by Nicole Dykes
Alex stands and hands me my crutch so I can join her. The doctor stands also and I shake his hand, “Thanks for making time for me.”
“Are you kidding me? This is going to make me a hero at home.”
I look at him, confused, “Why’s that?”
“I have an eleven-year-old son. He just loves you. We’ve been to a few of your races here in Kansas City and when he finds out I’m the one operating on Shriller the Thriller he’s going to lose it.”
Shit. An eleven-year-old. “That’s great.” I finally get out, but I don’t think it’s convincing.
“Yeah. He wants to be just like you.”
“Show him the x-rays.” I say dryly.
He pats me on the back and laughs. “We are going to get you fixed right up.”
I nod and thank him again before walking out of the office and out to Alex’s car. I climb into the passenger seat while she gets behind the wheel. I’m really not used to people driving me around.
“You know it’s a good thing to be a role model, Shriller.” She says as she pulls out of the parking lot.
“Yeah I know.” I know I need to lighten up, but Billy sticks in my mind. I used to eat this shit up. Hearing that some kid looks up to me used to be a real high for me. Now it’s like I’m crushed by the weight of the responsibility.
“I can’t believe you’re already having another surgery before you’re healed.”
“You want me to wait the six weeks to get these fucking casts off before I have another one. Fuck that.”
Alex merges onto the interstate to get back to her place. “No asshole. I just think you could stand a couple of weeks to let your body heal a little bit. I mean you still have bruises on your face and ribs.”
“Still checking me out without a shirt on, Alex?” I wag my eyebrows at her, and I can tell she’s trying not to punch me.
“Do you ever wear a shirt when you’re at my place?”
I laugh at that. “Guess not.”
We get back to her place and I take a seat on the couch and hear Alex on her phone back in her bedroom. Probably talking to that douchebag fiancé. After a while she comes in and sits down on the couch next to me. “So, that was Brooke.”
“Okay.” Not sure why she’s telling me this.
“She wants us to come over for dinner tomorrow night. Cassie and Hunter are here. I told her I would see if you are up to it.”
My phone dings and I look down at a group message from Brooke to me, Dylan, Jax, Luke, Hannah, Charlotte, Alex, Cass, and Hunter.
Brooke: Dinner tomorrow at our place. Shriller is having surgery the next day.
“Jesus, she doesn’t waste much time.” I say.
Alex laughs, “Well you didn’t think she was actually going to let you have a choice, did you?”
My phone dings again.
Luke: Sounds good.
Cass: We’ll be there!
It will be good to see the whole family outside of the hospital.
Jax: Hell yeah. Last meal for Shriller. I’m in.
Asshole.
I laugh. “Guess we are having dinner at Brooke and Dylan’s tomorrow.”
This should be fun.
Chapter 14
Shriller
T
he next night, Alex drives me in her tiny little Prius over to Brooke and Dylan’s house for dinner. I climb out of the clown car and we walk up to the door together. I haven’t been here since Christmas, about four months ago.
“Is Stephen coming tonight?” I ask Alex when she knocks on the door.
She shakes her head, “No.” Her hand goes up to silence me before I can say anything. “Don’t say it.”
I chuckle and Jax opens the door with a big grin, “Hey, it’s about fucking time you two showed up.”
I laugh at his excitement. “I just saw you a couple of days ago when you brought me my stuff.”
Alex brushes past him after a quick greeting and makes her way toward the kitchen. More than likely that’s where Brooke is. I hobble in and greet everyone in the living room. Cassie, Hannah, and Charlotte are probably in the kitchen with her, and I’m sure Gabby and Michael are in their rooms.
Dylan and I bump fists before I take a seat in the living room. “Hey man, glad you could make it,” he says.
“Thanks. You know I’m not going to pass up Brooke’s cooking.”
Jax takes a seat next to me on the couch. “I just can’t fucking believe you’re alive, man.”
Dylan chuckles, “Yeah, does Alex just lock you in your room all day? Is that how you stay out of trouble.”
I shake my head realizing they are talking about Alex and not the accident. “It really hasn’t been that bad.”
I was nervous moving in with Alex, but she’s been fucking great. Still, it’s what we do. We give each other shit.
Jax laughs, “Wait til you leave the toilet seat up or some shit.”
“Yeah I know all about the bet you fuckers have. Don’t worry I’m being a good boy.” Alex filled me in about how our friends are betting on her kicking me out or killing me after her trip to the gym with Brooke.
They all grin proudly and Luke says, “I gave you a whole month.”
“Aw, thanks.” I say sarcastically.
Alex being a ballbuster has been a joke for a long time. There’s no doubt she’s a tough chick, but she definitely has a sensitive side. Of course, I’m not going to say that right now.
“So, Luke, you finally put a ring on Hannah’s finger?” I ask, changing the subject and I know it pisses him off. Not that he doesn’t love her, but he insists on her living in the same city with him before tying the knot.
“Has she fucking graduated college yet?”
“You know she’s gonna get sick of this shit and find some scholarly dude to take your place,” Jax says just to goad him.
“She has one year left. It’ll be fine,” Luke says, but there’s an edge there. There is no doubt in my mind that Hannah will stick by Luke no matter what. The kid has nothing to worry about.
“All right, lay off,” Dylan says to me and Jax. What a good big brother.
Gabby comes bouncing down the hallway and plops right down on my lap. “Shriller!”
Dylan looks startled, “Gabs, remember we told you Shriller is a little beat up.”
I laugh and give her a big hug, ignoring the pain in my ribs and knee. “Nah, I’m fine. I’ll always take a hug from you, Miss Gabby.”
She beams and then sits next to me on the couch. She runs her finger over the cut that’s starting to heal on my forehead. “You are all beat up!”
I laugh. She’s only ten, almost eleven, but she isn’t looking at me with pity like I’ve grown accustomed to these last couple of weeks. “Just bumps and bruises.”
She pulls up the leg of her jeans to show me her calf. “I had a bike wreck too.”
I smile at her. “Oh no, when did that happen? How fast were you going?”
“So fast! I went down the hill toward Mrs. Stover’s house and wiped out.”
I laugh at the adorable girl. I first met her when she was only six and the kid instantly grew on me. “Well, I’m sure you took it like a champ.”
She nods, “Of course.”
Michael walks in putting his cellphone in his pocket. “Hey, Shriller.”
His voice is really starting to change and I swear the kid has grown four inches since I saw him at Christmas. Man, they are all growing up really fast. “Hey, how’s it going?”
“Good.” That’s all I get. Typical teenager.
Brooke calls us all in the dining room for dinner and we head in instantly. After sitting down, everyone fills their plates with the delicious home cooked meal. Brooke is a whiz in the kitchen.
I’m seated next to Alex and Gabby and Jax who is across from us nods his head in Alex’s direction, “So, where’s that fiancé of yours?”
Well there goes dinner. I see Brooke stiffen at the end of table and shake her head in a warning at Jax. Alex
just takes a bite of cooked carrots and then answers, “He’s at work.”
Jax scoffs and I try to stay totally still. Somehow, I still end up mixed into Alex’s wrath as she looks from me to him. “Both of you shut up. He is at work. He cares about his career which is something you all have in common.”
“I didn’t say shit,” I say and eat the creamy mashed potatoes on my plate.
Jax of course, doesn’t let up. “I do love my job, no doubt,” he wraps his arm around Charlotte, “but I love my girl way more and I’m fucking here.”
Jax and Alex have an odd relationship, even weirder than she and I do. They used to fuck, even before Brooke and Dylan really got together and we all became friends, but now it’s more like they’re bickering siblings. We all care about Alex though and hate what this asshat is doing to her.
“Jax, drop it please,” Brooke says from across the table. Although she said ‘please’, it really wasn’t really a request, it was an order.
Alex tosses the fancy napkin, Brooke insists on, from her lap to the table and walks out the back door. Charlotte turns to Jax, “Why do you do that to her?”
Jax takes a drink and swallows. He looks pissed off. “I’m not doing shit to her. It’s him. You all see it and try to ignore it and it’s bullshit.”
I couldn’t agree with him more, but Alex is a grown ass woman. Who the fuck are any of us to tell her what to do? Brooke looks annoyed and starts to stand up, but I stop her. “I’ll go. We’ve got a new kind of thing going on.”
She looks unsure, but sits back down. I grab my crutch before following Alex out to the backyard. She’s sitting at the large glass patio table near the pool, and I sit down in the chair next to her, holding onto the crutch. “Kinda dramatic don’t you think?”
“Fuck off, Shriller.” It’s half-assed. She isn’t even really that pissed, just kinda seems more lost.
“Come on, Alex. You know that he didn’t mean anything by it. None of us do.”
She scoffs and folds her arms over her chest. “Bullshit. I’m not stupid. I know that my relationship with Stephen is a big joke to all of you.”
I stretch out my good leg in front of me. “No, it’s not.” I rethink that. “Okay, maybe it is. Fuck, Alex it’s what we do. We joke about shit. You tease Jax about being a muscle-bound dummy, but we all know that isn’t true. He’s one of the smartest guys I know. We give him shit about being pussy whipped, which is totally true. It’s just who we all are, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care. A lot.”
“You ever think we all care way too damn much?” She shoots me a questioning look.
I think that over, “Could be, but in my experience, that’s a hell of a lot better than just not giving a fuck.”
She sighs out of frustration but doesn’t say anything.
I nudge her arm with mine, “Let’s just go back inside. This may be my last meal after all,” I try to joke.
“You’re going to be fine.”
“They might botch it.” I say, revealing my true fear about my surgery tomorrow.
She looks me straight in the eye with that Alex confidence, “They won’t.”
I grin at her and we go back into the house to rejoin the family at the table. Alex sits down across from Jax and I see Charlotte nudging him. Jax clears his throat and everyone else is quiet, “I’m sorry, okay?”
Alex rolls her eyes and looks at Charlotte. “You don’t have to make him apologize.”
Charlotte smiles sweetly at Alex. “I didn’t. Not really. He feels bad,” she looks at Jax, “and he should.”
Jax laughs and then addresses Alex, “I was a dick, but I just want you to be happy and your man never being here has to get to you.”
“He’s busy, Jax and, although I appreciate that you care, I’m a big girl who can take care of herself,” she says.
I laugh at that. “I don’t think anyone can argue with that.”
After that it goes back to normal. Well normal for all of us. I can’t believe how much all of the kids have grown and I realize how much I’ve missed since I’ve moved away.
If the surgery goes well and I get back to Cali, I’m going to have to visit a hell of a lot more.
Chapter 15
Alex
A
week after Shriller’s surgery, I’m standing in front of the floor length mirror that hangs on the back of my bedroom, just staring at my reflection.
You can do this.
I decided to take Brooke’s advice and pay my fiancé a visit in the middle of the day. Hell, I’m getting desperate. I haven’t even seen him since the night he surprised me at work. Jax took Shriller to his first physical therapy appointment today, so I have the apartment to myself.
I spent some serious money on a waxing appointment and at Victoria’s Secret, after putting in some time at the salon this morning. Then, I came back to my place to get dressed. I stare again at the woman in the mirror.
I look hot. I have my hair up in a loose bun and my make-up is just a hint under trashy. I’m scantily clad, only dressed in a black and hot pink, lacey bra and panty set. The bra presses my already generous chest up, making my breasts look even fuller. The look is completed with a pair of ‘fuck me heels’ and a black jacket that goes mid-thigh and closes with a belt around the waist.
Normally, I’m ballsy as hell, but my heart is pounding in my chest. What if he doesn’t like it?
I shake that off. No. What the hell guy wouldn’t love this? There is no reason why he won’t jump me instantly when I reveal this is all I have on underneath.
I nod my head at the girl in the mirror with determination and walk out of my room into the kitchen. As I’m gathering my purse, I hear a key in the lock and Shriller walks inside.
Startled, I say probably way too loudly, “Shit! What the hell are you doing here?”
He closes the door and then leans on the crutch with his eyebrow raised. “I kinda live here at the moment. What are you doing home so early?”
“I’m not home.” I’m flustered by the fact that I have very little on, although he can’t tell that. “I mean, I’m not staying. I just came home for lunch.”
“You’re acting weird.”
Keep it under control, Alex. “No, I’m not. I’m just in a hurry. I have to get back.”
I say this as I swing my purse over my shoulder and brush by Shriller quickly, but he’s quicker and grabs my arm, turning me toward him. His eyes scan down my body and then he looks at me with a devilish gleam. “You know it’s like eighty degrees outside, right? You really don’t need the jacket.”
I pull my arm back out of his light grasp. “I get cold easy.” Lame.
He smirks at me. “Alex it’s the middle of May, it’s fucking warm outside. What’s going on?”
Shit. I need to get out of here.
He snaps his fingers loudly, like he figured it out. “Holy shit! You are fucking naked under there, aren’t you?”
I can’t stop the idiotic blush that comes over my cheeks. “No, I’m not! That’s insane.”
“No, that’s fucking hot.”
I roll my eyes, “Shriller, I am not naked.” I say, hoping that my tone is convincing.
His eyes scan the jacket I’m wearing again, “Oh no? Prove it.”
“What? I don’t have to prove shit to you.” I say, subconsciously fidgeting with the belt that’s tied around my waist. “Now, I have to go.”
“You’re totally naked.” He laughs cockily and sits down on the couch.
God, he pisses me off. Part of me wants to prove his ass wrong, but of course what I do have on is almost as embarrassing. “I’m leaving.”
“All right. Have fun with your afternoon delight.” He waves his hand up from the couch, not turning around.
I clench my fists at my side, but decide it’s not worth it and go downstairs to my car. I stare at myself in the mirror again. Okay, I can do this.
I drive to Stephen’s office building and park in the garage before making my way up to
his office. I hope it’s not totally obvious. Shriller wasn’t wrong, it is really warm outside today. The elevator stops on Stephen’s floor, and I walk out with my head up, sporting some damn confidence.
The office is huge and there are several accountants on this floor. I go to the middle of the room where the receptionist just hung up the phone. “Hi, Monica. Is Stephen in?”
“He sure is, hun. Go on in.” She says warmly and I give her small appreciative nod and then walk to the back where Stephen’s door is.
I take a deep breath and walk in hesitantly, not bothering to knock. Hopefully he’s not with a client.
I walk fully inside of the office and see that Stephen is sitting behind the desk, clicking away on the computer in front of him. It barely registers with him that I’m here at first, so I clear my throat, closing the door behind me. “Hello, Stephen.”
He finally looks up as I walk in and he grins at me from across the large oak desk. That’ll do nicely. “Well, hi Alex. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
I glide behind the desk and confidently grip his chair, turning him toward me and leaning down so my face is even with his. “I need you,” I say in my best sultry voice.
His eyes search mine. They are uncertain so I decide to help him out by undoing the belt at my waist, pulling the jacket open and revealing the sexy lingerie underneath. He takes in my attire as I move and straddle his thighs on the large, leather office chair.
“I missed you,” I purr into his ear.
I feel his dick start to harden underneath me, and I’m relieved that Brooke was totally wrong about the whole erectile dysfunction theory. Thank God.
I move my lips along his neck and then feel his hands grip my shoulders and push me back so he can look me in the eyes. “Alex, what are you doing?”
I stare at him dumbfounded. “What do you mean? I just thought I would surprise you.”
“Do you think I have some sort of hooker fantasy or something?” He asks. His tone isn’t cruel, it’s just more baffled.
“No.” I look down at the way I’m dressed. “I thought all men had this fantasy.”
He kisses my lips softly and briefly. “Alex. You don’t have to dress up to get my attention.”
