Complete Indelible Love Series

by Cee, DW

  “Will you two go get a room?” Nick and I were on the same wavelength.

  “Now that you two are here to help with the kids, I think we will.” Donovan crooked his finger at his wife. “Let’s go, Wife. You shall understand the wrath of your husband tonight.”

  “Puleez!” I pushed Laney’s back to help her out of the room as quickly as possible. “You two are disgusting to be around.”

  “Puleez, yourself!” Laney shot back. “Like you and Nick won’t see some action tonight in this exciting city? I hope you won’t wake up the kids.”

  “Wait.” Nick said. “If Mom and Dad are here, where are we staying?”

  “We’re next door at Trump Tower. Why don’t you join us? You don’t want to sleep here with JR getting up at all hours.”

  Knowing that Nick was going to worry about paying for a room at a posh hotel, Jake stepped in. “I’ve already set you both up at the hotel. That’s the least Emi and I can do for helping us.”

  Nick didn’t appear bothered by that at all. He accepted, and we said our good-byes to the giddy couple.

  “Isn’t it bedtime?” Nick asked Ellie.

  “No, Nick. Book time.” Ellie spoke while all three kids bounced off the wall. They must have had a seriously good dessert.

  As though Emily knew what I was thinking, she said, “They’ve been waiting for you both all day today, even JR. With Auntie Laney and Uncle Donovan showing up, it was icing on their cake. They’re overjoyed to see you.” Emily had a stern warning for her daughter after she spoke to us. “Elizabeth Reid. Do not call your uncle by his first name. This is UNCLE Nick and AUNTIE Bee.”

  “OK, Mama.” She answered with an angelic smile, and then whispered really softly—which for a two-year-old, was like talking into a microphone—“Nick. Book. Now.”

  “Ellie…!” Emily warned again. Oh, I saw a long road ahead with this willful girl.

  “Auntie Bee.” James tugged on my hand. “Read?” Who could resist those baby blue eyes? These three were gorgeous.

  “Let’s get reading.” Nick held a kid in each arm, like a UPS man carrying packages, and took them toward their room. I picked up JR who was drooling everywhere. Thank God for bibs. I didn’t think I was ready for motherhood any time in the near future.

  As we walked down the hall, I heard Jake mimic Laney’s “Take me to bed or lose me forever” line to his wife, and that’s when I knew we would be in for a long few days.

  Nick and I received a call very early in the morning by one Elizabeth Reid wondering where we were. This girl had a remarkable vocabulary for her age, and her personality was a nonstop wrecking ball. Though Jake denied calling us on her behest, we could hear him laughing when Ellie repeated, “Nick. Bee. Come here now! Let’s pray.”

  “So much for morning sex.” Nick grumbled and forced me up. Last night, Nick and I single-handedly put all three kids to bed after reading to them for nearly an hour. The three had a remarkable attention span. While we struggled to change the kids, brush their teeth, and go through their nightly rituals,—which Ellie guided us through without missing a step—who knew where the parents were? I was surprised Emily didn’t show up to say goodnight.

  When we arrived at their apartment, Emily apologized profusely. Unlike her usual together self, she told us that she fell asleep the moment she laid down to rest for a few minutes. Of course, Jake was not about to wake his wife.

  “Are you not feeling well?” Nick voiced concern.

  Emily’s look of discomfort was obvious. She actually blushed when Nick asked Jake if he’d taken her to the hospital.

  “Why would I take her to a hospital when I can examine her myself?” The mischievous glint in Jake’s eyes was unmistakable.

  “It looks like you’ve done your share of examining…and then some…” Donovan uttered as he got up. “Some of us have to work.” He placed an amorous kiss on the lips of his wife and warned, “Stay out of trouble.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Assuming today goes well, I’ll see you all at dinner tonight with the family.”

  “Bye Donovan.” Each person in the room waved while all three kids jumped out of their high chairs and grabbed him by the knees. Donovan threw each kid up in the air, and gave them all a playful kiss good-bye.

  “By the way,” Donovan called as he was stepping outside, “Luke arrived this morning. He will be at dinner with us.”

  My damn nephew showed a lot of teeth, grinning stupidly with satisfaction. Shit! What an uncomfortable dinner that was going to be.

  “Nick.” Jake changed the topic. “Can you take all three kids today so Emily can rest some more? She’s a little less than physically perfect.” That was one vague way of explaining what was going on.

  “Uh…sure…” Nick knew I was going to make a loop through the garment district today so he would be with all three, alone.

  “I’ll help, Nick.” Laney offered.

  “Some help you’ll be,” her cousin muttered.

  I knew if I didn’t help in some way, my boyfriend would be in a foul mood by the time he met up with the family and Luke. I didn’t need that kind of stress in my life. Desperate times inspired brilliant ideas.

  I was feeling as proud as Laney was yesterday for what I was about to say. “Ellie. How about you and I go look at some pretty fabrics, and maybe even make a dress together today?”

  Ellie’s face went from happy to couldn’t contain the joy. She ran around the apartment yelling, “YES, YES, YES!!! I want lellow dwess, Bee. Lellow dwess.”

  “You speak my color, Ellie.” I put out my hand for a high-five. “Would it bother you if I took Ellie with me to the garment district? I promise to be careful with her.” I felt like a fourteen-year-old, babysitting for the first time.

  “Are you sure you want to take her?” Emily spoke it, and Jake seconded it with a scrunching of his eyebrow and a shaking of his head.

  “She’s high maintenance.” Nick was doing his best to warn me, too.

  “I think we’ll have a splendid time.” I disagreed. “Let’s run some errands, look at pretty fabric, make you a dwess or two, have tea, and maybe even get our nails done?” The question was futile. With each suggestion, Ellie’s eyes got bigger and her excitement grew louder. If you could equate her excitement level with a rocket, we would have gone to the moon and back ten times over by now. "Do you even know what it means to get your nails done?”

  Ellie looked down at her toes. It cracked me up how sophisticated this little girl was. Heaven help the man who would marry her one day.

  Jake intervened and suggested, “I’ll have concierge call the car service for you. Why don’t you take our car today?”

  I didn’t bother refusing. It would make for a much easier day with a driver.

  Ellie and I started our day with a bang! While her Uncle Nick and Auntie Laney walked to Central Park Zoo with the boys, we were whisked off to the garment district, where I went to see a friend who owned a large warehouse. Everyone at the warehouse was so taken by this stunning two-year-old-going-on-twelve that Ellie’s head was spinning from all the attention she was receiving. I barely spent any time with her, although my eyes were always on her.

  Ellie met a pattern designer with her namesake, and the two of them designed three outfits for our little darling. Then, Ellie hung out with Rosalind, who sat her on the huge cutting table while Rosalind drew the designs and cut the fabrics. Next, Ellie sat next to Lynn, who sewed the dress, the top, and pair of pants. Lastly, our princess had a bird’s eye view of all the bells and whistles added to her outfit. The button on her white jean shorts resembled a blue sapphire. Her tank top had the name Ellie, in the same blue sapphire-like buttons—albeit, much smaller ones—emblazoned on the front. And her “lellow dwess” was finished off with blue jewels all along the bottom. Ellie modeled all the clothes to many oohs and aahs, and then she decided to keep the dress on. She liked the way it “twirled and twirled and twirled” sh
e told us.

  “You had a good time?” This was a rhetorical question, but I wanted to see the smile on her face one more time.

  “Yes, Auntie Bee!” So that was the way to this girl’s heart. Her well-mannered answer had me chuckling to myself. This girl was the most darling user-and-abuser there was, and I loved it.

  “What shall we do next? Are you hungry?”

  She nodded yes, but she pointed to her toes. She and her mom must have had a few pedicures in this girl’s short life.

  “Do you know the story of Eloise At The Plaza?” Ellie’s round eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “Is that one of your favorite books?” Her head shook so vigorously, I thought it might fall off. I was afraid she might faint when I took her to tea at the Plaza.

  On the nose—that’s what I was. As soon as Ellie saw the giant framed picture of Eloise on the wall at the Plaza Hotel and she walked into the all pink room, Ellie almost hyperventilated. We started our tea with the purchase of an Eloise outfit. Elizabeth Reid made a darling Eloise when I helped her change into the white shirt and black jumper. Ellie soon disappeared, but it wasn’t hard to spot the dark hair flitting back and forth from The Library to The Fashion Room. Only when I promised she could come back and read as many books as she liked and watch as many Eloise video clips, did she relent and have some lunch in the tearoom. I think she could’ve sustained herself on excitement alone, but I didn’t think her parents would appreciate me not having fed their daughter.

  Our tea at the Plaza Hotel lasted for hours. In truth, it was the library that allowed Ellie to “read” and watch movies while I took care of some more business through my cell phone. All in all, it was a successful day.

  I arrived at the restaurant with an exhausted, but still-ecstatic two-year-old, as she ran to meet her mother, dragging all her goodies in hand. I saw her animatedly explaining what had happened today, and she proceeded to take out all the contents of the bag in the parking lot. She handed a book to each of her brothers as their present, and she beamed as she twirled for her mother in her new outfit.

  “Good day?” Ellie’s uncle, my boyfriend, asked.

  “Fantastic day. You?”

  “Surprisingly, it was a great day for us, too. Laney’s going to make a phenomenal mom when those babies are born. She’s a natural.”

  “I think she’s a natural in just about everything she does.” I offered my penny or two of a thought.

  “Shit.” I heard Nick grumble under his breath.

  I looked over to the source of his discontent, and there he was, approaching me with a sweet smile.

  “Beatrrrice,” Luke spoke with much affection. If the rolling of the r’s didn’t grate on Nick’s nerves enough, the kiss too close to the lips had him grinding his teeth, spewing venom.

  This was going to be a long night…!

  June 19, 2014 NICK: Piqued Heart

  I did not appreciate this asshole goading me. His terms of endearment for my girlfriend struck every nerve in my body, and I hated how stupid I was for allowing Bee to have been with another man. As much as it bugged the hell out of me, I let go of the kiss that was borderline obscene for two acquaintances—or friends, I suppose.

  Jake gripped my shoulder a little tighter than usual warning me not to make a scene in front of everyone, and I decided to take his advice. I grabbed Bee’s hand and led her into the restaurant, away from the Spaniard. We were almost away when I heard another “Beatrrrice!”

  What the fuck! Who the hell was he?

  “John.” Bee let go of me and went to hug this man. “What brings you to New York?”

  This John looked similar to the Spaniard, and I wondered if Bee had dated yet another guy while we were apart.

  “I’m a guest speaker at the Met tomorrow. I just landed at JFK and received Luciano’s text to join all of you for dinner. Knowing you were on the guest list, how could I refuse?” He gave her another slimy smile and kiss. I was going to seriously beat the crap out of the next guy who touched my woman.

  “Hi John.” Laney waved. Donovan walked over and shook his hand. How the hell did everyone know each other?

  My cousin-by-marriage finally made the introductions once his conversation with these guys was done. “Everyone, you all know Luke, our real estate lawyer from AAP.” All the family members said a quick hello. “And this is his brother, John. He’s an art curator working at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona.” So that’s who he was. Bee and I needed to have a long chat tonight about what went down in Barcelona between her and Luke’s family.

  I was about to take Bee into the restaurant when Ellie waylaid me, excited to tell me about her day. She jumped into my arms and went on and on about a “lellow dwess” and somebody named Eloise. I had no freaking clue what the hell she was talking about, but the way her mouth formed every word looked so damn cute, I had to kiss her from head to toe again. I blew raspberries on her neck and stomach and that caused a tidal wave of kids to join us in the parking lot. JR insisted on his turn next, and my patient and mature nephew, James, waited for his siblings to have their turns, first. I loved the depth of this kid. As a reward, I kept James in my arms and played with him the longest.

  “Tenk you, Unca Nick.” This sweet boy said and wrapped both his arms around my neck. I hugged him just as fiercely and told him that I loved him as we walked into the restaurant.

  I was in a damn good mood with my nephew in my arms when I saw that both the Spaniard brothers were sitting next to Bee. My woman didn’t even save me a seat! What the hell was wrong with Bee? This called for some serious talking tonight back at the hotel.

  Donovan walked by taunting, “If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it…” If that wasn’t bad enough, Laney waved her ring finger and did a Beyoncé impersonation of that stupid song. Everyone behind the karaoke-singing couple laughed at me and slapped me on the back. By the time we all sat, I was on the opposite side of the table with all three kids vying for my two laps.

  “What did you and my wife do today with the kids?” Like he didn’t already know?

  “Are you purposely pissing me off?”

  “Me?” Donovan asked in a mock tone. “I just want to know that you took good care of your nephews, your cousin, and your soon-to-be distant cousins.”

  “I’m sure your wife reported that we all had a good time. The boys enjoyed the zoo, and judging by the way she mothered the boys, you and your kids are in good hands.”

  That big head of Donovan’s got even bigger. “How did I get so lucky with you, Princess?”

  Laney let out a lame-sounding giggle. “You could’ve been lucky with me a lot longer had you wisened-up earlier. If you kept up your dumbass attitude, you could’ve been like my cousin, and I might have gone on to be a duchess.”

  Donovan’s body tensed and he quickly became pissed. “You are about to give birth to my children in a few weeks. I don’t want to hear about your past.”

  My cousin rolled right over her husband. “Oh please…I have less than a two-month history with a very nice guy who never got more than kisses from me. Do we really want to compare pasts?”

  Like a schizophrenic, my cousin-in-law went from pissed to pleased. “Don’t get me upset again, Princess.” He grinned and displayed affection in a very public way that none of us wanted to see. It was disgusting to see my cousin and her husband all over each other.

  While the giggling and canoodling continued, the three babies on my lap were engrossed with the salt and pepper shakers, as well as the Parmesan cheese shaker. In the few minutes that I took my eyes off these three, they had created a mess on my plate, and JR was sneezing up a storm from the peppery air. My brother was about ten minutes too late, coming to my rescue.

  With all the craziness, I hadn’t noticed Bee laughing it up with the two Spaniards without even a look my way. If she was going to play like that, I’d ignore her too and have my own good time.

  The rest of dinner was miserable
.

  Jake and Emily were busy taking care of their three.

  Donovan and Laney might as well have had a “Do Not Disturb” sign on their attached lips. They needed to get a room, and fast.

  My parents and the Taylors engaged in a lively debate about grandchildren—whose was cuter and smarter. Who the hell cared, and who the hell compared two-year-olds?

  I was the odd man out.

  We caught a cab back to our hotel with the I-wish-they-would-stop-touching-each-other couple, and I went mute on Bee. Either she didn’t notice, or if she noticed, she chose to ignore it. She ignored me, too, and composed emails the entire ride.

  In our room, I got ready and hopped into bed.