by KL Hughes
Chapter Twenty-Two
“You sure you don’t think this is totally lame?” Allison shuffled through the contents of a cabinet in Elena’s kitchen.
“I’m sorry?” The question put a halt to Elena’s wine-selection process. “To what are you referring, dear?”
Allison stopped her own rifling as well. “This,” she said, waving a hand through the air.
“Perhaps you could be a bit more specific.” Elena chuckled. “I’m afraid I can’t read your mind.”
“Damn, and here I was really hoping we were going to have one of those sweet telepathic connections or whatever like all the weirdoes in movies.”
“Has that ever actually happened in a film?”
“Eh, I don’t know. But tell me that wouldn’t be sweet. Lovers who can communicate with their minds? Pretty awesome.”
“Lovers?” Elena arched a brow and leaned against the counter.
Allison winked. “A girl can dream, Elena.”
Turning back to the cabinet, Allison began shuffling things aside again. She could still feel the heat of Elena’s gaze on her back, though, and knew she had yet to look away from her. Her stomach flipped and her skin began to tingle, and all from only a stare.
“She certainly can,” Elena said. Her voice was an octave lower than before, and Allison felt those words in every part of her body. Her pants suddenly felt tight and uncomfortable. The few kisses the two women had already shared had been enough to nearly transform Allison into a puddle of goo; Allison thought she and Elena might actually explode if their hands ever moved below the waistline. What a way to die.
Allison laughed, the sound strangled as she cleared her throat. “You seriously have to quit with the devil voice.”
“You seriously have to quit with the references to sex.”
And then suddenly Elena was behind her, the heat of her body radiating over Allison’s body and making her shudder.
“What are you looking for, dear?”
“Uh, nothing. I was trying to look for something, but now I’m just fiddling with random stuff in the cabinets because somebody keeps distracting me.”
Elena chuckled as she moved a little closer to Allison, her hands extending toward her. She grabbed Allison’s hips and squeezed. “I have been busy with my own tasks, Allison.” Her breathy whisper skirted across the back of Allison’s ear. “It’s hardly my fault that you can’t keep your focus long enough to complete your own.”
“You are so mean.” Allison hoisted herself up on the kitchen counter to reach the back of the cabinet, because she had apparently hidden her stash farther back than she originally thought. Elena’s hands never moved from her hips.
The new position put Allison’s ass right in Elena’s face. Elena sighed. “And you say I’m the mean one.”
“Got it!” Allison’s hand finally latched around the Reese’s Pieces and microwaveable popcorn she had stuffed in the back of the cabinet for safe keeping. “Sorry, I apparently hid the things in Narnia.”
“What things?” Elena asked as Allison pulled back from the cabinet and started to turn to jump down.
“Momma!” a voice suddenly shouted from behind them, and Allison jumped so hard that she lost her balance. “Whoa wh—” Toppling down from her precarious perch on the edge of the kitchen counter, she barreled right into Elena. Elena’s back hit the tile floor with a hard thud, a loud rush of breath expelling from her lungs in an echoing grunt, and Allison landed right on top of her, her own knees cracking loudly against the floor.
“Ow.” Allison groaned as she forced herself up and off of her. “Elena?” she asked, one hand on Elena’s stomach and the other on her shoulder. “You okay?”
Elena finally sucked in a sharp breath and nodded, and Allison let out a sigh of relief. “Why didn’t you catch me?” She couldn’t resist the urge to rib her a little, even as Elena wheezed and pushed herself up into a sitting position.
“I believe I am the one who broke your fall, am I not?”
Allison grinned at her. “Good point, hero.”
“Momma.”
Elena and Allison turned to see Lucas standing just a few feet away, a giant smile on his face and still clad in only his pull-ups even after having been awake for a few hours. He clutched his new stuffed monkey like his life depended on it.
“Yes love?” Elena asked.
Lucas bounced on his heels as he giggled. “Alson falled.”
Allison burst into loud laughter as Elena chuckled and nodded. “Yes, Lucas, I am well aware that Allison fell.”
He just continued to offer his cheesy, adorable smile as he swayed from side to side and made his request. “Spicamal me?”
“Despicable.”
“Spicamal,” Lucas repeated.
Allison literally had to bite her knuckle to keep from laughing as Elena calmly repeated herself. “Despicable.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes at her as if mulling it over in his mind before slowly saying, “Spicamal.” Allison’s shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. She almost lost it entirely when she felt Elena’s elbow nudge her side.
“Okay, baby.” Elena began again, smiling at her son. “Listen to Momma very closely, okay?”
Lucas nodded and his gaze remained firmly fixed to his mother’s lips as she then slowly and carefully sounded out the word. “Deeee-spick-uh-bull.”
Both Allison and Elena watched as Lucas’s eyes narrowed again and the kid’s mouth moved wordlessly, as if he was working it all out before speaking. “Deeeeee.”
Elena had to nudge Allison again to keep her from giggling.
“—spicamal.”
Allison’s face practically turned blue.
“Well,” Elena said, tilting her head and reaching out to poke her son’s belly. “Perhaps we should work on that one another time, munchkin.”
“Okay!”
“Now, can you go wait on the couch like a big boy? Allison and I will be there in just a few minutes to start the movie.”
Lucas shrugged and ran off toward the living room.
Once he was out of sight, Elena and Allison slowly turned to look at one another. The moment their eyes met, the silence between them burst wide open with their shared laughter.
“That was the best thing ever,” Allison said as they sat next to each other on the kitchen floor. “Seriously, how is that kid so adorable?”
Elena’s playful gasp feigned overdone shock. “What do you mean how is he adorable?” She waved a teasing hand down the length of her body.
“Oh right,” Allison said, “must get it from his Mom.”
Elena arched a brow. “You disagree?”
“Not at all.”
They helped one another to their feet, and Elena rolled her eyes as soon as she saw what Allison had been looking for all along, items that had led to the likely bruise on her ass. “How many stashes of that vile concoction do you have hidden in my house?”
“More than you would think,” Allison said, sticking her tongue out. “And again, don’t knock it until you try it.”
“I truly loathe that saying.” Elena moved to the counter to uncork her wine selection.
“What saying?” The flat bag of popcorn kernels landed in the microwave with a thud as Allison tossed it in. “Don’t knock it until you try it?”
“Yes. It’s a poor motto.”
“How so?”
“Apply it to more than one topic, dear. Many have never tried murder, and yet it is still widely considered vile. Furthermore, do we not typically know ourselves well enough to have an established idea of what we will likely enjoy?”
“Touché.”
“Thank you.”
“So, I guess that means that I’m not going to get you try this stuff then, huh?” Allison asked as she pulled the now fully-popped popcorn from the microwave, dumped it into a large bowl, and then poured in her favorite little candies.
“I’m afraid not.” They walked toward the living room.
“Allison
,” Elena said as they swept through the dining room and past Lucas’s playroom, “what were you talking about earlier when you asked if I thought this was lame?”
“Oh. I just meant like this whole me-being-here-all-day-long thing. I don’t want to overstay my welcome or anything, and this date has technically been going now for like a century.”
“On the contrary,” she replied, “it’s been a lovely day, and I’m glad you stayed.”
“So, not lame?” Allison chirped as they entered the living room.
“Not lame at all, dear.”
* * *
They began the movie with Lucas smashed between them, Allison chomping on her popcorn and candy, and Elena sipping wine while absentmindedly running her fingers through her son’s soft hair. Allison laughed every time she caught Elena trying not to laugh at the little yellow minions.
“It’s so funny how they just speak constant gibberish.” Allison said.
Elena smiled. “They sometimes speak Spanish.”
“Seriously. When? I thought it was all nonsense.”
“Various points. When they give Agnes the little unicorn stick is one.”
“So, you speak Spanish?”
Elena nodded. “My father wanted to pass along the language; that, and my grandparents, his parents, speak very little English. I’ve been bilingual since I was Lucas’s age.”
“That’s so cool.” She then silently mouthed over Lucas’s head, And hot.
Elena laughed and shook her head. “I’m glad you think so.”
“Have you taught Lucas any?”
“Some. My father teaches him more than I do. It’s a wonderful bonding experience for the—”
The sound of the doorbell chiming interrupted her.
“That’s strange,” Elena whispered. She then slowly eased off the couch, moving Lucas over a bit from where he was half on her lap. “I will be right back.”
“Want me to pause?”
“No dear, go ahead.”
Allison sighed as she leaned back into the couch and glanced down at Lucas. The kid was entirely unfazed by all things happening around him—his mouth hanging wide open, his hair stuck up where Elena had been playing with it. His eyes remained glued to the screen. It had always amused Allison that no matter how many times kids saw the same movie, they could still be so enraptured by it.
Muffled voices filtered in from the foyer, but she couldn’t quite make out any words, and then she heard one loud exclamation. “Oh, nonsense!”
Lucas didn’t seem to hear any of it. Even when the sound of multiple sets of heels clicking in their direction reached their ears, Lucas merely continued to gape at the large television screen. Allison, though, grew nervous.
The sound of heels clicking toward the living room was followed by the form of Elena’s mother whipping around the corner. A wide-eyed and obviously highly annoyed Elena followed right behind.
“Allison darling!” Nora said. “How lovely to see you again!”
“Uh.” Allison scrambled to get out from beneath Lucas’s weight where he had unconsciously shifted over and halfway onto her lap once Elena left the couch. She finally scooted him aside and stood to take Nora’s hand. “Uh, Mrs. Vega. Hi…uh, hi. Wow, I wasn’t expecting…uh, hi.”
Nora smiled at Allison’s babbling as they shook hands. She pulled Allison into a shallow hug, adding a few quick pats to her shoulder. With eyes a little panicked, Allison glanced over her shoulder at Elena, who mouthed I’m sorry! As soon as she pulled out of the embrace, though, Allison forced herself to school her features and relax.
“Do take a breath, dear. I’m not here for your firstborn.”
Allison sucked in a breath and let it out in an awkward, strained laugh. Glancing at Elena, she saw her fighting a smile, and Allison glared before turning back to Nora, who moved past her to get to the little boy on the couch.
“Pumpkin!” Nora lowered herself elegantly onto the couch. Lucas only continued to gape at the television. He did, however, shift his body over and onto his grandmother’s lap without a word. He leaned back into her chest as he continued to watch the movie and then he tugged on her hand as he exploded into a fit of high-pitched giggles at another minion moment.
Nora glanced up at the other two women. “Apparently I am only useful as a piece of furniture.”
Elena and Allison stood several feet apart. Allison didn’t have a clue how to respond to this entirely unexpected interruption of their date, and, given Elena’s complete lack of action, it seemed she didn’t either. Allison felt nervous as hell, because, unlike the first time she met Nora Vega, she was now actually dating the woman’s daughter. The words Elena had spoken that day outside of Nora’s house kept echoing in Allison’s mind. Nora Vega Inquisition. Nora Vega Inquisition. Nora Vega Inquisition.
“So, Allison,” Nora began as she bounced Lucas lightly on her knees, and Allison felt her stomach clench as her mouth went dry. She didn’t know what was coming, but if her first meeting with Elena’s mom was anything to go by, she had half the mind to expect it wouldn’t be a standard “How have you been?”
“My daughter informs me that today is your first official date,” Nora said. “So, I assume this means that you are interested in more than a one-night stand?”
“Mother!” Elena hissed.
“Daughter!” Nora rolled her eyes.
“Must you do this?” Elena groaned.
Just then, the credits of the movie began to roll, and it was like an instant trigger snapping Lucas back to reality. He looked around and grinned at them all as he bounced on his grandmother’s lap. “You having a sleepover, Gram?”
“No, my sweet boy,” Nora replied. “Gram can’t have a sleepover tonight, but perhaps soon.”
Lucas looked in Allison’s direction. “You having a sleepover, Alson?”
Allison froze as Lucas stared at her expectantly. Pressing a hand to her temple, Elena let out a soft sigh, and Nora merely arched a brow, clearly waiting to hear Allison’s answer.
“Erm, I don’t think so, kid.” She glanced over at Elena, who looked just as lost for an answer as she did. All she could think to do was to shrug and repeat herself. “I don’t think so.”
“My, my.” Nora stood and lifted Lucas up into her arms. “Let me just take my grandson to bed, and then we shall discuss this further.”
“We shall?” Elena’s expression turned even more incredulous. “Mother, honestly—”
“Say goodnight to Momma, pumpkin.” She drifted past Allison and toward Elena. Lucas waved at Allison over Nora’s shoulder, already rubbing sleepily at his eyes, then turned to Elena. She sighed as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
“Goodnight, munchkin. Sweet dreams.”
“Night Momma.” He yawned, and then they were gone.
Elena and Allison shot across the gap between them, both grabbing the other’s hands.
“Oh my God, Elena, I’m tripping out.”
“Allison, I am so sorry. I had no idea my mother had any plan to visit.”
“Is she gonna interrogate me?”
Elena hesitated. “It is likely,” she admitted. But then, an idea struck her. “Unless!” She darted away to grab her cell phone before returning. A moment later, the device was pressed to her ear.
“Daddy!” she said into the phone. “Yes, yes, listen: I need you to call mother and ask her to return home at once. Daddy, I’m not kidding. This is serious. She is imposing on my date and is being entirely inappropriate. You have to—what? Vivian?”
Allison hadn’t seen that one coming. The dread pooling in her gut only intensified.
“Vivian, what are you doing at my parents’ house?” Elena shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Put Daddy back on the phone. He has to convince Mother to return home before she interrogates Allison about God only knows what.”
“It’s not funny, Viv!” Elena’s eyes went wide. “Oh no! No, no, no, no, you are not coming over here. No! You will not add to this! Vivian
, don’t you da—hello?”
Elena cursed as she slammed the button to hang up her phone. She looked at Allison. “This is about to get ten times worse.”
Allison’s heart pounded. Was she seriously about to get a tag-team interrogation from both Elena’s mother and Elena’s best friend? “Elena, I’m too young to die!”
Snorting with laughter, Elena pulled her closer. “You can escape now. I will cover for you.”
A smile spread over Allison’s lips, lopsided and tense from her buzzing nerves. “Will that automatically make me a coward in your mom’s eyes?”
“Likely yes,” Elena admitted, and they both sighed, pressing their foreheads together.
“Well, shit. I guess we’re doing this then.”
Elena pressed a quick, small kiss to Allison’s lips. “I guess we are.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sitting on the small loveseat across from the couch, Allison’s spine was like a steel rod. She was pretty sure she had never exhibited better posture in all her life. Her fingers tingled, that feeling of borderline numbness, as they danced nervously atop her knees. Her stomach rolled with every breath, and she was certain that her heart had not stopped pounding since the moment she heard Nora returning from Lucas’s room.
Elena, seated beside her, leaned over and bumped Allison’s shoulder with her own. “Take a breath,” she whispered.
Realizing she had been holding her breath to the point of pain, Allison took Elena’s advice and sucked in a mouthful of air. Her shoulders sagged an inch as he exhaled and she smiled at Elena. “Thanks.”
Nora swept into the room with a calculating look in her eyes. She dropped onto the couch opposite her daughter and Allison and inspected them. “My, you two look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
Elena leaned back into the cushion of the loveseat, her shoulder resting warmly against Allison’s. “Stop taunting us, Mother, and let’s get this over with, shall we?”
“Oh, Elena, I haven’t the slightest idea as to what you are referring.” The sparkle in her eyes, so like Elena’s, gave her away, though.
