The Do Over

by A. L. Zaun

  I reached out my hand. "Rick Marin, new friend."

  I wasn't a fuck buddy, and I had no plans of ever being one. I might cop a feel here and there, but that was it. This guy was an asshole. I should know. I was Asshole Extraordinaire.

  "Alex Santana. I'll see you later, Madison." He winked at her and walked away.

  It was then that I realized my arm was still wrapped around her waist. I let her go. I ran my hands through my shower-capped head and cursed that damn thing.

  Madison pulled out her phone and tapped on the screen. "I just sent you the picture. You need to learn to trust me. Now, you have something to show Daniela."

  She was back to business. I couldn't keep up with her mood swings or multiple personalities. The next time I came across one of her nice personalities, I was going to suggest medication.

  She turned on her heels. "Let's go, Rick. The homeless are hungry."

  I followed her to our post where she handed me some rubber gloves and a giant spoon. This was quickly becoming worse than the Turkey Trot. Where the fuck did she come up with these activities. Then, the doors opened, and I saw a really long line of people and some kids. I couldn't describe the words for how this felt. I looked over at Madison who glanced over at me and smiled. I guess the best way to describe it was—good.

  After spooning food on to cardboard trays for over an hour, I was exhausted. It was an emotionally grueling day. I'd dealt with several of Madison's personalities, met one of her fuck buddies, and was humbled to be around people who actually thought I was giving them something good to eat.

  I sent my mother a text.

  Rick: Awesome day with the homeless.

  Mom: I'm so proud of you.

  Rick: Add this to your charities. I'll even help.

  Mom: Anything for you.

  Rick: Next year, they get real food. This shit was disgusting.

  Mom: Language. Love to see your excitement.

  Rick: We'll talk more tonight. I have to go.

  I walked toward Madison, who was waiting for me by the door. "Maddy, I'm getting my mom involved in this cause. As soon as I get home, I'm donating these clothes, too. You'll see that I'm going to make things happen."

  "Your enthusiasm is great." She smiled and pulled out her car keys. "Here." She handed them to me and then tucked her hair behind her ear. "Do you mind driving my car back? You can leave the keys with the doorman."

  I shook my head. I couldn't look at her. "Madison, I can only take you in small doses. I've reached my fucking limit."

  I ran my hands through my hair and then grabbed the keys out of her hands. As I walked toward her damn car, she came after me.

  "What's your problem? You're just an ungrateful son of a bitch."

  "Ungrateful? You're my fucking problem. All you do is cut off my fucking dick. You came with me, so you fucking leave with me. I'm done, Madison. Fucking done!"

  There was only so much I could take. Between the absence of pussy and Madison's torture, I cracked. "And no, I'm not ungrateful. I do everything I can to constantly show you how much I appreciate you. What else do you want? All I want is a little thing called respect."

  Madison composed herself, straightening her shoulders. In a menacing voice, she said, "You're done?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Then, you're done. No sweat off my back. Keep in mind though that today was all about you. You didn't think about her all day long. I gave you a break from your obsession and your quest to win Daniela back. You actually did something that was bigger than yourself that you can be proud of. How I cut off your fucking dick is beyond me. Trust me…" She winked. "Your dick is alive and well. Stop with your ego trip. He knows you and I are just friends." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders again. "It's my turn now to forget. This is about me."

  I placed my hands gently on her shoulders with my head hanging in defeat. "Maddy, what do you have to forget?" My eyes pleaded with her. "Fuck, baby, look at me. What do you need to forget? Just tell me."

  She quickly looked away, shaking her head. She took a deep breath and then looked at me with no expression. "When Daniela is back by your side, you'll thank me for this."

  I ran my hands through my hair and clasped them behind my head. "Goddamn it, Maddy. Leave Daniela out of this. This is about you." I couldn't keep up with her. "Just get in the car."

  For a split second, I saw it. There was a glimpse of her humanity—like that girl on my back, laughing—and then she was gone.

  "Focus, Rick. I'll call you in the morning. Don't make me wait." She turned and walked toward that motherfucker.

  I needed a fucking drink.

  Dani sat in the passenger seat, clutching my hand while bouncing her leg nervously. This was a big day. Wyatt flew up to spend the holidays with my mom. Since I'd already committed to working this Friday, I couldn't get away, so I was spending Thanksgiving with Dani's family. Under normal circumstances, it would've been a non-issue, but because I'd be meeting her parents for the first time, it was a monumental event. I wasn't worried about it. Of course, I wanted to make a good impression. I had no doubt that I would. It wasn't that I was a cocky son of a bitch. I just knew my feelings for Dani. I trusted her family would see them, but my confidence didn't convince her. As we were driving, I quickly glanced over at her before I thought back to last Tuesday night.

  Macy thought it was cute that I was so calm. This only made Dani more nervous as she paced around her living room. Any hard feelings that had existed between them were gone. They were talking nonstop about the details. I sat back on the couch, channel surfing between basketball games and football highlights, while they obsessed over what Dani's dad would ask me or if her mother would embarrass her.

  Dani hurled a fluffy pillow at me. "Excuse me, but you need to pay attention. This affects you."

  This was important to her. I had to admit that it would've been easier to pay attention if she were sitting naked on top of me. I loved her more than my dick and ESPN, so I turned off the TV, stood up, and walked toward her.

  "Tell me what I need to know to prepare for the end of life as I know it," I said, wrapping my arms around her.

  She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling. Our foreheads touched, and our bodies swayed.

  "Baby, we're in this together. It'll all be fine. Trust me," I reassured her.

  Dani kept her eyes focused on mine. "Macy, he's right. It's going to be fine. Thanks for listening to me, but you can leave now."

  "Great, Dani. You have Liam coma." Macy rolled her eyes. "Liam, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

  "Too late, Macy. I'm already in deep." And I was. The only thing that mattered to me was the girl swaying in my arms. I loved her with everything I had.

  I was jolted from my thoughts when Dani turned down the radio. She claimed the music was distracting her from her panic attack. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel to the barely audible tunes.

  Her grip tightened as she dug her nails into my hand. "Liam, why are you so quiet? I'm dying here, and you're doing absolutely nothing to calm my nerves."

  "Baby, I love you. Everything's going to be fine." My thumb drew circles on her palm, hoping that she'd relax her grip. "Are you worried they aren't going to like me? Because I'm not. What's not to like?"

  "What? Do you think I'm crawling out of my skin because they won't like you? Oh no, they're going to love you. You, on the other hand, might want to run as fast and far as you can."

  "I seriously doubt that. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

  When I winked at her, her smile brightened, and the tension left her eyes.

  "You know that Macy and her family are going to be there as well. I should also warn you about her brother, Marco."

  "What do you mean by warn?"

  "Marco's harmless. He's just very playful and flirtatious. Don't read anything into it because there's nothing there. This is just how we've interacted since we were kids. So, please keep your Fred Flintstone in check."

  "Yabba dabba do
o. He better not cross the line. I promise you that I'll be on my best behavior."

  I hoped this guy wasn't a douche. Dani had a tendency to dismiss asshole behavior until it bit her in the ass. I wasn't putting up with that shit.

  "I'm a man of my word. You can relax." This Marco dude better cooperate.

  "It's showtime. Are you ready? You aren't nervous or anything like that, right? Are you sure about this? It's really okay if you've changed your mind." Dani's smile was replaced with a wrinkled forehead and dread in her eyes.

  I laughed. Along with being funny and smart, she was also the most confident and beautiful woman I knew. I was biased, but it was still true. Her internal freak-out, as she called it, almost seemed funny by comparison.

  "Baby…" I paused. "I'm so sure about you. This is nothing. I'm really looking forward to meeting your family. Now, come on."

  We pulled into the driveway of her mother's home in a nice suburban part of town. The landscape was lined with palm trees and bougainvillea. Dani's childhood stories came to life. I could picture her growing up here, riding her bike around the cul-de-sac, and playing hide-and-seek in the neighbor's yard.

  When the front door opened, a guy, who looked like the male version of Macy, came out. I assumed this was Marco. Instinctively, I held Dani's hand possessively as I straightened my shoulders.

  She leaned into me. "Chill out. He's harmless."

  "Come here, my future baby mama. Damn, you look so fucking hot. Give me some lovin'," Marco said as he strutted his motherfucking ass over to us.

  My jaw tightened. I wanted to rip his head off and punt it across the yard.

  Dani squeezed my hand. She whispered, "Babe, just ignore him. He's playing, and if he knows he's getting to you, he's just going to keep it up."

  I didn't care what the fuck he was doing. It had to stop immediately. I hadn't made it through the front door, and I was already struggling to keep my promise.

  Dani then turned to him. "Marco, stop it and be good. This is Liam."

  "Are you playing hard to get? You know how that turns me on," he growled. "Let me feel that nice ass of yours." He smirked, reaching around for her ass.

  Now, I knew he had a death wish. She laughed, smacking his hand away. My neck twitched as my fist clenched. She laughed more. I made a split-second decision to take charge of the situation. This shit needed to stop.

  I extended my hand to him. "Liam Lucas. It's nice to meet you."

  "Hey, yeah, dude. Marco Alonso." He shook my hand and then addressed Dani again. "So, Macy tells me you're off the market, but you know me. I'm holding out for that miracle when you let me make you mine."

  I saw red. "Marco, I need a beer. Show me the way," I said.

  I let go of Dani's hand and patted Marco on the shoulder. Dani had a look of horror on her face and reached for my arm. I winked at her. I was in the driver's seat now. I wasn't about to break my promise or ruin her day. I also wanted to make a good impression on her family, and kicking this guy's ass was not the best way to accomplish that.

  I took control of dangerous situations every time I suited up. This was no different. At the end of the day, I was a man. Dani had to understand that about me, and this asshole did, too.

  "Come on back for that beer. Catch you later, baby cakes." After he blew her an air kiss, he led me to the back of the house.

  The backyard was lined with tables and chairs. Salsa music was blasting from the speakers, and the reflection off the pool was blinding. In the far corner, there was a tiki hut with a built-in grill.

  Marco opened one of the coolers. "What are you having? I have Yuengling, Becks, Heineken, Miller Lite, Samuel Adams, and a good old-fashioned Budweiser."

  Apparently, they took their beer seriously.

  "Yuengling is fine," I said.

  Marco reached into the cooler and then handed me a beer.

  "Thanks." I opened the bottle and took a pull. "Listen, I don't want any problems. This is Dani's day. Let's agree that you need to stop with the bullshit. It's Thanksgiving today, but tomorrow can be a very black Friday for you. Are we clear?" I deadpanned.

  Marco grabbed his own beer. "It's about time she brought someone home who had balls. Nice to meet you. She's like my kid sister, so I'm going to issue you the same warning." He looked me square in the eye. "Break her heart, and you not only deal with my psycho sister, you deal with me, too. Welcome to the family."

  We tapped beers.

  "Thanks! And I'm glad we understand each other."

  "I can't believe she let me go that long. What the hell is up with that?" He laughed, shaking his head.

  He had a point. Dani always underestimated men. She wanted to believe the good in people, and she trusted that their intentions were noble. It was like she thought we were those characters in her books. She was so gullible when it came to the way real-life men worked. We were pretty simple. We ate, slept, and wanted to have sex. Few men wanted to be just friends.

  Macy and Dani made their way over to us, weaving in and out of the people crowding the backyard terrace. As Dani slipped under my arm, she wrapped her arms around my waist.

  Macy smacked Marco across the head. "Seriously, Marco, Dani was having a heart attack. Good thing her man can perform some awesome CPR." Macy winked at me.

  "So, I've heard." Marco chuckled.

  Dani shot Macy an evil stare.

  Marco said, "Dani, he's a good guy. He has my vote."

  "Yeah," Dani said, leaning her head against my chest, "he's a very good man, even if he does go caveman sometimes."

  "I'm on his side here." Marco patted me on the shoulder. "I would've done the same thing or probably worse. He has self-control. I don't. I would've gone ape shit if some asshole would have talked to my woman like that."

  Dani rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in surrender. "Come on, you just met the tip of the iceberg."

  Dani grabbed my hand and proceeded to introduce me to the rest of her family. I wasn't sure what Dani had been so worried about. Although a bit colorful, her family was cool. Dani's family consisted of her parents, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents from both sides of the family. Macy, Marco, and their parents were also there. I was kissed, hugged, and pinched.

  Flying hands and facial expressions replaced most words, and when they spoke, their words were mostly a combination of English and Spanish. Fortunately, I was versed in Spanglish. I couldn't speak it, but I could follow along.

  Her grandmother came over and insisted on having her picture taken with me. She wasn't your typical grandmother type. "I like younger men," she said with a thick accent. She winked as she placed her hand on my abs, posing for the camera. "I'm going to put this on Facebook."

  We watched the first football game and then had an amazing meal.

  Afterwards, Dani's parents called us aside and her face paled. I wasn't sure what the big deal was. Macy had already prepared me for the statement-of-intentions discussion. I loved Dani, and I appreciated her father's concerns.

  "Baby, it's fine." I placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before we entered the den.

  Her dad motioned us to sit down. He was tall with graying sideburns. He carried himself with authority, but his love for his daughters was clearly visible. Even though he didn't live here, he sat behind the dark cherry desk while her mother stood behind him with her hands on his shoulders. She was five foot nothing. I could see where Dani got her beauty and poise. They were presenting a united front. It was almost like a scene from The Godfather.

  "Liam, it's great to finally meet you," her father said, folding his hands. "You have to understand that my girls are my life. I'll do anything for them. I'll cut to the chase. What are your intentions with Dani?"

  Shaking her head, Dani buried her face in her hands. "Kill me now."

  "Sir, it's nice to finally meet you as well. I love your daughter. My intentions are honorable. I want to get to know her and spend as much time with her as I can." As I laced my fingers with Dani's, I w
inked at her. "Dani is—"

  "Are you having sex with her?" Her mother interrupted.

  I was rendered speechless.

  "If you are, I hope that you're using protection. If she were to get pregnant, what are your intentions then?"

  "Way to go, Mom. I'm not sixteen. I'm twenty-eight years old. I'll answer this question. Yes, I'm having sex with him. I love him. I want to be with him. I want to take this," Dani said, motioning between us, "as far as it'll go. If I get pregnant, we'll deal with it. It's not the plan, but you know what? I would welcome it. Actually, I'd be thrilled. That's how much I love him."

  "Liam, you know you don't have to marry her if she got pregnant, but I would fully expect you to assume your responsibility," her father interjected.

  Dani's mom smacked her dad on the back of his head. "He most certainly will marry her if he's irresponsible enough to get her pregnant. I will not have a grandchild born out of wedlock."

  Macy hadn't prepared me for this, and now I understood Dani's anxiety attack. Had it been any other woman, I might have bolted. But it was Dani, so I didn't care. They could bring it on. I wasn't sure if they were testing me or if they really meant it. I did the only thing I knew to do.

  "With all due respect," I said, standing up and placing my hands on Dani's shoulders, "I love Dani with all my heart. I'm not going to make a grand declaration here because it's neither the time nor the place. But understand, without a shadow of a doubt, I know that I can't imagine my life without her. She's the one. I've known it all along. Wherever our lives lead us, I know that we'll figure it out. We belong together. Come hell or high water, she's mine, and I'm hers."

  "That wasn't a grand declaration?" Dani whispered as our eyes met.

  "No, on the day I ask you to be my wife, I'll be making a grand declaration. For now, I'm saying that you're stuck with me."

  As her dad stood up, he extended his hand to me. "Welcome to the family."

  Her mom came around, looking me square in the eyes. "There better be action behind those words. Talk is cheap. But I like that you took a stand. Keep it up. You might win me over." She winked and patted me on the back before she left the room.