by Cee, DW
“Donovan...” Laney chuckled. “Perhaps he’s the root of all evil.” She laughed some more.
“He’s not and he loves you. I’m sorry I was selfish all this time. It bothered me whenever I thought he had feelings for you and that selfishness almost cost me my relationship with Max.” I sighed heavily. “I was stupid—beyond stupid. I wanted to be the center of everyone’s world, rather than enjoying my relationship with Max. You believe me when I say Donovan and I were really never anything more than friends?”
“I believe I do. Donovan explained it all to me and I’m not upset with you. I still have some unresolved issues with Donovan’s selfishness, but I meant it when I said I wish you and Max only the best.”
Laney looked over at my ring and I held out my hand to give her a better look. “Thank you for understanding, and I wish you and Donovan this kind of happiness as well.”
She gave me a true hug and got up to go to bed. “I appreciate the talk and let me know if I can help you in any way when you prepare for your wedding. I’m sure my mom and yours will be thrilled with the news.”
“Can we try and be close friends, starting today?” I asked cautiously.
“Of course. I’m going to go up and sleep a bit. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Goodnight.”
Walking back up to my room, I thought that went well. Finally, I was on the right track with Laney. And knowing my cousin, we’d be good friends in no time because I didn’t think she held grudges—though Donovan may differ in opinion.
“Good morning,” I woke up my fiancé with my mouth.
“If this is my wake-up call every morning,” he said while pulling me up to him in bed, “I think I’m going to like being married to you.”
“Are we really getting married? We’re almost at the Jake and Emily stage?”
Max laughed. “Babe. We’re there already. No more unnecessary battles, lest I tie you to a bed until we resolve everything.”
“With a promise like that, you’re asking for unnecessary battles.”
“What are you doing up so early? I could’ve sworn we just got to bed.”
“I couldn’t sleep with this heavy rock on my finger.”
Max grinned his beautiful grin. “You approve? It’s a third of a diamond to what your sister-in-law has. That doesn’t bring out the gem in you?”
“No, silly. I’m not a jewelry person.”
“Neither is Em. I had to purposely get a diamond twice the size as Em’s because I knew you wouldn’t be happy unless you upped my ex-girlfriend.”
By the look on his face, he wasn’t kidding. I started busting up. “Damn. You know me so well. There’s no hiding anything from you. You have my number.” I got up and started getting dressed.
“Why are you getting dressed at this hour?”
“I saw this little bakery around the corner from us. I’m going to go and get us all some fresh baked goods for breakfast.” I threw his shirt and pants and said, “You could join me in this early morning walk.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Fiancé, you always have choices.”
“Shit. I know that tone. I’ll get up.” He slapped my ass on the way to the restroom and we quietly went out for an earlier than necessary walk.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything, Fiancée.”
“What happened to the engagement ring you gave Emily?”
Max answered, “I gave it to our godson on the day of his christening.”
Whoa! I didn’t expect that answer. This man found more and more ways to surprise me every day.
“What made you give it to JR?”
“Well, I couldn’t exactly recycle it, lest you cut off my balls and mash them up for good measure.”
That earned him a punch in the arm. Of course that earned me a make-out session in the middle of an empty street in Florence. I loved this man!
“So okay...I admit. I wouldn’t have been too happy had you given me Emily’s ring...”
“You wouldn’t have been too happy??? That would have been cause for a divorce even before we got married!” He held onto my hands before I punched him again. “I had no damn clue what to do with Emily’s diamond. She had no need for it and Jake would have seriously maimed me had I given his woman any piece of jewelry. I couldn’t turn it into anything else since I knew you’d do worse and castrate me if I gave it to you as a gift. I thought about giving it to our gorgeous niece, Ellie, but somehow I knew she’d end up with more diamonds than her mother one day. So, after much thought, I realized that diamond would be the perfect gift for JR. He can do whatever he likes with it, so this six-week old is now the proud owner of an engagement ring.”
“That was brilliant. I’m glad you thought of that and I feel like that diamond has come full circle now. I assume Jake had no objection to you giving it to JR?”
“As long as it doesn’t get on Emily’s finger, he could care less.”
“We’re going to have to outdo Donovan and Laney as godparents. We only have one whereas they have two. I’m going to show them.”
“My sweet Jane.” Max kissed me some more on the empty street. “I don’t think you or I will be able to do anything for JR that we don’t do for the twins. I love those three equally. I just need to be careful that I don’t favor that little girl who reminds me so much of my gorgeous fiancée. She’s a hard one to ignore, ever.”
“You’re right. You think we’ll love our kids even more than those kids? I can’t imagine.”
“Knowing our kids are a product of love between you and me, I may love them even more than I love you,” he answered with a cute smile.
“I think I’d be okay with that.” I smiled back. “So when shall we get married and when do we produce kids?”
“That’s up to you, Gem.”
“How about we get married as soon as you’re done with school, and as for kids...” I had to think about that for a bit. “As much as I’d like to pop them out right now, I don’t want to have them if we’re away from family. We’re both young. Can we have them after you finish residency and I find stability in the firm?”
“We can do it whichever way you like. We’ll just have to do a lot of practice so we can produce the perfect child from our union.”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
“Let’s hurry with breakfast and get home. We have many phone calls to make.”
“Yes. We need to spread the good news!”
August 22, 2013 A Ducati Man!
Max and I are stateside now and Max started his last year of med school, today. After our engagement in Florence, Jake, Emily, and JR went back to London, Laney, who was originally going to go back to London with them had a change of heart and decided to stay with Donovan while he was “working.” The four of us traveled to Rome and while Donovan was “working,” Max, Laney and I helped Josh settle into his new home.
Josh leased out a teeny, tiny apartment in the posh district of Via Condotti. His apartment was so small, there was just enough space for a twin size bed, and his art supply. Good thing he didn’t have Donovan’s wardrobe. He’d never make it in this matchbox-sized place. It was great to see Josh settled and it was even better to see the friendship between Josh and Laney. I know I was once their champion, but Laney convinced Josh that they’d be better off as good friends, and somewhere along the way, Josh accepted it. I liked that he had Laney nearby for support. Nick, Doug and Garret left for home as soon as Jake and Emily got back to the twins.
Max and I’d miss the babies while they were in London. I may have chances to pop into London from time to time, but Max was grounded in LA until his studies were done this year. Lucky for us, Uncle Henry, Jake, and my father all offered to help Max find a residency program wherever I would be stationed after this year. Secretly, I hoped I’d be in New York. That was midpoint to home and to my brother’s family in London. Max won’t give an opinion, but I know he fee
ls the same way.
“There’s a package here for you,” my cubicle mate said to me, handing me a DHL envelope.
The contents of the package made me crack-up as I picked up my phone.
“I see my engagement present arrived.”
“It sure did, along with the note you sent.”
“You calling to thank me?”
“You seriously think I’m going to thank you after all you’ve done to me? Your freakin’ note said, ‘This is the game that started us on our path to misery.’ Never is a date with me miserable, Donovan Taylor!”
“It wasn’t the Laker game that was miserable. It was all the shit that came after that.” We had a good chuckle over what happened that morning of our Laker game “date.” “I never got to properly congratulate you and Max on your engagement.”
“So you’re throwing floor seats our way to their first game this season?”
“And don’t forget the gift certificate to The Palm. You two can recreate our first date.” We busted up again. “Thank you and I’m sorry. You’ve been a great friend all these years, and I’m glad our friendship is still intact after all you and I have been through.”
“I am too, Donovan. You be good to my cousin.”
“I’m a damn dream to your cousin. She’s the only one who hasn’t opened her eyes to it.”
“She still giving you a hard time?”
“No.” He affirmed. “She’s a dream as well. She’s my dream come true.”
“Damn. I can’t believe Donovan Taylor is waxing poetic. You’re a goner. Take care of my cousin,” I warned, “and thank you for our gift. Max and I will enjoy the dinner as well as the game.”
“You’re welcome. Just remember to return the favor when Laney and I are engaged.”
“You anywhere near that stage?”
“Who the hell knows? I’ve told her time and time again she’s marrying me, but her answer is always, ‘No I’m not.’ Sometimes I think I’m talking to Ellie.”
“How about if you ask her to marry you rather than commanding and demanding it?”
“You may have a point there, my vixen. Enjoy your day and let’s talk again soon.”
“Bye.”
That was sweet and comical of Donovan to send us an engagement gift that replicated our first date. Max would find the comedy in this gift as well.
“Hello Gem.” I called my boyfriend before putting my head back into the pile of work.
“Can you meet me at home tonight? I have a little something for you.”
“Of course. I’ll meet you around 8:00p.m.? I’ve got a little surprise for you too.”
“Fab! See you then.”
With Donovan and Gimpy away from this office, it was lonely here. But, the mound of work kept me busier than busy. Even though I was nowhere close to being finished with work, I rushed home to make sure Max’s gift had arrived.
“Hello.” I called out to this empty house.
“Yeah. I’m here.” Nick walked out of the kitchen. “Weird now that everyone’s gone, huh?”
“This entire cul-de-sac feels so empty. I miss those little buggers.”
“I do too. It’s not like I saw them that often, but their absence is huge.”
“Whatcha up to tonight?”
“I’ve got a date.”
“A date??? With whom??? Was I that much in my own world that I had no idea you were seeing anybody?”
“Naw. No one but Laney knew.”
“And how did Laney know?”
“Bee told her.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. “You’re dating Bee Taylor? As in Becky and Donovan’s aunt, Bee Taylor?”
“Well...” my brother was being evasive, “we’re not exactly dating...yet. We’ve been out a few times in the past year and we’re taking it slow. We aren’t sure we want to date one another.”
“You’ve been seeing her for a year?”
“Damn, Jane. Listen carefully. We are not seeing each other. We went on a date about a year ago, but got a bit freaked out when we made the Reid / Taylor connection. And now, we’re even more freaked out because this feels like serious incest. We do our own things, and date from time to time.”
“I’m so excited you’re seeing Bee. I think she’s fantastic! Plus, she makes the most beautiful clothes.”
Nick laughed at me. “Max’s present arrived. I think that’s the coolest present I’ve seen a girl give a guy, especially the pink bow part.” He chuckled some more. “It’s in the garage.”
“Thanks for being here to accept it. You think Max will like it?”
“Are you stupid or something? Of course he’ll like it. Hell, if he doesn’t want it, I’ll take it.”
I went over and hugged my brother. “Be nice to Bee. Don’t make the same mistakes we all made with our significant others.”
“Yeah, well, you and Jake have not been role models for dating, that’s for sure. Don’t push me, Jane. I’m still young. I don’t want to be tied down. We’re taking this slowly.”
“What are you taking slowly, Nick?”
“Hi.” I whispered and kissed my fiancé, who walked in without either of our knowledge.
“Hello, my precious gem.”
“Nick and Bee are dating.” I rushed out an answer but added, “They’re kinda dating, testing the waters, not wanting to make the same mistakes we, Jake and Emily, and Donovan and Laney have made.”
“Happy for you, Bro’. She seems like a great woman.” Max patted my little brother on the back. “If anything, she’ll keep you on your toes.” He had a knowing chuckle I’d have to ask him about later.
“Uh...thanks...but this is all premature. We’re just having dinner.” He started walking away from us. “See ya later.”
“Bye,” we both called out.
“So you want your surprise, first, or you want to give me my surprise, first?”
“I’ve moved your stuff back into the house and we will be living there starting tonight.”
“When did you have time to do that?”
“Early this morning, Nick, Doug, and I moved most everything back. It was easy since you hadn’t even unpacked what you’d taken from the house. We can come back and pick up the rest of your stuff when you’re ready.”
“Well, I guess your gift is an extension of mine. Let’s go see your gift.” I held his hand and led him towards the garage. When I opened up the garage door, Max was pretty freakin’ speechless.
“This is for me?”
“All yours...it even has your name engraved on the chrome part, under the name Ducati.”
Max toured his new motorcycle from top to bottom, side to side, back to front, then back over again. “I can’t believe you bought me a new bike.” He was so busy fawning over his new bike, he didn’t notice me trying to throw the key to him.
“I figured it was only fair I buy you something since you bought me this.” I held up my shiny diamond ring. “It’s your engagement present and I’m sure I don’t have to tell you to be extra careful when riding these scary machines.”
“Babe...I’ll think of you every time I ride this thing.”
“Ooh...sounds sexual...I like...!”
He slapped my ass and told me to get on the bike behind him. “How’d you know what to buy and when did you buy this?”
“I saw you drooling over the bike parked in front of Gimpy’s villa, and that night when Laney and I had our talk, I asked her to help me order one for you. Since you proposed in Italy, I thought it only apt to buy you an Italian motorcycle. Maybe we’ll have a small ceremony in Gimpy’s villa in Florence next year for our wedding. What do you think?”
“I thank you for the wonderful gift and you can do whatever your heart pleases with this wedding. Just tell me when and where and I will be there.”
“Shall we?” I got my helmet on (and yes, I got us matching helmets with the name Davis on the back) and cuddled against his back.
> “Hold on tight!” He called out these same three words that started our first date back in December, with a knowing grin.
And this time, there was no way I was letting go, ever again.
