Disclaimer: Anything related to TNA or anyone else clearly doesn't belong to the writers of this story. This is written purely for entertainment purposes. If TNA is willing, though, the writers of this story would very much love to own any of the TNA-owned people mentioned within this story. We also don't own Sterling James Keenan but would very much like to. That is all.
A/N: Yay, another chapter! This one flows on from the cliffhanger that Lizzie left you all with at the end of last chapter. Kady's in trouble in a big way. And, Lizzie... if I'm a goose, can I at least be the kind that lays golden eggs? Think of the profit! Ahem... I mean... um... just read the darn chapter! Thanks. Phoenix
"Mom, I know I..." She started.
"Don't. Don't say that you know you messed up because, you know what, you're not the only one that knows it. The whole fucking country knows it, Kady! What you did was so incredibly wrong! I don't even know what the hell you were thinking. Then again, I can never work you out. Do you enjoy making my life a living hell? I thought we were past this shit, I really did!" Lily yelled at her daughter, having had enough of it all.
"Mom, please... I didn't mean to get anyone into trouble..." Kady replied quietly.
"Trouble? Kady, we are way past trouble. Do you realize what you've done? Chris, James, Andy, Chase and I have all been suspended. Andy and Chase may still lose their titles. We've been back here a month and already you've fucked this up for me. You knew we needed this and you, yet again, fucked it all up. I've had enough... I don't know what else to say. I just... I give up." Lily told her, throwing her hands up in defeat. Chris moved over to her and put a hand on her arm gently.
"It's going to be okay, Lil. Suspension isn't so bad. I've been pondering taking time off anyway. I... I've found a place in Florida, just needed a chance to move here. Now I've got it." He smiled, hoping to diffuse the situation slightly.
"Ha! Good for you. Meanwhile, what the fuck am I supposed to do? I need my job. You have no idea how much it costs to raise a teenager." Lily continued to fume.
"Don't worry about it. If you need money, just say so. I mean, I kind of owe you thirteen odd years worth of child support anyway." Chris smirked. Lily glared at him.
"You know what... I have a better idea. You think it's so easy dealing with her, go ahead. She's all yours. I meant it – I've had enough. It's my turn to walk out." Lily told them both, picking up her handbag before walking over to the door and exiting the room. Kady watched her go, tears springing to her eyes. She had been too young to stop Chris leaving when he did but nothing was stopping her now, she realized.
"Mom! Wait!" She called after Lily, moving towards the door. Chris caught her in his arms and pulled her back towards the desk.
"Let her go, baby. She needs time to cool down." He told her, hugging her to himself tightly for a moment. Kady protested, trying to fight her way out of his arms.
"She can't leave me! She can't fucking leave!" She screamed, beating her hands against his chest.
Chris let her go and positioned himself between her and the door in order to stop her going after Lily. He looked down at her and saw the fear, the rejection and the pain shining in her green eyes. He couldn't help but get a little choked up. For the second time in her life, she was being abandoned by someone that supposedly loved her more than anything. He couldn't even begin to understand how that must feel for her. And to be left with him, someone she still wasn't all too familiar with, just made things seem a lot worse.
"It'll be okay, I promise. She'll calm down in a few days... we just gotta wait it out." He assured her.
"Fuck waiting it out! Let me out of here!" Kady demanded. Chris shook his head.
"It won't help anything. If you go after her, things will just get ugly. Neither of you need to drag this stuff out in public... no more than what you did by coming out to the ring earlier." Chris told her, getting a little more serious.
"What? You... you were in trouble. I was just trying to help! I can't believe you'd be mad at me for it..." Kady sobbed. Chris pulled her into his arms again, kissing the top of her head.
"I know you did it for the right reasons, baby, but... the fact remains, it was dangerous. James never should've let you stay out there." Chris mused, resting his chin on top of Kady's head now.
"I shouldn't have been out there to start with. It isn't James' fault. I just didn't want you to wind up in hospital. I... I need you." Kady admitted. Chris' heart leapt up into his throat. His little girl finally admitted she wanted him around. That had to be one of the best feelings in the world! But, still, it was coming from a bad situation.
"You need Lily, too. Let's go." He decided, taking one of her hands in his and leading her out of the office. He was determined to hold things together, for Kady's sake.
After leaving the office, Lily had made her way towards the nearest exit. She just wanted to get out of there, find some peace and quiet and reflect on everything that had happened. She wasn't aware of the tears streaming down her cheeks or the looks she was getting from anyone that saw her. At least, not until someone stepped in front of her and put their hands on her shoulders. She looked up into the concerned face of Jeff Hardy.
"You okay?" He asked her hesitantly.
"Peachy fucking keen." She told him, trying to push past him.
"Wait, wait. What's going on?" Jeff pressed, stopping her again.
"I'm leaving, that's what's going on. I'm done. I'm out."
"Leaving? What about Kady?" Jeff asked, confused by the situation.
"That's what I meant when I said I was done." Lily reiterated, getting past Jeff finally. He stood, trying to work through the small amount of information he'd gotten from Lily. It wasn't long before he spotted Chris and Kady heading towards him.
"Jeff, seen Lily?" Chris asked him when they reached him.
"That way. She's pretty upset." Jeff replied, pointing towards the exit.
"No kidding. Thanks, man." Chris farewelled before leading Kady out the exit.
Lily hadn't gotten very far but Chris let go of Kady's hand and jogged to catch up with her, turning her back towards their daughter with a hand on one of her shoulders. She shrugged his hand off and tried to turn back the way she'd been walking.
"Mom, wait... please?" Kady pleaded as she caught up to her parents. Lily stopped and Chris watched her shoulders slump. It was like she was defeated. He knew that feeling all too well.
"Kady, keep quiet for a second, okay?" He told her as he put an arm around her and pulled her close to him. She nodded and gripped the back of his shirt tightly.
"Lil, after everything that we've been through since Kady was born, you're just going to walk away now? After giving me shit for wanting to pursue a career, you're doing the same thing. Are you really willing to just give up on all the progress we've made lately?" Chris challenged. Lily looked up, the glare in her eyes scaring Kady slightly.
"Fuck you, Chris! What fucking progress? She's still just as infuriating as she ever was, still just as careless. This stunt was the last straw for me. She doesn't give a shit about anyone other than herself, you know that!"
"She's a kid! She's meant to make mistakes so she can learn from them! Persecuting her for it isn't going to help matters." Chris pointed out.
"And you're the expert on raising kids, right? You know it all, you've done it all. Oh, wait, no... that was me." Lily replied, heavy sarcasm evident in her voice.
"Yeah, it was you. Because that's the way you fucking wanted it! Things are different now, though. Kady needs both of us, you know that."
"After thirteen years of dealing with me, I'm sure she wouldn't mind seeing the back of me, would you, brat?" Lily turned on Kady.
"Stop it, stop it, stop it! Why do I have to choose between you? Why can't I have you both for a change? I need you both!" Kady assured her mother. Lily took a deep breath, letting Kady's words sink in.
"It's not that easy, Kadence. I wish it could be but... you're making it a whole lot harder. You've got to think, girl. You can't go through life pulling pranks and brushing off the consequences. It's going to catch up with you eventually, just like it has now. I've had enough of cleaning up your messes, of having my life turned to crap because you want to have a little fun. I'd like to have some fun, for a change. And I was, here, until you decided to mess it up for me. I guess I should've seen it coming though. You've gotten predictable, Kady."
"And you haven't? You've been running from your problems for as long as I've known you – since high school, Lily. And, look at you! You're doing it again. It's about time both of you face up to things and deal with them instead of running away. I'm not going to let either of you run this time." Chris vowed.
"What are you going to do, lock us in a room together?" Lily queried. Chris looked down at Kady and then back to his ex.
"If I have to, yeah. This is getting completely ridiculous. I was sure there was only one teenager here that I had to deal with but it seems nothing's changed with you, Lily. You're still as self-centered as you always were. Typical cheerleader." Chris scoffed.
Lily reared back her hand and slapped Chris as hard as she could. How dare he! She had never been the typically self-centered cheerleader, not like the other girls she'd been on the squad with. Before Chris could react, Kady had returned the favor for him, slapping her mother with all her might - thirteen years of anger flowing through her hand onto her mother's cheek. Lily was stunned. Her own child had slapped her – in defense of a father she barely knew. It just didn't make sense to her. She turned on her heels and walked away. Chris laughed.
"See, there you go again, running away. You're pathetic, Lily! Kady would be better off without your influence." He called after her, trying to bait her into stopping. It worked.
"Fuck you, Chris! You think your influence would make her a better person? You're a big fucking joke! Look at you, Wildcat! Ha!" Lily retorted, getting into Chris' face and shoving him slightly. Kady couldn't stand it anymore and she got between them, shoving her mother away sharply.
"Don't touch him! Don't you dare fucking touch my dad!" Kady screamed, launching herself at Lily with her fists swinging. Chris caught her around her waist and pulled her back, grabbing her arms and pinning them to her chest.
"It's okay, baby. It's alright." He tried to soothe her. Lily once again turned to walk away.
"No! You can't! You can't leave! Don't leave me!" Kady pleaded, sobbing and trying to get out of Chris' hold.
But Lily didn't stop. She kept walking, though each step she took she felt like her legs were turning into jelly... suddenly she knew what it must've felt like for Chris, to have to walk away from Kady. It was more painful than she anticipated, and she hated herself for it, but in her mind it was Kady who brought this all on herself. Lily was beyond stunned when her daughter referred to Chris as 'dad', only moments after slapping her.
Kady screamed after her mother, hysterically crying, and even Chris felt a lump developing in his throat. Lily was doing what he had done thirteen years ago, and just like she was feeling what it was life for him, Chris was now experiencing what Lily must've went through when he walked away. It was when Lily turned the corner and out of sight that Kady gave up and collapsed back into his arms, sobbing loudly.
"Mom's gone... she hates me..."
"No," Chris told her, kissing the back of her head. "No, sweetheart. She doesn't hate you. She could never hate you."
She gripped his arms to keep herself standing, and Kady turned around so that she was now facing him.
"I didn't know I was such a bad person..." she whispered.
"Hey, hey... don't you dare do that to yourself, Kadence. Don't."
"But I messed everything up! I messed mom's life, I messed your life, I messed my life. I messed up your friends' lives. I almost screwed this whole fucking company!" Kady rested her head on his chest and cried into his shirt.
"You did not mess my life up, Kady," Chris placed his index finger delicately under her chin and raised her head up just enough so it would force her to make eye contact with him. Her big green eyes were so pained, it was hard for him to keep looking into them knowing that there was not much he could do to take that pain away.
"Baby, if anything, know this. You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me, you hear? Out of everything in my life... no matter what, nothing will change you being my greatest achievement."
"What about mom?" she whispered, her vulnerable tone so clear to hear that it was almost chilling. "I... I need her. She doesn't—"
"No. Your mother loves you, Kadence. No matter what, that will never change," Chris stared in her eyes and softly brushed strands of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear. "And I love you."
"Am I supposed to keep hurting like this? Is it supposed to be this hard?" Kady asked, whispering.
"I don't know. I can't answer that," he replied, honestly. "But we're not gonna let it keep going, okay? I promise we'll work this out with Lily. But for now, Kady, you just gotta keep strong, okay? You'll stay with me, let things calm down... everyone's tired. I'm exhausted and I'm sure you are."
She nodded and held her father closer. Chris returned the hug and did the best thing a dad could do for his child, and that was to simply hold her. There was a sense of comfort; of safety that came from their hugs that Kady never experienced before. She could definitely use more of these over the coming few days.
"I have to go find her..." Kady exclaimed and tried to break free of his monster strength embrace, but he wouldn't let her go. "Dad, please! I have to get her!"
Chris tightened his grip on her. "Kady, Kady, stop this shit! Just stop!"
She did.
"Let's just get back to the hotel, okay? You need to sleep, honey..."
"But I—"
"No, this is something I'm insisting on," he stood firm and dragged her in the direction opposite to which Lily had gone in. "We'll get our stuff and head back to the hotel. You can trash the room, order as much room service as you want or do whatever... let's go."
Kady relented and allowed her dad to lead her away. All her energy was drained and there was no power left in mind or body to fight him, which only served to make Chris' life at this moment a little easier.
Ten minutes later, they were on their way back to the hotel. Chris was devastated as he heard from the passenger's seat of the car, the cries and torment of a little girl who just had her heart broken for what was like the millionth time. He silently vowed that, for as long as she was with him, Kadence would not have her heart broken like this again. He and Lily would work this out once and for all.
Meanwhile, two and a half hours later across town, Lily stepped out of her house and closed the front door behind her, locking it and slipping the key into her purse. She closed her eyes and breathed in the night's air – fresh and crisp. Though it was getting close to midnight, the night was young and she was ready to break free of the constraints of her life and experience what she never got to since she spent from the last of her teenage years up until now raising her child. She was going to go out, have some fun (whatever that may be) and be free for once in over fourteen years and not have the responsibilities she had been burdened with. A small smile played across her lips and she stepped out into the nights air, slinging her handbag over her shoulder.
She wore a plain short silky black skirt, with a deep red halter top and black six-inch heels that her sister had given her for her birthday. Lily always thought they weren't her style, but kept them in her closet anyway. On top of it all, she had pulled on a knee-length leather coat that she had hidden in the back of her closet for ten years. Now was the perfect time for her to break out of the mother role so the shoes; the outfit... it was all appropriate now. Her shoulder-length blond hair was pulled into a tight bun with a few strands allowed to stray loose, framing her face. Just wearing the outfit was enough to make Lily feel like she was liberated and back in her early twenties when she last felt the strong desires to go out and let loose. After that time, as Kady got older, those desires were replaced with ones to be a great mother and raise a beautiful, loving daughter. So much for dreams, right?
Lily walked over to her car and opened the door, and slipped behind the wheel, dumping her handbag on the seat next to her. She turned the light on and took out her compact, opening it and inspecting her makeup and hair one last time before heading to a nightclub she knew to be one of the hottest new clubs in Orlando.
"Goodbye, Lily Myers," she whispered, determined to let go of her old self and embrace the freedom she never had after her 21st birthday. She then inserted the key into the ignition, and two seconds later she was pulling out of the driveway, and on her way.
Twenty minutes later, Lily pulled into a parking lot that was situated across the street from the club, which had opened up no more than half an hour earlier and already there was a very long line. She groaned and turned the ignition off, and opened the door, stepping out of the car and pulled out her handbag with her. Lily slammed the door shut and locked everything up, before turning around to get a good look at the exterior of the place. It looked good. Respectable. Probably expensive. Whatever. Tonight would be about indulgence.
Lily took a deep breath, breathing in confidence as well as the cool air, and started walking. She had gone out with her friends, occasionally, during the years, but never to nightclubs or any place where she could possibly be left out of contact with her child – she was overprotective of Kady at times. So it was not like she had much experience, but that didn't matter to her. As she walked, she then felt something harshly bump her, almost sending her crashing to the ground. A man had accidentally bumped into her while carrying a box full of what looked like papers or whatever, in which half the contents spilled onto the ground.
"Hey!" she yelped, regaining her composure. "Watch it!"
"Fuck!" the man cried, frustrated. "I'm so sorry, lady..."
Lily finished checking to make sure she was still okay, and looked down at the man. He looked to be around her age, wearing a dark button-down shirt, and black pants, and very presentable. Now, he was kneeling on the ground, groaning and hurrying to fix the mess he had made. He raised his head to look at her.
"I'm so sorry," he repeated. "I didn't see where I was going, man, I'm... fuck! I'm sorry."
Feeling satisfied that this guy didn't do it on purpose, Lily relaxed a bit and knelt down as best she could in what she was wearing, to help him.
"Forget it," she replied, and picked up a few of the papers. "It's not like I was the most attentive one of us either."
"Well I guess we both screwed up," he lightly joked. Lily chuckled and handed him the pile of papers she collected before starting to pick up some more. "Thanks."
"No problem. It's the least I could do."
"Yeah, well you really don't have to. I got it."
"No, no. It's okay," she insisted with a friendly smile. This encounter actually eased her nerves a bit about going into the club, for some reason. It took a few minutes, but they finally collected the remaining pages that had fallen out of the box and the man stood up, and offered Lily a hand which she readily accept. Once she was fully standing again, she adjusted herself so that she was back to looking as stunning as she had intended, and the man picked up the box again before turning to get a good look at her.
"I'm Mason," he offered out a hand in a gesture of greeting, and simultaneously one of apology. "Mason Timmons."
"Lily Myers," Lily returned, and shook his hand. "You okay?"
Mason shrugged and nodded, casually. "Yeah, I'm good. You? I knocked you pretty good there..."
"Trust me, I've suffered worse," she replied honestly, with a touch of sadness at remembering the powerful slap Kady had delivered to her hours ago, and couldn't help but wonder how she and Chris were holding up. "But that's life."
"Indeed. That's pretty much how it happens in the boardroom," he agreed, thoughtfully. "So where are you headed on this cool Saturday night?"
"Over there," she jerked her thumb in the direction of the club. "I heard its a hot place. Not looking forward to standing in line though."
"I think I can help you there," Mason said, winking playfully which brought a smile to her face. Lily only just noticed that he too had been going in the same direction she had been, and so assumed that he was heading there too. "As a thank you for your help back there, how about I skip you to the front of the line and shout you a drink?"
Lily shook her head, indicating her confusion, and Mason elaborated...
"I own the place."
She stopped, shocked at the idea that she had in fact run into the owner of this hot club, and he was offering her a free drink? He laughed weakly at her reaction to the news.
"Yeah... you're not the first woman to react that way."
Lily shook herself back to reality. "I'm sorry, it's just... wow. I've read about this place, and it's been labeled as the best spot in Florida. I'm kinda blown away by standing next to the dude who owns it."
"Again, not an uncommon reaction."
"Sorry..."
"Don't be," Mason shrugged. "To be honest, I'm such a cyber nerd it's like I don't have any social skills at all. So this is a good way to meet women," he winked at her.
Lily laughed and blushed as they stepped up onto the sidewalk, and Mason gestured for her to follow him past the line and over to the front door. He stopped next the bouncers, and said hello to each of them, asking how they were. It impressed Lily to see how an employer enjoyed interacting with his employees, hanging with them on their level. Mason certainly didn't appear to be a corporate money-hungry machine.
"She's with me," she overhead him telling a bouncer her identified as Mike, who looked at her and nodded.
"No problem, boss."
Mason turned back to her and grinned. "Sorry, I do have to ask for your I.D., little lady."
Lily raised an eyebrow, but she smiled and played into the joke, and reached into her purse. She fumbled around for about five seconds, before feeling her wallet at the bottom of the bag and removed it, opening it and taking out her driver's license. Mason took it from her and inspected it, and then took another step closer to her.
"This I.D. has gotta be fake..." he told her, keeping his voice low. Lily could see the mischievous gleam in his eyes but still didn't understand. "You do not look thirty-two!"
Lily burst out laughing and grabbed her license back, shoving it into her wallet and returning it to the bottom of her handbag. "Dude!"
"I mean it, young lady—oh wait. You're serious? Sweetie I had you down to twenty, at most."
She gave him a stern look, and he sighed and shrugged, caught out. "Okay, twenty-five. But still... damn."
"You're charming enough to get away with that," was her reply and she walked past him, now oozing with confidence.
"See? The things you learn off the wonderful world of the Internet!" Mason teased, walking in after her.
They entered the club, side-by-side – the main entrance led onto a large balcony-type structure that overlooked the entire, huge club. It was massive! In the center of the place was a large dance floor, with many people already jam-packed onto it, dancing to crazy remixes. And on both the left and right sides of the dance floor were two bars. At the opposite end from where the main club entrance was, was another balcony area, in which underneath it hung curtains over an entrance. Lily could only assume that led to the VIP area or whatever, as it was cornered off by velvet rope, with two more bouncers staged at its entrance.
"Shit..." she muttered in disbelief at how beautiful and fancy this place was. No wonder this club was named one of the top ten in the country.
"You like?"
"I like? Mason, this place is... wow..."
"Most of those types of reactions come from you out-of-staters," Mason nodded, pleased with her approval. This woman was fun to hang with, he could tell that within only less than ten minutes of knowing her.
"How did you know I was from out of state?"
"Because I'm sure I would've seen you here at opening night if you weren't," he confidently explained.
"Okay, now you're just getting cocky!"
"Comes with the territory."
Mason led Lily around the balcony floor and over to one of the two staircases that were situated on either side of the main club area. They were grand staircases, that gave the place a majestic aura.
"How long did it take to set this place up?" she yelled over the music.
"About seven years!" he replied, and again offered her his hand to help her through the growing crowd. Lily accepted.
"Huh!"
"Seven years!" Mason pulled her through the crowd and they kept moving until they reached the VIP area. "Wow... that was a fight."
"No kidding," Lily agreed. "So um... thanks for getting me in."
"What?" he turned around, and moved closer to her again to hear her properly, confused. "You're not gonna join me... and the very beautiful people upstairs?"
Lily stared at him. Did he just invite her into the VIP room?
"You... you're inviting me up?"
"Sure. It's not very often you get to meet genuinely good people in this day and age, especially around here. And I owe you that drink, remember?"
She couldn't believe how amazingly nice this guy was being to her, after the absolutely horrible day she's had and the probability of losing her beautiful Kady forever, this was the last thing she expected to happen. But she was glad it was happening, at least.
"You know what? That's really sweet of you, but um... if it's okay with you I'd like to hang by myself for a while. I've had a bad day, and I just—"
"Hey, it's no problem," Mason waved to silence her, still with a smile on his face. "I understand. Trust me, I have plenty of bad days, I know what it's like to wanna just be loner for a while. Listen, I'm gonna leave your name with Jonny, here," he gestured to one of the large men guarding the VIP entrance. "If you feel like you wanna join us, just drop on by!"
After thanking Mason for his help and appreciating his kind gestures, the two parted ways and he disappeared behind the curtain and up the stairs on his way to his office to do more paperwork. Lily looked around at the club that was about half-way filled to capacity and spotted an empty table in the corner of the lounge area. She walked over there, still managing to look around and absorb the beauty and fanciness of this place, and sat down. Luckily her table was in the corner, which allowed her a greater view of everything that was happening. About ten minutes later, a waitress approached her.
"Excuse me," she said, politely. "Can I get you anything?"
"Um sure. Just a Jack Daniels, thanks," Lily placed her order, which the young waitress took down, smiled, and left.
An hour passed, as well as three straight glasses of bourbon, and needless to say Lily was getting loosened up. The depression of that day was wearing off and the alcoholic-induced feelings of lightness and happiness were loosening her grip on her inhibitions. The intense lighting and the pounding of the music was also helping. It wasn't often that she got a chance to drink but now she honestly did not give a damn what happened and was willing to let it all go. The same waitress returned with a tray and removed two empty glasses from the table.
"Is there anything else I can do for you, miss? Another drink?"
"Yeah, keep 'em coming," Lily grinned, motioning for more drinks. With a moments hesitation and an uncertain smile, the waitress returned to the bar to fulfill the order. Lily watched her all the while and scowled at the brief attitude she was certain that waitress had given her. "Ugh! Kids."
"You sound like you got a lot on your mind," came an unfamiliar voice, and Lily turned to see a man she didn't recognize stop at her table. Tall. Dark-haired. Gorgeous wide eyes, though she couldn't see what color they were. Very charming smile. And a melting southern accent. Lily sat back, intrigued. she would normally be creeped out and obviously would going along the more conservative lines and would bail out. But now, the thought of an anonymous rendezvous was extremely tempting to work through the grief and pain for what happened. "Beautiful women such as yourself shouldn't be sitting along on a Saturday night."
"Yeah, well after the fucked up night I've had, man I don't give a shit anymore," Lily smirked.
"So it seems. May I join you?"
"Can I stop you?"
"Do you want to stop me?"
Her smirk turned into a confident smile and she casually gestured to the seat next to her. "By all means. Company would be good."
The man slid into the seat next to her and clasped his hands on the table, and looked at her intently, though appeared charismatic and confident. Lily matched his visible display of confidence by relaxing against the back of her chair and crossing her legs.
"So do you have a name, stranger?" she asked, just as the waitress returned with her drink. They waited until she had left again before he answered.
"Ian," he supplied her with the answer, but Lily was smart. The probability that the name was fake, was high. "And what about you, beautiful?"
Lily paused. "Jillian."
"Uh huh... now you wanna tell me the truth?"
"Jillian is all you're gonna get, honey," she teased.
"Okay, I can live with that," Ian accepted and sipped his beer. "So from the looks of things, you don't seem to be enjoying yourself. Sitting here all alone, pounding back one drink after another."
"Ah, so you've been watching me. I should call security," Lily flirted, and found herself enjoying the game. It had been a long time. After her relationship with Chris ended, she rarely dated and so she feared her skills were rusty.
"So should I. You should be considered a health hazard, I almost fainted when I saw you... so beautiful," Ian winked, and knew he was succeeding with her when she blushed. Lily silently cursed herself for showing weakness and straightened her posture, determined to keep in control.
"So smooth. How many girls have you tried that line on tonight?"
"Only you."
"I feel special."
"So do I... so you wanna share whats on your mind? It might be good to share it."
"Just, ya know... personal issues."
"Ah," Ian caught on, nodding. "Boyfriend?"
"He wishes. But yeah, I guess you could say... relationship issues." It wasn't a lie. Lily was having just as many problems with Chris she was with her daughter, but knew from experience that if she was to get anything from a guy that night, she would omit the part of having a daughter.
"He's pushing for a relationship, and you're not interested?"
"No. It's more complicated than that," Lily confessed, careful in her choice of words. "He and I... have a history. It's just hard to get over right now. I'm here to forget about it all."
"Doesn't look like you need too much help in that area," Ian commented, noting the pace at which she finished off her drink. Lily waited for the intense burning sensation of the bourbon to subside before responding.
"Oh fuck you," Lily spat and finished off the drink. "This is my first night out in ages, so I'm intending on enjoying it."
"Hey, fair enough."
"Trust me, I ain't done," she insisted and waved over the waitress. Seconds later, the young woman appeared at her side.
"Yes, miss?"
"Another, please," Lily handed her the glass and kept her eyes locked with Ian's. The waitress shifted nervously on her feet.
"Uh, I'm sorry but I think you've—"
"She's with me," Ian jumped in. "Poor girl, she's had a bad day, ya know? So, if it's okay with you she just needs to relax..."
He then flashed the waitress a gorgeous smiled that made her weak at the knees, and Lily wasn't affected by it either. Seeing those pearly whites of his only made her want him more and she was pondering the options of going home with him that night. She certainly wanted to. Minutes later, the waitress came back with a glass of Jack Daniels for Lily and another beer for Ian, and he had barely brought the glass to his lips and stopped, shocked, at seeing Lily already finishing off her drink and slammed the glass back down on the table.
"Whoa..." he muttered. "Having fun there?"
"Oh yeah," Lily gave him a smile that did nothing but ignite his desire for her further, and he bit his lip. "Wanna dance?"
Ian leaned across the table and seductively raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you can handle it?"
Lily scoffed and also leaned forward, so that from across the table their faces came to within inches and she turned up the heat between them by licking her top lip. "I can handle anything, baby."
Ian stood up an offered her his hand and without a moment's hesitation, Lily took it and he helped her up. She staggered a bit from the effects of the alcohol, but this kind stranger caught her in his arms before she completely toppled over and he led her out onto the dance floor, leaving their stuff at the table, but within eye shot. By now the club was packed to capacity and there were so many bodies on the dance floor that it was impossible for everyone not to rub up against each. The atmosphere was so sexually charged and the alcohol only fired it up further.
Once on the dance floor, Ian slipped his arms around Lily's slender waist and she put her arms around his neck, and he pulled her to him so their bodies were right up against one another. Letting the rhythm of the music take over her, Lily moved to the music so easily and feeling Ian's strong muscles against hers... this was everything she never got to experience, and everything she had missed in life. She didn't blame Kady for it – no way. But this was a part of her life she never had a chance to embrace, and now she was getting that chance.
"Wow you're good..." he growled in her ear and then kissed her bare shoulder, his tongue caressing her skin so delicately that it sent shivers down her spine, but Lily kept move. "I take it that you dance often..."
"Hell no," she said. "I don't dance. This is a one-time exception."
"Because of the alcohol?"
"Because I have demons I wanna forget."
"If this is how good you are at dancing, I'd love to know how good you are at other... activities..."
Lily giggled and pulled him closer. Ian moved his kisses to her neck, sucking on the tenderness of her soft skin and teased her physically with his skill. That's it. She was taking this guy home.
Another hour and a half of dancing and drinking with Ian provided Lily with more fun and excitement than she'd experienced in the last few years and now they had just pulled into the driveway of her home, with Ian driving. He wasn't as intoxicated as Lily, though was having so much fun with her in the state she was in. He switched off the ignition and both needed a minute two to calm down after laughing so hard. Lily couldn't even remember why they were laughing, but whatever the reason was, she was loving all of this. No responsibilities. No child to deal with. No stress.
"You're a fucking riot, ya know that?" Ian laughed, leaning his head back against the headrest.
"Now THAT'S because of the alcohol," she said and grabbed her purse and coat which she had thrown into the back of her car. Ian removed the keys and opened his door; Lily didn't wait for him to come get her and undid her seatbelt, and threw the door open so hard that she thought it might come off its hinges. Ian rounded the front of the car and stopped at her side, helping her out of the car and she almost went tumbling onto the lawn. "Oh, man I am fucked."
"Not just yet you're not," he retorted, cheekily.
"Oh, dude come ON!" Lily replied, mockingly disgusted and crinkled her nose. "That's just dirty."
"You like it," Ian countered and slammed the car door shut again, turning to her and she practically threw herself in his arms, kissing him passionately.
"Fuck yeah I do," she hissed and pulled at the bottom of his shirt. "Inside, now. Or I'll be forced to take you down right here."
"Feisty girl, ain't ya?"
"Not at all! I just have the overwhelming desire; the need to get laid. If you don't wanna oblige, I can easily go somewhere else," she played, her eyes sparkling with a seductive beauty that could make any man fall to his knees. Ian was no exception, and he allowed her to lead him up the path at to the front door.
It took several minutes for them to both figure out the mystery of opening the front door, before realizing that she was trying to use her car key to open it. And of course they had a good laugh about it, and finally after several unsuccessful attempts to fit the proper key into the door, Lily actually managed to unlock it. The door swung open, and in an instant Ian had spun her around and kissed her, causing her to stagger back and against the wall. Lily threw her coat to the ground, and he kicked the door closed behind them, inadvertently leaving the key in the front door.
The dramatic, passionate, heated kiss continued all the way to the bedroom; Lily lifted her top over her head and let it fall not-so-gracefully to the floor and Ian started at her skirt. Lily broke the kiss and pulled him by the hand into her bedroom, and it was then that she noticed she still had her handbag dangling from her arm for some reason and dropped it next to her bed. Ian's tongue pushed further into the depths of her mouth, exploring and also encouraging her to respond, which she did.
To say things were steamy would be a gross understatement, and when Ian struggled with the zip to her skirt, Lily rolled her eyes and assisted him, and soon was left in nothing but her bra, panties, and also wearing those very expensive black heels.
"Wait, stop. This isn't right!" she suddenly spoke, seriously, through her drunken state, and fell back onto the bed. Ian stared down at her, hoping she hadn't changed her mind.
"What?"
Lily's seriousness then turned into a kind of pout, that of a true temptress. "You're wearing more clothes than me."
He relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, I'll change that!"
"No, I will!"
She sat back up, and reached to him and gripped his shirt and pulled him down onto her on the bed, reconnecting them with the kiss. They shifted themselves into the center of the bed and then Lily placed her hands on his chest and pushed him up and off her, and he fell onto his back. She positioned herself to straddle him and went straight for his belt, still not having broken the kiss. In between the hot, deep kisses their breathing deepened and became more ragged. Ian was more than willing to let Lily take over and was not
opposing her aggressive nature. In his mind, whatever shit she had been going through she was translating that frustration and pain very well in the bedroom. Within seconds, the belt was on the floor and Lily then, literally, tore at his shirt. Even she was surprised at her enthusiasm, but barely gave herself a chance to think about it. Then, his shirt was thrown and landed near the belt and she ran her hands up his chest, feeling his chest hairs between her fingers. And then...
A/N2: I have just had word from Lizzie that she plans to take the president hostage until she gets the world's supply of M&Ms. Damn. I'd hate to tell you this, Lizzie, but I don't think anyone will bother paying the ransom for him. You're better off taking some cute little kid hostage instead. As always, please let us know what you think of this chapter by leaving a review. They are all appreciated. Thank you. Phoenix
