by E A Price
Al pushed away from the car and moved toward her. “I’ve booked a vacation in Disneyworld for Mandy and her best friend. We leave tomorrow morning.”
Sadie’s jaw nearly hit the ground. “You’ve got to be kidding me?”
“Nope, I booked it for just over three weeks. Two weeks in Disneyworld and then nine days for the other parks and to visit the everglades - because our girl loves nature.” He grinned smugly and she had the urge to knock his teeth out.
“But, but, she has school!” spluttered Sadie in disbelief. “You can’t just drag her out of school!”
Al stopped a foot away from her, leaning over her, his eyes unashamedly riveted to her chest. “I’ve already smoothed things over with the school.”
Of course, he had, he probably went to school with the headmaster. Hell, he probably dated or seduced half the female faculty back when they were in high school together. He knew everyone in his town – including the judges who presided over their custody and divorce hearings.
They looked at Al like he was a saint, and her like she was the most insane woman in the world for daring even to consider leaving him and breaking apart their family.
He leaned even closer, and Sadie planted her feet, refusing to budge. She wouldn’t back down from him. She did her time with him. She’d put up with being bullied and intimidated for more than a decade and enough was enough. He had no right to do anything to her.
Al rolled his shoulders. “Fine, walk upstairs and tell Mandy you won’t let her go on her dream vacation because you don’t want her to. Tell her she has to let down her best friend. I’m sure you’ll be popular.”
Sadie bristled with anger. “I’m her mother; I don’t care whether she thinks I’m cool or not.”
“You think she’ll still want to live with you if you break her heart. How do you think the judge will rule if she gets up and says she wants to live with her amazing dad?”
He gave her a guileless look. Yeah, he was also great at manipulating everyone around him into torturing Sadie.
“Let Mandy make up her own mind about who she wants to be with,” she hissed.
“She would be, but she’d just be deciding between a dad who can give her Disneyworld and a pony, and a mom who spends her evenings peddling make-up all over town while she’s left on her own in a questionable neighborhood.”
Sadie jutted her chin. “I never leave her alone!”
Al snorted. “No, you leave her with the drunken neighbor.”
“She has narcolepsy – I don’t know why I’m arguing, I am a good mother.”
“Yes, you are,” he crooned happily, “which is why you belong in my house with my daughter and me.”
“No.” Sadie stamped her foot impatiently. The bastard would not get it through his head that this wasn’t some temporary arrangement. He was convinced she was going to come crawling back to him.
She wasn’t the first Mrs. Big Al – he’d been married before, though she had no idea where his first wife was. Al didn’t like to talk about her. If Sadie did know, she’d ask for a few tips on getting away from him.
Al moved even closer, pressing against her. “You know I booked Disneyworld as a family vacation – you could come with us. I booked a master suite, enormous bed for us…”
His eyes dilated, and she could feel his arousal pressing against her, but even that wouldn’t make her back down. Yeah, even with his perfect girlfriend, he still wanted Sadie. She took no relish in it, but Sadie knew that he would dump Karen at the drop of a hat if Sadie came home.
He’d never cheated on her during their marriage, never had a wandering eye, and since they broke up, his lust for Sadie seemed to have only grown. His new girlfriend seemed just to be a device to make him appear more stable and to annoy Sadie with all the little comments about how much Mandy loved her. But Sadie knew he didn’t care about her, no, he just wanted to make Sadie jealous.
It wasn’t working, and sadly the woman was too enamored with Al to listen when Sadie tried to reason with her.
“I’m not sharing your bed again.”
“Oh, you will,” he growled, his cheeriness slipping for a moment.
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” she muttered.
“Daddy!”
Al stepped away. Mandy hurled herself towards them and gave Sadie a sheepish look.
“Can we go?” she asked nervously.
“If your mother says it’s okay,” said Al smugly.
Sadie looked at the pleading look on her baby’s face and the bag in her hands. Jeez, how could she say no? Mandy had already packed a bag, all ready to go. Well, easily – she would very much like to say no, but…
“What about school work?” asked Sadie with a sigh.
“I’m already ahead in all my classes,” said Mandy – excitement shining in her eyes. “Karen has been tutoring me.”
“Good for Karen.”
Yes, Karen has a Masters in Education. So she’s good at teaching – whoopee.
“Yes, we came across your GED certificate the other day, honey,” added Al. “Karen was surprised you didn’t graduate when you were in high school.”
Sadie’s cheek ticked. It was a sore subject. She dropped out when she was seventeen and only got her GED years later.
Mandy gave her parents an uneasy look, veering towards sympathy for her mother. “But you have your GED - that’s the important thing,” said Mandy loyally.
Yes, Sadie didn’t finish high school, she left and got married to a guy who turned out to be an utter wastrel. Then she met Al, whom she thought was her knight in shining armor. That armor turned out to be pretty tarnished.
Sadie smiled at her – Mandy truly was a little sweetie. She was confused by her parents’ divorce and not particularly thrilled to find herself living in a crappy apartment, but she didn’t throw tantrums or hissy fits, and she was the wonderful reason Sadie would never regret marrying Al. Though, it was partly for her sake that she was divorcing him – not that Sadie could tell her that.
There was no way Sadie would be able to afford Disneyworld – maybe if she started saving now, she might get there, but Mandy would be thirty by then.
“I suppose…”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” cried Mandy jumping up and down and hugging Sadie.
“It’s fine, baby,” murmured Sadie, trying to mask her own anxiety about the trip.
“Dad said you could come with us.”
Mandy gave her a hopeful smile, and Sadie noticed the irritating leer on Al’s face. Yeah, there was no way she was being lured back into his bed. Besides his odious personality, Al was no peach in the bedroom. Every night was a quest not to be smothered.
“Sorry, baby, I have to work, but I want you to have a nice time and post lots of pictures so I can see what you’re doing, and… and call me if you need me.”
Mandy was momentarily disappointed, but she soon got over it. “I will! I will! I will!”
They said their goodbyes, with lots of hugs and kisses for Mandy. Sadie ducked away from her ex as he tried to snatch a kiss from her. He chuckled nastily as she glared at him.
He ferried Mandy into the car and turned back to Sadie.
“Until you come to your senses, perhaps you should get used to your own company. I have a feeling the next custody hearing won’t be in your favor.” Sadie glowered at him. “Bye, honey.”
He got in the car, and she watched as he drove away with her precious Mandy. She wished she never had to see him again. Wished there wasn’t a strong chance he could be right.
She gave her nails an extra chew as Al’s car disappeared. Maybe she really should take her cousin’s advice and look for a guy.
Four
“Hey, Mama,” murmured Lorenzo.
He leaned down and placed a kiss on his mother’s head.
“Hello, baby,” she said warmly and reached out to him.
He clasped her hand and squeezed it.
“Where’s dad?”
She smiled. �
�Just gone to borrow a wok.”
“A wok?”
“Yes, he wants to try making stir fry.”
Lorenzo shrugged. “Huh, sounds good.”
“Mmm, I know. We had it last week when your father took me out for dinner, and he wanted to try it.”
“He could just use a pan.”
“Oh, you know how particular he is about following cooking instructions.”
Lorenzo looked around at his dad’s collection of cookbooks. He had dozens, and he refused to change a single thing in any recipe – he followed them to the damn letter.
“Looking forward to tomorrow?” asked Mama.
“Yes,” he murmured unenthusiastically.
“Baby…”
“I am,” he insisted.
“You can’t let the scars bother you – I know for a fact lots of women have been interested in you.”
“Maybe,” he huffed.
His mother frowned. “Baby, that’s…”
“Mama, please…”
“Baby, your father says the scars are barely noticeable.”
She stared at him with unseeing eyes and a sympathetic smile. He would say that to make her feel better, not that he would blame his father for doing that. Mama had been blind since birth. She used to joke about how his dad was her seeing-eye-jaguar.
“I’m sure everything will be fine, baby,” she said firmly.
“Yeah,” he agreed without really agreeing.
His jaguar was excited with anticipation of meeting their mate, but Lorenzo couldn’t help his worry. But he wasn’t going to dwell on it too much. Mama already blamed herself for what happened to him – because she couldn’t stop it. But how could he make a good first impression given the scars on his face? He wasn’t just looking for some random hookup – he was looking for his mate. He was going to scare her with his face and then kidnap her. He was going to terrify the poor woman!
Mama squeezed his hand. “Everything will be fine,” she repeated.
“Good news, I found a wok!” declared his dad, bursting into the kitchen.
Five
Sadie downed a shot of vodka and immediately cringed at the taste. Yeah, the evening was off to a real classy start.
She’d been there five minutes, and she already knew was wasting her time. Speed dating had sounded like such an easy and quick way to meet men, but the men here weren’t going to be what she needed.
Most of them looked like they were there to cheat on their wives, or were there because they had already cheated on their wives, got caught, got divorced, and were now looking for a new wife to ignore and then cheat on.
They weren’t for her, but… she had already paid the entrance fee. Speed dating was another of her cousin’s ideas. Apparently, that was where Gina met Brian – she came out of the event with a new boyfriend and a new job.
Sadie picked up her phone and scrolled through all the pictures Mandy had been posting. Yep, she sure looked like she was having fun. There she was on the teacups, eating churros, wearing mouse ears, meeting Belle – her favorite princess, and arms laden with souvenirs. Yep, she was doing all the things Sadie couldn’t provide for her.
Her heart sank. She was sure her baby wouldn’t hurt her feelings by admitting she would rather live with her father, but it was obvious that she loved the things he could provide for her.
Sadie cast a glance over the men who had already arrived for the event. Oh well. Here goes nothing.
*
Lorenzo and Diego ordered a beer each from the bartender. Tomas shook his head that he didn’t want one, but walked one over to Antonio.
There were four of them on the hunt for mates this year. Like Lorenzo and Diego, Tomas had just come of age, but Antonio was a little older. He had been making the trips for a few years now and hadn’t yet found a female he wanted. They could come back year after year until they found the mate for them.
Lorenzo had actually managed to find a little enthusiasm for the trip, and truly, it hadn’t been that bad. He had expected coolness from the women he met, but for the most part, he got the complete opposite.
Back home, there was his leap and the local lion pride, but apart from them there were a few bears, and everyone else was human, and those he wasn’t friendly with tended to stare at his scars. But in Los Lobos, it was kind of like… being invisible. The city was huge and full of all sorts of varieties of people and shifters, and they didn’t give a shit about anyone but themselves. They hustled down the streets with tunnel vision, barely even looking at the person walking next to them – never mind gawking at their scars. It was kind of liberating – he was as uninteresting as the next guy.
As for the clubs they visited, they were all shifter friendly, and girls they met didn’t tend to think much was amiss with a shifter who had scars. Actually, they kind of seemed to like it. He kind of liked the attention.
His jaguar snorted. Yeah okay, the problem was the women he met weren’t ready to settle down. They were only looking for a little fun – some dancing, some drinking and maybe a hookup. But that was it.
He was there to look for a mate. He was there for more.
This was their last night in Los Lobos, and they were attempting something called speed dating. He’d seen it on TV – in comedy shows where it hadn’t worked out too well. But he surprised himself by being in pretty good spirits. Maybe he’d find someone, maybe not. There was always next year and even the year after.
He slapped Diego on the shoulder, who was obviously disappointed.
“C’mon, man, drink up. You never know what might happen.”
Diego grunted, and Lorenzo smirked. Usually, Diego was the sunny, optimistic one. Hey, opposite day!
“Besides, there’s always next year.”
“Yeah, I guess,” he sighed.
Lorenzo chuckled and looked over at the women who had already arrived. Maybe he was a little more relaxed because he didn’t believe he would find his mate – because he thought the pressure was off. Yeah, maybe. Didn’t matter. He would just drink a few beers, chat with a few females, and then he could go, and he wouldn’t need to worry about this until next year.
Six
Sadie sighed as a creature called Milo listed all of his allergies. Apparently, both her makeup and perfume were top of the list. He gave her a disapproving look, suggesting she should have known that before she met him.
The bell could not come quickly enough for Milo.
Next up was Martyn. After cracking a particularly sexist and tasteless joke, he immediately started listing the reasons for his four divorces – as if she couldn’t figure them out from the aforementioned joke.
Then there was Carl who had a case of severe mommyitis – meaning he was still clinging to the apron strings. He didn’t see a problem with the fact that he was thirty-nine and still called her ‘Mommy,’ but he was completely turned off by the fact that Sadie had a daughter.
In fact, all of the guys had considered her daughter to be a big fat no in her check column. Which, given their issues was a bit rich. But sadly, it was kind of turning into a trend. None of the guys – creeps though they were – wanted a woman who already had a kid. They weren’t interested in being a father to someone else’s child. Most of them apparently weren’t interested in fathering their own kids, never mind someone else’s.
Sadie cringed even as she thought it, but maybe she shouldn’t mention Mandy to them. Okay, she felt bad about it – like not mentioning her was in some way a betrayal, but perhaps she should just keep her existence to herself.
She was glad when Carl finally moved on. She wished a silent good luck to the woman he eventually took home to Mommy and plastered a smile on her face for her next guy. Because surely, the only way was up.
*
Lorenzo thanked the waiter as he handed him another beer. It took a lot for shifters to get drunk, but oh boy, he was making a valiant effort to get there.
The waiter gave him a sympathetic look and pressed his lips together to
stop from laughing.
“Don’t you want to shake her paw?” asked the clearly deranged woman sitting opposite him.
Okay, so Nell seemed like a nice enough woman – by which he meant she wasn’t openly mean or hostile. But no matter how sweet or bubbly she was, he was not going to shake her damn cat’s paw.
Yep, she had brought her cat to the speed dating. Not only that, but she had dressed him in a sweater. Not only that, she had dressed him in a sweater that matched the one she was wearing and was now inviting Lorenzo to shake his paw.
The cat in question hissed at Lorenzo, perhaps sensing his shifter nature. Lorenzo curled his lip, and his inner jaguar growled.
Yeah, he was glad to get away from her. She was almost as fun as the woman who told him soap and deodorant were unnecessary because people naturally created their own soap. Yeah, he called it sweat, and it was what she smelled of. He got the feeling she was also a conspiracy theorist. She considered that flu shots were also a means the government used to control people.
Next up was a cheetah shifter. She seemed… okay. No, that wasn’t true. She was a little abrasive – he heard her taking to Tomas before him - and had a glare that could wither a guy’s ardor at a hundred paces. His jaguar growled a vociferous no to her even before she spoke to him.
He glanced at the woman opposite Tomas, and his heart thumped erratically. His jaguar howled ecstatically. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, one that told him he was totally screwed, but there was only one that mattered. Mine.
Seven
“So…” started Sadie, though that was as far as she got.
The young man sitting in front of her seemed perfectly fine, if somewhat large and grumpy. But before they could really get a conversation started the male to his left started growling at her.
“Some people have no manners,” she sniffed.
She refocused on her current partner. “So, what do you…”
The other male growled a little louder – irritating his partner as well who rolled her eyes and started playing on her phone.
The male in front of her scowled and huffed at the growling male, though that didn’t stop him. Irritated beyond belief, she whipped her head to look at the growler, fully intent on telling him to go boil his head. But she didn’t. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart did a strange little bada-boom.