Chapter 36: Impulsive Choices
*****Mac and Dick*****
Mac looked at Dick and smiled. Then she burst out laughing. "We are so not getting married in an Elvis chapel!" she informed him.
He shrugged casually and said, "That's okay. I don't really care for Elvis very much anyway. He was just another has been who OD'd in the john."
"Don't let my momma hear you say that! Elvis is king!" Mac said sternly.
Dick grabbed her hand. "Come on! There's a Chapel of Love across the street! It will be an even better choice!" he enthused, trying to pull her along.
She wouldn't budge. He turned back to look at her. Fighting off the giggles, she gave him a small shake of her head. He sighed dramatically and tried a hopeful, beseeching look. "Sorry, Dick, but marriage is not the solution to our relationship problems!"
Dick appeared disappointed for a moment then grinned. "I didn't think you'd go for it, but I had to try!"
Looking at him with both love and amusement in her eyes, she said, "Although I appreciate the sentiment that went behind that attempt, we need to learn how to trust in one another and in our relationship before we could ever take a step like that. Having a drunken Vegas elopement is so not going to make anything better! I'm not Melinda or whatever or name was."
"Thank God for that! I love your toes!" Dick exclaimed.
"Okaay. Thanks, I guess," Mac said slowly, not sure what he meant by that. "Careful, Dick, or you'll turn my head with compliments like that!"
He grinned, pleased with her and the night in general. "I love your sexy smile and your pert little nose, too!" he said. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on her nose then her lips, earning a dimpled smile from Mac.
"Let's go see the rest of this strip before we call it a night," Mac said, grabbing his hand.
"Oh, I can show you my favorite bar! Maybe if I get you drunk enough, you'll change your mind!" Dick remarked hopefully as he pulled her along. She just laughed and let him lead her down the strip.
*****Wallace and Jazmin*****
The rest of Mac and Dick's friends had a great time playing a final game of chicken at the hotel's pool. Naturally, Veronica vanquished both Parker and Jazmin one last time, earning bragging rights. Then she convinced her friends that the hot-tub must be used before calling it a night. Wallace, however, asked Jazmin to come up to his room, so they could talk. She said goodbye to their friends and walked with him back up to their rooms.
"I need to go clean up and change," Jazmin told him. "I'll meet you in your room in a few minutes."
"That's cool. I'll do the same," Wallace replied.
Fifteen minutes later, Jazmin knocked on the door. Wallace opened it with a smile. "Thanks for coming."
Jazmin came in and made a point of ignoring the bed by sitting on the chair. She crossed her arms and said, "Okay, Wallace. I'm here. So now you can explain to me why I should just get over the fact that you had rather spend most of your time with your ex-girlfriend than me."
Wallace was caught off guard by her words. He realized that this was going to be harder than he thought. "Jazmin, I'm sorry. I never intended to spend more time with Jackie than you. It just happened. You know that I'd never do anything to purposely hurt you."
"But you did hurt me, Wallace. You were having a great time with Jackie, a woman you claimed to once love, not even noticing I wasn't there or caring about what I was doing. How would you feel if I spent more time with Duncan than you?" Jazmin asked.
"You were having a good time with Duncan when I came to the pool," Wallace pointed out.
Jazmin got up in anger. "You will so not go there, Wallace! That is not what was happening, and you very well know it! Duncan was the only man available to play the game Veronica wanted to play because you weren't around! You were too busy playing with Jackie!" she exclaimed angrily.
Wallace quickly realized that he'd misspoken and tried to backpedal. He held up his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean it like that! I just meant that my being with Jackie was pure coincidence. It wasn't a planned assignation. I wish you'd trust me like I do you. I didn't think anything of you being on top of Duncan's shoulders having a good time when I came to the pool. I wasn't implying that you were acting inappropriate with Duncan, nor did my playing roulette with Jackie mean anything."
Jazmin sat back down and sighed. Wallace had a point. She didn't have a reason to not trust him, but it wasn't really about not trusting him. "You're right, Wallace. I should trust you and your intentions. But it's not about not trusting you so much as how it makes me feel to see you with her. We are newly intimate. I didn't give myself to you lightly. It meant something to me. This weekend means something to me, and I want to feel like it means something to you, too. But when I see you acting awkward around her like you still have feelings for her, I worry. When you disappear for thirty minutes and reappear with her, I worry. However, when I see you enjoying yourself with her like you were earlier, not even giving a thought to me, I hurt."
Wallace winced at her words, feeling guilty. He got up and knelt at her feet. Grabbing her hand, he said, "Jaz, I am so sorry that I made you feel that way. I didn't mean to hurt you or ignore you."
"What are we doing here, Wallace? I mean, do you love me at all? Or am I just like Daisy—a woman to have a good time with?" she asked.
Her words surprised Wallace because neither of them had said those three little words to one another. "No, you are not at all like Daisy was to me!" he exclaimed. He got to his feet and pulled her up and led her over to sit next to him on the bed. "I am crazy about you, Jazmin. I didn't make the decision to date you lightly. Your friendship is important to me, and I'd want you in my life even if we weren't dating. The fact that we were friends first is why I think we're so close now. Dating you is the best decision I've made in a really long time. I want things to work with us. I'd hate to do anything to lose you. You are too important to me."
Jazmin smiled in relief to hear his words. "I feel the same way, Wallace. I don't know if we're in love or not, but I know that I don't want to lose you either."
"You won't," Wallace insisted. Then he leaned over to kiss her. She welcomed his kiss, happy to feel connected to him once again.
*******Hot-Tub Shenanigans******
Logan, Veronica, Duncan, and Parker's presence at the hot-tub chased off a couple who obviously wanted to be alone. They were pleased to have the place to themselves and got in to relax.
"It's been too long since I've been in one of these," Logan said with a contented sigh. He leaned back and closed his eyes.
"We should totally put one of these in at the house," Veronica said.
"I'm surprised Dick hasn't already done that," Duncan remarked dryly.
"I'd rather have a pool than a hot-tub. You can always take a hot bath," Parker said.
Logan opened his eyes and threw Veronica a heated glance. "Yes, but a hot-tub has plenty of room for two!"
Veronica smiled. "Like that's ever been a problem for you! You always manage to find room," she said, giving him a saucy grin.
He smirked. "Yes, but think of what all we could do with the extra room," he said with a wink.
"Cool it guys!" Duncan said with a grin. "You're not alone in your bathtub."
"You're just jealous!" Logan taunted.
"Of you and Veronica?" Duncan questioned.
"Of the fact that I have a woman and you don't," Logan said with a smirk. He put his arm around Veronica to rub the point home.
Duncan wasn't bothered by his jab. He just smiled without comment.
"Logan's got a point. You haven't dated anyone in a while," Veronica said. "You're not still hung up on Jazmin, are you?"
Duncan shook his head. "No, of course not. I mean, it did take me awhile to get over her, but I am. You know me, Ronnie. I'm no playboy. I don't date just for the sake of dating. I have Lily and a lot going on," he remarked.
"Well, you should ask someone out. You're a catch! Any girl would be lucky to date you!" Veronica insisted loyally. Then she looked to Parker for help. "Right, Parker?"
Parker was uncomfortable by the question but tried not to show it. "Of course!" She looked at Duncan. "You're a great guy. There's lots of girls on campus that'd be happy to date you."
"Time to get back on the horse, my friend," Logan added.
Duncan shrugged and replied, "It's not my fault all the good ones are taken." He glanced at Parker.
"She's mine! You had your chance!" Logan exclaimed, pulling Veronica against him.
Veronica snickered because she had noticed the look Duncan threw Parker's way. "Interesting," she thought. Then she said aloud, "I don't think he was necessarily talking about me, sweetie."
Parker strove to change the subject and said, "Do you think Jazmin will forgive Wallace?"
"My brother knows a good thing when he has it! He'll win her over!" Veronica said, happy to have a chance to try out Wallace's new title.
Logan gave her a fond look. "You love being able to call him that, don't you?"
She flashed him a pleased, happy smile.
"If I was her, I'd make him suffer a bit," Parker said. "A guy's got to learn to not take a girl for granted. Right, Veronica?"
She shrugged. "I've never really had a guy take me for granted," Veronica admitted. "Duncan never did and neither did Logan."
"What about that douche Troy?" Logan reminded her. "Didn't he use you as his fake girlfriend until he could make his escape to his druggie girlfriend?"
She looked at Logan in offense. "Troy was not my boyfriend! We just went out a few times," Veronica insisted.
Logan and Duncan snickered. Veronica gave both men a look of annoyance and pulled away from Logan. She made a point of leaning back and closing her eyes, her displeasure apparent.
Logan moved closer to her and planted a kiss on her shoulder. "Don't be mad, sugarpuss. I was just teasing," Logan cajoled.
Duncan and Parker watched their interaction in growing amusement. Veronica didn't reply, and Logan obviously couldn't stand it when she ignored him. When Veronica didn't thaw right away, Logan kissed her cheek and said, "You know I was totally jealous of Troy, right?"
Veronica opened her eyes in surprise. "You were?" she asked.
Logan nodded his head. "Yep. I hated seeing you with him, but I didn't realize at the time it was because I was jealous. Ask Duncan."
Veronica looked to Duncan for confirmation. "It's true. He never liked Troy. I, of course, thought he had a bug up his butt about Troy because he was being a good friend to me and was bothered because my ex was dating my friend. Little did I know that he secretly wanted you for himself!" Duncan said, smiling to let them know he wasn't bothered by the fact.
"See, I told you. I knew there was something off about him. That's why I went on the trip to Mexico with him. I wanted to see what I could find out," Logan told her. "And much to my glee, that trip led to him leaving town!"
Parker and Duncan exchanged amused glances at Logan's obvious smug satisfaction. Duncan was admiring the adept way Logan was getting around Veronica's annoyance. Her displeasure was gone, and she was looking at Logan with pleased admiration.
"That's so sweet!" Veronica proclaimed. She put her arm around Logan's neck and kissed him. Logan took advantage of her gesture and pulled her against him, returning the kiss with enthusiasm. The kiss started to get out of hand, so Parker politely coughed to remind them that they had an audience. They were oblivious, so Duncan gave it a try. "Guys! Turn it down a notch! You are embarrassing Parker!"
"It's okay," Parker said.
"Well, then, you're embarrassing me!" Duncan exclaimed.
Finally, they broke apart. Veronica only had eyes for Logan; it was as if Duncan and Parker ceased to exist. The way the two of them looked at each other was beginning to make Parker a little uncomfortable and maybe a bit jealous. She and Piz were close, but they hadn't yet made it to that stage.
Logan leaned in and whispered something to Veronica. She giggled and nodded. Logan pulled her to her feet and threw over his shoulder to Duncan and Parker, "We're going to call it a night. Catch you guys later!" The two of them beat a hasty retreat. Duncan laughed and shook his head. Parker smiled, watching them go. They were so connected.
"Are you ready to go, too?" Duncan asked Parker.
"Not just yet. I have to leave the day after tomorrow, and I want to soak up as much of this as I can," she replied.
"This is your first time in Vegas?" Duncan asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Parker asked, smiling.
Duncan shrugged. Then the two of them relaxed in silence for a few minutes.
"I can't wait to take Lily to see the desert animals tomorrow," Duncan said. "She's finally at that age where she can really enjoy herself, so I love to show her new things. We're going to check out the dolphin habitat, too."
"I love dolphins!" Parker enthused. "It's going to be a fun day. Watching kids experience something for the first time makes it even more fun. Next summer I'm going to intern at a day care center. I can't wait!"
"I admire your enthusiasm. I love being with Lily because she's my daughter; however, I'd never want to be responsible for entertaining a room full of toddlers!" Duncan remarked.
"Well, the law says you have to have one adult per ten kids," Parker said.
"One person watching ten toddlers? That's insane!" Duncan exclaimed.
Parker laughed. "I know. That's why there's usually 2 or 3 adults for every group of 10 to 15, so it's not too bad," Parker explained.
"That's too ambitious for me! Sounds exhausting," Duncan remarked.
"Speaking of exhaustion, I think I'm ready to call it a night," Parker said, making a move to get up.
"Yeah, you're probably right," Duncan agreed as he got up after her.
Parker went to step toward the exit and suddenly slipped, falling into Duncan who quickly reached out to grab her. She raised her head to thank him when his heated look ensnared her. Suddenly, they were both aware of their near nakedness. Parker forgot everything but the sudden heat between them. The attraction that had been simmering between them flared to a boil. Duncan decided that for once he wasn't going to deny himself something he really wanted. He tightened his hold on her and slowly brought his face closer to hers, giving her a chance to pull away if she wanted. When she didn't but opened her mouth slightly in surprise, he brought his mouth down on hers, slipping his tongue gently inside. Immediately, all reason fled as the kiss quickly took them to an unexpected place, passion igniting them both. The kiss went on and on. Needing a breath, Duncan released her lips and began to place kisses down her neck. Parker titled her head back, giving him permission. Duncan grew bold and moved his hand up to untie her bikini top, freeing her perfectly sized breast for his touch. Her eyes widened in surprise and pleasure when he filled his hands with their smooth globes, kneading them and slightly pinching her nipples. Their eyes locked; both focused solely on the moment and the growing passion, their eyes clouded with lust. Parker's mind went blank; thoughts of Piz and the love she had for him fled with Duncan's touch. Then he leaned in to capture her lips once again. Parker's nails pierced his side as she tightened her grip on him in reaction, for once allowing passion to control both her reason and her response. She didn't protest when Duncan released her lips and moved to capture her breast in his hot mouth. She cried out in pleasure as he sucked hard on her swollen buds. The sound of her voice finally pierced the fog of lust that she had been lost in. Piz's loving face popped in her mind. She stepped back and lifted up her hands in protest. "No! I can't do this!" she cried.
Duncan waited patiently, his eyes roaming over her exposed breasts and back up to her eyes. She stepped back further until no part of her was touching him and quickly tied her top. "I'm sorry, Duncan. I'm not trying to lead you on. But I can't do this. I have a boyfriend. A boyfriend that I love. I won't hurt him this way. I can't!" she insisted.
"Are you sure?" Duncan asked.
"Yes. Piz is the best boyfriend I've ever had. He loves me; I don't want to ruin what we have," Parker said. "I didn't mean for this to happen. You and I are the only two single people here. We got carried away. That's all."
"Just a case of temporary insanity? Nothing else going on here? You really believe that?" Duncan asked doubtfully.
"I have to because that's all there can be. I'm sorry," Parker said. "We should keep our distance from one another until I leave Monday morning."
"If that's what you want," Duncan said.
"It's for the best," she said. Then she stepped out of the hot-tub. After giving Duncan one last regretful look, she turned and left.
Duncan sat back down in the tub, letting the hot warm wash over him. He was unsettled over what just happened between him and Parker. It was unexpected but not unwelcome. Suddenly, the idea of the two of them together took root inside of him. She would be a perfect mother for Lily, and a perfect mate for him. He just knew it. She may be with Piz now, but she belonged with him. Duncan instinctively knew it. He was a patient man; he could wait. Relaxing back against the tub, Duncan closed his eyes and relived the moment between them. The chemistry between them had been explosive. There was no way she could've reacted that way if she had the same thing with Piz. No way.
******The Next Morning******
Veronica awoke to a hard body wrapped around her like a vine. She smiled in contentment. Logan could rarely stay on his side of the bed. Most mornings she awoke cocooned in his embrace. Since she was an only child whose mother abandoned her as a teen, she found his deep rooted desire to constantly touch her a comfort. Something she never even realized that she needed. Last night has been so perfect. The whole day had been great.
She gave a happy sigh and stretched. Like always, Logan was attuned to her every moment. He opened his eyes and viewed her with lazy pleasure. "Good morning," she said to him, smiling. "You out did yourself last night! I am so relaxed and boneless still that I don't want to get up."
"Then don't. We'll stay in bed all day!" Logan said, giving her a squeeze.
"We can't. We got lots of fun stuff to do. We're taking Lily and Darrel to see the animals," Veronica reminded him. "And Dad is very excited about seeing Siegfried and Roy."
"Your dad is easily entertained. I'm more excited about going to Paul Rodriguez's show and then ending our night at the nightclub Pure," Logan remarked.
"It's going to be another perfect day. Yesterday was great!" Veronica said happily. "I can't believe Dad and Alicia are finally married. Wallace and I used to joke about this happening back when we were just juniors in high school. Now I have a brother. Or rather I have two brothers! Wallace is a few months younger than me but because he's taller he says he's my big brother, and Darrel is my little brother."
Smiling at her, Logan sat up and leaned against the headboard, finding pleasure in her happiness. "I'm glad for you, sugarpuss," he said.
"And when we get married, they'll be your brothers, too!" she added happily.
Logan laughed at her enthusiasm. "I don't think you needed a wedding ceremony for them to be your brothers. It seems to me you have managed to accrue several brothers," he said.
When she looked puzzled, he explained. "You have Weevil, who is as insanely protective as any brother could be. He'd do anything for you." Veronica looked smug at his reminder. He just rolled his eyes. "Then you have both Dick and Duncan. I know they'd do the same."
"You're right. I guess sometimes I think of Dick as more your friend than mine. However, I know his devotion and loyalty to you extends to me. He's very protective of our relationship," Veronica remarked. "We're very lucky all things considered."
"Yes, we are. Life's funny that way. The universe takes away your mother and in my case creates a devil of a father, and then it gives you a new family," Logan remarked.
"A family you choose that is even better than the family you inherited," she finished. She snuggled against him in contentment for a few minutes. "I don't want to go downstairs for breakfast. Let's order room service. I think we're meeting Duncan and company downstairs around 11am."
"Room service sounds perfect," Logan agreed. Then he pulled her over until she was lying on top of him. She glanced at him in surprise at his sudden moment. "But I think we should work up an appetite first!"
His lustful look made his intentions known. "I can't believe you have anything left after last night, or should I say early this morning!" she exclaimed with a grin.
"Is it my fault my girlfriend knows how to keep a man motivated?" Logan asked.
"But I'm hungry!" Veronica protested.
"Me, too," Logan replied suggestively.
"For food, you perv!" Veronica said, giggling.
Logan reached over and grabbed the hotel phone. He spoke into it for a moment. Then he hung up. "Okay, food will be here in thirty minutes. I can work with that!" he said confidently. Then he leaned down to kiss her.
The kiss didn't go off as planned. They both quickly pulled back. Logan grimaced. Veronica said, "We have morning breath!"
"One of us as it a bit worse than the other, I think," Logan teased.
She stuck out her tongue at his remark and then sat up, straddling him. His body instantly reacted. "It's too bad you're incapable of making love to me without slobbering all over me!" she joked. Then she moved and rubbed her hot core against him causing him to moan.
"You are a cruel, cold-hearted woman!" he complained.
She laughed and got off of him. "Come on! Let's go brush our teeth and then jump into our very roomy shower!" she suggested.
Logan perked up at her suggestion. "Now that sounds like a great idea!" He followed after her. Before she made it to the bathroom, he reached down and bit down playfully on the nape of her neck.
"Ow! What's with the biting this weekend? Are you channeling your inner-Edward or what?" Veronica asked, eying him.
He just grinned and said, "It's not my fault you look delicious!"
"Whatever!" she exclaimed with a laugh. Then she darted to the bathroom door, beating him there. He entered behind her and slammed the door shut. Her shrieks of laughter could be heard through the closed door.
*****Mac and Dick*****
Mac awoke to a pounding head. She groaned softly and moved her hand to rub her forehead. When her hand bumped into a hard body, her eyes flew open. She gasped in shock when she saw a nude Dick lying face down next to her. "No! No! No!" she exclaimed. "We so did not have drunken sex! I'm going to kill you, Dick!" A heavy sleeper, he was deaf to her complaint, dead to the world. Then she sighed in resignation. She couldn't blame Dick for what happened. Although the events of last night were fuzzy, she knew that she'd probably wanted this just as much. It had been too long, and the abstinence was a strain on both of them. She sat up and looked around Dick's hotel room. Their clothes were scattered haphazardly all over the room, their desperation for one another obvious.
Mac got out of bed and gathered up clothes and began to dress. She glanced at Dick and debated on whether or not she wanted to wake him. They needed to talk. She was disappointed that she allowed herself to get so drunk and give in to impulse. Things were going so perfectly between her and Dick. Every day she felt more hopeful about their future and confident in their relationship. Having sex in Vegas may have been inevitable; however, she wished it had happened after they'd talked and clarified a few things. She needed more assurance than just sex. Flashing him one last annoyed look, she left to go back to her room to clean up.
Parker was already awake and sipping coffee on the balcony. She stepped back into the room when she heard the door open and close. She grinned at Mac's walk of shame. "I see there's no reason for me to ask if you had a good time last night or with whom!" she teased.
Mac didn't reply. She just headed directly over to the coffee pot the hotel supplied and poured a cup of coffee.
Parker was surprised at Mac's silence. "Is everything okay?" she asked Mac.
Mac sat down on her bed sipping her coffee. Parker put her coffee down on the night stand and threw herself down on her stomach across the nearby bed. "Dish. What did you do last night? Or do I even need to ask?"
"We went drinking and gambling on the strip. It was fun," Mac said. She took a sip of her coffee. "Dick tried to get me to elope in an Elvis chapel."
"What?" Parker exclaimed, sitting up in shock. "You eloped?"
"No!" Mac all but shouted the protest. Then she looked embarrassed by her overreaction. "I'm sorry; I'm a bit frazzled. We drank too much and some of the events are a bit fuzzy. However, I know we did not get married."
"Oh, so you gambled all night? Have you even been to bed?" Parker inquired. When Mac blushed and didn't reply, Parker laughed. "Oh, I see you did make it to a bed—just not your own!"
"I don't remember everything, but I know I woke up naked in bed with him, so it's safe to say we did more than sleep." Mac put her coffee down and lay back on the bed, covering her eyes with her arm. "I can't believe I let things get so out of hand! I don't even remember exactly how we ended up in bed."
"Why are you upset about this? You love Dick, and he loves you. It's perfectly natural that you'd eventually give into the feelings between you," Parker commented.
Mac sat up and looked at her. "Yes, but I wanted it to be after we talked and worked out some things. We need to make sure we both know what we want in our relationship and what we expect from one another."
"I don't think you should be so hard on yourself. It's clear that a part of you must have felt safe with Dick, or you wouldn't have done it no matter how drunk you were," Parker said.
"Maybe. I hope you're right," Mac said. Then she changed the subject. "So what did we miss last night?"
"A lot," Parker replied. "Jazmin caught Wallace having a good time at the roulette table with Jackie, so she went drinking at the bar and made a new friend."
Mac winced. "Did either of them do anything that would cause a permanent break-up?" she asked.
"I don't think so. Wallace eventually showed up at the pool when we were playing chicken and joined us," Parker remarked. "And she never came back to the room, so I'm assuming they spent all night making up!"
"You played chicken? Dick would've totally loved that!" Mac said. "Was that it?"
Parker looked uncomfortable for a moment and then she said, "Well, the rest of us went to the hot-tub when Jazmin and Wallace left to work things out."
"The hot-tub, huh? I bet that was nice," Mac observed.
"It was. We were the only ones there. Then Logan and Veronica got a bit too frisky and bailed on us," Parker shared.
"Oh, so it was just you and Duncan alone in the hot-tub?" Mac asked, giving Parker a teasing grin. She was only kidding around, but Parker's body language indicated that something was amiss. "Am I missing something?"
Parker appeared ashamed and looked away, avoiding Mac's eyes. "Parker, did something happened between you and Duncan in the hot-tub?" she asked incredulously.
"At first we just chatted and relaxed. But when I moved to get out of the tub, I slipped," Parker explained. Then she stopped and covered her face. "Oh, Mac, what am I going to do?"
Mac was still a bit confused. "Maybe you should finish explaining what happened," she suggested.
"When I slipped, Duncan caught me. Then suddenly we were both aware of our near nakedness. He kissed me," Parker admitted.
"Really?" Mac asked, surprised. She knew that Parker had a minor crush on Duncan when she met him. However, things with her and Piz were going well.
"What's worse is I kissed him back, and it got out of hand," Parker confessed, looking upset and guilty.
"How out of hand?" Mac inquired. She wasn't nosy by nature, but she had learned that Parker loved to share and expected Mac to ask.
"At one point my top was off," Parker said. When Mac's eyes widened in surprise, she continued, "I stopped it before it could go any further."
"Well, that's kind of far," Mac pointed out.
"I know! What am I going to do? Piz is going to be crushed!" Parker wailed.
"So you're going to tell him?" Mac asked.
"I don't think the Vegas motto 'What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas' is a good idea when you're trying to have a mature and honest relationship with someone you actually love. I couldn't not tell him. The guilt would kill me," Parker said.
Mac got up and sat down next to her, putting her arms around her in consolation. "Piz loves you. Vegas is an insane place. He'll understand," Mac said.
"Like you understood when you caught a drunk Dick making out with another woman after you were broken up?" Parker pointed out.
Mac winced at the reminder. "Okay, so he'll be hurt and you'll fight. But I forgave Dick, and if he really loves you, Piz will forgive you, too."
"You really think so?" Parker asked hopefully.
"I do," Mac reassured. "But are you sure you and Duncan just got carried away? Do you have feelings for him?"
"I've always liked him. But I don't want to break-up with Piz. I love him; I'm not looking for an upgrade," Parker said.
"Oh, so you consider Duncan an upgrade?" Mac teased.
"That is not what I meant, and you know it! I can tell you're back with Dick because you're suddenly thinking you're a comedian!" Parker complained.
Mac just grinned and got up. "I'm going to go take a shower. Try not to throw yourself at anyone else while I'm gone!" she joked as she grabbed some clothes.
Parker threw a pillow at her. Mac laughed and headed to the bathroom.
******Dick and Duncan******
Dick woke up and reached for Mac. When his arm hit nothing but empty space, he opened his eyes. She was gone. He sat up and looked around the room. All her clothes were gone, too. She left without saying goodbye. Dick frowned; she was probably upset that they'd had sex without hashing out things. However, his frown quickly dissipated when he thought of the night they'd had. It was so awesome! He may have failed to convince her to marry him, but he'd finally won her over on the way to the hotel. In the taxicab, he leaned over to kiss her. The kiss had been like a fuse to dynamite; she'd exploded all over him. And not in a bad way! The cabbie threatened to kick them out of the taxi if they didn't take it down a notch. Mac was so wasted that she didn't even blush; she just giggled, amused.
When they got into the elevator heading up to their floor, they had taken advantage of the privacy. At one point, Dick had to remind his foggy brain that elevators came with video cameras. He hadn't bothered to ask her if she wanted to go back to her own room because he figured the way she was kissing him was answer enough. He thought he was going to explode before they'd made it to his room. It had been so long since they'd been together that they'd both been frantic to undress. Dick sighed happily, recalling every hot and frenzied moment.
He got out of bed and took a quick shower. He debated on whether or not he should go hunt up Mac now or give her a chance to cool off because he figured she'd be upset at both of them. She'd be mad at herself for allowing passion to rule and at him for enjoying the ride. Mac would probably be surprised at how well he instinctively understood her. She was unlike anyone he'd ever known, male or female. However, she'd been the objection of his obsession for almost a year, so he'd devoted a lot of energy to trying to figure her out. Although she was often still a mystery to him, Dick felt that he knew her better than he knew anyone, even Logan. And no one understood him as well as she did. Dick was tired of waiting; he was ready for them to be together 100%. He needed some advice and decided to go talk to Duncan because Duncan had never fought with any of his girlfriends when he was in a relationship until the break-ups. There should be some secret to his success that he could pass along to Dick.
Stacy, the nanny, greeted Dick in a friendly manner. She was kind of cute; however, Dick barely noticed. Most other girls didn't register with him these days. Mac and winning her back took up all his energy and focus.
Lily yelled out her typical greeting when she noticed his appearance. "Dick! Dick is here!" she shouted and ran toward him. He bent down and picked her up. He flipped her upside down, making her shriek with delight. Then he flipped her back up and planted a loud smack on her cheek. Lily grinned happily. "Did you come to play with me?" she asked.
"Actually, I came to chat with your daddy before we go see the animals. Is he in his room?" Dick asked.
"Yep. He's getting dwessed," she replied.
Dick kissed her nose and put her on her feet. "I'm going to go chat with him for a few minutes then I'll come back out, and you can tell me all about what animal you want to see the most," Dick told her.
Darrel came out of the bathroom and waved in greeting. Dick gave him a high five before going into Duncan's room without knocking. Duncan was tying his shoes and looked up when the door opened.
"Hey. What's up?" Duncan asked. "I'm surprised to see you up so early. You and Mac had a late night, didn't you? We were swimming at midnight, and you two hadn't returned."
Dick looked very pleased with himself. "We had an awesome night, dude! It couldn't have possibly been better," he told Duncan. "Lots of drinking and gambling. Then a hot night if you catch my drift."
Duncan grinned in understanding. "That's good, man. I'm happy for you," Duncan said. "So if it was so perfect, why are you here with me and not with Mac?"
"Cause Mackie ran off before I woke up," Dick admitted with a frown.
"Really? Wow! That sucks! What happened?" Duncan asked.
"Well, she's probably freaking 'cause we had sex without talking everything to death. I don't mind talking about stuff 'cause it's her and that's what she needs, but sometimes a guy just needs to know if he has a girlfriend, ya know?" Dick said.
Duncan smiled at Dick's ramblings. "I take it the sex happened without the conversation, leaving her a bit unsettled?"
"Exactly," Dick said. "What should I do? Should I go find her?"
"Well, in my experience when a woman's upset a little time is always a good thing," Duncan said. "Lilly used to get really mad at me over nothing, and if I gave her space, she'd be fine. You said that you'd been drinking?"
"We were drinking when we were gambling. Then we went walking on the strip and ate hot dogs. Then we after she refused to elope with me, I dragged her to my favorite bar," Dick explained.
"You tried to get Mac to elope?" Duncan asked in surprise.
Dick looked sheepish for a moment. "Yeah, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," he said with a shrug.
"You never learn, do you?" Duncan asked with a grin. "You should be grateful that she wasn't drunk enough to agree to that 'cause it'd take a lot longer for her to get over that."
"I think she'd love being married to me!" Dick protested.
"I'm sure you'd love being married to her, but let's finish college first, okay?" Duncan said reasonably. "Maybe she left early 'cause she doesn't remember all the details from last night."
"It's possible. She was really wasted. I better give her some space. Drunken sex probably did not make her as happy as it made me!" Dick said with a rueful grin.
"Make sure you don't let her think you don't remember either. Woman hate thinking they're forgettable. Lilly taught me that at an early age," Duncan said. He went to the door and opened in to check on his Lily. "It looks like breakfast has arrived. Have you eaten yet? We got plenty." He closed the door and looked questioning at Dick.
"Sure. I can eat," Dick said.
"Before we do, I feel the need to unburden myself, too," Duncan admitted. "I want to talk to you about something, but I don't want you to open your mouth and make any cracks or comments about it to anyone else. Women are sensitive."
"You met a woman?" Dick asked in surprise. Then he grinned. "Dude, that's awesome! What's her name?"
"I didn't meet anyone new. We went swimming last night. Then Jazmin and Wallace bailed, and the four of us went to the hot-tub," Duncan shared.
"You were in the hot-tub with Ronnie? Dude, it's time to move on and get over Ronnie! It's not gonna happen. You're starting to be kind of pathetic, dude," Dick said with a frown.
"You're the one who needs to move on!" Duncan said in annoyance. "Quit thinking I'm into Veronica and always assuming the worse. It's damn insulting!"
"So you weren't talkin' about, Ronnie?" Dick asked in surprise.
"No, of course not!" Duncan explained.
"Then who?" Dick asked. Before Duncan could answer, Dick realized who he was referring about. "Parker? You and Parker?" When Duncan smiled, Dick continued, "That's awesome! She's totally your type. Didn't I tell you?"
"Yeah. For once, you were right," Duncan said.
"So what happened?" Dick asked.
"Logan and Veronica didn't last long in the hot-tub and left Parker and me alone," Duncan said.
"I bet they didn't last long. They're always going at it like rabbits," Dick remarked with a knowing grin.
"Anyway, as I was saying, Parker and I were there alone and nothing happened until she went to get out. She slipped, and I caught her," Duncan said.
"I bet you did!" Dick said suggestively.
"It wasn't like that. I didn't plan this. It just happened. I kissed her and things got out of hand," Duncan shared.
"Alright! That's what I'm talkin' about!" Dick said proudly.
"She stopped it before it could go too far, though," Duncan said. "She told me she loves Piz and doesn't want to hurt him."
"Pissaster? Please! That dude is nothing compared to you! She'll come around. You just gotta work some of that Kane magic," Dick said.
"Maybe. But she seemed pretty sure about what she wanted," Duncan said. "And she's leaving tomorrow morning."
"That's too bad," Dick said. "I'm so gonna have to take Mac and check out that hot-tub 'cause it's obviously a magic hot-tub."
Duncan looked confused. "Magic?" he asked.
"It has to be if it caused you to see some action!" Dick joked, grinning.
"Not cool! I'm not a monk," Duncan protested.
"Might as well be. You've been in a dry spell since Jazmin," Duncan pointed out.
"I don't think two months constitutes a dry spell," Duncan defended. "I have a feeling my luck is about to change."
Dick grinned. "That makes both of us, dude!"
"Come on. Let's go eat," Duncan said as he opened the door to the room.
******Wallace and Jackie******
After making plans to meet up in a bit, Jazmin went to her room to get ready for the day excursions, and Wallace went downstairs to grab some breakfast and explore the hotel. None of them had really done much exploring. The hotel had a lot of shops. He rode the elevator down to the main floor. When it stopped on a floor to let someone on, he was surprised to see Jackie step inside.
"What a pleasant surprise!" she exclaimed with a smile.
Wallace glanced warily at her. "Not so much. We are staying at the same hotel," Wallace reminded her.
When the elevator door opened on the ground floor, he got out. Jackie matched her steps to his. "I had a lot of fun last night," she told him.
Wallace didn't say anything. He was busy trying to figure out the best way to handle Jackie. She wasn't someone that was easily led.
"Wallace?" she questioned. "Are you mad at me?"
Wallace stopped and turned toward her. "No, of course not. I'm mad at myself really," he admitted.
She looked puzzled. "Why?"
"Because I let myself get caught up last night, forgetting that Jazmin's leaving tomorrow and that I should be focusing on her," Wallace said.
Jackie looked steadily at him. Then she said, "Don't you think, Wallace that if she did mean so much to you that you wouldn't have been so easily distracted by me? Or maybe it wasn't that she didn't mean enough but that I mean more?"
"We've been broken up a long time, Jackie. Things change," Wallace said easily.
"And some things remain the same," she replied. "There is still something real between us, Wallace, and you know it."
"What do you want from me, Jackie? You live in New York. You have a child. I live on the other side of the country. We broke up for a reason," Wallace reminded her.
"Yes, but it wasn't because we didn't want to be together but because circumstances were against us," she pointed out.
"And those circumstances haven't changed," Wallace countered. He went over and sat down on the stone wall surrounding the lobby fountain.
Jackie sat down next to him. "Don't you think it means something that we've ran into each other like this, Wallace? The universe is trying to tell us something."
Wallace didn't know what to say. Seeing her again had been both surprising and unsettling. "I don't know about that. I just know that nothing's really changed except that I now have a girlfriend that I really care about. And I hurt her last night by ignoring her."
"Have you considered how it hurts me to see you again like this and know you managed to move on in a way I never could?" Jackie admitted. "I still love you, Wallace. I never stopped."
Wallace looked at her in surprise at her confession. He was ill-prepared to respond. Looking hurt at his silence, she got up. "I see. You really don't love me anymore, do you?" she asked.
Wallace opened his mouth to tell her he did not. However, he hesitated. Losing Jackie and getting over her and been one of the most painful experiences of his life. He didn't have it in him to deny that he felt something still for her. "A part of me will always love you, Jackie," he finally admitted. "But that doesn't solve our problem."
He got up in resignation and turned his back to her. She moved in front of him, smiling that smile that used to haunt his dreams. "Wallace, love is all you really need. What we have is still very real. I can prove it," she said. Then she moved closer and put her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his.
Wallace knew that he should push her away. However, the touch of her lips revived a part of himself that he hadn't realized had been dormant since she moved away. He found himself returning the kiss and taking it deeper.
She pulled back and gave him a satisfied look. "See. There's more between us than fond memories, Wallace. You wouldn't kiss me like that if you didn't still love me. We can find a way to be together again. I know it," she said. Then she put her lips to his once again.
And that was how Jazmin found them. She, Veronica, Logan, Mac, and Parker came out of the elevator together. Veronica and Logan didn't notice Wallace because they were too busy teasing one another. However, Jazmin's gasp of shock caught their attention. The group came to a sudden halt. "Why are we stopping?" Parker asked. Then she realized what had fixed everyone's attention. Wallace was standing in front of the fountain kissing Jackie in a way that Parker had never seen him kiss Jazmin.
Jazmin looked at the display in front of her in stunned shock and hurt. The hurt quickly faded as a red haze took over her vision. Veronica followed after her as she quickly stepped to the embracing couple. She lifted up her purse and whacked Wallace on the back. He pulled back from Jackie and viewed her through hooded eyes. Focusing on Jazmin, they widened in guilt and dismay. "Jazmin?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jazmin demanded.
TO BE CONTINUED…..