The Significant Other (The Relationship Quo Series Book 4)

by Nicole Strycharz

  “We have the band, though.” Trix sounded fake happy all of a sudden, “It’s taking off, Jenzy. This club is the break we were looking for. Now isn’t really the time to sport a bump.”

  Jenzy laughed with her then catered to a fussy toddler before going on, “Is that really why you’re waiting?”

  Trix was quiet a long time then whispered, “What do you mean?”

  “I wanted babies a long time ago,” Jenzy confessed, “Chris held me off forever-.”

  “Oh no,” Trix interrupted, “Adam wants kids. It’s not that. I mean, he wants to be more financially stable but he loves kids. He’s even given me like… time spans; he talked about next year…”

  I listened close to them since they’d dropped their voices quite low. I usually never hear what’s going on when I read, so she probably thinks there’s no chance I’m listening.

  Jenzy went on, “Uh, no that’s not what I meant. Chris held me off because we were having troubles… in our marriage. That was a rough few years. He admitted to some things…he felt like…kids would have made us feel stuck. I was asking if you are holding Adam off and if so, why?”

  Trix was quiet a long time and I had a sinking feeling in my chest. I picked up my book to block them out but then out of fear I put it back down and listened.

  Trix brought her voice down even lower, “Maybe…” she sighed. “I don’t know.”

  “You still love him, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do. It’s Adam. He could cheat, steal or lie and I would still love him. That’s what he does to me. It’s always been like that.” Trix sniffed like maybe she was about to cry. “It’s just… sometimes I think…he’s forcing himself to love me back.”

  Jenzy sounded pained by that, “Awe Trix, Adam loves you but if you feel that way, tell him. You have to remember you haven’t had that much experience with guys. You were so young when you met him and it was fast love. You’re just battling some insecurity. He was gay when you met and though he loves you, you probably still worry you aren’t enough.”

  I shut my book and sat up more. I hate hearing her voice this stuff, yet I know I need to.

  She whispered some more, “We’ve been together since I was seventeen. That’s ten years. He still acts like he could lose me. He gets so jealous, he doesn’t want guys outside the band near me but when we’re out, he won’t go near me at all. He won’t tell me about when he was gay, he won’t tell me what happened aside from meeting me to change his mind, he won’t open up about anything that went on within the five years before we met. Maybe I would feel better if he just talked. He also knows I’m too hooked. He’s my life.”

  I got up and started up the steps. When she heard me she changed the subject.

  “Hi, Jenzy,” I said giving the screen a wave.

  Jenzy smiled like nothing was wrong and waved back, “Hi, handsome! How’re things?” Jenzy is a very beautiful woman. It’s in my girlfriend’s genes I think. They all have auburn hair and big eyes.

  “Great,” I came and leaned over Trix to see Jenzy, caging her with my arms. Trix stroked my arms and kissed my cheek. “How’s the baby?” I asked.

  She held up Tommy and he yelled ‘bye.’ We laughed and I waved back. “He’s big!” I told her.

  She rolled her eyes, “He’s an eater, like his dad.”

  “Loves boobs like his dad too!” Chris, her husband yelled from somewhere in the background.

  We all laughed again but then Chris was beside her and pushing her out of the way making us laugh more. “Hey,” he now looked all business. “Adam, buddy. We need to chat.”

  Jenzy turned and spoke to him through gritted teeth, “Chris, don’t. I told you no-.”

  “Trixie’s sister called.” He yelled over her.

  I felt a doomsday song ready to start, I straightened, “No.” I shook my head, “Nope. Nope. I’m not-.”

  Chris interrupted as Trix slapped her face to her palm.

  “I am not, I repeat, am not going to harbor that booze-riddled bimbo in my house.” Chris insisted. “You take your doppelgänger and her cat house bandwagon out there.” He told Trix.

  I pushed Trix over to address him, “Not gonna happen, Chris! Jolee is on the west coast and that means she’s your problem now. Besides, we have careers in the works here.”

  Chris fought Jenzy to stay in sight of the screen, “We have a kid! Kid trumps career.”

  “Rock, paper, scissors,” I challenged.

  Trixie put her hand over my mouth, “Guys,” she intervened. “I know my twin is a hardship, I’m sorry.” She looked at me with her hand still over my mouth, “Stud, she’s my sister so Chris is right. She needs to come be with us.”

  I licked her hand to make her let go and she took her hand back and giggled.

  Jenzy shook her head, “No guys, she’s like a drunken toddler, you don’t need that out there.”

  Chris cut his eyes at her, “We don’t need that over here! We have a toddler! If you want another one, turn the skype off. I’ll throw you on the bed and make you another one right now. Challenge accepted.”

  I laughed.

  Jenzy rolled her eyes, “Tommy is awake.” She reminded like it was an option.

  Chris wasn’t giving up, “I can get that boy to sleep in ten minutes. Tops.”

  They stared at one another for a good minute actually contemplating the idea and with a silent word, Chris changed her mind right in front of us. “Uh…” Jenzy dragged her eyes from Chris. “We have…stuff to do… um… call Jolee.”

  “Wait a minute-!” I snapped.

  Too late. Chris shut their laptop right as Jenzy was getting up to go to attack him. Those two screw like rabbits. I didn’t know married people could be that insatiable.

  I glared at Trix.

  She looked up at me and gave me puppy dog eyes, “Jolee’s not that bad. Right? It’s not forever.”

  “I’m gonna kill you.”

  She stood up with me and felt down my chest. “Come on, Stud. I’ll control her, I promise. She’s my twin, I can’t just do nothing.”

  I felt like throwing her out of the window but she was rubbing her hips into my groin and it woke up my cock. I really hate having two heads.

  “No.” I tried to be firm.

  “Please?” she whispered before kissing my chin.

  “No, Trix!”

  “Pretty please,” she said slipping to her knees. Her hand cupped my dick which only made matters worse.

  “God, Damn it, Trix. I hate that woman.”

  “I know,” she opened my belt and bit her lip, “But I said ‘please.’” She unzipped me and I sucked in a breath through my teeth.

  “Damn it!”

  She won that one before it started.

  Chapter Five

  TRIXIE

  I was making dinner for the guys when my cell phone rang. “Blaze, stop it!” I snapped.

  “I’m hungry!” He said pulling leftovers out of the fridge.

  “I’m making food, just wait!”

  He groaned before throwing the Tupperware back in and slamming the door shut.

  I checked my phone and a picture of Jolee kissing my cheek came up. That’s the picture we took before I left California for Colorado when we were seventeen. I love the slutty, twit.

  “Hello,” I answered as I cooked.

  “Frisky Trixie!!!” She screamed in excitement so I winced, holding the phone from my ear. “I miss you so freaking much!”

  I sighed, “You always miss me when you need something.”

  “I’m going to embrace your negativity and then release it back into the universe.”

  I felt Adam come up behind me, holding my hips before kissing my cheek. He went to sit at the island with the others while I talked. “Jolee, where are you? Jenzy said you needed a place to stay, what happened?”

  A car alarm went off in the background of her voice, “Okay so, I swear to God the guy renting the place said the facilities were included in the rent. He now sa
ys they aren’t and I have until the weekend to get out.”

  “Do you have the paperwork? It should say it in there-.”

  “Yeah, well I can’t find it. Long story. Anyway, I don’t have enough money for a ticket. I already sold all my shit.”

  I felt bad, “I’m sorry, girly.”

  “I even sold my furniture. It was only a couch and a bed but damn!”

  “What are you sleeping on?” I asked.

  Knox saw this as an opportunity, “A guy,” he said.

  The boys cracked up. Adam choked on his water. I turned around and whipped Knox with the dish towel.

  “I’m just sleeping on the floor. Well, last night I met this guy. He let me stay at his place but tonight it’s the floor, Trix.”

  I’m so glad Knox couldn’t hear how right he was.

  “How are you getting here?” I asked.

  “A flying dick?” suggested Blaze.

  I spun around while they were laughing and glared at him, “Keep it up, Chuckles and you won’t see a meal from me for a week.”

  He shut right up.

  “Trix,” Jolee went on, “I had to borrow money from Uncle Scotty and Auntie Edna. Which means I have to actually pay it back…”

  “You can waitress at the club we work at. I’m doing it too for extra cash, it’s fun.”

  “Ugh.” She said unenthusiastically.

  Adam held up his finger, “Tell her she can feel free to pay me back the five hundred dollars I donated to her, ‘lack of rent’ cause, three years ago, while she’s at it.”

  I gave him the finger. “Try to be grateful,” I told her.

  A couple nights later I went to work at the club. The guys were there for drinks and girls but I kept my head in the game. Mr. Urban was tending the bar. The big one with the gears on the wall. He jumps in like that every now and then.

  “Hey,” I said as I set part of my circular tray down in the corner.

  “What do you need, Sweetheart?” He asked as he mixed a drink. His big arms make it look effortless. Whenever he talks to someone they have his full attention, so right now he’s giving me the stare.

  “I need a Whiskey Sour for table eight, a Vodka for sixteen, and a Jameson on the Rocks for booth ten.” I took a breath, “and five margaritas, three with salt and two without.”

  He smiled at me, “How do you like this?” he asked as he poured the contents he was shaking up, into a glass.

  “It’s fun. It’s hard work but I like the chaos.” I saw Zeus on stage introducing a guest band but I could feel Mr. Urban still looking at me.

  “Do you have a girlfriend?” I asked him as he whipped up my margaritas.

  He pulled another glass from over the bar, “Depends on the day of the week.” He said.

  I raised my brows, “I get it. I mean, guys like you and Adam, I don’t think it’s easy staying single.”

  “Is it easy for you?” he questioned.

  “I don’t know.” I set my chin on my fist and leaned on the bar. “I’ve only had like…two boyfriends. Adam is number two so…”

  “No passionate and dirty affairs?”

  I thought about it, “Adam and I were pretty on fire when we met.”

  “Not anymore?”

  “We… we still are passionate. I mean, how do you really know anyway? I mean, as long as the spark is there.”

  He set more than half my order on my tray. “Passion isn’t a spark, Sweetheart. Sparks fizz out quick. Passion is more like an inferno. If you’re hesitating, you don’t have it.”

  I reared back a little. “Excuse me, Mr. Judging Pants, Adam and I are totally passionate. So just… yeah, it’s- we are so fine. It’s fine.”

  He did that little smug smile thing.

  I fought asking him.

  How do you know? Like, for sure?

  Nope, I’m not giving him that satisfaction.

  Once I had all my drinks I served them and floated, waiting for a new table or an order. Until I couldn’t take the suspense. Then I was back at the corner of the bar. He wasn’t working it anymore he was watching a football game on the widescreen that hung just over top.

  His tall frame was leaned in a carefree, sexual way. I sided up to him and swayed on my feet to the loud music. “Okay,” I caved and he cocked his head to look down at me, “So, how do you know then? If the spark is there or the inferno? Whatever.”

  He shifted his beautiful body, setting his elbow on the bar; he moved his head down closer so I could hear. He’s not a loud man but he’s got a very deep voice that blends into the drums of the music.

  “Sorry, what?” I asked, standing on my toes.

  He slipped his hand around my waist and leaned closer. He’s a toucher. He’s using the moment to do that, “You want the secret?” he asked.

  I hesitated again, “Yeah.”

  “When you’re having sex and he’s so far into the moment, he’s about to blow, he should be looking into your eyes and saying your name. That’s the inferno. That pause, when he’s his most animal self, when he’s taking you without another thought on his mind.”

  His words left my legs super unreliable.

  Then he bent further down to whisper more, “At least, there shouldn’t be another thought. Those seconds before he cums… his mind should be your dynasty. Nothing but you in there. That’s it. That’s how you know. Your reflection in his eyes, your name on his tongue.”

  I was so horribly turned on.

  I was also horribly doubtful.

  Adam doesn’t look me in the eyes during sex. Actually, that’s part of the disconnect I feel we share. We fuck, but we don’t make love. Now I’m standing in the middle of this loud and vibrating club and I’m also recalling with certainty that Adam has never called out my name during sex either. I’ve cried his, but not the other way around.

  “Trix.” Adam’s voice made me jump a little.

  He saw me standing way too close to Mr. Urban and the heat in his eyes was scorching me.

  “Hi, Stud,” I said moving away from the boss.

  The two of them shared that look. It’s the, ‘I don’t like or trust you’ look from Adam but it’s something else from Urban. Not sure what.

  “You really have a body space issue,” Adam called out Mr. Urban.

  Mr. Urban just walked away. He always does that. Like he owns every conversation and when he’s done, he’s done.

  “You really don’t have to be a dick to him all the time,” I said to Adam.

  “Why do you have to defend him?”

  I set my hand on my hip, “I’m not, I know what kind of guy he is, okay? I’m not stupid.”

  “He grows hands when he’s around you.” He said.

  I stopped and tugged his tie. He’s looking fine like always, in a button down with a vest and jeans. He wears these simple silver bands on his fingers, flat rings that make his hands look larger. “I don’t wanna fight,” I admitted.

  The anger ebbed from his eyes, “Me too. Sorry.” He kissed my forehead, “How are your feet holding up?”

  “Fine.”

  “You don’t have to work,” he tucked hair behind my ear, “We’re making enough.”

  “It’s not about that. Being busy, keeps the lyrics coming, you know? I like being busy. I like working.”

  He reached down and tugged the hem of my skirt. “Yeah, so do all the guys in the joint.” He teased.

  I pulled down my mini skirt. “Well, considering I made three hundred bucks on my first night, I don’t mind. Hey,” I walked my fingers up his chest, “I thought gays liked fashion…”

  He gave me a flat expression, “The only part of me that’s gay is my appreciation for the male anatomy. In every other division of life, I’m one-hundred percent, stereotypically male.”

  I smiled and swayed my hips to the song, “But you do like miniskirts…” I waggled my brows suggestively.

  He laughed, “When do you get off?”

  “Mostly when you go down on me.”

  He
laughed again but it was tense, “Public place, Trix. Filter. I’ll be at the bar.”

  When he left my smile fell. A lot of people don’t like public affection, but with Adam…

  At the end of the night people filtered out and by three in the morning it was empty. There is a pretty impressive wait staff here and at the end of the night we all line up at the bar for tip-out. It looks miles long.

  Mr. Urban handles all the money himself or Zeus because he’s trusted. Tonight it’s Urban and though that makes me nervous, it’s a good thing because I have a big favor to ask.

  Adam and the guys are waiting outside with a cab as I finally make it to the bar as last in line. The other girls don’t really talk to me. They all seem pretty dim.

  “Hello again,” I sing to Mr. Urban as I slide him my booklet.

  He winks at me but doesn’t say anything as he counts. His bartenders are cleaning thoroughly behind him.

  “How often do you hire new waitresses?” I ask.

  He licked his thumb before flipping through my cash, “Almost never. Had the same staff for nearly seven years.”

  I cringed inside. “Mr. Urban-?”

  “Chance.” He corrected. “I’ve told you to call me Chance.”

  “Chance,” I stood on my toes, “Could I ask…a teensy-weensy, itty-bitty favor?”

  He divided my money up then slid my book back to me with my earnings minus twenty-five percent toward the house. “Isn’t the apron you’re wearing a favor, Trix?”

  I gave him eye contact even though looking into his gives shivers to my lady parts. “It is and I appreciate it so much. I really like working here. It’s just… I uh…my sister is actually coming to live with us for a bit. She’s my twin, Jolee. She’s going to need a job and I just thought, maybe…”

  He bent forward on his crossed arms and leaned on the bar, putting our faces close. “You have a twin?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She ever wait tables?”

  “She did in high school. She was good.”

  “What’s she like?”

  I almost blurted, ‘fantastic,’ but even after such a short time, I know he judges people by honesty. “She’s… to be honest, she’s a mess. She’s late, bitchy, kind of a slut but I swear I’ll take full responsibility for her and I’ll train her myself! If she screws up you can fire her, but she needs a chance.”