Dinner went well. Ian was unusually quiet and they all agreed to begin the album process the week after New Years. That gave them all a little time off and Pearl and Dylan time to write a few more songs. Pearl was planning on joining Rhys in Ontario the week after Christmas so it would be a nice break for her also. Ian wouldn't be available until later January but they figured they wouldn't actually begin the feeding process until then. Jason and Jax were very happy and Jax said he would fly to their home studio in a few weeks to work with them after they had a few more songs. "It's all done, Pearl. What a day!" Iris said as she caught Pearl heading back into the hotel, handing her a box. "I can't thank you enough. You are welcome anytime at the house and I hope to see you more." She hugged her. "Actually, I was going to talk to you about that." Iris said. "I like Blake. A lot. And I'm thinking about quitting my job here. I was wondering

Rhys was home right at nine. Pearl had left the rose petal path on the floor and a note on the key table that said "follow it" Rhys found her in the library, wearing nothing but the Bukowski book he had sent her before New York. She had it covering her chest, and she was laying across the couch, with her legs up over the back and crossed. The fireplace was roaring and she had candles lit with a bottle of wine with two glasses and blankets and pillows on the floor by the hearth. "Welcome home, honey, how was your day?" She asked. He looked amazing. He was wearing a suit and looked like he had dressed up for her. He wasted no time closing the space between them. "I love you." He said and he took the book and put it on the floor. He looked at her. "I really fucking love you. I can't believe how much." And he kissed her. "I love you, too." She said back, and he picked her up and placed her on the floor by the fire. He loosened his t

After all four of them got the house cleaned up  downstairs, and then Martha and Pearl put fresh new linens on the beds upstairs. The rooms were still pretty empty because the rest of the furniture hadn't arrived yet. But a nice bed was sufficient and Pearl was sure his family would understand. She was in her own closet downstairs when Rhys came to check on her. "You ok?" He asked. "I've tried on 6 outfits. I don't know what to wear. I'm nervous, Rhys. What if they don't like me? What if they think I'm not good enough for you?" She tried to hide the tears forming. "Look at me. It doesn't matter what they think. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. I love you. That is and always will be enough." He put his arms around her and kissed her. She decided on a simple gray sweater and a pair of jeans and everything  was ready when they arrived at 5. "Welcome to the new house." Rhys said, opening the door. "This is Pearl."&n

They all said their goodbyes early the next morning and Pearl and Rhys sat down on the couch, thankful for the silence. "They loved you. Absolutely adored you. My dad is already planning another visit in February, and normally I have to beg him to leave the house." Rhys said. "I'm glad. That makes me very happy." Pearl said. "And I don't know what you said to Britney but my mom told me to tell you that she was impressed with how well Britney's demeanor changed at the end of her visit. Ha! I'm so proud of you and who you are." Rhys put one hand on her leg, and one around her shoulders. He kissed her neck and moved his hand to her face. "I need to be inside you." He whispered. He learned her back onto the couch and pulled her pants down, leaving her shirt on and pulling it up to expose her breasts. He suckled each nipple and bit softly down, making her gasp. He stood up and dropped his pants to the floor and took his t shirt off. She loved his body and

The make shift tent was set up along a river, running through an open field, covered in new snow. They had cleared an area for filming and built a large fire for the scene, lining the ground with faux fur blankets and other props like rocks and extra plants. There were lights set up all around with two stationary cameras and a moving camera. Rhys hadn't talked to her much over the course of the previous night. It was obvious he didn't want her first experience on a movie set to be him making love to another woman. Pearl had no idea what to expect and tried to remain calm and supportive. It was his job. It's what he did and she knew it going in. Pearl was set up under a tent with Matt, the director and a small amount of cast and crew members. "Oh hey! I met you at Comic Con. Nice to see you again!" One of the female leads said as she came and sat by Pearl. "I bet this is really odd, isn't it? Seeing your man like this? I do this for a living so sometimes it's hard for me to remember