Fractures

by M R Field

  Ryder bursts into laughter that causes Brit to turn towards us, with visibly tear-streaked cheeks.

  “Oh baby.” His voice softens as he looks over to her. “I need to go.” He begins to walk as he yells over his shoulder, “I’m looking forward to the next edition, Theo. I’ll be back at my desk later today.”

  “Yep, no worries.” My heart races as I glance over to Trin. She waves at Ryder, oblivious to what he just said, and looks over to me. He closes the door behind him as the bell jingles. My shoulders loosen in relief.

  “That’s enough drama for today.” Her head tilts to the side. “Lunch, or …” Her hand reaches for the tie at the side of her top. Pure, unadulterated lust climbs across my skin as I study her face.

  Before I can step towards her, the bell chimes, halting our moment.

  A seductive smile curves across Trin’s lips as she lets go of the tie. “Another time then.”

  As she turns, I lean forward and whisper, “No use untying—I’d just tear that off you, even if it was double knotted,” and relish in her intake of breath as I go and retrieve my sandwich. On her desktop, her little notepad is open to a page entitled “Trice’s bridesmaid’s dress to fuck with Alex’s head” with a few scribbles of underwear. Oh, my little firecracker sure knows how to meddle with people’s heads, and not just mine.

  “Feel free to add to it,” she calls over her shoulder.

  This could be interesting. If anything, I have ideas of what to put Trin in to fuck with my own head. Let the games begin.

  “This realm might not be mine anymore, but I hope you’re making it yours.”

  Love, Mum.

  TRINITY

  Trice leans closer to the image with her wine glass in her hand and frowns. Taking a sip, her other hand moves the image closer to her face as her sullen expression turns stricken. Widening her eyes in alarm, she shrieks, “No way! He’s gonna flip. Surely these aren’t what you want, Hazel?”

  Wordlessly, Hazel sips her mineral water to suppress a smile. I’d arrived here while Trice was finishing one of her late afternoon dance classes and had quickly showed Hazel the sketches. Let’s just say, there are a lot of corsets and a whole lot of cleavage with intentional nipple slippage and ruffled skirts that rival those on the steam-punk models at Comic Con. There won’t be a worry for me to slip a nip. Small boobs meant that I’d have to hold mine up with both my hands to make that happen.

  Trice’s fingers flick the few pages back and forth erratically, the nervous tension in her brow deepening. “No, this can’t be …” she mutters as her eyes follow the designs. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I press my lips together to stop laughing as Trice’s panicked face continues. “He’ll punch someone. He really will. We can’t have these, Hazel. Seriously, he’s barely able to restrain himself when I’m on stage, and these aren’t that far from it. Is it a Burlesque theme? Is that why so much of my leg is hanging out?”

  “I don’t know why you’re worried,” Hazel chides. “I can’t wear a bra in my dress, the plunge is that low.” On top of the bogus bridesmaids’ dresses, it was only wise of me to include a faux bridal gown for Hazel. I even redrew them on a fresh page so she wouldn’t see my original title. I had intended to give her the Hessian gown look, that ran up to her neck and down to her toes, but since Robbie is going to be arriving soon, I wanted to see his knee-jerk reaction. Operation fuck with Trice’s head was working like a charm.

  I take a sip of my Corona as Trice continues to fret. There’s only so much I can bear without losing my cover. Clenching the beer, I rub the condensation off the label to keep myself busy and not blow our story.

  “Honey.” Hazel leans forward and places her hand on Trice’s leg. “It’s a joke, sweetie. We just wanted to see Alex’s reaction, but yours was superb.”

  “What?!” She shrieks, “You bitches!”

  “Oi!” I wiggle my beer towards Hazel. “I thought we were going to wait for Alex to come home and then let them know. Foiled my plan, baby cakes. You could’ve least waited for Robbie.”

  “But Trice’s reaction was enough. You know how fiery she gets; we’re lucky her head didn’t explode.”

  “Screw you, woman!” Trice waves her finger at Hazel, before throwing my notepad at me. “I can’t believe I fell for that.” She places her hand to her chest. “Honestly, I thought my heart was going to gallop out of my chest!”

  “We already took bets on how Alex would show everyone that you were his woman if we really did choose these designs.” I pick the notepad from my lap and point out the super low-cut corset. “Personally, I was aiming for a burst blood vessel in his forehead with this picture here. Theo suggested I make it even more low-cut, just for special effects.”

  “Yeah, these boobs could run a ceremony on their own.” Trice laughs, pointing to her chest. “Try running in them—they ache like a bitch afterwards.”

  “Ah, ah!” Hazel holds her hand up, then turns her index finger to her chest. “Don’t talk about aching when your boobs are a milking farm that will explode if not emptied regularly. I tried to go for a run with these balloons and was lucky I came home unscathed. I was surprised I didn’t have black eyes, let alone a concussion.”

  “I’m surprised I haven’t had a concussion yet.” Robbie’s laugh sounds as he enters the lounge, with a relaxed Gian, fresh from his bath.

  “Tesoro!” Hazel scolds, “Not in front of your sister.”

  “As if she has any right to whine when she and Alex ‘move furniture’ regularly in their room.”

  “Dude, we were actually moving furniture the other day,” she affirms. “Seriously, go check it out—the bed is at the other wall. Feels like we have more room now.” A slow grin picks up at the edge of her lips. “You know, for other activities.”

  “Ugh, fucking hell!” Robbie groans. “You just had to take it there.”

  “You started it, you can put up with it!” she teases.

  “Tesoro, at least cover his ears when you swear. If his first word is the F-bomb, your nonna will have a heart attack.”

  “And chase me with the broom … nah, actually, with her walking frame. She’ll just dong me on the head with it. But I could blame Alex. He swears as much as I do—even you do, Trice.”

  “Not as bad as you guys, but not too far behind either.” Trice smirks. They could probably include me in that, too. I have been known to drop the F-bomb like a comma.

  The doorbell rings and Trice rises from the couch to head over to the front door to answer it. Robbie steps closer to Hazel, and she shifts on the couch to reach out and touch Gian’s back, rubbing it tenderly.

  “Did you like your bath?” she asks him gently. “I hope you were a good boy for Dadda.”

  “Of course he was.” Robbie turns so Gian’s face is peering over his shoulder at Hazel. His little bottom wiggles as he sees her and unleashes a little squeal of delight.

  “Oh, I know you’re secretly excited to see me!” Josh strolls in, throwing his arms in the air. He swaggers closer to us on the lounge and bends to kiss us on the cheeks, all the while keeping his eyes on Robbie. Standing, he runs a finger down Gian’s cheek and sighs. “Hello, beautiful boy. You know, it’s really inappropriate for me to be perving on your father while he’s holding you.”

  Robbie rolls his eyes as he shakes his head. “You haven’t changed much, have you, mate?” He laughs.

  “If you mean, was I hoping you were wood chopping or something out the back so I could see you with your shirt off, then the answer is, ‘no.’ You’re a big boy; you can deal with it, sweet cheeks.”

  “Josh, we live in a townhouse; there will be no need for wood chopping.” Hazel raises her brow coyly at him.

  “A man can dream. C’mon! I’m on holidays! I didn’t fly in this morning to have my fantasies dry up like an old lady’s clacker.”

  “And, I’ll stop you there, too.” Hazel points to Gian. “He doesn’t need for that to be his first sentence or be part of his first words.”


  “Where’s Alex? He’d chop wood. He has that macho look about him. Maybe he can find something to chop. Like the head of one of Trice’s admirers. Keep a stack out the back, does he?”

  “He’s out to dinner with his sister, Lily. So no chopping for him either.”

  “Damn it, you’re ruining all my fun. I was hoping we could crack open Twister and play ‘left hand on right buttock.’ ”

  “On that note, I better get our little man to bed before I head into work.” Robbie bends forward so Hazel can sit up to kiss Gian on the face and whisper, “Good night.”

  He leaves the room, and Hazel rolls her lips between her teeth, staring at the door.

  “You okay, hon?” I rub my hand along her foot that’s curled up beside me.

  “Yeah, I’m fine … just hate sitting out here when he goes to bed.” She twirls her finger around her wayward curl.

  “Honey, we’ll be fine out here.” I shift forward and grab her elbow. “Go and be with him.”

  “No, it’s meant to be like this.” She frowns. “I expressed a bottle today, and he’s twigged that it’s not the same. If he sees me, he won’t take to it. Since Robbie’s been back full-time, he misses out on a lot, so this is my way of giving him some time before he does his night shift at his club.”

  After the repairs had been completed on the club, Robbie had slowly opened it again to the public. He’d hired several performing acts for the entertainment while putting in the hard yards to get the bar back up to scratch and as “normal” as he could have it. It hadn’t been easy going back to the scene of the crime, where Hazel and Gian’s lives were put in jeopardy. But I must admit, he was a trooper for keeping as much of the shit away from Hazel as possible..

  “It’s great that he’s enjoying the club, but I can see how much he misses spending time with Gian. I send photos to him during the day, but I make sure that they have their time.” She shifts on the lounge, turning her sad misty-eyed face towards us. “I don’t know how many photos I’ve got of the two of them snuggled up on our bed as he’s fallen asleep next to him before putting him in the cot.”

  “Maybe they could spend every Saturday night together, just the two of them,” I suggest, taking a sip of my beer before I continue, knowing that I’m delving into sensitive territory.

  “What do you mean? He runs the bar then, like he does most nights.”

  “Well, maybe it’s time to do what you said you would. You came to me saying that you were ready, but you haven’t done anything since. It’s time to assemble the Emerald Vixens again and perform.” The beer feels hot in my hand as I study her face and then turn to Trice who sits on the armchair, nervously biting her lip.

  “You want to perform again?” Trice leans forward in her seat, her hands rubbing against each other as she stares at Hazel.

  “I do, I just don’t know if it is time yet. If Gian could handle having that time without me.”

  “Of course he can.” I wiggle closer to her on the couch. “Has he come out to ask for help, now?”

  She shakes her head.

  “See? He could stay home, and you could come and have a few hours to yourself where you can be you.”

  “I do miss it,” she admits, as she picks up her mineral water and takes a sip. “You think we’re ready to get back together?”

  “Sweetheart, of course you are,” Josh interjects, waving a hand in the air, up and down her body. “You’re looking pretty incredible, too, with those curves. Trinity, you better focus on making them ‘pop’ in your next costume design.”

  “On it.” I raise my beer towards him and wink. “Already been brainstorming with Hazel and even had Trice in the other week. Let’s get this shit started!”

  “I’m gonna text the girls.” Trice’s head is bent towards her phone. “Tell them to make Saturday nights free—we need to get the Emerald Vixens together again!”

  “Robbie’s got a few acts booked for this month.” Hazel begins to bounce on the spot excitedly, her toes tapping the edge of the couch. “I’ll check with him, but how about the first Saturday of next month?”

  I mentally calculate my appointments off the top of my head and smile. “Yep, I can have them done by then.”

  Trice’s phone beeps as a wide smile flashes across her face. “The girls are in—we just need to work out what we’re doing and all that. I’ll book a meeting for next week and get the creative juices flowing.”

  “I have a shitty feeling I might be performing back in Sydney that week.” Josh pouts, and he slumps beside me on the couch. “Why the fuck did I say yes?”

  “Because you’re one of the best dancers I’ve ever worked with?” Trice asks. “You know I’d love to have you in Melbourne more, but you have people requesting to have you. You’re kicking goals, buddy!”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere, unless you’re a six-foot man with a nine-inch co—”

  “Gian’s down.” Robbie’s lowered voice creeps up behind Hazel, her body startling as she jolts in her seat. He chuckles before reaching forward and hugging her from behind. “I’m going to head to work now, Farfalla, so I’ll see you later tonight.” He looks over towards their bedroom for a moment before moving to stand.

  “Baby.” Hazel holds onto his arm before he pulls away. “What do you think of us getting back on stage and you having Gian to yourself on Saturday nights?”

  “I think that’s a fucking fantastic idea.” He kisses the side of her face. “I’d definitely be up for it. Could switch a few shifts around to make it work.”

  They stare at each other before Robbie leans in and kisses Hazel softly. My chest tightens, as I miss Theo and wish he were here so I could be all smooch-coo with him.

  “I think”—Josh lifts his head to peer behind the couch—“that you’d be up for most things, actually.”

  “Josh!” I admonish as I slap his arm playfully. “They were having a tender moment, you dickhead.”

  “I could see that.” He waves his hand in front of us. “You can smell the hormones.” He flaps his hand more. “Far out, you could light a match and this room would explode. Calm down, you two!”

  “Nice to see you, Josh.” Robbie runs a hand through his long, curly hair as Hazel smiles at him longingly. He winks at her before he walks past Josh to the front door. “Have a great night, ladies.”

  “Always a pleasure to see you.” Josh lowers his voice. “And your delectable behind.”

  “Yes, I must agree with that.” Hazel nods.

  “Right, who wants pizza for takeaway? Or do we want to go Chinese? Let’s try to get Josh to carb overload.”

  “Game on.” He sits back on the couch. “You know I couldn’t give two shits about that. I’m here with my ladies tonight.”

  “Glad you came home for a visit.” Trice grins at him.

  “Oh, don’t think I was kidding about Twister. I’m going to kick all of your arses at it later. Mark my words.” He rubs his hands in anticipation.

  He may be flexible, but I’m little. Less surface area to stumble across. And when all else fails, cheat.

  With that, Trice grabs a few takeaway menus from the coffee table and passes them over to us. I was looking forward to the night indeed.

  I groan and lean back against the couch, the remnants of a container of satay chicken nestled on my lap. My food coma is fast approaching, but I am planning on round two with dessert. My foot nudges my bag on the floor, and I quickly sit up straighter to check that I haven’t accidentally kicked my graphic novel. Yes, it is still covered in plastic, and I swore to myself that I would wait until later tonight to read it. Otherwise, I’ll annoy the girls like I normally do. But Adam and Mila looked so close last edition … I wonder what they’re doing now. They could be doing it … eek! Adam better have grown the balls to jump her, or I won’t be happy.

  “If you’re trying to sneak a peek at the fucking magazine,” Trice warns, “I’m going to put it in the cot with Gian.”

  “Uh … what?” I jol
t, as I fold my legs underneath me, almost unbalancing my chicken. “I thought I might’ve damaged it, but it’s all good …” I lean forward. “But I might just check by reading the first few pages, ’cause you never know.” I grin back at her as she narrows her eyes at me.

  “It’s okay.” Josh leans in and taps my bag. “I can take it home tonight and inspect it for you. Any hot guys? Or will I need to find my own filler?”

  “It has one hot couple who haven’t been able to get their shit together, while he’s plagued by his past. It’s a bit paranormal and fantasy. It’s edgy, raw, and full of kick-arse dialogue. Gets me every time.” I tuck a tendril of hair behind my ear as I smile sweetly to Josh. “But if you lay a hand on my unread edition, I will bite your freaking face off.” I flick my foot out to push my bag closer to me. For precaution’s sake.

  Josh throws his head back and laughs, not realizing how close to death he is. Kidding. No, seriously.

  “How’s Theo going with his new family?” Hazel asks, resting her arm along the couch to face me more.

  “Not too bad.” I sigh. “He seems to be getting along with his father, and his siblings sound cute.”

  “You still holding off on meeting them?” Trice asks as she starts to clear the containers. She reaches for mine, and I pass it to her.

  “Yeah, until the restaurant is done. I want him to have this to himself for now. But come opening night, I’m going to meet them all. Theo says his father is a charmer, so it’s going to be interesting.”

  “As long as Theo is happy, I guess,” Hazel adds. “I know what it’s like to have a family who couldn’t give a shit. For Theo to be so kind and caring goes to show that the good genes from his real father are strong. He didn’t let what Ko do to him, ruin the beautiful temperament.”

  “Just like you, sweets,” I add, rubbing her hand as she shrugs.

  “So glad you guys finally got your shit together.” Trice bites her lip for a moment before continuing, “But I do miss seeing you guys pick on each other. That was kinda hot.”