Thank you for your continued interest and support. I appreciate it. I do not own Glee or the characters, neither do I own Stuck-Up Suit.
SAM
In a matter of weeks, I went from Jennifer being a distant memory to her calling on a regular basis and showing up at my office unannounced.
I took off my glasses and scrubbed my hands over my face before pushing the intercom button.
"Send her in."
Jennifer strutted into my office and planted herself on the other side of my desk in a guest chair.
"We need to talk."
"Is Madison alright?"
"She's fine."
"Then what are you doing here, Jennifer?"
"I just said we need to talk."
I slipped my glasses back on my face and dug back into the pile of papers on my desk, not looking up when I spoke.
"I'm busy. Make an appointment on your way out."
She sighed loudly but didn't budge.
"Madison's birthday party is a family event."
"And…"
"You should be there."
"I told you the other night when we spoke that we would attend."
"She's not family."
"Not yet."
The bitch looked startled.
"You can't be serious. How could you say something like that? How long have you known each other? You have a daughter to consider now. As a father figure, you shouldn't be introducing our daughter to someone who you barely even know. Madison could get attached."
Like she got attached to Callum?
Even though I knew Jennifer knew Callum, those words were on the tip of my tongue to say, but I refrained...the sooner she was out of my office, the better.
I reigned in my simmering anger and answered Jennifer.
"I'm well aware of that."
"You barely even know each other, Sam. What's it been? A month? Two months?"
"I know her better than I ever knew you."
"We spent nearly three years together."
"And yet, I never knew the woman you were. Or the things you were capable of."
"That's not fair."
"On the contrary. I think I've been exceedingly fair with you. More so than you even deserve. You slept with my best friend, deprived me of my daughter for more than four years, and now you show up at my office unannounced to insult someone who I care deeply about."
"She's not right for you."
"Let me guess. You are?"
"Well…yes. We're on the same level, Sam."
"I don't think so. I would never have fucked Adrienne."
She flinched, but recovered quickly, straightening her back as she spoke.
"She has a tongue ring. I saw it the other day."
"Yes. And it feels incredible on my dick."
Her eyes narrowed.
"It won't last."
"Get out, Jennifer! I have work to do."
"I'm just trying to protect my daughter."
"Our daughter."
"That's what I said."
"Out!" I pointed to the door.
"Fine." She stood. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
She huffed off.
That night, I took Mercedes out to dinner. Now that I'd squared away with Jennifer that she would be with me for Madison's party this weekend, the only thing left was convincing her to go with me.
She'd already voiced doubts about going. So I didn't broach the subject during our meal, thinking it was better to ply her with good food and wine and make my move later in the evening.
Later that evening...
For the last hour I was with Mercedes, I spent it bringing her to orgasm...first with my mouth...and then a second time as we made love, with me spooning her.
When she let out a relaxed and comforted sigh, I decided it was time.
Still behind her, I kissed her bare shoulder and molded my body around hers.
"It would mean a lot to me if you came with me this weekend."
"I don't know, Sam."
I nuzzled closer.
"I need you there with me."
"You need time with your daughter. And we both know Jennifer doesn't like me."
"It's important to me. I know you have your doubts. But I want you to see that we can still work even though things have changed."
"Sam..."
"Please, baby?" I asked softly.
"Fine."
She sounded defeated, but I didn't care. I was selfish enough to take it any way I could get it.
"Thank you. I'll make it worth your while the following weekend. I promise."
I was about to do something I've been thinking about doing for a while. And with all the changes happening lately, there was no better time than the present to bite the bullet.
When Mitch dropped me off at Puck's tattoo parlor on Eighth Avenue, I was feeling pumped.
Bells chimed when I opened the door. And as usual, it smelled like cinnamon incense and tobacco.
And of course, Bob Marley was playing in the background.
Being here, somehow oddly reminded me of my college days.
And that brought me a measure of comfort I didn't think I needed.
Puck put out his cigarette and greeted me.
"Mr. Big Prick! When I saw your name on the appointment list, I nearly shitted a brick. What the hell, man? Has she finally driven you to lose your mind?"
I grinned.
"You didn't tell Mercedes I was coming, did you?"
"No," Quinn said, suddenly appearing. "When you called to make the appointment, you made it clear you wanted it to be a surprise, so we won't ruin it. Right, Noah?"
"Right."
Noah led me over to the corner seat.
"You have an idea what you're getting?"
"Yes. I know exactly what I want. I actually attempted to sketch it for you." Taking a piece of paper out of my pocket, I said, "My drawing skills aren't as good as yours, but it gives you an idea of what I have in mind."
He lit another cigarette and squinted to examine my attempt at tattoo design.
"I recognize this." He chuckled. "Alright. I think we can do even better. Why don't you lie down."
I looked up at him as he prepped the needle.
"Has she said anything to you about what's going on with us?"
He blew smoke.
"You mean about your baby mama drama?"
"Okay. You obviously know I recently found out I have a daughter."
"Even if she did talk to me about it, I wouldn't tell you anything, dude."
"Fair enough."
Damn! I wasn't going to get jack shit out of him.
The sting of the needle burned into my chest as Noah started the design.
A few years ago, I would've never imagined getting a second tattoo in my lifetime. But somehow, it felt natural to be doing this.
It seemed like more than just marking my body. It was art, which in turn was an expression of love.
Besides, Mercedes had a way of getting me to see a lot of things differently now.
After several minutes of watching him work in silence, I blurted out,
"I love her, Noah."
He stopped the needle and held out his hands.
"Whoa! Whoa! Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you're her friend. And she doesn't have many close ones."
"Have you even said those three words to her?"
"No. I haven't had the right opportunity, but I will. I also get the impression that you still don't trust me, and I think it's important that you understand, that despite recent developments, I'm in this for the long haul."
"Look, I'm not gonna bullshit you. I don't personally trust guys like you...rich and powerful. But Mercedes seems too deep into this for me not, to at least, take you seriously. If she cares about you, then I'm gonna have to accept it and trust her judgment.
"Okay. Well, I appreciate your honesty."
"Just remember what I said. Don't break her heart, and I won't have to break your pretty face."
I swallowed my anger for Mercedes' sake.
"I heard you loud and clear the first time you threatened my life, Noah."
If this guy was anyone but her best friend, I wouldn't have taken his shit, but I didn't need him badmouthing me.
When Noah finished the tattoo, he applied clear tape over it. I couldn't wait to show Mercedes.
Quinn came around the corner.
"Since you're getting adventurous, MBP, I'd be happy to pierce something for you while you're here."
"MBP?" I asked, a little puzzled.
"Mr. Big Prick."
"Oh, of course."
I rolled my eyes and threw a wad of cash that was triple the amount I owed on the counter.
She took the money and placed it in the register.
"So…cock ring? What do say?"
A protective shiver ran down through my dick from shaft to tip. Ouch!
"Baby steps, Quinn."
"Alright." She shrugged her shoulders. "Can't say I didn't try."
The next night, I could barely contain my excitement as I headed to Mercedes' for a surprise visit after work.
I had worked late and made the decision to drop by unannounced with some of her favorite Mexican takeout.
Plus, the bandage would be coming off, and I could finally show her my tattoo.
With Madison's birthday party this weekend, revealing it to her tonight would be good timing.
It would remind her how important she was to me.
Mercedes buzzed me in promptly, but when she opened the door, her mood seemed off.
"Sam…I wasn't expecting you. Come in."
Pulling her towards me, I slid my hand down her back and gripped her ass.
"Are you not happy to see me?"
"No, it's not that."
I placed the paper bag of food on her kitchen table.
"Then, what is it?"
"I'm not sure...you seem a little excited tonight."
She deflected seamlessly.
"Well, I have a surprise for you. And I couldn't wait to come here tonight to show you."
"What is it?"
Taking off my jacket, I said,
"Let's eat first. I brought your favorite enchiladas from Jose's."
Mercedes was quiet all throughout dinner. Giving me the impression something was definitely off. And making me wonder if she was a bit nervous about going to the Hamptons this weekend.
I took her plate.
"Want to talk about what's bothering you?"
Dodging my question, she said,
"Not really. Tell me what the surprise is first."
It felt odd presenting the tattoo to her when she was in such a morose mood.
It wasn't exactly how I'd pictured this moment, but I wasn't going to be able to hide it much longer, since I had every intention of screwing her out of that bad mood later.
She was going to see my chest one way or the other.
"Okay…this is something I wanted to do for a long time. And I finally bit the bullet and had it done. I hope you like it."
She bit her lip in anticipation as I slowly unbuttoned my shirt.
My heart was pounding.
What if she thought it was creepy?
Shit! It was too fucking late.
She watched as I tore the tape off.
"It's still a little red," I said, oddly nervous.
She covered her mouth.
"Oh, my God. Sam…it's…"
"Do you like it?"
Her eyes glistened.
"It's amazing!" She looked down at her foot. "It's exactly the same as mine."
"Of course. Puck did it to match."
She traced the area around my tattoo, examining it with a look of reverence on her pretty face.
It was placed strategically over my heart.
It was her name written out in script. And underneath the letters was a smaller version of the same feather design she had on her foot.
"I thought the feather was the perfect accent to your name," I started. "Our story might've been different if I hadn't been able to use it to identify you back when we first met. I'm very thankful for that feather."
Mercedes was still silently looking at it in awe when I said,
"You know, it's no coincidence that the other tattoo I had was nowhere near my heart. You're the only woman who's ever fully owned it."
'Tell her you love her.'
Why is it so damn hard to just let it out?
'Because you're afraid she won't return it.'
Her hand was still tracing the tat. So I covered her fingers with mine to stop the motion and to get her attention.
"Mercedes...I lo..."
"Sam, I'm late."
Late?
"What?"
"I'm late."
"You're late? What do you mean? Late for what?"
"My period. I'm late. And I'm scared."
I blinked several times.
"You think you might be pregnant?"
"I'm on the pill. It's unlikely, but I'm never late. I just looked at the calendar and realized it today. So, I'm worried."
Well, now her bizarre mood made total sense.
"Could there be other reasons to explain it?"
"I read that stress can cause a delay sometimes. So, I'm hoping that's what it is. This is the last thing you need right now."
"You're worried about me?"
"Yes. Of course, I am! You're just coming to grips with having one child. This would be too much." She buried her face in her hands. "Too damn much."
I moved her hands down from her face and pulled her into me.
"Mercedes, I agree the timing isn't ideal, but make no mistake about it, the idea of you carrying my baby brings me nothing but happiness. I don't think you're ready...but if it happened, I would look at it as a blessing."
She looked up at me.
"Really?"
"Yes…really." I cupped her cheeks, smiled and repeated, "Really."
"Thank you for saying that because I've been so scared to even mention it."
"Don't be scared. You never have to go through anything alone again."
However, I needed to know.
"Can we take a test?" I asked.
"I don't know if I'm ready, Sam. I don't want to take it too early anyway, I might get a false result. I'll wait until after this weekend…once we have the party behind us. Then, we'll do it."
"Whatever you want."
I knew from the look on her face that she was praying she wasn't carrying my baby.
Was I crazy for wishing the opposite?
Stay safe!