Chapter 20
"Hey Mom, I can't find my-" Alyssa froze, having walked out of the room without looking up, busy shifting through her bag. Though she dropped the bag, her blue eyes wide, frozen on the scene before her. Her mother and Mark were LYING in the bed…TOGETHER! All tangled up. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"
Nicoya literally shot up in bed, her eyes widened, her black hair tousled, and stared at her daughter with startled midnight blue eyes. "Alyssa Marie! Why are you raising your voice?" She pressed a hand over her racing heart, trying to breathe again. "You scared your mother to death!"
"Mom, you're in bed with Mark! I'm scared to death!" Alyssa shot back, scrambling up on the bed and standing between them, looking back and forth between the two.
Mark, not generally a morning person, pried his eyes apart and murmured huskily, "Mornin' angel."
"I asked a question!" She exclaimed, her tone demanding, and placed her hands on her hips, her lips pursed tightly together.
Sighing heavily, Nicoya raked a hand through his hair and bit her bottom lip, wondering how she was going to explain this to her daughter. "Uhh…" She didn't know what to say honestly and scrunched her face up in confliction again. "You see, Alyssa…What happened was…"
Mark propped himself up on his elbow, tugging Alyssa down so she was sitting in between them. "What would ya say if yer momma and I got together, angel?" He asked softly, trying to wake up fully.
"Like…together, together?" Alyssa asked, looking both shocked and hopeful as she clasped her hands together.
"Yeah together, together." Mark replied with a smile, loving how cute Alyssa was and the words she used to identify things.
"COOL!" She squealed out in excitement, her big blue eyes sparkling with happiness, and all of her teeth were showing in the smile that crossed her face.
"Now, I don't want you to get your hopes up, Aly because we might not work out…" Nicoya stated, running a hand up and down her daughter's arms, seeing the hope shining in her blue eyes, and it broke her heart. If her and Mark didn't work out, it would tear Alyssa apart, which is what Nicoya was scared of happening. "We'll just take it day by day and see where it goes, alright?"
Alyssa nodded in understanding, crossing her fingers in her lap, and prayed they stayed together forever as she asked, "So, what's next?"
"Whatta mean, angel?" Mark asked, his voice still gruff with sleep, and yawned loudly as he covered his mouth with his hand.
"Are you guys goin' to share a bedroom from now on? Cause I need warning, I don't like walking in on you." Alyssa stated, having literally been scared to death upon seeing Mark and her mother in the same bed sleeping together. She didn't want that to happen again, especially if they were naked. For an eight year old, she knew WAY more than what she should've.
"Christ…" Nicoya groaned, slapping her face with her hand, and shook her head as she turned red. "Alyssa, I don't think that's something you need to know." She gently scolded, not believing how much her eight year old knew, and sighed. "As for Mark staying with us, I'm not sure about that either…" She peered over at him.
Mark shrugged one bare shoulder, smiling at her, his green eyes twinkling slightly, and replied, "Well darlin', we can keep our own hotel rooms, share one or start getting' them big ol' suites with separate bedrooms all around." He suggested, shrugging again, even though he didn't plan on sleeping alone without Nicoya by his side ever again.
"They really have those?" Alyssa asked curiously, her eyebrows drawn together. When Mark nodded, she went on with her questions, wanting to know more. "Wow, they must cost a lot. Are you rich, Mark?"
"I'm not scrappin' fer anythin'." Mark replied candidly, not wanting to get into the whole financial talk with this little girl who entranced him in the past few months. He just smiled softly at her and patted her hand before turning his attention to Nicoya.
"Alyssa, it doesn't matter if he's rich or not. That's not why I want to be with him. I…care about him…" She trailed off and sighed, raking a hand through her black hair, once again feeling conflicted. "If you want to share a hotel room, that's fine with me Mark." She told him and stood up, smoothing out her nightgown, and looked over at her daughter. "Done with the questions now, young lady?"
"For now." Alyssa agreed, looking back and forth between the two curiously. Obviously bursting with more questions, but refrained for the time being, not wanting to upset her mother.
"Now angel, what was it you were lookin' fer?" Mark asked, changing the subject, knowing Nicoya wasn't comfortable with the topic anymore.
"My underroos. I can't find'em." Alyssa answered promptly, not bothered in the least, and started looking around again. Mark started coughing, burying his face in his pillow, trying hard to suppress the overwhelming laughter that threatened to surface.
Nicoya groaned, not believing her daughter just said that, and sighed heavily as she started laughing herself. "They're in your bedroom, where they USUALLY are." She informed her daughter, shaking her head, and shot Mark a look when he buried his face further in the pillow. His shoulders were shaking violently as she walked over and started hitting him on the arm. "Stop laughing!"
Mark snorted, unable to stop, and echoed through amusement, "Underroos?"
Alyssa giggled, slipping down off the bed to the floor. "No Mom, they're not. I looked everywhere for them. I think you sent the wrong laundry with the maid to e washed when we got here." She said, having torn her room apart looking for her drawers. "I have no clean underroos!" She wailed, clearly not looking happy, and Mark had to pull the pillow over his head to keep from bellowing out in laughter.
Nicoya was as red as a strawberry by now, not believing her daughter, and sighed heavily as she looked back at her. She walked over to her bag, seeing Alyssa's clothes mixed with hers, and sighed again. "They're in my bag. I think I was either too tired or something wasn't clicking in my head. Now take your underwear and go change before you kill Mark." She then walked in the kitchen, trying to calm herself down.
"How am I killing him?" Alyssa asked curiously, sorting through the bag, getting a little overzealous, and sent a pair flying over her shoulder. She spun around to find Mark sitting up on the bed, a pair of My Little Pony panties on his face. "Um…those are a little small for you." She commented, trying to keep a straight face.
Nicoya turned around and spit out the water she just drank out of, her midnight blue eyes wide as saucers, and cleared her throat. Her face was turning redder than a cherry as she walked over, kneeling on the bed and with one finger, peeled the underwear off of his head. "These are WAY too small for you, Mark." She agreed, dangling them from her finger, and handed them to her daughter, biting her bottom lip as her shoulders began shaking violently, trying so hard not to laugh.
Alyssa took the underwear, a hand clamped over her mouth. Finally, not able to help herself, she let out a pig-like snort that caused her mother to start giggling, and then it turned into full-blown laughter. Mark blinked, looking back and forth between the pair before lunging. Wrapping an arm around each of them, he dragged them back onto the bed and started tickling them both at the same time mercilessly. "Mom, save me!" Alyssa squealed out, squirming in Mark's arm, her laughter filling the air along with her mother's.
"How can I?! He's got me too!" Nicoya shrieked out, laughing hard, and went to reach for her daughter, but Mark got the upper hand on her. Finally, she managed to grab his full attention and passionately kissed him. She smirked as he released Alyssa, who zoomed out of bed, and broke it, grinning at him from ear to ear. "Now then, go put your damned underwear on before they end up on Mark's head again!" Alyssa shrieked with laughter as she hightailed it to her room, shutting the door behind her.
"Speakin' of underwear…" Mark murmured in a low, husky voice, keeping her pinned beneath him, and ran his fingers down her thigh and up under her nightgown. A second later, her panties were dangling from his fingertips in front of her.
"Mark!" Nicoya gasped, her midnight blue eyes widened in shock, and immediately snatched them away from him, blushing furiously. "Alyssa could've seen that!" She scolded him in a whisper, smacking his chest lightly.
"Darlin', unless she has x-ray vision and is starin' through that door, I don't think you have anythin' to worry bout." Mark replied, bending down to nuzzle her neck, snatching the panties back. He growled, nipping down gently on her tender flesh before sliding out of the bed, stuffing her panties into the back of his jean pocket, grinning.
Nicoya blushed more as she shook her head, slipping out of the bed, and raked a hand through her black hair. She quickly walked up behind him, snatching the panties out of his back pocket, and darted in the bathroom, slamming the door behind her, and locked it. She giggled before starting the shower, stripping out of her clothes, and stepped in the hot sprays, moaning at the contact. Visions of her and Mark's love making in here the previous night flowed through her mind, causing her body to tingle, and sighed as she smiled. She hadn't smiled like this in so long or felt this good. Mark made her feel like a real woman and that's how she hoped it'd stay.
Mark shook his head, chuckling softly to himself. He looked up when Alyssa walked out now dressed. "Hey angel." He reached for his vest, slipping it over his broad shoulders, and straightened it a little.
"Where's Mom?" Alyssa asked, browsing the room service menu, her never ending bottomless pit of a stomach demanding immediate attention.
"In the shower." Mark answered, biting back a smirk, remembering that beautiful blush on Nicoya's flushed face he caused.
Nicoya stepped out of the shower a half an hour later, wrapping a towel around her body, and snatched her clothes up. She had a glow about her. A happiness and light that shined in her blue eyes and a never-ending smile on her face. She sighed happily, towel drying her hair, and then brushed it along with her teeth before walking out. She looked at her daughter, shaking her head, and immediately began blushing when Mark winked at her. She walked over to her bag, picking some clothes out, and walked back inside the bathroom to change.
"Mom looks a bit like a tomato today." Alyssa commented from her spot at the table where she was busy with her breakfast, sitting across from Mark, who was nursing a cup of coffee. Trying to fully wake up and a plate for Nicoya was already set.
"She does don't she?" Mark replied amused, winking at Alyssa before glancing towards the bathroom door. "Hey darlin' ya gonna come eat with us?" He asked in a sweet, innocent tone of voice, knowing she could hear him through the bathroom door. "Alyssa ordered ya strawberries…"
"And cream!" Alyssa piped in with a grin, taking another forkful of food in her mouth. Mark snorted into his mug of coffee when he heard that, not believing she just said that.
"You two seriously need to get a better hobby besides making fun of me." Nicoya stated, walking out in a pair of black dress pants with a deep purple sleeveless top that went off the shoulder. Her black hair framed her face while the rest was pulled up in two chopsticks. She didn't wear makeup, never had, and walked over to sit down at the table. She grabbed a strawberry, smirking at Mark, and slowly took a bite out of it, moaning at the taste. "Mmm my favorite."
"I'm partial to the cream myself, darlin'." He replied, smirking when she blushed again. "Better stop with that, Nico before it becomes a permanent condition."
Alyssa pushed away her empty plate, sighing contentedly, and rubbed her stomach. "Much better. Hey Mom, if you turn red, can I call you ketchup?" She asked, looking serious.
"No you may not." Nicoya replied in a growl and dropped her head forward, shaking her head, and started eating in silence. No longer in the mood to tease. She finished up rather quickly, not that hungry, and pushed away from the table before going over to open up her laptop. She had to make sure everything was ready for that night since she had to email Vince all the new scripts she'd done.
"Since it's so early, I reckon I'll just hit the gym." Mark said, clearing his throat, wondering what brought on the sudden mood swing, wondering if maybe she had issues with being teased.
"Can I come?" Alyssa asked hopefully, wanting to spend more time with Mark, even though his mother was dating him now.
"I don't know, angel, best ask yer momma that." Mark said, hesitant about making decisions for Alyssa. That was another bridge they'd have to cross regarding if he could start disciplining and telling Alyssa what she could and could not do, like Nicoya did.
"Mark, if you're leaving because of me, don't. I'm not mad or angry." Nicoya assured him with a smile, reading his mind, and went back to staring at her laptop. "I'm just checking over this before sending it to Vince for approval. It's your scripts for next week." She explained, looking over at her daughter, and sighed. "You are allowed to go with Mark anywhere you want at any time as long as he doesn't mind it, Aly."
"Scripts for next week, huh? How bout givin' me a peek?" Mark asked curiously, wondering what she had in store for him. "As fer the gym, I need the workout anyway, don't want to be gettin' too much fatter."
"Fat?" Alyssa stared at him frowning. "You're not fat, except for maybe your butt." Mark choked on his coffee in response, groaning since some went down the wrong tube and it was hot.
"Alyssa Marie!" Nicoya gasped, her eyes widened again, and covered her mouth with her hand, not believing what her daughter just said. "I cannot believe you said that! Apologize to your…" She cleared her throat and trailed off, biting her bottom lip and finally got her mind on track. "Apologize to Mark right now, young lady!" She ordered sternly.
Mark arched an eyebrow, having caught that 'your', but didn't say a word. Just glanced at Alyssa, who looked completely clueless that she just said something that could be considered rude. Not that he did. He just couldn't believe she said he had a fat butt. Were kids supposed to know about fat butts? "Sorry Mark." Alyssa said finally, still trying to figure out where she went wrong.
Nicoya sighed as she shook her head, looking at Mark apologetically, and raked a hand through her hair. "The reason I just told you to apologize to him, sweetheart, is because you don't say that about anyone's rear-end. That was rude, Alyssa. Do you understand?" She asked her daughter, crossing her arms in front of her chest, staring at her with a stern expression.
"Oh." Alyssa blinked, looking back and forth between the adults. "So I can't tell Melina she has a fat butt? It'd be rude?" She questioned, sounding truly confused. Mark raised his hand up to his mouth, hiding his grin, and looked pointedly at Nicoya. Surely that one deserved an exception.
"Just keep your mouth shut about peoples rear-ends, Alyssa Marie or I will punish you." She stated in a firm, final tone of voice, not wanting her daughter to resort to that kind of talk, and went back to staring at her laptop. She didn't want her daughter to be talking about anyone in a bad way. No matter how much they may deserve it. She was a better person than that and Nicoya had raised Alyssa to respect her elders.
"Yes Mom." Alyssa replied softly in a respectful tone of voice. She waited a minute before looking up when Mark got to his feet and asked, "Can I go with you?"
"Sure angel, you can spot for me." He told her, reaching down to pat her head. "I gotta swap clothes first." He'd showered quickly after his interlude with Nicoya and would take another after his workout.
"Okay." Alyssa gave her mother a hug and kiss before practically dragging Mark out of the room by his hand.
Mark shot Nicoya one last, longing look over his shoulder, smiling at her before being yanked out into the hallway. "Whoa Aly, don't break my arm!"
Nicoya smiled back at him, winking, and sighed when the door closed. She shook her head and stood up from the bed, beginning to clean up the mess from breakfast, and then went back to work. She smiled when Vince's secretary emailed her back, letting her know they'd been approved, as always, and opened Steve's first. She didn't know why, but she wanted to get his done since it was the easiest. She might as well get started so she didn't have to worry about it at the arena later on that night as she began typing up the rough draft.