by Jesse Jordan
Ian hums, nodding. “Cool. Hey, Joey, I'm not trying to cause drama so... at the reception, you mind if I ask your mom and your sister for a dance?”
Joey laughs and drinks more of his fruit juice, nodding. “Go ahead. Maria's too good for your ass though.”
Ian nods in agreement, drinking the rest of his own drink before setting his glass down. I drink half my drink, watching as the room gets set up. “Joey, it might be good if you guys went and talked to the band. They look scared stiff, what with the famous rock stars and music people all around.”
“They do, don't they?” Joey says, laughing. “Hey, Ian, did we ever look that scared before a gig?”
“You mean like you did a month and a half ago? And the night before that, and the night before that?” Ian jokes, the two of them heading off. I watch them, Joey giving me a knee-weakening glance of desire, heading off across the ballroom while I sip my juice. James comes up, grabbing a juice himself, grinning.
“Whaddya say, Andrea?”
I grin clinking glasses with James. “I say it was a great ceremony, James. And I already talked with the professional photog, I'm getting copies of all the pics for the website as well as the stuff Maria took for me. But for the rest of the night, I'm just being myself, not a reporter.”
“That's good, even reporters should take a few hours off,” James says with a happy sigh. “It's gonna suck leaving early though.”
“What do you mean, leaving early?” I ask, somewhat surprised. “Rocky told us that we've got the hotel rooms for the next two days.”
“Yeah, you guys do,” James says with a smile and shrug, “but to do that, I'm going to make sure everything's set up back in L.A. Even Ian's flying back with me, I'm checking him into UCLA Medical Center for the septum surgery tomorrow at eight a.m. Cali time. Rocky and Cora get back from their honeymoon here, and it'll be time to get into swing for the next leg of the tour. You're coming with us, right?”
“That's the plan,” I admit. “I don't know how that'll work for my blog, but the band's website will look awesome. And it'll give me and Joey plenty of time without worrying about Maria or Teresa or Angel walking in on us. They got their license now too, they're going to be opening up just after January first.”
“They'll kick ass,” James says with a smile. “Larry and George T are making sure of it. George is working his network, just to let you know. It’s a secret, though. Let Teresa and Maria be surprised, but they'll have ten kids come January fifteenth.”
I whistle in appreciation, touched. “Thanks, James.”
“Don't thank me. You're going to be too busy for thanks soon. I checked with the lawyers yesterday on that.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, giving him a glance. “I'm planning on spending three months being nothing more than a reporter and girlfriend.”
“And as your father's gotten in trouble, his powers in the Coates Media Group have been suspended. And rule number thirty-nine A of the board rules states that in the event of a board member being arrested on 'egregious charges,' that board member's powers are suspended, and their voting rights transferred to their legal spouse or next of kin. It might be a while, but...”
“Holy shit,” I whisper, downing the rest of my fruit juice. “So... what's that mean?”
James shakes his head. “I don't know, you'll have to talk to a lawyer to be sure. I don't know what all your father might have done paperwork-wise after you two had your falling out. My advice is give them a call when you get back and enjoy your vacation.”
The reception gets started, and everything is great, just like a fantasy. Ian whips up a best man speech that leaves everyone in tears laughing while Joey's moves everyone to tears of happiness as he calls Rocky and Cora his true brother and sister. After the cake-cutting, the dancing starts, the band playing well as Rocky and Cora do their first dance as a couple.
When Joey asks me to dance, I'm happy to take his hand, going out to the dance floor with him as he pulls me close, again the perfect, strong gentleman that I've come to love with all my heart. His hand holds mine just right as he rests a hand on my hip, right where it's supposed to be. “Joey Rivera, don't tell me that you know how to actually dance?”
“Of course. Who do you think danced with Maria for her quinceañera?” he asks with a little smile. “It wasn't much, but Mama insisted, and I was honored to be her first dance. I haven't forgotten all of it. So, you're leading, right?”
I laugh as the music starts, and he leads me off in a perfect waltz, his steps calm and sure, his eyes fixed on mine. This might be Cora and Rocky's wedding, but I feel like a princess right now, and the man holding me is my prince. I feel like there's nobody else on the dance floor as the music continues, my pulse racing far faster than the effort of dancing requires, but because of Joey.
When the music stops, I'm breathless and starry-eyed as Maria comes over, tapping me on the shoulder. “Hermana, may I have this dance with my brother?”
“Of course, hermanita. Joey, thank you,” I respond, bowing slightly to Maria as she whirls off with her brother. I'm nearly moved to tears of laughter when I see out of the corner of my eye Bella and Angel trying to copy them, both of them not doing a very good job of it but still looking cute nonetheless. I sit down at our table near the front while I watch Joey and Maria until Rocky asks me for a dance, and the night continues.
Afterward, Joey and I go up to our room, my heart and body still soaring from the night's events. “What did you think?”
“I told the band they did a great job, I think the keyboard player nearly fainted,” Joey says, laughing lightly. “It was magical, the whole day. What did you think?”
“I think I'd like to make a little more magic if you're feeling up to it,” I purr, reaching down and pinching his butt. It’s hard to pinch, his butt's rock hard with muscle. “What do you say?”
Joey responds by sweeping me off my feet, carrying me towards our room, setting me down only to open the door before picking me back up and laying me on the bed. I laugh, stroking his face, kissing him tenderly. “I guess that's a yes.”
“Yes, my love. I very much want to make love with you tonight.”
I smile, sliding my hand under Joey's jacket to start easing it off his shoulders, taking our time. I kiss him again, loving the taste of his lips on mine. “Joey?”
“Yes, Andrea?”
“I was wondering... what would you say if I stopped taking my birth control pills?”
Joey stops, sitting up a little to look me in the eyes. “Do you want to?”
I nod, shifting over to let him lie down next to me. “I'm not saying we have to have a baby right away, but if we're blessed with one... you're already a tremendous father.”
Joey smiles, brushing a few hairs out of my face and shaking his head. “Guera loca.”
“The craziest. For you.”
Epilogue
Joey
“So where do you want it?” Rocky asks, the box in his hands. “I mean, where do you put a Cloisonné vase anyway?”
I shrug, looking around. “Kitchen table? That's Andrea's, not mine.”
“No shit?” Rocky says sarcastically, heading to the kitchen area. I've got a box of clothes in my hands, and I head towards the master bedroom, setting it down before looking around. Cora's working with Mama setting up the bed, which I think Mama is happy to have out of the garage so that she and Maria can expand their business into that area.
“How're you ladies doing?” I ask.
Cora looks up, grinning over her swelling stomach. A little under two months to go, and she's glowing still. “Doing well, jefe. Thanks for this idea, I didn't want to just sit on my butt all day today.”
“Oh, you're not doing anything Cora, you still get to call in the pizza order,” I joke, Cora, sticking out her tongue. “Mama, are you okay?”
Mama nods, smiling. “That's the third time you've asked me, Joey. I told you, I'm fine. I'm glad that you and Andrea are getting your own house,
and the neighborhood is perfect. You're still close enough that I know you'll be there if we need you or if you want to come by. Relax, we're fine.”
I nod, setting my box down next to the dresser that Ian and I moved in earlier, and kneel, giving Mama a hug. “Gimme some time to adjust, Mama. Fourteen years is a long time, you know.”
“I know. And don't worry, I'll call you at least two or three times a week on the days you don't come over just to talk. I know mi hijo.”
We keep up the moving, taking things one by one off the twenty-six-foot-long U-Haul that I rented to help the move. It wasn't so much my things from the house a few miles away that's created most of the work, but instead the pieces from what used to be Andrea's place in Santa Monica. It's ours now, the judge not granting Darren Coates bail after investigators found evidence of his travels overseas to 'order out' as he called it in e-mails. Coates Media and the shareholders have granted Andrea full rights to all of Darren's controlling interests, naming her as a temporary board member. She's turned it over to the active board, having deemed herself a silent majority shareholder, which seems to have calmed the board for now. They've got a tough time ahead, but they're riding it out well enough.
What it does mean for us is that Andrea's found herself in control of all her father's personal property, and a one million dollar a year stipend from the share trust that is all legally hers. Between that and my quarterly payout from my contract, we paid off Mama's house and still could get this one set up.
We’ve got all the stuff from the garage apartment, my things, and some items from the Coates mansion that Andrea wanted before she had the house closed until Darren's case is finished. Maybe she'll sell it, I think she will. Maria isn't sure if it was the site of her assault, but we still don't want to be reminded of Darren in any way.
I find Andrea in the truck, helping Ian with more boxes, clothes that are actually mine this time. “Hey, you two, I didn't think we'd get through this so quickly.”
“Thank Rocky,” Andrea says, grabbing a box and standing up. “He thought of using the moving cart to take five boxes at a time. I think he's getting hungry.”
“Well, I'll tell Cora to place the order then, if we have to just dump a bunch of stuff in the garage until we can move it slowly into the house. We'll just focus on getting the big furniture into the house. By the way, have either of you seen the kids and Maria?”
“Maria went shopping for sides,” Ian says, grunting as he picks up a heavier box and starts moving it to the ramp on the truck. “I think Angel and Bella are in the backyard playing.”
I nod, grabbing a box and hefting it up before going down the ramp behind Ian and Andrea, who set their boxes in the garage before going back to the truck. I glance out the back door of the garage, seeing Angel and Bella playing. Suddenly, Bella picks up the frisbee they're trying to throw back and forth and gives Angel a kiss on the cheek before running off, Angel laughing and chasing after her. I laugh to myself and go back to the truck, stopping Andrea when she comes into the garage with another box, this one marked living room. “We're going to have to have a talk with Angel and Bella.”
“Oh no, what'd they do now?” Andrea asks, chuckling. “Did Angel push her again?”
“No, Bella kissed him. On the cheek.”
Andrea laughs and kisses me on the cheek. “I'll go tell Cora. I think her daughter's got a great idea, kissing handsome men.”
I pull Andrea in tight and kiss her tenderly until Ian yells from the truck. “Hey! Nookie later! Move sofa now!”
After we finish, all of us gather in the living room, where the four extra-large pizzas rest on the coffee table, mostly devoured after our traditional post-effort feast. Rocky burps then raises his bottle of Coke for a toast. “To a new house. And the end of a great tour.”
“Here, here,” Ian replies, raising his own bottle. I know both guys would have preferred our normal beers, but with two kids present and Cora being pregnant, it didn't seem right to have alcohol. “And to Rocky Junior.”
“I'm not naming the baby Rocky Junior,” Cora laughs, raising her bottle. “And to Joey, your album comes out in a few weeks. It's not a hiatus, it's a chance for me to have a baby. So, mazel tov.”
We raise our bottles again, drinking deeply before I lower my bottle and set it aside. “Hold on guys, save a little bit for what I've got to say. Just a second, I forgot something in the other room.”
I get up off the floor and dart to the kitchen, where I'd hid my little surprise for tonight inside the freezer. Unfortunately, someone's been nice and plugged it in, so the box is freezing cold when I pull it out, but that's okay, I'm sure it won't matter.
I see the twinkle in Cora and Maria's eyes as they see me come back in, I think they're guessing what I have to say, and I notice Cora slip her hand down to get her phone out of her bag, probably getting her camera ready. I have two sisters, one by blood and one by music, and they know me so well.
“So, what's on your mind?” Rocky asks, taking a drink as I come around. “Spill it.”
Rocky's grin freezes and his bottle stops halfway back when I get in front of Andrea and kneel, taking her hand. “Andrea... I have something I want to ask you.”
“What's Joey doing with Andrea?” Angel asks, Maria shushing him when I look over, trying not to laugh. “What?”
“Just watch, hijo. You'll see. Go ahead, big brother.”
I nod, turning back to Andrea who's already trying to control her tears of happiness. “Andrea... we have a new house, a family that loves us... but most importantly, I love you. For the whole tour we lived like this, but I'd like to make it official. Andrea Coates... would you do this man the honor of becoming my wife?”
Andrea nods, bending down and kissing me before a cheer goes up, only to have it cut off a moment later as Ian hushes everyone. “Hold on, hold on, she didn't say yes!”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Andrea laughs, sitting down.
“So... where's the ring?” Ian asks, grinning. I look down and realize I didn't open the freezing cold box in my left hand, and I bring it up, my face warm from blushing. I open the box, and even Ian must whistle in admiration at the ring, a platinum double banded ring with a princess cut diamond gleaming in the middle. “Okay, that works.”
I take Andrea's left hand in mine, carefully removing the ring and holding it for a moment before sliding it onto her finger, where it sits perfectly. “I love you, Andrea.”
Andrea leans forward again and gives me a kiss, stroking my face. “I love you, my Joey. Forever.”
Mama raises her bottle, her voice choked with tears of joy. “To Joey and Andrea. Mi hijo y mi hija. Congratulations.”
The cheer goes up, and I pull Andrea into a hug, holding her tight. Forever. Together forever.
It must be fate again, it's the same name as what we decided for that last track I laid in the studio, the one Ian called a 'baby-making song.' I'll talk it over with Andrea later when we've got some alone time.
Ian & Mary
Chapter 1
Mary
Rain.
I hate the rain.
In fact, one of the only reasons I didn't move out of Southern California when I tried to get my life together after jail is that there's very little rain in California.
Well, that and the best variety of take-out in the country. Seriously, where else are you going to find Mexican next to Thai next to Persian next to... well, whatever? Even food trucks are delicious in California. And I can't cook for shit.
But today it's raining, and sitting in the passenger seat of my best friend Brenda's car, the wipers thump back and forth in their moronic monotone, I shiver despite it not being all that cold. It's just that the rain reminds me of the bad times. There was too much rain around then.
“Fuckin' A, you'd think these motherfuckers had never seen wet streets before!” Brenda, who never, ever lacks for words, yells at the traffic in front of us. “Fucking Honda driving bitches!”
Brenda's Chinese-Amer
ican, and is very proud of that fact. Her phone's made in China, her clothes are made in China, about the only thing of hers not made in China is her car, but in a nod to the cultural beef between Japan and China, she refuses to drive a Japanese car. Instead, she drives a beat-up Ford, but since I don't have a car, I can't bitch about the sprung seat.
Unfortunately for Brenda, when she gets stressed or nervous, she starts yelling. A lot. And she curses like a sailor. “Hey, hey,” I comment, trying to get her calmed down, “don't worry, we won't miss the meeting.”
Brenda looks over, her cheek twitching, she's really feeling the monkey hard tonight. “Fuck that. You know if we don't get to the meeting in time, Keith's going to take all the caramel crunch donuts, and you know my rule.”
“Yeah, yeah, you replaced smack with Honey Smacks,” I say with a laugh. “Listen, chill. If we need to, we can pull over into a 7-11, get you some Reese's. Besides, we're like only a mile away.”
Brenda huffs then nods. “Fine, fuck it. But I'm feenin' for caramel crunch donuts. Why's Carl must get the fucking donuts from all the way over in Beverly Hills anyway? We're in fucking Woodland Hills.”
“They are great donuts,” I admit, shaking my head. “And I guess he's gotta spend his budget somehow. The church sure as fuck ain't charging him rent for these meetings. There it is, see the sign? We made it.”
Brenda doesn't say anything, just turns into the parking lot at the Unitarian Universalist Church and finds a parking spot. She nearly runs across the parking lot, leaving her door open. I close it and double check that she didn't leave her keys inside before I lock the doors. This is the sort of neighborhood where you leave your car unlocked only if you want to collect the insurance on it.
The side door of the church annex is propped open, the signboard showing the assignment of rooms. Thursday night is a pretty popular night for support groups, with a lot of the addiction based folks needing a boost in confidence or help before facing the weekend. Let's see, 101- Alcoholics Anonymous.... 103- Apnea Support, I bet those guys snore loud enough to wake the dead, 104- Sex Compulsive Support for some of the people who need help there... and me, 107- Narcotics Anonymous.
