following the Stars

Chapter Thirty

Lexie woke and felt extremely warm, did she leave the heating on last night? It was stifling in her room, like Summer not mid December. She tried to roll over but was trapped, she slowly opened her eyes and saw a large muscular arm wrapped round her torso, and found her head had not been residing on her pillow as she first thought but a heavily tattooed chest of Johnny Depp. Her eyes widened at the realisation of what had happened last night, she didn't regret it at all and her body ached in places that it rarely did. She smiled to herself, secretly smug she had slept with Johnny, but equally as happy that he had been as kind and as considerate as she knew he would be. It helped that he was exceptionally good at bedroom activities too. She gently tried to roll off him and out of his embrace but was met with a chuckle from her bed companion. "Going somewhere?" He muttered. "No nowhere special." She replied. Johnny finally opened his eyes "Why are we whispering?" Lexie giggled "I don't know....Stay here, I'll go make you some coffee." "As much as that thought makes me smile, I'm not having you wait on me hand and foot, even if I did deliver the goods last night darling." He smirked making Lexie blush. "Not that your service wasn't impeccable last night Mr Depp, but don't get your hopes up, this is a one time offer, coffee in bed!" Lexie giggled. She slowly sat up and grabbed a satin robe from the end of her bed and put it on. Johnny followed suit and rummaged in his holdall, he found some sweatpants and donned them before joining Lexie as she made her way downstairs. They made their way into the kitchen where she switched the coffee machine on and began heating up some pastries.

After an hour of sipping coffee and breakfast, Johnny grabbed his phone from where he had left it the night before. "Do you mind if I quickly call the kids? I usually speak to them at least once a day when I'm away from them." "God of course Johnny, you don't need to ask. I'll go get changed." He smiled before grabbing his phone, his cigarettes and heading out to the garden. Lexie made her way up stairs and got dressed, although they didn't plan to go anywhere she wanted to make some form of effort especially as usually she would just be in loungewear on the days she stayed home. She grabbed some skinny jeans, and an oversized knitted jumper that fell off her shoulder slightly. She donned fresh make up, and brushed out her hair before heading back downstairs. As she approached the kitchen Johnny re entered from the back garden. "All ok?" Lexie asked sweetly. "yes they are fine, being spoilt by their mother and Samuel, Lily is off to The Ritz later for afternoon tea with her grandmother so she's buzzing about that." "Ah lovely, is that where Vanessa's mother lives too, Paris?" Johnny smiled at how much interest Lexie showed when it came to his kids it was a refreshing change. Johnny quickly made his way upstairs to ready for the day, Lexie showed him into the en suite and showed him how to work the shower. "Shame you're already dressed, you could have joined me." He flirted making her smile. "Well maybe I could get a rain check on that?" She winked before closing the door behind him.

An hour later, they were sat at the kitchen island sipping coffee and talking all things music, Lexie had her laptop out and was playing samples of the tracks that were going to be released on her upcoming album, she was incredibly embarrassed but Johnny loved listening to her work, he was seriously impressed by her vocal and writing skills and he told her after every snippet of song played. She clicked on another and as the track began to play, all of a sudden they heard the buzzer. Lexie approached the unit on the wall answering it. "Darling... are you home???" Lexie's eyes widened. It was her mother. She heard the familiar sound of Murphy's collar and spotted him on the camera alongside her Dad. "Lexie?" The 32 year old rolled her eyes, boy did her parents have good timing, she looked over at Johnny who was sipping his coffee smirking. She pressed the intercom "Just a minute." She span round looking at Johnny "What do I do?" She said like a deer caught in headlights. "I suggest you let them in before they tell the whole street they are here." Johnny chuckled. "Seriously?" Johnny shrugged "I guess meeting the parents will be fun, and totally earlier than anticipated." Lexie smiled before pressing the access button. All of a sudden there was a bang on the door, she ran over to the front door answering it. Murphy ran in as always making himself at home, she knew he could smell the other person in the house as he headed straight for the kitchen instead of plonking down on the rug like usual. "Mum, Dad, what a surprise. What are you doing here?" "We just thought we would drop by. We were walking Murphy and popped by the bakers, grabbed some croissants and thought maybe we could treat you to lunch later." "Oh, umm I'm sorry, I can't, I have plans today." "Oh, well can't your plan come too?" Her mum asked sweetly. "Umm.. erh," thankfully Johnny chose this point to walk round the corner with Murphy by his side. The golden retriever looked extremely happy to be reunited with his walking buddy Johnny. "Hi, sorry, I'm afraid it's my fault, I'm the plan. Doll, if you want to go to lunch with your folks please do." Lexie's eyes widened, not on your nelly she thought but did better than to voice that. She saw her mum blushing at Johnny, Jesus mother, be cool she thought. "Umm Mum, Dad, this is Johnny, Johnny these are my parents, Tom and Lizzie." Johnny held out his hand to shake her father's hand and grabbed her mum's hand leaving a kiss on the back of it making her mother swoon. "It's a pleasure to meet you properly Mr Depp" Lizzie said. "Yes, we've admired you for some time." Added her father. "Oh thank you, that's very kind of you." "Any chance of a coffee Lex?" Asked her father making Lexie roll her eyes. Could her parents not tell she was in the middle of something here? "Umm yeah sure," "Actually, Lexie was just about to put the kettle on I believe" Johnny said smiling at his girl's predicament. Murphy seemed to be enjoying the fuss from all the adults, especially when Johnny bent down and ruffled his ears and stroked him for the hundredth time.

"So Johnny, are you in town for work?" Asked Tom as they all sat on the couch sipping drinks, Lexie had placed the pastries her mother purchased on a plate in the middle of the coffee table. Johnny discreetly looked at Lexie beside him "Actually just pleasure this visit. It's a flying visit before Christmas." Tom nodded unaware of what pleasures Johnny was referring to. "And what are your plans for Christmas?" Lizzie asked making Lexie gasp "Mum!! Quit being so nosey!" "Ha, it's fine Lexie, I'll be in Paris with my children, their mother and some family." "Ah that sounds lovely, I just didn't want you being alone, after all any friend of Lexie's is welcome in our home too." Added her mother making her smile. "Well Johnny has plans Mum, and besides I would never expose him to Christmas at The Donnington's!" This made all four adults chuckle.

After a brief visit from her parents, they soon decided to leave, which Lexie was extremely grateful for, "oh darling, by the way, your gate is on do not disturb, that's why we couldn't get in." "Yeah for a reason." Lexie muttered. "What did you say darling?" "Nothing, I said I'll look into it." She received a kiss on the head from her father and a hug from her mum, who seemed more interested in saying her goodbyes to Johnny than her. As she closed the front door behind them, she sighed in relief. "I'm so sorry Johnny, I had no idea they would rock up uninvited." "Don't be doll, I remember them briefly from Venice but it was nice to properly meet them." "God they are so embarrassing. Can you believe mum actually wanted to invite you to spend Christmas with us?" Lexie giggled. "I wouldn't have been opposed to the idea.." Johnny said laughing.

A few hours later after a light lunch, it was decided to make use of the hot tub in Lexie's garden. She really did love it out there, it was like having another socialising space. She had a fun bar and garden kitchen as well as the large jacuzzi that was in a secluded corner close to the house, it was surrounded by fairy lights and her own little version of a spa when she needed it. She agreed to go out and check what she needed to whilst sending Johnny upstairs to change. After a little joke about whether it was acceptable to get in naked, Lexie assured him she would stick to a bikini but he was free to do what he wanted. Once she was in the garden, she felt chilly, even with her jumper and jeans on which made her worry for changing into swimwear shortly. As she climbed the stairs, Johnny ventured out her bedroom in a pair of black swim board shorts. The view stopped Lexie in her tracks, she licked her lips before swallowing nervously. "You're ready then?" She said quietly, Johnny nodded smiling. He was glad the feeling of being blown away was mutual. Lexie quickly turned on the spot and headed into one of the spare rooms, Johnny slowly followed her as she yanked a large black White Company robe out of a bag. "Here this was meant to be a Christmas present for somebody, but you'll freeze, you have it." She handed him the plush robe, which he tried to shrug off, "honestly take it, you'll do well to remember loungewear is usually the uniform in this house." This comment made him smile. "Planning on having me around lots are you?" He smirked making her smile and blush. Johnny donned the robe and headed downstairs leaving Lexie to change. She quickly put on her favourite black bikini, she knew it fitted well and did what it was meant to do, she admired herself in the mirror whilst piling her hair on top of her head. She grabbed her soft plush robe from the back of the en suite door and headed downstairs. She heard a cork pop and found Johnny in the kitchen, she smiled at how at home he looked. "I thought we could crack the bottle I bought." He said as if she was going to tell him off. "Absolutely." She reached into a cupboard for the plastic champagne flutes she had but couldn't reach, Johnny approached behind her reaching over her, making her blush profusely, he smelt incredible, and his robe opened giving her glimpses of his body, the same body that ravished her the night prior.

Finally they made their way into the garden, hanging their robes and climbing into the tub. They sat opposite each other and he raised his glass "This is the life." "Absolutely. I imagine this is what Frank and Elise are up to now that they aren't on the run.." "Yes  I think so too." Making Lexie giggle.