by Naomi Niles
“It was bad, then?”
“I was in a coma for quite a while,” I told her. “They were starting to get worried when I finally woke up.”
Madison’s eyes were large and wide. I could see terror in them, mixed with relief. I realized that all that emotion was for me. She was terrified for me and relieved that I had survived.
A sudden and abrupt thought entered my head and I couldn’t quite shake it. Perhaps the reason I had survived was to meet her. It was a strange thought. It was strange because it was so romantic, and I certainly wasn’t that guy.
“Who shot you?”
“Even I’m not sure about that,” I admitted. “I know it was one of Maddow’s gang.”
“Maddow?”
“He’s the leader of a small gang in the city,” I explained. “But he and his posse are hard to pin down. They have people in high places, and those people are willing to protect them. We’ve been after them for years, but in order to arrest them, we have to find them first, and then we need to find proof of a crime.
“It’s not always as easy as it sounds. Maddow has learned how to cover his tracks.”
“I heard that you arrested your brother once,” Madison asked.
I smiled. “People love to talk, don’t they?”
“I wasn’t sure whether or not to believe it.”
“It’s true,” I admitted. “It was Talen, and he was running with Maddow and his gang. I needed to get him out as fast as I could and that was the only path I saw.”
She looked down at her hands. “I wish I could have done something like that with Victor.”
“You can’t force them to make the right choices, Madison,” I said. “I learnt that the hard way. In fact, I’m still learning.”
She nodded slowly as her eyes grew thoughtful.
“The only thing you can control are your own choices,” I told her, reaching out for her hand. “You can choose better for your own life.”
“I know,” Madison nodded. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do. That was the reason I enrolled in college in the first place.”
“And, I admire you for it,” I nodded. “I sometimes wish I had gone to college like John.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I needed a good job fast,” I explained. “I didn’t have the time or the money to put myself through college when I had the rest of the family to think of.
“John’s grades were always stellar, so he was able to get a scholarship. We agreed that he would invest in an education so that he could bring in a big paycheck one day, and I would join the force and tide the family over with my income until then.”
Madison shook her head at me. “You are something else, you know that?”
I smiled. “Is that a good thing?”
“You’ve sacrificed so much for your brothers.”
“I did what I had to.”
She leaned in and kissed me hard on the lips. “I’ve never met a man like you before in my life,” she said, in awe. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re actually real.”
“If you’re ever in doubt, I’d gladly be willing to prove it to you,” I said suggestively, and she laughed. I smoothed my tone into one of seriousness. “You’ve made sacrifices for your family, too, Madison. I can see it in your eyes.”
She sighed deeply. “I really want to complete my credits and graduate,” she said. “But I had to defer for a few months because I was forced to leave town.”
“Couldn’t you complete the credits online?” I asked.
“I could,” Madison nodded. “But I just don’t have the time to devote to study. I’m forced to work full time in order to pay rent and support myself out here. Once I save up enough money, then I can finish up my degree.”
“You’ll do it,” I said, with conviction. “I know you will. You were meant to be a college graduate.”
“You think so?”
“Definitely.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Peter,” she said. “It’s nice to know I have someone in my corner.”
“Don’t ever forget that,” I said. “Wherever you are, wherever you go, I will always be in your corner.”
I leaned in and kissed her this time. She tasted of bacon, and I thought how wonderful it was to have a beautiful woman sitting across from me in my kitchen.
“Urgh, I have to go,” she said reluctantly as she pulled away from me.
“No,” I said, pulling her close.
She laughed and struggled out of my arms. “I wish I could stay.”
“Take a day off work.”
Madison laughed. “I have three appointments today,” she said. “And bills to pay. I can’t afford to call in sick. But I’ll be thinking about you the whole time.”
“I suppose I’ll have to contend myself with that,” I sighed.
I walked her and Polo to the door and kissed her goodbye. Then, I walked to my room to survey the plans for the addition. With any luck, I would be able to finish it off today. When I walked back outside with a few tools, Sam was just pulling up outside the house.
“What are you smiling about?” he asked, approaching me.
“Am I smiling?” I asked. “I didn’t realize.”
He wrinkled his brows at me. “You look like you got laid last night.”
I smiled, unable to hide it. “Madison and I made up.”
“Ah ha!” he yelled, punching his fist in the air. “I knew it! So, you did get laid last night?”
I smiled and turned to the addition. “It’s looking good, isn’t it?”
“Don’t change the subject!”
“A few more hours of work and it’ll be complete.”
“Come on, give me the details!”
“Tomorrow, I can start on the interior.”
“You are so fucking annoying, man!” Sam complained.
“I think it’ll make a pretty nice bedroom actually.”
“Just tell – bedroom?” Sam said, changing gears as he got side tracked. “Why bedroom?”
I shrugged. “Just in case one of you guys wants to move in at some point.”
“Like Talen?”
“Or you,” I smiled. “When you end up with herpes.”
“Ha, ha!” Sam said, with exaggeration. “No, but seriously… Why do we even need an additional bedroom?”
I shrugged and but my arm around Sam’s shoulders. “Oh, you never know,” I said. “It might come in handy one day.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Madison
I spent the whole day dreaming about Peter. I found myself thinking of him at random points during my appointments and when I did, it was impossible not to smile. I would look up at the mirror, and I would realize how ridiculous I looked, smiling for no reason, and I would be forced to iron out my face.
I managed to avoid Whitney’s attention during the morning shift because we were so busy with customers, but she cornered me in the evening, when the day was just winding down.
“So, can you tell me why you’ve been grinning ear to ear all day like an idiot?” she asked with one raised eyebrow.
“Umm…no.”
“Madison, darling,” Whitney said sweetly, forcing me into one of the swivel chairs and then turning it around to face her. “Do you want to get fired?”
“Seriously?” I asked. “You’re threatening to fire me if I don’t give you information?”
“You catch on fast,” Whitney said, with a wink. “Now spill.”
Lola walked over to us and sat down beside me. “Sucker, anyone?” she asked, taking out a fistful from her pocket.
“Why on earth do you have a fistful of lollypops in your pocket?” I demanded.
Lola shrugged. “I visited the dentist yesterday,” she said, as though that explained everything.
Whitney stared at Lola for a dumbfounded moment and then she shook her head. “I’m not going to let Lola’s nuttiness distract me. Come on, Madison, do tell.”
“Peter and I made up,” I said, with a smile.
“The hottest,” I sighed. “That man seriously knows his way around a woman.”
“Did you cum?” Lola asked bluntly.
“Twice,” I sighed.
“Geez,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Some girls have all the luck.”
Whitney laughed. “Don’t mind her, she’s just annoyed that her boyfriend still hasn’t been able to hit the sweet spot.”
“It’s coming up on a fucking year,” Lola complained irritably. “You’d think he’d know me well enough by now.”
“It doesn’t always work like that,” I pointed out.
“Apparently,” she sighed. “It’s not fair. Peter Burbank is fucking hot. And on top of that, he can give you multiple orgasms? Life’s a bitch sometimes.”
Whitney and I exchanged a glance and as Lola continued to complain about her well-meaning boyfriend, I took the opportunity to put my things together and head out for the day. I picked up some dinner at the local deli, got a few groceries for the weekend, and headed home to Polo. He was there to greet me by the door, and I felt my whole body relax when I faced my homey-looking living room.
Polo had already established his favorite spot on the sofa, and he nestled into it as I got my dinner and sat down next to him.
“Today was a good day, buddy,” I told Polo. “My morning was especially great.”
He gave a little bark.
“This guy is something special,” I continued. “I mean, I think he’s the real deal. And I know I’m not the greatest judge of character, but in this case, I’m almost a hundred percent certain. I’m like…ninety-nine percent certain. He’s even made it easy for me to forget about you know who.”
Polo snuggled in next to me, and I kissed the top of his head. “It feels good to be on our own, doesn’t it, Polo boy? It feels like freedom at last.”
I finished dinner and snuggled into my new bed. It smelt fresh and new and clean, and it made me realize how differently I had lived with Kameron. The stink of smoke and drugs had always clung to the walls of his apartment. And, it was always messy because that was how Kameron liked to live. He liked clutter, trash, and chaos. I used to sometimes think that his apartment matched his personality.
“Stop it,” I told myself. “Thinking about him is pointless now. Don’t let him get inside your head.”
I called to Polo and he slipped under the covers with me. I turned my mind to more pleasant thoughts, like the memories from the night before. All was quiet from Peter’s house when I had driven in that night and I didn’t want to impose, especially since I was planning on going over the next morning. In any case, I was tired, and within minutes, I was sleeping soundly.
I woke up the next morning feeling well rested and content. I stretched and spent a few minutes lounging under the covers, thrilling in the comfort of my own bed. Polo was padding around on the floor next to my bed.
“Do you need to use the bathroom, buddy?” I asked.
I didn’t bother changing. I just put on my flip-flops and took Polo outside. I was leaning by my front door when I saw Peter approach. My instinct was to run inside before he saw me in my oversized pajamas and my messy bed hair, but I knew it was too late. He had already seen me, so there was no point in trying to hide.
“Morning,” Peter greeted, as his eyes brightened at the sight of me.
“Oh God,” I said, covering my face with my hands. “I didn’t expect to run into anyone.”
“Why not?” he asked. “You look particularly hot right now.”
“Don’t tease.”
“I’m not teasing.” He grabbed a hold of my pajama top and pulled me towards him. I slammed into him and his lips fell on mine before I had a chance to catch up with the action. When he finally pulled away, I was breathless.
“That was quite the wakeup call,” I said, when my breathing had slowed a little. “Now…how can I help you, sir?”
Peter smiled. “I thought you’d never ask. I’ve finished the addition to the house.”
“I saw,” I nodded. “Very impressive.”
“Thank you,” he said, bowing his head down in acknowledgment. “Now all that’s left to do is to complete the interior of the room. I was hoping to get your opinion.”
“Me?”
“Yup.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “I don’t know if my taste will be yours.”
“I’ll be happy with whatever you choose,” Peter insisted. “Our house could use a feminine touch, in any case.”
“Your brothers won’t mind?”
“Please, they’ll be thrilled to be exempt from the decision making.”
I laughed. “All right then, give me ten minutes to get changed and I’ll meet you by the car.”
“Excellent,” Peter nodded as he kissed me on the cheek and headed back to his place.
He was walking away when Polo padded over to him cautiously. I watched as Peter bent down a few feet away from Polo and stretched out his hand for him. Slowly, Polo approached and when Peter petted him, he didn’t even flinch. He actually looked like he was enjoying himself. After a few minutes, Peter gave Polo a final pat and continued on back to his house. Polo ran straight for me, and I bent down to run my fingers over his ears.
“Well, well,” I said. “Looks like I’m not the only one Peter’s won over.”
I slipped into jeans and a white halter. Then I twisted my hair into a messy side braid that hung off my right shoulder. I fed Polo his breakfast and headed outside, where Peter was already waiting by his car.
“You look beautiful,” he said, with a smile.
“Thank you,” I nodded. “Now, where are we off to?”
“I was thinking we could grab breakfast in the city,” he suggested. “And then we could start work. I need paint and furniture.”
“Sounds fun,” I said. “I’ve never shopped for anything like that before.”
“How come?”
“Well, sometimes things like paint and furniture are luxuries to some people. I was always happy to have a roof over my head. I didn’t think too much about what was under it. I didn’t care about the color of the walls or how pretty the furniture was. I was just happy to be off the streets.”
With one hand still on the wheel, Peter reached out and took my hand into his own.
“Don’t feel sorry for me,” I said firmly. “I’ve had it much better than some.”
“I don’t feel sorry for you,” he replied. “I’m impressed by you. I admire you.”
“You…admire me?” I repeated.
He smiled. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“A little,” I nodded. “I’ve never thought that I was the type of person worthy of admiration.”
“Well it’s time to change that thinking,” he said firmly. “Because you are.”
We ended up having a wonderful breakfast outside a French café in the heart of the city. We had eggs benedict, waffles with honey chocolate syrup and strawberries, and steaming hot coffee that warmed us to the core. When our bellies were well and truly satisfied, Peter and I headed to the stores to pick out paint samples.
It was more fun than I had ever imagined possible. We looked through endless samples of paint, going over colors like our lives depended on it. It was the closest thing to domestic bliss that I’d ever experienced and suddenly, I realized why everyone coveted this. It was more than just about sex and lust and fun. It was about a bond that went deeper than the flesh.
“Well?” Peter asked, holding up the two colors that we’d managed to narrow our choices down to. “The light blue or the beige?”
“I’m partial towards the blue,” I admitted. “It’s a happy blue.”
“I like it, too,” he nodded.
“Can I make a suggestion?”
“Suggest away.”
“One wall is set from glass, right?”
“Right.”
“And the other one?”
“Just white,” I replied. “Plain and simple.”
“I like it,” Peter nodded, as he considered the idea. “Let’s do it.”
“Don’t you want to run it by John first?”
“Nah,” he said. “He won’t mind. Trust me.”
“Okay,” I said uncertainly. “If you insist.
He slipped his hand into mine and we walked through the aisles together. It was amazing how those little gestures gave me shivers that I was forced to hide. I realized that this was the first time in a long time that I’d been really and truly happy.
“So,” Peter said pointedly. “I have a question to ask you.”
“Oh?” I said. “Well ask away.”
“Sunday night is always family dinner night,” he explained. “It’s been a long-standing family tradition.”
“That sounds lovely,” I said, feeling a little spasm of jealousy as Peter described the scene.
“We’ve always stuck to it,” he said. “Dad always insisted we ate our meals together. And since that was impossible to do once everyone grew up and moved out, we decided to make Sunday our official family dinner night. I was wondering if you would like to join us tomorrow?”
“Really?” I asked, gazing up at those beautiful hazel eyes of his.
“Yes.”
“You inviting me to Sunday night dinner, it’s a big deal, isn’t it?” I asked, before I could stop myself.
He smiled. “It is.”
“Peter,” I said. “I would love to come.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Peter
It was silly of me to be nervous. She had met Sam and John before; she had shared meals and banter with them before. It didn’t make sense to be so out of sorts, but then I supposed that my nerves had more to do with the symbolic gesture of inviting Madison to the family dinner.
It was a way of including her in the family. It was a way of saying that she was slowly becoming part of our little dysfunctional household. It was a way of saying we were serious, without actually saying the words. I was thinking about how strange and unexpected life was when John and Sam walked into the kitchen.