by Lee Heaven
“I can’t get the wine open. My parents are gonna be here any second. I can’t get the wine open. Oh God, my mom’s gonna make me move back in with her. I don’t wanna. What is wrong with this stupid opener why won’t it work? Decker, why won’t the wine open?”
Wrapping his hands around my shaky ones, Decker steadies them. “Baby, calm down. Give me the wine. I’ll open it.” Turning he puts the iPod on the surround sound and turns on Bryan Adams. “Just listen and relax.” He wraps his arms around me and squeezes.
I love that in every room there is a hook up for the surround sound and I don’t have to worry about having ear phones. I never have to worry about not hearing music.
“Thank you,” I say as I fist my hands into the back of his shirt.
“Any time, baby, any time.”
“Sarah, Decker?” Tobias bellowed from the front entrance. “I found these two young people standing in the elevator. They claim to be Sarah’s parents but they don’t look old enough to be.” I hear my mother giggle and coo at him.
“Oh shit the wine. I never opened it.” I start to panic.
“Go greet your parents. I’ve got the wine.” Decker shoos me out of the kitchen.
I take a minute and take a few deep breaths. I can do this! I can do tonight and not have any breakdowns. Where is Maggie? I need her! She should have been home awhile ago!
“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.” I greet them as I reach the front entrance. “I see you’ve met Mr. Flirty over there. Tobias always has all the girls falling all over him.”
“I can see why. He’s a cutie. I should start watching baseball more.” My mother giggles like a little school girl.
With my dad’s eyes getting bigger I knew Decker was standing behind me. “Mom, Dad, this is Decker.”
“Please to meet you, Mr. Starr,” he said, shaking my dad’s hand. “Mrs. Starr.” Decker gives her a kiss on the cheek. “Would you like some wine?” Decker asks as he hands out glasses.
“Thank you,” Mom says as she takes a sip. “Wow that’s really good. What is it?”
“It’s a 1997 Dom. Romane Conti.”
Mom sputtered into her glass. “Damn that’s a fucking fifteen hundred dollar bottle of wine! Holy shit!”
“Well that mouth can only come from Jersey which means Sarah’s parents are here.” Roman laughs as he enters the room. “At least we know where she gets it.”
“Mom, Dad, this is Roman Emmerson,” I say as I introduce Roman to my parents.
“Please to meet you, Mr. Starr, Mrs. Starr,” Roman greets them.
“Please call us Mom and Dad. All of you please call us that,” my mom tells everyone.
“Where’s Laura?” I asked Roman.
“At home. That baby is making her ankles so swollen she can barely walk.”
“Oh you’re having a baby? Is it your first? When is your wife due?” Mom, the ever present maternity nurse asks.
“This is our fourth. Laura was due three days ago. They are inducing her tomorrow if her water doesn’t break,” Roman says.
“Oh how wonderful. I’m sure you’re excited.” Mom beams.
“Sarah, is Maggie here?” Tobias asks as he walked back over toward us with a bottle of beer in his hand.
Just as I was about to answer the front door slammed and a blur came running through the living room toward the kitchen. “Oh God, Sarah, I’m sorry I’m late. Give me a minute I’ll be right back,” Maggie yelled as she headed toward her room off the kitchen.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Maggie wouldn’t be Maggie if she was nothing but late. Come, Mom, let me give you a tour of the place and let the men get better acquainted.”
I started off with Josie’s room. “It’s not very little girly,” Mom noted.
“I know, Mom, but this is Decker’s house and we are only guests so I can’t go redecorating. Plus Josie loves it. She said it makes her feel like a princess and all grown up.”
“I can see that. As long as she’s happy that’s what matters.”
Maggie joined us as we walked toward the kitchen. “Mom, this is Maggie. She was Decker’s night aide when he was injured and has now come on full time to help with Josie.”
“Maggie, you are beautiful,” Mom coos as she gives her a hug.
“Tobias was asking for you.” I smiled at her.
“Oh you like Tobias?” Mom jokes with her.
“I would give anything for Tobias. He’s so dreamy,” Maggie said as her face turned red.
“Mom, doesn’t she remind you of a love struck teenager.” I poke fun of her. “Don’t worry, Maggie, Tobias is crazy about you too. One of you just needs to step up and ask the other out instead of skirting around each other.”
“Oh, sweetheart, go for it. Nothing in today’s world should stop a woman from going after the man of her dreams.” Mom encourages her as we walk into the kitchen. Her mouth hits the floor when she sees it. “Wow this is so state of the art. I’m in love already.”
I point to the door off the kitchen that leads to Maggie’s room. Then walk through the door and into the dining room.
“Wow that’s a big table!” Mom states in shock.
“It seats fourteen spaced out, but Decker says he can get twenty if he squishes.”
“Wow I could use that at Christmas time.” Mom laughs.
Christmas at my parent’s house was always a big deal. It was the one time of the year the whole family stopped everything they were doing and gathered. Aunts, uncles, cousins, even family friends, it was always a grand event. And it wasn’t a small gathering either. My dad was one of eight kids and each of his brothers and sisters had no less than two kids themselves. Now that all us cousins were getting older and having kids of our own, Christmas was even bigger. There were seventy-four people at my parent’s house last year. Mom had to make a thirty pound turkey and fifteen pounds of mashed potatoes.
I suddenly got a feeling that if whatever this was I had going with Decker worked out, Christmas would soon be my responsibility. Oh but could you imagine the tree we could have. Decker’s ceilings are huge bet I could get a twelve foot tree at least.
“You sure could. The game room is there with a pool table and poker table by the window over there. The living room,” I say as we walk through. I notice Tobias staring at Maggie. I turn to her and whisper, “Tobias is staring at you and his beer is almost empty. Why don’t you go grab him another.”
She peaks at him out the corner of her eye and giggles. She turns and heads for the bar to grab another beer for him.
Turning down the small hallway I show mom the office and then Decker’s room. She just pokes her head in from the doorway not wanting to enter a man’s personal space. Then I show her my room. I haven’t spent much time in there the past week, as I usually spent the night with Decker, but Mom didn’t need to know that. I didn’t need a lecture about jumping from one man to another or what it could do to my daughter if she sees my actions.
“Mom, you have to check out the size of the tub in my bathroom.” Opening the door and showing her.
“Crap. I could have given all three of you kids a bath at the same time with that tub.”
“I know, Mom. I’m in love with the thing. I could sleep in there.” I giggled at her.
She turns and looks at me. “Oh, sweetheart, I never realized how unhappy you were these past years. You really did put on a good front. But I see it now. You have a sparkle in your eyes you never had and your smile is bigger. You truly are happy aren’t you? Being here with Decker makes you happy.”
I smiled. No one but Chrissy knew how bad life was for me. I made sure not to show how sad and depressed I was.
“Mom, I’ve been lost for the past seventeen years, you know that. I thought I was happy with Shawn at first, but I never was. I am happy now. Part of it is because of Decker yes. He cares for me and protects me. But it’s more the freedom that he gave back to me that makes me happy. He took me away from some place that wasn’t me and allowed me to just be me agai
n. He doesn’t tell me what to do or what to wear. He gives me freedom to do what I want and never questions what I do. I’m allowed to be me, which I haven’t had for years.”
“Does he know about what happened?” Mom asks with sadness in her voice.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I had a nightmare last night. A really bad one, like when I first started having them after the attack. It actually made me throw up. Decker was with me the whole time. I told him most of the story. I couldn’t get past the part after he stabbed me in the lung. But he knows everything up to that point.”
Mom runs a hand down my hair. “So he knows you were pregnant and probably can’t have more babies and that Josie was a miracle?”
“Yes he knows all that. I had told him the first night here I couldn’t have babies, now he knows why.” A tear runs down my face and I step into her arms.
Mom wipes away the tear with her thumb and holds me tight. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I wish I protected you better back then.”
Shaking my head at her, it wasn’t her fault. She couldn’t have stopped what happened then. I was in a rebellious stage and depressed over loosing Ely. “Mom, it wasn’t your fault. I wasn’t going to listen to a thing you said anyways. It’s too late now so let’s just move on.”
“Yes let’s because you, my darling girl, are shining like the Empire State building over there,” she says as she points out the window. “This is really some view. It’s so breath taking.”
“That was the cheesiest line I have ever heard. Wasn’t that a line from the movie Annie? I love you, Mom.” I kiss her on the cheek and step out of her hug. “Come let’s go join the guys and Maggie.”
Walking back into the room everyone is seated on the large L-shaped couch and talking. Maggie is sitting close to Tobias who has his arm around the back of the couch playing with a strand of her hair. Neither Mom nor I miss it, we elbow and giggle at each other at the exact same time.
~~~
“My darling girl, I haven’t seen you this happy and entertaining in a long time. Please don’t lose that smile,” Mom whispers in my ear as she hugs me good-bye. Turning to Decker she puts on her serious mom face and says “You take care of my little girl. I don’t want to see her hurting any more. I will hold you responsible if one more camera catches her crying.”
“Mom, that wasn’t Decker’s fault,” I chide up.
Decker puts his hand on my shoulder to shush me up. “Your mom is right,” he said as he kisses my temple. Turning to look my mom in the eye he says, “I will give my world to protect Sarah. I never want to see her cry unless they are tears of pure joy. You have my word that she is cared for and protected.”
“Good I’m glad. Now come here and give me a hug and kiss and then you need to get to bed. You have a long flight tomorrow and practice the next day.”
My eyes bugged out of my head. Mom has never known anything about baseball and could probably have cared less about any sport in general.
She busted out laughing and taps my dad on the shoulder. “See, Frank, told you that would freak her out.” They both laughed. Dad told us how he just gave her a two minute crash course on baseball and how Decker was a big deal.
I kissed them both good-night and they rode down the elevator with Roman. Turning Decker put his arm around me. We walked back into the living room to find Tobias and Maggie sitting on the couch whispering to each other. Tobias has his finger curled into her hair and is playing with her curls.
“We’re off to bed. You two behave yourselves. Tobias don’t stay up to late our flight is at ten,” Decker teases as we walk toward our bedroom.
“I think my parents like you,” I say as he unzips the back of my dress.
“Baby, they don’t like me, they love me.” He kisses the small of my back. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Plus your dad being a Yankee fan was the easy one. It’s your mom I really had to win over which I believe I had her the second I handed her the first glass of wine.”
“Decker, touch me.” I didn’t have to ask a second time. Decker walked me to the bed and tossed me on it. Running his hands up my legs as his lips sought out my neck and lips.
Decker’s fingers found the soft wet area between my legs and played spreading my sweet juices everywhere. Putting one, then two and then finally adding a third finger and pushing me harder and faster to a sweet joyful release. Exploding around him Decker slams into me never allowing me to come down. Pounding on and on until we both explode around each other.
Chapter 10
It’s been three weeks since Decker left. We talk multiple times a day. We’ve even had a few conversations that have led to phone sex. Not as good as actually having Decker in my bed but still a very exciting ending. Maggie had even caught us sexting with each other one afternoon.
She turned a shade of red I had never seen when she snuck up behind me and read what we were typing. That will teach her to be snoopy. She gasped so loud and ran away so fast. She couldn’t look at me for hours.
I’ve got a little over two weeks left till he comes home and the season home opener against Boston. I don’t know what I’m more excited about, the seats I get to sit in, being at a home opener or seeing them hopefully cream the shit out of Boston.
There’s been a permanent smile on my face for awhile now, an extra skip in my step and I love going out and doing things. Maggie and I hit the town every day. Sometimes we shop, sometimes we just window shop and walk around. We always spend the day laughing and having a good time.
This is the life I was suppose to live. This is the city where I was supposed to live. These are the friends I was supposed to have. And this is my dream coming true. With the man of my dreams, literally!
Work is going great too. I telecommute most days only needing to go into the office once or twice a week. Sometimes not even at all. I love working for Decker’s foundation. Doing fundraising is so fun, even though at times it can be stressful.
I’m currently working on an art auction. I’m hoping to bring in a couple hundred thousand dollars. Unfortunately today is one of those days where I have to go into the office.
“Maggie, I’m taking the Escape to work today. I’ll probably be late.”
“Ok. Do you need me to get Josie from school?”
“Yeah, I might not even be home to take her to meet Shawn. I need to double check with him to make sure he’s still taking her. I’ll call and let you know for sure. Daniel said he could take her over, if you want to go with him I’m sure Josie would love that.”
“Yeah, I’ll probably go with Daniel. Shawn seems to be an ass to him when he’s alone. I know Daniel says it doesn’t bother him but it bothers me.”
Shawn is an ass to everyone but Maggie. I think he’s afraid of Maggie personally. She never backs down from him and gives his shit right back to him and I think that scares him. Shawn had never had anyone who didn’t do what he said. Especially a female who didn’t do what he said.
“Good. I got to drop some clothes off at the dry cleaners. Then I’m off to the office. I’ll call you this afternoon with the plans.”
“See ya later, Sarah.”
I was out the door and headed down to the car. I could just take a cab or the subway over to the office, but I found driving myself one of the few things I could do without Daniel having to tag along, especially if I was only going to the office.
~~~
“Ah, broken heart is healing, no?” Her sweet little broken English voice squeaked out as the bell above the door rang as I walked in.
“Hi Lee. Yes my broken heart is healing.” Maybe it was the smile on my face that gave it away. Or maybe she had seen all the articles about Decker and me. But I think it was whatever intuition she had that told her things.
“Big man’s, big heart. No?”
“Yes the big man’s big heart. I couldn’t be happier.”
“I see I see. Soon wedding and babies.”
No way. Decker and I have only been officia
lly together for five weeks. Three of those five weeks we weren’t even with each other. Plus I know Decker. He’s stated it many times, no marriage and babies until after he retires.
It makes me sad to think that I would have to wait five years if I were to marry Decker. I mean I waited all those years for Shawn and it never happened, what if it never happened with Decker. Could I live with what we just had? Would I be happy enough just to share my life with him? And what about babies? I’d be thirty-eight at that point, isn’t that pushing it on the age have having a healthy pregnancy? If I could even get pregnant.
“Oh I don’t know, Lee. That’s a big step. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”
“You see. Wedding and babies. Now go to work. Three days these be ready,” she says as gives me my ticket
“Thank you, Lee,” I said with a smile and then head out the door.
~~~
It’s mid-afternoon somewhere around two o’clock and I haven’t stopped since I walked in the door at nine. I have my next meeting with my team in about an hour. I’m actually about to chuck my computer out the window as it doesn’t seem to want to cooperate with me today.
Just as one of the IT guys walks in the door, the damn thing beeps at me and I scream at it. He doesn’t even say anything to me, just ushers me out of my seat and sits down and starts typing away. I stand behind him pacing back and forth looking out my window.
After about five minutes the young man stands up and says, “All done, you just needed an update. I’ll make sure to send someone up once a week to check your computer since you’re not always here.” Before I can even thank him he has shuffled his way out of my office and disappeared down the hallway.
“Sarah, you have to stop to eat. If you don’t you’re going pass out in the meeting later,” Stacy my assistant scolds me from the doorway of my office just as I sit down to work again.
“I know, I know. Can you call over to Paul & Jimmy’s and order me their…Caesar salad and slice of cheesecake? Oh and a Sprite.” I sigh back at her.
