Unsocial

by Dykes, Nicole

  “This calls for wine and girl talk. Hold on a second.” She disappears into the kitchen and returns with two glasses and a bottle of wine. She pours and gets comfortable, “Alright, tell me everything from the beginning, and don’t you dare hold anything back.”

  “Even the dirty stuff?”

  “Especially the dirty stuff.”

  We spend the rest of the evening with me catching her up on every single thing, and she finally goes to bed quite impressed with all the sneaking around that Dylan and I pulled off.

  The next day at work I’m oddly calm when I probably should be on edge. Yesterday proved that without a doubt that we were just one step away from being found out, but none of that worries me. I’m content going to appointments and meeting with clients like any other day on the job. I’m more nervous about this afternoon when I have to go to Dylan’s for our scheduled home visit. He and Luke both will be happy to know that Janice laughed about Luke’s fight and said that all girls need a big brother that would fight for her.

  I know that’s probably not something the public necessarily knows about social workers, but we do look for the right and wrong of every circumstance. Even though we wouldn’t applaud violent behavior, we are human enough to appreciate when it’s warranted. I just hope sharing this little bit of good news will direct Luke’s memory of seeing me half naked in his brother’s bed yesterday. That’s awkward no matter how you look at it. I’m sure there will be some sarcastic or teasing comment on the tip of his tongue.

  At 3:00 I gather up my things to head out for Dylan’s when Janice stops my retreat. "Brooke, wait.”

  I stop and turn back, looking at Janice hurrying to catch me. I notice she’s holding a stack of papers out toward me, and if it weren't for the happy smile on her face I would probably be in full panic mode right now, "Hi, I was just about to head to the Monroe's."

  She nods, "I thought so. I'm glad I caught you because I’ve got some exciting news.”

  "Oh?"

  I follow her back to her office anxious to hear what this exciting news could be. And she wastes no time as soon as she shuts the door. I got a call from several judges yesterday who are needing to resolve some cases in the family courts. There are just too many working right now for them, let alone us, to keep up. Add to that we get more nearly every day, and things are beginning to become clogged. They asked me to recommend 30 cases that have been in excellent standing for six months or longer, and I’ve submitted three of yours. The Monroes are one, and Judge Adamson’s clerk just called me and said we need to schedule exit interviews with the family to have it shortened.”

  “Janice, I can’t believe it. How long will it take to set up the interviews?”

  “If want to talk to Mr. Monroe and find out when a good time is, then you can get back to me tomorrow after you talk to him today.”

  “No, no. Can we do it now? I know he would let me go ahead and schedule.”

  “If you’re sure, then I’ll call right now.” Her hand hovers over the phone, and I nod my head.

  I know I should probably talk to Dylan, but I’m not letting this opportunity get away from us. And there’s no doubt in my mind that Dylan wouldn’t mind me making this decision. I listen to the one-sided conversation, which thankfully is short. I’m anxious to get out of here and tell Dylan and the kids the news. But more than that I’m ready to put all of this behind us and start the new phase of our life.

  She hangs up, “You can tell him Thursday at 2:30. He’ll need to have the kids there, and they’ll meet with the judge and the family advocate coordinator for some routine questions. He’ll also want to talk to us. But he’ll have no reason not to follow through.”

  “What about Luke’s fight and suspension last week?” I ask worriedly.

  She waves off the question. “Brooke, it’s like we talked about before, Luke has no history of anger issues or violence. The fight was due to unmitigated circumstances. It’s a minor issue in the grand scheme of things. They’ll ask him about it, and as long as he’s honest and explains his side of it I doubt it will have any impact on the final decision.”

  Can this be real? It’s all about to come to an end earlier than we anticipated. I cannot wait to tell Dylan.

  She hands me a stack of files, “These are all of your cases that I’ve recommended. Tomorrow you can contact the families and set up their interviews as well. I’m proud of you, Brooke. You’re an outstanding social worker, and you’ve proven that by going above and beyond for all of them. They owe you a debt of gratitude.” She stands up and shoos me out the door, “Now get out of here and go tell them the good news.”

  She has no idea just how above and beyond I’ve gone for Dylan.

  A part of me thinks I should feel guilty for breaking all the rules that I have, but there isn’t a thing I would change. I can’t regret them because they brought Dylan and me together. "Thank you, Janice."

  I practically run to my car once I leave her office. Adrenaline has set in, and for once fear doesn't fuel it. This is relief and excitement and anticipation. I feel like exploding until I can tell Dylan and then we can tell the others that this is fixing to be behind us. After that, it’ll just be figuring out the future for all of us, which I’m hoping with all my heart is going to be a long future. I’m aiming for the forever kind which I just hope Dylan is too. For now, though, I can be happy with one day at a time.

  When I get to Dylan’s house, I don’t even bother knocking and swing the door open, “Dylan?” He rushes from the kitchen to meet me with a worried look, and I’m fixing to wipe it right off his face with my news.

  “Brooke, what’s wrong.”

  I can't wipe off the huge smile that is plastered across my face, "Hi!"

  He loses the worry once he realizes I’m fine, “Okay, you seem fine, actually better than fine. What’s got you so damn happy?”

  "I have to talk to you alone for a minute."

  He raises an eyebrow at me, "Alright with me."

  I grab his hand and pull him toward his bedroom with a quick wave to the kids, “We’ll be right back.”

  He closes the door behind us and leans back against it, “Okay, what’s up?”

  "Dylan, it’s almost over.”

  “What is, babe?”

  “All of this. The case, everything. I set up a meeting for you and the kids to meet with the judge at 2:30 on Thursday for an exit interview. After that, you’ll have your guardianship, and I won’t be your caseworker anymore.”

  He looks at me like he doesn't believe me, "Are you fucking with me?”

  I shake my head, “No, this is real. Janice just stopped me on my way here and told me.”

  “But how is this possible?”

  “Because the family courts and social services are overrun with caseloads. They asked Janice to recommend cases that are in good standing for six months or longer, and yours was one of those.”

  He hugs me tightly, and I hang on, enjoying the moment that is just one step from end our secret.

  "Wait, what about Luke's fight?"

  "He hadn't seen that report yet, but Janice assures me it should have no bearing on his decision. They’ll ask him about it, and he just has, to be honest, and explain what happened. With the report I turned in explaining his side, I’m with Janice. I don’t see that it’s going to be a problem.”

  "This is fucking incredible." He pulls me closer, "So that means we are official now. No more of this sneaking around shit.”

  I smile, "Not right away. I won't be able to show you off at work or anything for a while, but with a little time, there’ll be no more hiding. And I think we should wait to tell the kids until after the interview with the judge. I don’t want to risk anything accidentally being said. Not now that we are so close.”

  He looks disappointed, "You’re right."

  "Tonight we’ll talk about the exit interview, and then I was thinking Saturday we have dinner to celebrate. We can tell them.”

  He kisses my lips, "O
kay, sounds like a plan."

  "Let's go tell them."

  He nods and follows me out to the living room where the younger kids look curious, except for Luke, who has a smug knowing look on his face.

  We join the kids with smiles that never leave our faces. “Everyone doing okay?”

  I get a collective, "Yes."

  "Good to know. Now, your brother and I have some really good news."

  Cassie looks worried, "What's going on?"

  "Thursday you guys are going to meet with the judge in charge of your case for what they call an exit interview. After that, Dylan will be awarded guardianship, and that means I will no longer be your social worker.”

  Gabby wells up with tears, "We aren't going to see you anymore, Brooke?"

  Damn, I didn’t think about how this may sound to them.

  I pull her close to me, "You will, but I just won’t be here in an official capacity.”

  Cassie looks worried, "Does this mean we’ll just see you whenever you can fit us in?”

  "No, I promise I’ll be around, probably a lot.”

  Dylan is grinning at that thought. "I promise you’ll be seeing Brooke. We’re going to get dinner going, and then we need to talk about what’s going to happen on Thursday. And we need to plan a celebration dinner for Saturday.”

  The kids pep up a little then. Cassie looks hopeful, "And Brooke will be here too?”

  He nods, "Absolutely. We’ll invite Jax and Alex also.”

  She seems fairly satisfied then and then looks sadly at me, "I just really like having you around."

  Luke laughs, "She’ll be around, trust me."

  If that's going to be his only comment tonight, then I’m good with that.

  I inspect the contents of the fridge and start pulling out ingredients for omelets because everyone needs breakfast for dinner every once in a while.

  “How are these interviews gonna work, Brooke.”

  “Exit interviews are fairly easy. They’re just a formality. They’ll go over the files and ask about anything that might be a red flag. But in you guys case there’s been only two instances, and both of those are nothing super outstanding. Boys at school fight and they’ll ask about both those times. Trust me, on both reports, I colored them beautifully. I also read the reports from both principals, and neither one said anything about future concerns or worrisome behavior. There’s nothing that shows a pattern of violence or future violence. Luke hasn’t been skipping school, robbing banks, running away, or any other number of things that I see on the job.”

  “I think we need to prepare the others for potential questions. I don’t want them to be blindsided or scared to answer.”

  While we’re sitting around the table, I tell all of them what to expect as well as assure them they have nothing to worry about. After the dishes are done, I end up hanging around longer than normal. Sitting around we make a few plans for Saturday, but none of them come close to what Dylan and I have planned. It makes me happy to see Luke in a much better mood and the much easier going attitude with Dylan. I think their talk the other night went a long way in resolving the deeper issues that had gone ignored too long.

  I wanted some alone time with Dylan and invited him over to my apartment since Alex already knows about our relationship, but he wasn't sure if he should be out all night, especially with the kids not knowing where he is. So a few hours later I sneak into his room for the last time.

  Dylan chuckles at me again as I try to stifle a loud moan whenever he thrusts up while I slide up and down in a slow rhythm. He’s hitting that spot every time; it’s about to drive me crazy. "You know we could be loud and just let them catch us now."

  My breath hitches sharply when he adds pressure to my clit to rush my orgasm. It’s his thing; he loves to make sure I come at least once before he finishes. Now how can a woman not love a man who takes care of her like that? I smile down at him. "No, that would traumatize the hell out of them."

  He laughs and sits up bring us chest to chest causing his cock to go deeper in a different angle. I’m so close that stars are making an early appearance in my vision. His hands are on my waist speeding up our rhythm with shallow thrusts. Face to face and sharing our breaths, this is one of our favorite positions. Making love like this seems so intimate. I snake my fingers through the hair on each side of his head and guide his lips to mine for deep kisses. Our tongues are dancing to the same rhythm of our hips. He pulls back from my mouth and locks his gaze to mine. “I love you, Brooke,” he whispers harshly.

  “I love you, so much,” then slam my lips back to his to finish out the race to a powerful release. He slows the grind of our hips so I can savor my orgasm before rolling me under him. I can feel him getting thicker and harder inside, and I know he’s near his end as well. Sliding my nails down his spine to his waist always speeds things along since he likes the slight bite of pain it gives when it mixes with the pleasure he’s experiencing. A few more strokes and he buries his face in my neck releasing a long low groan muffled against my damp skin.

  He allows himself to rest on top of me for a moment before rolling to my side and pulling me against him. I plant kisses along his neck and jaw and savor the closeness after making love to him, "Can you believe how lucky we are. It was only a few days ago that everything felt like it was falling apart."

  He holds my hand as we both look up at the ceiling, "I know, but I'm fucking happier than I've ever been."

  "Me too."

  Wednesday I make the most important phone call out of any for the whole week. He answers on the second ring, “Hello?”

  “Luke, it's Brooke.”

  “What’s up?”

  “Are you okay with everything tomorrow?”

  “I’m fine with it. Don’t worry about me. I promise to do what you ask. I’ll be honest about the fight, and I’ll even apologize and sound sincere about it. We’ve come this far, so let’s finish it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you guys tomorrow in front of the courthouse.”

  “Bye, Brooke.”

  When I hang up, I feel confident that Luke it come through for us.

  Thursday goes better than expected. Janice and I are called in first, and both of us praise Dylan on how good of a job he’s done adapting his life to becoming a sound guardian for his family. Neither of us voices any concerns about the issues the judge tries to point out from their file. Afterward, each of the children is called in one by one, and when they all step out with smiles on their faces, I breathe a sigh of relief. When Dylan goes in for his meeting, I send a silent prayer that the judge isn’t an ass, and when the two men emerge from his chambers together with friendly smiles and shake hands, I can barely stay seated from the happiness that’s coursing through me. When the final papers are signed, Dylan thanks Janice and rushes the kids to the parking lot where they wait for me. That’s when Dylan tells me that the celebration begins at noon.

  We actually did it.

  Saturday’s celebration is a boisterous backyard barbecue. The whole afternoon is taken up with playing catch with the football, chasing Toby, and cooking up a mountain of food. Turns out the time was moved up because Dylan decided to allow Luke to go to his junior prom that evening. He was supposed to have a date, but that changed with his grounding. Now he’s planning on going stag with a group of football players, and he seems happier about that than having to escort someone. Around five Alex then Jax show and join in the fun.

  After a final game of tug of war with Toby and a ball on a rope, I head to the deck where Dylan is manning his huge grill. And if manning a grill can be considered sexy then he hits all the marks. I lick my lips at the site of his muscles flexing whenever he lifts the lid and flips burgers. I can’t resist walking by a little too close to feel the slide of my breasts against his back. He turns and wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer. It feels so right and so natural to be able to touch him like this. He whispers in my ear, "You look so beautiful."

  Jax laughs when he catch
es us embracing, "So I guess today you two are coming out of the closet, or bedroom?"

  I know that Dylan and Jax had a long talk about us, and afterward he ended up being pretty cool about all of it. He said Jax was pretty shocked after Dylan told him that he was in love with me, but said and I quote, “She’s a pretty fucking awesome chick.” He said Jax told him he could understand why he fell for me. It makes me happy that Jackson approves of us because I know how important he is to Dylan.

  I move out of Dylan’s arms and start preparing the sides for the hamburgers and hot dogs and answer Jax, "Yes, I think they deserve to know now that I'm not their social worker."

  Jax nods, "I'm sure they will be happy about it. God knows they talk about you all the fucking time. The weekend I watched them while Dylan went to Missouri, it was Brooke this and Brooke that.”

  Dylan and I smile at each other because Jax obviously doesn’t know that we were together the weekend he’s talking about. “Yeah, about that weekend, thanks for watching the kids for Dylan. The cabin is now my new favorite place on earth.”

  He huffs out a surprised laugh, “Are you two fucking kidding?”

  “Nope,” I smile at him. I turn back, and he's grinning back at me. “And by the way, I love them too.”

  “Well, now aren’t we just one big ole happy family,” he laughs.

  I don’t miss the secret little grin on Dylan’s face while he finishes pulling the food off and calling the kids to the table which is immediately bombarded with small hands and large hands grabbing for food. After everyone has a full plate, the Monroe dinner table is full of laughing and joking.

  Alex and Cassie have been glued to each other all afternoon, even managing to get some hair done courtesy of Alex going on. Jax and Dylan just groaned and shook their heads when Cassie drug a stool and all of her hair product out to the deck for an impromptu beauty shop show complete with fingernail and toenail polishing. For once I wasn’t Alex’s beauty target, and Cassie ate up the attention.