Day 5: Photograph
Choices Red Carpet Diaries Appreciation Week
(Victoria Fontaine x MC*Jessica Clarke x Chadley Fortnum) *platonic*
With the prompt: "What on earth are you wearing?" "What do you mean?" "That horrendous...thing must have been made by a blind person."
A/N I love how Victoria has so little patience and how incredibly stupid Chadley is. I wanted them to have scenes together in RCD ever since he was first introduced. In my head canon, these two are pushed together often because of their friendship with the MC and since Victoria was attempting to be nicer in Book 3, Chadley is just the one to test her sincerity 🤣
@choicesrcd2022 @hopelessromantic1352 @promptnonny @tessa-liam @twinkleallnight @trappedinfanfiction @flyawayboo @krsnlove
Rating PG for some language
Masterlist
An Ugly Time of Year
"Hey, where's your Christmas decorations?" Jessica asked.
"You're looking at them." Victoria replied.
Jessica's brow furrowed as she scanned the room.
"What am I looking at?" She asked.
Victoria rolled her eyes. "Those boxes over there."
"Oh!" Jessica eagerly went out to the sunroom to peek inside. "I can't wait to see your home decorated!"
"Since you talked about us needing a Christmas party, I realized my home would be the best place for it."
Jessica hid a smile over how easily Victoria fell in with her hints. Her beach side mansion was too beautiful not to show off.
"My mom went all out each year with decorations." Jessica continued, carefully lifting boxes listed fragile out of the crates.
"Let me guess." Victoria joined her with two cups of coffee. "You had Santa's, reindeer, and fat snowmen everywhere."
"Of course we did!" Jessica smiled at her. "It's the time of year to go all out with the lights and inflatable Christmas decorations. Our tree though was the focal point. Multicolored lights with ornaments both old and new. Some had glitter. Others were made of wood. Then the..."
Jessica trailed off when she opened the first set of ornaments. They were a muted cream color. The next box held some pale blue ones. Raising her eyes up, she took in the same color scheme throughout the downstairs part of Victoria's home.
"Oh good. You found them." Victoria dug into another crate. "And here's the lights and a few little trinkets we can set on the tables."
She dusted her hands off and motioned with her head for Jessica to follow.
"Wait!" Jessica exclaimed."Is that it?"
"Is what it?"
"Your decorations?"
"Yes." Victoria narrowed her eyes in silent warning. "Why?"
"No reason!"
For some reason Jessica felt the need to hold her hands up. She wasn't certain if it was in surrender or to ward off an attack.
"I just expected more...color."
Victoria rolled her eyes. "Look, I get that in Kansas you--"
"Iowa." Jessica corrected.
Victoria glared at her for interrupting.
"Whatever corn shucking place you came from. I get that you probably had a display so garish that it made people blink nonstop just to be able to take it all in."
She motioned around her luxurious home. "But I worked too hard to have my home cluttered with clashing colors and fat cartoon characters."
She sank down upon her blue couch. "I took the colors I not only look amazing in but also match my private beach to decorate my entire home. Naturally I'm going to keep it looking perfect for the holidays."
Jessica frowned at the thought. "Don't you enjoy Christmas?"
"Yeah, sure." Victoria flicked her hand, dismissing the sentimentality of the day.
"Well..." Jessica sat down across from her easily annoyed friend. "How did your family decorate when you were little?"
Victoria huffed, lip curled in a sneer.
"They threw everything they could find up, claiming it was beautiful."
Jessica perked up hearing that. "That sounds nice."
"Nice?!" Victoria rolled her eyes. "You Nebraska people and--"
"Iowa."
"--and your need to parade your junk from the attic every year."
"It isn't junk!" Jessica argued. "It's memories! You see something that makes you recall a special time." Her eyes narrowed. "It's what makes decorating for Christmas so special!"
Victoria snorted in response.
"What does that mean?" Jessica cried out.
"That snort means it's stupid." Victoria snapped.
"Ugh." Jessica threw her hands up in the air. "Fine. Let's just go get a tree and decorate."
"I already set one up." Victoria motioned toward a corner of her sunroom.
"Wait! That's your tree? In here?!"
"Geez Jess." Victoria huffed. "Don't have a stroke over this. I want all this out of my home. In here, at least, I don't have to see it unless I want to."
"Oh. My. God." Jessica ran her hands over her face. "I can't believe how Grinchy you are!"
Victoria ignored her, reaching over to drape her white tree in clear lights.
"Can we at least have some Christmas music on while we decorate?" Jessica pleaded.
"You are such a baby." Victoria muttered.
She flipped through her tablet until she found a station playing Christmas music.
"Happy now?"
"Thank you."
It wasn't long before Jessica got back into the happy Christmas spirit.
"You know, your tree really is beautiful like this."
"I know." Victoria replied. "I don't know why you got your panties in such a wad. I always know how to make things beautiful."
"Uh huh." Jessica shook her head. "Anyway, what kind of theme do you want this party to be?"
"Was it not clear by my decorations that it is a Christmas party?"
"Nevermind." Jessica muttered. "Don't forget about brunch Saturday."
"I'll be there."
"Good." Jessica paused on her way out. "And don't forget to dress festive."
"I'll dress appropriately." Victoria grumbled.
"Festive." Jessica repeated.
**************
Saturday...
"Victoria!"
The actress turned around, expecting to see a fan wanting her picture. She made certain her long blonde hair fell in a golden cascade over her left shoulder as her winter white dress flared out revealing long, tan legs.
Her picture perfect smile disappeared in a flash when she saw who had shouted her name.
It was that Chadley that Jessica was so crazy about. Granted the man was incredibly handsome and he even seemed to be talented.
But oh good lord. He was so stupid.
"Hey!" His smile over seeing her made Victoria feel a touch guilty for being irritated.
"...hey..." She mumbled.
There was something about his earnest, almost vulnerable innocence that caused her to try even harder to watch what she said around him. He took everything so seriously that most of her sarcasm was a wasted effort anyway.
Might as well be nice to the puppy-like creature.
Her eyes narrowed once she saw what type of shirt he had on.
""What on earth are you wearing?"
"What do you mean?" He asked. "It's clothes."
Victoria eyed the monstrosity that was half Hawaiian shirt mixed with some god awful old timey truck draped in lights hauling Christmas trees. She couldn't be certain but it looked like dancing reindeer around the collar.
"That horrendous...thing must have been made by a blind person."
Chadley looked down at his shirt. His happiness over seeing her again slowly turned to bewildered sadness.
"Jess said to wear something festive."
Victoria rolled her eyes. "There's festive and then there's whatever the hell that thing is."
She immediately regretted her comments. She'd sworn earlier in the year to be a better person. And here she was, acting like her old self and insulting someone to their face.
"My mom mailed me this shirt." He explained. "She said it would look great on me."
Victoria ran her fingers through her hair while scrambling for a way to not only apologize to Chadley but to also save face.
"Look, I uh, I guess it really is festive." She forced a smile as they got into the elevator together. "Great, er, job, Chadley."
She added a few pats on the back to hopefully send the message home.
He winced and moved away from her after the second pat.
"Crap." Victoria muttered. "I'm sor--"
Her eyes widened the moment the doors opened and he brushed past her. His long legged stride had him inside Jessica's penthouse apartment faster than Victoria could react.
Dropping her head forward, she counted only prime numbers in her head until she got her temper under control.
She was going to have to run him down and make him accept her apology.
The last thing she needed was to be reprimanded by everyone.
****************
"Looks like everyone's here." Jessica beamed at all of them as she handed out mimosas.
Addison looked around the room. "Where's the Professor?"
"Hunt said he was too busy to join us." Seth replied. "Wedding plans."
"What about Holly?" Teja asked.
"Ryan whisked her away for a romantic getaway at Big Bear." Matt told her.
Jessica poured herself some orange juice in a champagne glass.
"So..." Her smile grew as she slipped her hand in Seth's. "We've got some news to share."
"Matt and Addison already know." Seth added.
"And we've done a beautiful job of keeping it a secret." Matt winked at Addison.
"What's going on?" Teja asked.
"We're having a baby!" Jessica and Seth yelled out at the same time.
"For real? No way!" Teja swooped in to hug them both. "Congratulations!"
"What Teja said." Victoria hugged Jessica.
Chadley came up beside her and hugged the couple. He didn't make eye contact with Victoria nor did he remain close once he finished hugging Seth.
Jessica wiped at her tears, laughing when Seth claimed all the credit for the pregnancy.
"When's the baby due?" Addison asked as they all gathered around to look at the ultrasounds.
"June." Jessica settled back in Seth's arms.
"I'm so excited!" Addison began to go into great detail all the outfits she was going to make for Jessica and the baby.
"What about me?" Seth asked. "Doesn't the father get anything?"
"You already got the best wife." Teja teased. "You better hope the kid takes after her. Then you'll know you really won something."
As the rest of the group teased the expectant parents, Chadley and Victoria were unusually quiet.
And of course, Jessica picked up on it right away.
"Is everyone ready to eat?" She walked over and linked arms with Chadley. "I made your favorite."
He perked up some. "Egg whites no butter or oil with kale and turkey sausage?"
"Yep." She urged him to join the others.
She then cornered Victoria.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
Jessica narrowed her eyes.
"Ugh, fine. I might have made a couple of comments on the way here about his shirt."
"Victoria!" Jessica harshly whispered. "You know how he takes everything we say to heart!"
"It just slipped out." Victoria mumbled. "I mean, look at that shirt!"
"Victoria." Jessica said with a hint of reproach.
"I tried to apologize!" Victoria snapped. "But he just won't let me."
"You have to make this up to him." Jessica argued. "He adores you."
"Bleh. I know." She sighed. "Fine. I'll think of something to make this better."
*************
The night of the Christmas party...
"Attention everyone!" Victoria tapped her glass with a knife.
The crowd turned towards her.
She stood on the fifth step of her stairs so she could see everyone.
"It's time for the Secret Santa exchange." She motioned towards her open sunroom. "Presents are under the tree."
Biting her bottom lip, she watched quietly as a very depressed Chadley was pulled along by Jessica and Seth.
It had been an uphill battle just to get him to come to the party. He wouldn't answer her texts or talk to her. He refused every invitation to dinner and lunch she gave.
Victoria knew she really hurt him when he asked Jessica to ask her to take his name off the guest list.
So, she did what any hard working woman in Hollywood would do. She begged Jessica for a favor in getting him to come to the party. She then found out who his Secret Santa was, demanded they trade with her, and set out to find the perfect gift that would make him accept her apology.
If this didn't work, she didn't know what would.
"Here's yours, Chadley" Matt handed him a present wrapped in blue paper with a white bow on top.
Jessica glanced at the present then at Victoria. She couldn't help but be proud that Victoria was actually putting in some effort to make up with him.
Chadley's brow furrowed as he slowly began to unwrap it.
Victoria couldn't take the wait.
"For the love of all that is holy!" She bit out. "Hurry up and open the damn present!"
Chadley blinked at her then did as she asked.
His eyes widened as he lifted the sweater out of the box. They then filled with tears.
"Oh what the..." Victoria dropped her head in her hands.
The last thing she intended to do tonight was to make a grown man cry.
Before she could react, she was lifted off the ground and swept into a tight hug with way too many muscles.
"This is the best sweater I've ever gotten!"
He set her down, beaming once more at her in that sickeningly adorable way of his.
Chadley ripped off the dress shirt he had on with little thought to all the people watching. He then pulled the sweater over his head, modeling it for everyone to see.
"Merry Liftmas?" Seth choked on his laughter after receiving Jessica's elbow in his stomach.
"Look!" Chadley eagerly went around pointing out all he loved about it. "No lifts, no gifts! That's how my trainer motivates me!" He turned toward Victoria. "How did you know?"
Victoria shrugged. "Lucky guess."
He shook his head. "No. It's because we're best friends. Best friends know everything about each other."
Victoria mentally groaned yet kept a smile plastered on her face.
He continued on, stopping everyone trying to look at their own gifts to admire his instead.
Jessica made her way over to Victoria.
"So?" She couldn't stop smiling. "You uh, went full on tacky festive with your gift, didn't you?"
Victoria rolled her eyes as she watched Chadley in utter disbelief.
"Tis the season to be ugly, Jess." She sighed over spending money on something like that. "So freaking ugly."
