*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
"So I will be over to pick you up ab out 6:00," I say to Madden as we are talking on the phone, something we have been doing a lot lately as in talking about 3 times today alone on the phone.
"All right," she says and I can hear her smile through the phone. "And you're sure Dean and his wife can handle the girls tonight?"
"I'm sure," I say. "Surprisingly enough Dean is really good with kids I think it's because he's really a big child at heart. They will be all right with Dean and Renee I promise."
"Okay," she says. "They are my babies especially Mari I have to make sure that everything is perfect for them."
"And it will be," I promise her. "I just want you to enjoy tonight and enjoy our time together tonight."
"I'm sure I will but I haven't been on a date in a few years probably since Wyatt," she says. "So I am a little nervous about tonight."
"You have nothing to be nervous about," I say, "it's going to be fun."
"Thanks," she says, "so I am going to get off of here and get the girls ready for their babysitter and then I'm going to get ready for tonight. I will see you at 6."
"See you at 6," I smile before I hang up the phone and put my cellphone down on the bed beside me as Seth looks over at me.
"So you're really going on a date with the mother of the child that you donated your bone marrow to?" he asks.
"Yeah, I wasn't going to but I decided to take a chance. It's just a date. It's not like I'm asking her to marry me or anything. It's a chance for us to get to know each other better. I know all about Mari and Gatsby. I want to get to know Madden a little better."
"I'm sure you had plenty of opportunity to talk to Madden today and get to know her better all the times you talked to her on the phone today."
I smile and say, "you should be happy that I am actually happy about taking a woman out on a date. You know I haven't really been into the dating scene for a while. Madden is just different. I don't want to say she reminds me of Kate because she doesn't but there's just something about Madden that I am attracted to."
"I am happy for you I just don't know if this is a good idea given the circumstance. I don't think it's a good idea to go out with the woman who is the mother of the child you donated your bone marrow to. It kind of looks suspicious."
"No, nothing suspicious. Madden is a beautiful woman. VERY beautiful and intelligent and smart. She's an amazing mom. She's just something special." I say.
"Okay, Joe," he says, "I'm just looking out for you. You know that she's probably dealing with a lot with her daughter having cancer and I am sure she is in a financial crisis and may need some money. I just want you to be careful."
"I'm sure she's not after money if that's what you're thinking," I defend Madden.
"I'm just saying, Man. Just be careful."
"All right," I say ending it there. This is the first time in years that I have shown any interest in a woman and wanting to date them since I lost my wife. I don't want to think of Madden in a negative light or think she is only dating me for my bank account instead of because she has genuine feelings for me. I know the feelings are real I have felt them in the way she looks at me, the way she talks to me but then she could also be a con artist and just really good at pretending to care for me. I shake the thoughts out of my mind and start to get ready for my date with Madden.
Meanwhile:
I'm standing in my room looking at three outfit choices to wear on my date with Joe tonight after taking a shower as Gatsby and Mari come into my bedroom as I am standing in my towel with my hair wrapped up drying. "What are you doing?" asks Gatsby.
"Looking at outfits to find one to wear on my date with Joe tonight," I say.
"You're going on a date with Mr. Joe?" she asks with a smile.
"I am," I say with a smile.
"That's great!" she says.
"Yes it is," says Mari with a smile.
"What do you think I should wear?" I ask the girls.
"I like this outfit," points Mari. "I think it's pretty."
"I like it too," says Gatsby. "I think you should wear that one, Mommy."
"You think this one?" I say holding up a black skirt and a coral blouse, "or do you think this one is better?" I ask holding up the outfit they both chose that is a pair of distressed jeans, black lace ¾ sleeve shirt with a black cami attached.
"Definitely that one," points Mari to the black shirt and jeans. "The other outfit is not for a date with Mr. Joe."
"I agree, Mommy," she says. "That looks like you are going to a parent teacher conference as the teacher and that one looks more like you're going to have fun."
"You don't think I am too old to wear this do you?" I ask.
"No," they both shake their heads and say. "You never look old."
"Thank-you," I say with a smile. Being a full-time single mother at the age of 30 certainly does have a way of making me feel older than I am. "I do like this outfit and we are just going out to never mind you two are too young to discuss this with. We are just going out on a date."
"Okay, Mommy, but definitely wear the black shirt," says Gatsby. "You look pretty in black."
"Thank-you," I say with a smile. "How do you think I should do my hair for tonight? Should I put it up or should I let it down?"
"I think you should braid it," says Mari.
"Yes, braid it to the side," says Gatsby.
"All right, make up or no make up?" I ask.
"A LITTLE make up around your eyes," says Gatsby like she's a teenager and understands fashion and make up but she is right about the make up around my eyes. It will definitely make my blue eyes stand out. "You're going to look so pretty Mommy!"
"Thank-you," I smile.
"Do you love Mr. Joe?" asks Mari.
"I don't love anyone but my two favorite girls and your daddy," I say. "I do like Mr. Joe a lot and I just want to see where everything goes if that makes sense."
"Can he come to Hawaii with us?" she asks.
"I don't think so, Baby Girl. I think it's going to just be the three of us that go to Hawaii. Are you excited for Hawaii?"
"I am. I can't wait to meet Moana she is my favorite princess in the whole world!"
"Do Daddy's mommy and daddy live in Hawaii?" asks Gatsby.
"Yes," I say.
"When can we meet them?" asks Mari.
"I don't know if you will ever be able to meet them," I say sadly. "Your daddy had a really big fight with them before we got married and they didn't talk to each other since so the chances of us meeting them are pretty slim."
"We can meet them in Hawaii," says Gatsby.
"If only it were that easy," I say, "look I don't want to lie to either of you your grandparents or your daddy's parents didn't like me very much and were never happy with your dad being with me. They wanted him to marry an Island girl but he married me instead they weren't happy about it. They have never met you in their life and unless a miracle happens they probably never will. I wish that you could have a relationship with them and I have tried. It's just not working out and I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Mommy," says Gatsby. "We have you."
"Yeah," says Mari, "we have you and you're the bestest mommy in the whole world." I smile with tears in my eyes. My entire life has been a sacrifice for them. I have given up so many things for them especially for Amari. My entire two years have been dedicated to my girls. "I love you."
"I love you too, both of you so so much more than words could ever say," I say with a smile.
"More than the stars in the sky?" asks Mari.
"More than the stars in the sky," I say.
"And more than the universe?" asks Gatsby.
"Even more than the universe," I smile, "I love you two but I really need to get ready for my date so I kind of need my privacy."
"Okay, Mommy," they say before they skip out of the room giving me time to myself to get ready to go out with Joe. I can't even deny how nervous I am to be going on my first date since Wyatt. I know I have to move on from Wyatt at some point but my heart will always be his. Just accepting the invitation for this date surprised me it was like I answered before my brain had time to process what was happening and now here I am getting ready for a date.
About 10 minutes before 6 I walk downstairs to see the girls coloring together in the living room. I love that they have such a close bond with each other despite everything. Gatsby turns to look at me as I stand in the living room in the distressed blue jeans, black lace shirt with my hair braided off to the side and knee high leather boots with a heel on them. "You look pretty," she says.
"Very pretty," says Mari with a smile.
"Thank-you," I say, "is my lipstick too dark?" I ask.
"No it's perfect," says Gatsby. "I like that red."
"Me too," I say with a smile as the doorbell rings.
"I'll get it!" yells Mari before she runs to the door to answer it. A few minutes later Joe walks into the living room holding Mari in his arms followed by Dean and his wife.
"Wow," says Joe with a smile as he looks at me. "You look beautiful," he says as the girls giggle.
"Thank-you," I blush. "I like how you look though," I say with a smile as he stands in front of me wearing his hair in a high bun on his head wearing a leather jacket over what I believe is a black t-shirt with a pair of blue jeans and a pair of J's on his feet.
"Thank-you," he says, "so this is Dean and this is his wife Renee," he introduces us.
"Nice to meet you," I say shaking their hands. "Thank-you so much for keeping the girls for me I am a little nervous but Amari has already had her medicine for the day. They don't need to take baths tonight but they do need to be in bed by 8:30 since Gatsby has school tomorrow and Amari has school as well."
"All right," says Renee. "I think we are going to have a lot of fun tonight. Are you girls ready to have fun?"
"Yes!" they say together with a smile on their faces.
"I promise they are in really good hands and you have nothing to worry about. We can check in with you every 30 minutes if that makes you feel better."
"That's all right," I say with a smile. "I'll call to check in before bedtime if we aren't back by then."
"We won't be back before then," says Joe with a smile.
"All right, I will check in around 8:30. Thank-you so much for doing this I really appreciate it."
"I hope you two have a good time tonight," says Renee with a smile.
"I hope so too," I say looking up at Joe. "All right, girls we're going to go. I will be back later. I love you."
"Love you, Mommy," they say together. I give Amari a kiss on the cheek before Joe puts her down on the ground and then give Gatsby a kiss on the cheek before I grab my jacket from the hook. I thank Renee and Dean once again before Joe and I walk out of the house. Joe takes my hand as we walk to his rental car before he opens the passenger door for me closing it once I get settled in. He rounds to the driver's seat and opens the door and climbs into the black SUV.
After a nice ride in his SUV of us making small talk we end up in the city of Philadelphia to get a really good cheesesteak. You can't come to Philly and not hit up Sonny's Famous Steaks for a really good cheesesteak. He parks the car and we get out to walk into the restaurant that's busy as usual but it's always worth the wait. "All this for a cheesesteak?" he asks.
"They are the best in the area," I say with a smile. "It's always worth the wait."
"I hope so," he says with a smile. "So I'm glad we could actually get out tonight. I don't know too much about you but I know a lot about Gatsby and Amari. I want to get to know you better."
"I'm an open book," I smile. "So have you enjoyed Philly?"
"I haven't had much time to really do anything between meeting y'all and then working RAW I didn't get much time to do anything."
"I wish we could have taken you out to see some things while you were here it's just with Mari and her immune system I try to limit going into crowds. There's so much to see here it's not just the cheesesteaks although that's something you can't pass up while visiting the city of brotherly love."
"Philly doesn't love me very much," he says, "I won a Royal Rumble in this city before and I got booed out of the arena then they decided to stop the superstars from leaving the arena because they were upset."
"Well, Philly fans are really passionate when it comes to sports. Have you ever been here after the Eagles won the playoffs and the Super Bowl? They went nuts they pretty much destroy their own city and climb light posts they even tip over cars. If they lose it's just the same. Philly fans can't handle their sports appropriately."
"Ah, that makes sense," he says with a smile. "Do you like living here in Philly?"
"I don't like living in the city itself which is why I live outside the city. I like the city just not living in it the traffic is horrendous as you can see."
"I noticed," he says, "so what kind of Cheesesteak do you recommend?"
"I usually get a regular cheesesteak with onions, peppers and cheese whiz never get provolone or American cheese it's not the same. You have to get the cheese whiz. It's a hot greasy mess of goodness."
"Sounds delicious," he says.
"Seriously it's greasy but amazing it's like a heart attack but SO worth it."
"All right," he smiles as we finally get up to the counter to order. I order for both of us because I know what to say and how they go about the orders. I order us each a cheesesteak with the onions, cheese whiz and peppers along with a soda for each of us. We move off to the side as Joe pays for our dinner and they prepare our sandwiches. They hand us our sandwiches and we search for a table before we finally find one off in the corner.
We make our way over to the table and Joe pulls my chair out for me before taking his own seat. We open our sandwiches and take our first bite together. "Yeah this is some greasy goodness," he says with a smile. "Amazing."
"I told you that you would like it," I say. "So what's it like being a WWE superstar?"
"It's a hectic life but I love it. WWE wasn't always in the plan for me. I went to college for business but I also played football but that didn't work out for me. I got sick with leukemia just after graduating from college so I had to take some time off from the field even though I didn't do too well in the draft but I needed to focus on my health and get myself healthy again. I thought I wanted to go back to football but I chose to follow my father's and brother's path to be a wrestler. I got into training and ended up getting into WWE's developmental league. I never thought I would love it so much it's a lot of time out on the road and away from home but I also get to see the world. I mean I am kind of a private guy but it's hard to have a private life when you're on TV every week."
"I am sure how do you deal with the fame?"
"I never really turn down autographs and pictures unless I am eating but I do keep to myself and not give the public too much information about me. I feel bad for my family because a lot of people think they can friend my family to get to me but you know they just want a private life."
"I bet that's hard," I say, "but you like it, you like what you do?"
"I love what I do even with the chaos that comes along with it. I made some of my best friends being in WWE. Dean and Seth are my two best friends we travel together and Seth and I usually room together unless his girlfriend is on the road with us and of course Dean and Renee room together."
"Dean and Renee are they good with kids?" I ask.
"Yes they are amazing with kids I secretly think they both want to have a baby but they will never admit it but it's a hectic lifestyle when one person is on the road all the time but when both are out on the road at a time I think it's even more hectic. I think once they settle down they may have a baby but like I said they will never admit it. Gatsby and Amari are in good hands."
"That's good to know. I don't like to leave them with strangers." I say.
"I understand that but Dean and Renee are good people, so why Gatsby why did you name her Gatsby?" he asks.
I smile and say, "you ever hear of The Great Gatsby?"
"Yeah," he says eating his sandwich.
"Well, Wyatt and I really love that book because of the message it sends so we knew our first child was going to be named Gatsby it's a little odd when a girl is named Gatsby but it fits her so well and I love it."
"I think it's a pretty cool name and what about Amari?" he asks.
"We just really liked the name Amari but it also means Miracle of God and if anything she is truly our miracle she's come so far in the last few months and she's hopefully in remission for a long time but we just loved her name not because of meaning or anything."
"I think it is a beautiful name," he says, "so tell me a little bit about you. I want to know did you go to college or what?" he asks.
"I did go to college. I went to college with Wyatt that's how I met him. I actually went for nursing. I was a pediatric nurse until Amari got sick. I resigned so that I could give her as much of my time as I could to be with her through the treatments, be home with her. I hope to go back to nursing in the near future but it all depends on how well she does and if she stays in remission. Dr. Anderson worries about the fact that her own cells are attacking the new ones. I hope they aren't now but it's a possibility."
"I understand that so you liked nursing?" he asks.
"I love it. It was the best job in the world. I liked working with the babies and kids. I want to go back."
"I'm sure you were an amazing nurse," he smiles. "So what do you do for fun, what kind of things do you like, are you from Philadelphia?"
"Whoa, that was a lot of questions but yes I am from Philadelphia. I went to college in Texas where I met Wyatt then we were stationed in Arizona and then Philadelphia which was great for me to be around my family. I don't know what I do for fun I haven't had much fun in the last couple years. I used to like going out to hang out with my friends. I like to watch movies but that's about it. I like to read too. I enjoy cooking. What about you? Where are you from and what do you like to do for fun and what kind of things do you like?" I ask.
"I know just trying to get to know you better," he says. "As for me I am from Pensacola, Florida but I live in Tampa with my cousin Nia. I don't really have much time to have fun but I do like going out for fun just taking an adventure somewhere but most of my fun is done at home. I like to read too and watch movies. What's your favorite type of movie genre, mine is horror."
"I like romantic comedies and comedy movies I also like action movies," I say. "So you live in Tampa, you never get to enjoy the cold winters."
"Not at all the coldest it gets is maybe 50 degrees for a high but that lasts about a week in January each year," he says.
"50 degrees is NOTHING compared to the negative temps we get up here that's cold."
"I bet I am not a winter person," he says with a smile. "So I am not into this whole dating thing and haven't been on a date that I really wanted until I asked you out. What are you really looking for?"
"Bold," I smile, "I am looking to have some fun and just see where things go from here. I haven't been on a date since Wyatt. I just haven't been ready to date."
"I get that," he says. "I understand that. So tell me is there anything else you want to do tonight the night is young and I know we don't just want to sit and eat cheesesteaks all night. Want to take me sightseeing?" he asks.
"I can show you Love Park," I say, "but mostly everything is closed now we could go see a movie."
"That sounds like a good plan, what's Love Park?" he asks.
"Love Park is just a park that has a Love sign it's nothing really special but it's something to visit."
"I vote for a movie after this or we could go to mini golf or something what do you want to do. I don't care as long as I get to do it with you."
"You play pool?" I ask. "We can go to the pool hall."
"I am pretty good at pool I'm down for that," he smiles.
"All right but I am pretty good at pool so don't expect to get any victories," I say.
"We'll see about that," he smiles as we finish up.
"You doubting me?" I ask.
"Never," he says, "it's just I am pretty good at pool."
"Yeah but I'm sure I am the best," I say with a smile.
"Like I said we'll find out."
"You're on, want to make a bet?" I ask.
"Oh so you're a gambler?" he asks with a smile. "I never would have guessed."
"Maybe," I say with a smile, "so you want to make a bet?"
"Yeah, what's the bet? How about if I win you go out on another date with me."
"Who said I wasn't already thinking about another date with you?" I ask.
"Well, if I win then it's official."
"And even if you don't win it's official but if I win I get to choose the next date and if you win maybe you get a good night kiss," I wager.
"Hmm, what makes you think I wasn't thinking about kissing you already?"
"Hmm, how do you know I was going to allow you to kiss me?" I smile.
"I don't know," he says, "so you ready to go play a game of pool?"
"Yeah," I say.
"Okay, let's go and I have to say those were some good cheesesteaks," he says.
"I told you the best in Philly," I say throwing our things away.
"Yeah I have to agree with that," he says as we walk out the door.
I direct him to the pool hall and we play two games of pool one where I won and one where he won so naturally we had to play a third game to see who won and that's when I saw a new side to Joe, not that I am complaining. He had his game face on and he was trying to distract me every way that he could. He placed his arms around my waist at one point as I tried to take a turn of course I scratched from the radiating heat of his body, the sexual attraction between us. I did my best to distract him and it worked as I wrapped my arms around his waist. He lost all sense of the game and it was over when he wraps me up in his arms, backing me against the wall of the pool hall. I place my hands on his shoulders and look up into his dark brown eyes. He gives me a soft smile before he leans down kissing my lips softly. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back, he moans into my kiss as I rub the back of his neck softly as he kisses me deep, one arm wrapped around my waist and the other hand flat against my stomach as we share our deep kiss. No one has ever kissed me like this but Wyatt, no one has ignited the fire in me except for Wyatt. Breathless we break the kiss looking at each other for a couple seconds before our lips meet again for another soft kiss. "You should come back to my hotel room," he says breathlessly.
"Joe," I say, "I can't, not tonight."
"Madden," he breathes, "please tonight."
"What the hell," I say. "Let me call Dean and let him know we're going to be out a little later than expected."
"All right," he says with a smile. He hands me his phone to call Dean to let him know that I won't be home until a little later. I talk to the girls and tell them goodnight before I thank Dean again before hanging up the phone.
I hand his phone back to him and say, "So let's go."
*A/N: What did you think of their date? What do you think ignited the fire between them that she's considering going back to the hotel with him? Do you think they are going to go through with it or do you think they are going to get cold feet? Please review and thank-you for reading.
