by J. A. Low
“Hey, why do you automatically assume I did something?”
“Because your wife just burst out crying as soon as she saw her best friend, in chick talk that means you have had a fight.” He crosses his arms over his chest. Then I watch as Mom and Vanessa’s mom rush upstairs also.
“Oh shit, it’s big, isn’t it? The wedding is off? You got cold feet?” Evan asks.
“Fuck you.” I punch my best friend in the arm. “As if I would be getting cold feet.”
“Who’s got cold feet?” Axel asks, joining our conversation.
“Christian, he’s got cold feet about the wedding,” Evan replies.
“Are you fucking serious?” Axel clips me around the head.
“Ouch.” I frown at me brother. “I DO NOT HAVE COLD FEET,” I shout at Evan and Axel.
“Okay, okay.” Axel puts his hands up defensively.
“Then why was Ness crying?” Evan asks.
“Ness, was crying?” Axel questions.
“Would you two fuckers just shut up for a moment and let me explain.”
“This should be good,” Evan huffs. I give him a death stare.
“It’s early but Ness just found out she’s pregnant.” Evan and Axel’s jaws drop; they were both equally stunned by the news. “What, nothing to say now, fuckers?” I goad them. My question breaks their surprise and they both congratulate me.
“Fuck…that means I’m going to be an uncle?” Axel looks pale as the realization of my news sets in.
I grab him on the shoulder. “You are going to be the best uncle there is.” I can feel myself getting a little teary-eyed. Shit, can men catch pregnancy hormones? Axel pulls me into another hug, this time a little tighter, as we both thump each other on the back, like men do.
“I am so proud of you, bro,” Axel mumbles into me.
“I can’t believe it; I’m going to be a dad.” The words hitching in my throat.
“Fuck, I love ya,” Axel responds, and for the first time in a long time, Axel and I are really connected.
“Welcome to the club, man.” Evan gives me a hug. “And I guess if we are dropping bombshells…Sienna and I are having another baby as well.”
Axel and I both stare at Evan in shock. “No way, man.” I hold onto his shoulder.
“Yeah, we just found out too.” He has the biggest smirk rising on his face.
“Shit, what the hell was in the water in Vegas? Because you are both knocked up from it. Keep that voodoo shit away from me,” Axel moans.
Evan and I both look at each and realize we both knocked up our girls while on holiday, we give each other a high five. “We need to celebrate.” Evan indicates for us to follow him downstairs to the sitting area where I notice our fathers are all set up, chilling and chatting away.
“Dad,” I call out, seeing the old man reclining in the oversize lounge, watching football highlights on the big screen. He gets up and gives me a hug.
“Happy Thanksgiving, son,” he says with a smile.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Pop,” I reply and my dad stills.
“What did you call me?”
“Or would you rather grandad or even grandpop?”
“What are you saying? Are you drunk?” He’s not sure if I’m joking or not.
“Ness and I are going to have a baby.” That’s when I see it, tears quickly well in his eyes as he comes for me again, pulling me into a big, tight, dad hug.
“I’m going to be a grandpa?” he asks. I nod. “Holy shoot,” he says with a shocked expression on his face. “I am so proud of you, son. So damn proud.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“We were just about to celebrate,” Axel adds.
“Sienna is pregnant as well,” I tell Dad Evan’s good news.
“No way, that is fantastic. Little Ryder will have a sibling.” He congratulates Evan and his Dad.
“I think this calls for a round of bourbon and cigars,” Evan calls out from the bar and we all agree.
***
The Thanksgiving meal was amazing, looking out over the Seine, the Parisian skyline before us with all her famous icons. Sebastien put on an incredible feast, a totally new spin on our traditional Thanksgiving banquet, but no one cared as the food was to die for. If he cooks as well as this for our wedding, then it’s kind of going to be spectacular.
Ness explained that she couldn’t keep the news in any longer and told her mom, Sienna and Sienna’s mom. She said that reality hit her when she saw Sienna with Ryder, that’s why she ran back upstairs, realizing she was going to have a little baby in her arms next Thanksgiving. She couldn’t believe Sienna was pregnant as well; she was so excited that they were going to be having babies together. Ness started going on and on about baby stuff, and if I’m honest, I might have tuned out. My head was spinning just finding out I was going to be a dad; let alone all this crap I am going to have to buy.
Last year we started a tradition of standing up after dinner and telling everyone what they are thankful for and so we have kept the tradition this year too.
“I am thankful for the amazing opportunities that I have been given this year.” Derrick starts off his list of what he is thankful for, this could be interesting. “I am also thankful that I look this good at thirty.” We all chuckle. “I am also thankful for Mr. and Mrs. Taylor for getting busy one night and producing Axel and Christian.” My poor parents almost choke on their meal. “Because your boys gave me the most life changing gift for my birthday, I will never ever forget it.” The room bursts out laughing.
“Awe, my boys were raised right. They would have given you something nice for your birthday,” Her reply makes everyone laugh and Derrick grin.
“Oh yes, Mama Taylor, they knew exactly what I wanted,” Derrick smirks and Axel quickly places his hand over Derrick’s mouth.
“It wasn’t really anything much worth mentioning,” Axel adds. This makes the boys erupt into laughter. Mom and Dad look around at the teenage sniggering going on around the table.
“Love, I don’t think we want to know what happened,” Dad mentions to Mom.
It’s my turn to stand up and tell everyone what I am thankful for, the list is long. “I am thankful that this beautiful woman beside me…” I turn to where Ness is sitting and take her hand in mine, “…decided that she wanted to take a chance on love and that I was the one she wanted to experience it with.” Our mothers are lapping this up. “I am also thankful that my wife is in good health, and that I get to spend forever with her.” Vanessa gives my hand a squeeze and I can already see her eyes becoming glassy. “I am also so thankful that she allowed me to knock her up.” The table goes quiet as the words sunk in.
“No bloody way,” Derrick screams.
“Yep, Ness and I are having a baby,” I announce to our nearest and dearest. The whole table erupts into hollers of congratulations.
“I cannot believe you two hussies are knocked up at the same time.” Derrick pouts as the boys watch the Thanksgiving game in the sitting room.
“What can I say, Vegas!” I sip my mineral water.
“You guys can have a joint baby shower,” Camryn squeals.
“No, I don’t want to take it away from Ness, this is her first baby, she should get to enjoy it,” Sienna adds.
“What? No, we can definitely have a joint party, it would be silly to have two separate ones when the same people would be going to both,” I tell her.
“Yeah, I know, it’s just…”
“Stop it, I don’t mind sharing. It will be heaps of fun.”
“I am so excited; I don’t get to plan many baby showers. I am planning your baby shower aren’t I?” Camryn asks.
“Um, hello, of course. Who else would I have plan it?”
“Oh my God, imagine if these two beans grow up and marry each other,” Derrick adds.
Sienna and I look at each other and laugh. “That would be so cute,” Charlotte adds.
“Looks like Dirty Texas 2.0 is starting to take shape,” Isla jokes.<
br />
“That would be so awesome, the kids following in their daddy’s footsteps,” Stacey adds.
“No, no, no. I am surrounded enough by egomaniac rock stars; I do not need my kids to follow in their footsteps.” I shudder at the thought of a little Christian running around on stage, chatting up girls. Nope, no way, not for my boy.
“So what do you think you’re having?’ Derrick asks.
“Um a baby?” I joke. He flips me off.
“No, do you think you are having a boy or a girl?” he asks the question again.
I shrug, I mean for months I have had no idea I was pregnant, let alone imagining if it’s a boy or a girl.
“As long as it’s healthy, that’s all I want.” I give my nonexistent belly a rub.
“Could you imagine Evan and Christian with daughters?” Isla asks. “It would be karma for all their womanizing years.” We all burst out laughing at the thought, but I do have a small pang of excitement imagining me with a daughter, then flashes of a little sandy blond boy, with whiskey colored eyes filter through my mind, just like his daddy. I wonder what you are little nugget?
“Imagine the fashion if they are girls,” Derrick gasps. “I know Ryder rocks the coolest kid’s clothes ever, but a little girl running around.” I can see Derrick salivating.
“You need to open up a Wyld Jones children’s boutique,” Charlotte suggests. Sienna and Derrick go still.
“Why the fuck have we not thought of this?” Derrick turns to Sienna.
“Um, because we have been so busy running the boutique and your business, plus possibly trying to expand into the shop next door if we can get it.”
Next door to the boutique is a two story shop, upstairs has offices and downstairs has a shop front. They found out that the owner has gone bankrupt and the building is up for sale. Sienna wants to use the money that Beau gave her from the divorce to buy it.
“We could move the adult shop into the new building, and upstairs could be the styling side of the business and next door could be for the children’s boutique.” I can see Derrick’s legs shaking with excitement.
Sienna pauses for a moment. “But we don’t know anything about children’s fashion.”
The room erupts into laughter. “Si, the fact that Ryder has his own Instagram account with over a hundred thousand followers suggests you know about children’s fashion,” I remind her. She rolls her eyes at me.
“But, that’s just taking cute photos of my boy, but making a business out of it?”
“Look at the Kardashian’s, once they started popping out children people wanted to know about what they were wearing, just like Ryder, only he is way cooler,” Derrick adds. “You are spending more money on children’s clothes than you do your own at the moment, think of all the rich mummies wanting to dress their kids in the coolest fashions just like Sienna Wyld.”
Sienna gives him a smile. “I do go kind of crazy looking for kids clothing for him, and now with another on the way.”
“You could call it Wyld, instead of Wyld Jones, that way it would be different branding to our adult shop,” Derrick suggests. This gives Sienna pause.
“What, you don’t want your name on it?” She looks a little hurt.
“Oh, no babe, that’s not at all what I was thinking. I think it should be a separate brand under our Wyld Jones banner. I could concentrate on the styling and adult side, especially now we have men’s fashion and you could concentrate on the children’s side.”
“There is a shit ton of money in children’s fashion,” Charlotte adds, “The amount of photograph work my friends are doing for couture children’s fashion is crazy.”
Sienna listens to Charlottes words. “But I just found out I am having another baby, D. How am I going to deal with Ryder, buying real estate and adding a new business to the mix plus everything else going on in my life?”
Derrick puts a reassuring hand on her knee, and gives her a smile. “We hire the best people; we get good staff around us. We are already starting to amass an awesome team, and we can hire more people.”
“Don’t forget you have me,” Stacey adds.
Sienna gives her a smile.
“Stacey found us staff, she can do it again. Stacey could take over the running of all the other stuff and you can concentrate on discovering the best brands for the boutique,” Derrick explains to her.
“Plus, don’t forget Ryder has amassed a huge following on Instagram, they will all want what he has. I bet if you open up the children’s boutique to online orders you will have a runaway success, because all these mothers will want to dress their children like him.” I give her my two cents worth.
“Ryder is pretty cute, and he does have awesome style.” Sienna smiles. “You sure we can do this, D? I mean, it’s a lot of work.”
Derrick gives her the biggest smile. “I think it’s kind of a perfect business idea, we can now dress the whole family.”
This makes Sienna laugh, “When you put it like that, yeah I guess it makes perfect sense. Okay, let’s do it. Evan is going to kill me, but oh well.”
“Just suck his dick, he’ll be fine,” Derrick adds.
We just said goodbye to the ladies as they head off to their hotel. We are at the Monaco marina where Nate is standing at his ship’s tender waiting for us.
“Good day, fellas,” he calls out in his crisp British accent looking every inch the billionaire business man that he is. “Welcome to your last weekend of freedom,” Nate declares as I greet him.
“It’s already too late for that, man, he’s been married to Ness for months now,” Axel corrects him.
“True, well, you can still enjoy the weekend anyway.” He slaps me on the back. Nate ushers us toward the luxury tender, all sleek and shiny with buttery soft leather. “Hold on boys, this is going to be fast.” One of his crew starts up the motors, the rubble vibrating through us as he slowly pushes the throttle weaving us between the multimillion dollar yachts moored around us. As soon as we hit open water he pushes the throttle to full and we zoom out across the waves, the freezing cold sea spray hits us as we bump over the waves. It’s not long before we reach a super sleek, white, chrome and wood super yacht, the kind young boys would pin onto their bedroom walls and probably jerk off to from time to time. Yep, the inner teenage boy in me is getting a stiffy over the vessel in front of me. We pull up alongside the boat and Nate’s very good looking, and female crew greet us, wearing long sleeve, extremely fitted white polos with tight navy booty shorts that leave nothing to the imagination. Meaning it’s bloody cold and I don’t need the wind to tell me that. “Welcome, Mr. Taylor,” a blonde coos as she helps me from the bobbing boat.
“Thank you,” I reply as I quickly let go of her soft hand. Don’t want her getting any ideas. This may be my bachelor party, but I am most definitely a happily married man.
“Welcome to Paradise, boys.” Nate smiles, the gold word Paradise scrawled across the side of the boat.
“I think I am going to like Paradise,” Axel mumbles as the brunette he is with gives him a flirty giggle. I roll my eyes because that used to be my life.
“God I was a douche bag,” I chuckle to myself as I follow Nate through the teak interior of the boat.
“Glad I’m not the only non-single guy here.” Evan whispers to me as we walk.
“I got your back, bro.”
“As long as Nate has told these ladies you and I are off their menu it should be okay.” I look at Evan freaking out over some chicks; it’s kind of funny. It’s amazing what a good woman can do to a notorious womanizer.
“This is the main saloon,” Nate points out. And wow, everything is glass, chrome or white, very sleek and modern. There is a bar set up to one side where a beautiful woman is making drinks, she gives us a flirty smile and continues working. In the middle of the room is a large U shaped sofa, and in front of that is a big screen TV. “Anything you need up here Nadia will be happy to assist you.” Nate points to the bar lady, who waves at us, she seems t
o have lost a couple of buttons off her top exposing her generous cleavage. Look away Christian, look away.
Nate takes us back out into the foyer and to a set of spiral stairs. “These lead to your bedrooms, each room has your name marked on it. There is staff on call any time of the day if you should need it. They can cater to anything you desire, and I mean anything.”
“On the first deck we have another bar,” Nate states as he gestures toward it and points to another gorgeous female flight attendant. “The dining room is also on the first deck and upstairs we have the play area.” We follow him up the teak staircase to where we find the Jacuzzi, sun loungers and big screen TV.
“As this is Christian’s bachelor party, and as he will not be partaking in the usual bachelor style shenanigans, the rest of you boys are able to sample the delights that I have arranged for you. As you have guessed my staff is very good looking.” Well no shit, Nate. “That is because most of them are staff members from my European clubs and I have asked them to join me on my boat to have fun this weekend with you. They all have Paradise Club wristbands so you can see what they are into. Of course you will have access to my club here in Monaco whenever you wish to use it, ask any one of the normal crew and they can arrange a tender to take you back to the marina. Now, Chris, I know you have more friends coming along later tonight that will be meeting you at the casino. If you wish to bring the party back to the boat then that is fine, of course only people who have been vetted by myself will get access to the club if you so wish to party there as you can understand the need for exclusiveness.” I nod, I don't really care about the club unless Ness wants to have some fun there, but now that she is pregnant maybe it isn’t a good idea. “You guys are probably ready for some lunch, if you want to take a seat down in the main dining saloon, lunch is ready to be served.”
Okay, not at all what I was expecting for lunch. There on one of the tables is a naked lady and she is covered in sushi. Nate, gives me a smirk. The rest of the boys, except for Evan, are enjoying the sight as they start to take bits off her body. On the other side of the naked lady is another table set up full of man food. There are trays of buffalo wings, sliders, tacos, hot dogs and no naked lady. Evan and I decide to tuck in over there.
