Leading Lady

CHAPTER 14

"Clarice, what's that doing in your hand?" Jackson asked gravely. Clarice stared at him, speechless. Jackson saw the glass on the counter and looked back at Clarice. "Please tell me you haven't..."

"I haven't," Clarice finally said, "I don't know how this got here. I came in just now and saw the bottle on the counter. I ... don't know who put it here."

Jackson turned angrily and stepped out of the kitchen. Clarice heard him call for the staff, his voice bellowing throughout the house. Clarice put the bottle back down and took deep breaths. Her eyes went to it, wanting desperately to take a sip of the wine. It seemed like that would be the only thing at that moment that could calm her down. A sip of wine would ease her anxiety after what she went through with Valentina. It would quench the deep thirst that was gripping her by the throat.

"Everyone inside," she heard Jackson say. He appeared back in the kitchen. All staff members, including Lucille, trickled into the room and lined up against a wall, wondering why they'd been summoned so early. Lucille caught a glimpse of the bottle on the counter and tried to keep a look of puzzlement on her face.

Wonderful, she had taken the bait just as I hoped.

"I want to know who the hell brought this into the house," Jackson demanded, snatching the bottle off the counter and showing it to them. Everyone looked at it with surprise. "You all know alcohol is banned in this house. Why would any of you bring this here and even worse, leave it out in the open over night?"

"Honey, please ..." Clarice said quietly, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Sir, we're all aware of this rule," one of the staff members spoke nervously. "We would never bring a bottle of alcohol into the house."

"Someone did," Jackson retorted coldly.

Lucille took a deep breath, "I did it."

Everyone turned towards her. Clarice looked at her, shocked.

"Lucille," Jackson said, trying to control his anger, "Why did you bring alcohol into the house?"

"It was sent to me," Lucille said to them apologetically, "Stanley from Rosebud Theatre had it delivered to me to congratulate me for being cast in the movie. God ... I'm an idiot. I was going to stash it in my room and I completely forgot. I'm so incredibly sorry, Clarice."

Jackson looked at the rest of the staff and dismissed them. Once they were gone, he looked at Lucille again. "I would appreciate it if you got rid of this. My wife found it..."

Lucille formed tears in her eyes and stepped closer to Clarice, "I feel awful about this. To think I almost made you fall off the wagon..."

"Lucille, please," Clarice raised a shaky hand, "I didn't almost fall off the wagon."

"I feel terrible though, this was a major screw up. How can I make it right?"

"You can make it right by getting rid of this thing," Jackson said to her. "And tell Stanley to never send anything like this to the house ever again."

Lucille nodded as Jackson handed her the bottle of wine. She watched him lead Clarice out of the kitchen. The worry immediately disappeared from Lucille's face as she turned towards the door, her eyes full of annoyance. Jackson should have said it was okay and to never do it again. He should have softened the tone of his voice with her. Clearly Lucille professing her love for him had not stuck enough in his mind. She had to up her game. Lucille needed to get Jackson to a spot where he was so taken by her that he could forgive her for anything.

* * *

Upstairs, Jackson and Clarice were their bedroom. He wrapped his arms around his wife, lovingly embracing her.