“She just went to the movies, dude.” Jack got up and helped himself to a drink, sick of his brother’s dramatics. He didn’t get it. He didn’t want to get it. He just wanted it to stop.
Ben huffed, looked to Nick for some sort of support and only got a ‘not now’ look.
Not now. Not now. When? When would Darren leave? When would he quit feeling so threatened by the man? When would he forgive his mother? When would he feel ‘okay’ again?
Not now, apparently.
Resigning to the fact that no one else was terribly upset about this, Ben took another breath and settled down on the floor to watch the remainder of the game.
Which came all too quickly. Because now, they all had to go home and Ben didn’t want to go home knowing where his mother was and why she wasn’t there to put the leftovers in the fridge or tuck Amy in for bed. That be his job. Or Kitty’s.
“Come home with us, dude.”
“Huh?” Ben looked up from his pity party and saw Aaron’s hand offering to help him stand. “Nah…I should head home.”
“Kitty said she had Amy and to tell you to come home with us. She didn’t want your grouchy face there anyway.”
“Oh, nice.” He chuckled in spite of himself and looked to Nick who was too busy snuggling with Rosalie who had stumbled in from her nap. “He ready to go?”
“Yup…let’s go pull the female off of him.”
“Such a rough life he leads.”
With much giggling, tugging, bouncing of curls and occasional whines, the three boys pulled away from their two girls and were off, ready for a few days of guy time. Hopefully it would include a boat, sunshine, pizza, fishing, swimming and absolutely no sleep. Or very little of it anyway. At least none that started before 3 am and ended before noon.
When morning broke the next day, they all willingly got up early, packed up lunches, clothes, fishing gear and plenty to drink. All three of them needed this diversion. And all the anxiety each of them had been carrying about it before was gone. Aaron and Ben were fine. And Nick couldn’t be more relieved.
The trip flew by without a hitch, without a cloud in the sky, without a fish to be caught. As Nick pulled the boat back into the slip, he couldn’t help but sigh at the peace he felt. Ben and Aaron had spent a lot of time in the back of the boat, feet dangling off the side and talking. Nick just kept to himself figuring that maybe this was a time where they needed a peer and not his nosey input. Their situations were so different, yet so similar that he felt like he’d just be in the way. Besides, it allowed him to daydream a little…and that was alright too.
But by the time they’d unloaded the boat, Nick felt like he was the subject of some behind the scenes scheming. Aaron and Ben were way too buddy-buddy and they had “conniving” written all over their faces.
“What? You two look dangerous.”
“Dangerous? Us? Never.” Aaron picked up the cooler Nick had plopped at his feet and quickly went into the house, hoping to make sure all the plans were squared away before springing it all on Nick.
Before Nick headed back to the boat to get another load, he shot a warning glare at Ben, who promptly ignored him. “Why would we be dangerous? We’re just kids.”
“Oh yeah…right. Pft. No dinner ‘til you tell me what’s up.” Nick tossed a bag of dirty clothes to Ben and shooed him inside while he took one more once over to make sure they got everything. “I knew I should have never introduced them. My life will be cleaning up their messes from now on.”
He grabbed up a few stray towels and went inside, only to find the two boys sitting at his bar, facing the patio door, looking like they were ready to pass judgment.
“Siddown. We have a deal for you.” Ben crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, sand falling off of his feet as he wiggled his toes.
“I thought we didn’t do deals…”
“Nope. We did one, remember? You told me about Lani first if I kept it quiet that you were…waiting. Or something. Hell, I dunno. It made sense at the time.” Ben’s patience didn’t allow for weird rationalizations. Not now. He had an agenda in mind.
“Ah, yeah…okay, so what’s the deal? And I’m still thinking. I don’t trust you, little brother.”
With a dramatic fist to his chest, Aaron pouted. “You wound me.”
“You’ll heal…what’s up?”
“Okay, here’s the deal. You said yesterday that you haven’t been out with Lani since you got back.”
“Nope. Not like I haven’t seen her, but…”
“Well, you need a date night. And we’re going to give you one tomorrow.”
“Oh you are, huh? Have you talked this over with the boss?”
“We thought we were.”
Nick stared at the boys like they had just flown in from Altoona. And then he snickered and walked away. “You have a lot to learn yet, mah friends. I’m all about it, but you gotta clear it with Lani first. It’s her kid.”
So, with no further ado, Ben spun around on his barstool, sand flying off of his feet now, and picked up the phone dialing one of the few numbers he had memorized.
If only Nick and Lani knew what they were really up to.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*“Ten o’clock bedtime. Get moving that way by nine thirty.”
“Sí, Mamí.” Rosalie’s chocolate eyes gazed up to Aaron’s chocolate eyes and they shared a smirk, not being missed by Lani.
“I mean it, young lady. You have school and I don’t want a fight from you in the morning.”
“We’ll get her to bed on time, Miss Romero. Have I ever let you down before?”
“No, but you’ve never had this one as your companion either.” She smacked Aaron’s arm and went to the counter to check for emergency numbers one more time. “Katy is home. Call her first since Nick’s cell is off in the movies…got it?”
“Lani…get out.” Aaron took her by the arms and guided her to the front door interrupting her with a ‘shush’ every time she opened her mouth with more directions.
“Yeah, Mamí, get out. I wanna play.”
Nick stood quietly by the door, knowing Lani would not leave without a huge fanfare. It seemed to be getting more difficult for her to leave the child, and not less like he’d hoped it would be. But, he wasn’t a parent. He hadn’t a clue. And he’d take this over the abandonment Aaron and Ben had been feeling from their mothers any day…
…even if it was exasperating him. No Rosalie in his life would be meaningless, but he sure as hell would like to try it for a good 24 hours…Lani and Nick. Only.
A man can dream.
Snapping out of said dream, Nick cleared his throat, finally getting Lani’s attention to leave the boys with Ro and get out.
“I’m sorry, baby…I just…”
“Shhh…let’s just go before Rosalie starts kicking shins.” He bent over for a kiss from his shin-kicker and held her chin in his fingers. “You. Be. Good. You’re being given a very special gift getting Aaron tonight, okay?”
“Sí, Nicky. I want him to come back.”
“Exactly.” With another kiss and look of “you be good too” to the boys, they were off.
“FINALLY! I thought they’d never leave.” Aaron scooped up Rosalie and tossed her over his shoulder carrying her into the family room. “Okay, kiddo…you’re in charge ‘til 9:30. What’re we doin’?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Nick and Lani settled into their table in the corner of the restaurant, finally taking a moment to soak in the other’s presence. “You okay?”
“Why do I struggle with this so much, Nick?”
“I dunno, baby. If I’d be worried about anyone tonight, it’d be Ben and Aaron.”
Lani chuckled and picked up her menu, trying to play the role of secure, together mother. “This is true. She’ll definitely be in charge.”
“Not such a bad thing. They could use a pushy broad in their lives…one that doesn’t break their hearts anyway.”
Lani’s menu came down and she gently pushed Nick’s down as well, making him look up at her. “How is Aaron? Really?”
“He’s not good. Finally talked on the boat yesterday. To Ben no less.”
“Maybe he needs a peer. Someone not attached to the whole mess.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Whoda guessed they’d get on so well, huh?” Nick quickly glanced at his menu again deciding on a rack of ribs. What he always got. Consistency felt good right about now.
“You knew they would…just a matter if Ben would allow it to happen.”
“At least Aaron talked. I had no idea it was as bad as it is. I wanna throttle both of my parents.”
“What’s happening? I mean, I know the divorce…dad’s got a girlfriend already, doesn’t he?”
“Oh no…not a girlfriend, Lani. He has a fucking fiancé.”
“He’s not even…” She filtered her comment, knowing that she was preaching to the choir and judgment was hardly what anyone needed at this point. She’d made a few messes in her life as well. “…when did that happen?”
“Last month sometime? Hell, I dunno. I mean, she’s nice enough, but I think she’s your age.”
“Ew.”
“That’s Dad.” Nick sighed and slid his hand across the table taking Lani’s fingers in his. “It scares me, Lani.”
“Scares you? How?”
“I don’t want to end up like that. Don’t they say that the mistakes of your parents tend to guide you in life? I mean, Mom’s a goddamned thief and Dad’s just…well. I love him. I really do, but…”
“You can be whoever you want to be, Nick. Our parent’s stupidity guides us only if we allow it to.”
“What about Aaron? He’s so young and he looks like hell…not eating right, he’s just…don’t they see that they’re destroying him?”
“If they do, they’re so wrapped up in their own mess, they’re missing it.”
“That’s just it. I don’t want to be like that. I mean, look at every role model I’ve had in my life…they’re a mess. Every damned one of them. Mom and Dad are bad enough. Add Lou to that and I should be criminally insane by now.”
“But, honey…”
“And then, what about all this shit going on now with Darren and Neron…how am I supposed to be the kind of dad I wanna be when all I have is shit to look at for an example.”
“Woah…dad? Who’s talking about being a dad here? I just want some barbequed chicken.”
Nick stopped his rant and deflated, unaware he’d taken his feelings so far into words. He wasn’t a dad. He was just…a Nick. Some dude in a bunch of kid’s lives. Kids who had no father figure. And he frankly didn’t have one either. At least it felt that way at the moment. His eyes apologized and he picked up his menu pretending to be interested in a different choice for dinner. “Where’s the waitress?”
“You just gonna walk away from that one?”
“I’m thinkin’ maybe I’d better. I’m sorry.”
“Nick, it’s fine. You feel great responsibility for these kids and…and I couldn’t be more grateful, especially where Ro is concerned. In her heart, you are her daddy.”
“But, I’m not. Neron is.” The hatred in his voice at the man’s name was heart-stopping. And he hadn’t been seen nor heard from in months.
“No, Neron is her father. There’s a difference.”
The waitress came and relieved Nick from his snowballing feelings, giving him a chance to mentally rewind and try again. Taking her hands in his again, he took a deep breath and did just that.
“All I wanna know is…how can I be the man I want to be, when all the men I see are nothing short of disasters?”
“Just because they are bad examples, doesn’t mean you can’t learn from them.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*“That movie sucked.”
“Sucked rocks. Thanks for the hot date, baby.” Lani smacked Nick’s arm before she got in the car, blowing a kiss through the dew covered glass.
Nick got in and squeezed Lani’s thigh before starting the car. “I say we go find some quiet place and make out.”
“Sounds lovely. How ‘bout my couch?”
“I was thinking without a child in the next room.”
“Oh, you’d rather have a cop shining his flashlight at us instead?”
“It’d be a little variety anyway.” With another kiss to stress that he was kidding, he pulled out of the parking spot and headed back to Lani’s house, his hand never leaving her thigh again. His mind wondering how he could get rid of Aaron and Ben and have this woman alone. He feared there was no way to do it tonight. It was definitely time for Aaron to go home.
All the way home, Lani played with Nick’s fingers on her leg, stroking them as though she were stroking…other things. Occasionally, she’d bring his fingers up to her lips for a quick suckle, kiss, tease of a brush to her soft cheek or neck. Nick never said a word, but his shifting bottom and stifled moans were finally noticed. As they pulled into the driveway, she looked over to him and ran her tongue up his middle finger, never taking her eyes out of his. “You like that, mister?”
His answer came in the form of a growl and a passionate kiss, pulling her over from her bucket seat onto his lap as he quickly manipulated his seat back so she’d fit in front of the steering wheel. His hands tangled in her hair, hers in his seatbelt and finally found his neck and face. Tongues danced, pelvises pushed together and windows quickly fogged. Nick came up for air long enough to say two words. “Inside. Now.”
Lani’s kisses traveled from Nick’s lips to his cheeks and finally landed on his ear as her tongue ran up the lobe and she whispered the sad truth. “Ben and Aaron are inside.”
“Shit.”
“Basically.”
Nick unearthed himself from the cave of her neck and hair and cupped her face in his hands. “I thought being an adult meant you could do this whenever you wanted.”
“You wanna be a dad, Mr. Carter? Welcome to fatherhood.”
Lani sat up and opened the car door, giggling and shushing when her ass accidentally beeped the horn. “Shit…Ro. God, if I woke her.” They kissed and tickled and toyed and played all the way to the door.
Until it opened up on them leaning into it for one final passionate kiss.
“WOAH! Shit!” Nick and Lani stumbled and were pushed back onto the porch, the door closing quickly behind them as they straightened their clothes and minds. What had just happened?
“Could you two BE any noisier?” Ben peeked in the window, looking for god knew what.
“Uh, yeah…if you give us about 10 minutes, I’m hunching we could be a lot louder. Why?”
Lani reached for the door knob and Ben knocked a chair over to stop her. “NO! You…you can’t go in there.” He shimmied himself between Lani and the door and plastered on the most insincere smile of his life. “You can’t go in right now.”
“Uh, it’s my house. Why can’t I go in? What’d you two do in there?”
“Nothing! No, no, nothing. It’s not…” Ben huffed and opened the door behind his back, shouting inside. “Are you coming???”
“Yeah, yeah, keep yer pants on, dude.”
Ben closed the door again and smiled, trying to ignore the growing impatience on the faces of the two adults before him. And their disheveled appearance. Gave him the creeps. “Can’t go in. What were you guys doin’ out here anyway?” He looked at Nick’s hair, that was standing on all ends, and then to Lani’s, that was tangled and mangled and all over and decided he didn’t want an answer to that question. “Never mind. I dun wanna know.” Opening the door again, he peeked in and yelped. “Aaa-ron! Now!”
Before his final word was out, a pair of brown eyes peeked up over top of Ben’s head and yanked the door open more fully. “I’m here. God, you’re impatient.”
“I’m impatient? You’re slower than shit.”
“Would you two buffoons care to tell me why you’re not allowing me in my own home?”
“Oh, yeah.” Aaron stepped outside and handed Lani an overnight bag. “Ro kicked you out for the night. Here’s your stuff.” A cheesy grin and a step back followed. He did not want to be within swinging distance of his brother’s arm.
“Excuse me?” Lani tried to push Ben aside, but Aaron was in the way and she didn’t feel comfortable pushing him. “I’d like to go in my house, please.”
“Nope. Not tonight. You can get a hotel or go…you know…to Nick’s house or something, but Rosalie said she didn’t want you to come home tonight.”
“So, you just packed my bag…wait…what’s in here?” Lani took the bag and unzipped it, digging through lazily tossed toiletries, a shirt, a negligee, and… “You touched my underwear!?”
“Ro got that stuff.” Ben smiled nervously again, wondering why Nick was saying nothing and why he suddenly wondered if this was such a hot idea.
“Ro got that…I do not…will you just let me in to check on her, please?”
“No. You’ll stay. She’s asleep anyway, so…there’s nothing to see.” Aaron finally caught his brother’s eye and winked at him, wanting to thank him for all he’d done this week, for not pressuring him, for introducing him to Ben, and just for being his brother. Nick deserved some alone time with his lady. Even if it meant playing games to get it.
“She has school tomorrow. YOU have school tomorrow, Mr. Casey.”
“Katy’s takin’ us. We got it all worked out.”
“Katy? You bribed Katy into this?”
“No, we asked her. She said she’s been on you to – OUCH! Damn, Carter!” Ben shot a look to Aaron who had just kicked him in the calf. Catching the younger man’s eye, he remembered he wasn’t supposed to bring up that little detail. “Sorry, yeah…” He turned his attentions back to Lani opening with a cheesy grin. “So, yeah…Katy will take us to school and Aaron uh…shoot. You won’t want company.”
“I have to work in the morning.”
Nick brought his hand up to Lani’s forehead and pulled it back as though he’d just touched a hot potato. “Nope, I think you’re sick. Hot, hot, hot.”
“I’m hot, huh?”
“You have no idea.” They stayed in one another’s gaze, Lani licking her lips and dragging her teeth across her bottom lip wishing it was Nick’s tongue and teeth teasing and tormenting her.
“Alright, you two…take it home.”
Nick took Lani’s hand in his and leaned into her ear. “Just think, we could finish what we started…”
She yanked her hand away and refused to look at him again, knowing she’d cave if she did. “I’m not sure this is a good idea…what does Ro eat for breakfast?”
“Frosted Flakes or Fruit Loops. Orange Juice to drink, her clothes are laid out for tomorrow and her backpack is set to go. You can pick her up from school tomorrow. I’ll uh…just stay here if that’s okay.”
As Aaron talked, Nick found Lani’s hand again and decided to do some manipulating of his own. He mocked all she’d done to his fingers on the way home, stroking the length of each one slowly, methodically and totally unseen by the teens. He could feel her melting beneath his touch and found Aaron’s eyes again, offering his own wink back. The boys had won.
“After sch-…” She sucked in air as Nick’s fingers slid up her middle finger and she could see him licking his lips out of the corner of her eye. The boys had definitely won. “After school. Tomorrow.”
“Yep.”
With one more look up into Nick’s darkening eyes and a final glance to Aaron’s pleading ones, she took the hugest step in her maternal life since taking Rosalie home from the hospital after her birth. “Alrighty then.” She bent over and picked up the bag that she’d dropped in shock moments before and took hold of Nick’s hand as she turned. “See you tomorrow, boys.”
Nick couldn’t believe it and stopped at the bottom step to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. “Are you sure?”
“Yep. They want her tonight and tomorrow morning? They can have her.”
“And what do you want, my dear?”
“You. I want only you.”
