A Little Bit of Trouble

by A. E. Murphy

  “An adorable pain in the ass.” Hey! That’s my line. “Just stop. Stop.”

  “Whatever, I guess I’ll have to get it elsewhere,” Marie sighs dramatically. “There’s this guy down the… hey.” I hear a bang and a grunt and then silence.

  Creeping slowly backwards I head into the dining room just so I’m not lingering like an idiot, only to be greeted by Summer. Well, not so much greeted by her as she’s busy with the side of her face pressed against the door leading to the kitchen.

  She’s too enthralled in whatever Marie and Jacob are doing to notice me so I sneak up quietly, paying careful attention to my feet before slapping her real hard on the ass. So much so that my hands stings, she screams, it hurts my ears. Then a tiny fraction of a second after my hand connects with her ass, she falls forward through the door.

  “SUMMER!” Marie squeals and there’s a thud.

  “LUCAS!” Summer squeals and rubs her no doubt raw ass. “You bitch. What are you playing at?”

  “She was eavesdropping,” I point at Summer and get a look at Marie. Jacob seems to be… is he unconscious. “Shit. Jacob? You alright dude?”

  “Oh my god,” Marie shrieks and kneels beside him. “I think I’ve killed him!”

  Summer darts over, they decide he must have hit his head when Marie threw him away from her. That must have been the bang.

  I decide he’s faking it because his fingers are twitching and his leg is shaking ever so slightly as if trying to stop himself laughing. Tricky little actor.

  I grab a glass, fill it with water, stand by his head and before the girls can stop me or call an ambulance I dump it on his face. He lurches forward and splutters a little. “Would you look at that?” I gasp sarcastically. “He’s alive.”

  With a growl Jacob lunges for me, I laugh and dart out of the way. He sighs and rubs the back of his head, “Do you think you could stop doing that?”

  Marie grins wickedly, “You mean sweeping you off your feet?”

  Jacob groans and rolls his eyes, Summer looks fit to burst with excitement and I’m just minding my own business.

  “Where’s my daughter?” I ask after a moment, panic suddenly overwhelming me.

  Summer points to the back door, “She’s out there with Chris. He’s pushing her on the swing.” I look out of the window and sure enough there is Amelia, sat in the inner hole of the tire, Chris is pushing her back and forth laughing a little, no doubt she’s said something to amuse him. “He says he doesn’t want kids for another couple of years as they’ll interfere with his gaming time and free time. Yet whenever he’s around kids he acts like a kid himself. He spent the first hour after waking making Amelia breakfast and then teaching her how to play on the Xbox.”

  “Hopefully a universal rated game,” I mumble but she ignores me, which most likely means he had her on Black Ops Zombies or something along those lines. With a shake of my head I sit at the breakfast bar and hit my knife and fork on the surface. Jacob joins in.

  Although he takes it too far by slapping Marie on the ass and saying, “Woman. Get my food now.” So she stomps on his instep and when he leans forward in pain she whips him on the back of the neck with a wet dishcloth. Ouch. “Nice kitty.” He jokes clearly not understanding now is the time to be quiet.

  “Jacob,” Summer warns knowing her friend is about to pop. “Stop it.”

  “But she’s so easy,” he covers his face and yelps when the dishrag flies for his face.

  “You… are a god damn cock sucking, ass licking, prick!” Marie bites out. “Let’s not pretend that your statement didn’t have some hidden meaning to it. And let’s be honest… it was you that begged so who’s the easy one?”

  She walks out and slams the door behind her, I frown at Jacob who actually looks as startled as Summer by her outburst, “Whoa… I didn’t mean… shit.” He gets up like any whipped male and follows her out of the room.

  “Woman,” I demand to Summer who quirks her brow at me and her hands go to her hips. I decide to be nice, “I’d love some breakfast please princess. If it’s not too much trouble.”

  She smiles smugly, “That’s what I thought.”

  And then a plate is put before me and all is good in the world.

  ******

  “Daddy, higher, higher,” Amelia squeals as I push her on the tire swing. Because of how long it’s been here I obviously checked its safety. It can hold mine and Chris’ weight together so it should be alright. “Higher!”

  Okay, okay! Bossy. “It won’t go any higher,” I practically shout as I push her full force. “Stop kicking your legs.” She goes up a little higher each time, her little legs flail and then she starts to spin. Ah shit! Then she starts to scream.

  I dart left and right, trying to stop the spinning, swinging tire holding a blurred blonde child. Fuck. Jacob starts laughing and comes over, he reaches for the rope… why didn’t I think of that?

  Bang.

  Unfortunately Amelia’s flailing leg comes out and kicks him straight in the chin on her way down, he falls backwards and lands on his back. Uh-oh.

  “Jacob!” Marie shrieks with Summer, they run over as I finally stop Amelia’s fight with gravity. It’s then I notice the blood trickling down Jacob’s brow to his temple and the fact he actually looks knocked out cold.

  “Ha, talk about Karma!”

  “That’s not funny Lucas, he’s really hurt,” Marie says and shakes him a little. “Baby, wake up. Please wake up.”

  I see that twitch in the leg again. Sneaky little actor.

  I snigger to myself and undo the top button on my jeans, “Here, move back ladies while I pee on him.”

  “WHAT!”

  “LUCAS!”

  My zipper goes down, he definitely hears because he sits up immediately and starts laughing, “You dirty fucker. Can’t you let me have my fun?”

  “You’re a shit actor dude,” I state with a shake of my head.

  “Tell that to my two Oscar Awards,” he chuckles and Marie punches him in the back of the head and shouts, “You bastard! Stop doing that!”

  “Ouch,” he winces and rubs his head. “Dude, am I bleeding?”

  Amelia gasps and crawls onto Jacob’s lap, “I’m sorry Jacob.”

  “That’s okay. It was an accident.”

  “I’ll go get the first aid kit,” Summer disappears into the house.

  Marie punches him on the shoulder, which looks like it hurt. “You scared me.”

  Jacob smiles, it’s mischievous and smug, “That’s because you’re hopelessly in love with me.”

  “And you’re just hopeless,” Marie snorts.

  Jacob smiles softly at her, “You didn’t deny it.”

  She gapes at him, “I’m not in love with you.”

  “If you admit it I’ll fuck you again,” and I’m leaving this conversation.

  Marie grins, a little too broadly, “Really? Then hell yeah baby my heart’s all yours. Now take off those jeans big boy.”

  I grab Amelia and push her towards the house, we pass Summer carrying a first aid kit as we go. She nods towards the now fighting Marie and Jacob and smiles, it’s knowing and it’s damn cute. I wink my agreement. There’s definitely something going on there. It’s just a shame neither of them seem to see it.

  “Jacob says naughty words a lot. Like Aunty Maya,” Amelia shakes her head like an annoyed adult. “They should know better and set an example.”

  This makes me laugh, a lot. “Baby, you are the funniest little thing ever to roam this planet.”

  She grins up at me and skips into the room to grab her Barbie’s I assume. When I follow in I watch Chris hand her an Xbox controller and pull her onto the seat beside him. Amelia’s face turns from giddy to extreme concentration as the game begins. Zombies… I was right. She doesn’t seem to be fazed by it though. Hell, a few months ago I wouldn’t let her watch anything over a Universal rating, I still don’t like her to but I know Maya let her watch Twilight and Harry Potter and a few others I don’
t think are majorly appropriate for a five year old but what can I do?

  My little girl is growing up and it fucking sucks.

  As I watch my daughter shoot zombies my phone beeps. Pulling it out of my pocket I open up the text and smile.

  Loryn: I miss you. Can I come and see you tonight?

  And just like that my bad mood where Loryn is concerned has vanished.

  Lucas: Bring the condoms.

  Loryn: Sometimes I wonder why I’m with you.

  Lucas: It’s for my huge dick and my awesome stamina!

  Loryn: Why can’t you ever be serious?

  Lucas: Don’t eat yellow snow… serious enough for you?

  Loryn: Don’t text me… ever again…

  Lucas: My dick says no to that and he’s missing you.

  Loryn: And what about the body attached to the dick?

  Lucas: Nah, he’s just hungry ;)

  Loryn: I hate you.

  Lucas: I can’t help being sexy… it’s how I am.

  Loryn: What?

  Lucas: What?

  Loryn: See you tonight!

  Lucas: Don’t forget the condoms!

  “Someone looks happy,” when did Summer sit next to me? “She makes you happy.”

  “She drives me fucking crazy.”

  “You love her?”

  “No,” I answer without hesitation.

  She looks at me with pity in her eyes, I hate that, “Because you can’t or because you won’t?”

  I shrug, “A little bit of both.”

  She pats my hand and nods, seeming to understand, “It’s a shame. She’s a really nice girl and she makes you happy.”

  “Yeah,” I agree on all accounts.

  “You just seeing where it goes?”

  No, I already know where it’s going. A whole lot of nowhere. But hell if I want that nowhere to come any time soon. Call me selfish if you will but I can’t let her go yet. Not until… when I feel like it I guess. “Something like that.”

  “Don’t you break her heart Lucas Grant,” Summer chastises me much like a mother would.

  “Unfortunately I think that’s too late to avoid.”

  With a long exhale and a thin lipped smile she stands, brushes her hands on her thighs and walks over to Chris. I watch her wrap her arms around his head from behind and kiss him on top of his head. He smiles up at her, she kisses his lips, her tiny chin touching his nose before ruffling Amelia’s hair and heading back to Marie and Jacob. They’re both still play fighting apparently.

  “Will you two stop? What are you? Children?” is the last thing I hear Summer screech before the door closes behind her.

  Half an hour later, my eyes are going funny from watching Amelia and Chris play their game, “Get the fan, we need the fan.”

  “But I can’t get to it!” Amelia snaps. “Too many bad guys.”

  “Ignore the bad guys, I’ve got your back. Go grab the fan.”

  “Alright, alright,” I watch her character slowly move forward to the corner where some kind of fan head sits on a strange mannequin. “Got it.”

  “Put it in position, quickly, quickly,” Chris’ character starts blasting the zombie’s in the head as Amelia sets things up. Once the strange fan comes to life the door opens and soon enough they’re climbing onto a bus and wooden slats are covering the windows as Zombie’s try to get in. What kind of game is this?

  “Is this game safe for her to play?” I ask Chris with a frown.

  His eyes don’t leave the screen, “Yeah, yeah. It’s hardly graphic to be honest, there is minimal blood and the Zombies aren’t scary. Sure there are age limits for a reason but Amelia is smart enough to know this isn’t real.”

  “Yeah Daddy, I like it,” her eyes don’t leave the screen either.

  “Still, I don’t think she should be playing games like this. It doesn’t seem right.”

  Chris just shrugs, “Too late now. The damage is done.”

  “You’re a prick.”

  He laughs with a glance at me, “Dude, she’ll be fine. I promise. I know my shit. I’ve been playing games since I was her age and I haven’t killed anyone yet.”

  “I love how you’ve added the word yet to the end of that.”

  “There’s a few on my list that I’d risk jail time for.”

  “I hear ya bro.”

  “But he’s killing me!”

  “Move, move! Quick! AH!”

  “I can’t there’s too many of them!”

  “Just wait there!”

  “I can’t go anywhere!” Amelia actually snorts. “I’m dead. Revive me, you need to revive me!”

  “Dude, I’m totally in the middle of something right now!”

  “But I’m gonna die!”

  “I’ll be there in a second,” Chris says, leaning forward in his seat so his elbows rest on his knees.

  “Well done, I’m dead. Happy now?” Amelia drops her controller beside her and crosses her arms over her chest. “Get the chest, get the chest. Quick!”

  “I am getting the damn chest!”

  Marie quirks a brow, clearly as enthralled by this as I am, “Why do I feel like I just stepped into geek central?”

  “Because you did,” Summer sighs. “Welcome to my life.”

  I laugh with Jacob as Amelia and Chris continue their odd conversation.

  Loryn: Where are you? I’m at yours now.

  Lucas: Shit, babe sorry I didn’t realize. I’m coming now.

  “Time to go,” I say to Amelia.

  “But I want to play, ten more minutes,” Amelia grumbles.

  “Come on, I’m finished now, I have work to do,” Chris pinches her cheek. “High five. Awesome play time kid.”

  “Yeah,” Amelia beams at him and hops to her feet. “Thank you for having me Auntie Summer.”

  Summer melts, as she always does when Amelia calls her Auntie, she hugs her tight and walks us to the door after I say my goodbyes. “Drive safe.”

  “Always do,” I mutter to myself and head to my car.

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  Mine!

  When we arrive at my apartment I find Loryn sat on the floor leaning against the door, she looks up when we step out of the elevator and smiles, “Hey you.” Amelia rushes over and hugs her. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I killed Zombies.”

  I sigh and listen to Amelia fill Loryn in on the joys of gaming as we enter my apartment. Loryn frowns a little and quirks a brow at me, “Should she be playing such a violent game?”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “How are you?” she pulls Amelia onto her lap after sitting on the sofa and hands her phone over. “You look tired.” She’s talking to me apparently. And what a polite way to say I look like shit.

  “You look gorgeous,” and she does, in a low cut long tee and light grey skinny jeans. “You didn’t wear that in front of Greg did you?” I may have to commit murder.

  “No, I wore my sweats and a vest,” dear god, that’s ten times worse, Loryn doesn’t realize the fact she’d look hot in a bin liner. “Why?”

  “No reason,” shifting to a comfy position in my seat I clear my throat. “What do you want to do?”

  She leans over and rests her head against my shoulder, I’m not instantly assaulted by the scent of cherries like usual, I’m assaulted by the scent of cheap aftershave. It makes me growl a little like a damn animal.

  “Why do you smell like a guy?”

  “Oh, I took a shower at Greg’s this morning, had to use his shower gel,” I bet he loved that. “We got dirty whilst walking the dogs. He fell over into a muddy puddle.” I laugh loudly at the image in my mind. “You’re mean. He’s my friend.”

  Your friend that wants to fuck you. “My bad babe. Well, go have another shower. With shower gel that smells like me.”

  “Cave man.”

  I grin mischievously at her and pull Amelia onto my lap, she doesn’t seem to notice, clearly because she’s too focused on her game. “Mine.” And then I grab Lo
ryn’s boob. She giggles and pushes my hand away, Amelia who is apparently annoyed at our play grunts a little, hops off my lap and disappears into her room still staring at Loryn’s phone.

  Loryn glances at me nervously, I stand and drag her up with me before walking her to my bedroom, “What are you doing? We can’t whilst Amelia… I mean… this is just so… why are we in the bathroom?”

  I release her, turn on the shower and hold my fingers under the spray until it reaches the desired heat and turn back to Loryn. Stepping forward I say nothing as I pull her top from her body.

  “What are you doing?” she covers herself, I frown and pull her arms away.

  “You’re having a shower.”

  “You’re not serious? Because I used his shower gel?”

  “You smell like him.”

  Her mouth drops open, “Talk about being possessive.” People have been saying that a lot lately.

  “I really don’t want to be thinking of your buddy whilst I’m burying my face between your legs. Have a shower,” I tug her jeans down to her ankles and kiss the soft skin of her naval whilst on my knees. She places her hands in my hair and rubs my scalp lightly with her fingernails. Damn that feels good. I rest my forehead against her hip and wrap my arms tightly around her.

  The air shifts and my body tenses as Loryn gulps. I hear her take a breath clearly ready to say something, “Luc…”

  Shaking my head against her flat stomach I cut her off abruptly, “Don’t.” my voice is quiet, pleading and soft. “Please Loryn. Just… have a shower.”