by S. E. Law
Ridge squeezes my shoulder. “Yeah, they remind me of us, too. But no more meddling, okay? Let their relationship play out on its own.”
I nod. “I won’t get involved any more, I promise. If they want it to take off, they need to put in the work. I just showed them it’s worth it.”
“It’s definitely worth it,” he says, leaning down to kiss me. “Should we head home, pretty girl? It’s been a long day.”
I yawn in response. Today has been an emotional roller coaster, but also one of the best days in my life since the accident. I just hope it keeps getting better from here.
23
Summer
Liz kicked her fiancé out for the night so we could have a much needed girls’ night at her place. It’s nice because we usually go out, and have been nearly every weekend, but we need some time to ourselves where we can drink wine and gossip without any noise, no boys allowed.
“Welcome!” Liz says when I arrive. She lives in a ranch style house, so it’s easy for me to get around. Both Dee and Annabel have stairs up to their front doors, and my apartment is too small for us to really enjoy ourselves, so Liz volunteered her place. I’m not sure how her man Mark felt about being sent away, but I imagine he’s living it up with his buddies.
I hand Liz the bottle of wine I brought. “Thanks for hosting.”
She reads the label. “Damn, girl. This is good stuff.”
“Only the best for you,” I say with a smile. “Also, I may have gotten it as a get well soon gift from my coworkers at Lalique.”
“Ah ha! Well, we’ll put it to good use.”
Dee and Annabel are already seated on the couch when I roll in.
“About time!” Dee says. “We thought you ditched us.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t find my shoes.”
Annabel laughs. “Liar. You were naked with Ridge.”
I throw them a cheeky smile. “A girl doesn’t kiss and tell.”
“Actually, we all kiss and tell. It’s kind of our thing.”
That’s true. We’ve shared everything for as long as we’ve been friends. For example, when Dee first slept with her husband, back when they were still just dating, we heard every detail. I’m pretty sure his well-endowed lower half is part of why she married the guy, to be honest.
A buzzer goes off in the kitchen and Liz leaps up from her spot on the couch. “I made brownies!”
My mouth waters. While the rest of us are adequate in the kitchen, Liz is a genius. Her brownies are my favorite thing in the world, chock-a-block with marshmallows and assorted nuts. I can’t remember the last time I had one. It was definitely before the accident. I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without the chewy, chocolatey squares.
Liz returns from the kitchen with a pan of brownies and sets them in front of us. “The timer was for them cooling down,” she informs us. “So they’re ready to eat.”
My friend doesn’t have to tell me twice. I reach for a corner piece and take a huge bite, groaning as the sweet chocolate touches my tongue. “These are so good, Liz. You could sell them.”
She waves me off, as she always does when I suggest she open a bakery. “I love baking too much to make a business of it. It would take out all the fun.”
I understand, in a way. She doesn’t want the stress of an actual business to make her hate her hobby, which makes sense. So long as she doesn’t stop making us brownies, I’m okay with it.
Annabel holds up the bottle of wine I brought. “Who’s ready for a glass?”
“Me!” I cry. Liz agrees.
“None for me,” Dee says, clutching a water bottle in her hands.
We all stare at her, mouths open. Dee doesn’t say no to wine, ever. Unless she has a good reason.
“Oh my God,” I say. “Are you?”
She blushes and nods. “I just found out this morning.”
The room erupts in squeals and cheers. “Congratulations!”
Dee’s fingers splay over her still-flat stomach. “Thank you, guys. We’re really happy.”
Liz jumps up again. “Wait, give me two seconds!”
“Bring wine glasses!” Annabel calls after her.
She returns with four wine glasses and a bottle. She holds out the label for us to see, and it’s sparkling apple cider. “We had it for Mark’s nieces when they came for dinner last week, but we only drank one bottle.”
Dee lights up. “Pour me a glass! Let’s light it up!”
With giggles, Dee gets her non-alcoholic cider and the rest of us get wine.
“I’d like to make a toast,” I say, raising my glass. “To Dee, who is going to be the most amazing mother. And to us, who are going to be the best aunties this baby could ever want. He or she will be so spoiled you won’t know what to do with them. Cheers!”
We all laugh and sip our drinks because it’s an accurate toast. We’ve always agreed that any children of the group will be horribly spoiled by the other girls. And we’ll all be aunts, even though we’re not related by blood. After all, these are my best friends, and the last few months have confirmed that in my mind. My family sucks, for the most part, but at least I have these ladies who will love me and my future family.
“Do you have any names in mind?” Liz asks. “I know it’s early, but you’re thinking about it, right?”
Dee nods. “We want to use family names. If it’s a girl, she’ll be Margaret Denise after our moms. If it’s a boy, he’ll be David Hector after our dads.”
“I love that,” I gush. “I’ve always loved Margaret for a girl.”
“Me, too,” Dee says. “But I’m hoping for a boy.”
This doesn’t surprise me. Dee is the least girly-girl of our group. She’s the one who, when we go to a picnic or the park, ends up playing football with the boys while the rest of us watch from the sidelines.
“Boy or girl, you’ll be an amazing mom,” Liz says. “Seriously. You’re going to be fantastic.”
Dee blushes, tears forming in her eyes. “I’ll only be a good mom because I’ll have a support system. Between you three, my mom, and Jerome, I think we’re set. This baby is never going to want for love, that’s for sure.”
I reach over and squeeze her hand. “We’re here for you anytime. And you know I’ll be babysitting whenever you and Jerome need a night to yourselves.”
She laughs. “From what everyone tells me, we’re going to need that.”
“Do you have any symptoms yet?” Annabel asks. “I know it’s still early, but…”
Dee groans. “I had the worst morning sickness all week. That’s why I finally took the test on Wednesday, and I went to the doctor to confirm this morning.”
“How are you feeling now?” Liz asks. “I have some Saltines in the kitchen if you need them.”
“I’m okay for now, but I’ll let you know. The nausea comes on without warning, which is the worst part. And it’s not limited to mornings like you’d think. It’s morning, noon and night sometimes. I thought it was a stomach bug because I was nauseous all day.”
“That sucks,” I say. “But it’ll be worth it, I’m sure.”
Dee holds her stomach again and smiles weakly. “Absolutely. We’ve been wanting this for so long, but the timing was always off. Now that it’s finally happening we’re both so excited. Jerome is out looking at paint for the nursery tonight.”
My mind roams to Ridge. Would he be that excited if I were to get pregnant? I know we’ve only been together a few months, compared to the seven years that Dee and Jerome have had, but I still wonder.
Liz eyes me. “I know that look. You’re thinking about Ridge, aren’t you?”
I blush. “I was not!”
They all laugh. “Of course, you were. Now tell us everything. How is that going?”
“It’s going amazing,” I gush. “He’s so sweet. We’ve been going out almost every night, or staying in. Guys, he is so freaking good in bed, you have no idea. Even when I couldn’t move my legs at all, he still found ways to switch things u
p.”
They watch me, waiting for more. My cheeks flush even further.
“We even had sex in a movie theater.”
“No!” Annabel cries, bursting out with laughter. “You did not!”
“We did!” I say with wide eyes. “We sat in the back and he pulled me on his lap. It was a really sexy movie, too. If you guys want to try it, I definitely recommend going to see Frustration. It’ll get you in the mood for sure, and hide all your moaning with their soundtrack to boot.”
The girls dissolve into a fit of giggles. “I cannot believe you had sex in public,” Dee says. “That’s such a me thing to do!”
“Have you done it?” I ask curiously.
She nods. “Jerome and I found a list of one hundred places you have to have sex before you die. We’ve crossed off half of them already.”
I gasp.
“Holy crap, Dee. What’s on the list? Or where, should I ask?”
She giggles again.
“I’ll send it to you because it’s a lot of fun and super naughty to boot. Some are easy, like your kitchen counter or couch or on the floor in front of a fireplace, but some are more risky, like on the beach or in a park. We even did it in a public bathroom once, which was disgusting but really hot.”
Annabel laughs. “I need this list.”
We all look at her. “Yeah? Are you planning on crossing some off?”
She doesn’t meet our eyes. “I might think about it.”
“With Leo?”
Annabel nods. Dee and Liz watch us, amused, and then Liz says, “Wait, Leo is Ridge’s friend, right? So the setup worked?”
Annabel turns on me with surprised eyes.
“They knew?”
I nod. “Of course, they knew. I didn’t want them to feel left out when we went to dinner without them.”
My buddy rolls her eyes.
“It worked out so I’m not mad at you,” she says. “But I hate all of you.”
I shrug. “I’m okay with that. But now it’s your turn to kiss and tell. Have you slept with Leo? Was it good?”
Annabel buries her face in her hands. “Oh my god, don’t judge me too much, but we slept together that night after dinner.”
Now it’s my turn for my jaw to drop.
“Are you serious? You work fast!”
She giggles. “Yeah, we did it in his back seat. Parked in front of my house.”
I stare at her, my jaw on the floor. “You didn’t even make it inside?”
Annabel shakes her head. “I took a cab to the restaurant because I figured we were going to drink to celebrate. Leo offered to drive me home, and we started kissing when we got to my house, and it just didn’t stop. We jumped into the backseat. The whole time I was terrified we were going to be arrested but that made it even hotter.”
We gawk for a bit.
“Am I the only one who has not had sex in any sort of public place?” Liz asks, though that question has already been answered. “I feel like I’m behind here.”
I giggle.
“You have plenty of time to rectify this. Think Mark would be down for a little public fun?”
She nods. “Not gonna lie, he’s been begging me to try the movie theater thing but I’ve been too afraid. You really didn’t get caught?”
“The theater was empty, mostly, which helped. You just have to be quiet and sit in the back. Try not to bump and scream too much, but I’m telling you, it was some of the hottest sex I’ve ever had.”
Liz pulls out her phone. “I’m texting Mark right now.”
It only takes seconds for him to reply, and she bursts out laughing.
“What’d you say?” I ask.
“I said, ‘do you want to have sex in a movie theater tomorrow?’ and he said, ‘Why not tonight?’”
We all laugh. “You have to do it now. And trust me, Frustration is the best choice. It’ll probably be empty, too.”
“It’s on, then. I just told Mark to keep tomorrow night open.”
“I can’t wait to hear about it. Group text us after?” Dee burbles.
“You know I will,” Liz promises. “It better be as good as you all say it is.”
We laugh. “It will be. Promise!”
We continue to talk about Ridge, Leo, Mark, and Jerome, as well as our jobs and our lives in general. It’s well after midnight when we decide to call it a night.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Liz asks me. “You know my guest room is yours if you need it.”
I shake my head. “Ridge is on his way to get me.”
“But aren’t you all sexed out yet? We know that’s why you were late.”
I giggle a bit.
“I’ll never be sexed out, at least not with Ridge.”
My man pulls up a few minutes later, waiting at the end of the drive for me. Annabel and Dee follow me out, laughing and chatting still. Dee is bringing Annabel home, and she offered me a ride too, but I declined. No offense to my friends, but I’d much rather have my sexy boyfriend in the car with me. We’ll have a lot more fun that way.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” Ridge asks when I’m settled into the front seat.
I nod happily.
“I did. And guess what?”
“What?”
I angle myself towards him. “Dee is pregnant!”
He smiles. “That’s amazing! Tell her I said congratulations.”
“I will.”
I want to ask what he thinks about the idea of a baby, but I don’t want to scare him off because there’s plenty of time for that. Yet, I can’t wait to have “the baby talk.” Hopefully, we’re on the same page because I can’t picture myself having a family with anyone but Ridge. He’s mine, and I am his, and what more wonderful way to cement our life together than with marriage and a child?
24
Ridge
Summer insisted that I needed a guys’ night. I tried to explain that I’d much rather be at home with her, or to do something just the two of us, but she was adamant. As a result, I’m sitting at a dive with Leo, Tommy, and Evan on a Friday after work.
“Where’s your girl tonight?” Tommy asks. “She break up with your ass yet?”
I give him the finger. “No, dumbass. Summer’s the one who recommended this.”
He looks confused.
“She thought you needed a man-date?”
I laugh. “That’s exactly it.”
Tommy takes a long chug of his beer. “When I told Maggie I was going out tonight, she cheered. Seems like all our women wanted us out of their hair tonight. Is something in the water?”
I chuckle.
“What about you, Evan? Did Carolina push you out the door?”
“No, I made a run for it. Her parents are coming next weekend so she’s been in crazy mode. They always think our house is a mess, no matter how much we clean.”
I clank my beer bottle against his. “Good luck with that, man. How long will the in-laws be in town?”
“Only the weekend, thank god. I don’t think Carolina could take it if they stayed longer to be honest and they won’t get a hotel. They refuse to stay anywhere but our guestroom. I think Carolina would check herself into a hotel if they were going to be here past the weekend.”
“Are they really that bad?”
Evan barks out a laugh. “Imagine the worst people on the planet, and then imagine someone even worse than that. They’re just so judgmental of Carolina, and it drives me crazy. She’s always so upset after they leave.” He takes another sip. “Let me tell you, Car and I are going to start trying for kids in the fall, and her parents are not allowed to talk to our kids the way they talk to their daughter. They can visit but they’re not allowed to babysit or any of that shit. I’m not subjecting my kids to that.”
I’ve known that Evan and his wife have wanted children for a while, but they’ve been waiting for Carolina to finish grad school. She finally walked in the spring, and now she’s got a job doing something math related that I don’t totally
understand. I think she’s an accountant or something.
“That’s great, man,” I say, clapping him on the back. “I’m happy for you. And if you need any help keeping the parents away, you know where to find me.”
He laughs. “Thanks, Ridge.”
Tommy nudges Leo’s arm. “Those chicks over there are eyeing you. Easy pickings in here today.”
Leo glances over towards the gaggle of girls near the bar. We’re not at the billiards place this time because all of us are sick of pool. Instead, we opted for a crappy bar with good food and a decent live band instead. They play their music loud enough to hear, but not so loud that it’s impossible to talk.
But instead of heading over to chat to the girls, Leo remains seated and takes a sit of beer.
“I’m not on the market.”
His comment surprises me. I know he’s been seeing Annabel the last two weeks because they hooked up after Summer’s celebration dinner, according to Summer. But I didn’t realize it was serious enough for him to turn down other girls.
“Seriously?” Tommy asks, baffled. “You’re tied down? Never thought I’d see the day.”
“Screw you,” Leo barks, but his tone isn’t serious.
“I’m just surprised, is all. I don’t remember the last time you had one girl.”
I try to think, but draw a blank because Leo isn’t really a relationship type of guy. He can be fun for a few nights, but that’s it usually. Plus, girls can generally sense what they’re getting themselves into with Leo, though it backfires sometimes.
Apparently, it’s different with Annabel. It’s been nearly two weeks and he hasn’t gotten bored with her. Someone call the Guinness Book of World Records.
“She’s different,” Leo admits. “I like her a lot. We have a ton in common, and I never get bored when we’re talking. And the sex? Oh man.”
Evan holds up his glass. “The sex is what makes it worth it, my friend. Especially if she still wants to sleep with you after you’re married.”
I have no doubts that when Summer and I get married, our sex life will stay the same. It might even get better, come to think of it.