by Cee, DW
“Unc! Unc!” Ellie put up her arms, expectantly.
“Is she calling me her uncle or is she asking me to pick her up?”
Emily cleaned up a very messy Elizabeth Reid. “Verbally, she’s asking for her uncle, physically, she wants you to pick her up and play with her.”
“Is this what you want?” I picked up a naked-with-nothing-but-diaper-on baby girl and threw her in the air. I adored this girl and loved hearing her squeals and cackles. “How is it that a one-year-old has me so completely whipped?” Ellie loved being tossed up in the air.
“Your sweet and patient godson is waiting for his turn.”
Delaney! I was so damn happy to see her, I would’ve brought the moon to her had she asked. Luckily, she was only asking to trade babies and so I cheerfully obliged. Ellie wanted nothing of her godmother. She pushed Delaney away and yelled a combination of “no,” and “more!”
Delaney kissed Ellie and explained, “Your brother needs his turn, too, Ellie Reid. If you keep favoring your godfather, I’m going to be sad.” She gave an intrigued Ellie, a sad face. “There may come a day when you’ll need to secretly talk to me about a boy, and I may have to tell you to go see your favored godfather, instead.”
As if she understood, Ellie cracked-up and slapped her pudgy fist on Delaney’s chest.
“Did you need something?” Emily asked. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your date?”
“Date?” I asked.
Both ladies ignored me.
“I came by to get your advice on what to wear.”
“What are the choices?”
“There’s the lavender wrap dress I love, but I wonder if it makes my...” Delaney stopped and looked over at me. Everything got so awkward Emily told her to model the choices for us, instead.
“Who’s she going out with?”
“Derek.” Jake answered walking into the kitchen dressed for a round of tennis. “Give me a minute so I can help Emi get the kids ready for bed?” He came in only to tell me he was leaving again.
“Sure.” I gave each child at least a dozen kisses before handing them to their parents.
“Where’d everyone go?” Delaney walked in wearing a wrap dress that hugged her figure and her perfect breasts too well.
“No. You can’t wear that. Go change.” I was not going to allow another man to see her in this ogle-worthy outfit. I pushed her out the door before she could complain.
She came back immediately in a little black dress that still didn’t cover enough. “Emily is still putting the kids down?”
“Don’t you have anything that doesn’t show cleavage and is below the knee? Is that appropriate for a date?” Did this girl not realize that men were visual and she was causing havoc on the visual?
“I didn’t ask you what you thought.” Even her snippiness made me happy. Damn. This was not good for the resolve.
“Go try on something else. How about a pair of jeans and a sweater?”
“It’s freakin’ May! Who wears a sweater in this weather?” She stomped out of the kitchen.
Jake and Emily walked hand-in-hand and were all smiles.
“Shit!” I put up my hand signaling to both of them that I didn’t want to know. Jake’s laugh and Emily’s blush said it all.
“I think I’ll wear this since Mr. Taylor nixed all the other choices!” Delaney came in a flirty dress that gave off the illusion of covering what needed to be covered, but not really. That made me unhappy.
“What the hell kind of dress is that? And why a dress? Why can’t you wear a pants suit?”
“You’re worse than my father and brother!” She was unhappy with me.
“Um, Laney?” Jake interrupted. “I believe Derek is taking you to a sporting event. You might be a tad bit overdressed.”
“Aargh!” she huffed and left the kitchen. “This is why I hate blind dates.”
“You ready?” Jake asked
“I am. The better question would be whether you have enough energy left to play against the tennis champ.”
Jake pushed me out the door and we walked over to Uncle Dave’s, but my eyes were on Delaney’s door.
“Stop! Turn around,” I said when I saw a redheaded man at her door.
“What the hell for?”
I walked back and Jake had no choice but to follow me.
“Jake tells me you’re finishing up your M.D. / PhD?” The chief was doing his fatherly duty when I walked in without an invitation.
“Yes, Sir. I actually just finished.”
“You have any interest in working for our university?”
“I already have a job lined up, Sir.” This Derek looked like he just wanted get the hell out of here and on with his date.
“He’s working for our cross-town rival.” Jake added his two cents. “Hey Derek.” They shook hands. “This is my buddy, Donovan.” We nodded hello.
Chief looked unhappy. “Come in for a moment, Derek. Let’s chat.” Come in meant to sit in the living room and listen to the chief drone on about the virtues of working for our alma mater. This must have been commonplace. Delaney knew the drill and sat on the sofa while the chief continued.
Initially, Derek was hesitant and awkward and kept glancing over at Delaney. Soon, he became lively talking about his research on some influenza strain. The three doctors were engrossed in a conversation that wouldn’t end.
“You need to thank your dad, you know.” I plopped next to the girl who was stood up for a virus. “Did you really want to go out with a guy who gets a hard-on from talking about the flu? Even with your brain power, I don’t think you could’ve excited him as much as this disease.”
I knew she wanted to laugh at my statement, but all she said was, “You eat anchovy on your pizza?”
“Sick. No. You want pizza? I’ll call it in.” She didn’t give a rat’s ass what I wanted. She ordered an extra-large pizza with the works. “You need to take off all the anchovy from my slices, and by the way, you look quite presentable in those jeans and blouse—very pretty.” My smile let her know I was pleased with her. I was just damn happy to be next to her, talking, and eventually eating a slice of pizza. How had I become this pathetic?
“Whatever.” She was annoyed with all of us. “You carry a lot of cash on you?”
“Yeah. I can pay for the pizza.” I had no idea what this girl was up to.
“You play poker?”
“Um...yeah….why do you ask?”
“Sit.” She pointed to the round table. “Let’s go a few rounds of blackjack until the three doctors finish their discussion.”
I sat across from her and she shuffled the deck like a professional. “Where did you learn to play cards?”
“My parents used to have a regular group of friends who came over once or twice a month to play cards. I watched them when I was younger and learned every game I could.”
“Hundred bucks says I can beat you three straight games in blackjack.”
“You’re on!” This girl had no idea how much I gambled in college.
Just like that, one-two-three, I lost.
“Pay up Mr. Taylor.”
“How the hell did you do that?” I asked, while pulling out a $100 bill.
“Can’t say…” She smiled, and put the hundred-dollar bill in her pocket.
Soon all three doctors sat down and the chief warned, “My daughter is a card shark. I hope you men have a lot of cash on you,” with a sinister laugh.
The chief wasn’t kidding. By the time the night was done, I had lost everything in my wallet, but my driver’s license and credit cards. Even worse, I had to borrow money from Delaney just to lose it to her. Her date was apologetic for not taking her out, but overall we had such a good time they both seemed OK not having stepped out of this house.
“So how does this work when I borrowed money from you but that borrowed money went right back to you? Does that mean we’re even?” I had no intention of s
kipping out on my debt, but I needed a reason to talk to her a little longer.
“You owe me every last dime, Mr.” She gave me her meanest loan shark look. It was darling enough where my head naturally moved toward hers wanting to kiss those pouty lips.
“Damn Little Girl! I lost $850 to you tonight. Where’d you learn to play cards like that?”
With innocence not fitting a card shark she answered, “I told you, I taught myself. It’s from years of watching my parents play cards with their friends. You need to learn to tamper down the ego and fold a little sooner.” This beautiful nymph-like creature was teasing me.
The hell with my intentions, I couldn’t stay away from this girl. I didn’t want to leave her side at this moment, but as everyone had already left and the chief was already up in bed, it was time for me to go. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” I didn’t know why I said that, but I knew I wanted to see her tomorrow. Without a doubt, I had to see her the next day and the next until I could figure out how to stop wanting her.
Her eyes opened a little wider as she whispered, “Why?”
I was too chicken to tell her my heart, but not so scared to slide my arm around her waist, fold her into my body and give her a kiss on the cheek, close to her lips. “Good night.”
This was not the first time I thought it would be a better night had she been with me.
I did see Delaney the next day, and the next, and some were happier days than others. This Memorial Day weekend was Ashley’s wedding and many Taylors and Reids traveled to Texas to celebrate the nuptial. Our three families had formed a close friendship when Ashley, Becky, and Jane became best friends during their elementary days. Knowing only the chief and Aunt Babs were invited, I was tempted to ask Delaney to attend the wedding as my date. With so many familiar and familial eyes at the wedding, I chose to wipe that thought from my mind and instead, enjoy my weekend with my sister, Jane and Al.
“Didn’t Ashley look gorgeous today?”
“You and Jane made pretty bridesmaids, too.” I kissed my sister on her temple. “It’s not every day a woman gets to wear the color peach from head to toe.” Al laughed knowingly. Ashley had picked out pretty dresses, but in the most hideous color. Ashley swore the fabric wasn’t dyed properly, but Al and I believed she did this purposely to make herself stand out.
“Mama! Looky-ME!” All heads turned to a voice I knew very well. My beautiful goddaughter ran in with James right behind her also yelling, “Mama!”
“Oh my gosh! They are so beautiful!” Becky was getting teary-eyed. “Al, do you think our baby will be that gorgeous?” Becky was newly pregnant and emotional as hell. We all treaded lightly around her.
Jane and Becky talked about the twins when I heard Al let out a whistle.
“Your woman is here,” he whispered, “and on the arm of another man.”
Delaney appeared from nowhere, and she was walking in the reception hall with that asshole, Brent. I hated Brent, the brother of the bride, since I was in grade school and it pissed me off that he was the one holding the girl I wanted to bring as my wedding date. As deep as my hatred ran, I couldn’t help staring at the vision in blue. Delaney outshined every woman at this wedding. I could hear murmurs of appreciation from the guests as she looked utterly irresistible. I searched for the words to describe how I felt about Delaney’s appearance and about her “date.”
“Breathe,” my stupid-ass brother-in-law said to me. “I’d say that woman who just walked in stole the bride’s thunder. She might just be the most beautiful woman here, second to your sister Becky, of course.” Al grinned.
Al was right. Delaney did steal Ashley’s thunder. She sparkled even brighter than her dress. That must’ve been the explanation for Bee’s cryptic you won’t be able to take your eyes off the sparkle tonight message. I didn’t know what Bee was talking about, but now I got it. There were no words to describe her beauty tonight.
“Why’s Laney with Brent? I didn’t know she knew him, or that she was going to be here...as his date?” Jane was as confused as the rest of us.
She better NOT be his date. What the fuck was she doing in Texas with a man she barely knew? What had she been doing all weekend with him? I hadn’t seen her at any of the bridal events, and I didn’t think I saw her at the wedding. Had she been hiding out with Brent all weekend—in his hotel room? I couldn’t make sense of this situation at all, and I was frustrated as hell.
“Was Brent at the rehearsal dinner last night?” I asked Becky.
“I don’t remember,” she answered me and repeated Al’s earlier observation. “Laney looks stunning. I’m going to have to ask her where she bought that dress.”
Ma hurried over to our table, pulled me from my seat, and scolded me. “Donny! What the hell are you doing here when Baby is in the arms of another man? Don’t you want to get married? You’re going to lose her if you don’t fight for her.”
Ma pulled me over to Delaney and placed her hand in mine while slapping Brent’s hands away. Had I not been so pissed with this situation, I would’ve laughed at my mother’s antics.
“Save me a dance,” that asshole said, and kissed Delaney’s other hand.
Seeing him address this girl with an intimate grin made me lose my mind. “What was that? Do you fucking flirt with every guy who crosses your path? Don’t you know how to say no to anyone?” I was so damn pissed with Delaney for being casual with any man who crossed her path, I thought I was justified in mouthing off to her—until I saw the shock, the tears, and felt her pain. Shit! What the hell had I done?
“Dela...ney...” I started apologizing, but she bolted from me like a bat out of hell and ran for shelter.
“Donny!” Ma smacked me on the head. “Oh no you didn’t! Are you a freaking idiot? Why would you say that to our Baby?”
“What’s the matter Jamie? Why are you abusing our only son?”
“Because this moron just called our Baby a whore.”
Now my dad got into the act and slapped me on the back of my neck. “What the hell’s the matter with you? Didn’t we teach you any manners?” He slapped me again. “What would possess you to think our Baby was anything but golden, like her hair?”
“Go apologize,” Ma yelled.
Damn. I didn’t know what was worse—being slapped around and scolded by my parents in public, as a thirty-two-year-old man, or having to grovel for my huge mistake. With my tail between my legs, I walked over to the girl whose night I ruined. I was the biggest dickhead in this room—no, on this planet. Why had I said those things to a girl who I knew didn’t deserve such accusations?
“Delaney?” Cautiously I approached the chief and his daughter. She didn’t bother acknowledging me as she pulled her father onto the dance floor to avoid me.
“Looks like whatever you said pissed her off,” Brent spouted off his arrogant mouth. “She doesn’t want you, Buddy. I’d look elsewhere.”
“Go fuck yourself.” That was going to be my hello and goodbye to this jerk.
Walking onto the dance floor, I hated myself for being a jerk! I especially hated myself for hurting this girl who meant more to me than I was willing to admit. Who the hell was I to accuse her of anything?
“Chief?” As I tapped him on the shoulder, Delaney’s frightened look haunted me. I needed to make this right. “May I have this dance with Delaney?”
I could hear her whispering an actual plea to her father, begging not to dance with me. Fuck!
“What the hell did you do to my daughter?” Now it was the chief who was pissed, and rightly so. “How dare you put this kind of fear in my daughter’s voice! Listen to her quivering,” I was defenseless against all his accusations. “Next time I hear my daughter tell me she doesn’t want to be near you, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“I’m sorry, Chief. I messed up and I’d like to make things right with Delaney.” I saw her walk away, but I couldn’t follow her because her father still had a few choice words left for
me.
“I told you the other day what this girl means to me and that I didn’t like you sucking the life out of her. She’s normally happy and carefree until you show up with your damn moods. Look at how scared she is. What the hell did you say to make her so afraid of you?”
“I’m sorry, Chief. You have every reason to be pissed with me, but if you’ll allow me, I’d like to go and apologize to Delaney.”
“You,” he pointed at me, “will one day be sorry that you treated my little girl so poorly. You mark my words. One day, you will be dying to grab her attention and she will hold you at arm’s length because you’ve been such an ass to her.”
With my head hanging low, I tried one last time to apologize to Delaney, but she told both Brent and me to stay the hell away from her and left.
“What the fuck happened?” Al grabbed me a drink and sat with me at the bar. “You look like shit.”
I gulped down the gin and tonic and explained my story. “I hate Brent, always have, and when I saw Delaney walking in with him, I lost my cool and said some things I shouldn’t have said.”
“Such as?”
“‘Do you fucking flirt with every guy who crosses your path,’ was the first question, and then the next brilliant one was, ‘Don’t you know how to say no to anyone?’”
“Smooth...” Al shook his head and didn’t know whether to console me or to cuss me out. “You’re really out of your depth, huh? Were you this prickly with Kate, all those years? Is that why you never made it to the altar with her?”
In all the years I’d been with Kate, I didn’t remember one unkind word to her. We never really disagreed or argued until Kate began complaining about my attention toward Delaney. After I apologized to this girl, I needed to get back to my initial vow to stay away from her. She brought out the worst in me, and I in her.
“Shut up and let me just drink.”
“Why don’t you go up to Laney’s room and apologize before your mind gets any more muddled than it already is. I don’t think I need to tell you how uncool and probably untrue your statement was to Laney. Damn! If I had ever said something like that to your sister, she would’ve kicked my ass on the spot, then wailed, out loud, in front of this entire room. How do you choose to pick on the sweetest, most angelic looking girl in the room? You’re like one of those bullies picking on a kid half his size.”