by Cee, DW
Lily waited a bit longer for me to continue, but quickly accepted my silence. More than anything, I appreciated this space she gave me. She had little expectations of us and that suited me just fine.
“So are we good about this apartment situation? You won’t go all weird on me again?”
“We are, but let me finish telling you what’s going on with me. I actually found a place to live.”
Lily look surprised. “You did?”
In truth, when this offer was handed to Doug and me on a silver platter, I was surprised as well. “I did.” I explained. “The other night, Doug and I were at Jake’s, and Doug mentioned moving out. We decided to look for a place together when Emily suggested we live in her old house. Apparently, her tenant moved out and it’s available immediately.”
“Is that the place she lived in before she got married?”
“Yeah. It’s almost walking distance to the cul-de-sac, it’s large for two single guys, and it’s cheap. Jake and Emily insisted we live there rent-free, but we insisted on paying. The shared expenses will be cheaper than renting an apartment anywhere in the city. We lucked out.”
“That’s great!” Lily was genuinely happy for me, but I felt a bit guilty that this apartment hunting resolved itself so easily for me, but she was still in a lurch. It wasn’t easy living by oneself in LA, especially on her salary. Emily’s place had three bedrooms and initially, Doug and I were planning on using the extra bedroom as an office or a gameroom. Did I want to go there and invite Lily to be our third roommate?
Knowing Lily, if I asked, she’d take the offer as an act of friendship more so than a deepening of the relationship. I knew Doug would be cool about having another person share the house. After what would most likely happen tonight when we shared a bed, could I offer her a room, but not my bed in our shared home?
I wanted to help Lily, but...
April 14, 2014 BEE: New People
“I am still reeling over our soccer game yesterday,” I exclaimed over breakfast.
“Beatrrrrice. Your first futbol match was with the best team, the most exciting stadium, and the best player in the world. FC Barcelona in Camp Nou doesn’t get more ideal!” Luke was also coming off the high of yesterday’s game. “It’s incredible that Donovan was able to get us tickets. These tickets are impossible to find. Nobody gives up their seats.”
“My nephew does everything right, according to his wife. He’s her Superman.” I rolled my eyes at the giddy newlyweds. “I must say, Barcelona is stunning and funky at the same time.”
“I told you about Antoni Gaudi?” As Luke and I sat at a sidewalk café, I noticed that he was so much in his element. Luciano looked like a young Antonio Banderas in Desperado, but acted like Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots from Shrek. His wavy hair was just long enough to tie in the back, though I haven’t seen it done, yet, and his skin had that familiar dark, olive tone. He looked like a native, and once we landed at the airport, he sported a thick Spanish accent. It was beautiful to see him so alive—even more than his normal self. “You are smiling, Beatrice, and that smile suits you.”
“I was thinking about how you went from a fun American lawyer to a lively and slightly brooding Spanish lawyer.”
He went into his deep laughter. “What does that mean? How can I be lively and brooding at the same time?”
“I don’t know. The second we landed at Barcelona airport, your eyes lit up like a child at a toy store, but those same eyes went dark and kinda sexy,” I teased.
“Just kinda sexy?” He raised his eyebrow and stared at me even more intensely.
“Just kinda…” I pulled him up from the café seat and kissed him lightly on his lips. “If you were any sexier, I may have to cross the hallway tonight.”
“Hell yes!” Luke yelled, and pulled me into his body.
Luke surprised all of us and announced that we’d spend five days at his home rather than a hotel. His family home was situated in the city-center, and even more surprisingly, his parents and his older brother were in residence. The home was large and comfortable, and the reception we received last night was one generally bestowed upon family.
“I like your family very much.” We walked hand-in-hand, nowhere in particular, down beautifully crooked streets.
“They liked you, too. In fact, Momma told me to marry you here and now while we four Alvaros are in the same city.”
I didn’t pay heed to the joke and asked, “You four don’t see each other, often?”
“Not lately. My parents were the typical immigrants, working hard to support their family, making sure their boys did well in school, and guiding us into good colleges. Once I finished law school and Juan, or John, as he is called now, finished his PhD, my parents came back here to live. They mostly travel between relatives’ homes throughout Europe.”
“And your brother?”
“Juan calls himself an art curator-on-loan. He travels from museum to museum, filling in for missing curators.” I still had no clue what he was saying and he understood. “When a curator goes on leave at any major museum, they call him to substitute. That can mean he’s in Paris for three months or Istanbul for six. He’s hard to reach unless you go to him.”
“That doesn’t make for a stable home life.”
“He has no thoughts of getting married. He’s almost forty, and has a different woman in every museum-town.” Luke chuckled. “He says there are too many beautiful woman in the world to settle down with just one.” I nodded my head, not necessarily in agreement, but to let Luke know I finally understood. “But not me, Beatrrrrice. I am the settling down kind of man. I want a wife, the station wagon full of children, and a house with a picket fence.”
He watched and waited for my reaction. “My parents were a great example of a loving couple, but a terrible example of loving parents.” I gave Luke the short tale of Beatrice Lauren Taylor. “I want to find love and marriage. I want to have a kid or two and do all the things my mother never did with me. Baking cookies, creating homemade Valentine’s Day cards, wrapping Christmas presents, getting pedicures—these are only a few of a long list of mother-daughter activities I long to experience.” We walked in and out of residential alleyways before I said much more. “I’m beginning to think maybe all of that wasn’t meant for me. I think I’m best at creating clothes.”
Luke stopped us mid-walk. “Why would you think that?”
I explained my history with Beau, and spoke some more about Nick. “You see, Beau and Nick were the two men I ‘dated,’” I placed quotation marks on the word dated because I didn’t know if Nick would call the days we spent together as dating, “and both their names have one syllable. Since the name Luke only has one syllable, I think we are doomed from the start.” It was hard saying this with a straight face.
“From here on out, you must call me Luciano! Forget Luke.”
“Let’s go, Luke. My niece and nephew will be waiting for us.”
We walked back to the house, hand-in-hand, ready for the day to begin.
“You two got up early,” Laney spoke from the large communal table in the kitchen. “You get up, together?”
I shot Laney a look as Maria Alvaro, Luke’s mother, was sitting at this same table.
“Beatrrrice.” Maria rolled her r’s the same way her son did. “We are all grown adults. We all know what can happen when two people like each other,” Maria’s teasing was worse. “You think it was by accident that your room is directly across my son’s?”
I corrected their wrong assumptions. “Luke texted me when he woke up and suggested we go have breakfast at his favorite café. That’s all,” I stressed. I couldn’t tell whether either lady believed me.
“No matter.” Maria waved her hand animatedly. “Your men are going to work. Juan invited us to join him at the Picasso Museum today. He even promised a delicious lunch at a secret tapas restaurant only insiders know about. Give me a few minutes and we will begin our day.”
Laney and I watched Maria leave to get ready for our excursion. “I like her!” Laney exclaimed.
“I do too.” I agreed whole-heartedly. “I forgot to ask Luke how Maria’s English is so good. I mean, I know they speak English here, but she barely has an accent.”
“Maria told me she went to Yale for undergrad and graduate school. During her years in the States, she worked hard to perfect her English.”
“Wow. I didn’t know that.”
“She also said the reason they emigrated was because she knew her boys were bright enough to attend a top university in America, and she wanted to give them every opportunity to do so. She and her husband knew they could always come back to Spain once the boys were done with their schooling.” I was glad to have come here and gotten to know the Alvaro family. “By the way,” Laney added, “Josh is joining us today. I called him last night and told him about John and the Picasso Museum. He should be getting off the train as we speak.”
As expected, Josh joined us from the onset of our personal tour. “Laney! Bee!” He rushed over and hugged us. “I missed you.”
“When are you coming back home and living reality like the rest of us?” I asked in jest.
“I’m staying until Max and Jane’s wedding is over. Jane forbade me from coming home until then.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Who do you think has been playing her wedding coordinator in Italy?”
“You?”
“Me!” he declared. “You wouldn’t believe all the crap we’ve had to deal with so far. I’d be surprised if this wedding happens in Italy. At this rate, they may end up having a BBQ hoedown in their tiny backyard.”
“The situations aren’t that bad.” Laney said. I had no idea their situation was anything but perfect. I’d get the details later from Josh. For now, it was all about the Picasso Museum with…family.
April 17, 2014 NICK: New ‘Playmates’
“Is that the last of the boxes?” I asked the movers.
“That’s it. There wasn’t much to begin with so the entire move was faster than usual.”
“Thanks.” I paid the movers and joined Doug, Lily, and Sam in our new abode.
“Hey,” Sam addressed us, “who’s living in the master suite? Why is it empty?”
“Nick and I are trying to figure out whether we want to turn it into an office, or into a game room. Jake gave us free reign on all his games and furniture.”
Sam perused the large empty room and the bathroom. I didn’t like how interested she was. “Can I move into the third bedroom?” Damn! I knew it. I knew she’d come up with some screwy idea. She and Laney were always close, and now I realized why. Doug looked at me. I stared back at Doug and we shook our heads a BIG FAT NO! But, we said nothing. “Ah come on! Let me live here with you guys,” she begged. We still kept mum. “Should I get permission from Emily and Jake first? I promise to be quiet. All I’ll do is study. I’ll even clean the house once a month.” Yeah, like that was a dealmaker.
“How do we get out of this?” Doug whispered loudly enough for all four of us to hear.
Sam rolled her eyes. “I told you about my roommate who is dating my ex? They’re driving me nuts! Please, please, please! Let me live with you guys,” she pleaded.
“Well?” Doug asked knowing the inevitable. It wasn’t that we didn’t like Sam. We liked her fine, but the thought of living with her wasn’t pleasing. Knowing that there was a watchful Reid in the house made us wary.
“I know!” Shit. Sam had a glint in her eye I didn’t like. “How about if Lily and I both move into this room? We can share expenses four-ways rather than three. That would make everything so much cheaper.” I knew I wasn’t going to like her idea. “Lily will be hanging out here all the time anyway. She might as well live here and make a foursome.” Sam turned to Lily and said, “You said you were looking for a place to live, right?”
“Um, yeah.” Lily sounded uncomfortable, but she looked hopeful. “Let’s talk.” She pulled my hand and we stepped out.
“Sam,” I heard Doug warn, “we haven’t accepted you as a roommate yet…”
Lily spoke as soon as we were outside. “Don’t worry about what Sam said. I know us living as roommates wasn’t a part of your plan.”
Our trip to the desert was fun, and we learned more about one another, but I wasn’t thinking I’d be living with Lily at any point. Yes, we slept in the same bed. Yes, we fooled around in bed. But no, we did not have sex. My body wanted it, but my mind had serious doubts. Sex with Lily was like making a commitment to her and that desire to commit wasn’t there. And for some screwy reason, I felt like I was cheating on…Bee. I didn’t know why the hell that thought kept replaying itself, but it did. Being with one woman and having thoughts about another woman was a serious no-no for any sane man.
“Lily. Um. It’s not that I don’t…”
“You don’t have to say anything.” She smiled. “I’ll be honest with you. Would I like to live here with you and your cousins? Yes. You three are fun, the rent would be way under my budget, and the house is in a safe and beautiful neighborhood. But do I want to make you feel uncomfortable? No. Don’t worry about me. I’ll find a place, and if I don’t, I’ll hang with my sister’s family a little longer.”
I didn’t believe Lily was trying to make me feel guilty, but I felt like shit. Up until now, Lily and I had been up front with one another. We spoke our minds and Lily wasn’t shy about telling me what she did and did not want. I appreciated and respected her honesty. But right now, her honesty was putting me between a shitty rock and an even shittier hard place. Could I live with Lily as roommates, and would we still be able to just date? This pressure was too much.
“I don’t know if we could live in the same house and do what we’re doing.” I attempted the honest approach myself.
“Will I be welcomed here once you’re settled?”
“Of course!”
“Then that’s all I need. It’s cool, Nick. I think we can live as roommates, but I know that’s too much commitment for you. Let’s just keep things the way they are.”
She walked back into the house and I followed, still feeling like an asshole for not helping a friend in need. Realistically, there was no way Lily could afford any housing on her own, unless she moved to some seedy area of Los Angeles. I knew she disliked taking up Charlie’s office, and I knew Sarah and Charlie’s place was too small for three adults and a child.
If Lily moved in with us, I’d lose my freedom. It would be like being under the watchful eye of someone I was only getting to know. I hated that thought, but I also hated watching a friend struggle. I was damned if I did, and damned if I didn’t.
“Lily.” I called her back. “I don’t like people hovering over me. I also don’t like feeling tied down and having the sense that someone is watching my every move. You and I are just starting to date and I don’t know if it’s a good idea to see each other daily. What would happen if we decided to stop dating after you moved in here?”
A chuckle escaped Lily’s mouth. “Nick.” She spoke seriously. “Don’t worry so much. It’ll be all right.” She pulled me back into the house, and the four of us unpacked all the boxes. When we were done, Sam demanded we help her move out of her apartment.
“You’re a pain in the ass, Sam!” Doug huffed and puffed as we helped her with her belongings. “I can’t believe you called Jake and Emily behind our backs and got their permission to live with us.” Sam bellowed a loud and evil laugh.
“They’re just as much my cousins as they are yours.” She might as well have stuck her tongue out at us while she gloated. “In honor of this fabulous day, dinner is on me!” she exclaimed.
Lily was pretty quiet after our earlier conversation, and I was feeling the weight of her dilemma.
“What’s the deal with Lily?” Doug asked when Lily stepped outside to answer a phone call. “Are you going to ask her to move in with us?”
“Why not?” Sam asked. “Aren’t you two dating? It’s not like she’s not going to hang with us all the time. What difference does it make if she lives in the same house as you, Nick?”
“We’re not at any stage where I want to live in the same house as her.”
“You’re not really going to live with her. Think of it simply as being roommates. She sounded pretty down when I talked to her earlier.”
“Yeah? How so?” Doug asked. I, on the other hand, didn’t want to know.
“She was desperate to move out, but couldn’t find anything in her price range. Let’s help her out, Nick. She’s a nice gal and I like her.”