Hundred to One

by Freya Barker

  "Coffee won't get itself, you know." She feels the need to point out. My smartass.

  "Mmmmm, but you taste better than any caffeine this early in the morning." I mumble against her lips.

  "Guy-ys. No more kissing."

  Both of us turn to Faith, who rolls her eyes right on cue, making us chuckle.

  "Fine." I say, "but you better get used to it."

  "Whatever." Comes out of my sweet little sister's mouth stunning me and sending Arlene into fits of laughter.

  Grabbing her around the waist before she gets up off my lap, I growl. "Wonder where she got that from, Spot?"

  Arlene is still laughing when she pushes off and heads into the kitchen. I look at Faith who sits there with a triumphant little smile on her lips. Great. Two women with attitude.

  The first present we pull out from under the tree is for Faith. She stayed over last night and has been waiting so patiently for this moment. She attacks the paper with fervor and squeals in delight when she sees the Easy Bake Oven we have bought her. She loves hanging in the kitchen with me and always wants to help. After motioning us each over for hugs and kisses, Faith points at a gift for Arlene I was going to give to her when alone, but I guess now is as good a time as any.

  "Wait." I tell her, getting up to sit between my girls on the floor. "Okay, you can give it to her now." I tell Faith, who hands the package over to Arlene beaming ear to ear, knowing full well what it is.

  "You guys keeping secrets from me?" Arlene teases as she slides her fingers between the ends of the wrapping. Faith nods enthusiastically and I am keeping my fingers crossed she will keep it together long enough. Slowly wrapping back the paper, Arlene's eyebrows rise when she sees the box on her lap.

  "Kellogg's Corn Flakes, huh? Just what I always wanted."

  "Noooo, silly. Open it up more." Faith blurts out, having been the one to wrap this thing up.

  Carefully Arlene slips open the taped up ends of the cereal box and pulls out a wad of crumpled up newspapers, 'causing Faith to burst out giggling.

  Digging deeper, Arlene pulls out a rolled up piece of paper. Faith's contribution. When she unrolls the picture with Faith's favorite subject, but this time with a slight variety, I can see the tears forming in her eyes. I have to swallow myself, remember almost bawling like a pussy yesterday when Faith showed me the picture she had drawn of the familiar little girl holding hands with the man beside her. This time she had added a woman with short blond hair holding on to her other hand, and I almost lost it right there.

  "It's beautiful, honey. So beautiful." Arlene smiles at Faith through her tears.

  "There's more!"

  "More?"

  Nerves are twisting in my stomach when I see Arlene's hand disappear into the Kellogg's box once more. Her eyes grow as big as saucers when her hand encounters the little box hidden in a far corner. Her eyes flick to mine, instantly recognizing the moment. So I turn on my knees to face her.

  "Pull the box out, Babe. I've got something to ask you."

  One hand still in the cereal box, the other clamped over her mouth, Arlene shakes her head, making me laugh. Not changed that much after all.

  "My love… are you going to pull out the box?"

  At an agonizingly slow pace, her hand pulls free of the cereal, holding a little velvet flipbox. I take it from her and flip it open so she can see inside.

  "I had every intention of always being your rock. Always protecting you. Even before I loved you. I don't know what drove me here to Cedar Tree and to you, but I'm so grateful I wound up here. You didn't need a rock, though. Didn't need any protection. You were an immovable force to be reckoned with, right from the start. So fierce and strong, you were able to slay your own dragons. Didn't need me for that. And I found more joy in watching you stand up for yourself than I could have, had I slain those dragons for you."

  I take the ring out of the box. A ring made of the prettiest river rock I could find, polished, buffed and fitted into a wide silver ring as unique, robust and strong as the woman whose finger it belongs on.

  Grabbing her hand in mine, I hold out the ring in the other.

  "Will you be my rock? Our rock?" I nod at Faith. "Will you let me hold on to you so you don't wash away? Marry me?"

  The slightest nod of her head and I have the ring on her finger. Then she bursts out laughing. Okay. So not the response I was hoping for.

  I have tears running over my face, out my nose and into my mouth. I'm an absolute disaster, sitting here listening to the man who hardly talks, tell me in the most beautiful way that he wants me. Forever, apparently. How the hell am I supposed to say no to that? So I nod yes, not able to form one coherent word, I figure it's the safest way to go. When he slides the ring on my finger and I take a look at it for the first time and see a plain rock embedded in the most gorgeous silver ring, a bubble of emotion bursts free. In the form of laughter. Oops.

  "Seb, honey." I put my hands on his face and lean in close. "This is perfect. So perfectly me, it's scary you know me so well. I never have and never will be a diamonds and pearls kinda girl, but this…" I stick my hand out displaying my gorgeous ring prominently. "This is uniquely me."

  The slight worry on Seb's face disappears and I wrap my arms around his neck and sink onto his lap on the floor. "Love you so much." I whisper in his neck.

  "Ditto, Spot. Always."

  "They're here!!" Faith's loud announcement cuts through our little moment, bringing back the reality of the day. Right. Christmas and I'm still in my sweats. Tough, they'll have to deal.

  "I have something for you too, but I'll give it to you later."

  I have to laugh at the wiggling of Seb's eyebrows. One-track mind.

  The house fills with the smell of fresh baked goods, courtesy of Emma, of course, coffee and the sounds of laughter. Congratulations are flying when Emma sees the 'rock' on my finger and although Gus sends Seb questioning looks, my Ems seems to get the significance of the ring right away.

  We exchange gifts, mostly for Faith's sake and have a relaxing day. I even have a chance to grab a shower and change at some point, although my selection in clothes is not much better; yoga pants and sweater. One of the things I love so much about Emma and Gus is that they don't fuss either. Emma told me she was ready to come over in her PJ's but Gus made her put some pants on. Pants for Emma simply means pulling on another pair of sweats or yoga pants.

  Seb and Emma disappear into the kitchen and the four of us remaining decide to go for a walk while they do their cooking.

  "Happy?" Gus wants to know, as we follow Janet pushing Faith's chair along the trails behind our house.

  Sliding my arm in his, I put my head on his shoulder.

  "Yeah. Never thought it was possible, but yes. Pretty damn blessed, big guy." I tell him.

  Gus clears his throat a few times, before launching in. "Look. I owe you a big apology. I dropped the ball on your ex. Never should've happened. I…-"

  I pull him around by his arm, stopping him mid-stride.

  "Stop right there, Gus. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear your or Joe's apologies about what happened."

  When he tries to speak up again, I cut him off. "No. I'm serious, my friend. We, Faith and I, are fine. In fact, we are better than fine. In some sick way I needed to face him; needed the opportunity to assert myself. Do you know I haven't had a single nightmare since that night? Not one. Where I had dreams almost nightly before. I never thought I would be able to kill someone, Gus."

  "Nor should you have had to, if only…" He tries again.

  "Stop it and hear me out. I don't regret it for one moment. Get that through your thick skull. Not one second do I have any feelings of regret or remorse for stopping that son of a bitch getting to Faith or to me. You understand? I would pull the trigger again, every time. No hesitation. Sadness, yes. I feel sad it had to come to that, but mostly for the years I've spent loving that man first and fearing him after. There would have been no stopping him, I see that now.
And the only person who could was me. And I did. I did, Gus - I stood up for myself and my family and I'm still standing. Don't beat yourself up over stuff you had nor have any control over. Look at me and just be happy for me. I'm better for what happened. I promise."

  "God, you are one hell of a woman, Arlene." His voice is gruff as he folds me against his big frame.

  "If this is my Christmas present, I want Christmas every day." I tell Arlene as I smooth her hair back from her face so I can see my cock sliding between her lips.

  A full day ending with full stomachs and a tired Faith who is whisked off home by Janet. Gus and Emma leave shortly after and leaving clean up for tomorrow, I don't delay pulling Arlene upstairs to our bedroom, where she immediately starts stripping down. I barely have my shirt off before she's on her knees in front of me, freeing my already rock hard erection from my pants.

  "Fuck, Babe. Your mouth on me is the best fucking feeling." I groan as she takes me deep and swallows on the tip.

  With one hand at the base of my cock, her other hand disappears between her legs and I see her working her clit furiously as she sucks me off. Hell no.

  "Enough, Spot" I growl as I try to pull back from her mouth. Pulling her up under her arms, I grab the hand that was just between her legs and suck her fingers in my mouth.

  "Mmmmm so wet for me."

  Pushing her down on the bed I crawl in between her legs and lick my way up her body. All the way from her pussy, over her mound and belly, circling and sucking her nipples before finally licking my way into her mouth. Her legs fall open to make room for me and my hands run from her breasts to the underside of her arms, pushing them up over her head and linking my fingers with hers. Our mouths fused, I slide myself into her slick passage, absorbing the moans from her lips. Ahhh yes. This.

  "Best gift ever." I manage to get out, laying back with Arlene in my arms. Both still trying to catch our breath.

  "Another gift in your bedside drawer." She mumbles from the vicinity of my armpit.

  I fling out my arm and manage to pull open the drawer and pull out the envelope I feel in there.

  "What's this?"

  Arlene pops her head on her elbow as she rolls to her side. "Open it and find out," she says with a little smile.

  Ripping open the envelope, I pull out a wad of papers, looking very official. All I can see is the name of the diner and not only Arlene’s, but my name as well.

  "Explain."

  "Simple really. Before we went to pick up Faith, I had this part already planned. I was hoping you would share your life here with me in Cedar Tree, and I want to share mine with you."

  "But this is your diner."

  "Our diner as of December 23rd, when I put my signature on the papers, signing half of it over to you."

  "I can't accept this." I don't know what to feel. Part of me is honored and excited, but another part nags at me, telling me I have to make my own way, take care of my own family.

  "Yes you can. If you truly believed everything you told me this morning when you asked me to marry you, you would. You told me in so many words that you loved the strength in me, the independence. To me, that translates into equality. This is where it starts. You have put as much blood, sweat and tears in that diner since you've been here as I have. You have kept it running when I couldn't. We complement each other in every way. Evenly. We share a life together, we need to share our business. Equal partnership, all across the board."

  Damn that woman, using my own sentiments against me.

  I don't think long. There really is no choice. She is right. We are equals in every way and I won't let old hang ups and principles get in the way of our joint future. So I roll her over on her back and kiss her senseless.

  "Does that mean I get to boss you around from time to time now too?" I tease her.

  "Like you haven't from the start." She huffs.

  EPILOGUE

  "Cut some more parsley for me, will you?"

  "Right away, Boss." She winks at me, pulling out another bunch from the fridge and setting it on the cutting board.

  Today the doors officially open to the new and improved Arlene's Diner. We had a little tiff over the name, which Arlene wanted to change to include mine, but I put my foot down on that one. It's been a bit longer than anticipated, the renovations that is, but Clint and his crew have done a fantastic job getting the diner ready for business.

  I walk out into the dining room, to find Faith finishing up folding napkins in pretty shapes.

  "How are you doing, pumpkin?" I ask her, leaning down to give her a quick hug and kiss.

  She smiles up at me the way she does these days, completely open and unguarded. Happy to be surrounded by friends and family.

  Janet is getting ready to move on now that an early spot has opened up at Vista Mesa. The next two weeks we're going to transition Faith into her new home and Janet is going to stick around for that, after which she is off to a new job on the west coast. It's been two months since Faith and Janet came back to Cedar Tree with us and money will never repay what that woman has done for Faith and us.

  "Ya'll ready for a stampede?" Beth yells out from the front door, snickering as she points her thumb over her shoulder, indicating the substantial crowd that has gathered in the parking lot. Holy shit.

  "Ready!" Faith calls out, holding up a hand-full of folded napkins.

  "Good to go!" Julie smiles as she waves her kitchen towel over her head.

  "Yup!" This is Janet who is putting the last of the sugar containers and creamers on the tables.

  I simply shrug my shoulders as I make my way back to the kitchen, where Arlene stands in the door opening.

  "Open the fucking door already!" she yells out, making Faith gasp behind me.

  "Arlene! A dollar for the swear jar!"

  All of us burst out laughing as the first ones through the door Beth pulls open are Gus and Emma. Of course.

  "That kid is gonna send me to the poor house." I say to no one in particular as I turn back into the kitchen to make sure everything is in order, before I go out and mingle. Give Beth and Julie a chance to seat them first.

  "That kid is gonna make you watch your dirty mouth." Seb grumbles, slipping his arms around me from behind.

  "Pffff, I thought you liked my dirty mouth."

  "Mmmmm, yes, that's true. In fact, I have some fond memories of the cold storage. Want to go christen the new one?"

  I turn in his arms and slap his shoulder. "Behave, will ya? We have a diner full of hungry people that need feeding."

  "What about my needs?" Seb's low rumble has my knees going weak. Cheeky bastard knows exactly the effect he has on me too.

  "Customers first, Seb." I try.

  "Seriously?" Beth stands just outside the cold storage room with her arms crossed. "Now, you figure is a good time?"

  Seb is snickering behind me as I scramble to straighten my clothes and curse the flush that I can feel creeping up my cheeks. That only gets worse when I see the group assembled in the kitchen. Emma and Gus, of course; Clint, Julie, Mrs. Evans and just coming in are Caleb with Katie in a wheelchair. I cover my face with my hands, mortified at the collective smiles and smirks.

  Seb pulls me against his body. "Come on, Spot. We've got people to feed."

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  I love being creative. From an early age on I danced and sang, doodled, created, cooked, baked, quilted and crafted. My latests creative outlets have been influenced by my ever present love for reading. First it was blogging, then cover art and design and lastly writing.

  I was born and raised in the Netherlands, had my children there and moved to Canada with two toddlers and eight suitcases, mostly filled with toys. I'm not a stranger to new beginnings. I thrive on them.

  With my kids grown and out in the world, I am at the prime of my life - the "Ripe" part of the fruit!! The body might be a bit ramshackle, but the spirit is high and as adventurous as ever. Something you may see reflected here
and there in some of my heroines.... none of who will likely be wilting flowers.

  I craved reading about 'real' people, those who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, hot monkey sex and some thrills and chills in their lives, but found too few of them. So I decided to write about them myself. Hope you enjoy them too!!

  Freya

  https://www.freyabarker.com

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