by S. E. Rose
I text Megan.
Me: You OK?
Megan: Nervous, but OK. Gary’s funny. He’s making me watch some god-awful movie.
Me: Typical.
Megan: Are you OK?
Me: Meh. I don’t like not being there.
Megan: I know but it’s safer this way.
Me: I know but I don’t like it.
Megan: Think of something else.
Me: Now I really want to be there.
Megan: (eye-rolling emoji)
Me: What? I’m a dude. I can’t help it.
Megan: (eye-rolling emoji) Seriously?
Me: Maybe it’s the element of danger but shit, I want you so bad right now.
Megan: OK, yeah, same. But let’s get this asshole first.
Me: I like your attitude. It’s sexy as fuck.
Megan: Stop picturing me as Lara Croft Tomb Raider.
Me: Damn it! How did you guess that?
Megan: LOL! Uh, I’ve known you since birth.
Me: Fair enough.
Megan: How did I live for so many years without you in my life?
Me: You are a glutton for punishment?
Megan: Maybe. I hear something.
Me: Christ. I can’t do this. I’m heading back.
Megan: NO! You stay put.
Me: Fine.
But I don’t listen. I turn the car around and head back, parking down the street. I creep through the trees like a burglar, or at least how I envision one in the movies. I hear some glass breaking and I look up to see Anthony in my apartment. Holy shit!
My adrenaline kicks in and I take off running toward my apartment. I push the door just in time to see Anthony flipped on his back by Lacey. Damn! I wouldn’t want to mess with her.
She presses a heeled boot into his backside as she radios for backup.
She glances up at me and rolls her eyes. “Wait in the motherfucking hallway,” she growls.
I slink away like a dog with his tail between his legs because he just got scolded. I don’t even make it halfway down the hall when Megan pokes her head out of Gary’s apartment. I quicken my pace and have her enveloped in my arms in three strides.
I crush her against me and press my lips to the top of her head as men with guns come up the stairs and into my apartment followed by four cops.
She looks up at me, wide-eyed. “Holy shit!” she manages.
“My thoughts exactly.”
She swallows and reaches up to touch my face. “I love you,” she says.
I grin like a fool. “I love you, too.”
She grins back. “We’re insane, aren’t we?”
“I mean, it’s normal to declare your love for someone as secret agents are taking down your stalker in the next apartment over,” I state.
“I figured it was normal. Just another typical day at college.”
“Exactly,” I reply.
We both bust out laughing, a combination of our emotions pouring out of us. When we finally stop, I lean down and kiss her.
It’s only the clearing of Lacey’s throat that pulls us apart.
“If you two are done, I’d like to debrief you,” she says. But we aren’t watching her, we are watching Anthony in handcuffs getting led down the stairs.
He glances back up at us and snarls but doesn’t say anything.
“He had a knife on him and whipped it out as he tried to come in the shower to get me. We have him on attempted murder, attempted assault, breaking and entering, and vandalism,” she says. “We have it all recorded. And I’m assuming you’ll press charges,” she says to Megan.
Megan nods.
“OK. Well, I think we are done here. Bryce will follow up with a report,” she states as she hands me my apartment key. “You’re all set. Officer Cruise will take your statements and then you are good to go.”
She walks downstairs. An officer asks us a few questions, and that’s it. We are released and head back to my apartment after thanking Gary.
“That was…intense,” Megan says as she sweeps up some broken glass from what was a cool vodka bottle.
“No shit,” I agree as I bring her a trash can.
“Can we promise that the rest of our relationship will be much more boring?” she asks.
I haul her to her feet and wrap my arms around her. “Nothing about us is boring, Megladon. Nothing.”
“I agree,” she murmurs. “I was reluctant to say it, but we’re perfectly imperfect together.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Megan
As if my body hadn’t dealt with enough adrenaline this week, I can feel my leg tapping as I sit at my desk after Clark and I have given our presentation. We have two weeks left at our internship. But so much is riding on today. Other than a written report with our final files, today was the day we presented our ideas and work on the mechanics of several devices to be used on the moon. Aside from the last few days, Clark and I had been working hard.
Since Anthony is behind bars, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Last night was the first night I was able to sleep.
Clark and I had stayed up talking about everything that had happened. It helped to talk it out and discuss things. It all still seems surreal.
I feel Clark’s hand on my leg, and I look up to find him staring at me with concern on his face.
“You OK, Megladon?” he asks.
I shrug. “Yeah. I’m just nervous. I mean everyone politely clapped, but did they really like it? And we were the first ones to go. What if the other interns do a better job?”
Clark squeezes my leg. “What do they always say about going first and last?”
“That people remember you the best,” I state.
“Well, we set the bar fucking high, so they better remember us.”
I nod. “Fingers crossed.”
I glance at my computer screen. “Is it bad that I want to leave early?”
Clark looks at the time. “I mean, we only have an hour left and we skipped lunch to prep for the presentation, so I don’t see why we shouldn’t,” he says.
I shake my head. “No, we need to power through. We have to show them we are the best. Let’s work on the report. I want the graphics to be perfect,” I declare, feeling more myself than a few moments ago.
Clark chuckles. “As you wish.”
He pulls his chair up to my desk and we both stare at my screen as I start to play with the order of things.
After sixty minutes of work, I start to realize how great we are together, and not just as a couple. We’re good at collaborating. My strengths are his weaknesses and vice versa. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before, and I can’t believe I ever questioned it.
“What are you thinking, bunny?” he whispers in my ear and I feel my skin dot with goose bumps.
I turn to him as I close down my computer. “I think we are done. And I think our report is going to seal the deal. We got this.”
He holds up a fist and I bump it. “We totally got this. Now, we probably should have a celebratory dinner…but there’s one issue.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What’s the issue?”
“I promised Kent I’d stop by my parents’ house and check on things. They come home next weekend, you know?”
I nod. “Let’s go grab burgers at the pub and we can swing by and check on everything. Why doesn’t he just send your sisters over there?”
I laugh. “I have a sneaking suspicion that he doesn’t want them messing with his décor choices in the family room. It’s this ongoing battle.”
“Oh?”
He chuckles. “Come on, let’s go see what Kent’s done to the house.”
He holds out his hand and I take it, reveling in how comforting his touch is, how much I want his touch, and how much I need his touch.
Clark
With burgers in a take-out box, we head to my parents’ house. I haven’t been here in a few days and I’m shocked at how much progress has been made when I walk into the kitchen.
> “Holy shit!” Megan says. “This looks…wow! Your parents are going to be so excited about this.”
“If they don’t keel over from a heart attack,” I state as I survey the new cabinets, countertops, and appliances. The breakfast room has been transformed with storage and more seating. The pantry has been reconfigured to allow more open space between the kitchen and the family room. And the family room looks awesome. The new sectional is high tech and I know for a fact that Kent chose it. Even if he hadn’t sent a photo in the group text, I would know it was his idea.
“I can’t believe they were able to pack this much more into the same footprint,” Megan says as she walks around the wide-open space.
She stops in the family room and motions to the pocket doors. “I thought we were re-doing this too,” she says, glancing up at the now tray ceiling which gives the family room even more height.
“No, we squabbled over the living room, but Di refused to let us touch it.”
She laughs. “You guys are too funny. What do you think your parents are going to say?”
I tilt my head and ponder their reactions. “Dad is going to freaking go crazy over his new wine bar.” I point to the old wet bar area that now is a u-shape with a small sink and cupboard with open storage above it on one side and a wine fridge with storage above it on the other side. Between them are two slim pocket doors. I walk over and open them. It’s a small wine closet with labels for each type of wine.
“Yeah, hell, my dad is going to love it too,” she says with a giggle.
“And Mom…is going to cry, of course.”
“I bet. Hell, my mom might cry too, with envy, when she sees that kitchen,” she says as she walks back up the two steps into the kitchen. I watch her run her fingers over the different countertops. There are granite counters, a marble baking counter along one side, and the island is a beautiful natural wood with a live edge. The bulkheads were removed, and the cabinets go all the way to the ceiling now. I laugh because along the ceiling there is a brass rod and next to the refrigerator hangs a ladder.
“I can’t believe you did this,” she says as she secures the ladder onto the rod and pushes herself around the kitchen.
“It’s cool as fuck, right? Kylie found that online and it was a must. Poor Mom could never reach those cabinets without it.”
She pauses and looks around the empty room. “Where are all the construction people? They aren’t done yet, right?”
I shrug. “I think the paint guys are here to touch up tomorrow. And the contractors are finishing trim this week and there are still a few lights to be put in.”
“Oh. They worked fast!”
“Kent’s paying them a lot of money. I guess people work fast for lots of money.” I can’t help watching Megan’s ass as she slowly climbs down the ladder and hangs it back up.
I look around. “I’m not going to hang those photos until the painters finish,” I state as I motion to some paintings covered in paper wrapping. I step up to the family photos that Kent and my sisters wanted hung in the family room and a thought pops in my head.
“I have an idea…and we’re going to need Di’s help because she’s the artsy-crafty one,” I state as I whip my phone out and text my sister.
Me: Could you come over to the house?
Di: Uh, I’m at school.
Me: Later.
Di: I thought Kent said you were stopping by to handle things today.
Me: For the love of…I have an idea and need your help. Also, paints…I need paints.
Di: Do I even want to know? And will Kent kill me for helping you?
Me: No. And yes.
Di: Shit, OK. I mean, it’s only paint. We can paint over whatever we do.
Me: True…
Di: Please tell me we can paint over it.
Me: Possibly.
Di: Clark!
Me: Di!
Di: I hate you sometimes.
Me: No you don’t. You love me! (heart emoji) (angel emoji)
Di: Whatever (devil emoji). Give me two hours.
Me: Oh, and bring one of those projector thingies.
Di: Overhead projector?
Me: That’d be the one.
Di: You owe me!
Me: You love me!
Di: (eye-rolling emoji)
I put my phone back in my pocket. I look around and contemplate what we should do for two hours.
“Let’s eat, and then we need to christen my childhood room,” I announce as I take Megan’s hand. I grab our burgers and set us up on the deck.
“Christen your room?” she asks with a raised eyebrow. She takes a bite of her burger and groans. “This burger is so good.”
I lean forward. “If you keep making noises like that, we’re going to be christening this deck too.”
She giggles and wipes her mouth. “Why your room? I mean, why now?”
I shrug as I eat my burger. “You have no idea that I used to masturbate while spying on you all through high school. I don’t know if spying is actually the right word. I would glance over to see if you were home. There were so many times I’d turn on my walkie-talkie and start to say something and then turn it off. Then, you started changing with the blinds open at night. It was total spank-vision. My spank-bank is still filled with visions of you taking your bra off and pulling down your pants.”
“Clark!” Megan says aghast as she slaps my arm. “Ew! Seriously! I thought one stalker was enough!” But she also blushes.
I roll my eyes and groan. “It wasn’t creepy like that. I just…missed you, but then you had to grow those,” I say as I eye her perfect tits. “And, I am only human after all. What about you? Did you watch me?”
She glares at me. “Boy human.” Her face turns pink as she processes my last question.
“Did you?”
“Fine, yes. I watched you too.”
Shrugging, I finish my burger. “Interesting. Also, I’m very much a boy human. But,” I say grabbing her hand and placing it on my growing erection, “I’d say more of a man human, wouldn’t you?” I raise an eyebrow.
I can tell she’s trying to keep her glare on point, but the corners of her mouth twitch and she shakes her head. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“Come on, we have important adult things to do,” I state as I let her take the last bite of her burger before hauling her up and over my shoulder.
“Clark!” she squeaks as I slap her ass and carry her up to my room. Time to fulfill my childhood fantasies.
Megan
Di and I both stare at Clark. After two rounds of sex, Di arrived and now we’re down in the family room as Clark explains his brilliant idea.
“You want to do what?” Di asks with her hands on her hips as she looks at the wall and back at Clark.
“I want to paint a giant tree on it and then hang all our photos off of it like apples on trees. I was thinking you could bring that teacher thing and project a tree onto the wall,” he explains.
“Why? And it’s called an overhead projector, jackass. We’ve been over this,” she says.
“Right. Come on, it’ll be fun! Plus, we can all do handprints with initials on the tree trunk,” he says. “Mom loves shit like that. It’ll be cool and unique. Like a professional mural!”
Di shrugs. “We need to call in the troops…and Kent will have to add his flair later. Hold on.”
Di pulls out her phone and sends a text. “OK, team Moore will arrive shortly. Let’s try drawing it on the wall first and then we can figure it out from there.”
I hold a ladder and Di starts sketching. By the time the rest of the Moores arrive, the tree is taking up the entire wall.
“Uh, that’s huge!” Lanie says from the doorway.
“That’s what she said!” Ash yells.
I start laughing.
Brixton places a hand over Ash’s mouth. “He didn’t learn that from us.”
“Right, like my nephew learned that from anyone but his parents,” Kylie says as she walk
s into the room with Levi in tow.
“Learn what?” Levi asks.
“That’s what she said,” Ash mumbles.
“Oh…uh, sure,” Levi replies as he looks at Kylie for help. Kylie just giggles and shrugs.
“Party can start,” Garrett says as he walks in with Vera and Tabby.
“Hold on, I’m FaceTiming Kent,” Tabby says as she pulls out her phone and starts dialing.
“OK, got him. Hold on. I’m turning it around, chillax,” she says as she holds up the phone.
“I can’t see anything,” Kent yells from the phone.
“It’s a giant-ass tree and we are going to paint it and then hang the photos like pieces of fruit,” Di explains.
“Wait! I have an idea,” Lanie says as she whips out her phone. “Yes! OK, I ordered us frames that look like apples. They will be here…on Monday.”
“OK, guess we’re going with this,” Kent says.
“Oh, come on,” Clark says. “Everything is modern, but Mom and Dad are fun. We need something personal and fun and this is cool.”
Kent shrugs. “Fine. I’ll check it out next week before they come home. But if it sucks, we are painting over it.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Clark asks.
“Then, yay you,” Kent says. “I gotta run.”
“Vera, wave bye-bye to Daddy!” Tabby says to her daughter who is playing peekaboo with Garrett.
“Bye, Vera-wera! Daddy loves you!” Kent calls out before Tabby disconnects.
Tabby turns to me. “And now for the elephant in the room. How are you? Is everything OK?”
I laugh and shrug. “I’m OK. Doing better. Thanks for asking.”
Tabby gives me a hug and then all of a sudden, I’m surrounded by Moores hugging me.
“Thanks, guys,” I say.
“No one fucks with the Moore clan,” Clark says.
“Damn skippy,” Di replies. “OK, let’s get our artistic creativeness on!”
Everyone steps back from me, except Clark who wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Let’s show them how teamwork is done, bunny,” he whispers to me.
I nod and he leans down and plants a quick kiss on my lips.
“Ewww!” Ash says. “Uncle C-Dog, that’s gross.”
Clark chuckles and holds out his hands. “You’re right! Now I have cooties!” He takes off running toward Ash, who squeals and jets out of the room.
