T.J. smirked, Penny glared, and Able just tried to hide the huge smile he had on his lips. He loved the set of balls this kid was rocking.
"Why are you drinking Redbull? You know you’re not allowed to drink that stuff. The last time you did, you got all super hyper and scribbled all over the stairwell in our last apartment. Which is why we got kicked out. Not to mention, where did you get the money for that pizza?" Penny questioned, finally taking note of the slice of Pizza in T.J.’s hand.
She would have noticed sooner but she was, more than a little, distracted by Able. The man looked fucking jaw dropping in his black body hugger shirt and worn blue jeans. The shirt was an interesting choice for a man in his thirties. It had a dragon on it, and riding that dragon, was a half-naked Viking chick, with pigtails.
"Every day, I'm hustlin’, every day, I'm hustlin’, hustlin’.
T.J. sang out the words of one of his favorite rap songs. It wasn’t really his fault, his mother had sung it to him as a lullaby when he was just a baby. Don’t judge, it was a really catchy song, at the time.
“Don’t hate the player mom, hate the game. Oh, and just for your information, I didn’t get all jacked up on Redbull and ‘scribble’ all over the walls.”
“Oh no, then please do tell, what happened my little Jackson Pollock.” Penny challenged, hand on her hip.
“I got inspired, while on Red Bull, and proceeded to paint an abstract mural on a wall, the likes of which, Pablo Picasso himself, would have been geeked about. Just sayin’."
T.J. was hoping that his attitude would be enough to scare off the new guy. He had no use for the man. He didn't like random dudes taking his mom out; she had terrible taste in men, making them all, turn out to be losers in the end. The only, good guy that she ever dated, was Cole, and she’d messed that up way before, he was even born. But, T.J. still held on to the hope, though, that one day, she would smartin’ up and realize that, Cole, was the only guy for them.
Cole was awesome. He was badass and funny, and always took good care of them. T.J. could never understand how his mother couldn't see that, or wouldn’t, anyway.
He might have been just a kid, but he knew shit. Like, he knew that Cole really loved his mother, even though she acted like an ass to him, most of the time. What he didn’t know, was why she chose to do that so often. As far as T.J. was concerned, Cole had never been anything but good to her.
T.J. hoped that one day, she would get her head out of her ass and be with Cole, like she should, but until then, it was his job to scare off the unworthy. The long hair, was just another casualty of his mission.
"I can’t deal with you when you get like this. Here, give me that!" Penny ordered, reaching over to snag the energy drink out of her son's hands. She quickly pressed it to her lips, chugging it like it was a contest, and she was going to win, no matter what.
T.J. and Able watched on with jaws dropped as she finished off the entire tall boy, before slamming the empty can back down to the counter.
"That was cold mom, real cold." T.J.’ sighed, with the shake of his head, at the loss of his favorite drink.
"Yeah, well, I don’t even understand why you wasted your money on it in the first place. You know those things are terrible for you. How many times have I told you that?” She lectured, trying to muffle a burp. The Red Bull was already playing hell on her stomach.
"Actually, it wasn't his fault. I didn't know he couldn't have it. I thought since we were gonna be out today, that he might like a pizza and some stuff to munch on. Sorry, I really should have asked first.” Able apologized, with a guilty look set on his striking features.
T.J. eyed him, wondering why he was throwing himself under the bus, instead of telling his mother about the trick he had pulled on him.
"You, are just too good to be true! You didn't have to do that. T.J. won't even be here for long, he's going with .… his friend for the day. Rock climbing, at the center, right?" Penny explained, glancing at her son for confirmation.
T.J.’s eyes, dropped fast. Suddenly his sneakers seemed, more than a little interesting.
"Um…, yeah, rock climbing." T.J. stumbled over his words, earning him a mistrusting look from mother.
Seeing the look’s being exchanged, Able decided it was time for them to make their escape.
“Well, either way, how about we head out. I got a big day planned for you, pretty girl." He informed in a rush, grabbing Penny’s hand and heading for the door. "Nice meeting you, dude!" he threw over his shoulder, just as he made it to the door.
"Yeah, feel free to never come back!" T.J. called out as the door slammed shut.
One word was out of Cole’s lips, the second, he walked through Penny’s door to find T.J. sitting at the table, stuffing a giant piece of pizza in his mouth.
“So?”
"So, he's not the worst thing she's ever dragged home," T.J. mumbled, around his mouth full of pizza.
"Well, that’s not really saying much considering.”
“That’s true.”
“Spill it, what's he look like?" Cole questioned, grabbing for a slice of Pizza.
"I don’t know, like a serial killer or maybe an old rock star… no, more like he fixes cars for a living, but, plays in a bar band on the weekends. He's got long hair and it looks greasy." T.J. explained in his own, eleven-year-old, way.
"Fuckin’ long hairs." Cole scoffed, with the roll of his eyes. It was just like Penny to flip, for a wanna be greaser with a motorcycle. What the hell she saw in these losers, Cole would never know. "Alright, so what are we talking here? Is he like a total tool or just a slime ball?"
"No, not really. He just stared at mom, a lot. He looked all starry-eyed like you do when you watch her sleep, which by the way, is super creepy.”
“Noted,” Cole shrugged, making an understanding face.
“Anyway, he told her she looked beautiful in that little flower skirt you had me give her for Mothers day.”
“I’ll give him that, she does look amazing in that skirt.” Cole nodded.
“He even got her a bag, of all blue M&M's, and of course, she went all stupid for em.
“It makes no sense, they all taste the same. I’ve been telling her that shit for years.”
“I know, but he was smooth, man. He didn’t even get all freaked out when I was acting like an asshole." T.J. informed, earning him a warning look from Cole, for the curse. "Sorry," he shrugged, wiping his greasy mouth with his hand.
"So, do you like him?" Cole questioned, eyeing the boy.
"No, of course not. I'm just sayin’, he didn't act as stupid as all the others. It seemed like, he really might actually like her, and she seemed really happy when he was here. Like, really, really happy.”
"Hmm,” Cole sounded off, deep in his chest, scratching at his chin. “Well, that’s good, I guess, right? Your mom deserves to be happy." Cole reminded, hating the words, but knowing they were the right thing to say.
"She’d be happy if she was with you." T.J. tossed in, stealing a look at Cole out of the corner of his eye.
Cole took a deep breath and let it out slow. He knew this fucked up situation must be hard on T.J., he was just a kid. All this was very black and white for him. He didn't understand all the gray area. He wasn’t even capable of seeing it most of the time. He didn't know anything about their past. He had no idea, that Cole was the one who had hurt his mother, and not the other way around.
To T.J., Cole was just a fun guy. He wanted him to date his mother, for no other reasons, besides the fact that he liked him, and he knew without a doubt, that Cole would always make sure they were taken care of. Cole wished it was all that simple, but it wasn’t and there just wasn’t an easy way to explain that to a kid, no matter how smart the kid was.
"Alright man, let's head out. Are you ready to make that mountain your bitch?” Cole questioned, needing a change of subject.
"Hell yeah; let's do it!" T.J. shouted, throwing down his
Pizza with an excited sm
ile.
Chapter 13
"w
here are we going, exactly?" Penny questioned as she and Able continued to drive farther and farther out of the city.
"I told you, it’s a surprise, so just sit back, relax and eat your M&M’s. Leave the rest up to me. I’ll do ya right, beautiful, don’t you worry." Able assured, tossing Penny a wink and a smile that made her cheeks flush red.
"Alright, as you wish. I just think you might be lost, is all." She said with an innocent little smirk.
"Me, lost… never!" He exclaimed, giving her an offended
look.
"If you say so.”
“Well I do, so, there, it’s been said.” Able nodded hard, making her giggle out.
A few moments passed before Penny turned his way in her seat.
“Hey, I'm sorry about Trent. He's not really like that… well, he is, but not like that, ya know?" She apologized, hoping her ill-mannered child hadn’t scared Able, too much.
"Don’t apologize; I think that kid’s, freaking awesome, hell, I
think I used to be that kid." Able assured with a nostalgic grin.
"Really, because he was being a total smart ass, back there. And just so you know, he really doesn't curse like that, I swear he doesn't. I’m not really sure what his deal was today. Usually, he only acts like that when he gets around… his friend."
"He’s just a smartass, but so was I back in the day.” Able shrugged, making a hard right at the light. “He's just being protective.”
“You sound so sure.”
“Because I am, I’ve been where he’s at. It was just me and my mom growing up, so, I thought that made me, the man of the house. Whenever she’d bring a new guy around, I’d act the same way Trent did today, only a hundred times worse. If a dude decided to spend the night, it became all out war . I would sneak into her room while they were sleeping and cut off all the buttons on their clothes, then, I would jack any cash they had in their wallets and toss their drivers licenses out the window, of our twelve storey walk up. My poor mother didn't stand a chance of keepin’ a guy around. I was terrible, back then.”
“Dear Lord, all their buttons? Why in the world, would you do that to your poor mother?”
“That’s just it, though, I didn’t think any of those assholes deserved her. I thought I was doing her a favor by getting rid of em. I didn't understand anything back then, about being lonely or needing someone to hold you at night. I thought, I was all she needed, and I’m sure Trent, feels the same way. He just wants to make sure you're safe, and that whatever guy you’re getting with, is worth having you. He's a good kid, you did good with that one." Able said, with a solid nod that he meant it.
Penny took in his words, realizing that she had never really thought about it like that, about why T.J. acted the way that he did when she brought people around. She had just assumed it was him being Cole's, right-hand man, doing his dirty work for him when he wasn't around. Now, though, she was thinking it might just be, something a little deeper.
“Did you ever stop torturing your mother’s boyfriends?” Penny questioned, hoping there still might be some kind of hope.
“Sure, I mean, pretty much.” Able shrugged, not sounding honest in the least.
“Pretty much, huh?” Penny giggled.
“Well, there was this one guy, he had the apartment across from her. I didn’t like the way they were always giggling in the hall and going out for early bird specials, so I bought her a house across town, problem solved. She hates to drive, so, fuck that guy.”
“Oh my gosh! When was this?”
“Like six months ago. But hey, I didn’t cut the buttons off all their clothes, this time. I consider that progress.” Able defended with a bad boy smirk.
“I hope Trent makes some progress as well, because right now, that kid is driving me crazy with the shit that comes out of his mouth. I just never know what in the hell he’s gonna say next.” Penny sighed out with the shake of her head.
"Ya, um, speaking of which.”
“Oh no,”
“Ya, nothing too bad or anything. Just he mentioned something that I was a little curious about, I mean it's none of my business, and you really, really don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want, but he brought up that you already had a man, waiting out back, if ya know what I mean?"
Able had had a little knot in his throat ever since the boy had mentioned it. He had been waiting for a chance to bring it up, even though, he wasn’t at all sure that he wanted to know the answer.
"Damn it!" Penny cursed, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Hey, forget about it, really, I shouldn't have even asked. I mean, we’re just hanging out, right? Please, just forget that I even brought it up." Able was talking fast, trying to act like it was no big deal but it was, if it was true, that is. Not that he wanted to let on. He had to keep in mind, that like he said, they were just ‘hanging out’. It wasn’t like they were in a relationship or anything. He had no right to assume that she was seeing him exclusively.
"No, it's not like that, at all. Trent just has… this guy, he really likes hanging out with, and he thinks we should be together. It's never gonna happen, though… ever. Long story short, we used to date, he cheated, I left, but he and Trent stayed really close so…,"
Able instantly let out the heavy breath that he’d been holding.
"Oh, I get it, cool… I mean, not the, you getting cheated on part, that sucks ass, but,…ya, I'm just glad there isn't anyone else, because I’m not even gonna front, I’m more than, kinda, digging the hell out of you Livi.” Able confessed, reaching over to gently give her bare thigh a squeeze. As he went to move his hand away, Penny’s, snaked out, covering his and pressing it back down on her thigh.
"Good, because I'm kinda, sorta, freaking diggin’ the hell out of you too, Holden. I just wish…” She trailed off as her eyes took in their surroundings.
“You just wish what?” Able pried, wondering if she was wishing the same thing he was, that somehow this could work out in the end.
“Oh, nothing really.” She sighed, leaning her forehead against the window.
“Come on, talk to me, what do you wish for, beautiful?” Able continue to press, already wanting to make whatever it was, come true for her.
“Just that…, you would admit that we are lost." She finished with a smirk sent his way.
"We, are not lost, in fact, here we are!" He informed, pulling the Volvo off the road.
His bike was currently torn apart in Cole’s garage. That’s what happens when two cross-dressing prostitutes spike your drink with acid. All of a sudden you, and your crown wearing best friend Cole, decide that if you took the bike apart, piece by piece, you could put it back together in a much cooler way. The acid wore off ,way before anything cool had been made out of the remnants of his bike, though. Total bummer.
"The Hollywood sign?" she questioned, with the raise of her brow.
"Yep, come on,"
As soon as Able’s, work-booted feet, touched the gravel, he made his way over to Penny’s side of the car, opening the door for her with a catering smile.
"Why thank you very much, kind sir." She smiled, using her best, Gone with the Wind, tone.
"Right this way, Miss Scarlet.”
“Oh my, is that you Rhett? I can hardly recognize you in this blinding light.” She giggled.
“Frankly my dear,” he started, smirking from ear to ear.
“I don’t give a damn,” She finished, making them both laugh out.
Oh dear Lord, the man knew Gone With The Wind, one better, his Rhett Butler was on point! What little girl, doesn’t grow up, wanting their own personal Rhett Butler? Okay, well maybe, little girls wouldn’t see the draw but any woman over thirty could understand the magnetic pull that that, wolf-eyed, gold heart having, southern God of a man, had back in his day. If only there were real men in the world like that. A man, who would love a woman, through it all, love her even though she always pushed hi
m away. A man that would still love you, even if he couldn’t call you his. That was real love, lasting and true. That type of man, just didn’t exist though, and maybe, they never did. That’s what Hollywood does, it spits out lies, that you find yourself caught up in. It will have you believing stupid shit, as if that kind of love, could really be a thing. It was nothing more than a letdown, if you ask Penny, but she still loved her some Rhett Butler. She couldn’t help herself.
"It says do not enter and it's locked. I don’t think we’re allowed over there." She noted, eyeing the numerous warning signs that clung to the fence.
"No worries, I'm special, I have a key." Able smiled, tugging said key out of his pocket.
"Why, do you have the key, is a good question."
"Well, I was up here the other night, and I may have run into a security guard, who just so happens to also be a big fan of my work. So, I thought maybe this would be a cool place to take this awesome girl I met.”
“A girl, you don’t say?”
“Ya, she's a bit crazy, though. She tried to mace me one time but it's cool." He shrugged with a smirk, plucking the lock free of the gate and opening it wide.
"She sounds like a smart girl." Penny chimed in with her chin held high.
"Oh she is, smart, beautiful, sexy and fun ,and she has this smile that just drives me fucking insane." Able rasped into Penny’s ear, as he came up behind her, to wrap his arms around her waist. He kept her walking as they made their way around the base of the big letter “O”.
"Holy… shit," Penny gasped, taking in the breathtaking city view.
"Crazy, right? You’ve really never been up here before?”
"Nope, never, but then again, I don’t have, ‘fans’, who can help me break in." She smirked, turning in his arms so that she could meet him, face to face. "You must be a pretty damn good photographer to have fans, that would be willing to help you break into a national landmark. I would love to see your work sometime.”
Between a Rock and a Hard Place Page 22