“I cannot stop coming with you,” she said when she got her breath back. “I seriously just can’t stop wanting more.”
“My hands need a short break,” he said, holding up his hand in an exaggerated claw shape.
“You can have a short break,” she said. “Actually, we should get dressed. I want to visit Molly again. Her girls both came home for the weekend to see the baby, and I would like to see them all.
“I actually have an open house in — shit! — coming right up,” he said. “You nearly made me forget about it.” They both quickly dressed and got themselves put together. “I’ll have to run home and put on that real estate agent costume you dislike so much,” he said. “Dinner later? Maybe Thai?”
“That sounds good,” she said. “Give me a call later.” He gave her a quick kiss and was gone, leaving her to get ready and head to Molly’s house.
Tommy answered the door and led her into the living room, which was uncharacteristically cluttered with an amazing variety of baby gear. Molly’s daughters, Suzanne and Elizabeth, were cooing over baby Henry, who was sound asleep. They readily handed him over to Lori, but as soon as she took him, he woke up and no amount of jiggling and sweet-talking could calm him down, so she handed him over to Molly, who quickly lifted the hem of her maternity shirt and latched him on. He was instantly quiet again, happily nursing away.
“What does that feel like?” Lori asked.
“It feels like relief,” Molly said. “My milk is coming in like a freight train, so I’m glad he wants to nurse a lot. Otherwise I’d be in a world of hurt. My body seems to think I had triplets. I could feed half of Fairview right now, I think.”
“You look good,” Lori said.
“Like hell,” Molly laughed. “I’ve barely slept or combed my hair since your party. This guy is voracious.” Lori listened intently and heard rhythmic gulps as the baby swallowed his milk.
“Where’s David?”
“Upstairs, sleeping!” Molly said. “But he walked Henry quite a while last night so I could get a little rest, so he’s earned a nap.”
“What do you girls think of Henry?” They answered enthusiastically. “He’s adorable!” Suzie said. “Perfect!” Beth added.
“He has it in for me, though,” Tommy said. “I tried changing his diaper. He peed all over me, and then when I was getting that wiped up, he pooped everywhere.”
“Ha, it was hilarious!” Beth said. “I had to finally help him out. He was a mess! It looked like somebody squirted half a bottle of mustard everywhere.”
“You have to watch out for boys,” Molly said, looking at Tommy. “Don’t think you didn’t pee on me a few times before I figured out how to protect myself.”
Tommy looked embarrassed but, to his credit, just smiled.
“Well, did you finally get your bedroom cleaned up?” Molly asked.
“Yep. Ordered a new bedspread, too. I keep expecting to hear from the authorities when the trash man reports signs of a possible murder,” Lori said. She turned to the girls and explained, “I had to roll it up and throw it away. There was NO way that bedspread was save-able.”
“Can I tell them about your … real estate agent?” Molly asked.
“I think you just did,” Lori said. “Yes, it’s true. I am dating a man who is not a doctor.”
“Seriously, this is a first for you, right?” Suzie said.
“Yep. Not since I was in high school have I actually had a boyfriend who was not a doctor, or, in a couple of cases back in the day, in med school.”
“I always wondered why you were so stuck on doctors anyway,” Beth said.
“Well, it has something to do with when I was growing up. I had a friend whose dad was a doctor, and they seemed to be the perfect family, and I always had that as my goal. That’s the short version,” she said.
“So what made you decide to branch out?” Suzie asked.
“I guess I was just taking stock of my life. Decided to make a few changes. Brought the house, among other things.” There was no way she was telling Molly’s daughters about all of them. “How about you? Anybody special in your life?”
“Not really. I was dating a soc major for a while, but it didn’t work out. I don’t really want to get serious with anybody until I finish school anyway.”
“Good deal,” Molly said. She had taken Henry off and was gently patting his back. He let out a loud burp. “Let’s see if you can help Mommy out,” she said to Henry, settling him in for the other side. “I’m going to be lopsided and uncomfortable if he doesn’t,” she said. Henry seemed to be quite willing to have seconds. “Ah, there’s nothing like that feeling when your milk lets down,” she said. “It’s like getting into a hot bubble bath. Just pure relief and relaxation.”
“You aren’t sore at all?” Lori asked.
“Not a bit. Not sure why,” Molly said. “I feel fine, other than being tired.”
“My very informed medical opinion is that it has something to do with having given birth at a party,” Lori joked. “Which reminds me. I’m giving pretty serious thought to going the certified nurse-midwife route. I had just about decided on a different program, but you may have convinced me to look into the CNM program instead.”
“That would be cool,” Beth said. “Then you can deliver all our babies someday. If we have them. And if we live around here.”
“Just deliver them someplace besides my bedroom!” Lori joked.
“Speaking of deliveries, what about ordering some pizza?” Tommy broke in. “Nobody is cooking around here right now. I’m starved.” Molly asked for someone to bring her phone so she could order.
“No, you feed Henry, I’ll feed everyone else,” Lori said. She picked up her phone and made the call, making sure they knew she was at a different address than usual, and gave them her credit card number so Molly couldn’t try to pay.
“Now, I just wonder who’s gonna deliver that pizza,” she mused. Tommy didn’t blush, but he did suddenly get very interested in looking at his phone. Beth just looked puzzled.
“You ordered from Sorrentino’s, right?” Beth asked. “I guess it’ll probably be the youngest Sorrentino girl, won’t it? We’ve ordered pizza two days in a row and she’s delivered both times,” she said.
Lori put the most innocent look ever on her face. “Oh, I didn’t know you were all quite as into pizza as all that. Having it for every meal, are you?”
“I like pizza, OK?” Tommy said. Now he did look embarrassed. Molly and Beth and Suzie just looked confused.
“No need to be embarrassed, Tommy,” Lori said. “Pizza is hard to resist, after all.” Everybody else still just looked confused.
“OK, OK, so I’m friends with Theresa Sorrentino, all right?” Tommy stood up suddenly. Lori felt sorry she’d teased him, and said so.
“I apologize, Tommy. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Truly,” she said. He sat back down.
“Well, Tommy, if you and Theresa are friends, invite her over for dinner sometime. Give me a couple of weeks, but I’d love to get to know her,” Molly said.
“Cheaper to cook some meatloaf than to keep ordering pizza every night just so you can see her,” Beth teased.
“Beth,” Molly said, warningly.
“I’m just saying,” Beth said.
“Theresa seems like a lovely girl. From what I know of her, she’s a very sweet person,” Lori said. “Did you realize she came to the party?”
“I didn’t meet her that night,” Molly said, “but then, I wasn’t there very long before I decided to go upstairs and give birth all over your new bed.” She motioned to Lori. “Do you wanna hold this guy for a minute? He’s out.”
Lori scooped up Henry, who appeared milk drunk. His dark, downy hair was moist with sweat and a drop of milk rolled out of his mouth and ran down his cheek. She situated him so he was upright, his head just under her chin. He melted bonelessly into her body. She instinctively sniffed his head. Intoxicating.
“I saw you sniff him! Is
your clock ticking?” Suzie asked.
“I don’t know if I have a clock, per se, but there’s something about babies’ heads, isn’t there?”
“They smell good,” Molly agreed. “Until they don’t. I suppose it’s too soon to ask if you have the urge to bring a little real estate agent into the world.”
“We haven’t been dating that long,” Lori said. She mentally imagined a small baby in a three-piece suit and a false mustache. Drinking a bottle of cheap beer, no doubt, instead of milk. Henry let out a small grunt as she shifted his position a bit. For a bundle of less than 10 pounds, he sure did get heavy fast. “But I’ve gotta admit, I have high hopes that he’s different.” She didn’t have any intention of going into further details with all of Molly’s kids around. She looked down at Henry. He was wearing a little striped blue and white sleeper. Suddenly, rude noises erupted from his diaper area. Tommy laughed.
“I’ll forgive you for teasing me if you get that,” he said. “I’ve been peed and pooped on enough already.”
“Oh, I’m a nurse. Pee and poop are a big part of my life,” she said. “Where’s the changing table?”
“We have one in our bedroom, but David is sleeping. We’ve just been changing him down here on that blanket on the floor,” Molly said, pointing to an impromptu changing station in the corner, with a blanket, a changing pad, a pile of diapers and a box of wipes.
Lori carried Henry over to the blanket and carefully laid him down on the changing pad. “OK, Henry, let’s see if Nurse Lori can change you successfully.” She unsnapped the sleeper and eased it up to the baby’s waist. She unfolded a fresh diaper and got a wipe ready. Then she unfastened the dirty diaper, lifted the baby by his feet, quickly wiped him clean and whisked the fresh diaper into place. Just as she began fastening it, he cut loose with another blast of poop, making everybody in the room except Lori laugh.
“OK, you booger. You did that on purpose,” Lori said. She got a fresh wipe and diaper handy and this time she got him clean and changed successfully. She fastened the diaper into place, turning the top down to avoid the stump of his umbilical cord. She stood up and carried the dirty diaper into the kitchen, deposited it into the trash and washed her hands.
The doorbell rang and Tommy nearly ran to the door to answer it. He was at the door for quite a while, and came back eventually carrying the pizzas. He looked like he was actually blushing, and Lori was sorry she’d embarrassed him. She helped him set the table and arrange the pizzas, smiling at him, and quietly offered an apology.
“I’m really sorry — I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” she said. “Really. I won’t do that again.”
“It’s OK,” he said. “Just — no more talk about Theresa.”
“Got it. Seriously.”
“OK.”
“Pizza is served!” Lori called. Molly carefully laid Henry in his bassinet and they came to the table. Good old Clarence, Molly’s ancient old beagle-basset mix, woke up and wandered in, his toenails clicking on the wood floor of the dining room. Tommy and his sisters surreptitiously fed the old dog bits of sausage and Molly appeared to be pretending not to notice. At least old Clarence wasn’t as heavy as he used to be; when Molly first adopted him from the shelter he could barely walk. He was still a little chubby but he got around fine now.
Henry slept long enough for Molly to eat three pieces of pizza, joking that she could afford the calories because Henry was sucking everything she ate out of her. Lori took a long look at Molly. Her hair was in a ponytail hanging limply down her back. She wore no makeup, and she was still in her shapeless maternity clothes. Yet, she looked indescribably beautiful.
“What are you looking at?” Molly asked, nervously smoothing down her hair.
“I’m looking at you. You look so beautiful right now.”
“Ha! I don’t think I’ve even combed my hair today, actually.”
“But you are the most beautiful you’ve ever been. More beautiful than at your wedding, even,” Lori said.
“I didn’t see you drinking any wine, but you must be drunk,” Molly joked.
“She’s right, Mom,” Beth said. Suzie nodded. “You look like an amazing warrior-mother.”
“Well, you’re all being very kind,” Molly said. “I feel like a wreck. But thank you.”
“You should go upstairs and take a nap with David. We’ll watch Henry,” Suzie said. “We’ll come get you when he wakes up.”
“I believe I’ll take you up on that,” Molly said. “Thanks for the pizza, Lori. It’s nap time for me. I’ve gotta get my beauty sleep while I can.” She stood up and gave Lori a long hug. Lori could feel she still had a little tummy poking out in between them. “I’ll call you later,” she said. “I want to hear the details.” Then, more quietly, so only Lori could hear, she whispered, “You look exhausted and beautiful. You’re in love, aren’t you?”
“We’ll talk when you’ve had a chance to catch up on some sleep,” Lori said.
“That’ll be about three years from now,” Molly said. They said their goodbyes and Lori headed back home, thinking a nap sounded pretty good to her, too.
She had to lie down on the clean-ish side of the bed, but was asleep in no time. An hour or so later she woke feeling much better and stripped the bed — again — and started another load of laundry. She’d only purchased one set of sheets because they were so expensive. Clearly she was going to have to cough up the bucks to get another set. Maybe a couple. She checked her phone and saw that Jake had proposed picking her up at 7. That still gave her plenty of time to throw the sheets in the dryer, get a shower and glam up for their date.
He arrived early. He’d changed out of what he’d taken to calling his “real estate man costume” and was wearing his comfortable old jeans and a plaid shirt. Lori greeted him with a long, enthusiastic kiss. He made a big show out of physically pushing her away.
“Unhand me, you shameless woman. I know how your feminine wiles work. But I’m hungry. I’m not going to take you upstairs and make you orgasm 17 times until I’ve had some dinner.”
Lori laughed. “How was your open house?”
“I barely made it there on time. Thanks to you. So I didn’t get a chance to do any damage control. The whole place stank because they didn’t change their cat litter box, as I’d made sure to tell them to do. And they must have cooked some cabbage or something God-awful right before I got there. I opened some windows, emptied the litter box, and sprayed some emergency air freshener, which I always carry, and vacuumed the living room. And stuck all their dirty dishes in the oven. That’s a tried and true trick. The place didn’t look great, but oh well.”
“Dirty dishes in the oven? How positively terrible,” Lori said, thinking of all the times she had done the same thing.
“Uh, one thing you might not realize is that time I had that appointment with you in your apartment, your oven door was glass, you know. I couldn’t help but notice you had the same trick.”
“At least I didn’t have a dirty litter box.”
“Only because you don’t have a cat.”
“I will not take such criticism from a man who keeps dirty dishes on his bedside table,” she joked.
“I just keep extra pizza crusts there in case I get hungry during the night,” he said. “It’s actually quite practical.”
“Whatever,” Lori said. “Anyway, you notice I’m not doing so badly at keeping this place clean. Other than the bed. The bed has been a problem area, I admit. But that hasn’t always been my fault.”
“Not always,” Jake agreed. “You ready to get some Thai?”
“I actually had pizza at Molly’s, but yeah. I’m always up for Thai.”
They both ordered the Pad See Ew this time. Lori told him all about Henry and they chatted happily while working through the chewy rice noodles they both loved.
“So I think Tommy and Theresa are really getting to like each other,” she said. “And I need to call Caroline. I almost forgot with everything else, but I’
m dying to find out what is happening with Harriet and Caroline’s boyfriend’s dad. I just know there’s a hell of a story there.”
“I admit I’m kinda curious about that myself,” he said. “You work tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’ll pump Harriet for information then for sure. I hope she doesn’t run off with John Turner and leave us short-handed in the ER,” she joked.
“Harriet looks to be retirement age. Maybe she and her old boyfriend will run back off to Florida together.”
“Caroline was afraid she was going to end up playing maid to Johnny and his dad. Johnny is apparently not so very domestic-minded around the house. He is driving her insane.”
Jake put down his fork. “My dad is the same. His generation just doesn’t usually consider helping out around the house. But my mom did make sure to teach me the basics. Laundry, dishes, whatever. Good thing she did, because I needed to know all that, living alone.”
“Have you ever lived with anyone?”
“No. You?”
“Nope, I’ve always lived by myself, other than college roommates. All girls.” At Jake’s questioning look, she added, “All PLATONIC girls.”
“Just checking.” He took another bite of rice noodle, a thoughtful look on his face. “I don’t plan to live by myself forever, though.”
Lori’s heart skipped a beat.
“I might get a cat,” he said. “I like dogs, but I don’t think I could do justice to a dog, with all the time I spend away from home. A cat would be more practical.”
“We had both, growing up. Always had a cat in the house. Had a dog later on. Buster. He was some kind of mixed-up mutt. So mixed up we couldn’t even guess what kinds. Good dog, though. All of us kids used to fight about who got to sleep with him. He liked to sleep curled up by my feet. Kept me warm in the winter. I’m always cold.”
“Well, you won’t be cold tonight. I thought maybe you’d want to sleep at my house tonight, perhaps?”
“OK, but you have to buy my dinner,” she joked.
“Or maybe you should buy mine, if you’re planning to seduce me,” he said. “I don’t put out for nothing, you know.”
Lori surreptitiously threw her wadded up straw wrapper at him, hitting him square in the chest. “Yes, you do.”
Kiss & Tell (Small-Town Secrets-Fairview Series Book 2) Page 17
