Elodie nodded, before yelling in a loud voice.
“Sorry sir, we’re already part of the Church of Satan. Try next door!”
Pretending to have run into a religious group canvassing the neighborhood, Elodie pushed Xander through the entry, and closed the door behind her.
Xander was now standing in the foyer, looking up a flight of stairs to Molly’s kitchen. Almost tripping on a pyramid of mixed shoes and heels, Xander walked carefully past the entry way and up to where Molly was sitting on the living room couch.
“Molly?”
Molly jerked her head around, frightened at hearing a stranger’s voice in her house.
“Xander? Jesus, I thought you were an intruder or something! Have you ever heard of knocking? That kind of thing could send me into labor!”
Molly strenuously stood to her feet, walking over to meet him.
“I’m sorry for scaring you. Elodie let me in on her way out to… work, I’m guessing. I wanted to come and talk to you. Johnny told me you came by the gym the other day.”
Molly looked Xander over, examining him as if looking at him for the first time.
“You sound different. You look different, too.”
Xander ran his hand through his beard.
“I feel different. I’m sure you’ve been warned not to trust guys who say they’ve changed, but I really have, Molly. I came to let you know that I turned down an offer to fight for Tommy again, in the hopes that you and I could…”
“Could what, exactly?” Molly took another step closer to Xander.
“Could be…” Xander struggled to find the words.
“Together?”
Molly finished his sentence in a whisper, now standing close enough to Xander that he could smell the perfume on her neck.
“Only if you could find it in your heart to forgive me. I know I don’t deserve you, or the baby, but I want to be the best father and the best partner I can be. I want you. I want a family with you.”
Xander felt like dropping to his knees and begging, but in his experience, desperation wasn’t flattering on anyone.
“Do you think someone who hasn’t forgiven you already would do this?”
Molly wrapped her arms around the back of Xander’s neck, pulling his mouth to hers. Opening her lips, she flicked her tongue against his as Xander sunk further into her grasp.
“I want you too, Xander. I’ve always wanted you.”
Molly grabbed his hands and placed them on her swollen breasts.
“Take me. I’ve waited too long.”
Xander glanced down at her belly, much larger now than the last time he had seen her.
Molly paused for a moment, putting her hands where Xander was staring.
“Are you scared?” she asked.
“Terrified.”
Molly smiled,
“Then let’s be terrified together.”
Chapter 74
Molly had missed the passion, the torture and the pleasure that Xander would put her through as he teased his tongue back and forth on her skin. Sinking his finger into her crevice, Molly moaned for more as Xander ran his mouth across her clitoris.
Starting slowly, he traced first her name, then the alphabet. As Molly began thrusting her hips in time with his curling, penetrating finger, he pushed another inside of her and began speeding up the rhythm of his tongue.
“Oh, Xander, I’m going to…”
She could barely speak as he pushed down with his mouth. She let out a cry, moving more and more against her own will. The feelings of pure ecstasy consumed her very consciousness, until she had rolled her eyes back, looking at the headboard above her. Just when Molly thought she couldn’t feel any better, a crescendo of pleasure arose from her vulva and she convulsed, clamping Xander’s head between her legs.
Molly turned onto her side, eager to give Xander the same pleasure he had given her.
Xander settled beside her.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Molly.”
Molly grabbed Xander’s arm and wrapped it around her waist.
“You won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”
Guiding him behind her, Molly brought herself to her knees, pressing one hand onto the headboard and another firmly into the mattress.
Xander closed a hand around his member, sliding it gently into her. He clasped his hands onto her hips, sinking further and further with every push back Molly gave. Molly looked over her shoulder, an expression of euphoria on her face.
Throwing back his head, Xander dug his fingers into Molly’s skin. Irresistible spasms started in his pelvis and pulsed outwards until Xander felt it radiate through his entire body. Molly gasped with their mutual release, raking her fingers down the headboard.
Molly slowly laid on her back, grabbing Xander’s arm to bring him in.
“Xander there’s something I want to tell you.” Molly said, still breathing heavily.
He brushed the hair away from Molly’s face, tucking it behind her ear.
“I love you, Molly Tompkins.”
Molly smiled and wiped away the tears running down her face.
“I love you too, Xander Delgado.”
Chapter 75
“Molly, don’t you dare lift anything. It’s why I hired movers, my love.” Xander scooped the box of breakables Molly had in her arms.
“I hate being treated like I’m fragile. I can’t wait until I give birth and can go back to being seen as a normal person.”
Picking up a stack of magazines, she asked, “Is this okay?”
Xander shook his head.
“No way. You’re seven and a half months pregnant, Mol. Just relax and let us do the work. You have a baby tend to.”
Molly placed the magazines on top of the box Xander was carrying.
“You’re right, I know. I’m just getting impatient. A few more hours and we’ll be living in the same house, decorating our baby’s room with flowers… and Tonka trunks.”
Both Molly and Xander wanted the sex of the baby to be a surprise. Much to Elodie’s irritation, Molly decided not to have a baby shower, nonetheless she was still inundated with toys and clothes for both baby boys and girls.
Xander kissed Molly’s forehead and toted the box out to the moving van. Molly took the last of her possessions—the family photo album she held so dear, and a stuffed teddy bear with a badge that said, “You did it!”
Her parents had given it to her as a present when she graduated, just as their parents had done for them.
Xander appeared in her room.
“Molly? We’re all packed and ready to go. Did you leave your key for the new tenant?”
Molly was still holding tightly onto her bear, rubbing the badge and thinking of what it would be like to be back in school.
“Do you ever miss it?”
Xander wrapped his arms around her and swept the hair from her eyes.
“Miss being a kid and hangin’ out with my stuffies? Sure do,” Xander said sarcastically.
“No, you goof. I mean, do you miss fighting? I remember being back in school and stressing out all of the time about getting good grades, but now that I’m done, I kind of miss it.”
Xander poked a finger in to the bear’s squishy body and for a moment, Molly wasn’t sure if he would respond. They hadn’t breeched the subject much lately, and that was mainly because he said he wasn’t interested in thinking about fighting now that he had a baby on the way.
“I don’t want to fight anymore. None of that has changed. But, I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss the community, and the culture around fighting. I just don’t want to be the fighter.”
Molly tucked her bear into Xander’s arms.
“Unexpected things come from unexpected places. I didn’t foresee myself becoming a mother, and when I first found out, I thought long and hard about whether or not it was the path I wanted to take in life. But now, I can’t imagine it any other way. I’m not saying you have to go back to fighting, but it pains me to watch y
ou sneak around looking at old videos of your competitions when you think I’m not looking. I talked to Johnny, and we came up with an idea.”
Last time Johnny had an idea, it involved Tommy. I’m not exactly keen to go down that rabbit hole again.
“What if instead of fighting, you become a manager? Like Tommy? But not like him, never like him. As a manager, you could help out other fighters and really shape the way the fighting community functions around here. It’s corrupt, from what Johnny tells me. You could be the one to make it better.”
It had crossed his mind once or twice. When Xander would be laying on the couch at Molly’s apartment long after she had fallen asleep, he would contemplate all the ways in which he would be an improved version of Tommy—a manager who listened to the wants and needs of the fighters under his roof.
“But what about finding a space? Real estate in the city is crazy expensive. There’s no way we could afford it, even with a loan. Besides, it would require an insane amount of work just to get it off the ground. I do know a lot of fighters who would rather train somewhere other than Tommy’s though. I bet they would jump at the opportunity to come over to my side.”
Molly walked across her room and opened a filing cabinet, pulling out a small stack of papers.
“Johnny and I went for a drive yesterday while you were out running errands. Outside of town just a little ways, there’s a huge plot of land with a run-down farm house that could be converted into a gym. Johnny said a couple boys he trains with are construction workers on the side and would love to renovate the place for you. The only thing they ask is for a free life-time membership and a spot on your team once they’ve put in enough hours training. These papers are for closing the deal with the guy selling the property. He’s been trying to find a buyer for almost a decade and up until we came along, he hadn’t had much luck. We could get it for next to nothing, Xander. I really think this is meant to be.”
Xander flipped through the papers. The property would be big enough for both the gym and a sizable parking lot. Pictures of the farm house showed that it was definitely run-down, but a lot of it could be salvaged.
He was silent for a moment, unable to speak due to the sizable lump in this throat.
“I don’t know what to say, Molly. This is by far the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.”
Molly held her cellphone in front of Xander, showing a number on the screen that he didn’t recognize.
“Just say yes, babe. You can run the business portion out of our house until the gym is up and running. It will allow you to work from home so you can be around for me and the baby when we need you. This is the number for the seller. Call him and tell him you’re going to take it. I know you want this.”
Xander hovered his thumb over the talk button for a moment, before finally pressing it. As he put the phone to his ear, Molly rubbed his shoulders and smiled.
“I’m proud of you, Xander. I’ll meet you in the van when you’re done.”
Molly kissed him on the cheek and carried her bear out of the apartment.
You did it. You really did it.
Chapter 76
Molly had been living at Xander’s house for two weeks, and almost finished with the baby’s room, she had started reviving the neglected garden.
Xander had been just as productive, converting an unused room into an office space fitted with two desks, two phones, and two computers. One for himself, and one for Johnny.
“So, now that we’re business partners Xan, how do you feel about getting matching shirts?
Imagine,” Johnny said as he traced the horizon with his hand, “B.J. Fights, Inc. Hey? What do you think?”
Xander swiveled in his chair, looking to see if Johnny was serious.
“Let me get this straight, ‘B’ for Beast, and ‘J’ for Johnny? So together they make ‘B.J?’ Really? You do realize what that sounds like, right?”
Johnny snorted, trying to conceal his embarrassment.
“I was joking, obviously. Anyway, what’s our roster look like for the Amateurs and Pros right now? Last time I checked, we had a few boys from Tommy’s gym leaning our way. Any progress there?”
Xander rolled his chair to the side of the computer, leaving space for Johnny to wheel over and look at the spreadsheet Xander had open on his screen.
Johnny scanned the names listed under both categories.
“No way. Dude, this is amazing! Just through word of mouth and we’ve already got Bonanza on our team? One of the best pros to come out of Texas? There are like five other guys on this list that could blow any of the Spitz fighters out of the water, and what’s left of Tommy’s team. This is solid work, Xan.”
Johnny pushed himself away from Xander’s computer desk and back to his own.
“I should probably start contacting gyms around different cities and shamelessly promoting our skyrocketing business, yeah? I don’t want to sleep on this. As your managing assistant and business partner, do I have your permission to go forward?” he asked, now standing on his two feet, saluting at Xander like a soldier would to his ranking officer.
“Proceed, soldier,” Xander said, trying on his best military voice.
“Aye-aye, Captain.”
Johnny picked up his phone and began dialing numbers from a small, black book on his desk.
Molly stood at the doorway, holding a tray of sandwiches and two glasses of orange juice.
“Is he still too worked up to eat right now?” Molly whispered, pointing at Johnny who was now enthusiastically introducing himself over the phone to an event coordinator in Houston.
“He’ll eat it eventually if you just leave it here with us. Thank you, baby. You didn’t have to.”
Xander took the tray full of food from Molly and set it down by Johnny, motioning for him to eat something.
Molly sat on the edge of Xander’s desk, observing the office he had put together in so little time.
“It’s the least I can do to help. Really, if there’s anything more I could be doing, just let me know. I’m so proud of you two, baby. What you’ve accomplished already is impressive, to say the least.”
Oh shit.
Xander looked at his computer screen behind Molly, where he had accidentally left open a page laying out his plans to propose to her within the next month.
I have to get her out of here before she sees it.
He cleared his throat loud enough for Johnny to turn around, darting his eyes and nodding his head subtly toward his computer. Johnny seemed confused at first about what Jedi-mind tricks Xander was trying to perform, and then finally caught on.
“Ah, sorry to cut you off, but I’ve got a call coming in on the other line.” Johnny abruptly hung up his phone and practically jumped up out of his chair.
“Molly! I’m glad you’re here. I needed your help in the um… in the yard for a second. There’s this tree that’s blocking my view of the mountains there and I was thinking we could try and figure out where to transplant it.”
Molly raised an eyebrow at Johnny.
“Sure, J. We can go look at this… tree you want… moved.”
Sliding off of the desk onto her feet, Molly leaned over to kiss Xander’s forehead.
“I think he needs to be walked daily. It’s your turn next.”
Xander laughed nervously. As soon as Johnny and Molly left the office, he quickly rolled over to his computer screen and exited the “Prop. Page.”
Whew, that was close. I knew it was a stupid idea to write it down.
Xander looked out the window to check if Johnny and Molly were far enough away from the house to be safe.
I could just quickly go over everything again.
He reopened the page and began reading details of the various ideas he’d had for how he could propose to Molly. From the moment Molly welcomed him back into her life, Xander had been brainstorming ways he could ask her to be his wife. Starting from the top of his list, Xander read through his ‘proposal proposals.
’
“On the beach, during the sunset.”
Romantic, but it might be hard for her to walk in the sand at almost nine months pregnant.
“Wedding ring in a cupcake.”
She could choke and die. Not exactly what I’m going for.
“Jumbo-Tron at the next Ranger’s game.” And if she say’s no? Thousands of people would be watching. No thanks.
Xander scrolled down to the very bottom of the page, bypassing a number of ideas that made him roll his eyes, or better yet, laugh at himself.
Wait, what’s this one? Reading the second to last sentence, Xander felt goosebumps on his arms. This is the one. It’s perfect.
Everything but the final idea, Xander had deleted. The front door opened and Xander closed the screen just as Molly and Johnny walked back into the office.
“You’re all smiles. What are you doing?” Molly asked suspiciously.
“Just thinking about you, Molly Tompkins.” Xander pulled Molly onto his lap and kissed her lips.
Molly Delgado. I like the sound of that.
Chapter 77
“I WANT TO SEE HIM SUFFER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
Tommy marched angrily around his office, yelling at the lawyer he’d hired a month previous to help bring down Xander Delgado.
“I understand that, but there are legal implications to what you’re asking. The best I can do is issue a court order. You said that he did sign the contract, right?”
Tommy’s lawyer was holding the contract papers Xander had rejected when Tommy had offered to become his manager again.
“If you opened your eyes Mr. Menard, you would see your answer written plainly on the bottom of the page where it says ‘Xander Delgado’ in that chicken scratch he calls a signature.”
Mr. Menard rested his reading glasses on his nose, and looked over the signature for the fifth time.
“Yes, I understand. It’s just that… well, the other day when I was asking about a possible breach of contract, you mentioned that he had never signed the papers.”
Tommy pulled at his hair with both hands.
“I made a mistake! It all just happened so fast. He signed the papers, and then next thing you know Johnny whats-his-face was pulling him out of here and feeding him all sorts of lies about me. Xander came back in and told me he couldn’t do it and fled! Now he’s got a gym and he’s managing people? I won’t have it. He’s a two-faced, manipulative liar who’s using what I’ve taught him to throw me out of business. I want him out.”
Lieutenant Commander Stud Page 42
