by lanie love
“Just a classic tux,” Brooke says, “With mint accents?”
“Perfect,” I tell her.
“Are we all going to wear the same dress,” Laura asks.
“I would prefer it,” I say.
“Oh, this wedding is going to be fabulous,” Brooke says dreamily.
“It really is coming together,” I say, breathing a sigh of relief it’s going so well.
“What type of food,” Brooke asks.
“Oh, my mom's taken care of…” I start and catch myself. I hope that the mood didn't just plummet at my slip. We were all doing so well and I am really having a good time right now.
“I'm sure she will go all out for you,” Kathleen says to me. “There is nothing greater than when your child gets married, especially when you already consider the person a part of the family.” She squeezes my hand reassuringly as we continue on talking.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Pacific Palisades, California
Aaron Wade’s Apartment
Aaron Wade
“Mint and Gray,” I say to Allie when she tells me our wedding colors. She’s in the bathroom getting ready for bed. She comes out naked with a toothbrush in her mouth. Fuck! Now my dick hurts. I struggle to understand what she’s saying since she is talking to me while she's brushing her teeth. “I like it,” I say, not understanding a damn thing she just said. “As long as you don't have me and my guys looking like big ole jolly rancher candies.
She disappears into the bathroom, comes back out, and hops into bed with me.
“It’s mint green, not apple green,” she says, the smell of toothpaste on her breath. I wonder if that’s going to burn my dick. “But you are going to look good enough to suck, though.” Burn my dick, Baby, burn it.
“Mmmm, keep talking, Baby,” I pull her soft naked body on top of me. “I love when you say dirty shit to me.”
“Your dad,” she says.
“Aw, hell, Allie,” I try to move her back over, but she stays put. “That's not the image I want in my head right now.”
“I know,” she says, guiltily. “I'm not asking you to do anything, but will you please just try and talk to him before we leave for our cruise. It’s bad luck to leave on a trip angry.”
“I thought that was going to bed angry.”
“That too.”
“Allie,” I breathe out.
“Just a little conversation,” she asks me. “Mom says he’s really taking the silent treatment you guys are giving him very hard.”
“He should have thought of that before he fucked us all over.”
“I know.” She straddles me, sits up and places my hands so that I can feel her erect nipples. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She knows exactly what she's doing. “But he’s still your dad.”
“Okay,” I give up without a fight. “But I’ll do it after the cruise. I don’t want to ruin my mood.
“I can live with that.”
“I'm doing this for you and I’m not promising anything.”
“Deal,” she says. “Thank you.”
“I'd do anything for you, Baby.”
“You mean for my tits.”
“Guilty,” I smile. “So, let me have ‘em.”
“Figures,” she laughs. “Now, where is that hard hat?”
“Mmm, now you're talking,” I moan to her while she gets it from where I tossed it on the nightstand.
****
Peninsula Bayside Beach, Long Beach
Julia Moore’s House
Jay Wade
I sit in the cramped kitchen having a glass of bourbon to calm me down. I should have gone upstairs to Julia an hour ago. I know she was expecting me to follow her like I always do after we fight, but I just can't seem to get moving towards her direction. I’m not up for another dramatic rendition of her feeling neglected. She isn't wrong in her accusations about me forgetting to call again this time. I wish she would understand that my work keeps me very busy and the time gets away from me. A whole day has passed before I even realize it.
It’s a normal routine for me when I’m working on things that need my full attention. Often times I would miss important dinner dates and family functions, but Kathleen always made my excuses. She always understood. Admittedly, I took it for granted that Julia would be the same way. She always seemed so understanding during the long talks we had when Kathleen was called away on some emergency. I know it’s unfair of me to expect her to be like Kathleen. I suppose it’s because I’ve been thinking about her a lot since she ran off and got divorced.
I wasn't expecting her to do that. I was preparing myself for a long fight as relentless as she’s been tearing me down to anyone who’d listen. She certainly made good on her promises of revenge the last I saw her in our bedroom. I down my drink, cringing at the bitterness of the harsh brown liquid and trying to forget that day. I was so caught up in the moment of finding out Julia was pregnant with my child, it didn’t even register how much I was hurting my family. It was never my intention. I don’t even know what my intentions were anymore.
My mind has been going a mile a minute these last few weeks, thinking about what went wrong and I can't seem to get it back right again. I can't shake the guilt of leaving my family in such disarray. All of the pain and devastation I caused my Kathleen and our kids weigh heavily on me now that I’ve had time to process all that happened.
I am thankful that they are moving on, but I feel the loss of them moving on without me. Aaron is getting married to Allie and I haven't even been invited to the wedding. If I wasn't going to escort Julia, I’m sure I wouldn't be going at all. Aaron refuses to talk to me and Kent won’t even acknowledge my existence. I’ve never gone even a full day without having some form of contact with them, even if it was just a quick update from their mother. As painful as that is, the biggest cross I have to bear is Kathleen. To my surprise, she had a change of heart in the divorce settlement. The only thing she wanted was the estate in Hancock Park, which she gifted to the kids.
It was their childhood home and even though she’s moved in with Phil, she didn't want anyone else to have it. They wanted to buy it from her, but she wouldn't hear of it, so, they quietly slipped the money into her account, not that she needs it, but I admire them for the gesture. We’ve raised them right. I have to give her most of the credit. She picked up a lot of the slack I left because of my job. Not that her job wasn’t just as demanding, perhaps even more so, but she always found a way to put them first, to put me first. I ditch my whiskey glass for a bottle of water, but neither is doing anything to stop my musings.
Kathleen has been on my mind a lot lately and I can't seem to stop thinking about her. Maybe it's because I spend what free time I do have with Brooke at the old house. She is the only one who’s still speaking to me and I get updates from her about what's going on with the family. I hate being kept on the outs, even though I have no one to blame but myself. I know everyone was over there today to plan for the wedding. I can imagine how excited Kathleen must be. She lives for those moments. There’s nothing like a reason to celebrate as far as she’s concerned and she always found a reason. Her running across my mind again has me acting on impulse, so I step outside on the back patio to call her. The call goes to voicemail on the second ring, so I call back again. Surely, she pushed the wrong button.
“Hello?” Success! She answers.
“How are you, Kathleen,” I say, ignoring her cold tone.
“What is it, Jay? I'm about to head out for a late dinner.”
“With Phil?” It sounds more accusatory than I meant it to.
“Yes, as a matter of fact.” Of course, she doesn’t let it slide. “So, please get to the point.”
“I just wanted to thank you for letting me off the hook with the divorce and everything else going on with us,” I say. “You were more than fair and I know I don't deserve it.”
“I didn't do it for you. I did it for me. You left me completely broken and I did it so that I could move on from that. Y
ou don't deserve to be cried over anymore and our marriage that you so easily threw away, doesn't deserve to be mourned.”
“You've moved on pretty quickly. Brooke says you've been having a wonderful time jetting back and forth, exploring the world. Where are you going next?”
“Paris,” she says. “We’ll be back in plenty of time for the wedding.”
That stings. I’ve always wanted to take her there. Between her work and mine, we just never found the time.
“I'm happy for you, Kathleen,” I tell her. “I'm glad that you've moved on. I just hate you had to do it with my oldest friend.”
“You truly cannot be serious.”
“It will make things difficult for us to work together in the future is all I'm trying to say.”
“Well, that’s something you’ll have to discuss with Phil,” she says.
I close my eyes, trying to keep my anger from bubbling up, but it’s a futile effort. My tongue is thick with it and it comes spewing out of my mouth.
“You two got together pretty quickly. The ink wasn't even dry on our divorce. How long had you been cheating on me with him?” I frown as she laughs, taking the phone away from my ear to look at it before placing it back.
“Thank you so much, Jay. I needed a good laugh today. Oh, speaking of cheating, Dear, I changed my name back to Douglas, so not to be reminded of your philandering every time someone addresses me. So, please use it when you correspond to me.”
“Kathleen,” I yell her name, glancing at the closed patio door, hoping Julia didn’t hear. My mind goes back to when I had her on the phone hoping Kathleen wouldn’t find out about us. How the tables have turned. “You’re going just a little too far with this. Changing your name? That’s ridiculous. I hope the kids are not following suit.”
“That is purely up to them,” she says. “But I wouldn't worry. The children know I’m not being spiteful. I’m simply no longer your wife, so I no longer want your name. Was there a reason for this call?”
“Of course, there is a reason. Kent and Aaron are still not speaking to me. Perhaps if you
could—”
“Absolutely not. I am not going to smooth things over for you. It’s not like you missed helping them with homework. You obliterated their image of you. It’s up to you to fix it. You need to make more of an effort.”
“You don't think I'm trying?”
“Frankly, I don't know what you’re doing. I don't discuss you with the children. If you want a relationship with them now, you have to work on it. It is no longer my job to facilitate it for you.”
“Can you please be reasonable. We are both still their parents.”
“They’re not toddlers, Jay. We don't have to co-parent, thank God. Speaking of which, our son's wedding is coming up and it’s extremely important to him. The girls and I went over the plans today and it’s going to be a wonderful affair. I want to support them as much I can. I'm ashamed to say that I treated Allie rather atrociously. I promised her that I’ll behave myself and act appropriately. The day doesn't need to be muddied up with our nonsense, so you and Julia needn't worry about me making a scene in any way.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Like I said before, I’m not doing any of this for you.”
“Have you really gotten over everything so easily,” I ask her. I’m beyond hurt at her cavalier attitude. This isn’t the Kathleen I used to know. “Did I mean that little to you? Was this what you meant when you said you were getting down in the dirt with me? Did you fuck Phil to get back at me?”
“Oh, no. No, you don’t. You don’t get to play hurt.”
“I’m simply asking a question.”
“I won't be pulled into this with you, Jay,” she spits out at me. “I don't know why you’re trying to goad me, but it won't work.”
“I am, to be quite honest, pissed off that you gave me hell for sleeping with Julia and then you go off and do the same thing with Phil. What is his stake in all of this anyway?”
“Did it ever occur to you that he might find me attractive and want to be with me just for me?”
“That’s not what I meant and you very well know it. I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy.”
“You’re a very smart man. I'm sure you already see the glaring difference between your actions and mine. And you have some nerve questioning Phil’s motives when Julia is the one who started playing house with my husband and you were stupid enough to think it was anything more than that.”
“What the hell does that supposed to mean?”
“I’m sure you’re figuring it out. Obviously, your little happy home is not so happy anymore.”
“Don't assume things you know nothing about, Kathleen,” I warn her.
“Why else would you be so damn interested in what I'm doing? Has the bubble burst on your little naughty romance now that it's all out in the open? Has it lost its luster now that reality has set in?”
“No,” I tell her. “In fact, I plan on marrying Julia after our son is born.”
I’m disgusted at my pettiness in announcing that in order to get back at her, but it backfires miserably. She is unfazed and uncaring.
“Congratulations,” she says. “Do let me know where you'll be gift registering. And send it by email. I don't want any more phone calls from you.”
“Are you never going to talk to me again?” I try to hide the hurt in my voice, but the silence on the other end lets me know she’s heard it.
“There is nothing to talk about, Jay,” she tells me. She has softened and my hope is soaring. “Surely, I don't have to explain what ‘divorced’ means to you. But just in case it has not been made clear, it means what you do from here on out is no longer my concern.” My hopes go crashing back down to earth again. “Now, goodbye.”
“Goddammit, Kathleen,” I yell to her, but she's already hung up.
Shit! I don't know what the hell is wrong with me right now. I think the fact that she is seeing Phil and has moved on so quickly has thrown me for a loop. I expected a long drawn out fight from her. Could it be that she didn't love me as much as I always thought she did? I don't know why I am so affected by it. It has to be because things are strained between Julia and me. In just a short time our son will be born. That is a dream come true and I am extremely happy. I need to stop this nonsense. I shake off my thoughts of guilt and a bruised ego. I push them out of my mind and head up to Julia.
Chapter Twenty- Four
Two weeks later
Downtown, Los Angeles
Hollywoodland’s Grand Opening
Sage Turner
JR requested the night off so he could spend more time with his girl, as he put it. We’re going out with Allie and Aaron. Turns out Wade Construction was the company party he was forced to work a few weeks ago, so he got to know Aaron. He thinks he's a pretty laid-back guy and I’m not surprised. I knew they would get along. Anyway, he invited us to the opening of a new club he renovated downtown on Broadway. I’m bringing Laura and Kelsey along and they’re both really excited about it. Kelsey has been trying to get an invite to this place for months. Laura swears she's jealous that I beat her to it and now she's being reduced to tagalong status. That damn girl thinks way too much of herself.
****
We drove my car instead of JR’s SUV since it’s easier to park in the tiny areas they call spaces downtown. I ride shotgun while Laura and Kelsey are in the back. He hands the valet the keys and we make our way around to the VIP entrance.
“Oh my God, this place is amazing,” I say when we get inside. The invite specified we were to dress in old Hollywood Glamour, and I see why. This place throws you right back in time with rich tapestry and wall murals. There’s a movie screen that’s showing what looks like an old Charlie Chaplin movie. “What is this place,” I ask Allie when she spots us coming in and joins us.
“It used to be an old movie theater back during the silent movie era,” she says. “You should have seen it before Aaron got a hold of it.�
��
“He restored all this?”
“Sure did,” she beams. “My man is oozing with talent.” I roll my eyes at her as she shakes her boobs so I can check them out in her Greta Garbo, “I vant to be alone” gown.
“Sizzling,” Laura says, touching her with her finger than snatching it away.
We head straight to the bar and order a round of tequila while JR and Allie go in search of Aaron.
“Allie Cat, over here,” Aaron yells and I turn to check him out. Allie texted earlier telling me about the outfit he chose for tonight. It’s a rip from Moe of the Three Stooges, complete with a black bowl-cut wig. She hates it, but I think it fits him. I look around him to check out who he’s with and my eyes land right on Mr. Wade. I nearly faint at the sight of him and JR together, shaking hands and talking.
“Oh my God, this is bad. This is really bad.”
“What's bad?” Laura asks. I grab her shot of tequila and gulp it down.
“He's here,” I whisper to her, looking over at Kelsey so she won’t hear me. She’s deep in flirty conversation with some guy on the other side of the bar.
“Who's here?”
“My Dom,” I whisper to her and watch her head swings around trying to pinpoint who I'm talking about. “He’s talking to JR.” I’m close to hyperventilating. She tries to act like she's not looking as she looks.
“The big blonde guy with all the muscles,” she asks and I shake my head as she pretends not to look again.
“It’s Kent Wade,” I tell her.
“Holy shit. Do you know who that is,” she asks and I want to strangle her. She looks around to make sure no one is paying attention to her. “Are you telling me that Kent Wade is your Dom?” I quickly nod my head “Furry kittens and purring?” I nod again. “What? How? And more importantly, why did I not know this? Are you kidding me right now? Do you know I ripped Allie a new ass because she swore there was something between you two besides hot elevator eye-fucking?”
“Oh, My GOD, Laura,” I yell in whisper at her.
“Okay, right, this is not about me. I'm sorry.”
“What am I going to do? I have to get out of here. You have to help me. Just tell JR I got sick or something.”
