The Day Before You
Written By: Ms. Maggs / Edited By: KJT
Chapter 11: In a Family Way
"Three minutes is up," she said before moving her eyes to the small white stick. "Two lines means pregnant, one line means not pregnant." Staring at the two dark lines, she wondered if she could be misinterpreting the instructions. "Two lines means pregnant." Mandy glanced over at Wendy who had both of her hands clamped over her mouth. "Do you see two lines?"
Wendy nodded.
"Two lines means pregnant." Feeling weak in the knees, Mandy plopped down on the closed toilet. "Do you think the test is wrong?" she asked her best friend.
With her hands still firmly clamped over her mouth, Wendy shook her head.
After peering at the stick to see if the results had changed, Mandy mumbled, "I slept with Henry a little over a month ago, I missed my period, my boobs are killing me, and the stick says I'm pregnant." She glanced up at her silent best friend. "I think I'm going to repeat the test, just in case there was something wrong with this stick. I've heard stories about defective tests giving inaccurate results."
Three and half minutes later…
"Two lines," Mandy looked to Wendy for confirmation. "I slept with Henry a little over a month ago, I missed my period, my boobs are killing me, and two out of two sticks say I'm pregnant. That probably means I'm really am, huh?"
Wendy nodded.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Because I don't know if you want me to be happy for you, because you're having a baby and you love babies, or should I be terribly concerned for you because you're having a baby, and while babies are wonderful, you don't want to have Henry's baby. Which one am I supposed to be?"
Mandy glanced down at her stomach. "I'm having a baby."
"So, you're going to have it?"
"What do you mean?" Mandy asked with a wrinkled brow.
"I mean you're going to have the baby as opposed to getting an abortion."
Mandy gasped and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I couldn't do that to my baby." The words resonated. "My baby. I'm having a baby."
"You and Henry are having a baby," Wendy reminded her. "You have to tell him." When she saw her friend caressing her stomach, she knelt down in front of her. "Congratulations, Mom."
"Mom," Mandy's eyes flooded. "I've always wanted to be a mommy."
"So, we're happy, right?" Wendy smiled. "I can be happy for you."
Mandy hugged her pal. "You're my best friend."
"And you're my best friend."
"I love you like a sister."
"Aww, I love you like a sister too."
"Will you tell Henry for me?"
"Fat chance, sister!" Wendy stood laughing, "You slept with him, you're telling he's gonna be a daddy."
"Come to, Daddy!" Standing in the middle of the backyard, Nick clapped his hands. "C'mere, Chico!" When the Yellow Lab came running with a slobbered tennis ball in his mouth, the proud parent cheered, "Good, boy! Good, Chico!" Kneeling down, he praised the dog with a hug and scratches. "I can't believe those nasty old owners of yours said you couldn't be trained. We're showin' them, huh?"
The grateful one year old dog sloppily kissed the kind man who had been showering him with affection since leaving the pound together three days earlier.
"Do you love your new big back yard? I do. I love havin' a doggie in it. Yeah, we like to play in our backyard, don't we, Chico?"
When Greg stepped onto the patio of his new home, he announced, "Dinner's ready, boys! Fajitas for the human, kibble for the canine."
"Chico!" Nick ordered, "Git Mommy!"
Without hesitation, the dog raced over to Greg.
Nick joined them laughing. "I didn't even teach him that, he just instinctively knows you're the woman."
Greg crouched down to hug the pooch. "Yeah, Chico, we had to get a male dog, because there can only be one bitch in this house."
"Ha!"
Greg stood and brushed the dog hair from his shirt. "This is why my mother didn't like dogs – the shedding drove her crazy."
"Uh oh, are you turnin' into your Mama, G?"
"No." Greg had to force himself to stop obsessively removing hair from his black t-shirt.
"C'mere." Nick wrapped his arms around his partner's waist. "Kiss me. Kiss me in our backyard."
"What about the neighbors?"
"We only have to worry about the two-story on the right, and they can only see into the side yard."
"CSI Stokes has been doing a little trajectory work I see."
"Yeah, and I'm happy to report there are no sight lines into the Jacuzzi or swimming pool."
"Good, because California boys lovvvvvve nekkid hot tubbing."
Nick lingered a slow, wet kiss over his lover's lips. "Thanks for makin' dinner, honey."
"Dinner?" Greg feigned dizziness. "What dinner? I think I need to lie down…with you...on top of me. Seriously, you better carry me to the bedroom, I feel woozy."
"I'm getting dizzy," Sara remarked to Gil while holding her head. "The paint fumes are getting to me."
"Are you sure it's not a pregnancy sign, honey?"
Rolling her eyes, Sara rested her paint brush on the tray.
"Hey, honey." Gil trudged into the room holding a bouquet of wild flowers. "I hate Ecklie, but I love you, so I bought you flowers." One look at his significant other's face and he knew something was up. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Not wanting to be a party to the lie, Bruno trotted out of the room.
"What did our beloved dog do this time?" Gil droned.
"Nothing."
"I'm a skilled investigator, Sara, but even a rookie would intuit that you're hiding something from me."
"Stop being paranoid."
When Gil saw Bruno standing behind Sara holding what appeared to be the box of an EPT box, he asked, "Is our dog worried that he impregnated the neighbor's Shih Tzu or did you buy a pregnancy test for yourself?"
Sara whirled around just in time to see their Boxer ripping the box to shreds.
"When were you going to tell me?"
The beep of the oven timer startled the edgy couple.
"You're just doing the test?" Gil quizzed. "You don't know the results yet?"
Staring at the floor, Sara shook her head.
"How could you be pregnant?" Gil asked, trying to mask the fear in his voice.
"Uh…you have a PhD in Biology…"
"You know what I mean, Sara!" Gil snapped while tossing his belongings on the couch.
"You're yelling at me for this?!" Hurt, she marched into the kitchen to quiet the timer. "Allow me to refresh your memory - one night we didn't have a condom and you didn't want to wait for me to…"
"I forgot about that night." He scratched his head. "You said you just finished your period, so we wouldn't have to worry."
"Yeah, well...here we are worrying."
"I'm sorry for snapping. I just feel completely blindsided."
When Sara saw her significant other's hands were shaking, she forgave him for yelling. "It's okay. My plan was to do the test and if it was negative, I wouldn't tell you, because what would be the point?"
"And if it was positive?"
"I honestly couldn't even consider that possibility, so…I don't know what I would…we need to check, because the test will be void after a few minutes." Sara quietly asked, "Can you look for me, for us? It's in our bathroom."
"Without you?"
"Please." A minute later, when Sara saw Gil standing in the doorway looking pale, she panicked, "No, really? I'm …"
"No."
"I'm not?"
"No, you're not pregnant." Gil walked into the kitchen and threw the stick in the trash.
"From the look on your face…" She dropped onto the couch. "I'm peeing all the time and I have this bloated feeling, I really thought…"
"Maybe it's a bladder infection," Gil said while washing his hands.
"Why do you look so freaked out if it's negative?"
"Because…" He tossed the dishtowel on the counter. "Because it was…I don't know what it was."
"Are you disappointed?" she asked, stunned by the prospect.
"Are you?"
"No, I'm relieved."
Gil took a seat on the couch next to her. "Me too."
Bruno didn't want to miss out on a golden opportunity for duel affection, so he placed his head between his parents.
"I love my family," Sara whispered as she scratched the dog's head with one hand and slipped the other into Gil's still trembling palm. "Just the way it is."
His pulse rate finally slowing, Gil rested his head on Sara's shoulder. "Me too."
"Can you imagine us with a baby?" Her nerves making her laugh, she said, "We can't even handle a grown dog." Not wanting to deal with the possibility ever again, Sara suggested, "Maybe you should get a vasectomy. Since the pill makes me sick, we're never going to be able to fall into bed without…"
"You want me to get snipped?" Gil remarked in shock.
"You don't want to have kids, so why not?"
"There's a big difference between not wanting children and not being able to have them."
Sara pondered the statement. "You like the idea you could have children if you wanted them, even though you don't want them? Are you sure you don't want them?"
"I'm 51, Sara."
"Men have kids when they're 70."
"But you said you don't want kids."
"I don't."
"So how am I going to have kids, when you don't want kids?"
"You'd have to find someone else."
Gil had to laugh. "It took me almost ten years to work up the nerve to be with you. I would be 70 if I had to do it all over again with someone new and I don't want someone new, I want you."
"And I wish I could get an IUD, but my GYN said no because of my fibroid issues. If it wasn't an invasive procedure, I'd get my tubes tied, but that's a much bigger deal than a vasectomy. I'm just being logical."
He feigned irritation, "How dare you use logic to manipulate me."
"You're very tense," Sara massaged her man's shoulders.
"You would be too if you were getting your balls snipped on Monday."
"Aww, I'll be right there holding your hand."
"I'll stand next to you, but you have to tell him." Wendy knocked on Henry's door for her jittery friend. "Ready?"
"No!" Even though she wasn't ready, the door was opening and there was no turning back.
"What are you two doing here?" Henry asked, surprised to see his co-workers on his doorstep. It was the first weekend of the new 'weekends off' schedule and he couldn't believe Wendy and Mandy would want to spend any of their cherished free time with him.
When Mandy didn't speak up, Wendy explained, "We were in the neighborhood and thought we'd drop by to say hi." And tell you you're going to be a daddy. "May we come in?"
"Uh…my place is kind of a mess."
Peering over her height-challenged co-worker's shoulder, Wendy saw an impeccably neat living room and kitchen. "Are you kidding me? I have laundry piled on my couch and a three-day old pizza box on my kitchen counter. Let us in."
Henry reluctantly stepped back to give the uninvited guests access. "Fine." Then, remembering his manners, he politely asked, "Would you like something to drink? I have wine, beer and iced tea…and water of course…and milk. Or I could put on a pot of coffee if you…"
"Wine for me," Wendy answered, "a nice big glass."
"Chardonnay or Merlot?"
"Chardonnay, thanks."
"What about you, Mandy?"
"She'll have ice water," Wendy answered on behalf of her pregnant friend whose lips were clamped tighter than a clam shell.
"Be right back." Henry moped into the kitchen.
"I am not telling him!" Wendy heatedly whispered. "Start talking, girlfriend!" But when she saw her friend's eyes were glassy and her hands shaking, she backed off.
A couple of minutes later, Henry returned to the living room with two glasses.
"Mandy told me that you had a collection of Playbills on the wall." Wendy took her glass of Chardonnay. "Where is it?" The apartment looked very mature and stylishly decorated to her, not at all the childish musical-obsessed haven of bad taste that her friend had described.
"Oh, um…" Henry handed the ice water to his ex-lover without making eye contact. "I got the urge to do a little re-decorating about a month ago."
Sitting on his couch with Hodges and Archie in silence, Henry watched the credits of Fever Pitch roll on his plasma TV.
"Why do you think Sanders said the three of us should watch this movie about a guy obsessed with the Red Sox?" Archie looked to his co-workers for an answer. "He knows I hate baseball."
"Don't look at me." Clutching an empty popcorn bucket, Hodges disappointedly said, "I assumed it was going to be porn because Sanders recommended it and I heard Fevered Bitch when we got the invite, not Fever Pitch."
"Um…" Henry shut off the TV and stood in front of his wall of Playbills. "I think Greg thought we could learn something, because we're kind of like the guy in the movie."
"We don't have anything in common with that sports nut," Archie laughed. "That guy was a total loser."
Henry delicately asked, "How many Star Trek toys do you have in your collection, Archie?"
"1,416. Why?"
"And Hodges…what kind of shower curtain do you have hanging in your bathroom?"
"Partridge family in the Master and Land of the Lost in the guest bath. Why?"
The men on the couch watched Henry point to his wall of Playbills. "We're all obsessed with something quirky and aren't getting laid."
"Speak for yourself!" Hodges huffed with indignation. "I have sex all the time."
"Blow up dolls don't count."
"Oh." Hodges lowered his eyes to the empty popcorn bucket.
After removing a framed Playbill from the wall, Henry said, "If we want to have girlfriends, we need to make some changes."
"I moved my collection into binders." Henry retrieved a volume from the shelf. "My mother crocheted the covers. He proudly showed it off to Wendy. "This is Volume G through M."
Wendy immediately flipped to the M's. "Mamma Mia. I've thought about getting tickets for that when it comes to the Mandalay Bay in August. Is it about a woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant?"
Mandy burst into tears, partly because she was nervous, but mostly because she was afraid her unborn baby would be forced to suffer through Cats.
"What's wrong with her?" Henry asked with concern in his voice.
"She's going through an emotional phase," Wendy replied while returning the binder to its spot on the shelf. "It's expected to last for nine months."
"Nine months? What kind of emotional phase lasts for…nine mon…m….m…mamma mia." He gripped his head. "Is she…did you come here to tell me that…"
"Yep." Wendy dropped a hand on the panicked man's shoulder. "You and Mamma Mia got drunk, fell into bed and made a baby. Congratulatons!"
"We made a baby," Henry parroted, unable to believe the news.
Wendy set her half-full glass on the coffee table. "You have a lot of talking to do, so I'm going to leave you to it."
"What?!" Mandy protested as tears poured down her cheeks. "You're not going to help us?"
"You didn't need me here to make the baby, did you? Nope!" Knowing it was best, Wendy waved goodbye to her friends. "This is a family matter. Good luck, Mom and Dad!"
"Parents." Henry gulped the remainder of Wendy's wine. "We're going to be parents."
"Congratulations, Mom and Dad!" Greg read out loud from his laptop screen as he lounged on the couch with his family. "Look for a gift basket for your new boy to arrive shortly. We'll stop by and see him and your new house on Friday when we come to town for our final Social Services interview and your non-surprise birthday party. I still can't believe you snooped and spoiled the surprise Nick was working on! (I would have done the same thing LOL…like mother, like gay son!) Cross your fingers, if all goes well, we'll be able to set the adoption court date for next month. Jenni's doing great with her walker, thank you for asking, you know she loves to impress her big brother. The physical therapist said that if she works hard all summer, she'll be as good as new by the time she starts Butterfield Academy with Cassie on August 27th. I've decided that we're going to celebrate closing on the Summerlin house with a big carpet picnic in the empty living room, just like we did when we moved into the Santa Monica house, you loved that, remember? We'll eat pizza and watch movies in sleeping bags. The girls are counting on you two being there, so June 7th better be circled on your calendar. I know Nicky will remember, he's such a responsible young man. Please don't bring the dog though. I love my furry grandson, but I don't want his fur on my new Berber carpet. Love, Mom." Glancing over, he said, "I emailed my parents our Adoption Day photos with Chico."
"You told her you found out about the party while you were snoopin'?"
"I didn't want to tell her the truth."
"Cletus! I'm home!" Greg tossed his keys on one of the many unpacked boxes.
"What are doing home?" Nick anxiously asked his partner as he rushed into the living room. "You weren't supposed to be home for hours." He glanced over his shoulder. "Why didn't you call to say you were on your way?"
"My court appearance got bumped to tomorrow morning. I didn't call, because I wanted to surprise you." Noting the tension on his partner's face, Greg asked, "Why is it upsetting that I'm home earlier? We just moved in yesterday, we have a ton of stuff to do, so I thought…" When he saw an attractive man exiting the hall bathroom, his breath caught in his throat.
"The marble in that bathroom is fabulous," the flamboyantly gay man declared as he finished zippering his fly. "And don't worry, handsome, I recovered just fine from that dirty little romp."
"This isn't happening." Greg's panic grew as Nick's did.
"Looks like we're busted, cowboy," the man shook his head. "I thought you said he would be tied up for hours?"
"G! It's not what you think." Nick stepped forward to take his partner's hand. "He's…"
Greg bolted to the other side of the room. "That's exactly what Lacey said every time I saw her with that asshole!" His heart pounding in his chest, he screamed, "I can't believe this is happening!"
"Calm down, Drama Queen." Trey laughed at the silly misunderstanding. "I didn't touch your man. Cowboy here is so not my type. I'm into leather." He chuckled, "Maybe if he wore chaps, only chaps, I'd consider it, but even then, probably not, he's just too…clean. I like my men just like I enjoy my martinis…dirty."
"He's a party planner, G." Nick held up the man's business card. "Dr. Henry recommended him."
Confused and biting back tears, Greg remained silent.
"I hired him to cater a party around the pool for your birthday. It was gonna be a surprise." Desperate to make everything alright, Nick kept rambling, "Your mom knows about the party. Cath and Warrick too! I wanted to do somethin' special."
"Fine, okay, he's a party planner!" Still shaking, Greg said, "But why was he talking about recovering from a dirty romp? That doesn't make any sense, handsome!"
Trey huffed, "I was dirty because your damn dog tackled me in the backyard. That beast got mud prints on my Armani slacks and he shoved his slobbery tongue in my mouth. I'm into a lot of kinky shit, but even I don't enjoy Bestiality."
"Here's your money." Nick handed the man the required deposit check. "Sorry again about what happened with Chico, we just adopted him yesterday and he's not trained yet. He won't be out during the party." He hurried to the front door and opened it.
"Time for makeup sex!" Pocketing the check, Trey snickered, "That bitch deserves a good cropping for doubting your fidelity, cowboy."
Feeling horrible for thinking the worst, Greg sat on the couch and lowered his head into his hands. "Shit."
"He's gone." When Greg didn't move, Nick crossed the room. "Look at me, G."
"I can't. I feel horrible for thinking you cheated on me. I know you'd never…god, you must hate for thinking that. I can't believe I…"
"Listen to me." Nick knelt in front of his partner. "I know you believe I'd never cheat on you. All the evidence pointed toward me deceivin' you and bein' with that guy. You had a very understandable knee-jerk reaction. I'm not mad or disappointed. As a guy with PTSD issues, I totally get how quickly the brain jumps to conclusions and makes a guy with emotional baggage panic." Taking his partner's trembling hand, he softly said, " I don't know what it feels like to walk in on a loved one havin' sex with someone else, but I do know that kind of betrayal cuts deep and old wounds are easily opened under the right circumstances. Are you hearin' me, G? I'm not angry. I feel bad that I made you worry."
"I'm sorry," Greg tearfully apologized while accepting the hug he was offered. "I'm sorry." Squeezing tight, he said, "Life is so freaking perfect right now. We just bought this great house and adopted the coolest dog...I'm so ridiculously happy."
"Me too."
"I keep waiting for disaster to strike and take all the happiness away."
"Considerin' all the shit we've already gone through in life, there's a good chance that we've hit our disaster quota and all we have left is a well-deserved happily ever after. Isn't that possible?"
"That's not what I mean exactly." The shaky geek confessed, "We can't ignore the fact that you've never been with another guy. You came out and went right into a relationship with me. I think maybe there's a tiny little part of me worried that you'll get curious…because it would be normal for you to be curious. How could you not be curious?" Relieved and terrified to be vocalizing his worst fear, Greg said, "I'm a goofy Chem nerd with a flat ass who was out bench-pressed by a girl at the gym last week. You're a hot, fun guy and an insanely good lover. You could do much better than me. It's only been a couple of months. You're only starting to get comfortable with being gay beyond the privacy of our home, but if you went out on Saturday night and immersed yourself in the gay community, you'd see that you're slumming it. What happens when you realize that six months from now when you are comfortable out there?"
"I've already realized it, G." Deciding honesty was the only option, Nick said, "I've already been curious. But whenever I've thought of other guys, not once did I come to the conclusion that I'd be happier with someone else. I know I have everything I need with you. I'd be crazy to believe I could do better than perfect."
"Me, perfect?" Greg scoffed, "How can I believe you when you're obviously BSing to make me feel better?"
"Okay, if you're talkin' in terms of the hottest ass and the best six-pack, then no, you're not perfect. You have a two-pack and your ass looks flatter than a pancake in jeans." Nick smiled, "But I'm not 21, I'm 35, and scorin' a different piece of hot ass every Saturday night isn't my top priority anymore. I'm focused on sharing my life with someone who wants a house, a retriever and a kid someday. Don't get me wrong, I still love sex on Saturday nights, but unlike 10 years ago, I want to know the person I'm bedding…I want to eat breakfast with them in the morning. I need them to be my lover and my best friend, not just a good lay." Cupping his partner's face, he affectionately whispered, "When I say you're perfect, I mean you're perfect for me and the life I want today and thirty years from now."
"I love you," Greg sniffled.
"And I love this life we're making together." Nick pulled him in his arms. "You've made me the happiest guy."
"But what about the curiosity factor?"
"Honey, when it comes to meaningless sex in a dark room, a mouth is a mouth and an ass is an ass." Nick chuckled, "Yeah, they were all women, but it's safe to say my wild oats have been sowed. I've even had a few threesomes."
"How many threesomes?"
"I don't know…a dozen or so. Rick and I made a few Spring Break trips to Cancun back in the day and loose doesn't begin to describe some of those girls," Nick laughed at the ridiculous memories. "G, if anyone should be worried, it's me, because I know you have unsowed oats."
"Yeah, but I'm living out my fantasies with you."
"And you are by far the most fun I've ever had between the sheets. I'm thrilled with our love life. It's unpredictable…hot, erotic, sweet, dirty, I never know what it's gonna be and your lack of a perfect six-pack hasn't stopped you from rockin' my world, believe me." He stole a kiss. "Personally, I hope your unfilled fantasy checklist is ten pages long."
"I'm not that pathetic." Greg laughed, "It's nine pages. We'll need a blow up doll to work my threesome work though."
"I could buy you a threesome at one of Nevada's fine legal brothels for your birthday." Thinking about the scenario, Nick winked, "I'll kill any guy who touches you, but it would be fun watchin' you get handled by a couple of workin' girls."
"Seriously?" Greg's laughter intensified.
"I already got you that Best Buy gift card you wanted, but I can always save that for Christmas."
"And you'd just sit there and watch?"
"Hell no, I'd drink booze and cheer you on."
Imagining the scenario, Greg joked, "Hmm, with you as my audience, I could check off exhibitionism too."
"Hey, before you get carried away fantasizing, Spanky," Nick sobered, "I need you to hear you say that you believe me, that you believe I'm not like Lacey. When I wear your ring and say it's forever, it will be forever, for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I'm an old fashioned guy who still believes a promise is a promise." He placed a kiss on Greg's shell bracelet. "You know, all my sisters had panic attacks about the future when they were engaged and plannin' the ceremony. It's normal to have doubts, but now that I've reassured you, I need you to have complete faith in me.
"I do," Greg answered without hesitation.
"Say it just like that on the beach in July, baby! Loud and confident."
"I promise." Greg nodded and pulled in a steadying breath. "I can't believe you hired a flamer who is into kinky sex with dirty bikers to cater my birthday party. Eww."
"He doesn't touch the food, he just hires the caterers." Nick was relieved to see a smile on his partner's face. "Trey handled Dr. Henry's commitment ceremony and he said he did an awesome job."
"I can't believe you're throwing me a big surprise party."
"Yeah, too bad it's not a surprise anymore." Nick bumped their noses. "After all you went through since your last birthday, I figured you earned a top-notch celebration. And I want all our friends to know how much I love you." His face exploded into a smile. "Even though we really didn't fight, we can still have hot makeup sex if you want. I've got a riding crop if you want me to use it, my little perv."
"Really?"
"MmmHmm."
Greg darted for the stairs. "Let's go, Tex!"
"Damn, I'm gettin' hot just thinkin' about that romp." Nick checked his watch. "Too bad we don't have time to re-enact it. 'Rick is due here any minute to help me move that IKEA stuff upstairs."
"I could have carried it."
"No, we're not takin' a chance with your shoulder." It had been severely dislocated during the beating and was easily aggravated. "You already hurt yourself when you tried to bench press too much weight."
When the doorbell rang, Greg jumped to answer it. "You better get rid of that wood or he'll get squicked." Their friend got quite a shock when he caught them stealing a kiss in the garage on moving day.
Catherine yelled through the door, "Stop kissing and open up!"
"Okay, okay, I'm coming!"
"Yeah, that's exactly what Warrick's afraid of."
When Greg opened the door he pretended to be zipping his fly. "Nick will be here in a minute, it was his turn to hose down our rubber sheets."
"He's kidding!" Nick yelled from the living room.
Greg nodded, "The sheets are actually vinyl."
While standing in the bedding department of Linens and Things trying to decide if 300 thread-count sheets were worth the money, Hodges saw Wendy strolling by. "Shopping on your weekend off?"
Surprised to see her co-worker, Wendy did a double take. "What are you doing here?"
"Upgrading my bedding."
"I didn't think blow-up dolls cared what they slept on."
"Unlike you, my blow up doll can say she has a hot date tonight."
"It's only eight o'clock, I'm getting picked up at nine."
"What's his name?" Hodges snickered, "George Glass or Keyser Soze?"
"Okay, fine, I don't have a date, but it's by choice." Stuffing her arms across her chest, she said, "I have a healthy enough self –esteem to spend Saturday night alone. I going to the movies."
"Have you ever been to a movie alone on a Saturday night?" Hodges laughed, "You may as well hang a neon arrow over your head that says Dateless Loser."
"That's what I was afraid of." Her enthusiasm deflated. "I really want to see 28 Weeks Later."
"Really?" He was surprised to hear it. "I plan on seeing it tomorrow. I loved the first one, saw it five times in the theater."
"Me too. I hope the sequel is as good. You never know about sequels though, sometimes they really suck. Still, it's a zombie movie, so it has to be good."
"You don't like zombie movies?" Greg handed Catherine her requested glass of wine. "Cletus and I have been looking forward to seeing the movie all week. We're going to the midnight showing if you and 'Rick change your minds."
"He's taking me out for a candlelit dinner and a night of dancing both vertically and horizontally. Your zombie movie can't compete with that line up."
"True, but I can't get my boyfriend to romance me in public or dance with me, so I'm thrilled he'll see a scary movie with me and brush up against my hand in our popcorn bucket."
"Nick loves to dance. He won't dance with you? Not even in private?"
"Nope." Greg shook his head while bringing his beer bottle to his lips. "He thinks it's too queer."
"Dancing is too queer? As opposed to having sex with you?" While Greg choked on his swig of beer, she laughed, "Honey, if he gets to put it where the sun don't shine, you should get a dance. Where is that hick?" She marched off to find him.
"Got it." Warrick angled the large box slightly to the right and made it through the doorway. "I'm in, so keep walking."
"Thanks for helpin' me with this, man."
"The little woman wasn't up to it, huh?"
Happy that his friend had grown comfortable enough to crack jokes, Nick said, "His shoulder's still not right. He's back in PT, but honestly, I don't think it's ever gonna be right."
Glancing around the masculine bedroom, Warrick joked, "I expected the love shack to look different. Plaid and hunting ducks with knotty pine furniture doesn't scream gay man to me. I was expecting pink leopard and plether."
"Gay isn't just for cupcakes and bikers anymore."
"I guess not."
"So, are ya takin' Cath out for fried chicken and watermelon tonight?"
Warrick laughed, "Point taken. I shouldn't be proppin' stereotypes after the shit that just went down."
Opening the furniture box, Nick said, "The supervisor gig? I don't know, man. Maybe you should have taken it anyway."
"How would you feel if you were offered a job only because you were gay? It's the same thing. The Sheriff needed a black face in management after all the shit with the James family."
"If I knew I was qualified for the job..."
"But that's not what anyone would see."
"Outsiders maybe, but not anyone who knows you."
"Yeah, well…what's done is done." Warrick shrugged. "With Cath and I hooked up, it's good being on the same schedule. If I was working the weekends and days, we'd never see each other and I've already been down that route with Tina and we all know how well that turned out. Especially now that we just got weekends off, y'know? We have a shot at a semi-normal life."
"I hear ya."
"Life's too short to spend it answering it to Ecklie and being the Sheriff's token black."
"You're right, why help them and feel like you sold out? You need it to happen on your own terms when it's good for you."
"Exactly." Walking out of the room with his pal, Warrick said, "And I woulda missed workin' with my gay brothers."
"Nicky!" Catherine marched down the hall. "Can I have a word with you, please?"
"I know that tone." Warrick continued downstairs. "I'm outta here."
"Why won't you dance with Greg?"
"Uh…" Nick flustered, "When did that become a problem for you?"
Just in case Greg was at the bottom of the stairs listening, Catherine lowered her voice to a whisper, "Think about it, he's one of those geeky guys who didn't go to his senior prom. He's probably having nerd flashbacks every time you tell him no. Make the little wallflower's night…give him a dance with the school heartthrob."
"Cath, we're in the closet except for our friends. It's a little hard to be in the middle of a dance floor cuddlin' Greg without people noticing."
"Then dance in the living room or the bedroom. It doesn't have to be public."
"Wow, look at the time." Nick pointed to his watch. "We have a movie to catch."
"Four hours from now."
"G!" Nick yelled downstairs. "Let's catch the earlier flick, 'cause I can't wait to see it."
Standing in the movie theater parking lot, Wendy lectured Hodges, "Let's talk ground rules."
"Ground rules?"
"This is not a date. You are not to refer to it that way at any time. We're two co-workers with a mutual interest in zombie movies who didn't want to wait until Sunday afternoon to see a movie, so we're accompanying each other on Saturday night. We're not sharing any food or drinks. We're not even sharing an arm rest. There'll be no touching at all. Do you think you can live by those rules?"
"Yes, because I don't want your cooties, Simms, and I'd be horrified if anyone thought we dated." He feigned a shiver. "We'll just walk in together, get our snacks in a mutually appreciated silence, and then take our seats."
When Hodges's arm brushed against Wendy's as they strolled up to the entrance, she snipped, "I'd like to maintain two feet of distance at all times." A sudden bang sent her lurching for her co-worker. "Was that a gunshot?!"
"No, it was just a car backfiring." Hodges held her tight. "It did sound like a gunshot, but really, it's okay."
A cat call was the next sound the jittery woman heard, followed by Nick breaking into song.
"Hodges and Wendy sittin' in a tree…"
"Shut up, Stokes!" she blasted. "We're not on a date."
"Then why are you holdin' his arm with a vice grip?" Nick asked while nudging his partner. "Don't they make a cute couple, G?"
Wendy jumped back. "We are not a couple!"
"Surrrrrrrrre, you're not," Greg replied while winking. "Trust me, we understand the meaning of discretion. Only a handful of people know about us."
Wendy shoved her non-date, "Say something, Hodges!"
Hodges gladly obliged his non-date, "Wen and I have been looking forward to seeing this for weeks. We're both huge zombie fans." Tossing an arm around her shoulder, he squeezed. "Isn't that right, Snookums?"
"Stop it!" she shrieked.
"They're our friends, honey, we don't have to hide in front of them." Hodges couldn't remember the last time he smiled so wide.
"We'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Nick grabbed his date by the elbow. "Let's go, Snookums."
"We're not dating!" Wendy yelled at their backs. "You're a dead man, Hodges!"
Standing in front of the 28 Weeks Later poster, Hodges snickered, "I think someone is coming down with a nasty case of rage virus."
"You just lost yourself a movie partner, jerk!" Wendy stomped off. "I'm seeing it with Nick and Greg!"
"No, I am!"
They raced to get to the guys first.
"I'm sitting with you!" Wendy and Hodges both yelled at their co-workers.
"Uh, not you're not," Greg replied, "because four's a crowd."
"Baby makes three," Henry whispered as he sat on the couch staring at the front door of his apartment. Maybe I shouldn't have yelled at her for lying and kicked her out. But she shouldn't have lied! I trusted her when she told me she was on the pill. Of course I trusted her, we've been working together for years. I have every right to be angry that she intentionally deceived me. She used me as a free sperm bank!
He sank deeper into the cushions. Who am I kidding? She's probably horrified that she has my elephant-eared nerd progeny inside of her. She only told me because she felt obligated, not because she wants to be with me. I'm going to be a dad, but she wants me to be a dad with visitation rights, not a full-time daddy and husband. Tears formed in his eyes as he thought of what he and his son or daughter would be missing. "I'm sorry," the boy who grew up without a dad around said to his unborn child. "I'm so sorry."
"You should be sorry," Greg grumbled, "I can't believe you're crashing my date!" Since the movie was crowded, he had volunteered to get seats while Nick went to the concession stand. "I didn't expect to spend our first weekend off hanging out with you."
Smirking, Hodges leaned in and whispered, "Aww, are you going to be too shy to suck face with your boyfriend now?" He puckered up and made smoochy noises.
"Hello, boys!"
Greg and Hodges both jumped in their seats when Paula, the Lab's annoying Evidence Room Head Clerk, showed up in the aisle next to them.
"I always had my suspicions about you two," the 53 year old busybody whispered just above the din of the theater. "I got a big 'ol ping on my gaydar just now when you were playing kissy-face. How long have you been a couple?"
"We're not a couple," Greg protested. "We're here with Nick and Wendy."
"Now those two make a hot couple." Paula momentarily lapsed into one of her Nick Stokes cowboy fantasies. "Mmm."
"Seriously, we're not on a double date with Wendy and Nick and we're not a couple."
Paula winked, "Surrrrrrrrre you're not a couple." She puckered up and made smoochy noises. "I haven't busted a couple making out at the movies since I was in high school. I feel 16 again," she giggled. "Enjoy the movie, lovebirds. Excited to have a contribution for Monday morning's gossip and coffee session on the smoker's patio, she walked away grinning.
Sneering at his co-worker, Greg said, "Nice going, jerk."
"How do you think I feel?" Hodges asked with indignation. "If I'm going to be mislabeled queer, I want to be hooked up with Nick, not you."
"So, you're ruining my date and insulting me? Dude, I'll solve the mystery of why you're alone every Saturday night…you're alone because you're an insufferable ass." When he saw Nick returning, Greg slid over a seat. "You sit next to him, I've had my fill."
"Should I uninvite him to your non-surprise party, G?" Nick took a seat on the opposite side of Greg, forcing Wendy to sit next to Hodges. "Sorry, sweetheart," he informed his disappointed co-worker in a laugh, "but I gotta share my popcorn with my date."
"Here you go." Sara handed her significant other a steaming bowl of popcorn. "Is the movie in?"
Gil patted the sofa. "We're all set."
Dressed in her comfiest loungewear, Sara kicked up her feet on the coffee table and settled in next to her man. "I love oldies."
"Are you talking about me or the Hepburn film?"
"You're only as old as you feel."
"Okay." After clicking off the light, Gil draped his arm around his lover. "Wanna make out?" he joked, feeling seventeen.
Sara replied in her sexiest rasp, "Just get me home by curfew, stud." Much to her delight, she was met with the sensual kiss of a loving man, instead of a joke kiss from a horny teen.
"Thankfully I don't have to take you home by midnight." He brushed his moist lips over hers. "I get to wake up in your arms tomorrow."
"And you were worried about having weekends off."
"I'm not always a genius, Sara." The recovering workaholic smiled, "The old me would have been bored to tears, but now that I have someone spectacular to spend my Saturday nights with, I'm going to handle this 'weekends off' mandate just fine."
"Really?"
"Yes." The soft sound of Bruno's snoring and peace in Sara's beautiful brown eyes warmed his heart. "I'm going to be a family man."
"Our boy's asleep, G," Nick whispered, as he stood in the doorway of their large laundry room. Quietly shutting the door and backing away, he said, "Chico really loves that microbead bed you bought him."
Greg beamed, "I did something right as a daddy."
"I don't know why you're surprised." Nick took his hand, leading him into the family room. "Unlike me, you've got a great dad as a role model. So, even though you've never had any hands-on daddy experience, everything he's done is in your head and you're gonna be a natural because of it. Me, I have to break the cycle of psycho fathering I grew up with and figure out how to be a good dad on my own."
"I'm not worried about you at all. Kids love you." When Greg saw his partner turning on the stereo he asked, "I thought we were going for a swim."
"After."
"After…" Greg smiled, waiting to find out what his grinning lover had in mind.
"After we dance a slow one." Nick slipped his arms around his ecstatic partner's waist. "Catherine isn't always wrong. I should have danced with you when you asked. When we go to LA in a couple of weeks, I think I might be comfortable enough to go to a club and break a sweat dancin' with you too."
"Seriously? I'd love that."
Swaying to the music and falling a little deeper in love, Nick said, "I figure we gotta get a bunch of party nights in before our family gets bigger than a retriever."
"I…" Multiple rings of the doorbell halted Greg's words.
"Who could that be?" Nick led the way to the door and when he peered through the peephole, he was surprised to see his co-worker. "It's Mandy and she's cryin'."
Greg threw open the door. "Mandy, what's going on?"
The hysterical woman shrieked, "I'm pregnant and it's all your fault!"
"G…" Nick cleared his throat. "Is there something you forgot to tell me about your date with Mandy?"
"I'm just as surprised as you, Cletus." Greg watched Mandy storm into the house. "All we did was play Skeeball, but she had unprotected sex with Henry."
"It's Henry's baby," she bawled, while dropping onto the couch. "And he hates me." Caressing her belly, she cried, "My baby's daddy hates me."
"Sounds like a rap song I heard earlier," Greg started beat boxing. "My baby's daddy hates me, so I ain't got no mon-nay. He doesn't think I'm sexy, 'cause I've got a big bel-lay."
"G!" Nick smacked him upside the head. "What the hell, man?! The woman is cryin' her eyes out. No wonder you always struck out with girls." He hurried to the couch. "C'mere."
Mandy fell into the gentlemanly arms being offered by the sweet man next to her.
"I'm sorry!" Greg flustered when Mandy sobbed harder. "Breaking into song was a really stupid thing to do when you're obviously upset. To be honest, I had a few drinks tonight."
"Henry would have loved it, because he loves musicals!" Her tears staining the cotton of Nick's black t-shirt, she whimpered, "I hate musicals and now Henry hates me."
Greg sat on the coffee table. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you. Did you just tell him about the baby?" When she nodded, he said, "Then he's in shock. When people are in shock and upset, they say things they don't mean. Right, Nick?"
"Absolutely." The brother of five sisters expertly consoled the emotional wreck in his arms. "He just needs a little time to absorb the information, sweetheart. He'll come around."
"Yeah." Nodding, Greg added, "Henry would never turn his back on his child. His dad was a deadbeat father who was out of the picture by the time he was three. I specifically remember him saying that if he ever had kids, he'd be a totally involved dad who tucked his kid into bed every night."
"Oh my God! No wonder he hates me," Mandy cried, "I told him that I didn't expect him to be involved, that I could raise the baby on my own."
"Ooh." Greg confirmed, "That would totally tweak his baggage. He's probably bawling his eyes out thinking about how the cycle will be repeated when his kid grows up without his dad around."
"G!" Nick scolded him with his eyes. "My t-shirt is shrinking from the tears here."
"Sorry!" Greg reached out and smoothed his palm over her back. "Don't worry, we'll come up with a plan to help you smooth things out and make you one big happy family."
ANs:
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I thought the new flashbacks were a fun/good way to move the story ahead a month while not missing pertinent details. Now you know why Henry is so close to his show tune loving mommy.
Do you think Gil is doing the right thing by volunteering to get snipped? LOL do you think Nick's doing the wrong thing offering to buy Greg his threesome? Stay tuned!
In the last chapter, Nick talked about love making vs. sex. Since a couple of readers interpreted that Nick was now anti-sex, I want to reiterate that Nick just wanted to add love making into their relationship (when his mood called for it), but he wasn't saying that he was done with everything else (that's why he said he was looking forward to the next adventure of Dex and Jocko). Also, he wasn't saying that he couldn't ever kiss Greg during, but that sometimes it was logistically difficult (compared to when he used to have hetero sex). Life with Greg and as a active gay man is still very new for Nick and I think it's realistic that some things do seem awkward to him. Greg, on the other hand, is hyper and uninhibited, but has no experience slowing things down and upping the romance. Over time, they're learning from each other and carving out an ideal love life. Greg learned a lot in that scene and in the near future, he'll surprise his romantic partner by applying his acquired knowledge and teaching the romance king a thing or two!
An important note about the house purchase – I know it's different in other countries and in some US states, so I want to clarify that in the southwest it's very possible to buy a house in 30 days or even 10. Personally, our last house took 26 days from the moment we listed it until the new owners got the keys. Lawyers are not required and it's a matter of a title search, a home inspection and then the paperwork and money going through. I know from comments I rec'd in my other story that it seemed completely implausible to some readers (LOL one even called me a moron for thinking it could happen), so I wanted to clarify it in my notes in case anyone was wondering.
Thanks to KJT for editing in between visits with koalas and roos. (She got to pet them in Oz, I'm so jealous!) Thanks to my hubby and Veronica for pre-reading and making suggestions.
Thanks to everyone who commented! I'd start out replying, but every time I got a couple done I would get swamped by real life, but still it's an improvement! I really miss being able to give long replies : (
Next Chapter: Maybe Saturday…but I'm working a lot this week and on top of soccer for the boys, my daughter is trying out for a play this week and I have to help her with that every day after school, soooooo…I'll try my best, thanks for the support!
Maggs