“What’s done is done. Now we have to figure out how to deal with her.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Have they determined if she’s having preterm labor or not?”
“She was having some irregular contractions, and they gave her medicine to stop them. The doctor says that if they get it under control, she’ll be discharged from the hospital but could be on bed rest until she reaches full term. You don’t even want to know what she said about that.”
“You can’t say that and then not tell me.”
“Her claim is that if she’s on bed rest, then she can’t work, and if she can’t work, she can’t pay her rent.”
“Does that mean she wants money from you?”
“No.” Frankie is going to blow her top. “She wants to move in with me.”
“Ohhh… fuck that! She can get that idea out of her head right now.”
“She’s going to milk this for everything she can. I’m going to have a huge problem on my hands when she’s discharged from the hospital.” This truly is a clusterfuck.
“There’s no way she’s moving in here.”
“I told her I would pay her rent if she went on bed rest. Which sucks because I don’t even know for sure that this baby is mine. But that’s not enough for her. She says she’s going to need me to take care of her.”
“Like how?”
“Making sure she’s entertained and comfortable and well-fed and stress-free. Oh, and helping her shower and change clothes.”
“Did she ask you to give her orgasms as well?”
“I don’t think I can go back up there and deal with her.” It’s too fucking much.
“You don’t have to. She’s in the hospital where a very capable medical staff is taking care of her and the baby. There’s nothing you can do anyway but sit there.”
“Which is what I think she expects.”
“You haven’t told me if it’s a boy or a girl.”
I know Frankie wants a girl when she has a baby. I sort of hate telling her.
“A girl.”
“Does the thought of having a baby girl make you happy?”
“It would if you were her mother.”
“But I’m not.”
She’s definitely not. But I want her to be one day.
“You cannot leave me here alone.”
“You don’t have to work; I’m paying your bills. Your refrigerator is full of food. All of your prescriptions have been filled. You’re fine.”
“I’m on bed rest. I can’t be alone.”
“You’re on modified bed rest. Your doctor said you can go back and forth between the couch and bed and you’re able to shower every day and go to the bathroom on your own. There is no need for me to be here.”
“I want to move in with you.”
She’s beating a dead horse. It’s fucking decapitated because she won’t leave it alone.
“Absolutely not.”
“Because she’s there!”
“No. Because I’m there. I don’t want you in my house.”
“But you want her in your house.”
“Yes. I want her in my house. I want her in my bed. I want her, period.”
Charlotte slides to the edge of the bed and pulls her gown up her thighs. “You rather have her when I’ll let you fuck me any way you want? Even if I let you fuck me in the ass like before?”
I did not fuck her in the ass. That is not my thing. “You have me confused with someone else.”
“I remember it well.”
Someone else stretched that one out. It wasn’t me.
“Doesn’t matter. You have nothing that interests me. Frankie’s the only woman for me.”
“You weren’t saying that when your cock was buried inside me.”
“I’m not having this conversation with you.”
“Why can’t you see that we could be a happy family? You. Me. And Katherine.”
“Katherine?”
“Yes. I want to name our daughter Katherine after your mother.”
“How do you know my mother’s name?”
“I know lots of things.”
“You’re creepy as fuck.”
“Don’t ever call me creepy!” she screams.
I turn and say nothing else before walking out the door.
My phone alerts me to another text from Charlotte.
Charlotte: I need you to come see me.
Porter: I have a job. I’m working.
Charlotte: Come after work.
Porter: No.
Charlotte: Why not?
Porter: I don’t want to.
Charlotte: Because of her.
Porter: Yes. Because of her.
Porter: Stop texting me.
“Is that her again?”
“Isn’t it always?”
Charlotte is annoying as fuck, but nothing she’s done is illegal. I can’t file any kind of complaint or restraining order against a pregnant woman on bed rest. Especially when she’s pregnant with my child and dependent upon me to drive her to the doctor because she has no one else who will do it. Not even her low-down, sorry mother.
“Power off your phone for a little while. If someone needs you, they’ll call the front desk and Molly will transfer them.”
If I want to keep my sanity, I’m going to have to turn off all communication with her for a while.
I toss my phone on the desk after the screen goes black. “Done.”
Frankie comes to me and tugs on my hands. “Come on. Let’s go to the condo and I’ll help you decompress from this pressure and anxiety you’re feeling.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Frankie wraps her arms around me from behind while I put the key in the deadbolt. She slides her hand into the front of my jeans and grasps my cock, sliding up and down my length. “Mmm… damn. That feels good.”
“An all-natural stress reliever.”
“Ooh yeah.”
I push the door open and turn so she’s in my arms. I grab her waist, pulling her hard against me, and we stumble through the doorway. “I want you in my bed right now.”
“No other place I’d rather be.”
I walk backward, kissing her the whole way while removing our clothes. We’re both naked by the time we make it to the bed. “I need to be in control, Frankie.”
My life is spiraling out of control. I need to take charge where I can.
“Anything you want.”
“Get up there. Hands and knees.”
She crawls onto the bed, and I can’t resist smacking her naked ass. “Face the headboard.”
I crawl over her from behind when she’s in place and press my lips to the back of her neck, scattering kisses on her skin. My teeth graze the skin there, and chills erupt over her body.
She’s squirming beneath me, rubbing her ass from side to side against my erection. I smack her ass again to remind her. “I’m in control.”
She giggles. “Yes, sir.”
Yes, sir. I like that a lot.
“Who do you belong to?”
“You. I’m yours, Porter. Always.”
I place a kiss against her shoulder. “Mmm… you’re so precious to me, Frankie. My treasure. But I’m about to fuck you so hard.”
“Just what a girl wants to hear.”
We both simultaneously jolt at the sound of Charlotte’s voice. Frankie dives toward the head of the bed to yank the sheet over both of us. “How the fuck did you get in here?”
Shock. Disbelief. Fury. Those are the words that come to mind when I try to describe Frankie’s expression right now.
Frankie lies on her back and stares at the ceiling. “I cannot believe this.”
“I said how the fuck did you get in here?”
“The door was unlocked.”
“Why are you at my condo after I’ve told you never to come here again?”
“You stopped returning my texts. I called the brewery, and Molly told me you’d stepped out. I thought I’d try h
ere. But I wouldn’t have if I’d known you were fucking her.” Charlotte screams the last two words “fucking her” so loudly that I’m sure everyone in the building heard her.
“You can’t just walk into my house.”
“You let her.”
“Because she’s my girlfriend. What part of that do you not understand?” This is dumb. So fucking dumb. I shouldn’t have to keep telling her this over and over.
“I’m the mother of your child. That trumps girlfriend.”
“No, it doesn’t, and it never will. You need to leave. Now.”
“I can’t. I’m so upset now that I’m having contractions. I need to lie down.”
Frankie lifts her head and looks at Charlotte. Her expression says make one move toward this bed and I will beat the hell out of you, pregnant or not.
“You’re having contractions because you’re supposed to be at home on the couch and not out running around.”
“I had no choice. You wouldn’t text me or answer my calls.”
I’m struggling with deciding if Charlotte is crazy or dumb. Because none of her decisions make sense.
“How did you get here?”
“Taxi.”
“You’re not staying here. We’re taking you home, and you’re going to get on the couch and keep your ass there.”
“She’s not coming.”
“She is coming. Because I’m done being alone with you after that last stunt you tried to pull.”
That gains Frankie’s full attention. “What stunt?”
I didn’t want to tell her about Charlotte trying to tempt me with sex, but we’re approaching a point where I have no choice. I’m not sure what she’ll try with me. “You and I will talk about that after we drop her off.”
Charlotte laughs. “Porter loved fucking me in the ass. He said he’d never had his cock squeezed so tight before. I told him he could fuck it again if he wanted. Anytime. It’s an open-ended offer.”
Frankie looks at me and I shake my head. “I swear that did not happen.”
“Oh, Frankie. Does he not do that with you? Because you’re not much of a girlfriend if you’re not giving him the backdoor action he needs. It’s what he loves.”
Frankie leaves the bedroom, collecting her clothes from the floor, with me close on her heels. “Stop, baby.”
I grasp her arms and hold her in place. “Don’t let her get to you. You know she’s crazy.”
“She may be crazy. But at this rate I may very well be crazy too by the time this baby is born.”
“She sees you get upset and she interprets that as a weakness in our relationship. I know you’re pissed off, but we have to show her that she hasn’t found a way to breach our walls. That our love is as strong as it’s ever been.”
“I know. I know. You’re right.”
Frankie yanks her clothes on while walking to the bedroom door. “Hey clusterfuck. Get your ass in the truck. We’re taking you back to tu casa.”
26
Frankie Dawson
It’s Brooke and Dillyn’s last weekend in Tuscaloosa before they move to Austin. There’s no way I’d let my besties leave without spending time with them, but I feel so guilty for leaving Porter behind to deal with clusterfuck.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go with me?”
“I like Brooke and Dillyn but this should be a girls’ weekend.”
“They won’t mind if you come. I promise.”
“It’s okay. I haven’t done anything with Lucas and Oliver in a while. Maybe I’ll get together with them.”
It’s been two weeks since Charlotte’s last stunt. We’re due for another shenanigan at any time. “I’m a little afraid of what clusterfuck will try to pull while I’m gone.”
“Don’t worry. I can handle anything she throws my way.”
Charlotte is a special kind of crazy. There’s definitely something off in her head, but I’ve not yet figured out what it is.
“Come here.” Porter lowers the tailgate of his pickup and lifts me to sit on it. He steps between my legs and I wrap them and my arms around him tightly. “Mmm… damn. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I want you to see your friends before they go, but I hate being away from you this weekend. I’m fucking addicted to you.”
“I know the feeling.”
I should be getting on the road to beat the Friday afternoon traffic, but I don’t want to release my hold on Porter.
“Watch it, boss.” Porter and I turn at the same time to see my dad coming out of the brewery. “Daddies don’t like seeing their little girls make out.”
“You know what, Scott? You’ve called me boss for the past five years, but it suddenly feels like I’m the one who should be calling you boss.”
My dad points to the warehouse. “In there, you’re the boss.” He points to me. “When it comes to my baby girl, I’m the boss.”
“I think we can agree on that one.”
“Your mama said you’ll be gone for the weekend.”
“I’m going down to see Brooke and Dillyn before they leave.”
“I guess I’d be moving you to Texas next week if this guy hadn’t swept you off your feet.” My dad points to us. “I’m not disappointed this is happening, especially since it’s keeping my baby home where she belongs.”
Porter squeezes me. “Don’t worry. I’m keeping this girl right here with me. She’s not going anywhere.”
“Be careful and tell Brooke and Dillyn to not be strangers.”
“I will. See ya, Dad.”
Porter helps me off the tailgate and pulls me into his arms. “Have a good time with your girls.”
“Always do.” It’s impossible not to have a good time with those two. I’m going to miss them terribly.
Brooke’s curling her hair and Dillyn is applying makeup when I arrive at the apartment. I guess that means we’re going out.
Brooke looks at my Iron City T-shirt and denim shorts. “I hope you brought something besides that to wear.”
“I came straight from work. Of course I brought something else to wear.”
“Good, because we are going to par… tay tonight.”
Dillyn tugs my hair. “Hope it’s okay if Brendon comes.”
I was hoping for a girls’ night, but I don’t mind Dillyn’s brother going with us. He’s sort of like one of the girls anyway.
“And Chad’s coming too.”
Well, hell. I would have brought Porter for sure if I’d known this was going to turn into a group thing.
“Where are we going?”
“Anywhere we can get drunk and dance our asses off.”
There was a time when I’d have been super excited about those kinds of plans but not so much now that I’m with Porter. I get far more excited about hanging out with him at his condo.
Damn. Have I become domestic?
The taxi drops us at a bar we’ve been to no less than a million times. “I haven’t been here in months but looks like nothing’s changed.”
“New semester. New faces.”
Yeah. And most of them younger than us.
I prefer my older man. These guys look like they should be drinking beer from a sippy cup.
We luck out and lay claim to an abandoned table. “We could sit here all night waiting on a waitress to come around. Go get us some drinks, Brendon.”
“Ever hear of the word please?”
“Pleeease,” Dillyn says.
Chad goes with Brendon to the bar and I’m glad; I want to talk to Brooke. “How are things going with Chad?”
“Good, but apparently not good enough since he didn’t ask me to stay. I think this was just a summer fling for him.”
I know she must be disappointed. “There’s still time. You have the weekend to convince him it’s more.”
Dillyn punches my arm. “Don’t encourage her to flake on moving. I can’t go to Austin by myself.”
“It’s been fun. The sex has been one to two levels abov
e mediocre. But I don’t think it’s the real thing. Not like what you have with Porter.”
Dillyn nods. “I expected you to bring him.”
I wish I had. “He wanted me to have fun with y’all.”
“I’m so glad he’s not one of those possessive assholes,” Dillyn says.
“Oh, he’s very possessive… but in the hottest way.”
“Is the sex still good?” Brooke asks.
“Phenomenal.”
“You need to hang on to that one.”
“I am. We’re talking about getting married.”
Dillyn’s eyes nearly bug out of her head. “Shut the fuck up. When?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t proposed, but he told my dad they’d be having the talk soon.”
“He plans on asking your dad first. That’s so sweet. Is he okay with you being with his boss?”
“Yeah. He likes Porter a lot. They’ve always sort of been boss-employee friends.”
Brendon and Chad return to the table. “White for you. Red for you. And a Mule for you.”
“We have to make a toast.”
“Here’s to never letting distance come between us.”
“Good one.”
“To frequent flyer miles.”
“Another good one.”
“To the two best friends… I’ve ever had.” I choke up on the last part, and Brooke and Dillyn come around the table to hug me.
“We’re still going to see each other.”
“That’s right. Porter will propose soon, and we’ll come back for your engagement party.”
“And of course we’re going to be your bridesmaids. We’ll be back so we can pull all kinds of shenanigans before the wedding.”
“I know. It’s just sad seeing you leave; I never had good friends before the two of you.”
Brooke picks up my Moscow Mule and holds it to my mouth. “Drink. Tonight is about a good time. No more of this crying shit.”
And that’s what we do.
Drink.
Two nights of partying with Brooke and Dillyn have kicked my ass. I feel like I need to lie down and sleep for a week.