Kiss Kiss

by Various Authors

  Nicole and Lauren had a makeup talk over chai tea and black coffee. Lauren had cited the anniversary of her mother’s death and insecurity about Jack as excuses for her bender. Uniquely empathetic on both counts, Nicole explained about Ryan’s infidelities and told Lauren she was ready to move past their falling out. Things on that front were back to normal.

  Though she’d emailed all of the Harpers right after Mitch left her house, she hadn’t heard a single peep from anyone but Avery and Angela.

  As she reflected back on Aaron’s late night phone call, she frowned. News of Ryan’s attempt to reunite with his friend was a poorly timed discovery. Aaron had been a wreck when he called the night before, but Avery assured her she’d look out for him. He’d called her this morning, asking her to bring Ike and come out to his place. This was a first. He’d sounded nervous and she tried not worry.

  She turned the Jeep off and climbed out. Pulling Ike from his seat, he snuggled into her and rested his blonde head on her shoulder. She wanted him to see Santa before she went to Aaron’s cottage, and the line seemed to be dying down. As she approached the barn, she spied Aaron chatting with customers as he helped them with their packages. His smile instantly warmed her chilled body. He seemed to sense her and turned in her direction. The look that crossed his face melted her fears.

  “Aaron!” Ike screamed in her ear, making Nicole jump. He wriggled until she let him down and raced to Aaron who swooped him up and tossed him high in the air. Ike giggled.

  “Have you seen Santa yet?” Nicole heard him ask Ike.

  “We were just getting in line.” She responded as he bent down to brush her lips with his.

  “All right. When you’re done, come on over. I have something cooking, so I have to go.”

  After waiting twenty minutes to watch Ike refuse to sit on Santa’s lap, she parked behind Aaron’s truck in front of the cottage. Aaron opened the door and Castle trotted out to greet them. Ike squealed as the large dog licked his face. As she entered the kitchen, she inhaled the savory scent of pot roast and saw that Aaron had made an attempt to set the table. Nicole noticed that a great deal of the furniture that had been there on her first visit was now missing.

  As they dug into cherry pie, Aaron cleared his throat.

  “Ike, I’ve been thinking…” he began thoughtfully.

  “God help us all,” Nicole joked. Aaron’s eyes twinkled as he smirked in her direction. He turned back to Ike, who cocked an eyebrow at Aaron as he held a spoon in one hand and ate pie with the other.

  “I think I need to make an honest woman of your mom.” Nicole’s eyes flew wide, but Aaron ignored her. “I know, I know it seems sudden. But between you and me, I’ve known her a lot of years and she’s a heck of a lot older than she looks.”

  Ike listened raptly to Aaron as he mauled at his pie, a huge red ring of cherry guts circling his mouth. Aaron turned to Nic, who felt her mouth hanging open.

  “Well?”

  “Are you … serious?” Everything seemed to grind to a halt. Aaron dropped out of his chair to one knee in front of her. He was eye to eye with her, and Nicole felt like her lungs were failing her, unable to expand to gather breath.

  “For once I’m totally serious. I want this to be our home. I want you two here with me at this table every night. We’ve missed so much time, Nic. So, will you?” Aaron pulled a ring out of nowhere and held it between them, tilting his head questioningly.

  Ike scoffed and muttered, “Silly Aaron.”

  Both Nicole and Aaron turned to Ike and snickered, then turned back to one another.

  Nicole searched his welcome, loving eyes. She found herself without any reservations and knew she was home.

  “What do you think, Ike?” she asked, her eyes glued to Aaron whose left dimple began to show itself. Ike made a loud raspberry sound in response. “Well, there’s your answer.”

  Aaron taunted her with a furrowed brow. “Say the words, Nicki.”

  Nicole rolled her eyes and happily wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes, Aaron, I will.”

  Shilah leaned against the printer tiredly. He gathered up his copies and aggressively shoved them into his briefcase. It had been a very tense week at Gates Corp. On Monday, he’d presented Mr. Gates with the paper trail he’d compiled, evidence that someone was cutting corners. Shilah had traced it back to Jason and he knew that Jason’s father, being a savvy businessman, would figure it out soon. He wondered about the fallout of whistleblowing on the owner’s son, but he no longer cared. Jason was skimming money from the company and his blatant violation of regulations pissed Shilah off. It was now Friday afternoon, and he hadn’t heard a peep. He took a moment to pat himself on the back for not investing in property in Jefferson Point. He figured he’d be unemployed by New Year’s.

  He was packing up to leave the office, when he received an email that Jason was being reassigned to the Delaware office. Though he should have been smiling ear to ear, he took no pleasure in the news. He trudged to his car and took the winding, solitary drive to Jack and Lauren’s. He saw several vehicles parked in front of their turn-of-the-century farmhouse, and knew he was late for the poker game. Lauren answered the door and placed a hand on her hip.

  “I’m meeting Avery for drinks. Anything you want me to tell her?” Shilah rolled his eyes to the heavens as Jack called to her disapprovingly from the poker table.

  “Ah come on, woman. Leave the poor guy alone.”

  Shilah took his seat at the table, and Ron passed him a cold bottle of Budweiser. He took a seat across from Ron, between Aaron and Sean.

  “I just have to say one more thing…” Lauren continued as she put on her coat.

  “Lauren!” Jack sighed loudly.

  “Shut up, Jack.” She dismissed him dispassionately and turned to Shilah. “Nice timing on the breakup, right before Christmas. Suave move.”

  “Lauren, I really don’t need a lecture tonight.”

  “Oh, I disagree. But I’ve been sworn to secrecy, so you can just wallow here in misery with your poker buddies while I go try to mop up your mess.”

  She walked out, slamming the door loudly behind her.

  “Well, that was a fun killer.” Ron smiled, his gold tooth sparkling as he lit a cigar.

  “My wife, ladies and gentleman,” Jack agreed.

  Shilah couldn’t shake the image of Avery’s face when he announced he was leaving. He’d known something was terribly wrong, but he’d been too angry and too proud to ask her to confide in him for the thousandth time. She probably wouldn’t have told him anyway. In truth, he missed the hell out of her wicked, dry sense of humor and her amazing body. He thought of the turquoise necklace he’d bought for her on their trip that he still carried wrapped in his briefcase. He tried to tell himself that he didn’t love her, but he knew it was a lie. He pulled out his cell phone and selected her name. When her picture popped up, he couldn’t help but smile.

  “Why don’t you just call her?” Aaron asked, as he dealt the cards.

  His finger hovered over the call button, but he stopped himself and put the phone away.

  “She wouldn’t have anything to say to me anyway,” he replied and picked up his cards.

  “Avery’s had some hard pills to swallow lately. Doesn’t really seem like you gave her much of a chance.” Aaron tossed out the cards two at a time. Shilah raised an eyebrow in his direction.

  “I was tired of trying to be a mind reader,” Shilah replied as he appraised his cards.

  “Avery has always been very complicated. If you aren’t up for the challenge, it’s probably best you left when you did.” Aaron looked at his own cards and laid a couple down.

  “What is this, ‘fuck with Shilah’s head’ night?” He heaved a sigh.

  “Can we just play some cards? I would like to get home at a decent time and try to get laid.” Ron choked on smoke from his cigar.

  “How long has the ‘sex ban’ been this time?” Jack turned to Ron with a grin.

  “Two w
eeks. I can remember back in my heyday, I would have two girls a night. Are you sure you want to get married, Aaron?”

  “You’re getting married?” Shilah tossed down his cards.

  “Yep,” Aaron replied, picking up a couple of replacement cards. Shilah saw Aaron attempt to stifle a smile, but fail.

  “Kinda soon, don’t you think?” Shilah felt his face twist in disbelief. Aaron turned to him with a smartass grin.

  “You think we should get to know each other better first?”

  “Are you folding, or what?” Ron asked Shilah grumpily, and Shilah nodded, going to the fridge for another beer.

  Sean’s phone began to ring and Aaron laughed at his ringtone “Damn it’s good to be a Gansta.”

  “What’s up, boy’o? I’m trying to win some money.” Sean blurted into the phone. His expression turned instantly serious. “Shit.”

  Everyone at the table was watching him as the one-sided conversation continued.

  “I’ll be there in thirty. Call the cops if you have to.” He flipped has phone closed.

  “What’s up, buttercup?” Ron asked.

  “That was Colin. I guess Jason and a couple of his sidekicks are at the bar, trying to start shit with anyone who walks by their table. It’s getting busy and he may need some assistance with crowd control.”

  “Let’s go watch Jason get his ass thrown out.” Jack blurted excitedly to Shilah who nodded.

  “You’ll be happy to know I put Shilah in his place tonight.” Lauren bit into a French fry. They’d met at The Captain’s Cove for appetizers and drinks, since Nicole insisted O’Connell’s seemed gauche.

  “Ugh, Lauren,” Avery replied, looking from Lauren to Jules. “Can we just not talk about men tonight?”

  “I had to do it. Ditching you three days before Christmas? He’s lucky I didn’t kick him in the nuts.”

  “He came into CoffeeSmith’s yesterday. He seems really sad,” Jules interjected.

  “It’s my fault. I pushed him away.” She let her mind drift back to Arizona, and when he first said he loved her. His three little words made her both scared and elated. She wished they’d never seen her mother at the hotel. Mother … Jason … Ryan … it was impossible for Avery to hear the word love without thinking of disappointment.

  “He reminds me so much of me when I was in the Air Force. I didn’t give a shit. I was totally like ‘next!’ Jack was the one everyone wanted. I didn’t have time to chase after him. It was way too much work. Life’s too short,” Lauren said.

  “Yeah, yeah, everyone thinks Shilah’s all that.” Avery sipped down the last of her cocktail as the waiter handed her another. She handed him a twenty. “Keep ‘em coming.”

  “Well, what’s not to love? I’m gay, and I wanted to lick his face,” Jules commented as she poured herself another glass of beer. Avery, who was in the process of taking a drink, nearly gagged on the liquid, as she chuckled. Jules winked at her.

  “There she is. Hey, Nic!” She called to Nicole across the restaurant. As she joined them, Lauren yanked Nicole’s hand across the table.

  “Holy crap! Look at that rock! That’s a whole lot of pumpkins and Christmas trees!” Lauren gasped as she gawked at Nicole’s ring. Jules pulled Nicole’s hand from Lauren and inspected the Trillion solitaire intently.

  “He wanted to get you a bigger one but I told him it was plenty! I knew you wouldn’t want him to spend his life savings.” Avery smiled tiredly, sipping her vodka tonic.

  “Plus she’d need a wheel barrel to push it around in!” Lauren agreed.

  “So when is the blessed event?” Jules asked, and Nicole tucked her hair behind her ears, looking vulnerable.

  “New Year’s Day.” The women at the table gasped so loudly that the diners in the restaurant all turned to them and stared.

  “Nicole! That’s four days from now! What the hell?” Avery complained, throwing her straw wrapper at Nicole.

  “We didn’t want to wait. Plus I know he’ll never forget our anniversary.”

  “Where? How are we supposed to organize anything?” Lauren stared at her as if she’d just confessed to worshiping Satan.

  “Aaron wanted to fly to Vegas, but I told him no way. I want Ike to be there, even though I know he won’t remember it. So I guess we’ll just have it at my place or his.”

  “That’s it. We’re pulling an all-nighter. We need to pull this together, STAT.” Avery tossed down her napkin and waved the waiter down.

  “No. We’re good, guys. We have a justice of the peace who agreed to come out on the holiday. I have no idea what Aaron had to promise him, but they were on the phone for a while.”

  “What about flowers, and food?” Lauren gesticulated emphatically.

  “We’ll figure it out. It’ll just be us, and hopefully you all can come.”

  “This is ridiculous. What are you going to wear, Nicole?” Avery leaned forward as if a more important question had never been posed.

  “A dress, I assume.”

  “Check please,” Jules called and Nicole laughed.

  A short time later, they were all in Nicole's bedroom, cocktails in hand. Avery pulled clothes from the closet and tersely held them up. Nicole and Jules were lounging on the bed, searching the internet.

  “You need a new dress. You can't wear any of this stuff!” Avery whined as Lauren turned on some music.

  “What do you think of these?” Nicole asked Jules, who scrunched her nose in disapproval. “Ugh! Can we just have poinsettias and call it a day?”

  “For someone in your line of work, you sure don't give a crap about your own wedding.” Lauren unwrapped a chocolate kiss and popped it in her mouth.

  “All I need is the rings, the license, and the groom. The rest is extra.”

  “Aw. So sweet. Don't you just want to vomit?” Avery asked.

  “I’m serious. The hard part for us was getting together. Being together is easy.”

  “Talk to me in four years.” Lauren laughed and took a swig of soda.

  “I’ve already done the big wedding. I just want this one to be about us.”

  Avery plopped on the bed. “You’re right. This is your day. We’ll do whatever you want, unlike your first wedding. It really felt like it was more for Mom than for you and Ryan.”

  “Pretty much,” Nicole agreed.

  “He seemed so happy that day. You looked like you were coming down with something,” Avery murmured to Nicole, as she wrapped her arms around a pillow and looked up at the ceiling. Nicole sighed next to her.

  “Yeah, I thought you two were the perfect couple.” Lauren joined the other three girls on the bed, taking a bite out of a Twizzler.

  “He was happy. Ryan loved me, you guys. He just loved himself a hell of a lot more.”

  “What made him cheat? Do you think it’s genetic?” Avery rolled over to look Nic in the eye. She remembered the pained look on her mother’s face when she confronted her, and Ryan’s tortured expression when he confessed to contemplating suicide. She wondered if anyone else in her family had the same issue.

  “What do you mean genetic?” Jules sat up.

  “I caught my hypocrite of a mom at the hotel. Don’t say anything.” Lauren and Jules gasped.

  “No fucking way.” Lauren looked dumbfounded as she downed another Twizzler.

  “Way,” Avery responded.

  “Ryan always was an attention hog.” Jules looked thoughtful. “Hell, he was my first kiss.”

  “Yeah. It wasn’t enough for me to love him. He had to have everyone love him,” Nicole responded, looking at Avery. The room was silent for a time.

  “Avery, if you are letting this crap with Ryan and your mother hold you back from Shilah, you’re making a huge mistake.” Nicole folded her arms across her chest.

  “She’s right. Life is fucking beautiful. Take chances, girl,” Jules agreed.

  Avery closed her eyes, exhaustion overtaking her. She snagged a beer from the cooler and sighed. “Okay. List the pros versus cons of b
eing in a relationship. Pros first. Go.”

  “Orgasms,” Lauren chimed in with a smirk.

  “Yeah but you don’t have to be in a relationship to have those,” Jules retorted. They all cackled. There was a lull in the conversation.

  “Well, I guess that’s all we’ve got,” Avery surmised. “Lauren, pass me a Twizzler, you friggin’ cow.” Avery noticed that Lauren had eaten half the bag.

  “I’m glad you’re doing this wedding now. I probably won’t be able to squeeze my fat ass into a dress soon.” Lauren looked uncomfortable. Avery narrowed her eyes at her.

  “Why … are you knocked up?” Avery joked.

  “Maybe…” Lauren smiled a sly smile. They all exclaimed in joyful surprise. Then they showered her with overlapping questions.

  “I think it was around Halloween.” Lauren blushed.

  “Someone got their trick and their treat.” Jules wiggled her eyebrows. Nicole laughed uproariously.

  “Are you excited?” Momentarily jealous, Avery felt confused by Lauren’s lukewarm tone.

  “Well … Jack had a vasectomy when we got back from the cruise. We both decided we’d stop at two and spoil the shit out of them.” Avery didn’t know how to respond, and she could see she wasn’t alone.

  Jules suddenly chuckled. Laughter from Jules was unusual and they all turned to her with surprised caution.

  “You know? It’s crazy to listen to the three of you talk. I’ve always thought, ‘these guys really have their shit together.’ The pretty doctor’s wife, the bad-assed businesswoman, and Lauren, the most popular chick in town. But I guess no one really has their shit together. Everyone’s on the quest for the perfect life … but the secret is there’s no such thing.” Jules’s lip quivered and an unexpected sob escaped her. After exchanging startled looks, the three girls moved to comfort her. Nicole stroked Jules’s hair as she tried to gather herself. After a moment, she continued, “The woman I love can’t even tell her family about us. She’s too afraid.”