Love, Life and Naughty Bits

by Tania Cooper

  She sinks down into the water and leans her back against Lane’s chest. He offers her a wine, but she shakes her head no, already feeling the effects from the few glasses she had at dinner and the exhaustion that is taking over her body quickly. Lane places both glasses back down and wraps his arms around her tightly, resting his head against the top of hers and they just enjoy this quiet moment alone, in the warm water, feeling each other’s hearts beat in tandem.

  “Eight, I love you.”

  “Aww baby, I love you too.”

  “Eight?

  “Yeah baby?”

  “I don’t have a headache.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yep, but my girl and I are so freaking knackered that we are almost asleep. Will you take a raincheck until morning, babe?”

  “My poor baby. Of course, anything for you. Come on, let’s get you dried and in bed. Let us take care of the two of you, okay Miss Independent?”

  “Yes please, my Eight.”

  Lane notices pretty quickly too that Lexi is on the verge of sleep and carefully stands up and helps her out of the bath. He dries her quickly then guides her to bed, pulling the covers back and laying her down before going back to empty the bath and tidy up. Then he joins her and pulls her sleepy form in tight to connect with his. As much as I want to celebrate in a sexy kind of way, my girl and I have nothing left after all the weeks of ups and downs and sometimes stress to think of anything but sleep.

  “I’m tired, baby.”

  “I can tell, my beautiful girl. Close your eyes and sleep. I got you.”

  “I know you do, that’s why I love you so much.”

  “Love you too, Lexi baby.”

  

  After waking up with Lane’s tongue between our legs and spending all Saturday in bed, only hopping out to cook dinner, then going back to the twelfth round of love making, they spend Sunday morning walking along the beach before taking the ferry over to Queenscliff and slowly wandering around the shops and shoreline there. Finally, they head back and clean up, ready to return to the city.

  With their workload ready to increase, they vow to spend almost every weekend at the beach house, bringing whatever work needs to be done with them, ensuring they have some down time so they don’t burn out.

  

  When Monday morning comes around, both Lane and Eight are bouncing around like little boys hyped up on red cordial.

  “Eight. What’s going on?”

  “Just excited about working side by side with you again, that’s all, I promise, I really do.”

  “Umm, okay. Then why are you twitching like Lane just stuck you in the top of a toaster?”

  “What? Ha, ha. You are so funny, baby.”

  “Eight Anderson, what the hell is going on? You are acting stranger than when Booker suggested Lane get your head pierced as a surprise for Lexi. And Lane is overly attentive this morning and it’s making my girl nervous. So what are the two of you up to?”

  “Baby, please don’t make me tell you. It’s a surprise and I don’t want to ruin it. Can’t you just pretend all is okay until we get to work?”

  “Fine. Just know that Lane’s behaviour has my girl on edge. She doesn’t need that the first day back into a new project, Eight. This better be bloody good.”

  “Oh it is, babe, it is.”

  Alexis gets more worried during breakfast when she notices Lane’s knee bobbing up and down with nerves under the dining table while they eat their breakfast in silence. She gets even more worried as his hand starts to twitch as they walk hand in hand to work. She is so worried about what’s wrong with Lane, she doesn’t see Mr. Stalker openly gawking at her as they arrive to their building and make their way inside and across the busy lobby.

  The nervous energy radiating off Lane has Alexis almost in tears, as her imagination runs wild with the possible reasons. She is so distracted that when they walk into Lane’s office it takes her a few seconds to realise what she is looking at.

  “Oh Lane,” she says on a struggled sob as her hands go to her mouth and she takes in the changes that were obviously made over the past weekend. His entire office has been redesigned. New sleek black desks sit side by side, slightly angled towards each other, sitting in the middle of the room. A long, dove grey, four seater sofa sits in front of them, with aqua blue cushions scattered on it. There are aqua blue picture frames on the dark grey walls framing famous inspirational quotes.

  There are black bookshelves on both the far walls, as the view still remains the highlight of the room. A large bouquet of colourful gerberas sit in a crystal vase with a glass name plate in front of it, with the cursive words ‘Alexis Ryan’ sparkling brightly. As Alexis throws herself into Lane’s arms, crying at his thoughtfulness, I also begin to feel something amazing.

  “Well baby, do you like it? What are your thoughts, my love?”

  I tell him the honest truth, the first thought that comes to my small mind.

  “DESK SEX!”

  These last few months have been one hell of a jumbled mass of hectic awesomeness. Lane and Lexi, the dynamic duo, working flat out for one of the biggest clients they have ever had and now, probably one of the most permanent. No sooner are my boy and girl finished with one aspect that the company wants, they then turn round and scream ‘it’s freaking awesome, here, we want more, do this.’ Neither of them could have anticipated the amount of work one client would entrust them with. Hell, I don’t think any PR firm ever could.

  Hot Lips and I have gone from strength to strength. There isn’t a woman on this planet I would ever want more, in my heart or in my life. Lane really did strike gold when he found Lexi, but me, I became the richest dick in the universe when I was granted the honour of being with Hot Lips. Sounds cheesy as hell I know, but no one and I do mean no one could ever make me feel how she does.

  Take a look at our situation. Our boy and girl are working their fingers to the bone, but neither could be happier, because, despite the hours, the work and their hectic tours of their clients’ other companies, they still make time for each other, they still go home to one another and no matter what time of night it is, they are always awake to greet each other with a comforting, if sometimes, sleepy smile and a warm cuddle, Lane especially. Lexi, bless her, has shot up the promotional ladder with the company since landing in Lane’s office. She is now on par with my boy in terms of leverage and responsibility, with Woody finally getting his wish of poaching her to his company.

  And I know that my boy, bless his heart, was so damned proud when she told him, well, he already knew Woody’s intentions and that he and Andre have been working on this before their current client had even approached Lane’s company, but it doesn’t make his pride in her any less.

  On the other side of this we can find our duos of craziness, Zali and Mel and Booker and Benji. All four of them get along like lifelong friends and a little more on occasion if Henry and Tibby are to be believed; or Chick and Kong. Bloody Kong. Benji never could pick a decent nickname. Henry is bad enough, but Kong? Seriously, that name has got to change at some point. I really do have to ask Kong about Chick’s ink. I still haven’t found out what it is and Hot Lips just won’t bloody tell me.

  But now, well, they may be ‘seeing’ each other, but that lot are like bloody wolves when they’re out together. It’s scary. They pick a target for each other and move in like the SASR, taking them down with deadly precision. Makes me shiver just thinking about, especially Chick; she can be brutally predatory. I have even seen her chase off other competition just so Henry or Kong can get a good chance with the one she has cornered. I know they say a wounded tiger is the deadliest animal in creation, but I don’t think Discovery Animal Planet has ever seen Chick on the hunt. Yikes!

  But, back to our favourite boy and girl. If I’m reading my boy right, sometime soon Lexi will be in for one very big and very happy shock, something that, well, has been a long time in planning for my boy, and not a decision anyone w
ould ever make lightly. I just pray that Lexi feels the same way he does. That girl is my boy’s universe; the world doesn’t even come close to describing her worth to Lane.

  

  “Boys, can I talk to you for a bit in private?”

  “Sure bro. Zali, Mel, we’ll be right back.”

  “Lexi baby, I won’t be a minute okay, just need to uh, run some bits by the boys, back soon baby.”

  “Okay, this is a bit odd, babe, but sure. Is everything okay though?”

  “Yeah, never better baby, just got a couple of things that only the fellas can help me with, just guy stuff.”

  “Right … okay.”

  Guy stuff … really Lane, I thought I’d taught you better than that. For shame bro, for shame.

  “Lane bro, what’s with the Mickey Mouse cloak and dagger crap, what do you want to talk to us about?”

  “I’m going to ask Lexi to marry me.”

  “What the!”

  “Yeah, I’m sorting the ring out this afternoon. I want your help in making it as special as possible. Now, I know you both still have connections with our old high school’s band, so I was wondering ...”

  “You were wondering if we could arrange for them to do a flash mob song when you pop the question.”

  “Something like that, maybe, yeah.”

  “Done deal, bro! Fuck, I’m so freaking happy for you. Lexi is a diamond girl. If you’d waited any longer I was going to ask her for you.”

  “Honestly boys, I just cannot imagine any future without her in it and, well, apart from asking her to move in, which I plan on doing tonight, there is nothing I want more than to make her my wife; so you two dopey buggers, there are no other people I could ever dream of having help me make this a reality. You two really are family to me, and well, I love ya, both of you. Thank you.”

  Damn it Lane, you’re going to make me cry, fucking emotional twit, shit. Just man hug and get your arses back to the women, I can feel them getting a little curious already.

  “Lane, is everything okay?”

  Told you so.

  “Yeah baby, everything is fine.”

  “But your eyes are a little glassy. Have you been crying?”

  “No babe, just got some bloody moron’s cigarette smoke in them when we were outside. I’m okay.”

  “Right. I love you, Lane.”

  Okay, now she is getting a little worried; this sudden secret streak has her dredging up old memories. I can smell them. Careful, bro.

  “I love you too Lexi, but seriously, that’s all it was.”

  “Okay, okay.”

  Well, she’s still wary but she trusts you, Lane, so don’t play on it too much. I know you won’t, but there is a dark and very painful history to it, bro, and hell, it would shatter her in an instant to think that you were repeating the cycle.

  Lunch with the crew rolls past as smoothly as Lane’s first morning coffee, nothing phasing any of them as they drink, laugh, and joke long into the evening, the orange rays of the fading day streaking the sky as Lane curls his hand into Lexi’s.

  “I’ll be heading off fairly early tomorrow; I have some paper work to sort out with the council and a couple of bits to pick up from a retailer I know. I’ll be into the office at around eleven at the latest if you’re going in, okay, baby?”

  “I can wait if you want and we can sort it out together, I don’t mind.”

  “No baby it’s fine, it’s nothing drastic, just time consuming. I’ll be okay, you head into the office tomorrow and I will be right behind you as soon as I’m done. I promise.”

  The apartment door swings open, my boy and girl stumbling in, a fit of giggles and passionate kissing flowing off them as they toss their clothes aside a piece at a time. The hall and front room are littered with discarded shirts, socks and pants as they fall in a tangle of limbs and lust into the king sized bed that fills the centre of the master bedroom.

  Despite the agitation and curiosity laced fear, my girl is really in the mood tonight; my boy must be doing something right this time.

  

  Light slants in, making Lane wince as he shifts in bed, Lexi curled in his arms. He plants a soft kiss on our girl’s forehead, whispering a soft good morning to her before slowly and carefully slipping out of her grip.

  The sound of running water fills our ears as Lane hops into the shower, the glass door pulled tightly closed as Lexi sleeps, my boy conscious of the noise and wanting to let her sleep as long as he can.

  He winces as his mobile chirps and buzzes as he steps from the shower, his feet slipping over the marble tiles as he dives towards the sink, reaching for his phone.

  “Booker, that you?”

  “Yeah, good morning to you too by the way, what the fuck do you need so badly that you have me calling you at five in the bloody morning?”

  “I need you to get into contact with Julio. I can’t get an engagement ring without Lexi’s ring size, and the only way I’m going to get that is if Julio can work his magic for me with a pampering session. I don’t give a shit what he wants, just tell him yes and that it’s for three people. I can’t really get away with just sending Lexi yet, so all three girls are going. Just do this for me, bro, you know he has a thing for you. I will make it worth it, trust me.”

  “Fuck, fine, but you really do owe me for this, Lane. Bloody Hispanic fairy always tries to cop a feel somehow.”

  “Like I said, I will owe you big time. Just do it, Booker, and I need it done a.s.a.p.”

  “Fine, fine, give me two hours.”

  “Thanks bro.”

  “This will cost you more than a bottle of Scotch this time, you do realise that.”

  “Whatever you want, it’s yours, just do it.”

  My boy hangs up and finishes his shower. His heart is hammering as he carefully pulls the door open and slips into a pair of slacks and a lightweight cotton shirt before padding through to the lounge room and open plan kitchen.

  He pours his heart into the breakfast he is slowly concocting for the sleeping woman in our bed, and I have to say, out of all of them that I have seen him make over the years, this one blows them all away. He knows her tastes like the back of his hand and caters to her every need, all of it fit for any member of any Royal household.

  Damn bro, you have really gone all out here. I’m proud of you! You really thought of everything; just don’t forget to wake her and let her eat it while it’s warm and not leave it to go cold.

  “Balls, almost forgot the O.J. Now, to wake my girl slowly and then go see the body corporate.”

  Damn, my boy is on over drive; his heart is racing here. We are going to have to play this bloody close to our chest, otherwise he is either going to get a stress boner or kark it from a heart attack, or, as with Clive at Booker’s thirtieth, both.

  “Baby, breakfast is ready. Come on, Lexi, eat up. I know it’s a Saturday but I have to go see the body corporate early about some paperwork, but before I go I wanted to make you breakfast.”

  “Mmm, whaa… Lane, what the … God, that smells delicious. Baby, you are one in a million, fuck, I love you.”

  “I love you too, baby, now enjoy this and I will be back in a bit. See you in a little while, baby. If you’re intending on popping into the office quickly before I get back, just leave a note and I can meet you there. Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  “Morning, Hot Lips, love you, got freaking epic news, I will tell you as soon as I can, bye baby.”

  “Huh, morning, handsome, what news … what … oh okay … uh, love you too.”

  

  “Okay Mr. Anderson, that is the registration for dual occupancy done and the body corporate papers adjusted for the increase in insurance. Uh, I think that is the worst of it out the way. Now, when will the co-owner be in to countersign these?”

  “Uh well, as soon as she says yes to a question I want to ask, then I will bring her by, I guess.”

  “Well Mr. Ander
son, I must say, congratulations at the wonderful change in situation. I always thought a man such as you deserved more than the bachelor life.”

  “Well, thank you, Mr. Wells, so, I just want to ask one thing. Can you keep this between us? You know how quickly gossip rolls through this building.”

  “That I do, Mr. Anderson, that I do, and again, congratulations.”

  

  Okay, gotta give it to Lane, he is one clever fucker at times. Setting up the whole package with Julio on a moment’s notice and renting out at least half his spa just for the three of them really is beyond the call of duty. I just hope Booker plays nice, but then again, Julio can give as good as he gets. He’s one tough little guy.

  “Okay Booker, you set everything up and texted the other girls?”

  “Bro, you know me, it was done within thirty minutes of that call. The girls are excited and the bloody little dancing queen here was more than eager to help me help you.”

  “Who you call a dancing queen, darling? I pamper and polish and make you look like Beyoncé on her wedding day. Dancing gets you all sweaty and I don’t do sweaty, it gets all sticky and you know I hate that. Lane darling, sweetie Booker told me all about it. I’m so happy for you. I promise not to say a thing, darling. Okay babe, get going, let this froo froo queen get her groove on. I can’t work with all this distracting manliness around, you know how it makes me all gooey.”

  “Okay and that is my cue to leave. Booker, Julio, you are both freaking awesome.”

  “Oi, where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  “Oh, I thought you’d gone and booked yourself in, bro, I know how you and Julio get along so well. Besides, you’re sagging around the edges a little.”

  “Oh yeah Booker, darling, just slip out of those grubby old things and come with me, I’ll take care of you.”

  “Uh, thanks but, uh, no, I’m good, cheers though.”

  “Oh well, a girl can try. Bye boys, and Booker, tell that cheeky sister of yours she still has my copy of The Notebook.”

  