-- April 15 --
"One-six-oh, mommy!"
My eyes flew open. I beamed. "Really?"
"YUP!" Jake smiled. "That's what it says!"
I glanced down to see for myself. It was true. One hundred and sixty pounds. I had lost 43 pounds in a little more than two months. That was about five pounds a week. I had a waist. My arms were de-flabbed.
I felt amazing. I still didn't have a job, but I had a bod.
"You look pwetty, mom!" Jake piped up.
"Thanks, buddy," I said with a laugh. "How's your arm?"
"Wobbly!"
Jake had gotten his cast off the day before. He had wanted to keep it, but if you've ever smelled a cast that's been on a little boy's arm for six weeks, you wouldn't want to keep it either.
"It won't be wobbly once you start your school."
The idea of therapy was a little much for Jake. So instead, I had explained to him how he would be going to school three times a week.
Jake loved the idea of school.
"I can't wait! Is it daddy day?"
"It is daddy day," I said. I glanced at the clock. According to Mr. Carter himself, he was supposed to be back by three. It was almost noon.
"Let's get cleaned up, kiddo."
Jake stood up and yanked off his pants right in the middle of the living room. "A- OK!"
"We've been on this runway forever. Why are we not being let off the plane?"
"Nick, we've been gone almost two months. A few more minutes isn't going to kill us."
"I told Jake three o'clock," I complained.
"Three year olds can't tell time," Howie reasoned.
" "Baylee could," Leighanne said proudly.
I stared out the window sullenly.
"I bet monkee's wondering where I am," AJ muttered.
Every single one of us was tanned, five pounds thinner, and becoming slightly irritable.
I was supposed to have been on the return plane from Tokyo alone, but after South America, everyone had surprised me by coming to Japan for my solo shows. I'm sure they were regretting that decision now. I stood up, leaned over J and yanked my carry-on out of the overhead. I eyed the stewardess as she walked past.
"Can we get off soon?" I asked.
All I got was a giggle. I sat down. J was smirking.
"What?" I asked.
"You just asked her if you could get off. She's female. Do the math."
I sighed. No one took me seriously.
"I see da pwane. Why aren't the people coming out?"
It was five o'clock. By four, I had gotten impatient and loaded Jake into the car. We were currently hovering by the gate. An hour in kid years was like three weeks. I took his hand.
"Do you know what's taking so long?" I asked the woman behind the counter. She sighed for the tenth time.
"I don't know," she said. "Something with the door."
Jake smacked on the counter. The woman looked down in surprise like she hadn't noticed him before.
I've got to give it to my little one; he knows when to lay it on thick. His eyes welled up with tears.
"Is my daddy twapped forevah?"
"Your daddy?"
"My daddy's on the pwane. I miss him."
The woman glanced at me. She glanced at Jake.
And she picked up the phone.
"DADDY!"
"JAKE! What are you doing here?"
"We couldn't wait NO MORE!"
I suddenly forgot about the ridiculous wait. I dropped my bag and crouched down just in time for him to tackle me.
"You got your cast off!"
"Yeah!"
He puckered up and I gave him a kiss. He swung his leg back and forth, his eyes dancing. "I missed you. You were gone for-ever."
I laughed. It did seem like forever. He had gotten taller; cuter, if possible. "I know. I missed you too. Next time you're coming with me."
"YES!" He turned around. "Mommy next time we're going with daddy!"
In Jake's excitement I hadn't thought to look for Shay. My head lifted; my eyes widened.
"Shay?"
"Welcome back."
Good Lord, did she look good. No, she looked fabulous.
"How much did you--"
"Forty-three pounds."
She was wearing low slung jeans and a low cut blouse. The blouse was a dark blue that, with her curly reddish brown hair, newly splattered with blonde highlights, did amazing things to my mind.
"Are you sure you haven't lost more?" I said a little breathlessly.
That made her smile. She shook her head. "There's something to be said about fat to muscle."
she wasn't kidding. Everything had tightened and shrunk except for her chest. Suddenly, I felt like I had just spent the past two months on a deserted island. And she was a fresh coconut."
"Daddy, where's my pwesents?"
Jake had been yanking on my arm for who knows how long. Shay turned her head and laughed. I swung him up in my arms.
"Let's go get my bags. I think I might have gotten you a thing or two." I walked up to Shay, my elbow brushing her arm. "This was a nice surprise."
Shay wrapped her arms around me. "I'm glad. We were getting worried."
I didn't want to move. I just wanted to stay there with Jake in my arms and Shay pressed into me. "Door malfunction," I said softly.
"Um, excuse me? Can we get my pwesents!?" Jake asked. Shay pulled away. She smelled like those damn oranges again. I exhaled and headed towards the carousel.
I saw Bri right away. He turned and looked at me; his eyes flickering to Shay. "Hey."
"Hey, Bri. This is Jake. Jake, this is one of daddy's friends."
Bri gave his typical 'kid friendly' smile. "Hi, Jake."
Jake looked at him curiously and smiled back. "Hi."
"And this is Shay."
Bri held out his hand. His eyes sparkled mischieviously. "Nice to meet you. Nick's talked a lot about you."
Shay shook his hand, her eyes drifting towards me. "He has?"
Bri turned and lifted a huge alligator print suitcase of the belt. "All good, of course." He looked back at us. "This was my last one. Catch you later, Frack."
"Later."
Bri walked off and I put Jake down. I started pulling luggage as it circled by. Shay scooped up my carry-on. When I had everything, we looked at each other silently for a long moment. Shay's thick lashes had me mesmorized.
"Want to go out for dinner?" I asked.
"Yeah!" Jake yelled.
"I'd love to," Shay said quietly. I swallowed hard. I needed to go to dinner first. Because I knew, if we headed straight back to her place, I wouldn't be responsible for my actions.
Yet, as she turned towards the exit and my eyes lasered onto her ass, I caught a glimpse of what might have been a thong and I began to doubt that even dinner was going to solve my problem.
This Carter was in HUGE trouble.
