Restrictions

by Nicole Dykes

  The way he says her name makes her sound like some sort of nun, but I get it. Sawyer was in her class in school, so he knows as well as I do that she had a reputation of being a goody-goody. “Yeah. I know.”

  “Especially with the Sterling brother she chose.” My jaw ticks slightly, thinking about Colt and Linc. Both sore subjects. “I mean you, fine. Linc, makes sense. But Colt?”

  My teeth clench at an uncomfortable level. “I know.”

  The sliding glass door opens, and I turn to see Baz run out in little bright blue swim trunks with floaties on his little arms, squealing excitedly with Viv running after him. Surprisingly, she’s not in jeans but instead is wearing a black one-piece mom suit that still shows no hint of a figure.

  Still, her legs are nice. Shapely, tanned, and toned. “Baz, wait!”

  She scoops him up as he heads for the stairs, going down into the pool and then carries him in.

  “Seriously, can you imagine fucking her?”

  What the fuck? I turn my focus back to Sawyer, who is still kicked back in the lounge chair, one arm tucked under his head. “What?”

  He’s unbothered by my irritated tone. “I’m just saying the girl is uptight. Sex with her would be all structured and shit. Probably have to make an appointment.”

  I watch Viv hold Baz in the pool, letting him float on his stomach. “I haven’t thought about it.”

  “I’m just saying, no offense to your brother, but those two fucking to make that very cute kid had to be the quietest, most boring fucking sex there ever was.”

  My fist clenches at my side as I fight the urge to punch this motherfucker. “Shut the fuck up. Not an image I want in my head.”

  He chuckles at that, staring up at the sun. “I’m just saying, man. I still don’t believe it.”

  “Well, believe it. There was a DNA test and everything.”

  He sits up in the chair, leaning his elbows on his thighs and facing me. “You knew her in high school. Head always in a book. So fucking focused and perfect. Never got in trouble. Was on the student council. Set for fucking Harvard.”

  “Yeah well, perfect people have sex too.”

  Even if I hate him talking about it, I have to admit I don’t get it either. Colt was exactly like her. Structured and perfect, with so much pressure on him to be that way. I never thought he would cheat on Penelope, and when I found out it was with Viv, I was even more shocked.

  The asshole actually yawns. “Fucking boring sex.”

  “Again, not something I want to picture.”

  He laughs as we both turn to see Sebastian splashing Viv, soaking her hair as they both laugh. I’ve never had the balls to ask her how it all went down but figured it had a lot to do with alcohol.

  “Yeah well, speaking of fucking . . . You’re going to that party with me tonight, right? Because Bianca was asking about you a-fucking-gain.”

  I roll my eyes. Bianca Thomas. Another Kansas City prep school plant here. She was in my class in high school and a real pain in the ass. Blond. Slutty. Rich. Spoiled as fuck.

  But she is hot, and I could use a good lay. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe? What the fuck man? I get you wanting to help out your nephew, but you can’t just play house here all year.”

  “I’m not playing house, but we just moved in. I’ll have to see if Viv needs help.”

  He shakes his head, kicking back in his chair. “You know Bianca got a tit job over the summer, right?”

  My right eyebrow shoots up as I lay back in my chair. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. So if you don’t go there, I definitely am.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up because my dick is never going the same place yours has been.”

  “Yeah, way too fucking late for that.” He laughs as I turn to him.

  “What? Who?”

  “Emma Patterson.”

  “Well fuck. I forgot about her.”

  “How the hell could you forget about her?” He wags his eyebrows suggestively, and I laugh.

  “She’s married now, man. Let it go.”

  Emma was in Linc’s class but liked ‘em younger. And we appreciated it.

  “Uncle Ash! Come swim!” I look at my nephew splashing around in the water and smile.

  “Hold on, buddy. I’ll be there in a minute.” I turn to Sawyer. “You wanna swim?”

  He stands up from the chair and stretches. “Nah. I’ll see ya later. At the party.”

  I nod my head and walk him out before going to change into my swim trunks so I can go swim with Viv and Baz.

  I’m not playing house, but I am definitely making them a priority. And I don’t really give a flying fuck what anyone else has to say about it.

  I wake up, slightly hungover and still tired from the party last night. Why the fuck do I let Sawyer talk me into shit?

  Bianca’s new tits were nice, don’t get me wrong, but still not fucking worth having to listen to her try to decide if she wants a hot pink or purple car for her birthday.

  I hear music coming from outside of my room and drag my tired ass out of bed to walk down the hall, following the music.

  I walk to the gym and see the door is open. I’m momentarily transfixed by the sight of Viv’s ass squeezed into tight black leggings as she’s on all fours extending her left leg behind her, bending it and placing it back down on the ground.

  Fuck. Me.

  So that’s why her ass is so spectacular.

  I don’t say a word as she repeats the motion with her other leg, and my dick stirs in my sweats just watching her. Her hair is up in a ponytail, and she’s wearing a cropped, sleeveless, black workout tank. Her body is toned and flexed tight as she works out.

  She stands and starts to move to squats but finally notices I’m there and turns to face me. “Asher? What are you doing?”

  She places a hand on one hip, and I see she’s sweaty and panting slightly from her workout which only makes it fucking hotter. “Studying.”

  She rolls her eyes and walks to a shelf across the room, grabbing a towel and wiping her arms. “You’re up early.”

  I shrug. “Am I?”

  I watch her throat bob when she takes a drink from her water bottle. “You came in awfully late last night.”

  I lean against the doorway. “Did you wait up for me?”

  She laughs at that, placing the water bottle on the shelf. “Nope. I did hear you come in though.”

  “Do I have a curfew?”

  “No. Of course not. As long as you don’t wake Sebastian, I don’t care what time you come home.”

  She hops on the treadmill and turns it on. I can’t help but notice she seems even more tense than normal.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah I’m fine.” She increases her speed, and her arms move at her sides.

  “Viv . . .” I know something’s up.

  “My mom called today. My father and she are coming over tonight for dinner.”

  So that’s why she’s tense. I’ve only been around them a couple of times, but they don’t seem too bad. Still, I know enough to know they put Viv on edge. “Okay. Cool.”

  She shakes her head, increasing the speed again. “They’re coming to check on me. To make sure I can actually handle this.”

  I don’t get it. Vivienne is every parent’s dream. I mean, besides the whole getting knocked-up in high school thing, but shit happens. She still graduated on time, and she’s a kickass mom. “Well, you can. So you have nothing to worry about.”

  She shakes her head from side to side as she runs. “No, you don’t get it. They’ll find every single flaw. It’s what they do.”

  “Sebastian is happy. The house is still here and hasn’t burned to the ground. What could they find?”

  I watch her sigh and see how stressed she already is. “They’ll find something. My parents are nothing like Nora.”

  “They love you. I mean, they helped with Sebastian since birth and bought you this kickass house.”

  She turns the treadmill o
ff but doesn’t move, her arms dangling at her sides. “They did that to save face. All of it is about their reputation. You should have heard them when I told them I was pregnant.”

  I don’t imagine that conversation would ever go well. “I’m sure they were just surprised.”

  She turns to me. “I ruined their stellar reputation. My parents have spent years earning the trust of their clients. People trust them, and that’s why they invest with them.” She sighs and walks off the treadmill, grabbing her towel again. “I let them down in every way, and they never let me forget it.”

  I’m hoping this is all in her head. “There’s no way you’re a disappointment, Viv.”

  “I have to go shower, and then I need to clean.”

  “The house is spotless.”

  She shakes her head, grabbing her water bottle and wrapping the towel around her neck. “Not even close. Baz’s toys are everywhere. And then I need to get him a haircut and should probably get one myself.”

  Yeah, she’s a goner, already making lists in her head. “They know a kid lives here. Everything will be fine.”

  She waves me off as she walks out of the room, her mind going over everything that can go wrong.

  Damn, can’t fucking wait for dinner.

  Okay, the house is spotless. It’s all going to be fine. I look around the living room to confirm that not one toy has been left out and then walk into the kitchen. Nothing is out on the counters. They’re wiped clean. All the dishes are put away.

  I open the refrigerator and check to make sure everything is in place and there are no spills because I know my mother will check.

  Satisfied, I close the door and fly up the stairs to Baz’s room, which is also clean and tidy. I go into my room, doing another once-over and stop to look in the full-length mirror.

  I smooth my khaki dress pants and then fasten the top button of my button-down blouse before using my hands to make sure there are no flyaways in my hair.

  I apply lip gloss and then walk down to the bottom floor to make sure everything is clean there as well.

  The gym looks good, and so does the theater. I walk down the hall to Asher’s room and smile from the doorway when I see him running a comb through Sebastian’s hair.

  “You’re so good with him.” Asher turns his head slightly to look at me. “He rarely lets me comb his hair without a fight.”

  Asher shrugs his shoulders as he stands from the bed and walks to me with smug confidence. “I bribed him.”

  I roll my eyes as Sebastian runs to hug me around the leg. “Mommy, is it dinnertime yet?”

  I nod my head and smooth my hand over his hair, trying to remind myself to breathe. “Almost. Grandma and Grandpa should be here soon.”

  “Pizza?” He looks up at me with wide hopeful eyes as I shake my head, crushing his little dreams.

  “Not tonight sweetie. I made chicken.”

  His little nose crinkles before he shrugs and runs out of the room.

  Asher laughs, shaking his head and placing the comb on his dresser. I’m pleasantly surprised to see he dressed nicely for dinner—in slacks and a black button-down—without me having to ask him to.

  Not that he really needed to, but it’s still a nice sentiment.

  “What time are they supposed to be here?”

  I look at the gold watch on my wrist, the one my parents gave me for Christmas this year. “Soon.”

  Asher walks to me, placing both hands on my shoulders and looking down into my eyes. “Breathe, Viv. They’re your parents.”

  “You have no idea what you’re in for.”

  He laughs it off as we walk out to the main room of the basement and wrangle Baz up the stairs just in time for the doorbell to ring.

  I brush my hair one more time with my fingers and open the door for my parents, who are both already wearing stern, judgmental looks. My dad in his three-piece suit and my mother wearing a knee-length dress with long sleeves and pearls around her neck.

  “Mom. Dad.” I gesture behind me and move out of the way. “Come in.”

  They both walk in, my mom clutching her purse to her as her intrusive eyes go to work, darting around the foyer and into the living room. “Vivienne.” My mom looks me up and down, and I can feel my breathing increase rapidly from her once-over. Her hands go to the ends of my hair as she shakes her head. “I wish you wouldn’t have cut your hair. You had the prettiest hair.”

  My mother makes me want to crawl out of my own skin and be anyone else. She always has. “It’s easier to wear it to my shoulders with Sebastian.”

  Her nose lifts in the air, her chin always high and astute. “Well, maybe you can grow it out soon.”

  I close the door behind my father as he joins us, looking around the house as if he expected it to be in a pile of rubble. He barely looks at me, which isn’t a surprise. He hasn’t looked me in the eye since I told them I was pregnant. “Everything up to par?”

  He hasn’t been here since he took the tour six months ago. I nod. “Yes. It’s perfect. Thank you.”

  Although it’s far too large for a single mother, her son, and even her son’s uncle, but yeah, it’s up to par.

  I pick at my nails and didn’t realize I was doing it until my mother grabs my hands. “Vivienne. That’s a terrible habit.”

  “Sorry, Mother.”

  I catch Asher’s eye, complete with his curious eyebrow lift, and try to shake it off as I wave Sebastian over. “Come say hello, sweetheart.”

  He stands in front of Asher and the hesitant look on his cute face makes my heart ache. This is why I had to get out of my parent’s home. My little boy is rambunctious, and my parents have no tolerance for it.

  He waves at them and then tucks himself behind Asher’s large body, giggling as he hides. Asher waves a quick hello to my parents and is met with brief nods.

  I plaster a fake smile on my face and tuck my hair behind my ear as I look to my mother. “Sebastian’s tired.”

  She looks annoyed as she nods curtly. “Is dinner being delivered?”

  I shake my head and motion for them all to follow me as I start toward the dining room and kitchen area of the home. “No, I baked chicken.”

  “You did?” My mother looks shocked as they follow me into the dining room.

  “I did. It wasn’t hard. I just looked up a recipe.” I nod toward the dining room table decorated with the brand-new china my parents provided. “Please, sit. I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll help you.” Asher follows me into the kitchen with Sebastian on his heels.

  I grab an oven mitt and open the oven door and feel Asher lean into my ear. “Damn, you weren’t kidding. Your parents are something else.”

  I pull out the pan of chicken and place it on the stove, taking the mitt off and turning to face him, noticing the subtle woodsy cologne he’s wearing mixed with the minty smell of his breath. “I told you.”

  “Cavity search next?”

  I actually laugh at that and hand him two oven mitts. “Do you mind taking the chicken to the table?”

  His grin makes him even more handsome as he does what I ask. “No problem.”

  We all sit down to dinner, and Baz is just not having it tonight, jumping up and down on his chair and acting crazy. He’s three. I’m used to it, and honestly, I don’t mind his free spirit in the slightest. But I feel the daggers my mother is staring in my direction. “You know, Sebastian, you’ll never grow big and strong if you don’t sit down like a good boy and eat your peas.”

  “Yuck.” Baz sits on his little butt but folds his arms and refuses to eat.

  Asher leans into Baz and tickles his side. “It’s cool, buddy. I don’t like peas either, and I grew up to be huge.”

  My mother’s eyes widen, and my father just shakes his head as I try like hell not to laugh. Of course, Baz finds Asher hilarious, and his little giggle fills the room. He looks right at my mother. “No peas. I want to be like Uncle Ash.”

  My mother’s sight then lands right
on Asher, who doesn’t quake in the slightest. “I’m sure your mother made you eat peas when you were younger.”

  Please behave, Ash.

  “Nah, she doesn’t like them either.”

  Damn it.

  I clear my throat and try to change the subject. “Sebastian, tell Grandma and Grandpa how much you’ve enjoyed the pool.”

  “I love to swim!” Baz singsongs as he picks at his chicken with his tiny fingers.

  “That’s good.” My father has his phone in his hand as he moves the chicken I made around with his fork, probably checking his business emails. “You might get some structure someday if you join the swim team at school.”

  “Children need structure.” My mother’s eyes meet mine, and I feel everything she doesn’t have to say.

  Telling me I need to force Sebastian to do more of what I say. To repress him.

  “Mommy, can I go play?”

  I look at his plate mostly untouched and sigh. “Are you sure you don’t want more to eat?”

  “I’m full.” I recognize the whine in his voice, and I know he’s close to a meltdown. My parents are a lot, and they make him as tense as they do me.

  “Okay, go ahead.”

  He does a little happy dance as he runs off to the living room, and I can feel my parents’ disapproval from across the table.

  “He’s going to want something else to eat in an hour, Vivienne.”

  I lift my head and look at my mother. “Then I will make him something to eat.”

  “He needs boundaries. He’s testing you. If you don’t set firm boundaries now, who knows what he will do when he’s older.”

  I feel Asher tense from his chair next to Baz’s now empty seat. “He had a big lunch.”

  My father meets Asher’s eyes now, actually lifting them from his phone. “Asher, I was surprised to hear that you wanted to move in with my grandson and my daughter.”

  Asher takes a bite of mashed potatoes, not even a little intimidated, and I have no idea how he does it. My father is a shrewd negotiator and a ruthless businessman. He puts fear in people for a living to close multimillion dollar deals weekly. Everyone is afraid of him. But not Asher. “And why’s that?”