by Kat T. Masen
“We have so much to talk about,” I tell him.
“I know.” He agrees. “I’m sorry about the pineapple. I threw my bag onto the bed and knocked it over. I know how much it means to you.”
“I was pissed,” I admit. “But maybe my good luck isn’t the pineapple. I think it’s you.”
“You know I’ll replace it, right?”
I pull him in tighter feeling a breeze between us and scared that he’s drifted away for a moment. “Trivial stuff. Like the time I put your favorite shirt in the wash with my red thong.”
“I forgot about that. SpongeBob died the day that thong got to him. Sexy thong, though,” he says with a naughty grin. “Looked great around your ankles.”
I laugh softly, keeping my face buried in his neck, my special nook.
“What do we do about the wedding?” I ask, letting out a sigh while waiting for him to answer.
“What do you mean what do we do? You’ve planned the perfect wedding. We get married next week, nothing’s going to change that,” he says adamantly.
“But the money, I know you wanted to build a house.”
He smiles, kissing my cheek and burying his face into my hair. “You still haven’t shown me the plans for Dad’s place.”
I pull back, in shock. Is he finally considering us moving there?
“You mean you want to stay at your dad’s?”
“Well, not in his house, but I know how your architectural mind works. I trust that you understand where my heart lies. You’ll do something magnificent with the land, and we can really enjoy being there.”
I’m in complete and utter shock. I had begged him for months to consider moving, and he argued then shut me down every time. I hope he’s not backing down because he thinks that will sway me back into his arms.
“Are you sure?”
“It’s a bit far for work, so how about a compromise?” he suggests. “We fix up that place and use it for the weekends, and we re-do this apartment and keep it for weekdays when we’re in the city.”
“This apartment? As in what we’re sitting in right now?” I question, not following his train of thought.
He nods. “Yes. It’s on the market, right?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I’m not sure. But can we afford this? Why the sudden change of heart?”
“Because I forgot to trust you. You’re the only person in the world who understands my transition and what my relationship with my dad meant to me. You have this incredible ability to visualize… something I admire about you. I need to trust your vision instead of thinking you would tarnish what seems like my only memories left of Dad.” His voice breaks slightly, and with a short silence, he continues, “As long as we don’t go overboard with costs, we can manage just fine. I have so many great memories of this place.”
“Me, too.” I smile happily. “It was home for so many years. But Drew, on a serious note… can I ask you something?”
He nods, waiting for me to speak but instead, I twist my body so I’m straddling him. His cock is rock-hard, poking out of his jeans which surely has to be uncomfortable.
“Do we get naked here? Or try to make it home?”
A wide grin spreads across his sexy face. “I thought you’d never ask, but here’s the thing. I agreed not to touch you until our wedding night.”
“What lame-ass person made that rule up?”
“The same person desperate to eat that pizza.” He laughs. “Sorry, rules are rules.”
“They’re made to be broken,” I remind him.
“Not this time.” He places a finger against my lips tracing the bottom as his eyes follow the slow movements. “I think you’re right, sometimes it’s good to be a traditionalist. Makes it even more special.”
“I don’t like being right,” I tell him. “It makes me think I’m old and wise.”
“You’re beautiful and mine.”
I laugh out loud. “Okay, but so you know, I’m petrified the doves will try to attack me. You are right about that.”
“I can be right about many things, but the only thing worth being right about is you.”
And there, inside the four walls where it all began, he kissed me again.
My roomie, my fiancé.
My life.
Wedding Wars – To Husband & Wife
Dr. Drew Baldwin and local architect, Zoey Richards, celebrated their lavish wedding at The Montague on September 21st. Stylish weddings journalist, Mandy Hart, caught up with the two asking how the modern-day couple planned the most important day of their lives and still managed to say ‘I do.’
Mandy: Let’s tell the readers how you first met.
Zoey: I needed a roommate, and Drew was the perfect fit. Every other guy wasn’t right, and he wore this SpongeBob T-shirt which, when I look back at it, was kinda cool.
Drew: I was a geek.
Zoey: I can’t argue that.
Mandy: Roommates to friends? Makes for a great love story, don’t you think?
Zoey: Not just friends, best friends.
Drew: Pain in my ass. [Laughs]
Mandy: When did you both know that it was more than just a friendship?
Drew: The moment she almost drowned at the beach. I wished everything back. Her careless behavior to messy habits. The way she took your mind on its own journey during one of her incessant rambles. She could name every Madonna song and tell you what color hair she had in each video clip.
Zoey: I think it was two days later. I found myself at this dead end. I almost lost my life being reckless, and he saved me. I guess I always ran to him, and this time was hard because he was the person I was trying to run from. How could I open up to him that things were starting to feel tense between us because my feelings were changing?
Mandy: And did that transition come easy? I’m guessing being roomies had you seeing a lot of that person from a different perspective. Partners, lovers, and the barriers that come from being in the friend zone.
Zoey: Drew had his fair share of women stop by the apartment. I mean, look at him.
Mandy: [Laughs] I’m looking. Just not sure how you got geek from this?
Drew: I had my eye on the prize. She was strawberry blonde, crazy, and had an abnormal obsession with Patrick Swayze. I wouldn’t sit through Dirty Dancing for just anyone.
Mandy: Talk me through the proposal, Drew. Stakes would have been high, you’ve got this great girl who transitioned from roomie to girlfriend. Some would say that’s having a piece of cake and eating it, too.
Drew: I wanted it to be special. It was never a question of if I should propose rather than how. Pineapples were her thing. I scattered them around our balcony keeping to her belief that eight was a lucky number. I knew I had to bring out the big guns ordering a pepperoni pizza shaped like a pineapple. I created a trail of pizza boxes to where I stood and waited for her to come home.
Mandy: And the question everyone wants to know… the ring?
Drew: An eighteen-carat, white-gold canary yellow diamond. I had it custom made based on Zoey’s style.
Mandy: Impressive and rather personal. You’ve got excellent taste. How did the wedding plans begin? Many newly-engaged couples find the beginning the hardest. Agreeing on a date, venue, guest list, cake, dresses, tuxes… the list goes on.
Zoey: A wedding planner wasn’t in our budget, but I did have a good friend who had recently gotten married. She helped a lot and depending on who you ask, maybe not the best influence.
Drew: Zoey became a Bridezilla. It came out of nowhere. One minute we were discussing dates and keeping it low-key, and the next minute, doves were going to drop the wedding rings into our hands.
Zoey: They didn’t exactly do that. I think the female dove was menopausal because she just hovered around my head like a crazed woman.
Drew: [Laughs] Zoey breaking out into hives when she did that was quite comical.
Zoey: I was scared she would lay her ‘droppings’ on my expensive dress. Vera Wang would have dropped to
the ground and curled up into a ball if she saw that happen to one of her designs.
Drew: She did… on your shoulder. According to folklore, that’s supposed to be good luck.
Zoey: Pineapples are good luck, not birds crapping on your shoulder. It was greenish brown and looked like it had worms in it.
Mandy: [Laughs] Take it as a good sign for years to come. And so, The Montague is the biggest wedding venue in Southern California. How did you secure a place that had one of the longest waitlists?
Zoey: They had a sudden opening. I immediately said yes even though I hadn’t spoken to Drew. The Montague catered for everything and had a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean. Celebrities raved about the place. I just had to convince Drew to get married in six weeks.
Mandy: You did an amazing job. Six weeks is a very short time to plan a wedding as lavish, elegant, and personal as yours. The photos looked amazing, and Starship! How did you get them to sing at the wedding?
Drew: One of my patients managed a record label. He pulled a few strings and made it happen. Kind of a thank you for saving his life. I wanted something special for Zoey, a surprise considering she had planned this entire wedding on her own. I wasn’t much help.
Zoey: You picked the champagne. People raved about the champagne.
Drew: That’s because our circle of friends are alcoholics. [Laughs] I’m giving credit where credit is due. Zoey made it all happen, and I wouldn’t change a single thing despite my earlier reluctance.
Mandy: I think every newly-engaged woman would love to hire Zoey right now—wedding planner extraordinaire.
Zoey: Just to set the record straight… that was a one-time thing. Drew’s stuck with me for life. It was rewarding at the end but also the biggest headache. It almost tore us apart. In fact, it did tear us apart up until the week before. I’ll stick to being an architect.
Drew: It may have torn us apart but made our bond even stronger. And just for the record as well… you’re stuck with me for life.
Mandy: I can’t help but feel the love in the room, and I’m sure your honeymoon in Maui cemented your wedding vowels nicely.
Drew: It surely did.
Zoey: He can’t hide his thoughts to save his life hence his naughty smirk. It was what we both needed, time away from work and just to focus on each other. I’m not exactly a beach person, but Maui was stunning. I’m glad we didn’t go to Australia just yet because it would have been a short trip, and we want to visit and spend more time there.
Mandy: So where to now for the ambitious newlyweds?
Drew: I’m really enjoying work and hope to specialize solely in cardiology soon.
Zoey: I’m finishing up a few projects at work then will focus on building my business. It’s been my dream for a long time plus working on our house which we hope to have completed shortly, just in time for the baby’s arrival.
Mandy: Wow! I guess that’s a congratulations.
Zoey: Thank you. Time to get ready.
Mandy: [Laughs] For what?
Drew: Baby Wars.
The End
Prologue
Drew
Five years ago…
The sound of the movie playing blasted through the apartment and into the kitchen. Standing in front of the cooktop, I stirred my tofu in a circular motion allowing it to sizzle but careful not to overcook it as my mind began to wander carelessly toward the two of them in the other room.
The fucker was over—again.
Sprawled out on the couch I bought with my hard-earned money and pretending to watch a lame ‘80s movie when, in fact, his dirty hands were all over my roommate.
“Stop,” Zoey giggled, loudly.
I wasn’t a drinker. I’d been good to myself and on an extreme health kick. But the bottle of wine which sat on the countertop appeared to be the solution to my problem.
And I didn’t do wine, especially Zoey’s girly choices.
Instead, I pulled open the fridge grabbing a beer and screwing the top off. Bringing it to my mouth and savoring the taste on my lips, I had planned to stretch out the time to finish until the voices overpowered the movie… again.
“Baby, c’mon, it’s been like forever. You’re holding out on me, and I just need something. Just give me head.”
“Jess…” I heard Zoey hiss, lowering her voice, “… Drew’s home.”
“Yeah, well, he’s always fucking home when I’m here. That’s why I’m done coming over.”
My hands wrapped tightly around the bottle, chugging it down in one go before I slammed it against the countertop. Who the fuck did this guy think he was? Talking shit in my fucking apartment. My hands began to tremble with rage, my fists curled up into a ball ready to sucker punch the dick and throw him out of the apartment for good.
“Move in with me,” Jess demanded.
“C’mon, Jess, let’s be serious. You live with two other guys, plus all we do is fight. I like it here… it’s my home.”
“You mean you like him here.”
Silence fell, and quietly I stopped all movement and waited for her response.
“Drew is my best friend… okay? Nothing more.”
“Yeah, well, I see the way he looks at you. He’d fuck you in your sleep if you’d let him. Probably jerking off in your bed while you shower.”
“Oh, that’s crude. Drew doesn’t look at me like that. You need to chill out. He screws around with so many chicks. If he’d ever wanted me I’m sure he wouldn’t do that. Quite the opposite, don’t you think? Honestly, you need to stop being so paranoid.”
Her words were inexcusable, portraying me in such a negative way yet resonated oddly. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of her sexually in any way. It just came in waves. One minute I’d see her come out of the shower in her towel and get this massive hard-on and the next, she’s eating peanut butter with a teaspoon out of the jar, and my urges disappear.
“If you moved in with me, we could get married, have kids. You know I’ve always wanted kids.”
His voice irritated me, pricking at my skin with every syllable. There’s no chance in hell I’d let her marry or tie herself down to him for the rest of her life with kids.
No chance in hell.
I would find a way to stop this.
She should be with someone like me, not me, but someone like me. Someone who would care for, treat her with respect, and worship the ground she walked on.
“Jess, let’s just watch the movie. Too much serious talk in the middle of Footloose. We can talk about this another time. Let’s just enjoy tonight, okay? And stop fussing over Drew. I promise you he’s nothing more than my roommate.”
She stated the truth, and the words hurt, though my pride overpowered and like always, I resorted to the only thing that gave me pleasure. This chick I met at a bar sent me her number and invited me back to her place. With my cell in hand, I texted her back, telling her to come here instead.
Two could play at this game.
And if Jess weren’t careful with his intentions, I’d make it my mission to steal his girl, marry, and knock her up.
Now, wouldn’t that be something?
Chapter One
Zoey
Present time…
“Now, if you look over here toward the right you’ll see this little white dot. That’s your baby.” The sonographer, Susan, waits with anticipation. The excitement in her eyes radiates, and with a slight nod, she encourages me to do the same.
I’m not sure what the reaction is meant to be. There’s a white dot on the screen. One I can barely make out unless I squint my eyes and tilt my head sideways to make it past all the other blurriness threatening my vision. It doesn’t look like a baby but more like a smudge on the monitor lost in the abyss of a black sack.
Drew squeezes my hand tight, overcome with joy and a proud grin adorning his beautiful face. God, my husband is so damn yummy especially when he wears his black-framed glasses and the navy-blue scrubs. Zoey, shut up, this is how you got pregna
nt in the first place.
Drew managed to get a few free hours between surgeries to meet me for our first ultrasound. He continues to sit on the uncomfortable plastic chair beside me staring at the screen in awe, all the while squeezing my hand and almost cutting off my circulation.
I throw him a smile, faking the elation that everyone else in this room feels besides me.
That little smudge will soon be a baby.
A baby—so large—that will need to squeeze out of my vagina somehow.
“Babe, are you okay? You look confused.”
Drew knows me too well. That’s what happens when roomies become besties and then husband and wife.
“It’s just that it doesn’t look like a baby,” I answer, flatly.
“This is the most important time for the baby. The vital organs are forming and…”
My thoughts trail off as Drew continues his medical spiel. It’s all moving too fast. It seems like only yesterday we were getting married and honeymooning—having the time of our lives. We’ve talked about having kids, though it isn’t something we planned straight away.
But Drew is insatiable, and when we’re in the bedroom, behind closed doors, we’re careless. I don’t know why—or how—but all rules fly out the window when your husband is giving you the best orgasm of your life, and pulling out is such an afterthought.
A missed period and four pregnancy tests later, two blue lines confirm we are expecting.
That was three weeks ago.
Three short weeks where everything in my life has changed.
This moment—seeing your baby for the first time through a monitor— is nothing like I imagine it to be.
Firstly, I was requested to drink two to three eight-ounce glasses. I barely drank a glass of water a day let alone several. The pressure on my bladder is extremely uncomfortable, and I’m certain I’ll explode at any minute. On top of that, the waves of nausea make it difficult to lay on my back. The saliva is building up in my mouth, and each time I swallow, I want to dry heave at the same time.