Undercover - Chapter 4

"Joseph Anthony Morelli, as your mother, I forbid you to abandon your pregnant wife and run away with that whore from your past. I don't care what noble cause you seem to have found to justify it, or whether your wife says you should go or not. I will not allow it." Joe's mom had smacked him in the head and was now standing on a footstool so she could get in his face while shaking her finger.

Joe was trying so hard not to laugh. His face was turning red and he was biting his lip so hard I thought it would bleed. The veins in his neck were pulsing and he was having a tough time holding it together. I presume he learned how to keep this straight face either in the Navy or the Police

Academy. I have not learned it, myself.

He finally spoke, "Ma, I'm sorry you don't see eye to eye on this with me, but it's really Stephanie's and my decision, you know? If anyone can tell me not to go, it's her. You are going to have to just accept our decision and go along with it. It's only 4 months." Or six, or 9, or however long it takes, I thought to myself. "I'm glad you are worried about us. That's nice, but you should take all this …. energy and channel it into happiness for us about the baby." He was holding her elbows to steady her on the footstool because he was afraid she'd fall and break a hip. I was sitting on the sofa trying not to giggle. One peep out of me and Joe would fall in the floor laughing and then I'd be in trouble with my mother-in-law right along with him.

Everyone in Joe's family has a temper, including Joe. To anyone not involved directly in the argument at hand, it usually seems laughable, especially when it involves this 5'3", 74 year old woman and her 6 foot baby boy. She has never had control over Joe since he was born. I have no idea why she thinks she can do it now. When Joe's siblings are here, it's even worse. They tease him about being her favorite, which he is, and she tries to deny it and then Joe picks at her until she just loses it with him and gets in his face. No one in the world could get by with what Joe does to his mother and live to tell about it. Angie Morelli can stop any other person, including Joe's older brothers, with just a glare, but not Joe. He gets charged up by fighting with her. I hadn't seen this side of Joe's family until recently. He'd confessed he had hidden it from me. Not because my family is so sedate, but because his is just exponentially loony.

If someone tells me what to do, I just narrow my eyes and say 'make me' but Joe just listens, considers it and then goes on to do what he wants. He's so darned self-controlled. I love watching him and his mother fuss at each other. He doesn't lose his cool and he's always respectful to her, but they both know she can't do a darned thing to him and he just loves to tease her.

She continued, now poking him in the chest with her index finger as she spoke every word. "I never wanted you to become a police officer. It has brought me nothing but misery. This is a mistake. Mark my words."

"So marked," he said. "It's late, I'm taking Stephanie home. Don't forget, the undercover operation is not for public knowledge. The baby is." He picked her up off of the footstool and put her down on the floor with a peck on the cheek. "We'll be by to give you more information before I leave town. Tell Grandma Bella goodnight for us."

Joe's Grandma Bella was thrilled about the new of the baby. She had an immediate 'vision' about how it was a boy and would grow up to be a police officer just like his father. Of course, then she had to go lie down because her visions always make her tired. This had given us a chance to talk to Joe's mom about the undercover operation.

"Wait a minute." Joe's mom said. "I have cookies in the kitchen all ready for you." She said and she went to pick up his care package. Leave it to an Italian mother not to let you leave her house without food, regardless of how much you have argued with each other while you were there. We waited, avoiding all eye contact until she was back and had kissed each of us goodnight.

We walked in silence to the truck. After we were both settled in our seats, we started laughing. Loud, snorting, barks of laughter erupted from both of us. We were just feeding off of each other. We'd both really needed a laugh today. We laughed and giggled all the way back to our house. I had tears running down my cheeks from laughing and Joe was nearly as bad. I was afraid I was going to wet my pants if we didn't get home soon so I rushed past him when he opened the front door so I could dash to the bathroom. He was going through the mail in the kitchen and was still smiling when I came out.

I said to him, "You've had a helluva day. You've been scolded by both of our mothers, had to put up with a hormonal, pregnant wife who is insanely jealous of a skank with whom you are 'romantically linked', and had to chase down your ex-lover's ex-husband. That's enough for anyone, isn't it?"

He chuckled, turned off the lights and followed me upstairs. I could tell he was afraid to comment on my remarks.

I whipped my shirt open and said, "Think they are bigger today than they were yesterday?"

He smiled and kissed me very tenderly. I could tell he wasn't in a playful mood anymore. He wanted to show me that he loved me. He wanted to prove to me that he was in love with me and only me. I've said before that Joe knows how to go slow. It's like he is in slow motion when he gets in this mood. He kisses me slowly. He takes his time undressing me and when he finally gets around to making love to me, there is no frantic passion to be found. He just continues to caress me and to love me, oh…. so…. slowly. He should patent this process. It is amazing. I can't say that I have the super-orgasm this way like I do when he rides me like a rodeo bull – but those wear you out. This way I can look forward to an unbroken string of amazing medium sized orgasms and Joe ensures they are plentiful. He never loses contact with 'that spot' and in his slow motion, lazy way he brings me to climax oh, five or six times, at least, I would say and then finally joins me when I am just about to pass out from bliss. When I get impatient, frantic to yell 'faster, faster', or try to take control, he just places his hands on my hips to stop me from moving at all. He is amazing.

When I woke up at 3:45 a.m. because Bob was licking my face, Joe was still clinging to me. Bob needed to go outside. I pulled away from Joe, shoved my arms into a robe, and took Bob downstairs. He ran out the back door and tinkled on the grass. He seemed to still need to take care of business, so I thought I'd go to the bathroom while I was waiting on him. When I went back to let him in, there was no Bob. Dammit. He doesn't ever run away from Joe. He just does it to me.

I didn't have any shoes on. I called out the back door, quietly, hoping I wouldn't wake the neighbors. I ran upstairs and started looking for some shoes I could put on. I was tossing things around, I guess and woke Joe. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Bob ran away. He needed to go outside and I let him but now he's disappeared." I responded with a lot of disgust hanging from my voice.

"I'll go get him. You get back in bed." He grabbed his sweats and a pair of deck shoes and lumbered down the stairs half asleep.

I guess I fell asleep immediately because the next thing I was aware of was Joe turning on the water in the shower. Glancing at the clock I saw it was almost 8 a.m.!

"Joe, did you find Bob?" I called into the bathroom.

"No. He's nowhere. I'm waiting until I think someone will be in the office and I'll call Animal Control to see if he got picked up." I could tell by Joe's voice that he was worried about not being able to find him. Bob's never really gone AWOL before.

"You're usually gone to work by now," I said, "I'm sorry you are going to be late."

He opened the door, grabbed my wrist gently and pulled me into the bathroom and then into the shower with him. "I thought if you had time today, we'll run some errands to try to get things squared away. We don't even have a joint bank account yet. I want to be sure you can get to any money you may need before I'm out of touch. I have a physical for some extra life insurance at 11 a.m., too. Besides that, we can do whatever you want to today."

He was so considerate. I didn't want to think about needing the additional life insurance but it was nice that he'd thought of it.

I responded, "I have one skip to run down this morning. I could do that while you are at your physical. After that, maybe we can play it by ear." I teared up and started sobbing. "Oh, I hope Bob's okay!"

"Honey, it's okay. We'll find him." He was trying to be strong, but I knew he was worried about Bob, too. He's such a dopey dog.

After our shower, Joe left me in peace alone in the bathroom. He'd wandered across the hall to the office he'd set up there. I could hear him clicking on the computer keyboard until I started the blowdryer.

He was smiling big when he stuck his head in a couple of minutes later. "Bob's been arrested. He must have just gotten lost. He's at the shelter. I'll get dressed and go bail him out of jail."

Whew. All is well with my world again, I thought. But then, I started throwing up. I thought I was going to be able to skip the morning sickness. I'd really felt fine until after I found out I was pregnant. My mother said she never felt better in her life than when she was pregnant. I was hoping I would be the same way. Even though I was really nauseous I thought I looked pretty good. Maybe it is that 'glowing' thing that I always hear about when people get pregnant.

I wandered downstairs to get something to eat. I usually eat junk for breakfast but I should try to find something more nutritious since I'm having a baby. Joe had put the coffee on before he left, bless him. I put a lot of milk in for the calcium. That should be good for me, right? Upon inspection, I found the refrigerator sorely lacking in healthful choices. There were some carrots I kept in there for Rex but that seemed a bit extreme. I finally settled on leftover spaghetti for breakfast. That seemed reasonably healthy. I didn't want to wash a plate, so I just ate it out of the pan cold.

Bob came bounding in the back door about when I was finished eating. "I'm so glad to see you!" I cried as I hugged him to me. "That was very naughty. You should not run away. What if mommy and daddy couldn't find you?" As soon as I said it, I wished I could take it back.

Joe was grinning at me. "Mommy and Daddy? Cupcake, I think this baby is doing something to you."

I had ideas of things to do to Joe. I took his hand and led him upstairs. It was time for a rodeo.