Frenemies With Benefits (Geek To Chic Book 2)

by Brinks, Nikki

  “I love that sound.” Izzy blurted out.

  “Sound?” Alex was confused.

  “The sound of our baby’s heartbeat. He sounded so strong today. It’s all because of how well you took care of us last week, even if you did become a nag.” She winked at him and turned her attention back out the window.

  “He? You think it’s a boy?”

  “I don’t think, I know. All mothers know on some level what they are having. Are we going to see Derek and Roni?” Izzy asked as they turned into Derek’s neighborhood.

  “No, we are going somewhere else. Don’t ask where I won’t tell you, it’s a surprise.” Alex’s heartbeat was increasing with every block they drove. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. He could feel her give him the evil eye.

  A few short blocks later, Alex pulled his car into the driveway of a beautiful two story home with a wraparound porch. The one Izzy had said she had liked when they drove Derek and Roni to the airport. Alex thought that the house was perfect with four large bedrooms, three bathrooms, a theater style basement and the best part of it all was the large backyard for children to play in.

  “This is the house I pointed out. Whose house is this?” Izzy asked him as she helped her from the car.

  “That depends.”

  “Depends on what?”

  “How the next few minutes go.” He turned away from her and went to the trunk of his car, he removed a shoe box and pulled her to a patio swing near the front door. “I need five minutes from you. Five minutes with no interruptions, no comments, nothing but perfect listening ears, ok?”

  “You should like me when I talk to my students.” She mused. When he gave her a look saying that she was not starting the quiet time well, she nodded returning his look with a look of her own saying he had lost his mind, which of course he had the moment he saw her in the club all those years ago. He took the lid off the box and placed it by his feet, without letting her see what the box contained. With one last fortifying breath, he took a napkin out of the box and placed it in her lap. “That was the napkin from the club we met at, after you left I stuffed it in my pocket.”

  Ignoring her hand covering her mouth in shock, he dug out the next item in the little box of memories. “Here is the receipt to that little place we had lunch at the day we went exploring. This is that little frog you bought me because you thought it would look good on my desk. I never put it on my desk, it was too painful to look at.” He placed both of the items into her lap. Alex was too nervous to look her in the eyes, as he continued down memory lane. The next item he pulled out, was one he was embarrassed to show her, but nevertheless he needed to show it to her. “This is the ticket I had to make a sizeable donation to the University of Colorado to obtain, it’s a ticket to your graduation. I thought maybe I could find you in the hundreds of graduates. I didn’t but I tried.”

  “You came to my graduation?” Izzy’s voice was soft full of emotion.

  “Yes, I had to try to and find you. I ran every day at Wash Park for a month, different times, but every day in an attempt to find you.” Alex said in a sad tone. “And this is the only picture I have of you. I took it with my cell phone while you picking out a basket at one of the shops. I always wished I had more pictures of you.”

  Finally, he looked at her and saw the tears streaming down her face, fear that he had done or said something wrong clenched his stomach hard. “I’m sorry. I thought if I showed you all of these things that I have kept all of these years, I would prove to you how deeply I felt about you, then and now. I’m sorry. It was silly.” Alex shook his head and started to grab the items from her lap.

  Immediately, small shaky hands stopped him. He looked into her eyes and saw the love he had hoped was still there. “Ask me again.” She said quietly.

  “Ask you again?”

  “What we talked about in the hospital. Ask me.” She said with more authority.

  A large smile broke out across his face. From the box he pulled out a velvet ring box, he even got down on one knee this time. Holding the box out in front of him, “Isabella Newport, the moment I met you, you captured my heart. Even you have been plotting my murder daily over the last few months made me fall further for you. I love you Izzy, no that’s not right. You are the love of my life. I need you more than I need to breathe. Will you please be my wife? Be with me forever.”

  Grabbing his face with of her hands she pulled him into a passionate kiss. After a few moments he pulled away, “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes, Alexander Jeremy Porter, I will marry you, because I lost my heart to you when I was your fake wife. Now I get to be the real Mrs. Porter.” She kissed him again. “Now would you like to explain to me whose house this is and what we are doing here?”

  She squealed when lifted her into his arms. Carefully he held her and pulled a set of keys from his pocket. He opened the door and carried through the empty house to the living room. He set her down, pulling her close for a quick kiss. “Welcome home, Mrs. Porter.”

  “You bought the house?” Her eyes were huge with surprise, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  He cupped her cheek, kissing her again. “Yes, you said you liked it.” He shrugged. “Turns out the for-sale sign went up a day after you pointed the house out. The owners moved to Florida for retirement.”

  Grabbing his hand she spun around and headed for the stairs. “Well come on show me our new home.”

  Our home. The words made Alex’s heart sing.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  After a quick tour of their new house Alex and Izzy headed over to his parent’s house to deliver the good news of their engagement and the baby. Izzy kept starring down at the ring on her finger. They stepped up to the door. “This ring is beautiful, Alex.”

  “You’re beautiful.” Kissing her nose, making her giggle, he opened the door. “Mom? Dad? Are you guys here?”

  They walked through the house and found not only his parents but all of their friends in the living room. Pink and blue streamers and balloons decorated the room. Izzy gasped. How did Mama Porter know? “How…when…oh this is so sweet.” She punched Alex in the arm. “We were going to tell them together, you ass.”

  “Wow I think I gave you a weapon that hurt with your ring on.” He rubbed his arm. “And for the record, I did not tell.” He looked at each of their friends with suspicion.

  “Good to see that just because you’re pregnant with his demon spawn doesn’t mean you are going to stop beating on him.” Phin laughed.

  “Oh you two, like anyone can keep a secret from me.” Mama Porter laughed. “When Roni called asking if I knew what time your doctor’s appointment was, and she sounded excited instead of concerned, I knew something was up.”

  “She used her mother guilt against me, sorry guys I blew your surprise.” Roni looked defeated.

  Alex and Izzy smiled at each other. “That’s ok Roni. You didn’t get to steal all of our thunder.” Izzy replied, then held out her left hand.

  “I finally got her to stop plotting my death long enough to say yes to marrying me.” Alex announced.

  The entire room erupted into congratulations and squeals. A group hug soon ensued. “Ok back off, give my girl and her belly some room.” Alex directed with a laugh.

  “Hey, my belly isn’t that big.”

  “Yet.” Before she could hit him again he ducked out of her reach. “And we bought a house down the street from Derek and Roni.”

  ~*~*~*~

  The girls were all sitting on the couch around Izzy, planning the nursery. Gracey was very excited to be able to decorate an entire house. Stating that Alex would have no say since he only had leather furniture and brown walls in his current home. Alex was fine with that. He wanted Izzy to have whatever she wanted in her new home.

  He and the guys stepped out of the house to enjoy a celebratory cigar his father had given each of them. “That’s one.” Derek remarked out of nowhere, his hand in his pocket as he rocked back on his heels. Puffing out a ri
ng of smoke.

  “One what?” Gavin growled as though he knew the answer.

  “One of you bastards happily off the market. Now the question is who is next?” Derek’s gaze flew over Phin, Gavin, Rocco and Collin.

  The guys all looked at each other. “You know it’s not going to be Rocco. To have a relationship last longer than a few fun hours in bed, you have to say more than ten words to a woman.” Gavin chortled.

  “All I need is ten words, for what I want.” Rocco retorted with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

  “That is why you will fall harder and faster than any of us.” Derek remarked. He then slipped into the house, returning a moment later with George Porter, a bottle of good Scotch and a trey of glasses. Laying the trey on the patio table, George filled the glasses. Handing a glass to each of the boys.

  George cleared his throat and raised his glass. “Here’s to my two sons, may they have a marriage as happy and full of love as Alice and I have enjoyed. To Derek, Alex and their beautiful brides.”

  The guys all clinked glasses and shot back their scotch. Alex look around, Derek laughed at something George said as they talk about what married life was really about. He had never seen his friend so happy and laid back. Inside he spotted Izzy and Roni comparing rings and laughing. In a matter of months there would be two weddings and a new baby to welcome. Alex smiled at the changes to come.

  "When is the big day for the two couples?" Gavin asked

  The girls picked that moment to all join them outside. "No sure yet, we have lots of planning to do. But I think we should let Alex and Izzy get married first since they have a strict timeline." Roni announced as she wrapped her arms around Derek.

  "No way, we got engaged first, they have to wait their turn." Derek pouted.

  Everyone laughed at him. "Well, I am think we better get married soon so I can fit into a wedding dress and then a bridesmaid dress." Izzy said.

  "Vegas anyone?" Phin joked.

  The women all shot him a glare. "No Vegas." They said in unison.

  Alex wasn't concerned with the time frame of when they would get married, now that he was certain she was his forever, he would allow her to plan the wedding she wanted, whenever she wanted it.

  Epilogue

  The last eight weeks of Izzy’s life had been a whirlwind of activities. She and Gracey wasted no time starting in on decorating the new house. Alex had done what every man should do when his fiancée and her decorator friend are purchasing furniture, picking out paint colors and shopping for decorative pieces, he stayed out of the entire affair.

  Although there was one day when he came home to find her picking out a shade of yellow for the kitchen and put his foot down, apparently he hated the color yellow. His tone and wording lead to a fight, threats of murder and the best make up sex a girl could ever have.

  Sitting in the waiting room of her doctor’s office she looked down at her left hand. The rings that lay there were beautiful. Alex had done an incredible job selecting the two carat princess cut flawless diamond surrounded by small diamonds and sapphires set in platinum engagement ring. The wedding ring that lay next to it was a simple platinum band with “I’ll never leave your side” engraved on the inside. Her gaze went to his left hand, a platinum band matching her own lay on his left hand.

  “Mrs. Porter?” The nurse called.

  Lost in the thoughts of the small wedding they had several weeks before came flooding through her brain, she didn’t hear the nurse. They decided they were done waiting for her to truly be Mrs. Porter. Marrying in a white tent glimmering with lights in their new backyard with only their friends and family surrounding them. Papa porter had given her away. Pictures of her parents sat in the chairs they should have occupied.

  “Mrs. Porter?” The nurse called again.

  “That’s you, baby. You would think after all the times we have pretended to be married you would be used to being Mrs. Porter by now.” Alex joked.

  Helping her from her chair, they followed the nurse to the back of the office. The nurse had her pee in a cup, took her weight and blood pressure, asked her how she was feeling and finally led them back to the ultrasound room.

  She laid on the table and squeezed Alex’s hand. “You ready for this?” She asked.

  “So ready.” He was practically beaming.

  The technician walked in handing her a small sheet to protect her pants from the blue gel. A minute later and she pressed the wand onto Izzy’s stomach. “Let’s see what your little one is up to today.”

  Alex and Izzy both turned their attention to the screen. A few movements of the wand later and their baby appeared on the screen, stretching a hand over its face. “Ah looks like we have a shy one.”

  The technician went about measuring the baby and pointing out the spine, feet and tiny hands. “Would you like to know the sex of the baby?” She asked.

  “Yes, please. We are dying to know!” Izzy answered in an excited tone.

  “Let’s see if the baby will cooperate.” She moved the wand a little and laughed. “Just like a man to sit spread eagle so everyone can see his junk.”

  Izzy and Alex looked at the screen, sure enough their son had his legs spread wide to make sure everyone knew he was a boy. They all laughed.

  “Do you have a name for this little one now that you know you’re having a boy?” The technician asked as she cleaned the blue gel from Izzy.

  “I haven’t mentioned it to my husband, but I have been calling him Jeremy.” Izzy replied smiling up at Alex.

  Alex laughed, kissing her. “That is the perfect name.”

  Izzy adjusted her clothes and took the pictures the technician handed her, thanking the woman. They met with doctor, where they were told everything was going perfect.

  Leaving hand in hand they walked to his SUV. “Are you happy Mr. Porter?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Porter. I like the name.”

  “I figured it was the name that led us to this point in a roundabout way so it was only fitting our son would have that name.” Kissing him, Izzy slipped into the car.

  They started to drive home, when her cell rang. Answering it she laughed when she didn’t even get hello out before Mama Porter was speaking. “Well what are we having?”

  “A boy.”

  “Oh, just as we thought.” Mama Porter exclaimed.

  Here other line rang. “Sorry Mom I have to cut this short, my other line is ringing.” She said goodbye and answered the phone again.

  “Hello.”

  “Izzy, its Roni. You and Alex need to come to the hospital.” Roni cried as she spoke.

  “Hospital? What happened?” Izzy was panicked. Alex sent her a look of concern and turned the car towards the hospital, grabbing her hand to comfort her.

  “It’s Mary.” That was all she had to say to convey the situation.

  “Oh, no. Is Phin there with Jemma? I’ll call Mama Porter, I just spoke with her, and she’ll want to know.”

  “Yes, Phin hasn’t left her side. He is in now talking with Mary alone.” Roni barely made it through the sentence before she broke down and cried.

  Within minutes they were at the hospital and practically running for Mary’s room. In the small waiting room at the end of the hall, everyone sat in plastic chairs hugging one another.

  “Jemma, honey, how are you doing?” Izzy asked as she smothered the other woman in a hug.

  “I’m…I’m…I don’t know. I’m not ready to say goodbye.” Jemma said tearfully.

  “I know honey.” She whispered, hugging Jemma closer. The baby picked that moment to kick, causing Izzy to jump a little. “Sorry, he still surprises me when he kicks hard.” She said rubbing her growing stomach.

  “He?” Derek asked.

  “Yep, we’re having a boy.” Alex said in a true proud papa voice.

  Izzy grabbed Jemma’s hand moving it to the place the baby was kicking, right on cue Jeremy kicked Jemma’s hand causing her to giggle and smile a little.

  Phin entered the wai
ting room, looking like a man who hadn’t slept or eaten in 24 hours. Coming right to Jemma’s side he hugged her. Stepping back, he pushed a stray hair from her face. “You doing ok? Can I get you anything?”

  Izzy took a long look at the interactions between Phin and Jemma. They stood close, embraced each other and cried together. Tilting her head, she watched as he laced his fingers with hers and walked her back to her mother’s room, without even a hello to anyone. His single focus being Jemma.

  Pulling Alex to the side so they could speak quietly she said, “this pains me to say, but I think you were right.”

  ‘Wait say that again so I can record it.” Alex joked, earning him a punch to the arm. “Ok, ok, what was I, the almighty one, right about?”

  “Phin and Jemma. There is something between them.”

  He nodded his agreement. “Her mother dying will either bring them together once and for all or split them apart. We can only watch and wait.” He rubbed her back and settled her into a chair.

  “I love you, Demon Pixie.”

  “I love you too, Super Asshole.”

  About the Author

  Nikki Brinks is a native of Colorado. She lives with her husband, two sons and a few crazy pets in the suburbs of Denver. Nikki has been an addict of romance novels of all types for several years. She is best described as a hopeless romantic. She began writing short stories and poetry in elementary school and continued to write as a hobby throughout her life.

  Beyond writing her life revolves around her two boys and all the chaos that comes along with raising boys in a state known for having a wonderful array of outdoor activities.

  Nikki loves to hear from her readers:

  Email:

  nikkibrinksauthor@gmail.com

  Twitter:

  @NikkiBrinks