by Nikki Ash
I laugh even harder, shaking my head at how clueless she is. “Why don’t you bring it by my mechanic this week? I will let him know you are coming by. He can do a tune-up, oil change, and make sure everything is running ok.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Ok, but I’m paying for it myself.”
“Whatever you say.” I will be calling him ahead of time to make sure he charges the services she gets done to my card.
When we get inside, Tristan is in the living room with school materials spread out all around him. Pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, markers, it looks like my living room shit out the Target back-to-school section.
“Damn, kid. You got enough stuff there? I hope you plan to get straight A’s with all those school supplies.”
He just laughs while filling his backpack.
“I guess I went a little overboard,” Ashley says sounding nervous. “I’ve never been able to buy him everything he needed. I promise I am going to pay you back the money you gave to Giovanni. I have already figured out a budget and payment plan. Now that I bought him his school supplies, I am going to focus on saving for a place for us and the money to pay you back.”
“Hey, stop. I don’t give a shit about what you bought him or about you paying me back. Did you get everything he needs?”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” she says quickly.
“Mom, you said you would buy me clothes and shoes once you get paid. Don’t forget!”
“So, you didn’t get him everything he needs?”
“He has his clothes from last year. They will be fine until I get paid.”
I remember when I was in school and every kid would show up to school on the first day sporting new threads. There’s no way I am letting Tristan go to school in last year’s clothes when I can help.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where?” Ashley asks.
“To the mall. We need to get Tristan clothes and shoes. Let’s go.”
“Kaden, I will handle it. He’s fine.”
“I know he’s fine but I want to do this. So please stop arguing and get your ass in the car, please. Tristan! Let’s go, Bud.”
The mall is fucking crazy! Everybody is doing last minute school shopping. Moms are yelling at their kids to try on clothes, kids are arguing they hate collared shirts. A dad is arguing with his daughter that the skirt is too short, while the daughter pouts. A little boy no older than Tristan is begging for two hundred dollar shoes because they are made by his favorite basketball player. It’s great!
After we pick up all the clothing necessities and Tristan picks out the shoes he wants (and no, they aren’t the two-hundred-dollar basketball shoes), we head to the food court to eat dinner where we run into Hayley and Liz.
“Oh, my god, is Kaden shopping at the mall willingly?” Liz and Hayley both laugh at Liz’s dumb joke.
“Don’t hate because I am here while your husbands are where exactly?” I look around dramatically.
“Very funny, but they actually are here. Thank you very much. They are getting our food with Bella and Marco. I made Caleb come to hold all the bags. I am freaking exhausted. I can’t believe I still have like two months to go.” Hayley rubs her round stomach.
“Bella showed him the new dress she wanted out of the Victoria Secret catalogue I left on the counter and he nearly blew a gasket, insisting he join us to ensure she doesn’t buy the dress.” Liz rolls her eyes. I laugh at the image of Bella showing him a piece of lingerie and him almost having a heart attack.
“Why did you get dragged here?” Hayley asks.
“He didn’t,” Ashley huffs. “He made us come here.”
I smile wide knowing I got my way. The looks on Tristan’s face when he got to pick out all the clothes he wanted was worth it. Ashley and Tristan are mine to take care of and once we get time to ourselves to talk, Ashley will understand it’s no longer her against the world. It’s now her and me against the world.
“Tristan, let’s go get food. Ash, pull a table over and we will join them for lunch.” I give her a quick kiss on her lips and walk away with Tristan before she can argue.
Ashley
“For a guy who is only marrying you for pretend, he seems really into you,” Liz says when Kaden and Tristan walk away. When Kaden kissed me –while it was just a quick peck–it left me stunned. I told him I no longer wanted to marry him, so I don’t know why he is still acting like we are a fake couple. We will need to have a talk about boundaries. He keeps acting like this and I am going to have my heart even more broken than it already will be.
“Are you guys going to Alex’s fight this weekend?” I ask, ignoring Liz’s comment.
“Of course,” Hayley says. “I have been dying to go to New York! Caleb, Marco, and I are going to make a weekend out of it.”
“We are going as well. Bella will miss school Monday but it’s fine. Cooper is going up Tuesday with Alex and Kaden, and the kids and I will meet him there on Saturday. We are flying out early Saturday morning.” Liz pulls out some baby food, and after placing a bib on Nathan, she starts feeding him.
“Are you going?” Hayley asks.
“Going where?” Caleb chimes in setting their food down along with Cooper and Kaden. The kids grab their happy meals from Chick-fil-A and take them to a table next to us starting their own kids’ table.
“New York.” I answer Caleb, then turn to Kaden who is taking a bite of his grilled chicken sandwich. “I didn’t know you were leaving to New York on Tuesday.”
Kaden finishes chewing. “Yeah, we leave early as hell Tuesday morning. You and Tristan should join me! You guys can fly over with the other women for the weekend. Saturday will be crazy busy, but we can spend the day together Sunday and Monday before we all fly back.”
“I’m not sure I can take off work. Caleb already let me off for the week to visit your family. It would be rude to ask for time off, again. Plus, I need the money,” I whisper to Kaden hoping nobody else hears.
“You can have off.” Caleb winks at me and Kaden laughs.
“And we are taking the private plane so it won’t cost you a dime,” Liz chimes in.
“Are you working tonight?” Kaden asks.
“Yeah.”
“We need to talk.”
“Ok, but it’s going to have to wait. I actually need to get going soon so I’m not late to work.”
Kaden gives me a glare but doesn’t say a word.
“Mom, when is the Newbreed tournament?” Bella asks Liz.
“Next month, sweetie.”
“Can Tristan go?”
“That’s up to his mommy, Bella.”
The Newbreed tournament is a fighting tournament for amateur fighters and focuses on the fighter’s techniques they have learned in class such as Brazilian Jujitsu. The classes Kaden and Bentley teach are mostly BJJ and grappling. Bella goes to most of the tournaments in the area and some in other states but Tristan and Marco have never been. They are expensive to enter and if they aren’t local, you have to pay for travel and the hotel.
“Marco and I are both going. Can Tristan go too? We are going to go to Orlando and visit Mickey in Disney.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun but…”
“That does sound like fun,” Kaden cuts me off. “Tristan, would you want to go? Do you feel confident enough to enter the tournament?”
Tristan’s face lights up and I want to punch Kaden in his face.
“Yes! I know I am ready. Can I go, mom?”
“We will talk about it at home. I really need to get to work. Say goodbye to your friends.”
I get up quickly, throwing my food away, then say bye to everyone. I start walking quickly to the car, ignoring Kaden calling my name. Once I am at the car, I have no choice but to wait outside the passenger door for him. I obviously didn’t think this through.
“What’s your deal?” Kaden asks when he catches up to me.
“Can we talk about this later?” I glance Tristan’s way hoping Kaden will get my hint o
f not wanting to discuss this in front of Tristan. I am embarrassed enough that Kaden brought it up in front of our friends. He must know I can’t afford to just fly to Orlando, and there’s no way I am taking more money from him. I owe him enough as it is.
We never get a chance to talk, though. I rush off to work, getting home late. When I get up in the morning, Kaden is already gone to the gym. Tristan and I head to visit his new teacher and new school at open house. Then we go to lunch with Hayley. I hate spending unnecessary money but Hayley pretty much threatened our friendship if I didn’t join her.
“Hey girly!” Hayley adorably waddles into the restaurant. “Did you meet your teacher, Tristan?”
“Yeah, I did. Her name is Mrs. Luongo and she is nice.”
“I can’t believe Marco is starting middle school this year! I had to drop him off for his open house. They spend the day showing the sixth graders around so they aren’t lost and confused tomorrow.”
We order an appetizer and our meals.
“Soo… Caleb said he is hoping you will take over managing soon.”
“I hope so, too.”
“Why are you…” she leaves out dancing since Tristan is sitting at the table with us. He is coloring a picture on the kid’s menu but you never know what he’s listening to. “…if he offered to let you train without…”
“I am not letting him just give me the job. I will lose the respect of all the other employees there. I need their respect to run the club. I am learning a lot and I plan to switch to management before the baby comes.”
Hayley rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue. “Ok.”
“So, have you thought of any names for the little girl in your belly?”
“Yes, but Caleb, Marco, and I aren’t in agreement. I should get the final say. I am the one incubating this little princess for nine months, after all. Do you think you will ever have another baby?”
“I hope so, but the next time I have a baby I would like to be in a relationship that is more stable. I would rather not have to do it on my own, next time. But right now, I need to focus on finding a place to live.”
“Did Kaden kick you out?” Hayley’s eyes turn sinister and I know she is going into best friend mode. We have become extremely close over the last year or so.
I want to tell her about Kaden and what I now know about him, but it’s not my place to say anything.
“No! No, he would never do that. But I have told him I can’t marry him for pretend anymore. I want to marry a guy for the first time that I love. A guy that loves me back, and not just as a best friend.”
“Well I know you love Kaden… as more than a best friend.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t feel the same way. He doesn’t want to get married for real, and while I respect his choices, I can’t be the one to do it.”
“Have you told him this?”
“Yep! And he said we need to talk but haven’t had time. We have both been crazy busy since we got home.”
My cell phone dings.
Kaden: We had to leave for New York today instead of tomorrow. The photoshoot needed a couple more shots before the fight. Can Brittany babysit tonight? Or you just quit?
“Oh shoot. Kaden let me know they had to leave earlier than planned. He was supposed to babysit tonight. I forgot to tell him Brittany left for college. He’s been home with Tristan lately so I forgot to mention it.”
Ignoring his comment about me quitting, I type back.
Me: I will handle it. Have a safe flight!
“Well, why don’t you just have him spend the night with me?”
“Ok, thanks. Damn, it’s his first day of school. I wanted him to get a full night of sleep at home.”
“It will be fine.”
After lunch, Hayley takes Tristan with her, so I can head to work. The night isn’t too busy, and I am able to close the club down on time right at two with the help of Savannah. After I started working at Assets, Savannah applied for a job and was hired as well. I love getting to work with her, again. Thursday through Saturday the upstairs is open, but Sunday through Wednesday only the first floor with the restaurant are open.
“So, how’s the training going?” She asks as the bouncer on duty escorts us to our vehicles.
“It’s going good. I just always thought my career would be geared towards children, not managing a club. You know, with your business degree and experience I bet he would train you as well. He is going to need someone else, once he’s back to fighting fulltime.”
“That would be awesome. I would love to learn more about the club business. I am getting my master’s in business management. I would love to manage a club. I am hoping to open a club one day myself.”
“I’ll talk to him and see what he says.”
“Thanks, Ashley. Have a good night.”
After I get home from work, I am shocked to find Hayley and Caleb both sleeping in the guest bed and Marco and Tristan asleep in Tristan’s bed. I am so thankful to have the friends that I have.
Chapter Twelve
Kaden
I never got a chance to speak with Ashley before I had to leave for New York, but I am going to speak to her once she and Tristan arrive Saturday. I just need to make arrangements for Tristan so we can speak alone.
Me: How would you like to do me a favor?
Hayley: What kind of favor?
Me: Watch Tristan for Ashley and me Saturday night. I need to talk to her alone.
Hayley: Does it involve you breaking her heart?
Me: I am hoping the opposite.
Hayley: Don’t fuck it up or I’ll beat your ass!
Damn! When did Hayley get so violent?
Hayley: That wasn’t me! That was Caleb! But I agree with him!
Every day I have been gone, Ashley and I have texted but it’s been very formal.
How are you?
What are you up to?
How was Tristan’s first day at school?
Now it’s Saturday and I am excited to finally see her and Tristan! I can’t believe how much I’ve missed them.
I wanted to be there at the airport to pick them up but I need to focus on Alex and his fight. Caleb flew in with all the girls so he is driving them to the hotel to get situated before they meet us here at Madison Square Garden for the fight. I insisted Ashley and Tristan stay with me in my room so she can’t say anything about spending money on a hotel room.
The night is long but fucking amazing. Alex is the main event and kicks ass. He wins with a knockout in the third round and the crowd goes crazy for him. I am damn proud of the kid. We all decide to meet up at the local club to have a drink to celebrate. Hayley didn’t want to go to the club in her pregnant state so she and Caleb brought Tristan and Marco back to the hotel with them. I’m planning to have one celebratory drink then taking off with Ashley so we can finally talk.
Since the arena was crazy, and Ashley was sitting with Cooper, we agreed to meet up at the club. Somehow, I got here first, right after Alex and his wife. We order a round of double shots of Johnny Walker Black, toasting to his win. Because of the fight being on pay-per-view, Alex is VIP and we have an entire area to ourselves.
I feel small hands come around my waist but when I look down they are fake and painted red. Ashley’s nails are real and she paints hers, herself. Grabbing ahold of the women’s hand, I remove them from my body and turn around to move her away as well. When I turn, she quickly moves her body up against mine attempting to grind up against me.
“Hey there handsome, want to buy me a drink?” She reaches past me to grab one of the shots, and downs it.
“Umm, no, I don’t. So, take that shot as a parting gift and walk your ass away now.” Unfortunately, she isn’t taking no for an answer and tries again by running her hand down my chest. This time, I take her hands in mine and holding them tight, push them off my body forcing her body away from mine. She pouts but gets the message.
I grab another shot and sit down on one of th
e booths to look for Ashley. Through the crowd, I spot a glaring Liz but don’t see Ashley or Cooper. She walks toward me, her eyes shooting daggers.
“Where’s Ashley and Cooper?”
“I’m pretty sure she went back to the hotel room.”
“What? We said we were meeting here.”
“She saw that Skanky woman all over you and took off. Cooper chased her outside.”
“Fuck! I need to go find her.”
I run out of the club to see if I can find Cooper and Ashley, hoping she hasn’t left yet. I spot Cooper walking back with no Ashley in sight.
“She took off. I made sure she got safely into a cab.”
“Damn it! All right, I’m going to go find her.”
A cab pulls up and I jump in. “Four Seasons.”
“Sure thing.”
After swiping my card to pay and adding a tip, I head through the lobby to the elevator to the room Ashley and I are sharing, praying she is in the room. She’s never travelled anywhere and New York is not the place to go exploring on your own.
“Ash? You here?” I call out when I enter the room. I find her sitting on the couch crying.
“Go away.”
“I’m not going anywhere until we talk about us.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“There’s plenty to say.”
“What? Like you are a manwhore, who would rather be with random women than with one who actually cares about you.” She sniffles refusing to make eye contact with me. The manwhore comment rubs me the wrong way.
“Seriously? I’m a manwhore? That’s rich coming from a stripper.” I regret the words the minute they leave my mouth.
“Wow, Kaden… real nice. I’m stripping to make a living. You’re whoring around by choice.”
“I’m sorry. But I’m not whoring around, Ash. The only woman I want is you.” I raise my voice getting pissed off. This is not how I wanted this conversation to go.
“Yeah, for fake.”
“No, for real! I want you for real, Ash!”
“What about all the women?” she spits back.
