by C. M. King
“I think he’s grown up a lot since then, yeah he’s still an annoying git, who loves to wind me up, but I see a softer side now. I think meeting you has brought that out of him, he needed someone like you to give him a kick up the butt at times.”
“Oh I more than keep him in line.” She winked and we all laughed. She was a pro at putting my brother in place and that thought alone made me smile.
“I love your little off the cuff remarks, you remind me so much of myself.” I could see an alliance forming in front of my eyes.
“I do try.”
“So is everyone able to come ’round for my little get together on Saturday night? Are Joel and you in the pub, Iz?” Elijah asked, his question catching me off guard.
“No, we actually have that night off—”
“Great stuff, well I can start to plan once I have numbers.”
“Yeah, but I’d have to check with Joel, he might have something planned,” I added, a little annoyed he hadn’t given me time to actually finish speaking.
“Oh trust me, you two, won’t be doing anything as good as what I’ve got planned.” He clapped his hands in glee.
I huffed in response. “Charming, just assume we haven’t. But how would you know we could be planning a night in, just the two of us.” I didn’t want to add anything else it was pretty self-explanatory, and I knew his mind would soon wander to other places.
“Oh but I’d love for us all to get together.” Kara pouted a little. I could already see she was quickly picking up Elijah’s persuasive ways. “Me and Mike will be there. He’ll complain but I’ll make sure to make it up to him later.”
“Seriously, Kara?” I shot her a look of disgust.
I wanted to be sick.
“Shit, Iz, sorry, I know I wouldn’t want to hear it myself. I’ll try to keep all the bedroom talk from you.” She smiled in an appeasing way.
“Oh but please feel free to share with me, I have no qualms of hearing what you and Mike get up to. In fact, the more information the merrier.” He grinned as I rolled my eyes. He really was too nosy for his own good.
“I’m sure Mike would not be happy with me oversharing, but sometimes girls like to talk.” And Kara did all the time.
“I can be an honorary girl, anytime you have anything to spill, hit me up we can do Starbucks while we perv. Speaking of which, I may have a major crush on the new guy in there. He is freaking hot.” He was almost drooling at the thought of him.
“Oh I haven’t been in there lately, might have to drop by to check him out.” The delight in Kara’s voice was clearly evident.
“Believe me he is more than worth checking out, in fact I may have even dribbled a little into my mochaccino.”
“Then I definitely need to go there.”
“So what is the plan for Saturday night?” I asked, trying to change the subject. Or else we’d be talking about Starbucks guy all day long.
“Well, there will be an array of different alcohol, we cater to all tastes.”
“Please tell me you’re doing cosmos, they are my new favourite drink. Where did you discover your obsession with them?” Kara asked.
“Sex and the City,” Elijah replied.
“Oh I’ve never watched that.”
“Hold up, rewind.” He looked alarmed, and I couldn’t help but smile. He was about to convert someone else. I could see many marathons ahead. “You’ve never seen Sex and the City?”
“No, I thought about watching it but then life got in the way so.” She shrugged as Elijah’s eyes widened even more.
“There is never enough going on to excuse never having seen an episode, that whole box set is TV gold. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve seen them.”
“Hundreds,” I piped up poking my tongue out at him. I had literally watched them over and over and that was just with him. There was no counting the number of rewatches he had done on his own or before he met me. He truly was one of their biggest fans.
“Oh don’t worry about Charlotte over there, she loved every minute of it.”
“I am not Charlotte!” I glared at him and he grinned.
“You are so Charlotte.”
“Whatever, Samantha,” I quipped.
His eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I am Carrie, always Carrie.”
“Yeah, right.”
“You’d better take that back,” he warned, giving me a look.
“Or what?” I challenged.
“Then you’re not coming to my fab night.”
“Fine, Joel and I will plan something else.” I was quite happy for it to be just us having some alone time.
“Who are Samantha and Charlotte?” Kara asked.
“Samantha is the how do I say, lady that likes to get around. She has great oral skills and is very flexible when it comes to trying new things. Charlotte on the other hand is a bit of a prude, likes to act all ladylike, but we know better and has strict views, doesn’t like to hear graphic details when it comes to those of the bedroom kind.” His eyes flashed in my direction as he finished describing.
“I am not Charlotte. I listen to your graphic details all the time and I am not a prude. Joel can testify to that.” I snorted.
How dare he!
“I might ask him to confirm that but until then you are the Charlotte of the group, and I am the Carrie,” he announced looking superior.
“Well, who will I be?” Kara asked, looking intrigued by it all.
“Miranda of course, you are very straight to the point, and I like that you don’t hold back with your views.”
“Fine, I can work with that.” She smiled.
“Oi Samantha, can you put your foot down, I would like to get home sometime today.”
“I am not Samantha,” Elijah barked.
“Fine Samantha/Carrie, whatever, just hurry up. I need to pick Ruby up and go to the supermarket for tonight’s meal.” So much for a relaxing day.
“Just order in its far easier,” Elijah suggested. Takeaway was sounding better by the minute.
“Maybe, I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”
“Give yourself the night off and order extra prawn crackers, it’s supposed to be a relaxing day after all,” Elijah cajoled, like I needed much convincing. I was not in the mood for trawling around the supermarket after today.
“Yeah, I think I will.”
“I can pick Ruby up as well and have her for the night,” Kara offered, giving me a pleading look. Ruby was always keen to have stay overs. She was spoilt that way and she knew it.
“If that’s no trouble?” I asked.
Kara smiled. “No, we love to have Ruby over. In fact, Mike gets all soft when she’s there. I think we might need to get a dog. I don’t think Mike would be happy if I tell him I’m feeling broody, he doesn’t want babies just yet. As you’ve seen from his response, he gets quite horrified over it.”
Oh we had seen his reaction at the party.
“That’s most men’s responses but when they actually see the scan photo and get their minds around it, they soon change their tune. I want two babies with Sam, we’d love a boy and a girl, but really I’d be happy with any. I just hope we can find a good surrogate to help us when the moment is right.” He sighed looking sad.
“You will do,” we both said together. I was certain he would get his happy little family, the one he dreamed of.
“I hope so.”
I didn’t want the drive home to end on a sad note so I clicked on the CD, turning the volume up as Lady Gaga belted out. If anyone could lift Elijah’s spirits she could.
* * *
“Why did you agree to this again?” Joel huffed, pulling on his T-shirt. He was just fresh out the shower and smelled gorgeous. In truth, I wanted to pounce on him but we didn’t have time. There was a large part of me wanted to stay home, but it wasn’t worth the pain of being nagged to death the whole night about why we hadn’t made an appearance.
“Because Elijah wanted us to have a night together, he’s r
eally excited about it. He just wants to spend time with us all.”
“But this was our only Saturday night off this month,” He groaned, looking pissed by it all. He had a point but I had agreed, so we were going.
“I know but I’ll make it up to you later,” I offered teasingly, hoping to lift his spirits.
A smile tugged on his lips. “So can we slip away early?”
“We can try.” I winked and he grinned.
“How long do you think we need to be there? An hour?”
“Joel.” I slapped him playfully on the chest. He was just unbelievable.
“What? An hour is being sociable.”
“Seriously?” I knew where his head was at.
“I just want to get back home so I can get this hot little body of yours naked,” he breathed, moving closer, with a wicked gleam in his eye.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” he asked innocently. “Oh I recognise the flush, are my words turning you on?”
“Stop it now.” Any more and I highly doubted I could stop myself.
“Or else what?” he challenged, he was definitely enjoying himself.
“If our first born is a girl, I’m calling her Chelsea.”
His eyes widened in horror. “Over my dead body, my child will never be called after that team.”
“Is that so?” I taunted, enjoying getting a rise out of him.
“Oh I know so." He pushed me up against the wall, his breath tickled against my face and his eyes dropped down to my lips as I bit my bottom lip in anticipation.
“I think we’d better go before things get more heated.” I could already feel myself stirring, a few moments more and I’d be gone completely.
“I think we better had.” Joel blew out, pushing himself off me. Leaving me to wonder what tonight had in store.
Chapter Five
We arrived to find Mike and Kara already there. Sam took our jackets and gave us drinks. Elijah was in the kitchen preparing the food. We had told him that a takeaway would be fine, but he insisted on cooking.
Sam quickly closed the door behind him and gave us all a grave look. “Whatever the food tastes like, say it’s amazing.”
“I’m not going to lie.” Mike snorted.
“Yes, you will.” Kara batted him on the arm as he gave her a look.
“Please Mike, he’s gone to a lot of trouble, he will take it to heart if it’s not perfect.”
“It will be perfect,” I insisted and Sam smiled.
“But just in case.”
“We will nod and smile and pretend it is, don’t worry,” I said, placating him.
“I think we might need to hit the chip shop on the way home,” Mike moaned and Joel smiled. It didn’t last long until I dug him in the ribs.
“What the hell was that for?” he groaned, glaring at me as he rubbed his side.
“A warning.”
“I never said anything; he was the one that said it.” Joel’s eyes flashed over to Mike. Kara slapped Mike on the bicep when he grinned.
“Ow seriously, Kara?”
“I mean it, Mike, you say one bad word to offend him and you will have blue balls after this.”
“You don’t mean that, you couldn’t keep that up if you tried. I get my way every time,” he replied smugly much to my horror.
“Oh not this time, I have my BOB to keep my entertained should we have a dry spell.” Kara grinned in delight, while Joel and Mike looked on confused.
“What the hell is a BOB?” Mike barked.
I laughed as she winked. “Oh so you don’t know already?”
“What is it?” Joel asked confused. I whispered in his ear and he frowned. “Have you got a BOB?”
“Do I need a BOB?”
“I think not, I never have my hands off you,” he teased.
“Exactly!”
“Can someone tell me what the hell a bloody BOB is?” Mike snapped, his eyes flashing around us all waiting for an answer.
“It’s a battery operated boyfriend,” Kara announced, putting him out of his misery.
“A what?” Mike asked confused. I had to stifle a giggle.
“It’s a vibrator, sheesh do I have to spell it out for you?” Kara shook her head in disbelief, but my brother was always a little slow.
“What do you need a vibrator for?”
Talk about asking an obvious question.
“Well, if you have to ask.” Kara snorted as the rest of us laughed along with her.
Mike’s face physically turned red with rage in front of us, I think he’d just reached boiling point. “I swear if I find it, I will snap it in half.”
“You will not, I paid good money for that.” Kara shrieked.
“The only place it will be going is in the bin.”
She pointed her perfectly manicured finger in Mike’s direction. “You touch my vibrator and that signed Arsenal shirt that hangs up on the wall will be burned.”
“You wouldn’t fucking dare!” Mike growled, looking completely horrified.
“Try me, Mike, test me and see how far I can go.” From the look on her face it was all the way, even I was scared.
“What is it with you ladies being so anti Arsenal, your own sister said she would call our baby girl Chelsea earlier,” Joel pipped up.
“You did not!” Mike sent an angry glare my way.
“Oh for god’s sake, it was a joke!” I exclaimed, feeling irritated by it all.
“Not a funny one,” Joel muttered still looking pissed.
Mike nodded. “Yeah, couldn’t agree more, football is more than a game to us. We live and breathe it.”
“And you call me overdramatic,” Kara snorted. She did have a point he was blowing a stupid joke completely out of proportion.
“It’s not a joke and you, little sis, you’ve grown up in an Arsenal home, you do not mention the C word ever.”
“Sheesh, calm the hell down,” I muttered as I took a swig of wine. The mood was now growing darker, and we were all supposed to be here for a nice evening.
“What the hell is going on through here?” Sam ranted as he walked through the door, cutting our little argument short.
“Well—”
“I don’t care what it is, put a smile on your faces because first course is served, remember, he’s slaved over this all afternoon, so plenty of compliments.” He gave us a look of warning, even I felt slightly scared.
“I can’t believe you dragged me along to this,” Mike grunted, giving Kara a dirty look.
“Oh, quit your bitching and suck it up,” she hissed back.
“You’d better be sucking something else later to make up for it.”
“Seriously, Mike.” I hurled a bread stick at him that just missed his eye.
“You nearly blinded me.”
“And the overreaction award goes to.”
“Oh shut it, Iz,” he snapped, giving me a look of disgust.
“He’s coming through with the starter, butternut squash soup, warning you now, it has a weird taste.”
“Well I’m not eating it then,” Mike replied adamantly.
“Oh you will,” Kara hissed.
“I will not.”
“Neither am I,” Joel added. “We could have been eating pizza, watching a film, but no, we’re stuck here,” he fumed.
“Listen up, you two, you know the deal to get you tickets for Arsenal, well one word from me and that will be dropped. You understand?”
“That’s blackmail,” Mike snorted, looking completely horrified.
“Yeah, well whatever it takes to get you two fuckers to lie. So do we have a deal, every course is amazing.” His eyes stayed pinned on Mike’s before moving to Joel’s.
“Ugh, I’m not a great actor,” Joel protested.
“Just smile and eat, that’s all you need to do, even you two can manage that,” Sam quipped, shaking his head.
“Ha bloody ha,” Mike retorted.
“I mean it, any negativity and those specia
l tickets I helped get for you guys are revoked indefinitely.”
“Fine, we get it, smile and eat,” Mike muttered sarcastically.
“Oh and you maybe need some extra wine, you know to wash it down,” Sam muttered, pointing towards the drinks cabinet.
“Good god, how bad is this soup?” Mike whisper yelled.
“Shush, he’s coming back through. Hey Elijah, I was just telling them you cooked up a treat in the kitchen.”
“God, I’ve been slaving away all day. I hope you all like it.” Elijah grinned. His face as proud as punch. He placed down the pot, and we all wrinkled our noses slightly before Sam shot us a look and we smiled.
“Now just tell me, boys, if you want second helping as I know you are all growing men. You especially, Joel.” He winked at him, and Joel nearly broke the bones in my hand.
“Extra ladle for you, Mike.” Elijah winked.
“Oh wow, thanks,” he bit out, focusing his eyes on the thick orange concoction in front of him.”
“Oh shit I forgot the cream.”
Sam grabbed his hand. “It’s fine we don’t need—”
“It helps to bring out the flavours more,” he shrieked running through into the kitchen.
“Trust me, we do not need anything that will give it anymore flavor. God, it smells like something died, that or cheesy old socks,” Mike mumbled.
Kara gave him a swift kick under the table.
“Ow, what the hell was that for?”
“You know fine well, keep it shut and eat,” she warned, her eyes boring into his.
“I don’t think I can …” I muttered, almost gagging at the smell of it.
“Please, Iz,” Sam pleaded.
Oh he owed me big time.
“Here’s the crème fraiche, now how many spoonfuls do you want?”
Mike doused his in crème fraiche, and I wasn’t surprised, anything that could disguise this putrid taste was welcome. I learned if I held my nose, the taste wasn’t as severe. Thankfully Elijah hadn’t given me an overly big bowl so I had just about managed to finish it. Joel looked green around the gills throughout, and he would normally eat anything. I’d seen him scrape mold off food in the past, much to my disgust.