by Nikki Ash
“My name is Eric, Chris’s dad.” I think for a moment and know I have met Chris’s mom. I also know she is married to Chris’s dad.
“Nice to meet you. I appreciate you not saying anything about my working here.”
I flick the switch to the iPod dock off. “You ready to head back to your friends?”
“Who said we were done here?”
“You asked for a private show and I gave you one.”
“Did you really think when I said private show I meant you dancing for me? I meant I want to fuck you.”
I let out a soft gasp. “I don’t do that. I’m sorry.”
I walk to the door and open it silently making it clear he needs to leave.
“You sure about that?” The question sounds more like a threat.
“Yes, I am.”
He nods once, stands up, and walks out the door. When he gets to the room where his friends are, he says, “I suggest you rethink your stance on my offer before the end of the night. You might regret it if you don’t.”
I don’t rethink his offer and as their party comes to a close, I can see the silent threat Eric gives me. I have to hope that it’s an empty threat.
It’s two in the morning and I am more than ready to go home. After changing out of Savannah’s borrowed outfit and giving it back to her, I count my money. I have made almost enough to pay Giovanni this month’s payment.
My house is dark when I quietly walk through the door aside from the faint light glowing under the microwave. I see Kaden on the couch, sleeping with the remote still in his hand. The TV is still on and it casts a light on him. He looks beautiful. But what makes him beautiful isn’t just his looks. He is beautiful on the inside and out. Black hair that is just long enough that you can run your fingers through it and mess it up, and his hair always looks like it’s a perfect mess. His eyes are currently closed but when they are open, they are the most amazing shade of bright green. They remind me of my birthstone, emerald. They pop against his lightly tanned skin. His body is ripped; I am talking six pack of abs, ripped. Not overly muscular, but healthy and perfect. And he’s my best friend. He has been there for me this last year, providing me a shoulder to cry on as well as an ear to listen without judgement. He can be a total goof but he can also be downright sweet and serious when he needs to be. Him and Tristan have grown close these last several months, and I am thankful that Kaden can provide a good, male role model for my son.
“Hey there.” I softly touch his cheek causing him to stir awake.
“Hey,” he answers groggily stretching out. His voice is raspy from sleep and I can imagine him saying my name in that same voice… Abort! Abort! No thinking about how my name sounds coming out of Kaden’s mouth!
“I’m home. Thank you for watching Tristan. Was he good?”
Kaden grabs my arm and pulls me into his side giving my temple a quick kiss. “He’s always good. Although, he did kick my ass in the UFC fighter game on his PlayStation. How was work?”
“It was good.” I lean in closer to Kaden enjoying for a second the safety I feel when I’m close to him.
“Are you getting the extra hours you were hoping for?”
“No, I’m not. But a girl called out so I got to take over her tables. I made some extra money. It was a good night.”
“That’s good, Ash.” Kaden stands up, then taking my hands in his, pulls me up to a standing position as well.
“You spending the night?” I ask.
He gives me a look that tells me I am an idiot for even asking. “Of course, I am. Don’t I always?”
“Well, I don’t know what you had planned. Maybe you had to put off plans with one of your black book girls to babysit Tristan for me last minute.”
He just shakes his head laughing, as he guides me down my hallway. We stop at Tristan’s room and I walk in to give him a quick kiss and pull up his blanket. “Love you, little man.”
After changing into my pajamas, we get into bed and within minutes Kaden is back to sleep. I watch him for a little while thanking God for him being in my life. Him and Tristan are without a doubt the bright lights in the pitch-black darkness that I am surrounded by these days. I don’t know what I would do without Kaden in our life, and I don’t ever want to find out.
Chapter Two
Kaden
It’s Sunday afternoon and everybody is over at Bentley and Kayla’s house hanging by the pool. While Bentley and Caleb are manning the grill, everybody else either has a drink in their hand lounging in a chair or are swimming with the kids. I am one of the people swimming with the kids along with Cooper, Alex, and Alex’s new girlfriend, Jessica. All the other women are laying out in the lounge chairs holding babies with fruity drinks within reaching distance. I look over and see Ashley in her skimpy fucking little yellow bikini holding Kayla’s daughter, Chloe, in her lap while she laughs at whatever Hayley is saying.
It’s times like this I think about how different my life would have been. How much I miss Gabby and wish she and our son were both here with me. I look around and guilt overcomes me for the happiness I feel surrounded by my friends. It feels wrong to feel happy while my wife and son aren’t here to feel even an ounce of the happiness I feel.
“Kaden!” Bella shouts, waving her arms in the air to get my attention. I am on one end of the pool while Tristan and Bella are on the opposite end trying to explain some game to me they are insisting I play with them.
“Explain this game to me, again. And please tell me why the heck it’s called Toothpaste.”
Bella and Tristan both laugh. “I don’t know why it’s called Toothpaste. It just is! Focus Uncle Kaden!” Bella glares at me and Tristan shakes his head in amusement at her.
“You name a category like favorite color or favorite food. Once one of us guesses correctly we race from one end of the pool to the other and the first person to touch the wall and yell ‘toothpaste’ wins.”
“Thank you, Tristan, for patiently explaining the game to me once again.”
Bella huffs and rolls her eyes. “Can we play now?”
“Ok, the category is…” I tap my chin thinking, and take an extra long time just to aggravate Bella who acts like she is six going on sixteen. Marco comes from inside the house and sits on the edge of the pool laughing, knowing exactly what I’m doing.
“Can I play?” he asks.
“Sure! You can be on my team.” He jumps into the pool and swims over to join me.
“Oh, my god! Can you please pick a category?” Bella screeches out.
“Bella Cooper!” Cooper yells out in his dad voice pointing the spatula in her direction. “Don’t be rude.”
“I’m not but Uncle Kaden is purposely not picking a category. I need to beat these boys!”
She looks back over at me and glares once again causing me to chuckle.
“Ok, ok! The category is favorite food.”
“Pizza.”
“Chicken nuggets.”
“Grilled cheese.”
“Spaghetti and Meatballs.”
When Tristan says, “Lasagna,” I confirm he is correct and the four of us take off across the pool. When I get to the middle and see Bella about to pass me, I scoop her up into the air causing her to shriek. With both hands, I throw her into the air, her body hitting the water with a splash.
“Throw me, too!” Tristan yells. So, I pick him up and throw him into the deep end as well.
Bella swims to the end of the pool and steps out wiping the hair out of her eyes. “I give up,” she says before running and jumping into the water cannonball style right next to me to get my face soaked.
“Kaden,” Ashley calls to me. “Your phone just went off with a text from your mom asking if you booked your plane tickets yet. Do you want me to respond?”
I grab Bella and chuck her across the pool once again. “Yeah, just tell her I will do it tonight.”
“Ok... Oh, you just got another text. It’s Sabrina. She said she thought she saw you last night at C
lub Eleven.”
Tristan swims over to me lifting his arms up so I throw him again. Then I swim to the edge of the pool and get out. “Just text her back, ‘I’m sorry I must have missed you.”
“Ok.”
I get over to the chairs and look over her shoulder dripping water all over her. I watch the droplet of water run down her chest and get lost in between her tits before taking a look at what my cellphone says.
Me: I’m Sorry. I missed you.
“Ashley! You can’t put a damn period in there! You just changed the entire sentence! And you put a smiley face emoji at the end. Jesus, woman! She is going to think I actually missed her!”
“What?” She looks down at the phone as it dings.
Sabrina: Awe
“See? That’s just great!”
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to…
Suddenly my phone is ringing and before I can stop her, Ashley hits answer to the FaceTime call.
“Hey Kaden, what are you up to?” Sabrina’s annoying voice comes over the speaker.
“Nice, Kaden! You gonna hit that?” Bentley laughs earning him a hit to the chest courtesy of his wife.
“Oh! She’s live! Like on the phone right now.” Ashley’s eyes bug out, not realizing she was answering video call.
“Hey, Sabrina. It’s Ashley, Kaden’s friend. I didn’t mean to answer the call… or is this a video? Sorry! I don’t have one those techy phones.”
“Excuse me, I was trying to reach Kaden. He just texted me.”
“Oh! That was actually me… sorry!” Everyone around us is laughing while Ashley looks confused as shit and Sabrina looks like she wants to reach through the phone and rip Ashley’s head from her body.
“Can you just give the phone to Kaden?” Sabrina spits out.
After drying my hands, I grab the phone and quickly tell Sabrina I’ll call her later before ending the video chat and putting my phone on silent. I throw it onto the table and pick Ashley up, sitting her on my lap to get her all wet.
“Kaden!” She shrieks batting me away. I hold her to me, shaking my hair like a dog getting her soaked.
“Let me up! I am getting all wet!”
“You deserve it! You just made some annoying chick think I want to hook up with her. You’re lucky I don’t throw your ass in the pool.”
She stops fighting me and turns around. “You wouldn’t dare. And mistakenly telling one of your many floozies you missed her is hardly a crime bad enough to be thrown into the water.”
“Oh, it’s definitely enough to throw your ass in the water. And just because you told me I wouldn’t, I’m going to.”
I pick her up bridal style and carry her toward the deep end hanging her over the water. Everybody starts chanting to throw her in.
“Don’t freaking do it, Kaden,” Ashley demands.
But I do it, anyway. Only I jump in with her. We both sink to the bottom of the pool and when we come up to the surface everyone is laughing and cheering.
“I can’t believe you did that!” Ashley laughs wiping the water out of her eyes then splashing water at me. Her hair is all over her face and she looks breathtakingly gorgeous. She is bobbing in the deep end so I swim to her and grab her sides bringing her body to mine to hold her up. She wraps her legs around my waist, so she can use her hands to move her hair out of her face.
“Thank you,” she says softly. “I must look like a drowned cat.”
“You definitely don’t look like a drowned cat. You look beautiful.”
“Burgers are ready!” Cooper announces. I swim us to the shallow end, then reluctantly let her go.
“Just not beautiful enough for you,” she says under her breath.
She walks away and I know exactly what she’s talking about. The night three months ago when we almost hooked up and I put a stop to it. She thinks it’s because she isn’t good enough or pretty enough for me. I know I should correct her and tell her she’s completely wrong, but then I would have to explain why I’m not capable of giving a woman anything more than one night. Ashley is my best friend and I can’t imagine my life without her, but I can’t be with anyone. If she remains my best friend, I never have to let her go. I know it’s selfish of me, but I need her in my life, even if it’s only as a friend.
Ashley
Three months ago…
“Oh, my goodness! I swear every single time I drink those Bahama Breeze’s I get drunk! They are so fruity and delicious and I always forget they are filled with alcohol. It just sneaks up on me.”
I plop down onto my couch and Kaden sits down next to me. He takes my feet into his lap and after throwing my heels onto the floor, begins massaging one foot and then the other.
“Ohh that feels so good. Between working at Double D’s and teaching all day, my feet are taking a beating.”
I close my eyes for a second and when I open them, Kaden is staring at me like he wants to devour me whole. The way he looks at me gives me the confidence to do what I am about to do. Moving my feet out of his hold, I straddle him putting my thighs on either side of him. His hands move to my hips to hold me in place as my hands run through his messy hair.
“Ashley… what are you doing?”
The truth is I’m not sure. I know it’s the alcohol talking and if I wasn’t drunk, I wouldn’t have the courage to make my move. But I also know that if I was sober I would still want this man. He’s my best friend and I love him. I know he doesn’t do commitment and I know I don’t do one-night stands but what I feel for him is so strong maybe it would be worth it to have even one night with Kaden, even if that means I would be left broken in the morning.
“I want you.”
Kaden slowly shakes his head no and I can’t handle the rejection right now. I grab his hands and bring them to my chest.
“Please.”
I let go of his hands and for a second I think he is going to move them from my breasts but he doesn’t. Instead he not only keeps them there but he begins to massage them.
I let out a small moan at his touch and it gets him riled up. He grabs my shirt and throws it over my head. Then he pulls his up and over his head.
His mouth goes to my left breast as he pulls my bra cup down and takes my pebbled nipple in between his lips and sucks. Then he moves to the other one and does the same thing. His touch causes my legs to tense up and tighten around him.
And then my phone rings.
Kaden’s hands go to my ass, pulling me in closer to him. I can feel his erection through his jeans.
And my damn phone rings again!
This time Kaden removes his mouth and hands from my body, setting me down on the couch next to him. He gets up and grabs my phone from my purse.
“It says it’s Giovanni and he’s calling you Bellissima. Who’s that and what the fuck does Bellissima mean?”
Fuck! How do I explain who Giovanni is without telling him I owe a loan shark thirty grand?
“He’s just a friend of mine. Bellissima is just an Italian word.”
Kaden grabs his phone. “Siri, what does Bellissima mean in Italian?”
Oh geez! “Hmm... According to Siri, it means gorgeous. Why the hell is some guy texting you saying you are gorgeous?”
“You’re my friend! You don’t think I’m gorgeous?”
“I didn’t say that…”
“It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, Kaden.”
“Are you trying to change the subject?”
He looks down at the phone when another text message comes through.
“He wants to know if you are coming by tomorrow?”
I snatch the phone out of his hand. “Thanks, I will text him back later.”
“Ashley, are you seeing someone?”
I know it’s a legitimate question but it’s one I can’t explain so I get defensive instead. “No, I’m not. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
He gives me a questioning look
and then walks up to me closing the distance between us. It’s then I notice the small tattoo on his left pec. I’ve seen it before but not close enough to read the words.
Gabrielle y bebe,
mi mundo
While I don’t know what it says since it’s not written in English, I do see the name Gabrielle.
“Who’s Gabrielle?”
Kaden looks down at his chest, but instead of answering my question, walks to the couch to grab his shirt.
“Who’s Gabrielle?” I repeat.
“Who’s Giovanni?” he counters.
“Nobody.”
“Ditto.”
I grab my shirt from the floor and throw it on. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed. Are you staying over or grabbing a cab?”
“It’s after three in the morning. I’ll stay over if that’s ok.”
“You know it is.”
“Look, Ash…”
“You don’t have to say anything. I get it.”
“You’re my best friend. I don’t want to ever lose you. If there’s a guy, I will understand. But I just don’t get why you would be meeting him somewhere and be so adamant about hiding it from me.”
“Do you want to explain who Gabrielle is?”
“No.”
“Then let’s drop this and pretend tonight never happened.”
I walk down the hall to my bedroom without waiting for his response.
“Ash! Your phone is going off,” Kaden says handing me a huge plate of food. My stomach growls in anticipation. The last few months have been rough to say the least moneywise. Tristan is always fed but sometimes if I am short on money, which seems to be more often than not lately, I will skip a meal to ensure he will get fed.
