Chapter Text
My name is Alex Kingston. I am a world famous playwright residing in the Big Apple.
Marriages; one. Divorces; one. Children; none. Ho hum.
My plays have appeared everywhere; from the lights of Broadway to the dapper streets of London’s West End. Career wise I have it all. I have become very successful and consequently a lonely woman. I’d all but given up on finding the one until about six months ago.
Enter Matt Smith; up and coming young actor; brilliant, funny, clumsy to a fault and utterly adorable. He was just what my ego ordered.
Be careful what you wish for ladies, because you just might get it.
We met in Venice at the Film Festival. He was charming. He was a fabulous kisser. He made me feel young and so alive. It was beautiful while it lasted, but tonight it will all cease to be for me because tonight… I’m going to kill him.
My problem began four days ago when I returned home from London to meet with financial backers for my latest production and to do the obligatory interviews and such.
JFK Airport - Baggage Claim area
Matt’s eyes scanned the crowd noting the passengers arriving from London; most made their way to the baggage claim area and some were greeting family and friends. He bounced on his toes like an eager puppy dog trying to see beyond the constant flow of bodies. Carl, his brother-in-law, tapped him on the shoulder.
“Man, you have got to relax. She’s coming okay?” He was playing with his iPhone tapping at the keys of his latest app. “I checked it already.”
Matt pursed his lips and nodded his head causing his floppy hair to fall into his eyes. He swiped it aside. “I know, I know. It’s just that it’s been four days.” He smiled at Carl. “I’m kind of gagging here, mate.”
Carl rolled his eyes. “Four days. Boy oh boy, do you have it bad. What’s my sister done to you, hmm?” He stopped himself and held up his hands as Matt started to answer. “Hold that thought. Maybe I don’t want to know.”
Matt turned back to the crowd and a smile broke out on his face as he saw a familiar head full of wild blond curls. “Alex!! Alex! Over here!!” He jumped up waving his arms around like a madman.
Carl looked up to see his sister coming toward them through the remaining passengers, her faux fur coat open and she was dragging a case behind her. Matt rushed over to relieve her of the burden swinging it around to Carl who barely caught it in time. He scooped her up into his arms and lifted her up spinning her around, covering her with kisses.
“Oh my god, Alex. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, love.” He breathed out then proceeded to kiss her neck which caused her to giggle.
“Matt! Stop it! It’s only been four days. Honestly!” Her mock scolding was evident on her face as she hugged him back and sank into the toe-curling kiss he bestowed on her, his hands wandering under her coat.
Carl chuckled as people passing by gawked at the couple. He held up his iPhone and snapped a picture then cleared his throat loudly. “Um, might want to move this little reunion indoors?”
Matt ignored him and kept kissing Alex walking with her to the baggage claim. “Did you miss me?” His voice silk to her ears.
Alex smiled nodding. “Yes every night as soon as the boys left.”
Matt laughed, dropping his hand to massage her bum. “You bad, bad girl.”
Mrs. Moretti walked up bustling with her coat, mumbling in Italian about heaven only knows but smiled when she saw Alex. She’d worked for her ever since her divorce and remained on as her loyal house-keeper as well as everything else. She handled all manner of cooking and kept the house running. She was also none to approving of Matt, him being so much younger than her but she’d warmed to him in the last few months.
“Give me the ticket, eh? I want to grab the luggage before somebody steal it.”
Carl frowned at her. “No one steals luggage anymore.”
Mrs. Moretti smacked him on the head. “Stai zitto.”
“Ow!” Carl whined and stuck his tongue out at the back of her head as she turned away.
Grinning he leaned over to kiss Alex on the cheek. “Good to have you back, sis.”
“Good to be back,” she said with Matt still stuck to her side like glue giving her a look that made her insides turn to jelly. She remembered something and grabbed at her brother’s shirt before he got away. “Oh, where is Norma?”
“Outside on the phone. Where else?”
Alex smiled and wrapped her arms around Matt’s waist pulling him inside her coat and kissing him soundly, running her hands down over his very nice backside which earned her a gasp.
“Mrs. Smith, are you trying to seduce me?” He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose.
“Is it working?” She grinned cheekily. Taking a deep breath she cupped his cheek. “God it’s not fair. You look even more handsome on Thursday than you did on Sunday. You know I think you’re improving with age.”
Matt just smiled and gazed into her eyes leaning down for another kiss when Norma walked up talking on her phone.
“Yes I know. That’s right we want the prime spot. Alex Kingston has earned it I believe and the rest of New York and I daresay the world agree with me.” She covered the phone with her hand to whisper to Alex. “BBC called me, they said you were brilliant! I’m trying to get you on the Late Show. One sec.”
“Oh yes, hello to you too Norma.” She winked at Matt who just shook his head glancing back to see how Mrs. Moretti and Carl were getting on with the luggage.
Norma didn’t notice and was back on the phone negotiating as Mrs. Moretti and Carl joined them, the latter heaving the lions’ share of the bags. “Is that everything then?” Carl asked.
Alex took stock of the bags and nodded, eager to get home. Norma smiled triumphantly and slid her phone into her jacket pocket. She grinned and rubbed her hands together going to hug Alex.
“How’s my number one client! Good to have you back. Don’t forget we have the casting in the morning then I need you to meet with a few reporters. It’s going to be a big year Alex!”
Alex laughed indulgently and raised her eyebrow. “Right. Think I might be able to go home and rest first?”
Matt stopped and smacked his forehead. “Bugger!”
Alex looked up. “What’s the matter?”
He fumbled in his jeans pocket for his mobile phone. “I forgot I was supposed to meet with Jean for the costuming.”
“What? When?”
Matt glanced at the time on his phone, his eyes widened. “Now. Carl, come with me yeah? I have to call him back.”
Carl laughed. “Don’t worry. He’ll think it’s very British or something.”
Matt frowned and turned to find a quiet corner as Carl joined him. Alex watched him go. I’m even in love with his walk, she thought idly to herself.
“He is cute.” She sighed.
Norma shrugged. “They’re all cute the first year.”
Mrs. Moretti huffed and left the bags by Alex and Norma. “I go call the driver.”
Alex sighed and lowered her tired body to a courtesy bench. She really was happy to be back even if it was only four days. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, almost closing.
“Aha!”
Alex jumped and looked at Norma. “What? What did you do that for?”
“I knew it. You’re getting run down. I knew it.”
Alex just rolled her eyes and closed them, this time determined to not have this conversation again. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Norma smirked and bumped her shoulder. “You know exactly what I mean. You’re overdoing it. The new play, all the public relations and interviews, re-writes and casting not to mention this marriage to Matt…”
Alex held up her hand. “Stop right there, Norma. Not another word about that.”
Norma narrowed her eyes. “You go to Venice and meet this young, very much younger…”
Alex mimicked her words, having heard them so much she could have recited them in her sleep. “This is like what, the millionth time you’ve recited this speech. Very much younger…”
Norma looked surprised. “Very much younger. Half your age, Alex.” She looked around as if she was about to spill National Security secrets and inched closer to her. “You go away for four days and you’re this jealous?”
Alex opened her eye at that. She looked over at Norma. “What do you mean jealous? I’m not…”
Norma held up her hands. “I’m just saying. Telling me to hire a private eye to follow your new young husband is not my idea of total trust.”
Alex sat all the way up now. She frowned. “What on earth are you talking about? What private eye?”
Norma looked confused now. “These are my instructions from the Wicked Witch of the West. She told me you said to hire a private eye for Matt.”
Alex blinked. Norma and Mrs. Moretti had never gotten along. Try as she had she’d never been able to get them to not nip at one another and had insisted that Norma stop referring to her housekeeper and good friend as the Wicked Witch of the West. “I don’t understand. I never told her to tell you to hire a private eye for Matt. We are talking about my Mrs. Moretti. This Mrs. Moretti here?” She pointed as the woman came stomping back over to them looking annoyed about something which could have been anything in Alex’s experience.
Mrs. Moretti stopped in front of them and looked back and forth as if she sensed something was off. The woman had quite the nose on her.
"Che cosa?"
Norma stood up and nodded. “Yes. She said you told her to tell me to hire a private eye for Matt.”
Alex squinted her eyes trying to figure out how Mrs. Moretti could have gotten that idea when it suddenly hit her. She chuckled rubbing the bridge of her nose with her finger. English vernacular was not one of Mrs. Moretti’s strong points.
“That’s not what I said.” She stood up. “I told her to tell you to keep an eye on Matt while I was out of town. Have him go out to dinner with you and Carl, take in a show so he wouldn’t get lonely.”
Norma glared and finally feeling justified at having a go at Mrs. Moretti, started gesturing with her arms. “You see! I told you that couldn’t be right, didn’t I?”
Mrs. Moretti feeling under attack started to gesture with her hands, swearing in Italian at Norma.
“Vaffanculo!!!”
Norma took a step closer to her and Alex intervened, directing Mrs. Moretti to focus on her.
“Keep an eye on Matt. Occhio, occhio. Eye. Espressione Americano. Keep an eye…”
Mrs. Moretti’s eyes got big as her mouth and she put a hand to her lips. “Oh mio Dio…”
Norma looked pleased. “We had this conversation, didn’t we? You don’t know what English is! You never spoke it right!”
Mrs. Moretti now completely humiliated started shouting at the top of her lungs causing people to turn and look. “Chi sei tu per dirmi qualcosa! È capra magro!”
Norma huffed. “What did you say to me?” She looked at Alex. “What did she say to me??!”
Alex kept them apart. “You don’t want to know.”
Norma took a step back still shooting daggers at Mrs. Moretti. “Fine, fine. So what do you want me to do?”
“Do? What do you think? Fire them! I don’t need Matt finding out about this.” She looked around to see if he was coming back but saw no sign.
Norma shrugged. “Well it doesn’t matter now.”
Alex looked aghast. “Doesn’t matter? Of course it matters. What if he finds out?” She didn’t see Matt step up behind her. He encircled her in his arms and kissed her cheek.
“Find out what? Are you planning another dinner party darling?”
Alex jumped and composed her face, shaking her head ever so slightly to Norma who in turn opened her phone and dialed a number.
Alex adjusted Matt’s collar. “No no, sweetie. It was just a simple booking mistake. How was your call with Jean?”
Matt smiled and started to walk to the exit hugging her close. “Jean was very angry with me.”
They exited the baggage claim with Mrs. Moretti at their rear followed closely by Carl and Norma. “What was that all about, hmmm?”
Norma took hold of a bag and headed toward the exit. “So long ago I don’t even remember.”