Always been You

by Mia Scott

  "Come on—I'm ready to kick your ass at pool," Big grumbled, sliding out of the booth.

  Wednesday night rolled around and Big and Alisha sat in the middle of his living room listening to music and sharing Chinese food. He leaned in and dug his chopsticks into her carton of sweet and sour pork.

  "Hey, get your own," Alisha playfully scolded, knocking her chopsticks against his before relenting and offering him the carton.

  "We're bad Jews," he smirked, scooping the pork into his mouth.

  Alisha laughed and nodded her agreement. "And this close to Hanukkah, too. Will you please pass me the chicken?"

  He found the white carton and handed it to her. "Were you planning on feeding us until Hanukkah next year, Larrington?" he asked.

  She stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut it—I like my food."

  "I know, hoss, I know," he grinned, laughing when she kicked his leg.

  "You're mean," she told him, even as her lips twitched into a grin.

  He took one last bite and set the carton on the coffee table. "Hey, I've got something for you."

  Alisha peered up over the top of her carton of food and smirked as she chewed. "I'm sure that you do," she laughed. "But, can I finish eating first? Maybe let my food digest a little?"

  His lips twisted into a sneer. "Not that, wise ass. Well, I mean, yeah, of course that later but I meant I have a present for you."

  She blinked owlishly, setting down her food. Then a shy smile fluttered across her lips. "Really?" she asked, surprised.

  Fuck. Just when he thought she couldn't possibly be cuter, she found a way to prove him wrong. "Yeah. Be right back," he told her, pushing himself off the floor to walk to his room. He returned quickly and handed her a card in a blue envelope. "Happy Hanukkah," he grinned. "A little early."

  Her smile grew when she saw Shorty written in his slanted handwriting on the outside. She carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the Hanukkah card. There was a picture of a gold menorah with the words Jews do it for 8 days in red print above it. She threw her head back and laughed. "Hilarious." When she opened the card, she saw the tickets and read them closely, quickly looking up at him with wide eyes and then back at the tickets. "You got me Colts tickets?" she asked quietly. Something warm wound its way through her as she stared down at the two tickets in her hand.

  Big wasn't sure what her reaction would have been exactly, but he hadn't imagined her being quiet at all. His face fell into a frown and he thought that this had been a fucking dumb idea. He was just about to open his mouth and tell her to forget it when she set the card down beside her and threw her arms around his neck and tackled him to the floor.

  "You got me Colts tickets!" she giggled excitedly, peppering his face with kisses before capturing his lips fully and slipping her tongue into his mouth.

  He angled his head and deepened the kiss, his hands smoothing her long hair out of the way as he realized that this had been the reaction he'd expected all along.

  Alisha pulled back, completely breathless, as a bright smile beamed across her features. "Jake, thank you! I'm so excited!"

  Big smirked proudly. "You're welcome, babe. It's on a Sunday, so you'll have to take off work but—"

  "No problem," she assured him, dropping her lips to his again before burying her face against his neck, hugging him. "This is the best gift. We'll have so much fun at the game."

  His lips turned up and he wrapped his arms fully around her, hugging her back for a moment before sitting them both up, settling her in his lap. Clearing his throat, he brushed the hair back out of her eyes. "I should probably tell you that James knows." He watched the happiness in her eyes fade as something akin to panic took its place.

  "What does he know?" she asked nervously, pushing against his chest.

  "That there's something going on between us."

  "Big! Why did you tell him?" she snapped.

  "I didn't," he snapped back. "He was there when Tony gave me the tickets and being the nosy douche he can be, he looked in the envelope and pieced it together. All I told him was that I was taking you to the game and that we're friends. But, as dim as James can be sometimes, I know he didn't buy that."

  "God, he's going to tell Maggie."

  The muscles in his jaw tightened and twitched as anger sparked through him. "No, he won't. But is it really such a big fucking deal if he does?"

  Alisha saw what she thought was hurt flash briefly in his eyes that were very sharp and very green tonight. "I'm not ashamed of what's happening between us if that's what you're asking, Jake," she murmured quietly, brushing her fingers over the stubble on his jaw. He shrugged and looked back at her questioningly, saying nothing. "I like our little bubble," she said, a tiny smile on her lips. "This secret that's just ours—it's sexy and it's fun and I'm not ready to let others in on it just yet. Please, just—just give me a little more time to figure it out." She pressed her torso flush against his, looping her arms around his neck again. Smiling down at him, she brushed her nose lightly to his before kissing him gently.

  "Okay, Larrington," he muttered, smirking against her mouth, feeling his annoyance melt away. He went to kiss her again and she pulled back, a teasing smile on her face. He groaned.

  "I have a present for you, too," she told him.

  "Yeah? Got something kinky on under your clothes that I can rip off?" he asked hopefully, with a sneaky grin.

  A throaty laugh bubbled out of her mouth. "Maybe," she coyly offered. "But, I got you a Hanukkah gift, too." She leaned over and grabbed for her purse, pulling out a silver envelope and handed it to him. "Happy Hanukkah, Jake."

  The card had a cartoon menorah with the candles lit and at the bottom it said Come on baby, light my fire. "Nice," he laughed. He opened the card and saw two concert tickets to see Ray LaMontagne.

  "Seems we had the same idea," Alisha said, nervously chewing on her thumbnail.

  "Ray LaMontagne? Awesome!" he grinned, looking into her eyes. "Thanks, baby. I think James will really enjoy checking this out with me," he teased. Alisha slapped his chest and he dragged her mouth down to his. "Just joking, Larrington, damn."

  "We're good, right?" she asked hopefully.

  "Yeah," he nodded. "I have one more thing for you and then we're getting naked."

  "Okay," she laughed.

  He shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper and handed it to her. "Disease free. Just like I told you."

  Alisha was touched that he'd actually gone to have the tests run. She didn't bother reading it. Instead she tossed it over her shoulder and kissed him forcefully, setting her fingers to work on the buttons of his shirt.

  "Jew on Jew action is about to get even hotter, isn't it, Larrington?" he asked in a cocky tone when her lips slid over the exposed skin on his chest.

  She lifted her head and gave him a kittenish smile. "Mmm hmm," she purred.

  "I love Hanukkah," he told her, flipping them quickly over and covering her body with his.

  Chapter 16

  "What in God's name are we doing?" Adam asked dryly as Russell tugged him behind a Christmas ornament display.

  "Spying on Alisha," was Russell's reply. He peered around the corner to get a bead on his brunette friend as she perused the makeup counter and laughed into her cell phone.

  Adam followed Russell's gaze and let out a long-suffering sigh. "Is this about your suspicions that she and Big are sleeping together?"

  "Does the word duh mean anything to you? Ooh, she's on the move—let's go!" He put on his big Prada sunglasses, grabbed Adam's arm, and pulled him along.

  "You look ridiculous," Adam told him.

  "One does not look ridiculous in Prada," Russell told him, flipping his scarf around his neck before stealthily weaving his way through the throng of Christmas shoppers.

  Having gotten used to this type of crazy behavior ages ago, Adam just rolled his eyes and followed along, grateful for the shopping reprieve. "What information are you hoping to glean from your
Sydney Bristow-esque recon mission? Alisha's by herself," he said slowly.

  Russell halted his steps and authoritatively pointed to the sign above the escalator that read Lingerie 4th Floor.

  "Uh-uh, no!" Adam vehemently shook his head. "I'm not going to go up to the lingerie floor and stalk around. People will think I'm a pervert."

  "Pretend you're shopping for your girlfriend," Russell said in a must-I-think-of-everything tone and stepped onto the escalator.

  Adam frowned and was tempted to just let Russell fly solo, but his only other option was to continue Christmas shopping which, frankly, made him want to cut a bitch. So with another sigh and a shake of his head, he hopped onto the escalator that led them upstairs to Pantyland. "You do realize that she's probably just shopping for flannel pajamas or something, right? That you have no irrefutable proof to this theory of yours?" he asked, feeling his cheeks heat the moment they reached the fourth floor. "Seriously, Hummel, take off your sunglasses. Security is probably going to come after us."

  "Relax! They've got shoplifters to worry about. Besides, it's Christmastime and there are other men picking out gifts." He strolled down an aisle, craning his head to find Alisha.

  "If you're going to spy, you should maybe be a little less conspicuous," he muttered.

  "Excuse me?" Russell asked drolly, fixing him with a pointed look.

  "Just sayin'," Adam shrugged. "I don't think that espionage is your forte."

  "Hmph," he sniffed, folding his arms across his chest. He slowly removed his sunglasses and stared into blue eyes. "Is that so?"

  Adam's lips twitched. "Yes."

  "Well, then, please tell me why Alisha's at three o'clock decidedly not going for flannel pajamas as you so lamely suggested on the escalator ride, but instead considering the Naughty or Naughtier display?"

  He peered around his boyfriend and saw Alisha scrutinizing a red lace number with a smile on her face. "Yeah, okay—that's not the kind of stuff you wear alone," he conceded, shoving his hands into his pockets.

  "Why yes, I accept your apology," Russell sneered before glancing over his shoulder. "Crap, I lost her."

  Adam snorted and pointed to the dressing room that Alisha was about to enter. "Over there, Maxwell Smart."

  "Come on!" Russell barked, weaving his way through the racks.

  "Now I know you've lost your damn mind; there is no way I'm going in there with you."

  Russell waved off this notion and grabbed his hand, tugging him into the dressing room behind him. He walked along the row of curtained partitions, looking at the feet of every occupant and stopped when he spotted Alisha's shoes. Pulling back the curtain, he poked his head inside. "Hi, Delicious!"

  Alisha jumped and screamed, frantically trying to cover up her lingerie-clad body with her discarded sweater. "Russell!" she heatedly snapped. "You scared the shit out of me. What the hell are you doing?"

  He eyed her slowly up and down. "I think the better question is who the hell are you doing?"

  Her eyes went wide. "I have no idea what you're talking about it," she supplied weakly, looking past him into the hall. "Is that—Adam?"

  "Hi, Lisha," Adam said, embarrassment flushing over his handsome face.

  Russell snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Don't change the subject. Why are you in here trying on scandalously sexy lingerie if it's not for someone?"

  Alisha glanced down at her satin and lace covered body and knew she truly didn't have a leg to stand on. But that didn't mean she wasn't willing to hop frantically around the truth. "It's a gift," she told him smoothly.

  His smile was lightning quick and wicked. "Clearly."

  "For Maggie."

  Russell laughed evilly. "Oh, sweetie, please. You and Maggie don't have that kind of relationship," he teased.

  Alisha rolled her eyes. "I was trying it on to see how it fits. We're close to the same size."

  "Lie and lie," he said, bored. Alisha's lips fell into a frown and he continued. "You and Maggie don't have the same body type and you refuse to pick out other people's sex clothes. You said that very thing when we were shopping for Cristina's bachelorette party."

  Dammit! His mind was like a steel trap. "Russell, you're really invading my privacy here. Seriously," she whined, gesturing to her state of undress.

  "Alisha, I'm interested in his goodies, not yours," he said, gesturing to Adam, ignoring his boyfriend's muttered Oh, sweet Jesus. "Who's this gift really for? Anyone I know?"

  "None of your business," Alisha clipped, feeling that her bubble was on the verge of completely bursting.

  He tapped a finger to his lips thoughtfully. "So you're not denying that it's for someone, you're just saying it's none of my business who that person is. Fair enough. Ooh, can I guess? You'll tell me if I guess correctly, won't you?" he asked, eyes rounding excitedly as he clasped his hands together.

  "No!" she cried. "Now get out of here." She tried to shoo him out of the little room.

  "That's okay. I already know who it is."

  She paused, taking in the smug look on her friend's face. He was bluffing; she was sure of it. "No, you don't," she said with conviction.

  He lifted a perfectly arched brow sky high. "No?" he asked, as a sly grin spread slowly over his cherubic features.

  "No," she repeated, her certainty waning as she swallowed thickly.

  "Okay, then, Alisha Larrington," Russell said slowly. "I'll leave you to pick out your seductive wears for Big. Ta-ta!" He turned to breeze past the curtain when her arm reached out and stopped him.

  Russell's words bounced erratically around her brain like a pinball before they registered completely. It finally happened. Her bubble? Effectively burst. "Russell, how—"

  "How do I maintain such a flawless complexion?" he asked, smirking when she frowned. "How do I keep such a stunningly handsome boyfriend?" Alisha's eyes narrowed. "Or how do I manage to be impeccably and fashionably dressed for every occasion?"

  Alisha shook her head. "No. How did you know about Big?" she asked softly.

  He smoothed the hair out of her eyes. "Aw, baby doll…I wasn't a hundred percent, but you just confirmed it."

  Her eyes fell closed and she sighed, defeated. "Well, why did you suspect us then?"

  "Because I'm me and I know these things. When will you learn?" he asked kindly. "And before you ask, Maggie doesn't know, and I hadn't planned on telling her."

  Alisha expelled a breath that felt a lot like relief, not knowing exactly why she was so bound and determined to keep this secret that was becoming less of a secret with each passing day. "Okay," she said finally, unsure of what else there was to say about the matter. Noting the Cheshire grin on her friend's face, she furrowed her brows in question. "Why are you looking at me like that, Russell?"

  "I just like being right. It is so damn satisfying. Adam, what did I tell you?"

  "Please don't drag me into this," he answered uncomfortably. "I told him to stay out of it, Lisha, I promise."

  She smiled at the man shuffling awkwardly outside of her dressing room, avoiding eye contact by studying the ceiling. "Honey, you think I don't know whose handiwork this is?"

  Russell let out an affronted snort. "Hello! Do I need to remind you that it was my advice that you took and not Maggie's to sex up Big in the first place? And also how utterly ecstatic that makes me? Oh, does this mean you're really not going to go out with Mark?" he asked with a malevolent grin.

  "Out!" she snapped, pointing to the hallway. "Out, now!"

  "Please," he waved her off. "I need more information and I can help you pick out something that is simply to die for. Forgive me, Lisha, but this," he gestured dramatically at the lingerie she was wearing, "looks like something a two-bit hooker would wear. It leaves nothing to the imagination."

  Her cheeks flamed scarlet and she half wished for the earth to open up and pull her into the depths of its fiery core. "Well, he has already seen it all," she retorted acidly. "And I don't need your help. Just please get out of here." />
  "Why ever for, Delicious? Unlike you, I have no qualms whatsoever about picking out someone else's 'sex clothes,'" he added with air quotes. "D—go out there and pick something out for Alisha."

  "Fuck that," Adam spat. "Alisha, I'm really sorry. Russell, I'm going to finish the Christmas shopping," he said through gritted teeth. "Just call me when you're finished with this ridiculous mission of yours. See ya, cutie," he called to Alisha and hightailed it out of the ladies' dressing room.

  She raised her brows at Russell and he countered with the same look. "Aren't you going after him?"

  "No," he drawled slowly. "He's fine. I'm staying here and helping. You—start talking," he said, taking a seat on the padded Bench and crossing his legs. "When did you and Big start your little rendezvous?"

  Alisha weighed the options in her mind about telling him the truth. On one hand, it would be kind of nice to have someone to talk to about everything. And on the other, having someone to talk to about Big meant lots of questions she'd finally have to find answers for and she still wasn't ready to do that. After a few moments of going round and round in her brain, she took a breath and told him everything.

  "Fuck you, you sneaky sumbitch," Big swore when James vaporized his player on the video game.

  James chuckled and tossed his controller onto the coffee table. "All part of my skills, yo," he said, puffing up his chest.

  Big slanted his best friend a look and reached for his beer. "Dude—we've talked about you saying shit like that. You're not BAMF enough to pull it off." He laughed at his buddy's frown. "Do you talk to Maggie like that when you're getting her off? Yo, baby, just part of my skills!" he mocked. He found this idea totally goddamned hilarious and howled with laughter.

  The taller man smirked and raised his bottle to his lips. "Maggie's not complaining," he told him.

  Big grinned proudly and reached for a slice of pizza from the box between them and shoved half of the slice into his mouth. "Nice, bro," he mumbled with a full mouth before washing it down with his beer.

  James picked up his controller. "Ready to get your ass kicked again?"