by Lacey Black
“She’s crazy. Plain and simple. She’s fucking crazy as all get out,” he says deadpanned, shaking his head.
“Language,” I chastise my oldest brother and risk a glance over at Zach. He appears to be enjoying the show as he flashes a lopsided grin from ear to ear.
“Sorry. What I mean is that my loving wife is hormonally unbalanced and if I didn’t walk away from the gift wrapping, I was going to snap and probably make her cry. Again. Everything makes her cry, Will,” Jake says with a pointed look.
Nate laughs hard again. “Wait, tell him why you’re so upset,” he says, a matching mischievous smile on his face.
“I was trying to help Erin wrap the presents since she gets so winded already. First, I wasn’t wrapping them right. Then, I was using too much tape. After the third present, I wasn’t freaking breathing right,” Jake bites out through gritted teeth.
Nate and I each burst out laughing. “Shit, that never gets old,” Nate mumbles, shaking his head left to right, before looking over at Zach. “Oh, sorry,” he mumbles to Zach.
“Seriously, it’s not funny, dude,” Jake says.
“How were you breathing wrong?” I ask as Zach and Nate start to shoot a few hoops.
“Apparently, I was doing it too loudly, or maybe it was the fact that I was breathing at all. Who knows,” Jake says before rebounding Nate’s missed shot.
It takes us less than a minute to completely forget about Jake’s hormonal, pregnant wife, and concentrate on two on two basketball. I can tell that the guys are taking it easy on Zach, letting him get in several good shots. I also notice that they throw solid pointers at the kid, complimenting him on his jump shot and his layup. Zach appears to be having a great time since the smile plastered on his face never falters. It makes me feel all sorts of foreign emotions as I watch him play. I’m filled with an amazing amount of happiness as I watch him let loose and enjoy himself, but also a tinge of protectiveness as my brothers play D. But the emotion that causes my heart to speed up and my blood to pump is pride. I’ve only known the kid a handful of days, really only spent a day in his presence, and I feel this crazy sense of pride over him. He’s an exceptional young man, and he has a lot of talent on the court.
“You play ball, kid?” Nate asks as he defends Zach’s drive for the hoop.
“Only in the driveway,” Zach replies before faking left and driving right. The move may not have completely thrown Nate off defense, but it’s enough that Nate struggles to regain his footing as Zach drives in for an easy layup. Two points.
I high-five the twelve-year-old and can’t help the smug smile plastered on my face. “Twenty, eighteen! We win!” he exclaims with a red face full of excitement and joy.
“It’s a good thing you brought him along, Will. You suck without backup,” Jake smarts off, using the back of his hand to wipe sweat from his brow as we all head over to our gym bags.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t be a sore loser, Jake. It’s not very becoming,” I reply as I reach for the two bottles of water I brought. Jake and Nate each retrieve their own bottles as I hand one to Zach.
“This was awesome!” he exclaims. “Can we do it again?”
“Sure we can,” I reply. “As long as your mom says it’s okay.”
“Can those guys come? I like beating them,” he whispers with a sly grin, making me laugh out loud.
“I’m sure we can talk them into a little basketball,” I say before chugging half my bottle in one gulp. “We should head back. Your mom should be home pretty soon.”
“But we didn’t wrap the presents. I can’t go home without them wrapped. Mom will know what they are,” Zach says.
“Well, then we better stop by my place so we can wrap them.”
“Hey, I’m going to take Husband of the Year over there, home. You’re gonna be at Mom and Dad’s tomorrow, right?” Nate asks, shaking his head towards Jake who’s still brooding over by his bag.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. I’m working until two, but I’ll be there as soon as I’m done,” I tell my brother.
“Cool. It’s my first Christmas off in I don’t know how long, but I wasn’t going to miss my first one with Lia if I could help it,” Nate says with a smile. He gets that sappy, lovesick smile on his face just about every time he talks about his fiancée. It’s nauseatingly sweet.
It wasn’t that long ago that Nate worked just as hard as I do. While he still works hard, he just makes sure that he saves plenty of time for the woman he loves. Watching Jake fall in love with Erin, Travis fall for Joss, and now Nate fall for Lia has been pretty cool to watch. I’d never admit it to them, but I’m actually a little jealous of their relationships with their wives or fiancée. I’ve always known that someday I wanted that, but was never in a hurry. There’s plenty of time for the wife, two point five kids, dog, and the white picket fence. But, the more time I spend with Carmen, the more my decision is confirmed that I want it.
The more I realize I may want it with someone just like her. Maybe even with her.
“Ready to go?” I ask Zach as we gather up our towels and throw back on our street shoes and sweatshirts.
“Yep,” he tells me before turning towards my brothers. “It was nice to meet you both. I hope we can play ball again soon,” he says with that goofy smile.
“Damn right, kid,” Jake says before ruffling his hair, causing Zach to jump back. Scowling, I give my brother a look and pull Zach away as quickly as possible. Two more minutes in the presence of my brothers, and ‘fuck’ and ‘damn’ might be his two new favorite adjectives.
Ten minutes later, Zach and I are pulling into the driveway of my condo to do the one thing I hate about gift giving. I’m more of a bag – sometimes without the tissue paper – kind of gift-giver. But, Zach insisted that we buy paper and bows and those little stickers and do it up right. I agreed to the whole wrapping thing if he helped me out. It’s already four o’clock so I know Carmen is going to be heading home soon, which means it won’t be long before she’s looking for her son.
Zach and I spread the festive wrapping paper out on the table and get to wrapping all of the boxes. I’m instantly flustered and growing more agitated the more I try to wrap. Can’t anyone use a simple square or rectangle box anymore? The packaging these days has ten sides and nothing is symmetrical. It’s a bitch to wrap!
“Here, let me help,” Zach says as he takes the oblong box containing Brooklyn’s doll and helps complete the wrapping before I end up poking my fist through the thin paper.
“Do you want something to drink?” I ask as he finishes up the wrapping like it was nothing.
“Sure. I’ll just take some water.”
I step into the kitchen and grab two glasses from the cabinet, filling them with ice and bottled water. Zach is working on one of his mom’s gifts when I return a few minutes later.
“Thank you,” he says and takes a quick sip. Brown eyes seem to be locked on mine. I can practically see the wheels in his head spinning. It’s as if he has something to say, but is carefully weighing the odds of whether to say it or not. What? I don’t know yet, but I’m about to find out.
“What’s up, Zach?” I finally ask, keeping my eyes locked on his.
“Can I ask you something?” he asks tentatively. Hesitantly.
“Anything.”
“Do you like my mom?” he asks, finally dropping his eyes to the half-wrapped gift on the table.
“What do you mean?” I ask, knowing damn good and well what he means.
“I mean, do you like her? Like like her. You know, like how boys like girls and want to kiss them,” he says as his eyes return to mine. They don’t waiver as he stands next to the table awaiting my reply.
“Your mom is my boss,” I reply, trying to deflect.
“So. She likes you,” he says with a shoulder shrug and a little smile.
“She does?” I instantly feel giddy and elated to hear him confirm it.
“Yeah, she does. She smiles a little when I ask her about yo
u even though she tries to hide it. She also dances around the kitchen when she thinks I’m not looking,” he says.
“And she didn’t dance around before?” I ask curiously.
“Nope. She hates dancing,” he says before taking another sip of water. “So?”
“So what?” I stall. Yeah, I know it’s slightly childish, but I don’t really feel comfortable having this conversation with Carmen’s twelve-year-old son.
Zach rolls his eyes before answering, “Do you like her?”
I exhale dramatically and give myself a few moments to process a response. “I like hanging out with your mom, Zach. I don’t really know her outside of work, but I’m getting to know her. We’re friends,” I tell him.
“Friends, but you like her, right?” he eggs on.
“Yeah, I like her. But, that’s just between you and me, okay? Your mom and I need to keep a professional relationship because of work.”
“Okay,” he says and goes back to wrapping the present. He seems satisfied. Finally.
Two gifts later, we’re loading back up the gifts for Carmen and heading towards their house. Her car is parked in the driveway, and as much as I’d love to stay, I know I can’t. So, I leave my car running along the street.
Carmen meets us at the front door as we march up the stairs. The smile she wears for her son is big and bright…until she sees the presents in his arms.
“What’s that?” she asks, arching her well-manicured eyebrows heavenward.
“Some presents I bought for you,” he tells her with a matching smile.
I watch as she falters before turning those cool brown eyes on me. I can tell she’s pissed, but damn it if my cock doesn’t stir to life instantly. I have no control over its reaction to her anymore. Knowing how much passion she hides behind those composed eyes and the condescending tones does instant things to my body that hasn’t happened in a long time – if ever.
“Why don’t you go put them under the tree and run and cleanup for supper? We’re making spaghetti and meatballs tonight and I’m going to need help rolling the balls,” Carmen says to Zach as I step inside and out of the way, allowing her to shut the door behind me.
We both watch as Zach puts the presents proudly under the tree before coming back over to me. I think he’s going to shake my hand, so I start to extend it, but I was unprepared for what happens next.
“Thank you so much for letting me spend the day with you,” he says as he throws his arms around my back and gives me a big hug. Not the standard one-armed guy hug, but a full on hug.
I’m startled stiff for a moment, but only a split second. I respond by hugging the boy back as I reply, “You’re welcome, Zach. Anytime you want to hang out, just ask your mom.”
Zach throws me a big grin before racing off to the bathroom to wash up. I turn to Carmen who is standing next to me, shock evident on her beautiful face.
“So, go ahead and yell at me. Let’s get this over with,” I tell her, crossing my arms over my chest and trying hard not to crack a smile.
“What?” she asks startled. “Oh, yeah. Why did you buy presents for him? I know he didn’t have enough money to buy all of that?” she asks firmly, her boss face firmly in place.
“I may have bought them, but Zach is going to work it off. He agreed to help shovel snow this winter and do other chores. He wanted to buy you something and I couldn’t tell him no, Carmen. At first, he wouldn’t take the money just to buy you a present. But, when I offered to let him work it off, he agreed.”
“That’s very nice of you,” she says, her anger deflating before my eyes. “You didn’t have to do that, though. He didn’t have to get me anything.”
“We know that, but he wanted to,” I say as I pull her into my arms. I’ve missed having her tight little body pressed against mine, and it’s very evident as my hard length practically claws at my zipper, begging to be freed.
Carmen lets out a little gasp as I press my hard-on into her stomach, moments before I take her lips with my own. She tastes like fucking heaven. She’s sweet and rich, and it takes all of the restraint I can muster to not throw her over my shoulder and drag her off to my cave. It takes only two seconds before the kiss starts to deepen. It’s one of those kisses that promises greater things to come. Except Zach is here, and I know that the great thing is going to have to wait. Yet, I can’t seem to drag my lips away from hers as I plunge my tongue into the warm recesses of her mouth. Carmen moans in reply as her tongue slides seductively against mine. My hands uncontrollably grip the back of her shimmery ivory sweater and itch to touch smooth, hot, bare skin.
The moment is shattered by the opening of the bathroom door. We jump apart like two teenagers caught groping each other under the bleachers before Zach draws his eyes upward towards us. “Hey,” he says curiously. The guilty looks on our faces must be evident for even a twelve-year-old to pick up on. Zach leaves us standing there – or fidgeting is more accurate – and heads into the kitchen.
“So, big plans for tomorrow?” I ask.
“No, it’s just Zach and me tomorrow. Nick is supposed to get him closer to New Year’s Eve for a few days. The firm closes down between Christmas and New Year’s and while he’s not taking the entire week off, he is taking the last day or two.”
“You’re just hanging around here by yourself?” I ask curiously.
“Yeah. It’s time for us to start new traditions, I suppose,” she says absently with a forced smile. I can tell that the thought of them being by themselves isn’t sitting right with her.
“Come to my parents’ house,” I say without even thinking. The words literally fly from my mouth without so much as a thought.
Carmen’s eyes widen in surprise. “No, William, we can’t do that,” she replies somewhat forcefully.
“Sure you can. We’re friends. Well, as a friend, I invite you to join me at my family’s Christmas tomorrow. Zach will have plenty of people to play with and you can hang out with my sister and sisters-in-law. There will be tons of people, and no one from work will know,” I reassure.
“But, Christmas is about being with your family, William. I won’t impose on that.”
“It’s about being with those you care about, and I refuse to let you and Zach sit here by yourselves tomorrow. I’ll be here at four to pick you up,” I say as I start to turn towards the front door.
“No, wait,” she says as she grabs my upper arm. “You can’t just invite us to someone else’s house for a holiday. That’s rude,” she says.
“Not in my family. Believe me when I say that no one will bat an eye with you guys coming. My mom makes enough food to feed an army, and I guarantee that it’s something you won’t wanna miss. She would be more upset with me if she knew you guys were sitting here on Christmas alone than if I bring you along, Carmen. Trust me,” I say.
I glance quickly at Zach in the kitchen before leaning forwards and placing a quick kiss on her lips. “I’ll pick you up at four,” I confirm.
“But, what should we bring?” she asks quickly as I open the door and head down the stairs.
“You don’t have to bring anything, but if you insist, my mom loves sweet wine.” I give her one last smile before heading out to my car. It’s been running the entire time so it’s a little on the warm side when I slide inside. I chance one last glance up and notice the outline of Carmen in the front window.
I want to put the car in park, run up those stairs, and draw her into my arms. I want to explore her body – inside and out. I want to be with her, and I’m not just talking sexually. And now that I have invited her to Christmas, it looks like I’m going to get part of what I asked for.
Looks like I’d better call Mom and tell her to plan on two extra place settings at the dinner table. She’s never going to let me hear the end of this.
Chapter Eight
Carmen
The look on Zach’s face when he wakes up and sees the tree filled with presents evokes the best feeling. Even though he found out about Sant
a a couple of years ago, he still plays along with me and pretends to get excited about his Santa gifts. The tree isn’t quite as full this year as it has been in the past – with the absence of Nick – but I’m determined to make our first solo Christmas the best it could possibly be.
Step one is making Zach’s favorite breakfast. Since his first Christmas eating solid table food, I’ve made fluffy pancakes with fresh blueberries for him on Christmas morning. Top it with fresh maple syrup and a little whipped cream, and you have a delicious sugary breakfast that any child would love.
This morning, I settle in with a smaller pancake and a cup of coffee. As he does each year, Zach practically inhales his food. He knows that step two is unwrapping the presents.
“Where’s Will today?” Zach asks with a mouthful of pancakes. So full, in fact, that I have to consider his words carefully to figure out what he said.
“William is working today,” I say casually between sips of coffee. “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
“Why do you call him William when everyone calls him Will?” he asks curiously after swallowing the big bite of food.
“Well,” I start, but don’t really know how to finish. “He just looks like a William to me,” I finally say.
“He told me yesterday when we were shopping that everyone calls him Will. Everyone except you and his mom when he’s in trouble,” Zach says with that lopsided grin that I love so much.
Zach’s hair is standing up every which way since he basically fell out of bed and ran to the kitchen. He looks adorably innocent at the moment. It’s hard to picture this carefree little boy having such a hard time last spring in school. The incident at school almost broke him…and me.
“Are you almost done?” I ask, knowing good and well that I’m changing the subject. But if there’s one thing that can get Zach to drop the topic at hand, it’s the prospect of opening presents.
“Yep!” he exclaims, shoveling the few remaining bites of gooey pancakes into his mouth.