Getting Closer
"Phil, do you ever watch porn?" AJ asked casually, sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine whilst Punk was writing Christmas cards out.
"Excuse me?" Punk looked up, wondering if he had heard right.
"Do you watch porn?" AJ asked him as he shook his head with confusion.
"No of course I don't watch porn. Why are you asking me that?" Punk questioned.
"I'm just reading an article about this woman who found out her husband watched porn and she divorced him." AJ chuckled to herself, amused.
"That's a little much." Punk scoffed, "Where do you stand on the case?" He questioned curiously.
"I'd question it but… I'd give you a pass on the divorce." She said as he nodded.
"Well that's good to know." Punk shook his head, "But you don't gotta worry about any of that."
"I know I don't." AJ smiled cockily.
"Ok, if you divert your attention from the scandalous magazine for a second… am I writing this card to Jude or to… Jude and Sean?" Punk asked her.
"Jude and Sean, obviously." AJ said, "Let me see these cards." She shook her head, sitting the magazine down and looking at the cards, "Phil, they have so many pretty cards this time of year and you manage to pick the ugliest ones." She shook her head.
"They're not ugly." Punk defended.
"They are." AJ shook her head, "All you're in charge of is cards. That's literally it."
"Yeah and these are some nice cards." Punk defended fiercely, "Look, bears with their hats and scarves on. Snowmen playing soccer on one for Cassie." He said, "I am excellent card picker."
"I disagree. I would have found better ones." AJ said, picking her magazine back up.
"Well how about next year you pick them then, and let me be in charge of wrapping." Punk negotiated as AJ laughed loudly.
"You? Wrapping?" AJ questioned, "James could do a better job."
"You get mean at Christmas, I don't like it." Punk said, "Leave me and my cards alone." He said childishly as AJ smiled, watching him finish writing the cards out.
"Do we have everything for Christmas day?" AJ asked him.
"I don't know, you don't let me buy anything but Christmas cards." Punk said as AJ chuckled.
"Because I don't trust you." AJ said truthfully, "Last time I left you in charge of buying things for Christmas day you forgot to get the Turkey." She pointed out.
"That was one time." Punk scoffed, "You have to move on from it."
"Never." AJ chuckled to herself as he smiled.
"At least we've got all the presents." Punk said.
"Yeah, I just need to wrap them all." AJ said, "Which could take me a while."
"I bet my presents take the longest to wrap." Punk smirked.
"Who says you have presents?" AJ teased as Punk just smiled.
"I have presents." Punk nodded to himself as AJ chuckled.
"What do you mean you got a bad vibe from him?" Dominic asked, sitting at the kitchen table with Thea later on at night. James was down in his nursery for the night whilst they had dinner.
"I mean he was looking at her funny. Like he was… staring right through her." Thea shook her head.
"Are you sure you're not thinking too much into it?" Dominic asked her.
"No, honestly." Thea said, "He was… creepy." She shook her head, "Look, I'm the first to admit that I'm a little… confrontational with people-"
"A little?" Dominic smiled.
"Ok, a lot." Thea shrugged, "But I know a creep when I see one." She said, "He was so… fake."
"And what did Jude say?" Dominic asked.
"Well it's Jude. She's disgustingly nice to everyone she knows." Thea shook her head, "She didn't say anything."
"So why are you getting wrapped up in it?" Dominic asked her.
"I don't know, I just… I got a weird vibe from him and he was looking at her weird. She's too gullible to notice." Thea said.
"Or you're just judging people before you even know them." Dominic suggested.
"Wrong." Thea disagreed, "I'm just a very good judge of character." She corrected him, "I just… I didn't like the way he was looking at my sister. That's all I'm saying."
"Did you say that to Jude?" Dominic asked her.
"No. I didn't want to put any worries in her head. I think he's in her class." Thea said, "Come on, don't make it out like I'm insane. You know when you just look at a person and… you just know they're kinda off. Something doesn't feel right?"
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Dominic understood, "But your sister is old enough to deal with that on her own." He said as Thea tutted, "How did shopping go anyway?"
"It was ok. Apart from Jude wanting to torture our son in horrid outfits." Thea said as Dominic chuckled, "We had to stop after an hour, I was kinda sore." She said.
"Babe, I hope you weren't overdoing it. It's great that you're feeling more able but… just be careful." He said.
"Look I'm still in a ton of pain but if I can just set myself little goals every week, and get to them, I'll be happy. Maybe the shopping was a little… too much, but I did it and I got through it and I actually did have fun. It was good just to be out." She shook her head, "And I did get some things for James for Christmas."
"Yeah, I've been picking stuff up on my way home from work. They're still in the trunk." Dominic said.
"I want his first Christmas to be perfect." Thea nodded, "I think we all deserve a nice Christmas after these last couple months." She said as Dominic nodded.
"Yeah, it'll be good." Dominic nodded.
"How have you been feeling?" Thea asked, "I know you don't like me drawing attention to it but-"
"I'm ok." Dominic said, "Up and down. More up, though." He assured her as she nodded.
"Tyler driving you insane at the meetings yet?" Thea smiled.
"You kidding? One session with him is enough to drive you insane." Dominic said as Thea chuckled.
"He's a good guy." Thea nodded.
"Yeah." Dominic agreed, "I think it gets extra hard at Christmas too. Everyone is out drinking and… partying." He said as Thea nodded, "You just get the itch, I guess."
"Yeah but you're strong enough to fight it. And then soon it won't even be an itch." Thea said, "You're… you're doing amazing."
"You have to say that." Dominic scoffed with a smile.
"Hey, you know I can't lie." Thea smiled as he nodded.
"That's true. You're an awful liar." Dominic nodded as she smiled, standing up and taking their empty plates away as Dominic's eyes followed her, which she noticed and smiled.
"What you staring at?" Thea asked calmly, placing the dishes by the sink.
"You." Dominic nodded truthfully as she turned around, looking over at him.
She walked over to him, sitting on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck, "Anything you wanna look at in particular?" She smiled as he chuckled, watching as she leaned forward and kissed him sweetly, turning heated as he stood up with her, holding her up as her legs circled around his waist. He made sure not to hurt her side, and alternatively held her by the ass which was fine by both parties.
"You have no idea how much I need this." Thea shook her head as he walked out of the kitchen with her and headed for the stairs.
"You're going on another date?" Jude shook her head, standing in the living room of her and Kirsty's apartment, "Who with this time?"
"I don't know, some guy who came into my work and gave me his number." Kirsty said, applying some lipstick as she looked into her compact mirror, getting ready to leave.
"Do you know anything about him?" Jude asked.
"No, hence the date." Kirsty laughed.
"Please just… be more careful. Look what happened to Chelsea." Jude said.
"He's coming to pick me up, don't worry. And he's a nice guy. I've done all my stalking on his social media sites. He's a good guy." Kirsty assured her, "Just rest your weary little mind." She nodded as Jude sighed, "Is Sean coming over tonight?"
"No, I wish." Jude sighed, "He's working late again." She said, "But we're spending the full day together tomorrow so it's ok." She said, "He managed to get the day off so we're gonna go to the markets and see the tree." She said.
"Does your adorable mom and dad still put all your names on the tree?" Kirsty asked as Jude smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, they've done it since Thea was born. Even when my dad was gone my mom always took us and put them up. It's like tradition." Jude said.
"It's sweet." Kirsty nodded, "Well I'm glad you're spending the full day together, that'll be nice." She smiled as Jude nodded.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I'm gonna go for a shower and get an early night." Jude said.
"You little old lady." Kirsty said, "Is this a night before you're gonna get laid shower?"
"You mean the shower that takes about an hour to shave, wash, exfoliate, moisturise… yeah. That shower." Jude nodded.
"It takes you an hour to shave? Girl…" Kirsty looked at her.
"I'm Puerto Rican." Jude teased as Kirsty scoffed and shook her head.
"Just… tidy the bathroom when you're done." Kirsty nodded.
"Says the queen of mess." Jude shook her head as there was a knock at the door.
"Ok, that's me." Kirsty nodded, running to the door and answering it as Jude looked over, getting a look at her date.
"Have fun." Jude smiled, watching as Kirsty winked to her and left the apartment.
She shook her head and walked into the bathroom, turning the shower on to heat up as she collected the things she needed from her room, including her phone to play music very loud, her favourite part of showering.
She got into the shower, singing loudly whilst washing her hair, taking her time since she was in no rush.
The music was so loud she never heard the apartment door opening, someone walking into the apartment quietly whilst she continued to sing in the shower.
They walked around the apartment, particularly making their way into Jude's bedroom, leisurely taking their time as they looked around the room, opening up drawers, treating everything in the room like it was sacred, like it was gold.
Jude stopped the shower for a second, having forgotten a hair mask she was going to put in her hair, stepping out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body and running out of the bathroom.
She ran into her bedroom, opening up her drawer and taking the hair mask out, rushing back out and into the bathroom.
The person in the apartment came out from Jude's closet where he'd disappeared into when he heard her coming. As soon as he heard the shower turning back on, he continued to look around the room before walking through the apartment, staying there for around ten minutes until deciding to leave.
When he left the apartment, closing the door over, Jude picked up on it, sticking her hand out of the shower and pausing her music.
She stepped out of the shower, holding the towel around her and walking out of the bathroom.
"Kirsty?" Jude said, looking at the still, quiet and empty apartment.
Feeling eerily quiet, she walked over to the apartment door and locked it, putting the chain on before making her way back into the shower.