Pinned Up (Pinned Up Trilogy)

by C. Michelle

  Nina is captivated by the view. “I absolutely love your home, Ms. Ryan. You have your own escape from the reality beneath you and have a peaceful retreat with absolutely breathtaking scenery.”

  “Thank you, dear, but please call me Celeste. I feel old when people refer to me as Ms. Ryan. This condo actually belongs to my son. He’s obsessed with taking care of me.” My mother laughs and gives me a discreet wink.

  Nina and I spend the early afternoon attacked by my mother’s interrogation. She wants to know everything about my lady and our relationship. Nina doesn’t seem to mind and answers most questions, the ones she feels are too intrusive she casually dismisses and changes the topic. My mother is genuinely interested when Nina discusses working with victims of sexual crimes and her interest with forties and fifties inspired fashion. Once my mother is satisfied with her inquisition, we eat our catered Thanksgiving lunch at her nook table overseeing our eminent city in a more relaxed and blissful state.

  “Please pardon my invasiveness, Nina. I’m just fascinated by you and want to get to know you, that’s all.” My mother smiles at Nina remorsefully.

  “It’s okay, no need to apologize. You know, Celeste, when I look at you, I feel as if I’ve seen you somewhere before. I just can’t seem to recall where or when that may have been.” Nina looks at my mother with deep concentration.

  “So, you’re saying I have a common face and I’m not worth remembering?” My mother gives Nina a serious expression.

  “Oh, no…that’s not what I meant at all. I—” Nina gets interrupted.

  I glare at my mom. The woman I refer to as my mother starts hysterically laughing. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I couldn’t help myself. I just had to.”

  “Oh. Now, I see where Josh gets his humor and selective hearing from!” Nina joins in on the laughter; I can’t help but be amused by the two women in my life.

  After lunch, we head over to the living room to relax. “Son, will you be visiting Delia this afternoon? I spoke with her earlier this week, she misses you and would really like to see you.”

  From the corner of my eye, I notice Nina’s bewildered expression.

  “Of course, we’re headed there after we leave here. I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had a chance to stop by her house. Won’t you be going also?” I ask.

  “No. I’m a bit tired, but I’ll be meeting with her for lunch this weekend. Please say hello to everyone on my behalf. Later this evening, I’ll be meeting with my male friend.” My mom states casually.

  I glare at her. “What’s your male friend’s name? Where does he live? It’s kind of creepy of you to keep referring to him as your male friend. The man has a name mom, so spit it out.”

  My mother takes a deep breath. “His name is Michael and he lives in this building. Now, stop asking questions about him, unless you want me to come up with some of my own.” Her taunting look wills me to question her further.

  I don’t take the bait. “No, I’m good, no more questions regarding this Michael guy. But if you ask me, he sounds like a gigolo, I don’t like him.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing no one asked you. A gigolo? That’s absurd!” The woman who brought me into this world and Nina begin laughing at my expense. I roll my eyes. Women.

  The remainder of our visit with my mom is full of laughter. The conversation is kept light and everyone is at ease. My mom and Nina are getting along and agree to get together real soon. Right before we leave, I pull my mom to the side, “Woman, don’t forget to take your medications, I’ll be going with you to your next doctor’s appointment whether you like it or not, and mom, I love you.” I kiss her forehead and embrace her fragile body. “You’re the best. Since you behaved today, I’ll cancel your reservation at the old folks’ home.”

  She smacks my arm with her delicate hand. “Insinuate that I’m past my prime again and see what happens.” My mother gets closer to me and whispers, “I would love to know what Nina thinks of the names I have picked out for my grandbabies. Call me old again and I’ll be sure to find out.” She quietly threatens.

  “Mom, have I told you today how young and flawless your skin looks? You look absolutely radiant!” I eagerly compliment her.

  “That’s what I love about you son, you’re so wise and observant.” She gives me a beaming smile.

  Nina says goodbye and gives my mom a final hug before we depart to our next destination.

  As I’m driving to South City, I thank God for allowing my mother the opportunity to spend another year with me. I don’t know what I would do if she were to leave my side. Her health and delicate state are a daily concern. I can’t lose her, I just can’t.

  Nina interrupts my thought. “Hey, tree hugger, can you tell me about our next visit? It would be nice to have a head’s up. By the way, thank you for introducing me to your mom. I really enjoyed our time with her. You two are so alike! It’s pretty amusing, actually.”

  “I’m glad you had a good time, I did also.” I kiss the back of her hand slowly and savor her skin against my lips. Her presence brings me joy. “Next, we’re headed to Delia’s house. Delia is a friend of my mom’s who used to take care of me growing up. She’s from El Salvador and her husband from Mexico. He passed away over two decades ago. When my mom moved to California, she was a few months pregnant and didn’t know anyone. Delia and her husband formed such a close friendship with my mom, they considered each other family. When Delia’s husband passed away, our families became closer than ever. Since my mom was busy working, all my home cooked meals came from her. I grew up eating pupusas, pan dulce, burritos, whatever she cooked, I ate. Her cooking is amazing! I love her and her family; they treat me as if I were one of their own.”

  “I’ll have to admit, at first I was confused about Delia when your mom mentioned her name.” Nina admits shyly.

  “Yeah, I noticed. I could tell you were ready to mud wrestle over me. That’s pretty hot. You’re so gorgeous when you’re ready to claw someone’s eyes out over me.” I tease.

  She laughs out loud showing off her perfect white teeth. “Slow your roll, tree hugger. I’m not sure if there’s enough room for you and your ego in this truck.”

  We arrive to Delia’s house in less than half an hour. It’s a two story yellow house with a red brick front porch, the home is inviting with its flower gardens on both sides of her door and the grass neatly trimmed. I’m excited to introduce everyone to Nina. Shit! I forgot to give everyone the head’s up. Delia is like a second mother to me and just like my mom, she’s been eager for me to settle down. I grab the wine bottles and prepare to be amused.

  As we enter, I greet everyone in Spanish and make the proper introductions. I’ve never seen so many jaws drop at once. Nina is surprised to hear me speaking fluent Spanish and everyone else in the house is shocked to find out I have a girlfriend. This ought to be interesting. Although everyone in the house speaks English, Delia has always insisted on every person solely speaking Spanish in her home. Today, she makes an exception.

  “Mi güerito! I’m so happy to see you! Why you don’t come visit me sooner? Let me tell you somesing, I missed you so much!” She has the sweetest accent. It warms my heart when she refers to me as her little white boy in an endearing manner.

  Delia is an older woman in her mid sixties. She wears bright colors and plenty of jewelry that compliment her sweet and loving personality. Delia excitedly rushes and embraces me in her arms showering me with love.

  For the first time since I can remember, I speak to Delia in English. “I’m so sorry, I’ve been really busy at work and spending time with this lovely lady.” I put my arm around Nina and kiss the top of her head. “Delia, let me introduce you to my lady, Valentina Moretti.” I’m beaming. I can’t help it. Immediately, I notice Delia take in a deep breath and make her best attempt at containing her excitement.

  “Oh, Valentina, you are so beeeeautiful! Let me tell you somesing, I’m so pleased to meet you. This is your house. Make yourself at home.” Before Nina ha
s a chance to respond, Delia gives her a hug and gives me a subtle wink.

  “Mucho gusto, Delia. Please, call me Nina. Thank you so much for such a heartwarming welcome. Yo hablo español un poquito. Me permite practicar?” Nina states her knowledge of the Spanish language and asks if she can practice with a genuine smile.

  “Of course! Claro que si!” Delia is delighted and eager to continue introducing Nina to the rest of the family.

  Delia has a full house, all her adult five children and their families are there along with several other family members celebrating Thanksgiving. The dining table consists of two turkeys, one baked and one fried both filled with stuffing. There’s a honey ham with pineapple ringlets and maraschino cherries on it. In the center of the table are three bowls with Mexican styled pork tamales, Salvadorian chicken tamales, and corn tamales. The table is filled with side dishes and desserts; all together it’s a feast to feed a city. Although I recently ate, I can’t wait to dig in. But first, a prayer is led by Delia.

  The afternoon consists of everyone reminiscing, catching up, and being interrogated regarding my new relationship. Nina easily dodges personal questions. The family is welcoming of her and quickly fall into simple topics of conversation. Every so often, I glance at Nina from a distance and admire her beauty along with her wit, strength, and charisma. She’s one hell of a package.

  As we’re saying our goodbyes, I give Delia an extra-long hug, thank her for everything, and remind her that although I may not always be around, she is always in my thoughts and in my heart.

  Once we’re driving to our third and final Thanksgiving stop, Nina turns to me and gives me a disbelieving look. “Well, well, well…aren’t you full of surprises, Mr. Spanish tongue!”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “You speak Spanish and never told me. That’s pretty cool actually, but why never tell me?” She questions curiously.

  “It never came up.” I state nonchalantly.

  “Does your mom speak Spanish also? Isn’t she Scottish? Is she mixed?” Nina’s mind is quickly going into overdrive.

  “Yes, my mom is from Scotland, but she speaks Spanish also. My mom used to work long hours in my early years; she was determined to ensure our financial status was up to par with her standards. She paid Delia to watch over me while she worked. Since I spent so much time with Delia and her family, Spanish became the first language I learned to speak. My mom understood Spanish better than she spoke it back then due to classes she had taken and a friend who had taught her. Now though, she speaks the language fluently. What about you?” I ask.

  “From school, Emme, and latin soap operas I watch. The first things Emme taught me were all the bad words. I’m definitely not fluent, but I can get by. So, tell me, are you completely Scottish like your mom?” Nina’s curiosity is quickly reaching a forbidden topic for me.

  “Umm…no. I’m half Mexican.” No more questions, baby.

  She’s genuinely surprised. “Really? Wow. Me too. I’m Italian and Mexican. It’s weird how this topic never came up. Would you like to talk about your dad?”

  “No.”

  “Me neither.” She replies.

  We change the topic, listen to music, and head over to Nina’s house where her mom and Kade are waiting for us. She calls Kade to let him know that we’re on our way. I take comfort in slowly letting Nina into my life and knowing that she respects my privacy by not probing me for answers.

  When we arrive, we quickly greet Kade and Nina’s mom, Victoria then head to the kitchen. I’m surprised to see that nothing has been cooked. Instead, there’s Chinese takeout, pizza, buffalo wings, a batch of brownies along with two large bags of Doritos. I guess Nina saw the perplexed look on my face and immediately starts laughing. “What’s so funny?” I ask.

  “Your face! Were you expecting another full blown traditional meal?” She’s still laughing.

  “No. I’m just surprised to see such a sinful, yet tempting spread, that’s all.”

  “We haven’t had a traditional Thanksgiving meal in several years. My mom, Kade, and I regularly have meals together, so doing it on Thanksgiving wasn’t very special to us. Instead, we do the opposite. We don’t slave over the kitchen all day preparing a grand feast. We take the easy route by buying junk and fast food. The whole day we lounge in our pjs, have a movie marathon, and pig out. On Black Friday, as an alternative to shopping and freezing our butts at the crack of dawn, we sleep in and hit the gym for a two hour workout. We’re weird like that, but it works for us and keeps us close. It’s our own unconventional tradition that we have grown to love. Today, you get to join us.” Nina’s smile lights up her exquisite face. As an afterthought, she asks, “Hey, have you ever had regular Doritos topped with lemon juice and hot sauce?”

  “No, but I like experimenting.” I don’t even have to try, inappropriate thoughts just come naturally whenever I’m near her.

  “You’re missing out! Come on. Let’s change into some comfy clothes so that we can truly relax the way this day is meant to be spent in this house. I’ll hook you up a plate and get you a beer while you’re changing.” She gives me a devilish grin that makes me want to tear her apart. Damn, this girl is sexy.

  Once we’ve made ourselves comfortable and Nina has changed into shorts and styled her hair into a loose bun, we join Kade and Victoria in the living room.

  “Soooo how did it go?” Kade casually asks. I can tell that he and Victoria are impatiently waiting on Nina’s response. They’re dying to know what happened during the visit with my mom. “By the way, I’m going to pretend like I don’t notice that turd on your head. For the billionth time, it’s not cute.”

  “Well, I’ll have you know that my man does think it’s cute. So, you can drink that hater-aid juice all by yourself.” Nina states before she feeds me a Dorito chip topped with lemon juice and Tapatio hot sauce. Instantly, she begins giggling.

  “Mama V, I suggest you cover your ears because I’m going to do quite a bit of cursing in the next few minutes.” Kade warns Victoria.

  Victoria completely ignores him and simply stares at her daughter with a wide eyed expression. I’m confused. What’s the big deal? What’s with the shocked reaction?

  Kade directs his attention to me. “Sweet. Baby. Jesus! Where is my Cheesecake and what have you done to her?” Kade asks, but continues talking before I have a chance to respond. “What the fuck is with the ‘my man this and my man that’ talk? And never in my whole entire life of living have I seen my Cheesecake get all lovey dovey with a man. I know you two are a couple and all, but this behavior my girl is displaying is weird as fuck. That’s some trippy shit! Now, I’ve seen it all! Hell is soon to freeze the fuck over!” Kade begins hysterically laughing. Soon, we all join in as his amusement of the situation quickly spreads to everyone.

  Nina theatrically replays today’s events. An hour later, we finish catching up, get ourselves situated, and are ready to begin watching a movie. Just then, Emme joins us and has a surprised look on her face when she sees me lying behind Nina on the extended couch. I guess Nina in a relationship and being affectionate is just as much of a shock to her friends and family as it is to mine.

  “Hi, sweetie. How was your Thanksgiving? Did you have a good time?” Victoria asks Emme.

  “It was fine. Not much to tell.” She responds.

  “You know Em, it’s pretty strange how we’ve known you for about five years or so and we’ve never met any of your family or friends. What gives?” Kade asks. Emme becomes uncomfortable in her stance. Kade catches on and decides to lighten her mood. “Boo, is it because you’re ashamed of me? Even I know how to conduct myself in public…for the most part.” He chuckles.

  Emme remains silent. She’s clearly not amused.

  “Glad you made it, hun. We were just about to watch a movie, just can’t seem to agree on one.” Nina states as she’s looking through her blu-ray collection.

  “How about we have a True Blood marathon?” Emme suggests.

/>   “I don’t get what’s with you girls and your damn fascination of vampires. You’re lucky the Viking vampire and the werewolf are serious eye candy.” Kade looks at everyone to see if we’re all in agreement with Emme’s choice.

  We all agree. Before the first episode begins to play, I head to the kitchen to grab a beer. As I’m munching on some chips, Victoria spots me. “I’m glad you came into my daughter’s life. It’s been years since I’ve seen her this happy.” She takes a long pause. “Whatever you do, please don’t hurt her. If you do, she will remove you from her life for good. I would hate to see that happen. You two really compliment one another, it’s like you’ve known each other forever and simply belong together.”

  “Victoria, I care about Valentina. I never knew I was suffocating until I met your daughter. She’s my breath of fresh air. All I know is that when I’m not with her, she consumes my daily thoughts. When we’re together, I can’t seem to get enough of her laughter and affection. Even when she’s upset with me, I find her feistiness amusing. I’m not perfect, but you have my word that I won’t purposely hurt her.” I look Victoria in her eyes and will her to see the truth behind my words. She responds by giving me a hug.

  The remainder of the evening is spent completely relaxed. Kade argues a few times with the actors on the show, but for the most part I enjoy everyone’s company. Victoria leaves after watching a few episodes since she has to be at her bakery early in the morning. She’s anticipating a very busy day ahead of her.

  Nina falls asleep in my arms while we’re watching True Blood. My intention is to get up and carry her to bed, but her peaceful appearance puts me in such a comfort state that I fall asleep right along with her. Even though we don’t have sex, the evening feels perfect and I’m able to have a good night’s rest.

  On Black Friday, we sleep in, continue to lounge around, and agree to avoid the mall along with all shopping centers. In the afternoon, the four of us head to the gym to burn off some calories by getting in a kick ass workout.

  That evening, Kade has plans to go out with some friends while Emme has plans of her own. I’m thankful for having Nina all to myself. We head back to my place for another relaxing night. Nina suggests we play poker. We agree on Texas Hold’em and decide to make it a drinking game. If she loses a round, she’ll be taking blow job shots; if I lose, I’ll have Satan’s vagina shots (per her request). Nina thinks she’s funny, so I go along and humor her. We set up our game, alcohol, and shot glasses on the coffee table in the living room and position ourselves on the floor.