First Class Hero (First Class Novels)

by Harmon, AJ

  19.

  Maureen greeted Nic with a bear hug as soon as she saw her enter with Paul. “I’m thrilled you’re here!” she gushed.

  Nic offered her some flowers she had bought on her way to the Lathem home.

  “You shouldn’t have,” smiled Maureen, “but I’m glad you did. I just love dahlias. Thank you!”

  “You’re welcome and thank you for inviting me,” Nic replied.

  “Come in and make yourself at home. Paul, start the introductions and I’ll get Nicole some lemonade.”

  Paul guided Nic through to where all the noise was coming from. They were downstairs in the Lathem house where everyone had congregated. It was chaos. Nic met Matt and Janie first. They were Ella’s parents. Their son, Christopher, was upstairs sleeping. Mark and Katy were next and Nic was immediately intimidated by Katy. She was gorgeous, but absolutely delightful to talk to. She was introduced to Andrew and Rory and Isabelle, and then David and Ben. She’d already met Tim and he gave her a kiss on the cheek as he walked through with a glass of lemonade for their guest.

  “Mom says I am to give you this and make sure you are comfortable,” he grinned.

  “Thank you,” Nic smiled. “I’m fine.”

  As she and Paul sat on the sofa, after pushing Ben onto the floor, Ella ran to Nic and climbed onto her lap.

  “This is your new friend, Ella?” Janie asked.

  Ella nodded and played with Nic’s hair.

  “She has told us all about you,” Matt chuckled. “And she has read your book to me a hundred times in the last week.”

  “She’s read it to you?” Nic was surprised.

  “Oh yeah, and the story is different every time,” he laughed.

  After a couple of hours with the Lathem’s, Nic was in love with them all. She sat on the bar stool and watched the interaction of the brothers and wondered how different her childhood would have been if she’d had a brother or a sister. Like her father, she’d been an only child. She wondered if her dad had been a lonely child. After meeting his parents, her grandparents, she doubted it. They would have been wonderful parents.

  Then Maureen came out of the kitchen holding a huge cake with candles alit all over the top. The family began singing Happy Birthday to Nic.

  They all clapped and cheered at the end of the song and Nic was utterly speechless.

  “I know today isn’t your birthday, but you didn’t tell me when it was and then to hear yesterday that I’d only missed it by a few days, I was gutted. So happy belated birthday!” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  “Blow out the candles,” Maureen said as she lowered the cake.

  Nic blew and blew again. And then she laughed. “Thank you! This is a surprise. A lovely surprise. Thank you so much!”

  Maureen hurried back into the kitchen and Katy followed. Then Katy began delivering plates of the delicious chocolate cake to everyone. Nic couldn’t believe Paul had been so thoughtful. Her heart melted a little more.

  Birthdays had never been any kind of special event for Nic. Her mother had sometimes gotten her a present, most of the time though she got handed a five-dollar bill. In her teens it was usually a ten. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d had a birthday cake with candles. Yet here she sat with Paul and his family who didn’t know her at all and they sang to her and wished her a happy birthday. This may have been the best birthday she’d ever had.

  Tim was the first to leave. His shift at Fire House Ladder 5 started in thirty minutes so he said goodbye and left.

  “It’s always much quieter after Tim leaves,” Andrew joked.

  “That’s because he’s the baby and always had to scream to be heard over the rest of you lot,” Peter chuckled. “He’s always had a good set of lungs on him.”

  One by one the brothers and their families left, leaving Paul to suggest he take Nic home. They said their goodbyes and began walking ‘til Paul could hail a cab.

  “Your family is everything I longed for as a child,” she admitted with a longing in her voice she didn’t try to hide.

  “I was very fortunate to have a very happy childhood.”

  “I used to wonder at night if I could try to be just a little bit better then maybe my mom would love me and I would get a brother or sister. But no matter how good I was it didn’t happen.”

  Paul put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “It must have sucked.”

  “Yeah, it did. But I guess in some ways it helped because I was always trying to be so good that I never got into any trouble. My classmates were partying and having sex and I was doing homework or practicing my flute. I made it through high school with no arrests or pregnancies, and straight A’s.”

  Paul managed to flag down a cab and they slid into the back seat. As the taxi began moving, Paul pulled a small velvet box from his pocket.

  “Happy Birthday,” he grinned.

  Nic was speechless. She stared at the pale pink box Paul offered her and slowly took it from his hand. She caressed the velvet and tried to blink back the tears. She carefully lifted the lid and saw the beautiful pendant inside. It was a gold star on a gold chain.

  “Oh, Paul!” she whispered. “It’s lovely.”

  “I saw it and knew it belonged around your neck,” he said.

  “A gold star for the teacher?”

  Paul nodded. “But also because when you smile, there are little gold flecks in your eyes that sparkle just like the stars.”

  “Oh Paul,” she smiled.

  “Yep,” he grinned, “Just like that!”

  “Thank you. Thank you.”

  The taxi pulled up in front of Nic’s building and Paul paid the driver and they headed inside. As they stood in the elevator, Paul laced his fingers with hers. They walked to her apartment door and he let her hand go so she could pull her keys from her pocket. He took them from her and unlocked the door and followed her in.

  “Do you want a bottle of water?” Nic asked.

  “Sure. I’ll open some windows.”

  Nic stood in the kitchen, her heart beating wildly in her chest. The past few days had been an overload of emotion and now Paul was here and her mind had finally caught up to her heart. She loved him. She was in love with him. It had been sneaking up on her over the past several weeks and now she was in-your-face, can’t deny, trumpets blaring in love with him.

  Her face felt flushed so she ran the faucet in the sink and patted her cheeks with the cool water.

  “You okay?”

  The voice behind her made her jump. “Yeah, fine,” she mumbled and turned around.

  He was right there – right in front of her – so close their bodies were almost touching. Paul ran his finger gently down her cheek. Then he leaned in and kissed her.

  Nic grabbed onto the counter behind her to keep her balance. The kiss was sweet and soft and wet and inviting. He pulled away and her lips clung to his. She felt him smile.

  “Nic,” he whispered. And he kissed her again.

  Her hands left the counter and snaked around his neck, her body now pressing against his. His hands moved from her hips to her back and he kneaded her flesh. A moan escaped her mouth and she instantly withdrew, embarrassment filling her to the core. She dropped her hands and dropped her head.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  Nic shook her head, unable to look at him. Paul pushed her chin up with his finger and searched her eyes.

  “I don’t have a girl in every port. I’m not interested in a fling. I’m not a creep.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  “I want one girl. I want to get married and have a family. I want you.”

  Nic gulped, her heart in her throat. She blinked back tears as he smiled at her.

  “I love you Nic. I’ve loved you for a long time. And I know that you’ve been on an emotional roller coaster and that maybe you aren’t ready for me yet. But I’m gonna wait ‘til you are. I’m not going anywhere.” He lowered his head and kissed her again. And then h
e turned and quietly left.

  *****

  The rest of Nic’s week flew by. She wondered if it was just because it was a four-day work week but didn’t really care. On Saturday, Paul was taking her back to see the Wilkins. This time he picked her up in a brand new Lincoln – the sticker was still on the window.

  “Has your family never heard of Chevrolet or Toyota?” she joked.

  “Eh, we don’t deal with the mediocrity of the world. We go for first class all the way,” he joked. “I’m test driving it.”

  “All the way to West Haven?” Nic choked.

  “Why not? I’ll have it back by closing time,” he grinned.

  Nic slid inside and Paul closed her door. “It’s very nice,” she said as he climbed in beside her.

  The drive to the Wilkins’ home went by quickly as they talked about her week at school and the antics of Jeremiah, a boy in her class that was destined to be a comedian in his adulthood. Paul told Nic all about the offer he’d received from a distinguished and respected non-profit organization that worked with wounded veterans.

  “Basically, they want me to attend fundraisers and events to not only raise money but to bring awareness to the tremendous need for rehabilitation services for our veterans. And my service record and experience in theater gives me the credibility they’re looking for.”

  “Is that what you want to do?”

  “If you’d asked me a year ago I would’ve said no, but now? You know I was incredibly fortunate that my injuries were treatable and non-debilitating. So many aren’t. And the pay is nice and I’d be in New York, except for a few trips a year to D.C. and maybe L.A.. I really don’t see a downside.”

  They pulled up into the Wilkins’ driveway and the front door flew open and Larry and Irene stepped outside.

  “Looks like they are happy to see you,” Paul smiled. He reached for the door handle and Nic grabbed his thigh.

  “Paul? I love you too.” And then she opened the door and walked to greet her grandparents.

  *****

  Nic clung to Paul as they stood with Larry and Irene in the middle of Colonel Raymond F. Gates Memorial Cemetery. In front of them stood a small white cross marking the burial place of her father. She placed a small posy of daisies at its base.

  “We try to come here a few times a year,” Irene said, a sadness in her voice. “But we think about him every day.”

  Nic touched her grandmothers’ arm and smiled. “I know. Thank you for bringing me here.”

  They had spent an hour or so at the house before they had driven to the cemetery. They had brought separate cars so that Paul and Nic could head back to the city. As they waved goodbye, Nic settled back into the plush leather seats of the Lincoln and sighed.

  “Was that a good sigh or a bad sigh?” Paul asked.

  “A good sigh,” she smiled.

  “I’m glad,” Paul said as he pulled onto the main road that would take them back to the I-95 and back to Manhattan.

  “I have grandparents!” she giggled.

  Paul grinned. He was delighted in her new-found family, one she desperately needed. “And you have me.”

  Nic turned her head and gazed at his profile. “And I have you.”

  “So what do you think of the car?”

  “It’s nice,” Nic chuckled. “But you told me I wouldn’t need a car in Manhattan, so why do you do need one?”

  “Well I said you wouldn’t need one because I would have one,” he winked.

  “Didn’t you have a car in San Diego?”

  “Yeah, but I sold it before I deployed this summer. I didn’t want the hassle of driving it home. Plus, it was a GMC so I had to sell it in order to keep up with the family standards,” he laughed.

  “Well, it is nice,” she said as she stroked the leather seats.

  Paul pulled in front of Nic’s building. “I’m gonna go deal with the car and then can I come back?”

  “Of course you can,” Nic smiled. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Okay,” grinned Paul. “I’ll be back…soon!”

  Nic ran into her building as Paul drove away. As she entered her apartment she decided to take the opportunity to call her mother. She hadn’t told Heather anything about the Wilkins or what Paul had found out about her father. She sat on the couch and pushed the buttons on her cell phone. Heather answered immediately.

  “Hey mom.”

  “Well, I wondered if you were ever going to call! New York must keep you very busy.”

  “Actually I am busy. But I’m calling because I have something to tell you.”

  “Oh really? Are you pregnant?”

  Nic choked. “NO!”

  “Huh,” replied Heather. “Then what is so important?”

  “Well,” Nic began, “I asked a friend of mine who’s in the Navy to try and find my father.”

  “What? Why would you…what were you…Nicole! That was none of your business!”

  “He’s my father! If you want to leave it all in the past that’s fine, but he is my father. I have a right to know who he was.”

  “Fine, do what you want. But make sure you leave me out of it. I don’t want to see him.”

  “He’s dead.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone.

  “Mom?”

  Heather didn’t respond.

  “Mom the reason he disappeared was because he died. He didn’t run out on you, he was in an accident and…”

  “I don’t care. I don’t want to hear any of this.”

  “But mom, I’ve met his parents, my grandparents, and…”

  “Nicole, STOP! I told you I don’t want to hear it. I want nothing to do with any of it. I washed my hands of all this thirty years ago and I am not going to rehash it now. I’ve moved on and I’m done.”

  “You really don’t care? At all?”

  “No. So if you want to go have family dinners and all that crap with your new family, go right ahead.”

  “Mom, please…”

  “I have to go. I have a date this evening. Goodbye Nicole.”

  *****

  “Does your apartment come with a parking space?” Paul asked as he walked into her apartment a couple of hours later.

  “I think so. I didn’t pay any notice because I don’t have a car,” Nic smirked.

  Paul chuckled. “Well we’ll need to find out. I’m gonna need a place to park when I’m here. Street parking is a bitch.”

  “You bought it?” Nic squealed.

  Paul nodded. “You said you liked it.”

  “You’re nuts!”

  “Wanna go grab some dinner? I’m hungry.”

  Nic shook her head. “Do you mind if we stay in? I don’t feel like going anywhere.”

  “Sure,” Paul said, noticing Nic’s expression. “What’s wrong?”

  “I called my mom…to tell her about my dad and everything.”

  “And?”

  “She was not happy. She doesn’t want to hear about it. Any of it! She said she wants it all left in the past.”

  “She’s had to deal with it in her own way. But what you do is up to you.”

  “I know. I want to get to know my grandparents. I want them to know me.”

  “That’s what they want too,” Paul said as he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. “I want to know you too,” he whispered into her lips as he kissed her softly.

  “Um,” Nic said. “I thought you wanted to eat.”

  “We can do that later.”

  “Oh,” Nic whispered.

  Paul kissed her. He kissed her like she was his oxygen. She was lost. The reaction her body had was new…the feelings foreign to her…but at the same time she felt the rightness of it…of him.

  His tongue entered her mouth and he felt her moan into him. She tasted so good and he wanted more of her. He wanted all of her. His hands caressed her shoulders and he pushed aside the cotton fabric to feel her skin. He broke the kiss and moved his lips to the fle
sh of her shoulder. Nic tilted her head allowing him all the access he wanted.

  After a moment, it wasn’t enough, and Paul pulled her shirt up her body and gently over her head. He stepped back and looked at her.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, his eyes full of desire. He reached behind his shoulder and grabbed his shirt and pulled it off and discarded it on the floor.

  Nic raised her hands and stroked his chest, lingering on the small scars just visible above the waist of his jeans.

  “It doesn’t hurt,” he murmured into her hair.

  Nic tilted her head to look up at him and he kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around him and ran her fingers along his back, exploring each bone and muscle with her fingers. Paul mirrored her and ran his fingers up the indentation of her spine ‘til they hit her bra. He flicked open the hooks and pushed the straps from her shoulders. Then he pulled his body back from hers and the lace fell from her body to the floor. He drew her back to him and gasped as they connected skin to skin, never breaking their passionate kiss.

  “Paul,” she breathed into his mouth. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  “Now?” he chuckled.

  Nic grudgingly pulled away and broke the kiss. “This is…you are…my first.”

  Paul’s eyes opened wide. “I’m your first?”

  She nodded and lowered her head.

  “We don’t have to do anything…”

  “I want to,” she smiled. “I want you to be my first…my only.”

  Paul smiled. “I would be honored to be your first. And I will most definitely be your only.”

  20.

  Nic led Paul by the hand through to her bedroom. Surprisingly to her, she didn’t feel at all self-conscious about being naked from the waste up and Paul seeing her that way. He let go of her hand and walked into the bathroom and returned with a towel. He laid it on the end of the bed and took Nic in his arms and kissed her thoroughly.

  Breathless, she stepped away and undid his belt buckle and pulled the leather through his jeans. He sat on the bed and untied the laces of his shoes and pulled each one off his feet. Then he looked up at Nic and gripped her waist. She closed the gap between them and he took the nipple directly in front of him into his mouth. He gently sucked until he saw her close her eyes. Then he rolled his tongue over it until he felt her quiver. He reluctantly released her breast from his lips and straightway sucked the other distended nipple, waiting patiently for its turn. Again he rolled his tongue over the taught flesh and as she moaned he gently tugged on her with his teeth. Paul watched her reaction and the sight of her mouth dropping open encouraged him further.