An Aces Christmas

by Nicole Jacquelyn

  Draco, who was still humming a song about a prostitute.

  After I got that straightened out in my head, the night went a lot smoother. My nerves disappeared and I found myself laughing and joking with the group like always. Dinner went by in a flash, even though Charlie took forever to eat the two entrees she’d ordered, and before long, we were on our way to the hotel where the prom was being held.

  “Someone’s getting pregnant tonight,” Charlie said as we strode toward the entrance.

  Looking up at the fancy hotel, I agreed. I knew that more than a few of our classmates had gotten rooms for the night, and it was inevitable that the glamour of the place would fuel romance.

  “Nose goes,” Draco said, putting his forefinger to his nose.

  Charlie and I instantly did the same.

  “Looks like Curt’s getting pregnant,” I joked when he was the last to touch his nose.

  “Dammit,” he sighed. “I had so many plans!”

  “We’ll stand by you,” Charlie said solemnly.

  “We’d never let you face this alone,” Draco agreed, reaching out to squeeze his brother’s shoulder.

  “What about you?” Curtis asked me, sending me a sad look. “Will you support me?” He put his hand on his belly. “Support… us?”

  “You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out,” I joked, raising one eyebrow.

  “Oh,” Draco sang, laughing. “Burn.”

  “Come on, lets get this over with,” Charlie said, striding forward. Draco fell into step with her, which left me and Curtis walking side by side.

  “You look gorgeous tonight,” he said quietly, bumping me with his elbow.

  “Thanks,” I replied, trying to hide my giddy smile. “So do you.”

  “Yeah?” he asked, preening as he smoothed his hand down the front of his shirt.

  “It’s the tux,” I joked. “Usually you’re—” I grimaced.

  “I know, right?” he joked. “It changes the whole picture.”

  “You always look good,” I said, scoffing a little. I swallowed hard.

  “And you’re always gorgeous,” he said, whispering like he was letting me in on a secret.

  “You guys coming?” Charlie asked from the check-in table. “I need my ticket, Curt.”

  As I glanced up, Charlie was gesturing us forward, but she wasn’t what caught my attention. Draco was standing perfectly still and staring at us, his eyes sharp and his face emotionless.

  “All good, brother?” Curtis asked him.

  “You tell me,” Draco said, his eyes on me.

  “Of course,” Curtis replied, slapping Draco’s chest. “Bring your date inside and show her your moves.”

  “You’ve got moves?” I joked, trying to break the tension. I wasn’t sure what was happening.

  Draco’s lips twitched. “Like you would not believe,” he assured me.

  We got sucked into the dance along with a hundred other kids, and there wasn’t another chance for me and Curt to talk about anything—but I didn’t mind. Between the music and the dancing and the hanging out with my friends, I was practically vibrating with happiness. The fact that Curtis had called me gorgeous, quietly so no one else could hear, made things a thousand times better.

  Every time I caught his eye, a little zing of electricity shot up my spine. Like we had a secret just between us. It was exhilarating and I wasn’t in any rush to push things further. I’d see him the next day and the next and the day after that. The world seemed wide open and full of possibility.

  A couple hours into the dance, after eating the crappy food and drinking our weight in punch, me and Charlie headed to the ladies’ room.

  “Okay,” she said, laughing as we made our way into the quiet hallway where the bathrooms were located. “I’m glad you made me come.”

  “I told you it would be fun,” I said, grinning. I pulled at the high neck of my dress a little. It felt like it was tighter than before and it was kind of itchy, but I was having too much fun to care.

  “You were right and I was wrong,” she said, pushing open the bathroom door. “Remember this, because it will never happen again.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I said, following her inside.

  “So, there’s apparently a party up in a room later,” she said through the stall while we peed. “Did you want to go, or do you think the ’rents will get pissed?”

  “I don’t know,” I replied, pulling at my dress again. Why did it feel so tight? I could feel it every time I swallowed. “Do you know whose party it is?”

  “No idea,” she said.

  As we stepped out to wash our hands, she continued. “My parents don’t care because they know I’m with the boys—but I know that won’t cut it for Mack.” She laughed. “Your dad’s a bit more strict than Farrah and Casper.”

  Running my hands under the water, I nodded, but didn’t reply. I was starting to really feel like shit. What the hell was going on?

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  “I don’t feel good,” I rasped, staring at Charlie as I tried to pull air into my lungs. “I don’t—”

  “What the hell?” she asked in confusion. Her voice was laced with worry. “Come on, lets go get the guys. We can go.”

  I followed her out of the bathroom, but we didn’t make it three steps down the hallway before I had to stop.

  “Can’t breathe,” I choked, pulling on her arm. “Help.”

  I pulled at the neck of my dress, scratching at it with my nails as I started to panic.

  “Oh God,” Charlie gasped. “Oh God. Okay. It’s okay,” she said, reaching around me to unfasten the two buttons at the base of my neck that held the top of my dress up. “It’s okay.”

  I started to sway, but I couldn’t seem to keep my feet under me, even as I felt the fabric fall away from my throat. I was suffocating. Holy crap, what was wrong with me?

  “Help!” Charlie screamed at someone—I couldn’t see who she was talking to through the black spots that danced across my vision. “Help!”

  Then, there was nothing.

  Chapter 5

  Grease

  Present

  “Was today hard for you?” Callie asked, kneeling on the bed behind me to drape her arms over my shoulders.

  “Nah,” I replied, shaking my head a little. “It was a good day, sugar.”

  “I know,” she said with a sigh, kissing the side of my neck. “But it brought back a whole lot of memories for me. I’d imagine it was worse for you.”

  “It did,” I agreed.

  Sitting outside the prison, the memory of walking out into the parking lot full of bikes had hit me hard. I’d been so young back then. Young and in love and dying to get home to the woman I’d left behind and the kid I’d barely gotten to know. The memories were bittersweet. Freedom was something that I’d always taken for granted until I no longer had it.

  “Did everything go okay?” Callie asked as I twisted and pulled her into my lap.

  “It went fine,” I replied, running my mouth along her jaw.

  I didn’t want to think about being locked up. I didn’t want to think about that part of our lives or the shit that had come afterward. It had taken us a long ass time to move past the things I’d put her through. I’d spent the entire day fighting to keep those memories in the back of my mind where they belonged.

  “Farrah called me old today,” Callie said, tilting her head back so I could reach her throat. “She said I’m going to end up living in a shoe.”

  “She what? A shoe?” I said in confusion, pulling away. “No. Nope. Not discussing your crazy friend while you’re naked in my lap.”

  “Oh, don’t pretend like she’s not your friend, too,” she said, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair. “I swear, the two of you are ridiculous.”

  “You know what’s ridiculous?” I asked, flipping her onto her back. “The fact that you’ve been naked for at least ten minutes and I’m still not inside you.”

  “Well,
if you hadn’t taken so long to get undressed,” she joked, gasping as I ran my mouth down the valley between her breasts.

  “Maybe I’m gettin’ old, too,” I joked, squeezing the flesh of her hips. “Takes me five minutes to get my damn boots off.”

  “I don’t care how long it takes you to get your boots off,” she replied, grinning. Reaching down, she wrapped her fingers around my cock, making me groan. “As long as this is still working.”

  “I think so,” I said with a chuckle. “Might want to make sure, though.”

  She laughed and I let her flip me to my back so she could crawl on top of me. As she slid her mouth over me, I tilted my head back and sighed in thankfulness. In the beginning, sex with Callie had been so fun—new and exciting. The anticipation and discovery every time we’d been together. But there was something to be said about knowing your partner’s body so well that you knew every move to make to get them off.

  Being with my woman was satisfying in a way I hadn’t even been able to imagine or understand way back when. It fed me. Kept me going. Sometimes, it was the only way I was able to turn my mind off enough to sleep.

  “It’s working just fine,” Callie said huskily as she slid up my body. With one hand on my chest, she used the other to position my cock so she could sink down on top of me.

  “I love you, Calliope,” I said, brushing her hair back from her face.

  “Love you, too,” she replied as she began to roll her hips.

  Sex, for better or worse, had gotten us through a lot of shit. When the kids were little, it had sometimes been the only time of day that we’d been alone. It served as a way for us to reconnect if we’d been apart for any length of time. And, when we’d lost our son, it had been one of the only ways I’d been able to feel anything but numb.

  “Hey,” she said, pausing as she leaned down to kiss me. “Where are you tonight?”

  “I’m right here, sugar,” I said, lifting her a little to urge her to move.

  “You’re a million miles away,” she said softly.

  “Just thinkin’ how thankful I am for this,” I replied, sliding my hands up her sides and over her shoulder blades. “Thankful for you.”

  She smiled and at the sight of her dimple, my entire chest felt like it was going to cave in. Jesus, I guess the day had affected me more than I’d thought.

  “You gonna move?” I asked gruffly, clearing my throat.

  “Well,” she joked, drawing the word out with a shrug.

  “Like that, is it?” I said, flipping her over.

  “Asa,” she squealed as we damn near fell off the edge of the bed.

  “Have I ever let you fall off the bed?” I asked with a scoff, moving her close to the center.

  “Yes!” she said, with a gasp as I began to thrust.

  “Once,” I said with a laugh, “and that was years ago.”

  After that, there wasn’t much talking. It also didn’t last long. Like I said, there was something nice about the fact that we both knew exactly how to get each other off.

  “I’m going to go clean up,” Callie said groggily a little while later. “You want water or anything while I’m up?”

  “I’m good,” I said, smacking her ass lightly as she crawled out of bed. “Why’re you putting that on?”

  “Because I’m cold,” she said, laughing as I tried to pull the t-shirt out of her hands. “Maybe if you let me set the thermostat higher, I wouldn’t have to.”

  “Can’t sleep when it’s like a sauna in here,” I grumbled.

  “Then you can deal with me wearing clothes to bed,” she shot back.

  “I know you turn that thing up when I’m gone,” I said as I watched her walk away. “I’ve seen the power bill.”

  “I’m not apologizing for that,” she said with a laugh. “I enjoy every minute of it.”

  She left the bathroom door open as she did her business, and I stuffed a pillow under my head so I could watch her. The toilet was out of sight, which was the only reason she left the door open—but I got to see her from the moment she stepped in front of the sink.

  “We got all the pies done today,” she said as she ran the water, waiting for it to heat up. “So all I have to do tomorrow are the salads.”

  “That’s good,” I replied. “Farrah actually help you?”

  Callie scoffed. “She made her own pies, yes.”

  “You should have one of the girls help you,” I said as she wet a washcloth and began to slide it between her legs. “You know they would.”

  “Yeah, I know,” she said, rinsing the washcloth. “But I like doing it with Farrah. It’s a nice calm before the holiday storm.”

  “Like you don’t spend enough time with her anyway,” I teased as she shut off the lights and moved toward the bed.

  “You’re lucky that I have a best friend I like to spend time with,” Callie said, not for the first time. She burrowed under the blankets. “I’m not calling you fifteen times a day asking where you are and what you’re doing.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I replied, pulling her against my side.

  “Plus, tomorrow, it’ll be everyone together,” she said with a happy sigh. “And then Christmas morning, the kids are coming here after they do presents at their houses.”

  “You get little Mick’s dirt bikes?” I asked, suddenly realizing that I hadn’t seen the toys come in the mail.

  “Yeah, they came two days ago,” Callie replied with satisfaction. “Already wrapped and under the tree.”

  “That’s good.”

  “I’m all done shopping.”

  “What did you get me?” I asked, giving her a squeeze.

  “You’re as bad as the kids,” she replied. “You can find out on Christmas, just like everyone else.”

  “Don’t act like you haven’t turned this house and the garage upside down looking for your gifts,” I said, my lips twitching.

  “I have not.”

  “Bullshit,” I replied.

  “They’re not even here,” she said, leaning up to look at me.

  I laughed, my entire body shaking. “I knew you looked.”

  “Where did you hide them?” she asked in exasperation.

  “They’ve been a couple different places,” I replied. “Left them at the garage for a bit, but I figured you’d make your way there eventually. Last week, I moved them to Will’s, but I was afraid Reb would see them and break if you interrogated her.”

  “I wouldn’t!”

  “So,” I continued, ignoring her denial, “I locked them in the tool box in the truck.”

  “The big one in the back?” she asked, far less nonchalant than she was trying to be.

  “Locked it,” I said easily. “And you’ll never find the keys.”

  “You’re the worst!” she said with a laugh.

  “I think you meant smart,” I replied, tapping my temple with my finger.

  Callie huffed and laid down with her head on my shoulder.

  “I’m excited to have all the kids here on Christmas,” she said, wrapping her arm around my waist.

  “You’ll see ’em tomorrow, too,” I reminded her.

  “I know,” she replied. “But Christmas morning is just us. It’s wild, but it’s just—”

  “Relaxing,” I said, finishing her thought.

  “Exactly,” she replied. “It’s pure joy.”

  “Won’t be for Heather,” I said dryly. “Not with her pukin’ every thirty minutes.”

  “Noticed that, did you?” Callie asked.

  “I need to talk to Tommy,” I muttered.

  Callie had been just as sick as Heather when she’d been pregnant with our kids. And even though I’d hated it with every fiber of my being, I’d agreed when she wanted to add to our family. But eventually, I’d put my foot down. I loved my kids more than anything, but my woman had been worn the fuck out and I wasn’t about to let that continue. Tommy needed to get his head out of his ass, stop being a little bitch, and get snipped before he seriously fucked wit
h Heather’s health.

  “It’s just as much Heather,” Callie replied reasonably. “She must want more kids.”

  “Tommy needs to take care of it,” I replied stubbornly. “Takin’ care of Heather is his damn job.”

  “There was this whole movement,” Callie said sleepily. “It was called the Women’s Rights Movement. It was pretty cool, actually, because—”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I said, covering her mouth with my hand. “I’m still gonna have a word with my son.”

  “The person you should have a word with is your granddaughter,” Callie said with a sigh as soon as I’d taken my hand away.

  “Which one?” I asked, running down the list. Rebel was fine, I’d just seen her the day before. Tommy’s girls were still practically babies.

  “Kara,” she replied, just as I’d realized that must be who she was talking about.

  “She alright?” I asked. I’d seen her the day before, too. She’d been the one to drive Reb to bring me lunch. Sweet girls.

  “I saw her this morning,” Callie said, pausing for a moment. “She looked terrible.”

  “How so?”

  “Pale, frazzled, skinny.”

  “She’s always been skinny.”

  “No, she hasn’t,” Callie snapped. Before I could even get mad at her tone, she soothed me with a hand gently running down my chest in apology. “She looks like shit, Asa.”

  “You think it’s because—”

  “Of course it is,” she replied. “She’s been stuck for years, and this means she’s going to have to start actually living her life.”

  “Not sure what I could say to her,” I said. Honest to God, I was at a loss.

  I’d never understood the guilt Kara carried around with her. It just didn’t make any sense to me. Callie said that I couldn’t understand it, because I wasn’t a woman.

  “You talk to her,” I told Callie. “You’ll know what to say.”

  “Chicken,” Callie mumbled. She was finally drifting off to sleep.

  “You’re better at that shit than I am,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll deal with the boys, you deal with the girls.”