by A. E. Murphy
I really need to sleep now, this is ridiculous.
Morning comes, I’m so bored. With no Amelia I have nothing to focus on. I have no work to do for the next three days. The movies and Xbox games I purchased yesterday aren’t calling to me. Christ my life is dull. What can I do?
As if by magic my cell rings, I answer without looking at the screen… yet again. “Sup?”
“It’s Marie,” okay, it’s not like her to be up this early. “Can you do me a favor?”
Who you gonna call? “Depends on what it is.”
“Come pick me up,” Call Lucas!
“Where’s your car?”
“I kind of maybe… got into a little accident last night. Involving a certain somebodies Wife and a crowbar.” Fuck. “Yeah, my thoughts exactly.” I must have said that out loud. “I’m at the cop Precinct.”
“Why are you at the Precinct? Please don’t tell me you got arrested!”
“No, but I did use pepper spray on the bitch and break her nose. That last part was by accident though.” Oh Jesus. “Yeah, my thought’s exactly.”
“Now I know I didn’t say that out loud.”
“No but your silence definitely spoke volumes. So, can you come pick me up?”
I exit my apartment fully clothed, with all of my crap shoved into my pockets. “Already in the elevator babe. I’ll be there soon.”
“Thanks Lucas.”
“No problem. Why didn’t you call Maya?”
“She’ll go mad at me. I swear I didn’t know he was married! He never had a ring, no photos in his apartment, nothing!” Yeah, Marie may be a bit of a whore but she never messes with another girl’s man. Or so she’s said. “I’ve got to go. See you soon.”
The line disconnects, I place my cell in the cup holder attached to the console, before running my fingers through my hair and then I rub my jaw. I need a shave, my shadow is turning into a beard. Okay, focus Lucas. Focus.
Go get Marie, find out what the hell happened, grab some breakfast and take her to pick up a loan car or to ‘borrow’ another from Maya. Call Sylvia and ask her how Amelia was last night. Then go home and twiddle my thumbs until school finishes or until my family decide to give my daughter back to me. Which at this rate will be… never.
Traffic is pretty bad, it takes me almost half an hour to get to Marie, and she’s waiting outside the Precinct with a sad smile on her face when I do finally make it. I lean over the passenger seat and open the door for her. “Start from the beginning.”
“So, I was… sort of maybe seeing this guy,” she clears her throat. “You don’t know him. I met him in Starbucks a few weeks ago. We got talking, he had no wedding band, I always check!” She blurts the last part angrily as I pull back out onto the street. “Traffic’s bad.” Nice observation, Sherlock Marie.
“Continue.”
“So, I went on a few dates, had a bit of a fumble. After the cake party yesterday I dropped Amelia’s uniform at Sylvia’s and went straight to Nate’s,” Nate is short for Nathan I’m guessing, doesn’t ring a bell. “And I stayed the night. I woke up at about six thirty, my car alarm was going off. I woke Nate up, we both went outside to check it out. His Wife was stood, in the middle of the fucking street waving a crowbar around.” She shudders a little. “She takes one look at me and charges so I sprayed her in the eyes with pepper spray and Nate went mad at me! I apologized to her and said I didn’t know. She started swinging blindly and ended up hitting somebody else’s car. She was fucking crazy. Luckily by this point the cops arrived, someone had called them before we even got outside. I had to press charges and make a statement. I told them to tell her I genuinely didn’t know but I doubt she’ll be interested.” Wow. “So… yeah.”
I don’t say anything, I don’t know what to say. So I laugh, I don’t just laugh I howl. Then she starts laughing, I have to pull over, my gut hurts. We both heave with laughter until tears are streaming down our faces. After a few hiccups we stop and stare at each other, my green eyes to her twinkling grays. I roll my eyes and tug playfully on a lock of her caramel colored hair. “Come on. Let’s go and get some breakfast.”
“Sounds good.”
We head to Marie’s regular breakfast café, all of the staff know her and know her order without her saying anything. I opt for coffee, and eggs on toast. I used to be a carpenter so obviously I worked out on the job, now I just sit on my ass all day with little exercise. I don’t want to start eating too much junk, I might lose my abs. Now I’m starting to sound like a girl but it’s a legitimate concern…
“So,” I say around a mouthful of toast. “Shall we go steal one of Maya’s cars or get a hire car?”
“Insurance company is bringing me a loan car until this one is fixed or scrapped.” She sips her coffee. “Mm, I never get tired of this place.”
“Anything planned for the week?”
“Work, I’ve got a lot of shoots this week,” Marie is a freelance photographer, much like Crystal was, except she was hired by ‘Family Portraits’ one of the best places for a photographer to work in the city. Marie is a struggling artist so to speak. “But nothing for next week.” Shit, she doesn’t exactly get paid a lot for her shoots from what Maya has told me. So for her to miss an entire week of work… ouch. “What about you?”
“I’m going to start taking business classes,” I stuff the last of my eggs into my mouth. “Carpentry won’t even cover a third of my new bills.”
She gives me a slanted smile, “So, at the moment you’re just Maya and James’ errand boy?”
“Pretty much!” It’s true, I get paid to do the work they don’t want to do.
“It’s better than nothing.”
It certainly is. “I still can’t believe your car has been smashed in by your ‘boyfriends’ psycho Wife.”
“It’s not just me he’s been cheating with though, he has that apartment for the sole purpose of fucking other people.”
“The guy is sick in the head.”
She nods in agreement, we fall into a comfortable silence. I lift my drink to take a sip. “So how long have you been in love with Maya?” And I just sprayed the aisle with coffee.
“W… what?” I stammer as I wipe my mouth.
She gives me a grin and cocks her head like a dog.
“I’m not in love with Maya.” Really, I’m not.
“HA!” she slams her hand on the table, nobody seems to be bothered by it. Or they’re just used to her. How the fuck did the conversation turn this way? “Don’t play dumb. She told me you tried to kiss her.”
“Over a year ago.” Before I met James, before the DNA results. So this is a completely irrelevant point.
“She told me about Thanksgiving,” shit. The night James and I got drunk, we both climbed into bed with Maya as there were no other beds free at his mom’s house. In my defense it was James’ idea! I swear I didn’t intentionally maul her!
Well, that’s being a little dramatic, I wrapped myself around her, pressed my throbbing length into her ass and put my hand on her tit, this all happened whilst I was asleep and drunk. It was not intentional. Hell, it felt nice though.
James is still a bit wary of me around Maya since that little incident but he hasn’t said much. Maya hasn’t mentioned it either, I wonder if she still has the picture she took of me and James mid argument. That shouldn’t give me male satisfaction but it does!
“She also mentioned how one particular night, you left her to babysit…” Marie continues and my heart stops. Oh no… she knows. “She thinks she dreamt it but the look on your face says the opposite.”
“Fuck,” I hiss and grip my hair with both hands. I came back from that night with Dana. The one where she escaped from her cell. I left Maya to babysit Amelia and two of her school friends, Tegan and Bailey. James left Dana’s early, Amelia must have woken up because when I got back, James was asleep on top of Amelia’s bed next to Amelia, a story book open across his chest.
I needed a blanket so I could sleep on the sof
a, they were in my bedroom in the closet. When I entered I saw Maya, I was smitten with her. You have to understand she saved my life, if it wasn’t for her… I dread to think.
Then suddenly, there she is, sprawled out in my bed, the blanket around her waist. I only meant to give her a kiss on the forehead but my other head led me further. My heart hammered in my chest as I stepped over to her, I sat on the side of the bed. A lock of hair had fallen across her closed eyes. With a tender touch I stroked the hair from her face and pressed my lips to her forehead.
She grumbled James’ name, I shot up into a sitting position and watched for any signs of her waking.
Everything about that night is so wrong.
The way her scent made me feel, the way her chest rising and falling with each breath made my heart race, the way her lips slightly parted with a sigh made my stupid fucking cock throb. Then her arms shot out and wrapped around my neck.
“Go to sleep James,” she mumbled in her unconscious state, my head unfortunately pressed against her chest. Her amazing, definitely more than a handful, firm breasts were against my cheek. ‘One minute,’ I kept thinking. ‘Just one minute’. I lifted the blanket and slowly slipped in beside her. She instantly curled around me, I thought for sure she’d wake… she didn’t.
Everything in that moment felt perfect, I remember suddenly hating James for still having her, hating him for hurting her and treating her the way he did. Worst of all, in that moment, I hated her for forgiving him and I wanted her to want me. I was a fool for thinking I was in love with her. It was just a sort of hero worship or… fuck if I know what was going on in my head.
I lay there for the longest time, my arms wrapped around her, my hand stroking up and down her arm. Then… stupidly… I fell asleep.
“It was just a ridiculous feeling. She’s nothing like that to me anymore.” The look on Marie’s face shows she does not believe me one bit. “I’m serious.”
“Uh-huh.” She winks at me. “Don’t worry Lucas. Your secret is safe with me.”
“You are really pissing me off,” my arms go over my chest.
“I know a more productive way to work out those frustrations,” she walks her fingers up my arm and taps me on the nose. With narrowed eyes I push her hand away, “Next time, I’m leaving you at the Precinct.”
“Whatever,” she waves me off. “You go do your manly shit. I’ve got to go home.”
“I’ll give you a ride,” I stand and stretch my entire body.
“Why thank you Lucas. How kind of you. I knew you’d never leave me stranded.” She flutters her eyelashes and smiles sweetly. Maya Style.
With a sigh I take her arm and lead her to my car. The entire way back to hers she plasters on her makeup, how the fuck she can put on mascara in a moving car I’ve got no idea. I even swerve a few times, on purpose obviously, yet her hand remains steady! That’s pretty damn impressive.
CHAPTER THREE
Thursday’s Suck
I call Sylvia quickly, “Yes she was good as gold, yes she got to school okay and yes. You can have her back tonight.”
I chuckle, am I that predictable? “Sorry.”
“Hey Lucas?” This is going to be one of those moments isn’t it?
Who you gonna call?
“Yes?”
“Can you pick up my dry cleaning for me at one? I’d do it myself but Summer and Maya are coming round to talk dresses.” To talk dresses?
Why can’t one of them do it on the way to yours? “Sure. Text me the place.”
“Thanks Lucas. You are a diamond. I’d send Maya but the last time I asked her to pick it up, it came back creased… I swear she did it on purpose.” I wouldn’t put it past her. “I’ll pick it up tomorrow when I pick up Amelia for her swimming class at four.”
“Sure thing,” I respond and start driving. “I better go, I’m on the road.”
“Of course, of course. See you later,” she says in a singsong voice and hangs up.
Call Lucas!
When I make it home the cleaner is going crazy with her cleaning, as per usual. She really likes to clean. I use this opportunity to go through some of Amelia’s clothes, I could donate the clothes she’s grown out of, to Carey’s Clothes Store. Maybe even see Loryn again. Not that it would even matter.
I head into her large pink and purple decorated bedroom, it’s organized and tidy and clean. If I didn’t have a cleaner, it would never be like this! Entering her closet I begin rummaging through her things and throwing stuff on the ground behind me. She has a lot of clothes, I blame Sylvia, Maya and Summer. Since we moved in I haven’t bought Amelia even one toy or piece of clothing apart from the gifts I got her for her birthday. Yet her closet is better stocked than my own.
Most of her clothes still fit but she’s just had a growth spurt, I’ve found at least a box full of clothes, shoes and jackets that definitely don’t fit her anymore. She’s going to have the same sickness as Maya at this rate, most of her clothes still have fucking tags on them. There needs to be a limit to the spending or Amelia is going to grow up to be a spoilt brat. It’s not too bad at Sylvia’s as she at least makes her earn her gifts, by loading the dishwasher together or tidying away her toys and making her bed in the morning. Which are the sorts of things she does here, she’s only five so it’s not much as of yet.
All Amelia has to do with James and Maya is pout and hold out her hands and she gets anything and everything she wants. Maya doesn’t know any different because her dad got her everything, absolutely everything she asked for. James once told me she had three cars before she even got her permit! She still hasn’t driven them because she got another to celebrate getting her permit. This is why I told Marie not to worry about taking one of Maya’s cars, I doubt she even knows what’s in her underground garage.
Okay, I have a large box full of Amelia’s things, and a few of my own. Mine don’t have tags on them. I don’t have the same problem as the others in my group of friends and family. Right… should I take them now? Yeah. I’ll go now.
I take the box down to my car and place it on the back seat. I wonder if she’s open. She should be.
I mean the store, I wonder if the store is open. Not Loryn. Why would I want to see Loryn? She hates me and I don’t fucking blame her.
The streets are clear, and for once I actually don’t want them to be, but they are. With a bit of music blasting from the speakers I weave through the city and finally make it to Loryn’s store… I mean Carey’s Clothes store. Doesn’t her mom work here anymore? Something for me to converse with her about. Christ, I’m becoming obsessed.
Gripping the cool metal handle, I slowly pull it down and push the door open, it creaks and then the bell jingles.
“I’ll be with you in just a second,” calls Loryn’s voice from the back of the store. There’s a door behind the counter, I didn’t notice this last time.
Probably because you were too busy staring at her tits.
She comes through and the door shuts behind her whilst she wipes her hands on a hand towel. At first she’s smiling, now she’s scowling. I walk over to the counter. Christ she looks amazing! Jeans like that shouldn’t be legal… and that top… does she not have anything less revealing of her curves? Hell, she’d probably look sexy in a garbage bag!
“What do you want?”
“I brought some,” shit, I left them in the car. “Clothes.” Fuck. She looks down at my empty hands and quirks a brow. “I’ll be right back.”
“How did you forget the one thing you came for in the first place?” because the clothes are just a god damn excuse to see you! Give me a break lady!
I quickly dash out of the store, pull open my car door and grab the box of clothes. Kicking the car door closed behind me, I rush back into the store with the box in my arms.
When I place them on the counter she immediately opens the box and starts rummaging through Amelia’s dresses and such. “Sister in law’s kid?”
I clear my throat and shake my head as h
er eyes widen on the price tag of a pretty red dress, “No. Mine.”
The dress falls back into the box, “You have a daughter?”
“Two,” why did I say that? “So… dinner on Saturday…”
“You married?”
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” I grin at her. Her mouth drops open in shock. I see her lips quirk a fraction.
“Are you married?”
“Not anymore. Seven, Saturday,” I start backing out of the shop before she can ask me anymore questions. “Sound good?”
“Not really.”
“Perfect! That wasn’t a definite no!” I grin mischievously at her. “Saturday at seven.” I remind her one last time before escaping onto the street.
Lucas: Can you have Amelia for me on Saturday night?
Maya: Whatever :)
That’s sorted. I should go collect the dry cleaning soon. First lunch. Fuck I’m hungry, shit, I should have invited her to lunch. I’ll do that. I’ll go buy some lunch and take it back. What will she like? McDonald’s seems so… no, I’ll go to Subway. You can never go wrong with Subway. Am I coming on too strong?
And then my cell rings, I connect it to the speaker in my car, “Talk to me.”
“Buddy, its Patch!” For fuck sake! “Have you seen Dana?”
Sigh, “No.”
“Nobody has… you will call me if you do right?” No, “Yeah sure.”
“Awesome. I’ll let you go.”
