Chapter Seven – Just a Taste

Sophie's eyes grew wider and wider as she watched the cupcakes being arranged on the three plates. The multitude of aromas was almost too much for her. Her mother often said she would get sick of the smell of sweet treats that took over the house but Sophie knew that wasn't true. She would never get tired of cakes. Or cupcakes. Or pies. Or cookies. Or any of the other many baked sweets that her mother created from nothing. Sucking hard on her thumb, she followed her mother to the rarely-used dining room. "Ooo, lots'a cakes!"

"I have some cupcakes for you," Christina promised, already knowing the question was coming. "You, Scarlett, and Ricky can have a picnic out back while I meet with Lou."

"She bring Sheamy?" Sophie asked hopefully.

"No, sweetie. Sheamy's too busy to come taste cakes."

"Shoot." Sophie spun on her heel to follow her mother back into the kitchen. "When Ricky get here?"

Christina opened her mouth only to smile at the sound of the doorbell. It rang once, then after a pause, again. His signal. "I think that's him now – Scarlett!" she called, catching Sophie's arm to make her tag along. She didn't think her youngest would destroy the samples in the dining room, but she wanted to make sure the temptation didn't arise. When she reached the front door she glanced back to see Scarlett coming downstairs, a book tucked under one arm.

"W'icky!" Sophie greeted, wrapping her arm around the young man's leg.

"Hi, Ricky." Scarlett's greeting was more subdued but she smiled just the same.

"Did you put a magnet in your pocket again?" Christina teased.

"Oh man, I swear I left it at home." He chuckled, lightly tickling Sophie's neck. Her squeal caused both adults to wince. "Easy on the eardrums, kiddo."

"We have picnic!" she announced, clinging to his leg as he stepped inside. He made a show of dragging his left leg, groaning under her weight, causing her to giggle.

"Yeah? With what?" he asked, straining to lift his foot off the floor. "Chicken?"

"Cupcakes!"

"A perfectly well-balanced meal!" Ricky plucked her off his leg, swinging her around in a circle before holding her out at arm's length. "Did you know that cupcakes are good for you?"

"They are?"

Christina smiled as she closed the door, listening to Ricky's promise that cupcakes were good for the soul. And she breathed a sigh of relief when he added that they were only good after a healthy meal. She looked on as he followed Scarlett through the kitchen to the back door, Sophie hanging sideways under his arm. She didn't worry when they were with him. Growing up in a family of five children with more than a dozen cousins had given Ricky a knack for dealing with kids.

He and his family had been the first to welcome them to the neighborhood. As quaint as it sounded, she enjoyed the occasional chat over the back fence with his mother when they were both grilling or enjoying the weather. The girls had standing invitations to the Jones' pool. Scarlett was an honorary daughter in a house full of boys, indulging Mrs. Jones' desire to have a girl to spoil. Sophie had warmed up to the family when they had adopted a dog from the local shelter. It was possibly the only creature on earth who had more energy than she did.

Ricky had proven himself trustworthy and reliable, coming over late one night to stay with a sleeping Scarlett when Sophie had developed a high fever. Christina well remembered the long hours in the emergency room worrying about both girls. When they'd come home shortly after dawn she'd found her oldest tucked on the couch watching cartoons while Ricky threw together breakfast. After that he'd become a mainstay in their lives, pitching in where he could. She knew she relied on him too much. What would she do when he started classes in the spring?

Shaking her head to clear away the thoughts, she double-checked the samples in the dining room. There were several of each twelve flavors Lou had requested to try, each with different icing choices. The labels affixed to toothpicks were in place. The tablecloth was clean, a large bowl covering the Kool-Aid stain that no amount of washing could remove. There were no random toys lying around, and the scented candle she had lit earlier had removed the hint of neglect in the room. She'd pulled open the curtains to let in the afternoon sunshine. Pleased, she rushed into the utility room to change shirts.

The doorbell rang just as she pulled the clean shirt over her head. Shoving her arms into the sleeves she felt something odd on her left arm and wriggled about, finally pulling the used dryer sheet out. After stuffing it into the pocket of her jeans she hurried to greet her guest and potential customer.

"Hello," Lou greeted warmly, leaning in for a quick embrace as she entered. "Your directions were wonderful. I hope I'm not too early? God, it smells fabulous in here."

"You're right on time." Christina smiled, pushing the door shut.

"Good. I'll be sure and brag to Stu about that. He says I'm forever late. But of course I make him wait for me. That way he appreciates me more. Are the girls here?" she asked. She held up the black shopping bag in her right hand. "I snagged some merchandise for them."

"They're out back having a picnic and under strict orders not to disturb us unless someone's broken a bone." Christina motioned in the direction of the dining room. "I have the samples set up in here."

"I'm right behind you."

"You didn't have to get them presents. They already like you," she informed as she led the way.

"That's good to know. And it was no trouble. There's always so much lying around and we're free to grab some. It comes in handy when I need a present for my dad."

Christina jumped when she felt a hand on the small of her back. There was a tug, and she stopped, turning to face Lou. "What—"

"These are cute." Lou dangled a pair of pink lace panties from her finger. "Did you get them from Victoria's Secret?"

"Oh, God," Christina groaned, snatching the garment away and pushing it into her pocket. Certain her face was as red as the soles of Lou's Louboutin pumps, she made her way into the dining room. "Yes, I did," she muttered. "And that's the danger of just throwing everything into one load."

"That's not too bad. I wore my favorite pair on a date with Stu. Our last before we moved in together. I stood up to go to the ladies' room and bam!" She snapped her fingers, gaze firmly on the array of cake samples. "They fell straight to my ankles. And of course the bastard had to get up when I did and be a gentleman. So he saw them, too."

"What did you do?" Christina asked, knowing she would die of embarrassment if such a thing happened to her.

"What could I do? I stepped out of them, picked them up, and tucked them in his pocket. Then I told him I should have known better than trying to wear them around him anyway." Lou set her purse on the floor and began taking off her jacket. "It all worked out though."

"True," she agreed, taking the jacket and draping it over the back of a chair. "You're going to get married."

"Well, there is that. But we had the most amazing sex when he took me home. Up against the front door of my apartment. I think I had an imprint of the door on my ass for weeks. Where do we start?"

"Anywhere. I don't have them in any particular order." Grateful for the subject change, Christina grabbed her notebook and pen from the sideboard. Try as she did, she couldn't push the mental image of Stu, shirtless and sweaty, out of her mind. She sat next to Lou, biting her lip hard when the image shifted to one of Stephen. It brought with it the memory of his spine-tingling kiss. "Did you know him long before your first date?"

"A couple months. Ste set us up. I told you, didn't I?" Lou picked up the nearest cupcake and placed it on the waiting plate in front of her. When Christina shook her head she smiled, peeling away the wrapper. "I was smitten the first time we talked. The accent, you know. He can make the most boring things in the world sound unbelievably sexy. Just this morning he was telling me what he wanted for breakfast. It was all I could do to keep from jumping him in the kitchen."

"Why would you want to?" Christina blurted, immediately clapping her hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry. That was unprofessional—"

"Pfft, like I care." Lou took a dainty bite, then smiled as she licked frosting from her lips. "Red velvet. My favorite. I want the layer done in this. Two layers, with cream cheese frosting of course. No filling." She took another, larger bite. "Ooh, I like the filling. Better get a dozen cupcakes just like this."

Christina nodded and began jotting it down. Lou had already decided on a tower of cupcakes in several flavors. The topmost portion of the tower would be a layer cake for Lou and Stu to cut into during the party, mainly for a photo opportunity.

"And for the record, I did jump him. It worked up a great appetite."

The pen skittered across the page. Christina looked up, eyes wide, to find Lou smiling again as she polished off the cupcake. "That's... Good," she offered meekly, looking on as the woman selected a lemon cream with custard filling.

"Sorry. I like you and when I like someone I tend to just say whatever is on my mind. And I'm not bragging. Well, not much." Lou reached for the glass of water next to her plate. She regarded Christina carefully before taking a sip. "I take it it's been a while for you?"

There was something about Lou that made it easy to share what she couldn't with others. "Three years," she sighed.

"Oh dear. I can understand why, though. Has no one interested you? Or have you just not looked?"

"Both, I think." Christina turned to a fresh page and carefully began writing down Lou's specifications. Stephen's kiss came to mind yet again. If she concentrated she could still feel his hands on her hips. She knew if she closed her eyes she would still feel the whisper of his fingers against her cheek.

"Is your car fixed yet?" Lou set the lemon cream aside and reached for another. Carrot.

"They're taking their sweet time. I'll be glad when it's finished. I hate having to ask people to give me a ride."

"You're free to one of our extras. Stu has two in the garage now that he never takes out." Lou held the cupcake up as she leaned to rummage in her purse. "I'll text him now and ask."

"Don't! Really, Lou, it will be fixed soon. I'm sure he doesn't want me driving one of his babies. Especially with kids. Sticky fingers and juice boxes and muddy feet..."

Lou set her phone next to the plate. "Keep it in mind at least. He was saying just the other day that he should have someone drive them around once in a while to keep them running."

"I'll keep it in mind," Christina promised. She knew full well that even if the mechanic told her it would take six months she would never take up Lou's generous offer. Baking the cake and cupcakes for her engagement party were one thing. Driving one of Stu's cars around on a regular basis was another.

"No you won't. You're just as stubborn as Ste." Lou sighed then turned her attention back to the cupcake. "A dozen carrot with cream cheese. Can you do a little fondant decoration so they'll look different from the red velvet?"

Nodding, Christina jotted down a few notes before launching into decorating possibilities. They discussed the color scheme of the party, and after Lou had worked her way through five more cupcakes she got the idea that the woman was classical in her tastes. That was obvious when she took in her appearance. She was put together, from the expensive heels on her feet to the simple twist of blonde hair on her head. Silver chandelier earrings, a black watch and the sparkling engagement ring were her only jewelry, complementing the tailored black slacks and brown, belted top. Her makeup was flawless. Her purse matched her top. Her nail polish matched her lipstick and the famous Louboutin red. She looked as though she'd just stepped from a photo spread on classic fall fashion.

Christina felt as though she had just crawled out of of 'what not to wear' column.

"How many dozen is that now?" Lou asked. Dabbing her lips with a napkin, she did not look as though she regretted the amount of cupcakes she had consumed. She reached for the glass of water and finished it off before settling back in her chair.

"Seven. Two red velvet, one carrot, two vanilla, and two chocolate."

"Let's change the carrot to two and make it an even eight. You can throw a couple extra in and make an even hundred, can't you?"

"Sure. I always bake extras just in case." Christina flipped to the next page and began to sketch. "I'm thinking something simple for the cake topper. If you don't have anything you want to use, we can do our own. Some like the initials of the couple, or even a little decoration that signifies something to them."

"I like our initials. Something sparkly."

"I'll come up with a few mock-ups and email them to you. Did you want to choose what the stand will be made out of today?"

An hour passed. Christina tossed out ideas, jotting down the ones Lou liked. The other woman nibbled at more cupcakes as they talked, making decisions on many things that usually didn't come up until closer to the event. She had photos of where she wanted the cake, even a sample of the fabric that would be used as a tablecloth. They discussed lighting, other items on the menu and even the dress Lou would wear.

"Mommy! I not 'ruptin', goin' pot – Miss Lou!" Sophie barreled into the room, skidding to a stop as she reached the woman's side. The hug she gave was reciprocated and she had no trouble climbing into her lap. "You here! I knowed you was comin'. Did you pick cakes for your party? When is your party? Can I come too? Sheamy takin' Mommy. I heard her tellin' Nanny on the phone but she don't know I know."

Christina clapped a hand over her face. Of course Sophie had overheard. Unless it was someone telling her to pick up her toys, she could hear whispers a mile away. "Sophie," she began, aware of Lou's curious gaze, "you were going potty, remember?"

"Oh! Got's'a go, Miss Lou. Time for pee-pees then Ricky help me on swing. Tell Sheamy I say hi? And that I love him." Sophie smacked a kiss to Lou's cheek then scrambled down, rushing out of the room as quickly as she'd entered.

The gaze was still on her. Still curious but now with a hint of amusement. Christina clicked her pen repeatedly before setting it down on the notebook. Leaning back in her seat, she finally looked to Lou and sighed. "You're dying to ask questions."

"Yes, I am." Lou crossed her legs. She checked her phone, reached for her empty glass then changed tactics and clasped her hands in her lap. "But I promised Stu that I'd keep my nose out of it."

She almost left it at that. But, aching for input from a female that wasn't related to her, she decided to help the woman ease her curiosity. "He asked me the night of the show. I thought he was just being nice. I said yes. And then..." She thought of the kiss, and the worry that he wouldn't call the next day. But he had. She'd expected their conversation to be awkward; instead, talking with him had been easy. As promised, she'd found all the photos she'd taken that night waiting in her email. It all came out in a rush to a slightly surprised Lou, who remained quiet throughout her spiel. She realized she was still babbling and stopped, rubbing her palms against her thighs. Taking a deep breath, she focused on her latest worry. "He wants to take the girls and I out to dinner and a movie."

"You're going aren't you?"

"I don't know. I told him I'd think about it."

"What's there to think about?" Lou touched her arm. "The girls adore him already don't they?"

"Yes."

"And you like him." It wasn't a question. "You know he's a nice guy. He's good with kids. And apparently he's a fantastic kisser."

"Yes, but—"

"It's just dinner and a movie, Christina. He's not asking you to marry him." She smiled. "Come on, say yes. Even if it ends up a disaster you get a night free of cooking and some laughs at the theater. But it won't be bad."

Christina realized that Lou didn't understand the true conundrum. Fiddling with her rings, she looked down at the gold that had never left her finger. "I loved Bradley," she murmured. "I still do. He was perfect. Well, to me he was. He had his faults. Everybody does. But I knew I could never find another man like him. So I haven't looked. It's just been me and the girls."

"Do you think they'd be upset if you started dating?" Lou asked, her tone gentle. "Scarlett's so quiet, I couldn't tell what she was thinking last weekend. Was she close to her father?"

"They were joined at the hip when he was home. The sun rose and set by him." Christina felt the ache in her chest. It was always there. "For me, too." Wetting her lips, she looked to Lou again. "She likes Stephen, but right now she just sees him as someone famous who did something nice for us. I don't know what she'd do if he was around more. And Bradley's parents," she groaned. "I know they expect me to mourn him forever. And I will."

"Sweetheart you're so torn up about this." Lou scooted her chair closer and tucked an arm around her, giving a gentle squeeze. "I think you're analyzing it too much. The girls will be fine no matter what. I can tell just looking around here that Bradley is still an important part of their lives. That will never change. I know I'm probably overstepping because we just met but I like you. So I'm going to give you my advice."

"What's that?" Christina asked softly.

"First of all, stop worrying about what everyone else will think. This is your life, not theirs. And you're an attractive young woman. Don't be afraid to go out and live a little." Lou gave another squeeze and her smile was reassuring. "Go out to dinner and a movie with Ste and the girls. If it goes well, get a babysitter to watch them and go out with him alone. Put on those pink panties and get laid."

A laugh of surprise bubbled from Christina's throat. "That's the solution to it all? Get laid?"

"No, it's not a solution. But it's a damn good start. And if it doesn't work out with him, there are plenty of other men that would no doubt give anything to date you. That Ricky guy—"

"I am not going to live out some pornographic plot with the boy next door!"

"Then live out one with Ste. Or whoever. Sex isn't the answer to everything of course, but it will get you to relax."

Christina tried to imagine herself in bed with a man. Any man. She felt overly warm when the only image her mind conjured up was Stephen. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "It's just dinner and a movie."

"Right."

"With the girls, so there won't be any pressure."

"Exactly."

"And I'm going to the engagement party with him, so there's that, too."

"Yes."

"Are you always this smart?"

"Between you and me, no. But Stu thinks I'm a genius." Lou's smile was warm as she pulled away. "I should probably get going."

Thanks were shared as they stood. Christina turned back to business, promising to have mock-ups for the cake topper sent to her email soon. When Lou eyed the leftover samples she laughed and offered to box them up for her, doing so when the woman squealed.

Box in hand, Lou made her way to the front door. "Ste's at our place working out with Stu," she announced. "He has a gym of his own of course but you know how men are. They can do more weights or something when there's another man in the room. Call him."

"Call Stu?" Christina fought a smile as Lou slipped on her jacket. "Well, alright. When you suggested I go out and get laid I didn't think you were offering your fiancé. Can you give me his number?"

"Oh my God no wonder Ste likes you so much. You're both horrible." Lou turned to face her, a playful scowl in place. "Call Stephen. By the time I get home there better be a date set. Or I'll be upset."

"Do you always bully people into doing what you want?" Christina inquired, smiling.

"Only the people I love. We'll talk soon. Give the girls hugs and kisses for me. And make sure those panties are clean."

"Goodbye, Lou," she groaned, returning the warm hug. She watched from the door as the woman got into her car, waving before she drove away. Closing the door, she took a deep breath and released it slowly. Once in the kitchen, she eyed her cell phone warily as she straightened up. Finally, with a muttered curse, she picked it up and found Stephen's name. She told herself she was doing this because she wanted to as she pressed the call button.

It rang once. Twice. On the third ring she waited for voicemail to pick up and hoped it would. It would be easier to talk to dead air than to him personally. Half a ring, then a brief silence before heavy rock music caused her to pull the phone away slightly. "Hello?"

Just the sound of his voice brought back the full memory of their kiss. Leaning against the counter for support, she cleared her throat. "Hi. Are you too busy to chat for a couple minutes?"

Unaware of the smile on his face, Stephen ended the call and stared at the screen of his phone for a moment. Dinner at six thirty the next night, followed by a movie. He'd told her the girls could choose. He momentarily wondered if he'd be forced to endure two hours of animated stupidity.

The smile on his face grew.

"Why do you look like the cat that swallowed the canary?"

Stu's voice boomed across the home gym, causing Stephen to jump out of his reverie. Hastily he cleared the screen of his phone, pausing to look at the photo of himself and Sophie before shoving it into his bag. "No reason," he answered, pulling the towel from around his neck and crossing to resume his workout.

"That was a woman." Stu grinned knowingly as he set down his dumbbells. "Who was it?"

"None of yer business," Stephen muttered.

"Cake lady, eh?"

"Shut it."

"You were fucking grinning like you just won the lottery. There's no damned way I'm shutting anything." Stu placed his hands on his hips and looked on as Stephen got onto the treadmill. With an indolent air he leaned against the wall, silent while his friend started up with a brisk jog. "You already did that, by the way."

"Fuckin' hell." Stephen planted his feet on either side of the conveyor and turned off the machine. Running a hand down his face, he scowled at the sound of Stu's laughter.

"Finally gave in to a date did she?" Stu asked after a few moments.

Lying on the bench, Stephen glared up at his friend. He was unable to speak at the moment, focusing on the rhythmic rise and fall of the weight bar. When it clanged back into place he sighed and rolled into a seated position. "She did," he finally answered.

"Where are you taking her?"

"Dinner and a movie. The girls are goin' too."

"Ooh, tough luck." Stu adjusted the weights then tapped Stephen's shoulder. "Spot me."

"It's not 'tough luck' yeh insensitive prick." He stood and moved around to the head of the bench. "Ah wanted 'em to come."

"You're not going to get any with two kids hanging around."

"Ah don't... It's not about... Fuck off." Stephen rested his hands on his hips, silently counting the repetitions of Stu's bench lifts.

"You're wild about her already, aren't you? Christ, mate, you can admit it. I'm not going to go around telling everyone." Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'll tell Lou. But I have to tell her. She'd kill me if I didn't."

"And ah'll kill yeh if yeh do."

"So you are?" Stu pushed the bar into place and sat up. "What happened last weekend?"

"Nothin'." Stu was just as stubborn as Lou, if not more so. But Stephen was more stubborn than the two put together.

"It's me, Ste. You don't have to lie to cover your ass." Stu got to his feet and motioned for Stephen to take his place. "And it's not like you're a gentleman or anything, so you can kiss and tell."

"There's nothin' to tell," Stephen insisted, wishing he could think of something – anything – that would change the course of their conversation. "And ah am a gentleman."

"Lou said she heard from Christina that the sex was pretty damned good."

"Ah call bullshit on that," Stephen grunted as he began lifting again. He focused on the movements, exhaling slowly when his muscles began to burn. "One, she's not the type to talk about that and two—"

"The sex was bad?"

"What? No!" Stephen slammed the bar onto the rack.

"So it was good?"

"No. It was—" Stephen cut off with a growl when he saw the look of absolute glee on his friend's face. "There wasn't any sex. Yeh big ass."

"What was it, then?"

"A kiss, alright? Just a kiss."

"Just a kiss." Stu looked positively depressed.

"It was a great kiss," he defended.

"A great kiss," Stu deadpanned.

"Ah'm done talkin' about this." Stephen stood, rolling his shoulders to relieve the burn in his muscles. "Yeh got yer party all planned?"

"I guess. Lou's handling all the details. I just have instructions on what to wear. I'll be told twenty times that day when to start getting ready." Stu followed him. "Was this 'just a great kiss' mutual or did you initiate?"

"Ah have to ask Lou what she wants me to wear." Stephen picked up his bottle of water and took a sip. "And ah did."

"Just don't show up in jeans and a stained shirt and you'll be fine." Stu lowered his voice, as though someone could overhear. "Tongue?"

Stephen glowered. He thought about ignoring the question but knew it would be repeated endlessly until he answered it. With a sigh, he nodded. "Yeah."

"And she was into it?"

He thought back to the way she had held onto him. The dazed look in her eye when he had pulled away. And he smiled again. "She was."

"You copped a feel right?" Stu's face fell when Stephen didn't answer immediately. "Ste, mate, tell me you did. Oh, come on! You get her in for a kiss and don't take advantage? What the hell?"

"Ah'm a gentleman, remember?" he returned. He took another sip of water, looking away quickly. Too quickly.

"Tits? Or ass?" Stu demanded. "Wait, don't tell me. The ass. She seems the type to hold on too tight for a man to get a good feel of a tit."

"That she is," Stephen agreed with a grin.

"She does have a nice one." Moving over to the stereo, Stu lowered the volume. "And don't look at me like that."

Stephen wasn't surprised his friend knew he was scowling. He kept it in place, though, so the man could see it when he turned around. "Why were yeh lookin'?"

"Because I'm a man. Just because I'm engaged doesn't mean I'm dead. Plus, from what I saw, she likes to wear jeans that show off that particular asset." Stu turned and made an outline of a woman's figure with his hands. "You've always liked ladies with something to hold onto."

"Ah'm not havin' this conversation." He groaned, pushing the memory of Christina's curves from his mind, and grabbed a pair of dumbbells. Before Stu could bait him anymore, he blurted, "Ah take it Lou liked the ring?"

"Unbelievable," Stu muttered as he mopped perspiration from his face. "She did. I wasn't too worried, mate."

"Yeh sounded worried when yeh picked it up." Stephen perched on the edge of a bench and began a set of bicep curls.

"Well..." Stu shrugged, moving to the other bench to do the same. "I wasn't after we celebrated."

"Took her to dinner?"

"The next night, yeah. The night I asked we fucked like rabbits."

The heavy dumbbell crashed to the floor, narrowly missing Stephen's foot. "Christ, why are yeh tellin' me that?"

"I thought it was pertinent to the conversation." Grinning through the working of his muscles, Stu exhaled heavily and leaned to set the dumbbell on the floor before picking it up again to work his other arm. "And it's always good to know we haven't gotten stale, isn't it?"

"Ah've had the room next to yeh, ah know yeh ain't stale," Stephen muttered. "And no, plugging me ears never worked."

Stu's grin widened. "There's no shame in having a healthy, active sex life. You should try it some time."

"Wi't Lou? Ah don' think she'd like that... But if yer givin' us yer approval—"

"Fuck off, you know what I mean." Stu glanced up to regard his friend. "So, when are you going to take the skin boat to tuna town?" When he received a look of pure confusion, he grinned. "You know. Smash pissers. Part the pink sea. Feed the kitty. Get your hot dog on a bun. Plug the hole. Stab the trout—"

"Stop," the Irishman grumbled. Knowing he wouldn't be able to get a decent work out, he placed the dumbbells back on the rack and shook his head.

"Oh I've got dozens more." Stu dropped his dumbbell and lightly stretched his arms over his head. "Throw a log on the fire. Water the lawn. Sink the sub. Tickle your pickle. Service the clam. And my favorite: make the beast with two backs."

"Please stop," Stephen requested through clenched teeth. He ducked his head so Stu wouldn't see he was fighting a laugh. "Ah've known her what, a week?"

"Long enough to know you want to put the sour cream on the taco." Stu threw up his hands when Stephen whirled around to glare at him. "Last one, I promise. Got it from Heath."

"Yeh didn't jump into bed wit' Lou for six months," Stephen reminded.

"True." Stu placed his dumbbells on the rack and propped his hands on his hips. "But I knew she was the one. I knew that it would happen when it was the right time."

"Exactly." Stephen grabbed his towel, not realizing how his statement would be construed as he cleared the sweat from his chest. Glancing up when he heard a clatter, he saw Lou had entered the room and was dropping her purse on the floor.

"Hi," she greeted, moving around the equipment to give Stu a kiss.

"You taste like cake," her fiancé mused. "C'mere, kiss me again."

"I think I tasted fifty. She let me bring the others home. If you're nice I'll share." Lou turned her smile on Stephen. "Did she call you?"

"She did," Stu answered immediately. "You should have seen him, love."

"Oh, good." Lou clapped her hands together and perched on the nearest bench. "She needs to get laid."

"I just said the same thing about Ste."

Stephen threw up his hands and snatched his discarded t-shirt from his bag. "It's no' all about sex!"

"That's a very feminine thing to say, Ste." Lou sounded amused.

"Yeh know what ah mean," he muttered.

When he turned to face her she was nodding. "Of course I do. You want flowers and romance and unconditional love."

"Like a woman," Stu added.

Stephen rolled his eyes. After slinging the strap of his bag over his shoulder he headed to the door, making sure to stop and press a kiss to Lou's cheek. "Ah'm goin' home."

"Stomping off. Just like a woman."

Without looking back he threw up a middle finger.

A/N: Apologies for the delay! Long chapter to make up for the wait. Hope everyone is having a great new year so far!

Thank you to: LilOrchidJenny, Blackhat, ThatGirl54, Nikki, Amber, Malabrigo, Jojo, Lou, VolcomStoneBabe, katiefabe, dashinginconverse, and prettybaby69 for the fabulous reviews. You guys (er, gals?) certainly know how to make me feel loved! I adore you all.

Tip of the hat to Lou for some bits of the dialogue in this chapter. (And for the bossiness. And the gentle but firm nudges to get my ass in gear.)