by L. D. Davis
He seemed to think about it for a moment. “No, not really.”
I shook my head and turned around to wash my mug in the sink. “So, what kind of hours do you work?”
“Whatever kind I want,” Leo said as he leaned against the counter beside me. “I have a really good team. I can become the invisible owner if I wanted to, and things will still run well, but I think it’s good for morale when I show up and work just as hard as anyone else. I assist in the kitchen, I wash dishes, I bus tables, I mix drinks; I do it all. The employees will work harder and care about their jobs and the restaurant if they see that I am not just some dick owner who doesn’t care about them.”
I smiled. “I like that. I wouldn’t have minded having you as a boss when I was bussing tables.”
He grinned devilishly. “I think I would have liked hearing you call me sir.”
“I would have never called you sir,” I said and flung water off of my fingers into his face. I backed away quickly before he could retaliate with a headlock or something. “Since you’ll be working, I guess I can work, too. I should, actually.”
Leo touched a small drawer by the stove. “There’s a key for each door in here,” he said. “You can have or do whatever you want here. If you want to get naked and masturbate in my bed, I’m okay with that.”
I gave him a look of disbelief. “There’s something very wrong with you.”
He held up a hand in defense. “I’m just saying that it’s an option. Also, if you would like to be naked on the kitchen table offering yourself up as a meal when I get home, that’s cool, too.”
I punched him. Coffee splashed onto his pretty polo. He looked down at it and looked at me with that grin that women love so much.
“Baby,” he said, putting his mug down. “If you wanted me to take my shirt off, all you had to do was ask.” Before I could object, he pulled his shirt over his head.
I openly stared at his chest, but with a blank expression on my face.
“I’ve seen better,” I shrugged, hoping he didn’t see the fast beating of my heart in my jugular.
Leo narrowed his eyes and took a step toward me. “You better watch your mouth, little girl,” he said evenly.
My hand was still wet from washing the mug, so I did what anyone else in my position would do. I smacked his rock hard stomach with my wet hand. The sound it made was awesome.
“Damn it!” Leo said, rubbing at the red spot. “Why are you so damn abusive?”
“It was a love tap,” I said sweetly.
And then I ran, even though it was pointless. There would be no escaping a headlock this time.
“This is Mayson,” my cousin Mayson said distractedly and shortly into the phone.
“This is Tabitha,” I countered.
“Tabitha who?” she asked dryly. She sighed into the phone and in a mono-tone, recited a practiced set of lines. “I’m still squeaky clean. I haven’t taken any drugs in almost three years. I do enjoy alcohol from time to time, against the recommendation of my drug counselor, but I am not a lush, most of the time. When I get a craving for crack or any other form of cocaine, I take out my vibrator and put it on the highest setting and—”
“Too much information!” I cried out.
My cousin snickered. “What’s up? I really am working, like actually working. Since I got this promotion, I never have time to surf the internet and shop and look at funny baby videos. Can you believe it? I rarely even have time to take naps anymore. This is out of hand.”
I laughed, even though I knew she was completely serious.
“I won’t keep you on long then. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing.”
I was so damn proud of Mayson. Almost four years ago, she hit her rock bottom. She wouldn’t tell me what it was that threw her into sobriety, as far as I knew, she had not told anyone. Whatever it was, it made her take the right steps to get clean. I knew it wasn’t easy after spending a significant portion of her life on drugs, but she didn’t give up. In the end, she had some anxiety issues, and she may have been a little OCD with some things, but she’s clean. Emmy helped her out and got her into a position at the company she was working for, and just recently, Mayson got a promotion.
I had high hopes that Tack would see what Mayson had done and would want to get himself together, but my brother had no qualms telling me that he was who he was, and he had no inclination to change or to be clean.
“You don’t have to keep checking up on me,” Mayson said. “Where are you? Are you still in California?”
“Oh…no…” I said carefully. Mayson didn’t know about my past with Leo. She knew we had been friends, but that’s about it. She wasn’t exactly lucid during those years anyway.
“Oh no? What kind of answer is that? Where are you?”
“Miami,” I said and cleared my throat.
“Miami. Okay…” She paused. “…Why do you sound that way?”
“Sound what way?”
“All evasive and shit. What are you doing in Miami?”
I cleared my throat again as I walked to my favorite corner of Leo’s house, with the perfect views of the ocean.
“I am visiting Leo.”
There was a brief silence.
“Pecorino?” she squawked.
“Pesciano.”
“Whatever. I thought you didn’t talk to him anymore?” Mayson asked, sounding very confused.
“I…do…now,” I managed.
“You sound fucking weird.” She gasped. “Are you fucking Pecorino?”
“Pesciano, and no. I’m not fucking him,” I said, trying my best to sound completely offended by the idea. “He had a party, like a mini class reunion and I was invited. Sandy convinced me to come down and it was like we had never stopped talking. I’m going to hang out here for a couple of weeks while I have time, you know to catch up and to…hang out…”
“Are you hanging out in his bed? Naked? With your thighs spread open?”
What kind of people do I surround myself with?!
“No! You know I wouldn’t do that anyway.”
“Uh, why wouldn’t you? He was hot fifteen years ago, and…yup, checking him out on Facebook. He’s hot now. Hot damn! Oh my god, my thighs just clenched. You’re hanging out and you’re just friends? I am so fucking disappointed in you!”
“I’m serious,” I said flatly. “You and Sandy must have come from the same gene pool.”
“Tabitha!” Mayson said my name admonishingly. “What the hell are you doing there if he’s not hitting it?”
“We’re friends, you know friends? A man and a woman can be friends without hitting anything.”
“Okay, maybe ugly people can be friends, but he’s smoking—no, he’s more than smoking. That motherfucker is on fire and there is nothing that can put him out. Nothing. Nothing. Do you hear me? Nothing. You need to get burned. Bad. And then tell me all about it.”
I was smiling like an idiot and trying not to laugh and giggle. “Mayson, he dated Leslie all through high school.”
“High school? Who cares about high school? They were kids. Besides, no one really remembers high school.”
“No, you don’t remember high school because you were high throughout your high school years.”
“Oh. Well, yeah. But still!”
“Look, it’s kind of fucked-up to sleep with a friend’s ex, especially when that friend used to be closer to me than a sister. Besides, we had this code and—”
“Wait, wait, wait. I know my memories of my teenage years are cloudy at best, but I vaguely remember some stupid code you and Leslie had.”
“It’s not stupid. It’s…respectful and honorable and loyal.” I said the words, but a small part of me didn’t even believe what I was saying.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s bullshit,” Mayson spat out. “It’s selfish. It’s been long enough, and it’s not like they were full grown adults when they dated. Do you even talk to her anymore?”
“I talk to her sometimes,” I sa
id quietly. “But it doesn’t matter. Mayson, I know she would be hurt and she would hate me. Even though we aren’t close like that anymore, I don’t think I could stand to hurt her and I don’t think I can stand to be hated by her. I can’t do it. I won’t do it.”
“Well…judging by what you just said, it sure as hell sounds like you’ve considered it.”
“I’m ready to change the subject,” I said hastily.
Mayson sighed heavily. “Okay, here’s an equally appetizing topic of conversation. You have a signing in Chicago in May, right? Mid-May?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Lucas is going to be one on May 18th, and Emmy and Luke are having a party for him. Everyone is invited, including you.”
I rolled my eyes. I had not spoken to Emmy in a couple of years, and even then, it was by accident. I ran into her at a mall. I had been cordial, but I really had nothing else to say.
“Dude, I don’t care about Emmy’s kid,” I said and I knew it sounded really mean. The truth was, from the pictures Mayson and Sam, Emmy’s mom, had shown me, I could see that Lucas was a cute kid, and I hoped he was well and healthy and all of that, but I really didn’t want anything to do with his mother.
“Dude, it’s been years.” Mayson sighed. “When are you going to let it go?”
“I can’t let it go. What she did to you and Tack—”
“Tack and I made our own choices,” Mayson cut in with an edge to her voice. “Just as I made my own choice to get clean and he didn’t. Are you going to blame me for that like you’ve blamed Emmy for our addictions?”
“That’s not the same,” I argued.
Mayson made a small noise of exasperation. “Okay, whatever. I’ll text you the day, time, and place of the party. If you want to come off of your high horse to attend, that would be great. If not, happy riding, cowgirl. I just hope that the horse is in the form of Pecorino’s dick.”
“Pesciano!” I snapped.
“Whatever. I have to work. Piss off.”
“Bye, Mayson,” I said.
“Peace out, love,” she said with a sigh and the call ended.
I had only meant to check in on Mayson to see how she was doing. I didn’t mean for her to open one can of worms and stir another. I had no real desire to go visit with my cousin in Chicago. I didn’t even know who Lucas’s father was. All I knew was that they weren’t together, but they lived together to take care of their son together, which was a little weird, but whatever. Mayson told me some time ago that Emmy was struggling and suggested maybe I drop her a line sometime, but I didn’t, because where the hell was Emmy when Tack was stealing money, terrorizing the household and getting locked up? She didn’t show her face once, or call or send a postcard. I got nothing. So, I gave nothing in return.
As for Mayson’s thoughts on Leo, she didn’t understand. As far as I knew, she had never had a serious relationship with a guy—well, besides the one she was with when she was a teenager, but he was an abusive drug addict, and I don’t think he counts. In addition, Mayson’s only female friends are Emmy, Donya, and myself. I was pretty sure that, like me, Emmy wouldn’t consider dating someone that Mayson had had a serious relationship with, and Donya, she didn’t need anyone’s leftovers. She was a world-class supermodel—like a Vogue, runway supermodel—no shit!—and married to one of the hottest guys in Major League Baseball. Some girls have all the luck.
Leo strolled in around seven that night. I was outside by the pool, tapping away, totally in my zone. He had the sense not to speak to me when he stepped outside, but he did kiss the top of my head before heading back inside. I was able to focus on the story, but I smiled when he kissed me, and my body warmed pleasantly.
As much as I wanted to continue writing, I saved my work and shut my laptop down after a few minutes. Through text messages earlier in the day, Leo and I agreed to go out to dinner that night. That was the whole reason I was staying in Miami, was to spend some time with Leo and experience the city and its surrounding areas, and I wasn’t going to do that from the backyard.
He looked surprised to see me when I stepped inside, toting my computer. He had showered and changed and was sitting at the kitchen island with a beer and his phone in front of him.
“Did I disturb you?” he asked with concern as he spun the stool around.
“No.” I waved a hand. “I didn’t want to make you wait for me.”
“No, Tabs,” he said, reaching out and pulling on my wrist to bring me closer. “You didn’t have to stop. We could have went out whenever you were really ready to stop.”
His hand traveled up my arm, over my shoulder and then slid down to the small of my back as he pulled me between his knees. Even like this, we fit well, I noticed.
“You could have waited all night if that were the case,” I said seriously. “Once I get into a zone, I can write all day and all night. Sometimes I don’t even remember to eat and then I can’t figure out why I have a headache and why my stomach hurts at two in the morning.”
“I would have waited until forever,” Leo said, dropping his other hand on my hip. “I don’t have your creative brain, but I think I understand that the creative juices are unpredictable. I remember you used to always jot down little bits of dialogue at odd times when we were kids. You have to roll with it when it comes, I understand.”
I felt real relief hearing him say that. Xander didn’t always get it. A lot of people don’t get it. Writing isn’t a nine-to-five job. It’s an all of the time job. I didn’t know how some of my author friends with families actually functioned. I give them endless credit for being able to write a good book and take care of their families.
“Well, I’m done for now,” I said and tried to step away, but Leo held fast to me. “Personal space, Pesciano,” I reminded him.
He shrugged and smiled lazily. “No, thank you.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Where are we going for dinner?”
“Before we discuss dinner, I wanted to ask you for a favor,” he said. He sounded rather serious. I stood up straighter.
“What?”
“My good friend Wess is getting married in a little less than two weeks. I’m part of the wedding party, but I can’t go without a date. What would my friends think of me?” he asked with an exaggerated pained expression.
“They’ll think you’re the loser you truly are,” I said as if it should have been obvious.
“Is that a yes?” Leo asked with a big smile.
“You didn’t ask me a question,” I stated with mild exasperation.
“I know. You totally get me.”
I sighed. “What’s for dinner, Pesciano?”
“There is a nice seafood restaurant on the bay. How does that sound?” he asked, rubbing small circles on my back.
I looked down at the “Shut up and Read!” T-shirt I was wearing. “Do I need to go back to the hotel to change?”
“No, you don’t have to change out of your nerdy shirt,” Leo said with a soft laugh. “But if you did, it would have been easier if all of your things were here already.”
I frowned. “I’m not staying here.”
“It’s ridiculous to pay for a hotel room you don’t sleep in.”
“I do sleep in it,” I argued.
“You slept here the past two nights. How many more mornings will you wake up in one of my beds before you concede?” His grin was smug. I wanted to slap it off of his face.
“Zero,” I answered pointedly. “Because I won’t be sleeping here again.”
I pushed on his chest as I untangled myself from him.
“You are cute when you are in denial,” Leo said as I put my laptop in my bag.
“So are you,” I countered, scrunching up my nose with sarcasm. I held up my car keys. “I will drive my own car and meet you there, because after dinner I will be driving back to my hotel.”
“I hope you have your key,” he said as he opened the door for me.
“I do.” I stepped past him
and he locked and closed the door.
“Good,” he said, wrapping an arm around my neck as we walked to our cars. “Because in the middle of the night when you realize you can’t sleep without my body against yours, you’ll be able to let yourself into the house.”
“Are you going to be this much of a pain in the ass for the next couple of weeks?” I asked dryly.
“Yup,” he said and kissed my temple.
“It is going to be a very long couple of weeks.”
“Is Girl Code that ideal code of behavior between BFFs, which should prevent any of the girls to lay their eyes on the other’s ex-boyfriend? HAHAHA”
~Gabri C., Padova, Italy~
Chapter Thirteen
“I don’t like boats,” I said, standing on the dock beside Leo’s boat. I don’t know what kind of boat it was, just that it was big.
“I specifically remember you riding in a boat at the shore when we were kids.”
“Then you’ve specifically forgotten the part where I feared for my life and tossed cookies over the side.”
“Okay, I did forget that,” he admitted. “But that was a long time ago. Maybe your disposition has changed.” He climbed aboard and held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll take care of you. I promise nothing bad will happen to you.”
I looked at his hand and then looked up into his face. His eyes burned into mine and he looked so confident. I trusted him to take care of me as he promised. I took his hand.
I followed Leo around as he helped his two crew members get the boat ready to go. I don’t know anything about boats. I don’t know the stern from the whatever. I’m not quite sure what a nautical mile is compared to an ordinary mile. He was speaking in terms that were foreign to me.
“I don’t really have any idea what you’re saying,” I said after a while.
He chuckled and kissed me quickly and chastely on the lips. “It’s okay. You’ll have fun anyway.”
We left a little while later. I was terrified, but my stomach didn’t heave. I stood next to Leo as he navigated us out to sea. When we got as far out as he wanted, we went down to the deck to have brunch and chill out.