“No, I'm not pregnant,” she says, still laughing.
When they finish with the six of them, Tom gives his final instructions.
“These are all STAT. If possible, have Cross start with Joshua and Katherine. I will be around, so page me as soon as they are available.”
“Yes, Dr. Harvey. Shouldn't be long, we were twiddling our thumbs down there. It's all caught up.”
Tom nods and pats his back.
The timer sounds signaling the end of the four hours. I look around at everyone.
“Time's up, guys.”
Chapter Ten
Let’s Go On
Everyone looks at one other then slowly rise to their feet. I smile.
“Would you like more time?”
They immediately sit back down.
“Fine,” I say and chuckle. “Just let me call my husband.” I call from my cell and he answers immediately.
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you and my son?”
I groan. “Honey, come on. We don't know that.”
“I do, sweetheart.”
“You don't and you're setting yourself up for disappointment.”
“No, I'm not. I just would like a boy first. So he can protect his sister when she follows.”
I laugh. “Shut up, Tim.”
“Is he giving you a hard time, Pumpkin,” Daddy amusingly asked.
I smile back and shake my head. “No, Daddy. He thinks we're having a boy and I don't want him to be disappointed if it's a girl.”
“Glad you finally told him. Put me on speaker, sweetheart.”
I hit the button. “Okay, you're on and there are a room full people here, Tim.”
He chuckles. “Good afternoon, room full of people!”
“Hi, Tim!” they all say in unison. I laugh hard.
“Caspar, I don't care one way or the other but I feel like it's a boy.”
“It's a part of this family, so it's a boy. That's all they can make,” Daddy grins.
Marcus looks at him. “Ahem!”
“Right, except Marcus and Mariah.”
“So far,” Matthew smirks.
“Right, Daddy. Madison is pregnant, too.”
Daddy turns to Matthew, beaming. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you, Caspar,” Matthew grins.
Madison shakes her head. “Like you did it by yourself.”
“Tim? I'm calling because I'm going to be late. We've decided to stay longer.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Would you like me to meet you? I can get a cab and meet you there. I'll drive you home in your car.”
I smile at his thoughtfulness. “Sure. I'd love for you to meet me here.”
“Great. Have you eaten yet?”
“No, Tim. Not yet. Well, I had some Twizzlers.”
“Sweetheart!”
“I'll eat soon. I promise.”
“Soon is not good enough. What do you feel like?”
I grin, “Four double cheeseburgers from Carl's Jr., with fries, one with cheese fries, four vanilla shakes, one with Oreos in it, and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Oh, and a sour pickle with a peppermint stick.”
Tim pauses then laughs. “Are you serious?”
“I am. There are three other pregnant women here.”
He chuckles. “Okay. I'll never remember all of that and I'm afraid I'll get a hand cramp trying to write it all down. Why don't you call the restaurant and place the order and I'll stop at the store for the Cheetos and pickle before I pick it up? Sound good?”
“Great. And don't forget the peppermint stick!”
He laughs again. “I won't.”
“Good. I'll see you in a little while.”
“Love you, sweetheart.”
“Love you, too.”
I hang up and look around the room. “Does anyone else want anything? Besides the belly quads, that is?”
They all talk at once and I chuckle as I go to my desk to get the number. I finally get the order right and call it in, pulling out my credit card.
“I'll get this, Vicky.”
“My treat, Marcus.”
“Can't let a lady pay, my fathers will kick my ass.”
“Wait... why do you pay? My fathers are shooting daggers at me, too. Gimme the phone,” Tom mutters.
That goes on with all the men and me, for quite a while. After a few minutes of who's going to pay, the tones of a phone off the hook break up the squabble. I look at the receiver and hang it up. I am about to dial the place back when Monica stops me.
“Caspar paid. You were too busy to notice,” she laughs.
“Long as Vicky didn't pay,” Matthew mutters.
“Whatever, Toad,” I say, causing everyone to laugh.
When I finish I look at Joshua. “Still pouting?” I ask him.
“I really wanted that cheeseburger.”
“You'll like the chicken sandwich. I'm having one, too,” Marcus nods. “So are Mother and Dad.”
“Matthew isn't,” Joshua pouts again.
“Yes, he is,” I say. “I didn't order him a cheeseburger.”
“Huh?” Matthew looks at me, lost.
“I told her to order you the chicken, too. You're lucky you're getting the fries. Don't even start your bitchin',” Madison says.
Matthew frowns then Madison mouths something to him and he brightens immediately.
“Sorry, Smooch.”
“Sure you are. You don't want to be cut off.”
I chuckle. “So what would you like to talk about while we wait for Tim?”
“I'd like to know, since his tests came back negative, when Twerp is going to fuck his wife.”
I turn to Katherine who sighs and is about to rise.
“Katherine, please, let me,” Mariah smiles.
“Be my guest.”
Mariah crooks her finger at Matthew. He sighs as he walks over to her then squats when he reaches her.
She surprises everyone by kissing his cheek.
“Good question. I was wondering that myself,” she smiles.
“Well?” Katherine asks staring at Joshua.
“Well what, Mother?”
“Are you going to fuck your wife or not?”
“Mother!”
“Oh, grow up, Joshua. God, you and Marcus are like babies with sex, except when you look at your wives,” Lil bemoans. “Are you going to do her or not, Joshua?”
“There are six doctors sitting here with offices in this building,” Rachel says. “No one will care if you disappear for a while.”
Mariah walks over to the stash drawer and yanks it open. “Marcus' couch is great for sex. Just don't use the desk; I'd get pissed if you did. That's sacred.”
“Wait... you expect us to go now?” Mandy asks, reddening.
Mariah rips open a Snickers. “It's not like we don't know you do it. Seriously, you guys have kids together and have been together longer than all of us.” Mariah looks around the room. “Well, excluding the parents.”
“You guys are all off your rockers,” Mandy snorts.
Marcus looks around the room then pulls out his keys. He takes one off and throws it on the table.
“Office number is printed on the key. Don't use my desk.”
Mandy shakes her head. “I'm not screwing in your office, Marcus.”
Joshua stares at the key.
Tom throws a key on the table, followed by Stephen, Thomas and Nathan. Lil is the last one.
“I have a let-out with fresh sheets. Don't worry about cleaning. The crew changes them when they come in on Sunday evenings.”
Mandy gasps and turns to me. “Vicky? Do you agree with them?”
I exhale and shake my head. “No, I don't think Joshua should fuck you. I think you should fuck him, now.”
“Vicky! You cannot be serious!”
“Why not? It's something the both of you want and you're in a committed, loving relationship. I don't think you can call what happened cheating. Mandy, Joshua made the point of getting himself tested, twice, befo
re attempting to touch you. You have the proof in front of you, and it's been verified by five... FIVE doctors. I can't understand why the two of you are still here with six keys sitting in front of you.”
I smirk at Mandy who glares at me. I see Joshua out of the corner of my eye reach and pick up a key and walk over to the door, which he silently holds open.
“Go,” Madison snarls.
“Now,” Joshua commands. Mandy jumps up and runs out of the room, followed closely by Joshua.
I grin big.
“Good job, Vicky.”
I shake my head. “Wasn't me, Lil. I was just the moderator.”
“Bullshit. Mandy listens to you, values your opinion,” Nathan smiles.
Monica winks. “You're honest and forthcoming. Traits she loves, like we all do. That's why we all get along so well.”
“Okay, I have a question.”
“Go ahead, Twink.”
“Why were we left out of the group? About Joshua's, um... activities?” she asks pointing to Monica, Alissa, Evelyn and herself.
Mariah sighs. “About a month ago, when we were all meeting for lunch, Madison and I went to pick up Mandy. She was in her kitchen, wailing over a 'broken glass'.”
“Wailing over a broken glass? Mandy?” Monica frowns.
“At least that's what she said, but the way she was wailing we knew that wasn't it at all.” Madison sighs. “We made her sit down and had to pull it out of her. She was embarrassed and ashamed.”
“Why?”
“She thought her husband wasn't attracted to her anymore and she was sexually frustrated. She said he hadn't touched her, hadn't so much as looked at her in months. She had confronted him and he told her about that dalliance.”
“Devastated doesn't even cover how she felt,” Mariah murmurs.
“We didn't 'keep' it from you guys, she begged us not to tell. She was deeply ashamed. She wanted to call a lawyer but Mariah snatched her phone away and called Lil instead.”
“And I referred her to Vicky,” Lil confirms.
Mariah sighs. “I'm sorry I lied to you, Marcus.”
Marcus frowns at her. “What did you lie about, baby?”
“Every time we were supposed to do something with Joshua involved, I lied to get out of it. Like when I told you I didn't feel well when we were supposed to go to Mandy's for that business dinner. That was a lie. I was fine. I was just so... angry and disappointed with Joshua! I wanted to wring his neck every time I saw him!”
“Yeah, you weren't too happy to see him today either, Cookie,” Thomas laughs.
She groans.
“How do you feel about it now, Cookie?” I ask.
“I feel horrible. I sometimes forget it happens to men, too. And at twelve! My oldest boys are ten and I couldn't imagine that... I don't know what I would... I hope they would come to me if something... disturbing... happened to them.”
“They won't.”
“What? Why not, Marcus?”
“They're boys and boys rarely go to their mothers about things like that. That's what brothers, uncles and cousins are for, at least that's what they think,” I answer. “I'm sure they have already gone to one of them already. The uncles, I mean.”
We turn to Matthew who whistles and looks off to the far wall. I notice Ethan is looking uncomfortable, too.
“What, Toad?” Marcus glares.
“It's nothing. Look... if it was something serious, I would tell you.”
“What?” Marcus snarls.
“Donnie has a crush on his teacher and he had an erection he couldn't get rid of in her class,” Ethan mumbles.
“What?” Mariah shrieks. “My baby is getting… erections?”
“Alex does, too,” Matthew confirms then looks at his wife. “And so does Hank.”
“Huh? My Henry,” Madison gapes.
Matthew nods. “They're at that age, Smooch. I'm sure it started happening way before they confessed.”
“Oh, I am not ready for this,” Mariah wails.
The parents laugh.
“Now you know how it feels,” Rachel chides.
“Yeah, Marcus,” Katherine chuckles. “Not so funny when the shoe's on your foot, is it, Romeo?”
“Romeo?”
“Oh yeah, Vicky, Marcus used to be quite the stud in his adolescence,” Matthew laughs.
“Shut up,” Marcus orders.
“Is that right?” Mariah grins.
“Hell yeah.”
“Shut up.”
“Just how much of a stud was he?”
“He had every girl in the neighborhood.”
“Shut up, Toad!”
“Every girl?”
“Every last one of them and Mother knew about all of them. Their mothers used to call her and complain about him.”
“Shut! Up! Toad!”
Matthew grins at Mariah. “Did Marcus ever tell you about Tina Ford?”
“No, he didn't,” Mariah giggles. “Tell me!”
“He and Tina –”
“Finish that and you will regret it,” Marcus snarls.
Mariah glares. “Don't finish it and I will take your wife away for at least a month.”
Matthew swallows hard. “Got caught kissing under the bleachers at school. He was ten she was eight.”
“Matthew had a threesome the night before my wedding with strippers,” Marcus shouts out fast.
Madison gasps. “You didn't! After kissing me on the street and begging me for a date?!”
Matthew smirks. “I stayed single, didn't I?”
And it's going to start. I look at Lil who's concentrating on Madison and Matthew.
Mariah jumps up and gets in Marcus' face; her fists tighten on her hips. “You had strippers at that bachelor party, while I was sitting at Mom's big and fat, munching on watermelon?”
“It wasn't me, baby! Remember, I didn't want to leave you, but your mother kicked me out! It was Matthew!”
“Hey! It was Ethan, too!”
“MATTHEW,” Ethan shouts. “Way to throw me under the bus, brother!”
“Did you use Celia? Tell me you did not use Celia!” Alissa snarls.
“What do you mean by 'use'?”
“I will kill you, Ethan! You better not have seen my cousin naked!”
“She didn't dance; she got the others together for a fee. She wasn't even there, I promise!”
“Did you dance with the strippers, Marcus?”
“No, baby! I played poker, or at least tried to.”
“Who of these men were at the party?” Madison asks.
Monica seethes at her husband. “They all were; except Caspar.”
“And Rob, Ira and Mike were there. I believe Bryan was there, too,” Lisa glares at Nathan.
“So besides getting disgustingly drunk, you flitted around with some half-dressed harlot?” Evelyn shrieks at her husband.
“Evie, look... I was just there. I drank, I watched Matthew's show and I played a couple hands of cards. That's it.”
“My show? What show is that, Stretch?” Matthew snarls as he throws my pen at Russell.
“Okay, family. Let's calm down,” I chuckle, shaking my head. “That was how long ago? And they were all there and today they are still with you. Nothing happened... well, nothing happened with everyone except Matthew, who we know got laid but I'm guessing everyone else, save Marcus, Thomas and Stephen had hangovers and Marcus actually behaved himself.”
Silence.
“Were you there, Vicky?” Ethan asks me, chuckling. “That is exactly right.”
I laugh. “No. I think I got a read on all of you. Two of you I don't have a decent read on, but I'm working on it.”
They look around at each other.
“Are you going to tell us?” Nathan asks.
“Now?”
“Now,” they all shout.
“I don't want to delve now. The food will be here soon and we'd have to stop--”
“No-no, Vicky. What do you know about me?” Mariah leans for
ward.
Guess we're doing this. I take deep breath.
“Mariah, I think you're stubborn. Not regular stubborn, more like sword-in-the-stone stubborn. I think you're generous, giving, protective and loyal. You hate attention, but you don't mind showering it on others.”
They gape at me.
Chapter Eleven
I So Know You
“Holy shit... you hit that one on the head,” Lil chuckles. “Do Marcus next, Pumpkin.”
“Marcus.” I tilt my head. “I think you are one of two Mama's boys in the room but despite that, you are the Alpha of the group and not by choice. I think you've always been the go-to and you rise to the challenge. You get what you want, but you probably go about it the wrong way, making you fight ferociously. But once you get it, you never let it go. Did you deny yourself happiness in your early years, Marcus?”
You could hear crickets chirp in the room. I think that's a yes.
“I think Mariah was your biggest challenge, and you fucked up with her a few times before you managed to have a happy life with her and your beautiful children. Women were always a huge challenge... or should I say deficit? You were hurt so much by your father's activities, that frankly, I'm surprised you have children of your own. I would think a person in your position would deny himself a family life, not believing he could make or keep his family happy, especially since you're so much like him. Your father, I mean. I bet you even stepped up with your brothers while your parents were separated.”
“Oh, my God! You are good!” Lisa whispers.
“Too good. I say stop this,” Monica whispers.
“I think she should keep going.”
“All right, Tom, you’re next. You're the Gamma man, the third in line, and that's the way you want it. I think you're the 'sneaky' in the group. Even more than everyone believes Matthew is. You've done some shit you're proud of and some, not so much. You're a pleaser, and because of that, you often forget to take care of yourself, like Joshua. I think that when you met Monica, you snatched her up quick and never regretted it. I think you're your father's biggest fan, now. Like Marcus, you resent your father's past activities, but you followed your mother's lead and are a better man for it.”
I continue when they stay silent.
“I also think the reason these two families are so close is because they are so much alike. Marcus equals Tom. Matthew equals Ethan. Lisa equals Joshua. Evelyn is the mix of you all. She has each and every one of your personalities inside of her.”
Broken: Book One of the M Series Page 12
