Josh felt like he was in an old western about to have a showdown at midnight as he stood looking at Maya. She had yet to react to the news he just dropped on her and he was worried. With Maya he was never to sure which way her mood was going to turn.
For all he knew she would end up biting him like she did when she was seven and he made the mistake of calling her small fry. Sometimes if it's cold enough he can still feel the bite mark on his forearm.
Or maybe she was going to punch him like she did when he told her she looked pretty in her red dress at Riley's eighth birthday party. He wasn't sure of the outcome maybe she was going to jump on him like she used to.
What he didn't expect was her to start laughing at what he said. He didn't know what to do so he started laughing along with her. "That's funny Boing. My parents know." She laughs mimicking his voice. Josh scratched his neck as he nervously laughed causing Maya to stop.
"It was a joke right?" She asked as Josh shook his head as Maya widened her eyes. "They know?!" She shouts as he moves back as she steps towards him. He wasn't sure if he should run or protect himself from her fist or teeth.
"What do you mean they know? How do they know? When did they find out? How? Answer me Matthews?!" She shouts hitting him with her flowers. "Okay calm down and I'll tell you." He says as she stops taking a deep breath. "We were FaceTiming and my mom may have saw my ring."
Josh took a step back as he sees Maya clenching the flowers tightly and knew there was going to be trouble. "Please tell me this happened earlier today?" She asked rubbing her head. Josh chuckled nervously as he smiled shaking his head no. "It was before the trip."
Maya glares at him about to swing her flowers once again when someone calls their name. "Hey! Good you both are still here." Alan smiles as he jogs towards them. "Since this is technically our last night of the retreat the wives thought we should have a married couple dinner together. What do you say?"
Josh was about to decline knowing Maya and him needed to talk but Maya had other ideas. "Sounds fantastic let's go." She says smiling at Alan before frowning at Josh. He sighed as they walked into the hotel spotting his boss and his wife and Alan.
"So are we eating here?" Josh asked hoping Maya and him could get out of it so he can talk to her. "Nope somewhere better. Let's go." They walk out the hotel and down the street to a little Mexican restaurant.
Josh admittedly started smiling as he glanced at Maya who was smiling knowing they would have tacos and she wouldn't be able to resist.
As they enter the restaurant Josh stands next to Maya who was smiling. He playfully nudges her as she smiles stepping on his foot before following the hostess to a table. They sit down as josh sighs as Maya scoots away from him causing him to scoot closer to her.
"Sorry if we intruded on your plans to whisk your wife away Josh." Joann says looking over her menu. "No worries. Actually I was going to bring her here." Maya looks at Josh before turning away from him again. Josh chuckles as he excuses himself heading for the bathroom.
"Josh is that you?" He widens his eyes shoving his left hand in his pocket as he turns around to the couple. "I thought that was you. How you been?" Josh gives them a small smile as he looks towards his table seeing Maya watching him. "I'm good. What about you guys? It's been awhile."
They share a look before sighing. "Look I'm sorry man but Mary is my sis..." Josh shook his head holding up his hand. "It's fine. I have to get back to my table." He says as he looks at Maya who turns away. "Oh okay well it was good seeing you and she made it."
Josh nods walking back towards his table hoping to forget the encounter.
Josh groans as he stretches looking towards the other side of the bed finding Maya gone. He lays back down covering his face as he shakes his head. He knew she was still mad at him for his parents finding out and for the fact she knew he was upset but wouldn't tell her why.
He didn't want to get into why he was and he knew she would be madder if he told her. And something told him that talking about his ex girlfriend with his wife would only lead to trouble. Well more trouble than he was already in.
He got dressed grabbing some bagels and coffee heading to the one place he knew she would be. He stopped in the doorway of the little art studio that was attached to the hotel. They found out the night before when they got back from dinner that there was a studio.
"Hey." He knocked on the door walking hesitatingly towards her. "Brought breakfast. I figured you didn't eat yet and would need some fuel." She continues to ignore him as he places the coffee and bagel on her easel. He chuckles softly when she takes a bite from the bagel never saying anything.
He smiled knowing the only way they were going to get back on speaking terms is if he let her hit him. So that what he was going to do he was going to annoy her until she did and fast. "Come on Hunter can't we get passed this?" He asked leaning his head on her shoulder.
She tenses up but doesn't say a word as she continues painting. He sighs turning his head and smiling at her. "Okay." He backs up grabbing a paintbrush and dips it in paint. Maya watches him covering her painting as he walks towards her. He stops next to her smearing a red mark across her cheek.
She gasps glaring at him as she does it back to him. He repeats his action a couple of times as Maya puts her hands in her paint covering his whole face. She laughs as he smiles doing it back to her causing a full paint attack breaks out between them.
"Feel better?" He asked panting and spitting out purple paint as Maya holds up her paintbrush. "Almost." She smiles drawing a line down his face. Josh chuckled shaking his head as she begins to laugh along with him.
They stare at each other as Josh puts a piece of Maya's painted wet hair behind her ear. He runs his hand down her arm as she watches him intertwining their fingers. He stares at them looking back at Maya and in that moment all he wanted to do was kiss her.
So he does.
Riley yawned as she walked around her classroom cleaning up since the kids were at recess. She wanted nothing more than to go to the teacher lounge and pour herself a giant cup of coffee. Which of course she couldn't exactly do anymore now that she was pregnant.
So she steered clear of the lounge turning down her fellow teachers when they asked if she wanted to join them. She slumps in her chair opening her top drawer which held the last of the espresso beans she "borrowed" from the bakery.
She opened the baggie they were in sighing softly as she holds a couple to her nose. She frowns realizing that they were losing their smell and were smelling more like chalk and erasers.
She tossed the ones in her hand and closed the drawer swaying in her chair. Maybe she should just go back to the bakery and get some more? Although that was a good idea she knew she couldn't since her mom got her sniffing the beans wondering why she didn't just make a cup.
If she went down there again with her lame excuse she wanted her classroom to smell like coffee her mom would definitely get suspicious. Which in turn will make her dad suspicious and she couldn't handle that right now.
Handling her dad with no coffee running through her veins was something she didn't want to do.
"Knock knock." She looks towards her door seeing Lucas standing there with a smile and a bag from the bakery. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled when the aroma of food drifted towards her. "I take it you haven't had lunch yet?" He chuckles as Riley's cheeks heat up.
"No. My lunch bag is in the teacher lounge and I can't go in there." She says as Lucas places the bag on her desk. "Why not?" He asked as he grabs a chair sitting down next to her. "Long story. What did you bring?" She asked knowing he'd probably think she was nuts if she told him why she couldn't.
"Well I brought you a sandwich and cake also..." Riley gasped when he placed a purple thermos on her desk. "Is that coffee?" She asked snatching it off the desk and twisting the cap. "No hot cocoa." He says as Riley sighs sadly sitting back down as Lucas looks at her weirdly.
"Did you want coffee? I could have brought you some." He tells her as Riley shakes her head no. "No it's okay. I can't actually drink it right..." She starts to say stopping when she gets a whiff of Lucas who smelled liked coffee. "What are you doing?" He asked as Riley turns red biting into her sandwich mumbling.
"What was that?" He asked with a smirk on his face as Riley narrows her eyes at him. "You smell like coffee okay." He looks at her weirdly before shaking his head and laughing. "I smell like coffee?" He sniffed himself curiously as Riley continued to eat.
"I don't smell anything." He says as he takes off his jacket and placing it on the back of her chair. "Well I'm pregnant and my senses are coming in strong and you smell like coffee. My favorite too."
"You should have told me I would have brought you one. You can have a cup you know?" Riley nodded knowingly having read that in her pregnancy book he got her. "Yes but coffee is my life and I can never have just one cup." Lucas looked at her like she was crazy and Riley just nodded her head.
"Okay..So no coffee for me either then." He says making Riley look at him weirdly. "Lucas you don't have to do that. You can have coffee just don't smell like it around me."
He shook his head as he dusted his hands. "No no. I'm going to go without coffee too. We're a team and if you can't have it then I won't either. We suffer together."
Riley smiled at him feeling her cheeks heat up as she grabs her sandwich. "I'm not exactly suffering I'm making a little human being here." She says putting her hands on her stomach. Her cheeks turn even redder as he places his hand on top of hers smiling at her.
"So what do you have planned for today?" She asked clearing her throat and changing the subject. Lucas smiles moving leaning back as he takes a folded paper out his shirt pocket handing it to her. "Houses?" She asked looking at all the listings.
"Yup. I figured a house is what we will need." Riley widened her eyes as she looked at him. "We?" She squeaked as Lucas chuckles softly. "Well yeah I mean I know you live with Maya but I thought I or we should have a place too. For the future."
Riley bit her lip as she nodded eating her food thinking over what he said to her. Should she move in with him in the future for their baby? Technically they weren't actually together they were just having a baby together. Shouldn't they talk about that first?
"It's just an idea Riley don't overthink it." Lucas tells her as he puts his hand on hers. She nods as they continue to enjoy lunch with each other.
"Should I move in with Lucas?" Riley asked as she looked at different outfits in the mall with Auggie. "What?" He asked looking at her weirdly. "I was having lunch with him today and he is looking at houses and he mentioned that it was kind of for us."
Riley looked at an outfit holding it up to herself as Auggie leaned against the rack next to her. Ever since they had lunch and he mentioned it to her it had been on her mind.
"Do you want to move in with him?" He asked as Riley put the outfit down and turns to him. "I'm not sure. On one hand it makes sense to live together so he can be apart of the whole you know?" She says gesturing at her stomach.
"But on the other we still don't know all that much about each other. What if we move in together and it doesn't work out and we fight in front of the baby or what if we move in and we fall in love with each other and what if we have relationship only because of the..."
Auggie covers her mouth cutting off her ramble. "I'm not sure I'm the right one to ask or give you advice but do you want to move in with him?" He asked as Riley didn't know what to say. "Okay let me ask you this. If he asked you straight out he wanted a relationship with you and not because of the baby what would you say?"
Riley looked at him chewing her lip knowing she didn't know the answer and she had some thinking to do.
Maya stared out the car window lost in her thoughts as she unconsciously touched her lips. She was glad that the retreat was finally over and she was headed home well part of her was glad. "Still thinking about this morning?"
Maya turned her head and looked at Joann who was sitting next to her in the car. "What?" Maya asked feeling her cheeks heat up as Joann smiles at her. She wasn't sure how long her and Josh were kissing for but knew it had to be awhile since Joann and Patricia had walked in on them.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Maya says as Joann looks over at Patricia who was in the car with them. Maya counted them as her lucky charms since they kept her from having to have an awkward conversation with Josh who probably regretted it.
She was glad they offered her a ride wanting to prolong their girl time since they probably wouldn't see each other as much when they got home.
She couldn't believe she kissed him or better yet she couldn't believe they kissed each other. Honestly she wasn't sure who leaned in first. She didn't want to admit that a piece of her heart was saying that she knew it was Josh who leaned in first.
"So is that something Josh and you do on a daily basis? Or is it some type of aphrodisiac?" Patricia asked as Maya shook her head looking out the window. "Seriously cause if it is I'm going to need to take up painting." Joann laughs along with Patricia as Maya gasps.
"It was a one time thing. Usually I'm in my own little world." Maya says as they look at her. "That's true love my dear." Their driver says from the front as they all look at him. She looks at the ladies who smile nodding their heads.
Maya dropped her bags on the floor of her apartment as she called out Riley's name. She looked around in every room for her wondering where she could be. She told her she would be home today and Riley assured her she would be here.
Maya was just about to call her when the front door opened revealing Riley with party bags in her hands. "Riles?" Maya laughs softly as Riley screams dropping her bags. "Peaches you scared me. I think I just peed myself a little."
Maya looked at her weirdly as Riley shook her head and then smiled grabbing something out her bag. "Welcome home peaches!" Riley shouts holding a banner that read welcome back. Maya shook her head laughing as they run towards each other and hug.
"It's been so long I thought uncle Josh kidnap you and I wouldn't ever see you again." Riley tells her as they sit down on the couch. Maya looks away at the mention of Josh which doesn't go unnoticed by Riley. "Peaches..."
Maya looks at her smiling as she sees she was giving her a stern look. Or at least attempting one. "Spill." Maya sighs as she looks at all the bags on the floor trying to avoid the Josh size elephant in the room. "What's in those bags?" She asked as Riley grabs them.
"Oh these? Well these are junk food and candy and movies. I figured we have a best friend day." Maya laughed as she dug through the bag looking over the movies and food. "So what happened with uncle Josh?" Riley asked as Maya smiled looking at the door.
"So should I expect a knock at the door signaling another care package from a certain green eye huckleberry?" Maya smirked when she seen Riley turn red and pretend to look inside the bag she was holding. "Okay spill riles." She looks at her scrunching her nose as she tells Maya what went on with her and Lucas.
"So..." Maya says getting up and going to the fridge grabbing soda for them. "So." Riley repeats her as Maya shakes her head. "How do you feel about him? Are you interested in starting something with him? Cause it seems he wants to with you." Maya pokes her cheeks as Riley playfully smacks her hands away.
"I'm not sure. I feel..." she takes a deep breath and sighs looking at Maya with a smile. "Pretty much how you feel about uncle Josh." She raises her eyebrow at her as Maya shakes her head. "Thought I could distract enough to forget. Guess my special skills are rusty."
They both begin to laugh as Maya opens up a bag of gummy worms. "So something dungeon of sadness happened is that why you don't want to share?" Riley asked her as Maya chewed her lip. "I wouldn't shove it in that box just yet." She tells her as Riley widens her eyes giving Maya her full attention.
"Two kind of big things happened at the retreat. One of those things was bigger than the other. But I need you to stay calm and don't get excited because if you do the little Riley living in my head will get excited and I don't want to if it turns out to be not something. Promise?"
Riley nods as she gestures for Maya to tell her so she does. "What?!" Riley tells standing up as Maya finished telling her what had happened. "You and uncle Josh kissed? Like full blown kissed kissed? Or a peck kiss?" Riley asked looking at Maya with wide eyes.
"Well it started out as.." Maya shook her head not wanting to relive that particular moment. "Shouldn't you be more worried that my new parents in law know and will hate me?" Maya sighs slumping against the couch. "Maya they won't hate you. They love you always have. They already think of you as family and now you officially are."
Maya gives her a look shaking her head and making Riley laugh. She couldn't believe Riley they both knew that they were going to hate her.
Maya sat in her office at the bar going over the numbers for the time she was gone. Really she already knew what they said and it was all good news she just didn't want to give a already gloating Travis any praise.
"Come on Maya just say it." He smirked as she shook her head smiling. "Okay..." She says putting her pen down. She was just about to respond when there was a knock she the door. "Come in." She laughs at Travis who tells her she got saved by the bell.
"Hey am I interrupting?" Maya choked on her laughter when she seen it was Josh with another bouquet of lilies. She glares at Travis who winks at her and tells him no as he closes the door behind him.
"So what brings you here?" Maya asked looking at the papers on her desk for the tenth time so she could avoid the conversation she knew they were about to have. He hadn't said anything as Maya looks up seeing him just staring at her. She bit her lip looking away wondering what he was waiting for.
"Are you okay?" She asked as he scratched at his neck before looking at her. "Have dinner with me?"
Lucas tapped his pen against his empty coffee cup bobbing his head to the rhythm he was making. He sighed as he looked at it before shaking his head heading for the little break room Charlie had in his office.
He stared at the Keurig and all the k-cups along with it. Who knew going cold turkey with something would be this hard.
He could always have a cup and technically Riley would never know. She did give him the okay to drink coffee just not around her. He was tempted to do just that taking a coffee k-cup in his hand but stops grabbing a hot cocoa one instead.
He couldn't give up on his promise he made her. They were in this together. He chuckled softly shaking his head knowing he heard that saying from a movie. But couldn't remember which one.
"That's your tenth cup of hot cocoa." Mandy says pointing at the cup as she entered the little break room. "What can I say I love hot cocoa." He added in a couple marshmallows as he turns around smiling already knowing what she was going to say.
"What?" She asked grabbing her own cup from the cabinet. "I know you want to say something. So go ahead the floor is yours." He says folding his arms across his chest. Mandy smiled tapping her cup before putting it down and narrowing her eyes at him. "Have you told her how you feel yet?"
Lucas widens his eyes not expecting that question from her. "Told who how I what?" He says rubbing the back of his neck as Mandy laughs. "Oh Dr. Friar anyone with eyes could see what is clearly written on your face." She picks up her cup clinking it with his before heading back to the front.
He stared at the door shaking his head as he goes back to his office. He sat down looking at himself in his laptop screen and didn't see anything different. He still looked like the same guy he had been. "Mandy doesn't know what she is talking about." He mutters to himself.
"Yes I do!" She shouts from the front causing Lucas to wonder if she had super hearing since he didn't say it that loud.
"Hey soon to be father of my future niece or nephew." Auggie announces as Lucas walks in the bakery. "Auggie what the heck man?!" Lucas whispers shouts looking around hoping nobody heard what he said. Auggie just chuckled as Lucas sat at the counter pulling papers out his bag.
"So what can I get ya? FOMFNON?" He asked handing him a menu as Lucas looked at him weirdly. "I'm afraid to ask what those initials mean." Auggie smirked at him as he refilled a costumer cup. "So you want something or you waiting for Riley? Cause if it's Riley then you better sit across the street cause..."
"I know she can't have coffee and it's killing her." Lucas chuckled as he looked over the menu. "Oh that's right I forgot you know." He says smiling weirdly at Lucas. "Anyway I'll take a blueberry muffin and hot cocoa to go. Meeting my realtor today."
"Big step. When you going to take the next one?" He asked placing the muffin in a to go box. "What?" He asked making Auggie laugh as he slid his order to him. "I mean making an honest woman of my sister?" Lucas choked on air as the guy next to him patted his back.
"Thanks. What are you talking about Auggie? Did Riley say something?" He asked bordering on happy and panicked. "Geez calm down I was kidding. I think the next step would be letting the future grandparents know they are about to become grandparents."
Lucas stared at his phone debating with himself if he should inform his parents before Riley and he told hers. They would least likely flip out like he was sure Mr. Matthews would. He shook his head putting his phone away he couldn't do that. It was way to early to tell anyways.
It would be better to tell both set of parents together and Mr. Matthews would be less inclined to kill him in front of out of towner witnesses.
"So this one is a two story house with all wood floor and five rooms." Nancy his realtor says looking at her clipboard as he looked around. Lucas looked around the house checking each room as he went. It was the second place she had showed him but it didn't really speak to him.
"I take it from the look on your face this isn't the one?" She asked as Lucas smiled shaking his head. "Sorry I just don't..." Nancy holds up her hand shaking her head at him. "Quite alright Mr. Friar it's my job to find you the perfect place and if this isn't it we keep looking."
He nodded his head with a smile glad Mandy recommended her. "So why don't you list the things you would want in your dream home and we can work from there." Nancy tells him handing him a sheet of paper and a pen. He looked at it and rubbed the back of his neck. This was embarrassing he thought.
"Is there a problem?" She asked as Lucas shook his head before sighing and nodding yes. "Actually I don't know what I want in a dream home. My whole adult life I've lived out of hotels. I travel a lot." He says when he sees her look at him weirdly. "So this will be my first real home. It's kind of nerve racking."
"Well take the next few days or weeks to think about it and let me know." She says packing up her stuff. "I feel like I just wasted a whole day you could have been getting a commission instead of waiting on me hand and foot." Nancy laughed as they exited out the house and she locked up. "On the contrary I'm getting a lot done while helping you."
Lucas waved goodbye to her feeling better that he hadn't actually wasted her time. He thought about what she said about finding what would make it his dream home and nothing came to mind. Except the pitter patter of tiny little feet walking towards him one day. He smiled at the thought stopping in front of a store jotting that down on his paper.
He puts the paper back in his pocket looking at the store he was in front of and smiled. He walked in admittedly and headed for the children section. He wasn't sure what he was having yet but it couldn't hurt to get an outfit or ten for a boy and girl right?
Just as he picked up a pair of pink boots his phone begins to ring. "Hey Zay what's up?" He pulls the phone away from his ear when he hears Zay hollering loudly. "Zay I can't understand you what did you say?" Zay clears his throat and speaks in French to him. "fais tes valises ton aller à paris."
"What? Say that again?" Lucas asked wanting to make sure he heard what he thought he heard. "I said pack your bags your going to Paris! We got the job!" Zay yelled as Lucas dropped the clothes on the counter completely forgetting them. "Seriously dude this isn't a joke right?"
"No man they just called and confirmed everything. Your little dinner apparently helped seal the deal. Your going to Paris." Lucas pumped his fist into the air shouting yes as people looked at him weirdly. "So when do I leave?" He asked Zay who he could hear typing.
"As soon as Charlie comes back or even sooner. I'm sure New York has enough veterinarian clinics." Lucas chuckled along with Zay when someone taps his shoulder. "Hey I got to go let me know." He hung up thinking about his trip when he turned around. "Are you buying this?" A woman asked holding up the boots he was looking at.
He widened his eyes as he nodded his head taking them from her. "Crap."
The one where Ross got high. That is a clue for the next chapter or the one after that.