"You guys look so cute." She exclaimed as she took a few shots. "Wait till you see your brother and the guys."
"Oh, God, Mom! What did he do?" Mina got a worried look.
"No, no honey. It’s good. They just are funny, that’s all." She waved off Mina’s worries. "Okay, I have to go get dressed and make sure your Dad is getting ready. See you downstairs." Elaine shut the door behind her. We did a quick once over then headed out the door.
As we walked down the steps, Calvin, Jess and Will arrived. They were talking with Leo, Max and Oliver. Calvin was dressed as a cop, Jess as a cat and Will was Dracula. However, the amusement was that Leo, Max and Oliver were The Three Musketeers. And they were totally playing it out with sword fights.
"God, could you grow up?" Mina teased Leo who just realized we had come down. He shook his head and smiled at Mina who kept teasing him.
I saw Max stare down Roni, who made sure to sashay her ass right past him and toward the DJ Mina hired for the night. He followed closely behind. Then, I caught Oliver checking out Mina in all her wonderland glory. He was obviously willing to go down her rabbit hole.
"Chloe." I turned to see my parents walking in from the kitchen and cracked up immediately.
"Geez, Dad, how did Judith talk you into this?" I laughed.
He groaned.
"She’s persuasive, let’s leave it at that."
"Eww…too much information! Say no more!" He shrugged and I cringed.
Dad and Judith were Herman and Lily Munster. It was hilarious to see my dad so uncomfortable.
"You look adorable." Judith said, stepping back to get a whole view of the outfit that I felt completely self-conscious in. Then she saw Roni and Mina too. "Oh my, you guys need to stay close all night! As a group you are priceless, though the skirts could have been a little longer."
"Blame Mina." I pointed to where she stood across the room. "I feel completely uncomfortable as it is in this outfit." I shrugged.
"You have no reason to feel uncomfortable. You are a beautiful girl, Chloe. I wish you would realize that." Judith said as she hugged me.
"I agree," Elaine appeared with Robert. I giggled more. They were dressed as Gomez and Morticia Adams.
"Oh my lord! Mina, come here!" I shouted over my shoulder.
Mina bounded up to me and took in her parents and then mine before she started laughing.
"This is too perfect! You guys look so great!" She bounced like a kid in a candy store.
More people began to show up. Christy and Randy were Pocahontas and an Indian chief, K.C. was in an orange jumpsuit like an escaped prisoner, Lucas and Lauren were a gangster and a flapper, Jay, Clint, and Kevan came as the three stooges, Amelia and Hannah were a princess and a rabbit. It was going to be a packed house.
The food was going quickly, along with the drinks. The music was blaring and people were really dancing. Roni, Mina and I were out dancing together and having a great time. Max finally pulled Roni to dance with him and Mina pulled me off to the kitchen.
"I need a huge favor."
I rolled my eyes.
"What do you want, Mina?"
"Oliver keeps whispering hints for us to go hang out." I gave her a stern look. "No, seriously, just to hang out and talk. You know we do enjoy each other’s company and friendship. It doesn’t have to be physical." Mina said a little upset.
I hugged her.
"I know, Mina. I just don’t want him to hurt you." I pulled back still holding her shoulder. "You be careful with your heart, your hear me?" She smiled. "So what is this favor? Am I supposed to take him out somewhere with me and you will be there waiting?"
"Umm…no." She looked down to the floor. "I um…needyoutodistractLeo." She rushed through like I wouldn’t catch what she was asking me to do.
"You want me to do what? Mina, I don’t think that’s a good idea–"
"Please, please, please, Chloe? I promise to make it up to you." She gave me the puppy dog eyes.
Damn her!
"You owe me!" I scowled. "Big time."
"I know, I know." She bounced.
"Here’s the deal. Where are you and Oliver going to talk?"
"The pool house." She answered eagerly.
"Okay, well, I’ll keep an eye on Leo. If, and only IF, he seems to be headed that way will I intervene and keep him distracted. You got it? So keep your guard up and your ears working." I pointed a finger at her.
"No problem and thank you so much, Chloe." She hugged me again.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…now go find lover boy, you home wrecker!" She scowled and I giggled. Now I just had to get a location on Leo.
Chapter Thirteen
The Party
Leo
"Wake-up, bastards, we're here!" I slapped Max on the arm as I shouted at him and Oliver, both of them had fallen asleep while I drove back home.
"Oww! Shit, dude," Max grumbled.
"Oliver, wake-up before I throw shit at you." I threatened. He didn’t budge, so I threw my half full soda bottle at him.
"Ouch! Christ, Leo!" He yelled and jerked upright.
"Well, wake the hell up. It’s bad enough I had to drive the last hour and a half listening to you both snore."
"I don’t snore," Max snapped.
"The hell if you don’t," I laughed.
Mom was the first one to see us as we headed into the house.
"Oh my goodness, Leo!" She ran into my arms and we hugged. I lifted her up and swung her in a circle, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I didn’t think you were going to make it home this weekend?" She questioned.
"I know, but we got some things changed around, so, here we are." I smiled. She hugged and welcomed Oliver and Max.
"Wait till your sister finds out you were able to make it, oh, and if you don’t have costumes for the party, I suggest you get one immediately or she will kill you." Mom smirked.
"MINA..." Mom yelled.
"Coming…" Mina yelled from upstairs.
Mina came running down the steps and stopped when she saw me.
"Is that any way to welcome me home, baby sister?" I smirked.
Let the teasing begin.
"Oh, Leonard, it’s so wonderful that you are home." She walked over with a fake sweetness on her face. Then she smirked and we hugged tightly.
"I missed you," I whispered to her.
"I missed you, too," She whispered back.
I love my little sister so much.
"You better have a costume, or I will pick one out for you." She smiled large.
Did I just say that I loved the evil little troll?
"We’ll get our own, thanks. I don’t trust you at all. You’ll have us dressed as girls or something." I laughed and she smirked at me, winking as she headed back upstairs.
Later, in the early evening, I heard voices in the kitchen, knowing it was Mina and probably Chloe. Max, Ollie and I got up from the couch and headed toward the kitchen. When we entered I saw Roni standing across from Chloe, who was seated on top of the counter, and Mina digging through the fridge.
"All who say we get pizza say ‘I’," Chloe said as she raised her arm goofily like a little kid.
"I," Roni said giggling and raising her arm.
"I," Max said mimicking Chloe and Roni, who turned to see him in the kitchen.
Mina stood up and rolled her eyes.
"Fine." She grabbed the phone and started ordering.
I stood back in the doorway watching Max drool over Roni who hadn’t looked at him a second time, her eyes were on Mina as she called the pizza place. Ollie and I walked all the way into the kitchen and I immediately headed toward Chloe and Roni.
I peripherally saw Chloe starting to shift her body to get down but I decided to lean back between her legs, feeling her shift back further onto the counter and away from me. I decided to pick at Max a little.
"So, Roni could you please pay attention to my friend over there before he leaves a pool of slobber on my mom’s kitchen floor?" Roni smirked and
looked over at Max.
"Screw you dude!" Max spit out. "Why don’t you worry about yourself and get the balls to turn around and tell Ch…” I knew where he was headed. I moved to him quickly to cut him off from finishing. I don’t know when Max got so observant, but he had picked up on my behavior when it came to a certain beautiful brunette.
"Don’t be that way, Max, she’s here now." I had seen Roni move to where Max stood.
"It’s about time you got your fine ass over here." Max said squeezing her. Roni giggled.
I turned back and saw that Chloe was now standing with Mina, waiting for her to finish the call.
"Jesus Christ! Could you guys have been any louder?" Mina slammed the phone down. "I could barely hear what the retarded guy on the other end of the phone was saying. Shit!" We all cracked up at her tantrum.
Once the pizza arrived, we sat in the kitchen eating, talking about random things. Mostly about college and Roni’s first year there. After dinner, the girls all headed upstairs for bed. I couldn’t help but let my eyes linger on Chloe as she walked up the steps.
Before Mina got all the way upstairs she yelled back down to us.
"You guys had better have costumes for tomorrow if you plan on being here for the party!"
I rolled my eyes and kept eating with the guys.
~ ~ ~
After Mina made us move furniture around the house a thousand times, we finally got to take a breather and relax before the party. The three of us headed upstairs for showers and a little down time before getting into our costumes.
Max had run out last night after eating, getting three costumes, the Three Musketeers. At first, I thought he was crazy but then I realized it was perfect for us. Plus, we got to play with swords. What guy wouldn’t love that?
We got into costume and headed downstairs after my mom attacked us with the camera for fifteen minutes. Guests had started arriving, so I filled my role as the doorman. Calvin, Jessica and Will were the first to arrive. While I was talking with Calvin and Will, Max decided it was time for another sword fight. He and Oliver were going at it when Mina made her presence known.
"God, could you grow up?" Mina yelled. I turned to see Mina in her costume.
"What the hell are you wearing?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"My Alice in Wonderland costume." She curtsied.
"Where’s the rest of it at?" I pulled on her skirt.
"Stop it, you’ll mess it up." She pouted. "Please, my cheerleading skirts are shorter than this, Leo." I wanted to cry after she made that statement. "Could you please try to let me be an adult for tonight?"
I groaned.
"Chloe." I heard someone yell and I looked over. I watched Chloe turn around and walk toward her parents, who were in costume.
Jesus Christ! What was she wearing? That has to be Mina’s work. I need to thank Mina and kill her at the same time.
I turned away as quickly as my eyes would allow me to be met full on with Mina’s smirk.
"What?"
"Don’t what me. You and I both know what." She smiled.
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
She was about to say something but Chloe yelled for her.
"We aren’t finished, Leonard." She winked and headed over to Chloe. That was when I saw my parents dressed up and almost fell over laughing. My Dad looked hilarious with the Gomez mustache, it was priceless.
More people arrived and the house was packed. The dance area was full and going strong. Mina had gotten a good DJ. Walking around to get some drinks, I saw Roni, Mina and Chloe dancing together. It took me back to the night at the beach when I saw Chloe, the grown woman, for the first time. My body was having an instant reaction to the thoughts. I quickly headed to the upstairs bathroom to splash cold water on my face.
As I was coming down the back stairs, headed to the kitchen to get a drink, I heard Mina and Chloe talking in hushed tones just a few feet away.
What? Oliver? Mina is meeting with Oliver. I knew it! I’m gonna kill that bastard!
I was about to react until I heard the next part of the conversation.
Chloe is in charge of distraction? Mainly, distracting me…hmmm…I think I could accept Oliver and Mina. Am I really willing to sell out the protection of my little sister?
The moment I heard footsteps and thought it was clear, I stepped out from my hidey hole and into the kitchen. Mina was walking towards me. Her eyes grew large.
Still willing to sell out little sister? NOPE!
"Where do you think you are going, Mina?" I crossed my arms.
"Um…nowhere why?" She walked toward the fridge as if that was her destination.
"Look, I’m going to be honest here." She turned quickly to me. "I realize you and Oliver have something going on."
"Leo, it’s not what you think. I swear. We're just friends." Her eyes grew sad. I reached out, pulling her into a hug.
"Mina, I don’t like it. He's my friend and I love him like a brother but I know guys. He has a girlfriend, Mina, and I don’t want him hurting or playing with you. Do you understand?"
She looked up at me.
"Leo, please just trust me. I am not going to do anything wrong. We are friends and that is it. Maybe I wish it were more, but being friends is better than nothing at all." Her eyes pleaded with me and I realized that, while I still want to protect her, I needed to let her make her own decisions.
Plus I am the one who is drooling all over himself because of her best friend.
"Be careful, Mina. If anything happens, you come tell me. I’ll kill the fucker!"
She smiled, hugging me tightly. Then she bounded off like she was looking for someone. I assumed Oliver.
"Oliver is over in the far left corner of the living room."
Mina spun around. "Oh, okay. I need to find Chloe though." She bit her lip to not smile.
"Why?" I asked, smirking. There was no way I was going to let her ruin the part of the deal she had with Chloe. She could tell Chloe after I had been distracted for a while.
"Because I need to tell her something." She tried to get out of the room quickly to find her.
"I can tell her for you, if I see her?"
Mina spun on her heels. "Uh...no that’s okay."
Then I saw Oliver headed our direction.
Thank you, Oliver!
"Oh, okay." I slid around her and headed out to the mass of people. I figured once Oliver and Mina got together, she would head straight to wherever they were going to hang out.
I moved quickly through the crowd, searching. There she was, but she wasn’t alone. Jay Bennet was standing with her, talking and making her laugh.
Damn it.
I walked over but he pulled her on to the dance floor before I reached them.
I had to watch them grind and move in synchronization to the music. It made my stomach knot up instantly and I wanted to kill the jerk. When I saw his hand slip onto her hip and down onto her thigh, I was ready to break some fingers. Chloe looked uncomfortable.
Yes!
I decided to act, quickly. I walked over to where Will and Calvin were and stood for a few minutes before saying, loud enough I knew Chloe could hear me, "Where the hell is Oliver?" I pretended to look for him. "I’ll talk to you guys a little later, I’m gonna go find Ollie."
It was perfect. I headed straight for the kitchen and, after standing there for about a minute, Chloe appeared. She stood there in all her beauty in a tiny dress. I groaned internally and imagined all the ways I could get it off and what she would look like with it off. I unconsciously licked my lips.
"Hey," she said, clearly trying to think of a way to distract me.
"Hi." It was hard to keep from laughing. "Have you seen Oliver around?"
"Umm…no. Are you sure he isn’t in the living room mixed up in the party?" She gestured like she was trying to get me to go back out there.
"No, I looked around but haven’t seen him. Maybe he’s outside." I headed for the door.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"I-Um…I really like this song, come and dance with me? You can look for Oliver later." She put her hand out and that was it, a chance to touch her and be close to her.
Score one for Team Leo.
I grabbed her hand, anticipating the electrical charge I was going to feel. She led us to the middle of the group. I pulled her to me tightly, eliciting a small gasp from her. I smiled as I moved against her and she moved with me.
When the song changed she started to pull back and walk away but I grabbed her arm and walked her with me.
"Leo?" I didn’t respond. "Leo, where are you going?"
Once I pulled her through the kitchen to the back patio, I turned to her with a smile.
"Just where it’s quiet, that’s all. Why?" I watched her eyes shift to the pool house and then back to me quickly. She fidgeted slightly and then seemed to collect her thoughts.
"You kind of surprised me, I figured after one dance you’d be done. I was just curious as to where you were taking me." She kept looking away from me towards the pool house.
God it was so wrong. But this was too much fun.
She shivered slightly being outside with such little on.
"We could always head over to the pool house to hang out," I turned to walk that direction but felt her hand on my arm.
"N-no. Let’s just go back inside, okay?" She smiled quickly and turned to go back in.
Oh, not yet, Chloe. Not yet.
"It’s so loud in there, how can I talk to you? I’m not going to scream a conversation. Come on." I held my hand out.
She furrowed her brow and looked at my hand.
"The kitchen isn’t that bad, let’s go in there." She opened the door and was stepping in when I got an idea.
I followed behind her and then wrapped her arm in mine pulling her toward the back stairs.
"I’ve got a better idea. It’s still too loud in the kitchen."
"L-Leo, I think we should stay with the party." She tugged her arm away a little but I held it securely.
"You can help me see if Oliver is hiding out up here somewhere." I shrugged and kept climbing.
All Grown Up Page 11