Empty Net

by Toni Aleo

  Spotting Piper standing in front of a large window, Audrey smiled and went over to her. When Audrey was beside her, Piper glanced over and smiled before wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

  As they parted Audrey asked, “What’s wrong?”

  Piper shrugged her shoulders, “I’m a mess.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve been helping a lot with Allison, and running Time Standing Still, and I’m tired, Audrey, but I won’t say anything because Harper is having such a rough time and Jakob is always gone. Reese won’t help me because she has the studio. I haven’t been able to work on my drawings in weeks and I know I’m not hurting for money since I get paid from the studio, but I’m just worn out.”

  “Okay,” Audrey said, “I’ll help with Allison if you need me; just tell me how you want me to help?”

  “No, it’s not that. I love Allison and I love keeping her, it’s just…. okay… so,” Piper stuttered, and Audrey could tell she was holding something back.

  “What? Tell me.”

  Piper looked over at Audrey, her eyes pooling with tears before she said, “Erik said he didn’t want to be with me.”

  “What?” Audrey asked surprised, “But I thought everything was okay, y’all were happy and all that jazz.”

  “I thought so too, but when he was gone, he never called or texted me back, and when he came home, I went over to see him and he told me that he had made a mistake, that he should never have gone home with me, that he doesn’t like me like that. He apologized and said he didn’t mean to hurt me. But Audrey, I love him and I don’t understand what I did wrong.”

  Audrey wrapped her arms around Piper when she started to cry. She had never seen Piper cry and it broke her from the inside out to hear Piper so upset. “Oh, Pipe.”

  “I don’t understand, I was a giving lover, he was amazing, and so intense with me. He honestly would look me in the eyes and tell me how gorgeous I was while we were in bed. So why doesn’t he want me?”

  Audrey shook her head, “I don’t know, hun. I have no clue what to say, I’m so sorry.”

  “How does something that felt so right not be what he wanted?” Audrey continued to shake her head as Piper broke down beside her. “Do you think I did something wrong?” she asked.

  “Never Piper, you are amazing, it has to be him. Maybe he just doesn’t want a relationship right now?”

  “Then why did he lead me on? Why wasn’t I good enough?”

  “Oh, Piper, don’t do that to yourself. You will find that person. Erik just wasn’t him.”

  Piper nodded as she wiped her face. When Piper didn’t say anything, Audrey looked into the room where little girls wearing cute little pink tutus ran around the room. Spotting Allison Titov, Audrey smiled. The little girl was too cute for words with her thick brown hair in braided pigtails that had fuzzy hair bows at the ends. She wore the biggest and brightest pink tutu, and she was the only one paying attention.

  “Ally really likes this huh?”

  Piper nodded a small smile on her face, “Yeah, she wants to be just like her Reese Pieces.”

  “Aw, it makes Reese seem less like a bitch seeing her in there with the kids.”

  Piper giggled as she shook her head, “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.” Turning to look at Audrey again, she said, “Thanks for rushing down here. I guess it was kind of pointless, huh?”

  “No, I would do it again if you needed me. Just keep your chin up; everything is going to work out.”

  Piper eyed her for a moment and then smiled, “You’ve been getting laid.”

  Audrey giggled as she rolled her eyes, “Jeez, really?!”

  “Oh yes you have! You are all sunshine and roses!”

  Audrey continued to laugh, “If you’d answer your phone you’d know.”

  “Oh please tell me something good, at least if I know you’re happy, maybe it will cheer me up.”

  Audrey smiled shyly while wanting to burst with the news. It had been so long since she had been extremely excited about a relationship. She hadn’t told anyone because she wasn’t sure if Tate wanted to tell people. If he didn’t, oh well, she needed to tell Piper. “But if it starts and ends with Levi, please walk away now,” Piper added, still eyeing Audrey.

  She shook her head, smiling as she said, “Has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Tate Ooooodder.”

  Piper did a little hop before bouncing up and down, “Yes! That is fantastic news, I am so happy for you.”

  “Oh, Pipe, it is. He is fantastic, amazing, so freaking hot, and Lord, I’ve never been this happy. It’s only been a week I know, but it feels like months. He makes me feel so good and I just like him, a lot.”

  Piper looked pained but she still smiled, and said, “Good, I’m glad he does. You deserve it.”

  “Thanks, but now I feel bad because I want you to be happy too,” Audrey said sadly.

  Piper shrugged her shoulders, “Like you said, he’ll come. I just gotta dust my shoulders off and try again. You did and look, you’re happy. Mine will come. I just can’t give up.”

  “That’s right. Don’t give up.”

  Audrey hadn’t and she might have found the real deal. It may have taken a hundred jerks, but she had finally found a good guy. One who rocked her world and was waiting for her at that very moment. But she couldn’t leave Piper yet. Even if she seemed a little better than she had been when Audrey arrived, she knew that Piper still needed her.

  “Wanna go for dinner?”

  “Didn’t Tate just get home? I know Jakob did. That’s why I have Allison, so Harper and Jakob can enjoy each other for a moment.”’

  “Yeah, but he’s taking a shower and stuff,” Audrey said with a wave of her hand. Tate would understand; she would text him and tell him she was going to be late.

  As Audrey knew she would, Piper nodded, “Thanks, Audrey, that would be great.”

  ~*~

  Spending time with Allison and Piper probably wasn’t Audrey’s best idea. It helped Piper a lot. Audrey could tell that it had, but as always, when she spent time with little kids, she yearned to have her own. It was something about their little faces, hands and toes that got Audrey every time. She wondered what it would be like to feel a baby move inside her, to see it come into the world and then help it grow. As she drove home, the tears sprang to her eyes. Audrey shook her head, hoping to shake the thought away. There was no reason thinking of things that she couldn’t change, not when there was a man at home who was waiting for her.

  When Audrey pulled into her driveway, it was already dark, but she could see Tate sitting on the porch with a mug in his hand. Audrey’s face felt like it was going to break she was smiling so widely as she rushed to get out of the car and into Tate’s arms. Moving around her car, he was already making his way to her, and then she was in his arms, his lips on hers. Lifting her from the ground, Tate deepened the kiss, his beard tickling her chin. She had missed him so much. When they parted, he smiled down at her, his grin so wide it made Audrey breathless.

  “I have missed you,” he declared, still holding her off the ground, his forehead pressed to hers.

  “And I’ve missed you,” she said back, stroking her fingers along his jaw, “so much.”

  “I have something special for you in the house,” he whispered against her nose. “I hope you don’t have plans tonight because I have a date set up for us.”

  Audrey smiled, “I love presents, and my whole night is yours.”

  “Good. I like these pants,” he said, running his hands down her butt and squeezing. She had loved the grey wool pants when she saw them too. Pairing them with a yellow sweater and Kate Spade heels, she hoped that he would like it. Giggling, she tightened her arms around his neck.

  “I got sexy, just for you.”

  “You are always sexy, love,” he whispered before kissing her nose. Audrey couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off her face if she tried. This man drove her wild, and she couldn’t believe how
lucky she was to have found him.

  Or really, he found her and made her see that he was the one for her.

  Tate set her down on her feet and then took her hand in his. “Come on,” he said leading her towards his truck.

  “Oh, we’re leaving?” she asked, pointing back to her car, “Let me get my purse.”

  “No, we aren’t leaving,” he said bringing her around to the back of his truck. Letting down the tailgate, Audrey saw a pile of blankets and pillows, along with two mugs and a canister in the back of the truck. Audrey looked over at Tate, and he smiled, “You said you liked to star gaze in the summer but I can’t wait that long, so I thought we could tonight.”

  Audrey couldn’t breathe as she glanced up at her gorgeous giant of a boyfriend. She shot him a grin before climbing up into the bed of the truck. He followed behind her as she sat down, pulling the blankets over her legs since it was the beginning of December. When her heel got caught in the blanket she let out a curse, slipping them off as Tate reached behind her. When he handed her a balled up pair of socks, she knew from that moment on she was going to love this man forever. “I figured you wouldn’t want to wear your heels with the blankets on you.”

  “You are pretty awesome, Mr. Ooooodder.”

  Tate flashed her a grin showing his gap, before nodding to her, “I think you are too, Ms. Parker.”

  Audrey laid her head on Tate’s chest, looking up at the sky as his arms snaked around her, holding her close. Nothing was said as they just held each other, enjoying the night and each other. But then Tate spoke, interrupting their peaceful silence, not that she minded, she loved his voice.

  “Hey, you haven’t told Fallon about us?”

  Audrey shook her head, “No, I didn’t know if we were official.”

  Tate raised an eyebrow, “Why wouldn’t we be official? I don’t understand.”

  Audrey smiled, “Well, we kinda just started sleeping together and you declared me as your woman, but you never really asked. I guess we both just assumed.”

  A grin tugged at Tate’s mouth, “So I have to ask you for this to be official?”

  “It would be nice,” Audrey said narrowing her eyes, “but I mean if you are cool with me hollerin’ at other guys, we can go on the way we’ve been.”

  Taking in a deep breath, Tate shook his head. “You drive me mad, you know that?”

  Audrey smiled as she nodded, “And you still like me, apparently.”

  He laughed as he nodded, “I do, so say it.”

  “Say what?” Audrey asked confused.

  “Say you are my woman, that you are my girlfriend.”

  She smiled as she rolled her eyes, “I guess I am.”

  He laughed, taking her closer in his arms as he kissed the stuffing out of her. When they parted, they both lay back against the plush pillows and looked up into the sky. Blissfully happy, Audrey cuddled against Tate’s side, looking up at his profile as he watched the sky. When he glanced down at her, catching her staring at him, he smiled and kissed her temple. Pulling back, he looked down at her as she still looked up at him. Laughing, he said, “What?”

  “Question.”

  He nodded, “Okay?”

  “Have you loved a lot of people?”

  It was something she had wanted to ask him for a while. She knew of his ex, but nothing more. He really didn’t know much about her past lovers either. They had talked about everything under the sun, except that. And since, Audrey was pretty sure she was falling in love with him, she wanted to know everything.

  Tate shook his head, “No, I loved Elsa, but other than her, not really. I dated a lot, and had sex with a lot of women, but no, I’ve only loved one.”

  “Wow,” she said feeling stupid. Not only had she dated a lot but she loved every single one of those guys. Or at least she thought she did.

  “What?”

  “I have loved every man I have been with. Pathetic, huh?”

  Tate shook his head, “Maybe you never really loved them, you just thought you did.”

  Well didn’t he just read her mind? Audrey giggled as she looked over at him, “That’s a little deeper than I thought you would ever go. Isn’t a guy your age only supposed to think of sex, sex, and maybe sex?”

  Tate laughed, and then pinned her with a lusty grin, “If you put your hand down my pants, you would know very well that I can be deep and think very much about sex. Sex with you, to be blunt.”

  Audrey sat there shocked as laughter bubbled at the base of her throat. Sometimes Tate blew her away with his flirty, cocky swag. Not only did it shock the hell out of her, it made her want to jump on top of him and hump his face. He was just so insanely hot. “I’m not really sure if I should be offended, turned on, or disgusted right now.”

  Tate bit down on his full bottom lip as he held her gaze with his, “Turned on is way more fun, don’t you think?

  Why were his words like hot caresses?

  “I ain’t touching that statement with a ten foot pole. Hush up and watch the stars,” she giggled looking up towards the sky.

  When she felt his breath on her cheek, she gasped as he whispered, “Why don’t you want to touch it?”

  She was pretty sure he was talking about his dick and not his statement, but it didn’t matter. “We are outside! I am not having sex with you out here! My ass would freeze!”

  Tate chuckled as he nipped at her jaw, his hands sliding down her ass as he pushed her into the hard bulge in his pants. “I would keep it nice and warm, I promise.”

  “I bet you would,” she said breathlessly, “but you’ll have to wait ‘till we go inside.”

  Tate nodded. His beard tickled her as he moved his nose against hers, “Question,” he whispered.

  “Mmm-hm?” she whispered back as her eyes locked with his dark-with-lust, blue ones.

  “Whose bed are we not sleeping in tonight?”

  And with that statement, Audrey swore she came.

  Chapter 19

  Audrey woke up to the sound of a piano being played. She was alone and cuddled deep in Tate’s feather soft bed, dead tired from being gloriously loved. But hearing the beautiful melody had Audrey stumbling out of bed and wrapping a sheet around her before going across the hall to his music room. Tate sat at his piano, wearing only a pair of boxers as he played a song she didn’t recognize. She smiled as she walked over to him, taking in the general beauty that was Tate.

  He was lost in the music. His eyes were shut as he continued to play the song. His arm muscles would flex as he moved his fingers skillfully across the keys. It really was a site to see, and honestly, it was hard to keep her hands off him. Moving behind him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. She must have startled him because he jumped and the music stopped abruptly.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, still not letting him go.

  “No, its fine, did I wake you?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t mind,” she said, kissing his temple. His hand came up to hold her arms as he moved his other hand along the keys, playing a one-handed melody. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded, kissing her hand before saying, “I am great.”

  “Me too.”

  He nodded, a grin on his face as he continued to play. “Do you not want to go back to bed?” she asked.

  Tate shook his head, “I can’t sleep.”

  “Oh, okay,” she said, kissing his cheek softly. Wanting to make him laugh, she said, “I could sleep for days after the acrobatics you put me through in the bedroom.”

  Her intentions worked and Tate smiled as he nodded, “You will get used to it.”

  Audrey giggled, “Lord, I hope not. I like the surprises you give me.”

  Tate nodded again, dropping both hands to the keys. Audrey watched for a moment and then whispered, “Can I watch you play?”

  Tate turned his head, looking up at her as a grin formed on his face, “Of course.”

  Audrey almost hopped in excitement as she crawled up on the sleek dark c
olored piano, sitting cross-legged as she smiled down at him. He looked up at her and for some reason she saw pain in his eyes.

  “What? Do you want me to get down?”

  “Not at all. Matilda used to do that, she would sit up there for hours, writing in her book or playing with her dolls while I played.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet. Y’all must be close. I can’t wait to meet her.”

  She watched as Tate swallowed loudly and then gave her a small grin, “Yeah.”

  Audrey smiled, “Well, play me something. Blow me away, Mr. Oooodder.”

  Tate shook his head as a smile tugged at his mouth, “I have been working on something.”

  “Really? What?!”

  Tate sat up, and started playing a familiar song. When he looked up at her and started to sing the lyrics to Teenage Dream by Katy Perry, Audrey, all of a sudden, felt dizzy. Her hand came up to lightly clasp her throat as her heart pounded against her chest. He had changed the words, singing them just to her, and man, could he sing. His voice was low, rough sounding and she swore she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. While he sang, he didn’t look away. He held Audrey’s gaze. She noticed his mouth quirking up in a cute little smile when he would sing a part that described Audrey. And wasn’t the song fitting for them? She was pretty sure he was singing to her and boy, did she feel exactly the same way.

  He was a dream come true.

  Letting her feet drop onto the keys interrupting his playing, Audrey reached for him, cupping his head with her hand and bringing him to her. He came willingly, his hands resting along the side of her as she pressed her lips to his. Using her other hand to cup his jaw, the sheet she held around her fell, leaving her completely naked in front of him. What she meant to be only a small ‘thank you’ kiss turned into some heaving petting. His hands came up, cupping her breast as he pushed himself in between her legs. Backing away, she held his face in her hand before she said, “That was amazing, thank you.”

  “It’s all for you,” he said gruffly, “Now come back here.”