He and I were sitting in the kitchen with Rabbit when Amy walked in. Tango had his back to the door, but Rabbit and I were both in a position to be able to see her saunter up behind Tango, and lean in seductively. Not that any of that helped her since he couldn’t see the sultry looks she was trying to pull off. Rabbit hit my knee with his under the table when I didn’t successfully stifle a giggle.
Amy eyed me quickly, then leaned in around Tango’s shoulder and tried to plant a kiss on his lips when he turned his head to see who it was in his space. He flinched back so quickly that her lips barely ended up grazing his jaw, leaving a line of her red lipstick trailing in their wake. “What the fuck?” he asked as she backed up enough to have her lips close to his ear. Despite being in whisper range she spoke loud enough for us to hear her. “It’s me baby. Sorry to startle you, I just came to share our good news, love.”
“Baby? Love? What in the hell are you doing, Amy?”
“Why don’t you come to bed, baby, and I’ll remind you just what we usually do?” I snickered and she glared up at me. “I don’t know what you’re laughing about. I’m his Old Lady, and you’re just a job.”
I continued to smile at her, because I knew the truth of their relationship. I also knew there was a major miscommunication somewhere between all the parties involved and that Tango hadn’t really had a chance to address it because someone in that group was always busy over the past week and a half and he wanted them all together for that talk so there would be no further misinterpretations of the situation. I understood his reasoning, but it seemed the wait was about to bite him in the ass.
Tango slid his chair back, bumping into Amy as he did so. He turned his body as he removed himself from the chair in order to face her. “What in the absolute fuck is going on with you right now?” Whiskey and Fox had just entered the kitchen too and stopped in their tracks at Tango’s outburst.
“Like I was saying, I have news to share, baby. I wanted to be the one to tell you, personally. I’m 10 weeks pregnant! We’re going to have a baby!” She seemed so happy, even if she was delusional about who her baby daddy was. Each man around us had a different reaction from Rabbit glancing between everyone involved and me to the other guys groaning in response and finally to Tango who looked beyond livid at the scene this woman was causing.
“You may be pregnant, but it sure as fuck isn’t my baby,” he yelled at her.
“Dude, what is your problem?” Whiskey bellowed back at Tango.
“Watch how you speak to her,” Fox added as he moved closer in a protective gesture.
“There’s a chance,” Amy pouted, hurt evident in her voice. “It could be,” she stared only to be cut off quickly by Tango.
“There is zero fucking chance unless you can suddenly get knocked up by guzzling cum.” Tango seethed out. I flinched at the anger behind his words, even though I understood his frustration with the entire situation. “I’ve never fucked you. I never even put my dick anywhere near anything on you, except your mouth. Hell, my dick hasn’t been in pussy in years so it’s fucking impossible for me to be anyone’s daddy unless that kid is like six years old at this point, because I know for certain Camilla never had my kid.
“But we’ve…” Amy started again.
“No, we fuckin’ haven’t.”
“You’ve been with us,” Whiskey starts to add, a puzzled look crossing his features now too.
“Yup, and all she’s ever done with my dick is suck it to take the edge off. Hell, she only did it then, because you guys kept trapping me in these uncomfortable situations that you just wouldn’t fuckin’ let go of. Jesus! You see where it’s gotten us? This isn’t fuckin’ healthy! You’ve had me stressed out for months, she’s delusional about shit, and you guys are still just as fuckin’ clueless, because you won’t hear the things I’ve been saying to you. This shit you have going on?” I glanced, wide-eyed with anger between the three of them. “This is not my shit. I didn’t choose this. I am not a part of this other than during those few times you dragged me into the middle.”
Fox stared, flabbergasted a moment before he was able to speak. “You two have been together alone. Whiskey and I have left you to it, because we thought it was just being with us that made you uncomfortable.”
“The only time I have ever been alone with Amy was when she needed someone to talk to. I listened, and gave advice. She got enough dick between the two of you. She didn’t need me giving her more, and quite frankly I was cool as fuck with that. I never wanted her that way.” Tango realized the impact of his words when she whimpered and turned his attention back to Amy. “You’re a great girl, but this whole scenario was never my thing beyond a good time once or twice and suddenly you’re wearing a property patch that apparently includes my name – without my consent – I might add. No one fucking asked me my fucking opinion. Hell, until Liza pointed it out, I thought the “T” in that patch was just a fucked up plus sign, because there was no way you guys included me in that without talking to me first, right?”
Whiskey was the first to respond, and it wasn’t much of a response, more an exclamation. “Holy fuck! How the hell did this all get so messed up?” Fox just stood there scrubbing his hands down his face and shaking his head back and forth in apparent disbelief. Rabbit leaned over and whispered in my ear, “you need a beer? I think I need a beer for this shit storm.” I managed to nod my head as he stood to go grab a couple beers out of the refrigerator behind us.
Fox turned toward Amy. “You told us you two were together when we left you alone.” There was an accusation in his tone, but it was a cautious one. Clearly, he didn’t want to upset her any more than she appeared to be, but he was also starting to see that maybe this woman was not quite glued all together at the seams as they thought she had been.
“Look,” Tango finally managed to eek out as Rabbit handed me a bottle, and Amy purposely avoided answering Fox’s accusation with an audience present. “Congrats to whichever of you is the dad. I’m excited for you if you’re all happy about this, but I’m not a part of it. If any of you had ever fuckin cared to notice, I never have been. I’m with you guys all the time, or I was, because we’ve been close for so fuckin long. Living, breathing, and working as a unit does that to people. You guys brought Amy into that dynamic, and assumed a fuck of a lot where I was concerned. Hell, I thought my actions – or inactions – made it pretty clear where I stood. I was definitely wrong in assuming that, obviously.”
Tango looked like he was ready to just collapse under the weight of his strained friendships so I stood up and moved over to him, placing my hand on his back. “Are you okay?” I asked the words quietly so as not to disturb everyone else while they were mulling over his words. He just shook his head as he watched his friends, men he considered brothers, process the depth of what he was saying. Not a damn one of them had cared enough about him to see that something wasn’t right in their dynamic. Not a single one bothered to see how he felt, to ask questions, or to even know how exactly he was being included or excluded in their little group activities. They were oblivious to him while thinking he was a part of their shared experience. It was sad.
Amy narrowed her eyes on me, but I stood firm with Tango anyway. Then she gave him her hurt, puppy-dog eyes. “I thought you loved me. You’ve said…” She started only to be cut off.
“I’ve said, ‘love ya,’ to you just as I say it to my boys.” He tossed up a hand to indicate he meant all the brothers in the club, not just the two Amy was linked with. “It’s the same way I’d say it to my sister, my mom, good friends even. I’ve never told you that I love you or that I am in love with you. There has never been a single romantic conversation between us. I’ve never had intimate moments that could have been misconstrued beyond a friend who has, on occasion, had my dick in her mouth. I allowed myself to be trapped into those situations by guilt, and I regret that immensely right about now, because somehow in doing so every single one of you forgot I was a person with my own feelings, thoug
hts, and fucking life. Hell, I have never even kissed you on the mouth. Ever. Does that seem like something a man in love would avoid doing?”
Amy broke down then, crying her little heart out as if it had been broken. Never mind the awful position she had been putting Tango in all this time based solely on her own misconceptions.
“Our minds are fuckin’ blown right now, brother,” Fox finally said as Whiskey held onto a weeping Amy.
“Really?” Tango asked incredulously. “They shouldn’t be. I’ve never feigned more involvement than you guys shoved at me. I never looked pleased when you tried to include me in your ‘group couple talks’. Hell, I usually walked away to give you all privacy unless you sought out my personal advice on something.”
“But you never said anything about the property patch when we showed you before we gave it to her,” Whiskey added.
“I said, congratu-fuckin-lations. I thought the T was a plus sign. You know, belonging to Whiskey AND Fox. It wasn’t until your speech that night that I realized maybe there was more to it. I figured we could have that conversation when I got back from the Expo. Then shit hit the fan, and I could never get the three of you in the same place at once after I got back. Hell, it took me talking it through with Liza to realize that everyone else thought I was part of some weird quadro-relationship too. It never occurred to me, because I never saw myself in it beyond friendship to each of you.”
Everyone just stood there staring at him so long I thought that was going to be the end of it. Then Whiskey spoke. “We thought we were helping you, at first, to get over Camilla. It had been so long. Then, it just seemed like you were a part of everything, and the word you’re looking for is polyamorous.”
“Fuck man, seriously. If I were going to claim a woman, don’t you think I would have been a part of planning that shit out? No offense, and carry on with whatever floats your boat and works for you guys, but when I claim a woman it won’t be as a package deal where she’s shared with someone else. And I certainly won’t be wondering whose baby is in my woman’s belly when the time comes. The both of you should know at least that much about me considering what I did go through with Camilla, and all the things I’ve talked to you about over the years.” Both Fox and Whiskey flinched at that speech. Whether it was because they should have known their friend better, or not knowing whom the baby’s dad was, I wasn’t sure. It was clear to me though that something had been fractured in the friendship of these men when Amy came along. Not that it was her fault at all, but they just stopped communicating properly when another person was tossed into the mix with their own ideals clogging reality.
I hurt for the man who became invisible, nothing more than a toy to be used as needed, to his very best friends. It sounded harsh, but how can you describe their complete lack of insight? “Maybe we should get you out of here so everyone can process what just happened?” I finally asked as I applied a little more pressure on his back.
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” Tango said as he started moving forward.
“It’s all because of her,” Amy cried out, pointing an accusing finger my way. “She’s the reason you grew so cold. She’s the reason you’re trying to deny what has always been there between the four of us.”
“Amy, you’re emotional, pregnant, and you’re going to regret saying things when you look back. T is right. None of us cared to see that he wasn’t into this. Thinking back, I can see it written on his every expression. Every time he tried to ask for more jobs that took him away. All the extra time he put into the studio, even when it was all finished. It all makes sense now, and I’m so sorry we didn’t see that shit sooner, brother.” Fox stated while Amy continued to wail and blubber about how it was all my fault and Fox was lying.
If that was what being pregnant did to you, I would rather not. As I was thinking that I remembered what Michelle, my brother’s girlfriend was like, and I realized that Amy was not the example to go by. Despite all the strife in their lives, Michelle was the most positive, upbeat, beautiful pregnant woman I had ever seen. One day, I wanted to grow up to be a mom just like her. Also, I hoped someone smacked some sense into me if I ever behaved the way Amy just did publicly. “She probably needs some therapy,” I surmised.
“No doubt,” Tango huffed making me realize I must have spoken the last part out loud.
“Oh shit, sorry. I thought that was my inside voice,” I told him. He stopped in his tracks on the stairs and turned to smile at me while trying to stifle a chuckle.
“Don’t be sorry. Not like everyone else that heard that shit storm wasn’t thinking the same fucking thing. Hell, I think I need therapy after that cluster-fuck.”
I laughed with him then. “Come on, let’s go draw it out, big guy!” I told him as I shot passed him on the steps heading toward our room. “Art is our kind of therapy!”
“You’re damn right it is!” He agreed as he followed behind me.
~ Tango ~
It was two hours later, after Liza got me buried deep in a rebranding project she’d been working on for a client that there was a knock on our door. I notice Liza cringe in response, and had to agree with that sentiment. I honestly just wanted to continue getting lost in our project for a bit longer and forget that all that drama had gone down in the kitchen of the clubhouse for too many ears to hear. No doubt, the grapevine had already spread, and ramped up the drama too.
I stood and moved over to the door, answering it while also blocking Liza from view as she was lying across the bed with her sketchpad stretched out in front of her. Her tongue was poking out the side of her mouth again, like it often did when she was concentrating. I smiled then turned back to the person at the door.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Can we come in for a minute, to talk?” Both Whiskey and Fox were standing there looking beat all to shit emotionally.
“I’m not sure now is the best time for this,” I told them. It was the truth. We had all just had a huge emotional blowup. I was sure their end was far worse than mine since they had Amy to deal with too. Two hours didn’t seem like enough time to process that shit before trying to address any of it.
“I get that, but it seems we keep waiting for a right time for this conversation and it isn’t happening,” Fox interjected.
“Yeah, I suppose so. Where’s Amy? She okay?”
“She’s sleeping,” Whiskey stated with a hint of aggression in his voice. Fox must have caught it too, because he popped his hand back and caught Whiskey in the gut with a warning shot.
“None of this is T’s fault, dude. Keep that in mind, yeah?” Fox told him.
“Sorry, it’s just difficult to wrap my head around everything that was said, and I think Amy’s right. None of this was an issue before that chick came along.”
“None of this was an issue before Amy came along,” I stated none too kindly. “If you’d been paying any attention to what was going on with me instead of having your head lodged so far up Amy’s ass that you couldn’t see you would have known that.”
Whiskey stepped back as if I had struck him physically instead of verbally. “You’re blaming Amy?”
“No, you fucking idiot. We all get a piece of blame in this shit show. All of us expect the one person you and Amy seem to want to tack it onto. Liza isn’t here because she wanted to be. She didn’t ask to be air dropped right into our fucking drama, and I don’t appreciate you pulling her into it. On that note, no, we can’t fucking talk in my room, because Liza is in there, and I’ll be damned if I’ll allow you to go on the attack with her when she’s done abso-fucking-lutely nothing to deserve it. Hell, she’s been the only impartial person I’ve had to discuss this shit with. She’s been the only one who would actually listen to my frustrations about how you two just kept assuming shit and pushing me in a direction that your clueless asses should have known would not have been something I was okay with. I get you thought you were trying to fix something you saw as broken in me. I wasn’t fucking broken. I was waitin
g for the right person to come along who would peak my interest. That person was not Amy. Even if I didn’t have to share her with the two of you, it still wouldn’t have been Amy, because I don’t see her like that. There’s zero chemistry between us. It should have been plain as day to either of you if you actually cared to see what was right in front of you. Or what wasn’t.”
Fox held up his hands. “Look, I’d rather not have this conversation in the hallway for every asshole in the club to listen in on. If you don’t want Liza to hear what we have to say, send her away somewhere. She’s become buddy-buddy with Rabbit too from what I’ve seen. Send her to him. Hell, she can stay and listen, for all I care. We just want a chance to talk things out with you before we end up losing a friend.”
I turned my back on them, but left the door open so they could enter. Liza sat up on the bed abandoning her sketchpad where it lay, next to the one I had been working in. “I’ll just go, and leave you guys to it,” she suggested.
“You don’t have to,” I told her.
“It’s okay. I texted Rabbit. He told me to come learn how to mix drinks down at the bar with him and Charlie. You guys need some alone time to sort your shit, and I could use a drink.” She offered up a bright, encouraging smile, patted me on the arm, and took off for the door. Before she could get it open Fox stopped her.
“I just wanted to say that we are really sorry for the way Amy has treated you since you’ve been here. It’s not been fair to you, and you shouldn’t have been dragged in the middle of all our mess.”
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Aces High MC (Aces High MC - Dakotas Book 2) Page 10