by M. Sembera
Glancing down at the plate of butter pecan cookies, I questioned, “Alright now, cookie monster, you gonna share this time?”
A sly smile formed as she replied, “Only if we do a sixty-forty split with me on top.” Then, rubbing her belly, she informed, “Dalilah gets ten percent.”
“Sounds fair besides I’d never complain about you being on top,” I shared with a wink before picking up the platter of cookies and carrying it to the living room.
Joie sat beside me on the couch with the tray of cookies on her lap. I watched her divide the cookies between us and noticed the amount on my side didn’t look right.
“I thought you said sixty-forty.”
Holding back a smile, she replied, “I did and Dalilah gets ten percent.”
“You didn’t tell me her ten percent came out of my forty percent.”
“Why would it come out of my sixty? That just doesn’t make sense,” she insisted before shoving a cookie in her mouth.
“You’re shady, you know that? And greedy too,” I teased as I picked up the TV remote and started flipping through the channels.
When it landed on the Sci-Fi network, Joie swore the movie that was on was a must-see.
A few minutes into the movie Joie slid the tray of cookies onto the ottoman. She sat back, readjusting herself next to me on the couch. I scooted over to give her some extra room, thinking she was having trouble getting comfortable.
“I know I’ve been acting kind of… I don’t know. I think it’s my hormones,” she admitted before sharing, “Thank you for tonight.”
I turned my head to look at her just in time for her lips to brush against mine.
“I a… I was going for your cheek,” she softly shared without moving away.
My top lip twitched with awareness of how close her mouth was to mine.
“Don’t hit me,” I whispered as I slowly pressed my lips against hers.
She tastes like cookies.
Sliding my hands to the sides of her face, I broke our kiss while keeping her as close as possible.
Sucking in a breath, she questioned, “Is this weird? This is weird, right?”
“Joie.”
Her sweet blue eyes focused on mine.
“Shut up and let me kiss you.”
Before I knew it Joie and I were full-on making out on my parents’ living room couch like two hard up teenagers. Interestingly enough, I never did this sort of thing when I was a teenager. The first time I made out with a girl was behind the stage at a concert. She ended up going down on me and there was no turning back after that. From that day on my motto was ‘why mess with the dumb stuff when you can get right to the good stuff’. But enough about anyone who isn’t her.
Joie’s lips were soft and her tongue was warm and wet. Her kisses were good. So good. Too good. I couldn’t bring myself to stop, not even for a breath of air. She was my breath and every second of every kiss made me feel like more of a man than I was before.
Don’t get me wrong, my mind is straight off in the gutter right now but she’s worth taking the long road to get to where I want to go with her.
Nothing would have stopped me from kissing Joie all night long. Except, Wren showed up before I thought about asking her to stay. My mind was on other things, ya know. I almost felt sick letting her leave but I knew I had to.
Wren stood in the doorway looking us both over before, saying, “I don’t even want to know.”
“I’ll see you at work, Monday,” Joie said with a light smile as Wren grabbed her bag and rushed, “Come on.”
“Damn, can you give us a minute.”
With a put-out expression, she complained, “I’ll just go wait in my truck then,” as she turned, carrying Joie’s bag with her.
“I better go. She already seems cranky.”
Nodding, I offered, “Let me come by and pick you up tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she replied with an excited smile.
Leaning down, I gave her one last kiss before she left. I stood on the porch watching until Wren’s truck was no longer in sight.
Chapter Seventeen
Palmer: Get ready, I’ll be there in about 45min.
Joie: Bossy. No hi or good morning?
Smiling at my cell, I slid into the driver’s side of my car and texted her back.
Palmer: Good morning! I’ll be there in about 45min.
Joie: That’s a little better.
Palmer: Now it’ll be 50min.
Joie: Wren says you can’t tell me what to do.
Palmer: Tell Wren I ordered her a recorder for her birthday.
Joie: I’m not repeating what she just said.
I laughed as I started my car.
Palmer: 55min.
Joie: Just come get me.
Palmer: Already on my way.
We drove around for a while before Joie finally decided that the pond was the perfect spot. It was a clear sunny day but only forty-six degrees out. I’m not a big fan of cold weather but I happily agreed with idea that we could keep each other warm. I also stopped at The Store on our way and bought two blankets, one to sit on and one to curl up under.
The couch was more comfortable than the ground out by the pond. Other than the obvious reasons, her belly was getting in the way. I had to sit with her sideways between my legs so I could hold her as close as possible while kissing her.
Leaning my forehead against hers, I informed, “I might just keep you out here all day so I don’t have to stop kissing you.”
“I don’t mind. I’ve wanted to kiss you since I was twelve,” she shared with a smile.
“I did plan on talking to you a little too.”
With a slight giggle, she informed, “I like that you don’t want to stop kissing me.
Since we’re sharing.
“Yea, not being assaulted is a huge turn on for me.”
Tilting her head to the side, she argued, “I didn’t assault you.”
“You tried to blind me.”
Fluffing me off, she insisted, “You’re exaggerating.”
“I had blood in my eye for two weeks,” I reminded, holding two fingers up for emphasis.
“You startled me.”
Pulling the blanket tighter around us, I smiled wide before leaning in and kissing her again.
As much as I enjoyed kissing her, and I genuinely did, I found myself wanting more. Not a lot more, just a little something to tide me over. I kept an arm around her while sliding my other hand over her soft leggings. Slowly, I inched my hand up the inside of her thigh. As I kissed down the side of her neck, she didn’t seem to mind at all. Until, my fingers brushed against what I was aiming for.
Pushing my hand away, she questioned, “What are you doing?”
Flashing a smile at her, I offered, “Exploring?”
She didn’t look amused.
Wrapping both of my arms around her, I leaned my forehead against her cheek and coaxed, “Come on, don’t be like that.”
Tilting her head away from mine, she griped, “Don’t be like what?”
“Shiesty.”
Joie glared at me with a nasty expression on her face.
“Ya know, with the good stuff,” I added, because she looked like I just insulted her.
“We just kissed for the first time yesterday,” she fussed, pulling away from me.
“If that’s what you’re going off of then you shoulda been put-out because our first kiss was four months ago,” I informed with a sarcastic smile across my face.
“Are you saying I should put-out?”
Is that what I said?
“It’s not like I was planning on having sex with you today.”
“Oh, so tomorrow then?” she questioned with a snarky sort of smile.
“What? You want me to pretend like I don’t want to?”
She looked like she was thinking my question over or giving me a chance to turn the situation around.
“When you think about it, it’s really a compliment.”
“I’ve seen some of the girls you’ve ‘complimented’. I’m not flattered,” she spouted as she started to get up.
And…I made it worse.
Once she was on her feet, Joie took the blanket that was wrapped around us and yanked it off of me. She headed towards my car leaving me cold with only the dirty blanket we were sitting on to keep me warm. I sat there for a few seconds before deciding she was out of line for throwing my ‘compliment’ back in my face.
Is this what we’re gonna do? Okay, fine by me.
Standing up, I hollered after her. “So the pregnant chic wants to throw stones?”
She stopped dead in her tracks and marched right back up to me.
“For your information, it took three years for me to give it up to Roe.”
Looking down at her, I reminded, “Yea but he ain’t me.”
There was a look of absolute disgust on her face as she threw the blanket she was holding at me.
Bundling the blanket up in my arms, I watched her push a number on her phone and then hold it up to her ear.
Shit.
“Are you home?”
I heard Wren reply, “Yea, what’s up,” because she has a really loud over the phone voice.
I’m serious, I don’t know what it is about the phone but she’s not even that loud in person.
“Will you come get me?”
Wren whined, “Why? My show just came on. What did he do?”
“Apparently, if you kiss Palmer you’re required to put-out within the next few days.”
Wren blurted, “Ha! That’s what you get for making me listen to how badly you wanted to do him last night, the whole way home.”
I raised my eyebrows at her as her cheeks flushed.
My favorite shade of pink.
Joie turned her back to me as she fussed, “He heard you! You’re supposed to be on my side remember? Solidarity Sisters.”
Even with Joie’s back turned, I could hear Wren plain as day, offer, “Okay, I’ve got you, put him on speaker.”
She slowly turned around and held her cell out towards me.
“Palmer, Joie doesn’t want to have sex with you while she’s pregnant. So quit being an asshole and have a little consideration. There, problem solved,” Wren stated before hanging up.
I couldn’t control the smile spreading across my face as I taunted, “Somebody’s a hypocrite.”
Joie’s eyes were wide, like two bright blue saucers, as she stared at her phone.
My first instinct was to pick on her but I ignored it because knowing that she wanted me as much as I wanted her was enough. It was more than enough. Hell, I wanted to do a happy dance right where I stood while singing ‘Joie wants to do me’. I didn’t, of course.
“Why didn’t you just say that?” I questioned, keeping my voice low and easy.
A mortified expression had taken over her face as she stood there.
“Seriously, Joie, did you think I wouldn’t understand?”
Keeping her eyes on the ground, she rubbed her belly. “Obviously not.”
I stepped to her, loosely wrapping my arms around her.
“How about this, if you say no sex then I’ll respect that. You don’t have to pretend to be offended.”
Rolling her eyes, she let a little smile slip as she replied, “You were being offensive.”
“So, are we good?”
Joie leaned her head against my chest and nodded.
“This is a lot to deal with.”
Moving my arms up around her shoulders, I pulled her in a bit closer.
“Yea, but you’re worth it, ya know.”
Chapter Eighteen
Joie spent a few more days at Uncle Auggie and Aunt Charlotte’s before staying at Roe’s for a week. After that she got her own apartment.
I was excited because she was excited but that was the only reason. Her one-bedroom apartment was tiny. It was so small, it felt crowded with just the two of us in there. She swore it was all she could afford with her car note. I would have been more than happy to help her with a rent house somewhere instead. I actually suggested just that but after I did, she yelled at me for fifteen minutes, started crying and then ate a box of poptarts. No joke, pregnancy hormones are scary.
Twenty minutes of trying to get Joie’s mattress to fit in her room was enough for both Roe and I.
Joie alternated between rubbing her temples and her belly as she started to suggest, “What if you…”
“It doesn’t fit,” Roe stated, walking out of her room.
I walked out behind him, leaving the mattress wedged on its side cattycorner in the room.
“How about you ditch your old mattress, make it Dalilah’s room and get a pullout bed for the living room? You need a couch, anyway.”
She stared blankly at my suggestion, informing, “We were going to share the room.”
I glanced at Roe and then scowled at her, scratching the side of my beard. “What if you a…have spend the night company?”
Roe gave her a curious look. He knew we were seeing each other but apparently it had slipped her mind.
“Who’s going to spend the night?”
We both stared at her until she blurted, “Oh!” Glancing around the room for a moment, she replied, “I can’t afford one.”
“I’ll get you one.”
With a hash glare, she snapped, “No, you won’t.”
I drew in a deep breath before suggesting, “It can be an apartment warming gift.”
“Stop trying to buy me things. I said no and if you do, I’ll get rid of it.”
“So if you happen to come home one day and there’s a brand new sofa bed sitting here, you’re going to what, throw it down the stairs?”
“Maybe I’ll throw you down the stairs,” she threatened, knowing she really couldn’t stop me if that’s what I wanted to do.
“Why are you so violent?” I teased, taking a step back and pretending to be concerned.
Roe shook his head at us with a hint of humor in his expression.
We decided there wasn’t much more in the way of moving that we could do for the evening.
“I’m going to run Roe home, want me to stop and get you anything on my way back?”
“Would you just stop, okay? No. Gah, quit trying to buy me stuff,” she gripped before giving Roe a soft smile. “Thanks for helping.”
Roe gave her a quick nod before leaning down and placing both hands against her belly. I could tell Dalilah was moving for him by the expression on his face. The first time I saw him do it, I thought it was going to bother me but it didn’t. I could tell it was nothing more than daddy daughter time and it was a cool thing to witness. When he let go Joie gave him a hug.
Yea, he’s the one that knocked her up and made her crazy and he gets a sweet goodbye. I offer to buy her things and I get my ass verbally handed to me. How’s that fair?
On the way to Roe’s, I took lots of deep breaths while he appeared to be enjoying himself.
“What?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “Y’all are funny.”
“Man, that girl is about to drive me crazy. How did you get her to let you give her the crib?”
“Easy. I didn’t buy it. I made it.”
“You by any chance know how to make a couch that pulls out into a bed?”
He shook his head and began to laugh.
“Yea, that’s funny, right?”
“It is.”
Hysterical.
When I got back to Joie’s she was sitting on a chair in her kitchen area, which was actually part of the living room.
“Worn out?”
“I haven’t done anything but yes,” she pouted with her arms crossed on top of her belly.
Leaning down, I kissed her cheek before asking, “Wanna relax and watch TV?”
With a heavy sigh, she shared, “You were right.”
Damn right, I was. Now, what are we talking about?
“There’s not even a place for anyone to sit
if they come over. Unless there’s four or less people and we sit in these horrible kitchen chairs.”
I crouched down beside her. “Would you like me to buy you a couch?”
“Yes, but only if I can pay you back on payday.”
All I heard was yes.
I kissed her cheek again as I stood up.
Since her room wasn’t big enough to lay her full size mattress down, I pulled it into the living room. When I did, she looked down at it and started laughing.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to get up in the morning.”
Rapping my arms around her, I offered, “I could stay the night. So I could, ya know, help you up in the morning.
Smiling up at me with a big goofy grin, she placed her hand against her chest and replied, “You’d be willing to do that for me?”
“If you make it worth my while.”
Joie let out a giggle before she admitted, “I was actually going to ask you to stay. I’m kind of nervous about sleeping here by myself. It doesn’t feel like home. I mean, it doesn’t yet because it’s new. It will.”
“My sleepover services are available anytime,” I assured her with a wink.
She smiled back and then looked down at the mattress. “How do I even get down there?”
I sat down first then reached my arms up so she could brace herself on them as she sat down.
“Come on, big girl.”
Sucking in a breath, she stared at me like I just slapped her.
Shit.
“I did not mean that the way it came out.”
She stared at me for another minute then slowly sat down.
Our backs were leaned up against the wall as we sat there silently watching TV. I felt bad about what I said. I didn’t mean it in a mean way at all but I knew she’d taken it to heart. She was just about to hit nine months so she was big but in a sexy adorable way, ya know.
She sat cross legged, resting her hands on top of her belly as I slid my hand against her arm and over her hand. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
In a quiet voice, she replied, “It’s okay, I know I’m huge.”
I leaned the back of my head against the wall feeling like shit as my heart sank.
“You’re pregnant, something would be wrong if you weren’t,” I shared, letting go of her hand and placing my arm around her shoulders.
