by Naomi Niles
“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.
“Hmm…I figured,” Whitney nodded. “There was no other reason for you to be so happy. Did you have hot make-up sex?”
“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 imagin
ed 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.”
“Which leaves three walls,” I said. “So maybe, we just paint two of the walls in this blue.”
“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.
I turned to them and raised my eyebrows. “Why are you guys in dress shirts?” I asked.
“Madison’s coming over, right?” Sam asked. “We decided to dress up a bit for her. You know…impress her.”
“The only person who needs to worry about impressing her is me,” I reminded him.
“Oooh, are we feeling a little threatened, brother?” Sam asked teasingly.
“Please,” I said, rolling my eyes. “There’s no competition.”
“You’re right about that,” he nodded. “If I threw my hat into the ring, you’d certainly have something to worry about.”
“Do you want to eat outside today?” I threatened. “Or would you like a seat at the table?”
He laughed and sat down while John peered at the stovetop and all the different things I had going on there. “You’re going all out, aren’t you?” John said.
“It’s a special dinner,” I said.
“It certainly is,” John nodded. “Which is why I’m offering to help. Keep in mind this is a one-time offer. Don’t expect me to help you cook next week.”
I laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” I said. “You could get the coleslaw going. And, Sam, you can dress the pine nut salad.”
“Umm…I don’t remember offering to help,” he said.
I threw a dishtowel at him. “I’ll set a place for you outside then.”
“All right, all right,” Sam sighed. “Geez, sometimes I feel like a pack mule when I come over here. You two are always getting me to work.”
John and I laughed as Sam got to work on the second salad. I had just transferred the steaks onto a large serving platter when the doorbell rang. “That’ll be Madison,” I said.
“I’ll get it,” Sam said quickly.
“Sit!” I commanded forcefully. “Finish what you’re doing and I’ll get the door.”
“Geez, does Madison know how possessive you are?” Sam called after me, as I walked towards the front door. “’Cause I’m thinking I should warn her.”
I ignored him and checked my reflection in the hallway mirror. I looked quite presentable for a guy who had spent the whole evening slaving over a hot stove. I opened the door to find Madison standing there with Polo at her feet.
As usual, she looked exquisite. She was wearing a romantic blue-green dress that ended just above the knees. Buttons ran down the front and the waist was cinched by a silky bow set off to one side. Her hair was draped over one shoulder and I could spy a delicate, little braid peeking out through the cascade of brown silk.
“Hi,” she said. “I brought wine.”
“Thank you,” I said, accepting it from her and leaning in to give her a kiss. “But you didn’t have to bring anything.”
“Of course I did,” she replied. “It’s rude to show up to a dinner party empty handed.”
“Who taught you that?”
“Television,” she admitted, with a good-natured laugh.
I knelt down and gave Polo some attention. He didn’t shy away from me at all this time. In fact, he actually looked happy to see me.
“I can’t believe how fast he’s warmed up to you,” Madison said, shaking her head at her dog. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“With a little effort, we might be able to stamp out his skittishness,” I said.
“I hope so,” she nodded.
I led her into the kitchen, where she was given a chorus of welcomes by Sam and John. Sam leaped out of his seat and gave Madison a kiss. Then he flashed me a sly smile, and I couldn’t help but laugh. John shook his head and bent down to give Polo a pat.
“What can I do to help?” Madison asked.
“You can settle this argument once and for all,” Sam said quickly. “It’s a very serious matter.”
“Oh?” she said, with raised eyebrows. “Okay, what is it?”
“If we were all strangers to you and you weren’t already involved with Peter,” Sam started, “who would you pick between Peter and myself?”
He phrased the question in all seriousness and I rolled my eyes at him. “Ignore him,” I told Madison. “He’s just being silly.”
“I’m not,” Sam said indignantly. “I’m being very serious. Who would you choose, Madison? The handsome firefighter with an eight pack or the lowly police officer with a two pack?”
“It’s a six pack, you asshole,” I laughed.
“Hmm…I think six is still less than eight,” Sam said, screwing up his face in concentration.
Madison laughed. “It’s hard to choose,” she said, humoring Sam. “You both are so attractive.”
“Isn’t that sweet?” he smiled. “She’s being diplomatic so as not to hurt your feelings, Peter. I suppose she’s trying to ease in so that you won’t be too disappointed when she chooses me.”
Madison and I exchanged a smile, and I felt my spirits soar. It was always a good evening when the boys were over, but everything was heightened because Madison was here, too. Somehow, it alm
ost felt like the family was complete. All we were missing was Talen and Alan. And Jessica, I added in my head. She was now part of the family, too.
As Sam and John sat around the kitchen table, doing the tasks I set out for them, Madison joined me by the counter. She kept her hand on my back and stroked me gently. It was a nice feeling, a familiar feeling. It felt as though we’d been a couple for years.
Half an hour later, dinner was ready and each of us grabbed a serving platter and headed for the main table in the dining room. Once everything was set up, the table actually looked quite festive. I had taken pains with the table settings, knowing that Madison was coming. I had laid out a fresh tablecloth, along with our second set of cutlery, the ones we saved for special occasions. I had even scattered a few wild flowers across the table for dramatic effect.
“Everything looks amazing, Peter,” Madison said. “You could be a chef.”
“Sometimes I think I missed my calling,” I agreed.
“There’s always time,” she said, winking at me.
Sam, John, and Madison took their seats at the table, but I noticed something missing. I headed to the cabinet where we kept all our extra plates and dishes and drew out an extra plate. Then I returned to the table and set down the plate in front of an empty seat. I noticed Madison’s questioning glance in my direction.
“That again?” Sam asked.
“I told you what I think about it,” I said.
“It’s unnecessary,” he shrugged.
“Must we have this conversation every other week?” I sighed.
Madison turned to me. “I’m sorry, am I missing something? Is someone else joining us for dinner?”
“No,” Sam said firmly.
I ignored him and turned to Madison. “I always set an extra place at the table, in case Talen decides to join us for Sunday dinner.”
“Oh,” Madison said, as realization dawned. “And, does he usually?”
“No,” Sam said with finality.
“He does occasionally,” I said.
“Very occasionally,” Sam interjected.
“But I still like to keep a plate out for him just in case,” I explained.