Where I Need to Be

by Kimberly Knight

  We both returned to the bathroom, Brandon to shower, and me to blow dry my hair. Then we crawled tiredly into bed, wrapped up closely in each other’s arms and drifted off to sleep.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The next morning when Brandon and I woke, we made his parents breakfast before they had to leave for the airport. Brandon dropped me off at my house first and then took his parents to catch their flight. Having them here for just one night was the best thing that could have happened. My Brandon was back.

  Ryan and I had our usual plans to go shopping for Halloween costumes and then carve pumpkins like we did every year. This year we decided we wanted to be sexy civil servants. She was going to be a fireman and I was going to be a police officer. Every year since living in this house, we would always pass out candy and then afterwards go to a party. This year would be no different. One of Ryan's co-workers always threw a huge Halloween party no matter what day of the week it fell on.

  After our torturous afternoon at the Halloween store, we went to a local pumpkin patch and each picked out two pumpkins. We were not the only ones who waited until the last minute to get costumes or pumpkins. Both places were packed with customers. Luckily we were both able to find what we wanted.

  "Max is coming over to watch the game right?" I said to Ryan as we set the pumpkins on our dining room table.

  Tonight was game four of the World Series. Our San Francisco Giants were up three games to none and had a chance of sweeping the Detroit Tigers. Unfortunately, the game was being held in Detroit so we had to watch them on the TV while we carved pumpkins.

  "Yep, Brandon too right?"

  "Yeah, I just need to text him to let him know we are home. What time is Max coming over?"

  "He should be here soon. I already texted him we were home."

  I texted Brandon to let him know I was home. Not long after, Max showed up with a twenty-four case of Blue Moon beer.

  "Let's get this party started!" he said when he walked in the door.

  Ryan slapped him on the arm and told him he was silly. Finally everyone in my life seemed to be back to their normal selves.

  "I'm going to put on some sweats so my nice clothes don't get all messy from the pumpkins," Ryan said as she started to walk to her room.

  Finally, this gave me an opportunity to ask Max about the girl I saw him with at Fog City Diner a little over a month ago. I never told Ryan that I saw him. I wasn't sure if it was breaking the friendship code, but I didn't want anything to cause her anymore heartache. Also she was finally happy again and that was all that mattered... right?

  "Hey, Max, can I ask you a question?" I asked, whispering so Ryan couldn't hear.

  "You just did," he said with a laugh.

  "You know what I mean." I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling at him.

  "Yeah, sure, what's up?"

  "Who was that girl I saw you with at Fog City Diner?"

  Max came closer to me so he could whisper, "I know what you're thinking, Spence, but that was my sister, Melissa. You know I love Ryan. After she left me, I was torn up. I really didn't know how badly she wanted kids."

  "Oh..." I forgot his family lived in San Francisco, too.

  "Look, it took a couple weeks for me to realize what I had, I admit it. Those weeks were the hardest weeks of my life. Every day I thought about Ryan, every day I tried to forget about her too, but you know how hard she is to forget. Finally I was tired of going to bed every night thinking of her only to wake up the next morning still thinking about her. I knew what I had to do. I talked to my family, I hung out with my nieces and nephews and I realized I wanted that too... with Ryan."

  He seemed sincere and I really wanted to believe him.

  "She didn't look happy at MoMo’s that night you saw me, and I knew it was my fault. I didn't know how I was going to get her back and when I saw you two there, I just went for it."

  "Went for what?" Ryan said as she entered the kitchen.

  "Oh... um..." Max couldn't say anything.

  "Your ring, Ry. He was telling me how he picked it out," I said covering our asses.

  "Oh. Don't you just love it?" she said as she showed me again for the hundredth time.

  "Yes, I do, you lucky bitch!"

  A few minutes later Brandon came over with steaks and then he and Max headed out to the backyard to grill them for dinner. Meanwhile, Ryan and I worked together in the kitchen, making a salad, baked potatoes and garlic bread to go with the steaks.

  "So you liked Brandon's parents?"

  "Yeah, I liked them a lot. They were really sweet."

  "Did you guys tell them about the baby?" Ryan always got to the point quickly and never shied from asking the hard questions.

  "Yeah, Brandon did."

  "And?"

  "And, they took it really well. His mom is really excited about becoming a grandma." I chopped more greens for the salad and then tossed it with a light vinaigrette.

  "Is Brandon doing better now?" she asked, turning to the oven with a fork to check on the baked potatoes.

  "Yeah, I think so. Seeing his parents really helped. He was so devastated after seeing the ultrasound. I guess he just hoped it wasn't true."

  "I think we were all hoping it wasn't true."

  "I know," I said sighing.

  The game started shortly before dinner was ready. We all sat in the living room crowding around our coffee table while we watched the game and ate dinner. The game was so good that after we cleaned up from dinner, we moved one of our couches and coffee table and set newspapers down so we could carve our pumpkins and watch the game at the same time.

  Since Ryan and I carved them every year, we had a book that contained patterns with funny faces, scary faces, witches, cats, etc. and all the carving tools. Ryan chose to do a pumpkin with a witch that was flying on a broom in front of a moon. I chose to do a crescent moon with a face with a bat flying in the center of it like it was flying over it. Brandon chose to do the Grim Reaper's face and Max picked a haunted house on a hill with bats flying around it.

  I went to change into sweats while they continued to set-up the living room. When I got to my room I realized I had a missed text message. I opened it and saw that it was from Christy. When was she going to leave me alone?

  The text message read:

  Christy: You actually think I am going to let you help raise my baby bitch?"

  I didn't respond. I just tossed my phone on my bed and changed my clothes. She really wasn't worth my time; however, I just wanted to put her in her place. How was I the bitch? Why was I the "bad guy"? I knew I would love this baby like it was my own. And maybe that’s what she feared.

  *~*~*

  After a couple of hours of drinking beer and carving our pumpkins, we munched on freshly roasted pumpkin seeds as the Giants won the World Series four to three. Our pumpkins were complete. I was feeling really good after my fourth beer and I could tell Ryan was, too. We had each only had four beers whereas Brandon and Max each had six. This was the first time that Brandon was buzzed around me. I had never seen him drink so much.

  Buzzed Brandon was very talkative and not really about anything in particular. It was sort of cute. He also couldn't keep his hands off of me and Ryan had to tell us a few times to go to my room. I just slapped his hands off of me and we continued carving our pumpkins.

  Our pumpkins didn't turn out perfect like we had hoped. Alcohol, sharp tools and straight lines didn't mix well. Halfway through, Brandon had to help me finish my pumpkin and Max had to help Ryan. We weren't very good at the details.

  Ryan's witch was flying on a crooked broom and her moon was not a perfect circle. My crescent moon was wavy and the bat was flying kind of sideways and almost into the moon's eye. Brandon did better on his pumpkin; however, his Grim Reaper's eyes were lopsided. Max did better too, only his bats were flying crookedly; his house was kind of perfect though.

  It was getting late and after we calmed down from the Giants winning, we decided to call it a night
as we all had to work the next morning. When I came out of the shower, Brandon was passed out naked in my bed. I guess he was tired of waiting for me. I crawled in bed with him and stared at him for a few minutes.

  I loved everything about this man. He was perfect for me. How was I going to help raise a baby? Brandon didn’t even know what to do and looked to me for guidance. Did Christy even know how to raise a baby? She quit her job out of laziness and boredom, so she was not exactly role model material.

  That night I had another nightmare. It wasn’t like my previous one. I didn’t cry in my sleep and Brandon didn’t wake up. I dreamed that we were all accused of being bad parents and the baby was taken away by Child Protective Services. I guess that is what happens when you fall asleep thinking about being a bad parent.

  *~*~*

  Today was finally Halloween which fell on a Wednesday this year. Normally I would dress up for work but this year was a little different. Because the Giants won the World Series on Sunday, most of San Francisco took the day off and enjoyed the celebration parade. The news channels estimated that Market Street would be packed with over a million people to watch the parade.

  Max's law firm was located on Market Street so we watched the parade from his office. It was an awesome day and the only thing that could have ruined it was if we had bumped into TravAss in the office. Thankfully that did not happen.

  After the parade, Brandon dropped me and Ryan off at home. Then he left to check on the gym and head home to get ready for his poker night while Ryan and I headed to her co-worker's Halloween party.

  I told Brandon that I would meet him at his condo after the party. I had something special planned for later when I arrived at his condo.

  Ryan and I started to get ready for the party around five o'clock. My cop costume was a button down blue fake cop shirt and elastic blue shorts that matched. It came with a fake badge and a plastic holster that held handcuffs, a water gun and another pouch for my keys, I.D., money and cell phone.

  Usually around 6:30 p.m. the little kids from the neighborhood would come by trick or treating, and Ryan and I loved to see their cute costumes as we handed out candy.

  When trick-or-treaters started to come around, we took turns opening the door. I opened the door several times to find the most precious children standing in front of me. I started to think that this time next year I might be Trick-or-Treating with Brandon and his baby or we could at least dress him or her up as a pumpkin and take a picture that would last a lifetime.

  Ryan noticed that I was starting to get emotional. "What's wrong, Spence?"

  "Just thinking about next year at this time."

  "What do you mean?"

  "You know, Brandon and his baby––where we might be. What if I am no longer in the picture?"

  "Just like you have told me before numerous times, all you can do is take one day at a time."

  "I know. I just kind of wish it was my baby."

  "You do? You barely know him."

  "No, I know. It's more the fact that it isn't my baby. I just wish it was a piece of us, not just a piece of him."

  "Just like you tell me all the time, everything happens for a reason."

  "Thanks, but that is not helping!"

  "Look Spence, it's only October. Christy isn't due for eight more months. You have eight months to decide if this is what you want. You don't need to make the decision tonight. Let's just finish giving out our candy and go get drunk."

  And that is exactly what Ryan and I did. We finished handing out all our candy by nine o'clock and "sexified" our costumes by adding heels, more make-up and hoop earrings.

  We took a cab to Ryan's co-worker's house and drank multiple glasses of the adult punch with gummy eyeballs floating in it. We ate hot dogs wrapped in a crispy Phyllo that looked like mummies, bread crostinis in the shape of ghosts with a jalapeno artichoke dip, mini slices of pizza with mozzarella on the end and cheddar around the crust that made it look like candy corn and a few cupcakes that had different Halloween decorations on top.

  We weren't sure if it was because Halloween was on a Wednesday or if people were still out celebrating the Giants, but there were not that many people at the party this year. Ryan and I only lasted an hour and a half before we were bored. We took a taxi to Brandon's condo and she continued on to Max's house.

  I said goodnight to Ryan and headed up the elevator to Brandon's condo. I stepped out onto his floor and took my fake handcuffs out of the leather pouch on the holster.

  I knocked on the door instead of using my key. While I waited for Brandon to come to the door, I leaned my right hand on the doorframe and twirled my handcuffs around my left pointer finger.

  Brandon opened the door and before he could say anything I said, "I've heard you've been a naughty boy, Mr. Montgomery!"

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  "Yes, Officer, I have been naughty but I heard that you’ve been even naughtier."

  "Oh? How is that?" I asked as I stumbled a little into the condo and shut the door behind me.

  "I believe you were drunk in public outside and there is a fine for that in California."

  "Well Mr. Montgomery, you are correct. So what is my punishment?" I asked as I bit my bottom lip and batted my eyelashes playfully.

  "First you need to hand over those handcuffs and sit in a chair in the dining room so I can interrogate you."

  "Don't you need to arrest me and read me my rights first?"

  "I'm not a police officer so this will be a citizen’s arrest. Now sit down, Officer Marshall."

  "So bossy," I said as I walked into what was considered the open lay-out dining room, pulled the chair out at the head of the table and sat down. I gave Brandon the handcuffs as he held his hand out to me.

  "Now Officer Marshall, put your hands behind the back of the chair."

  As I sat in the chair, I reached my arms around the back. Brandon walked behind me and cuffed my wrists together. He bent down and whispered in my ear, "I'll be right back."

  "What? You're just going to leave me like this?" This was not part of the plan.

  "I'll be right back, Officer Marshall."

  He ran up the stairs taking them two at a time. A few minutes later he returned in only his boxers. In his hands were the ties from my robe and his robe, a towel and a condom.

  "What are you going to do with the ties?"

  "You'll see," he said with that smile. Fuck.

  My panties were instantly damp and I could smell my arousal. I could see his erection trying to escape from his boxers causing me to bite my lip as I thought of all the pleasure that was in store for me.

  "Lift your butt," he said as he stood in front of me.

  I obliged and he put the towel on the seat and I lowered my butt back down when he had finished.

  "I think this interrogation will be conducted better if you didn't have those shorts on, Officer Marshall," he said as he slid the elastic band of the shorts down my hips and hooked his fingers in my panties taking them down together and then tossed them on the floor.

  He took one of the robe ties and tied my left ankle to the left front leg of the chair. He did the same to my right leg causing my legs to spread, exposing me to him. He cupped my mound with his right hand as he bent down and kissed me. I could taste beer on his breath as our tongues swirled around each other.

  He rubbed my mound and brushed one of his fingers over the lips of my pussy. "God, you're already so wet, Baby."

  "Uh huh," was all I could say as we continued to kiss.

  "Scoot your hips down to the edge of the chair, Baby," he commanded and I eagerly complied.

  Brandon knelt down on his knees as he leaned down and ran his tongue up my pussy licking all of my juices that had begun dripping out of me. I threw my head back as the sensations rippled through me. He continued using his tongue skillfully until my body convulsed. I let out a frustrated moan as I tried to close my legs to ride out my orgasm.

  He continued using his tongue and started
using his fingers until I climaxed again... and again... and again.

  With my eyes closed, I felt Brandon release my hands from the fake handcuffs. I opened my eyes as he came back around and untied the ties that bound my legs to the chair. He gestured for me to stand as he held out his hand. I took his hand and stood. Then he unbuttoned my shirt, threw it on the floor, unclipped my bra and tossed it onto the pile as well, leaving me completely naked.

  He removed his boxers and sat in the chair I was sitting in. I continued to watch as he rolled the condom onto his cock. "Come here, Baby," he said.

  I walked the few steps to the chair, lifted my right leg up and over his left thigh and did the same with my left leg as I hovered over him continuing to stand. He held the base of his cock as I inched down and he filled me slowly.

  My pussy was raw and sensitive from the multiple orgasms, but I didn't care. I took all of his length until it filled me completely. I hooked my left arm around his neck and placed my head on his left shoulder and rocked my hips as I slid up and down.

  Brandon lightly stroked my back as I moved up and down. I could tell that he was already close to coming because after only a few more strokes, I heard him hold his breath and felt his body clench as he exploded into the condom. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him until I could no longer breathe.

  *~*~*

  As it got closer to Thanksgiving, we made plans to fly down to Encino and spend Thanksgiving with my parents. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving I worked a half a day at work and then Brandon and I headed to the airport. Brandon didn't seem nervous about meeting my parents. I on the other hand was freaking out inside. I had never brought a guy home before. TravAss always made an excuse when it involved meeting my parents. Looking back on our relationship, I couldn't believe I never saw the signs.

  My mom and dad picked us up from the Burbank airport when we arrived. My parents pulled up to the curb and Brandon put our luggage in the trunk as my mom got out of the passenger side and hugged me for dear life. It had been almost a year since I had seen them. When we got into the car, I introduced Brandon to my mom, Julie, and then to my dad, Kevin, who was driving.