Laws of Motion – Book 3
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT
Chapter 29
Wednesday - October 5, 2005
Dr. Myers Office
5:02 pm
"Howdy, Doc!" Drew bounded into the office for his appointment with a giddy smile on his face. "You'll be happy to know that life's a little rocky right now, but it's gonna be perfect real soon! I'll still come to see you though, 'cause I like ya."
After a monotonous and depressing day, Sylvia was grateful for the jubilance, although anxious about the cause. "Wonderful! I can't wait to hear the details of your soon to be perfect life." And if the answer is 'Tawny and I are together', I'm retiring.
Grabbing a seat, Drew excitedly said, "I better catch you up first because Lissa told me you and her parted ways. The whole thing with the video…Lissa broke the law and was lookin' at a huge lawsuit to boot. I cut her a deal even though the pre-nup was in effect, 'cause you know, she is the mother of my kids and even though I hate the bitch, I'm a gentleman. In exchange for a half million dollars, a list of personal assets, tuition to design school in Europe, and me agreein' to drop all future action, I got full custody of my kids and everything else we own."
"Do the children know?"
"Yes, ma'am." His voice saddened. "It's real hard on Cassie at the moment, but I found out that Lissa's been yellin' at her a lot and sayin' scary things, like if she got chubby she wouldn't be allowed in the family Christmas photo, so I think it's best. That's exactly how Lissa's evil mother ruined her mind. The witch wouldn't even let her eat birthday cake." Drew pulled an appointment card from his wallet. "I scheduled a father-daughter session while I was waitin' on you. Also, my mother, Nicky, Carrie, Marta, and I…we're all pitchin' in to give Cassie all the attention she needs while we adjust. Lissa didn't pay much attention to Matt, 'cause he's a boy, and Claire's too young and spent most of her day with Marta anyway, so they're fine because nothin' much has changed. It was Cassie who Lissa doted on, but my daughter is a very smart little girl and she was startin' to suspect that her mother wasn't all that nice of a person, so…yeah, we'll be here on Friday to start workin' through that, but we're gonna be good, real good."
"Okay. Now tell me why you were on Cloud Nine when you floated in here." Please don't say Tawny.
Grinning, he whooped, "Tawny's divorcin' Greg and marryin' me!" When the doctor's jaw dropped he yelled, "Gotcha!"
"I'm not a spring chicken," Sylvia huffed. "Go easy on the ticker."
"Sorry," he chuckled. "Doc, I can assure you that Tawny isn't on my mind. Frankly, it seems like a lifetime ago that I kissed her."
"It was only two days ago," the therapist said in exasperation.
"Yeah," he laughed. "My brother and sisters always did yell at me for movin' on too fast after serious drama. They still give me crap because I wanted a new dog ten minutes after our beloved Lab died. Hey, check out the picture of my new dog." He pulled from his wallet the Polaroid the shelter had given him. "Matt named him T-Rex, but don't let the name fool you, the mutt's a sweetheart."
"You went out and bought a dog during all of this turmoil?"
"Careful now…you're soundin' a lot like my Mama, and since I come here to bitch about her, it could confuse me."
"I'm very sorry for the transgression."
"I got a new girl too," he boasted. "That's right, I'm in love, Doc. Marta's the perfect woman for me and the kids already love her."
"The nanny?" she said, unsuccessfully masking her disapproval.
"I've had a life changing twenty-four hours. I found my inner girl, my future wife, and a new dog. I'm so damn happy, I don't even care that I lost three quarters of a million by market close!"
Too stunned by all of it, Sylvia kept her mouth shut and let her patient ramble.
"This house I bought here in Vegas, it's made of stone and looks a little like a castle. Cassie's bedroom is in the rounded part and it's all decorated with fairytale stuff. The other night when it all went down with Lissa, I came home and went to Cassie's room. She was sleepin' and as I sat there watchin' her peacefully breathe, I realized that when she woke the next mornin', I'd be breakin' her little heart tellin' her that her parents were divorcin' and her mommy would be movin' far, far away. It's a crazy thing feelin' like you wished you never married someone while lovin' the child you had with that person."
"Yes, it's very confusing."
"That's exactly what I was…confused. That's when Marta showed up. She caught me sittin' in the tower like a sad little princess with a wet face. Instead of makin' me feel pathetic for bein' less of a man, like my father or Lissa would have…she cried with me and said it was good to let it all out." Laughing he said, "Hell, it felt so good I let it rip the next night too! Right there with her watchin' Shallow Hal on the plasma I bawled my eyes out sayin' all this crazy stuff. She said stuff about her life too, like about how she misses her brother who died of cancer at eighteen. We held each other as we talked about regrets and missed opportunities…like how I dropped out of Med School to chase Lissa around the world on her modeling shoots, and how I switched to gettin' my MBA so I could make the kind of money a woman like her expected. We wiped away each other's tears and then we switched gears. We started laughin' and havin' the best time on the worst day of my life." Releasing a brilliant smile Drew softly said, "Don't you see? It's like a reverse fairytale, Doc. I was trapped in the castle's tower and she found me." He shouted like a fire and brimstone preacher, "I'm saved! She's a beautiful woman too, inside and out, and before you jump to any conclusions, you should know she wears size twenty pants."
"She told you what size she wears?" The doctor chuckled, "Wow, she must feel very close to you too."
"No, I saw the size of her jeans the next mornin' when I was gettin' out of her bed."
Sylvia reached for her Maalox bottle, skipped the formality of the dispensing cup, and gulped.
"That's cute," Drew laughed. "We didn't have sex. She's a twenty-four year old virgin and last night after makin' out like a teenager with me, her patience ran out. She trusted me enough to ask if I would help change her status. We were drunk and contrary to what my mother thinks, I'm a nice guy, so I declined."
"She was in a very vulnerable position, how did she take your answer?"
"She got real insecure and cried, but I explained that it wasn't that I didn't want to be with her. I pointed to my boxers to prove I wasn't lyin'. I told her she had been waiting so long, it should be special. Then I offered an alternative pleasuring option that brought her the satisfaction she was longing to experience. I'm happy to report that unlike Lissa's, Marta's words and moans were one-hundred and ten percent real." Watching the doctor's reaction he enthused, "Here's the best part though…even though she had what she wanted from me, and I told her up front that it didn't have to be mutual, she offered to help me out."
"How did that make you feel?" she asked the patient whose wife had only been pleasuring him in exchange for expensive home décor.
"It was no doubt the worst hand job since Penny Wilson in Junior High, but that's not a problem, because if you ask any of my old high school girlfriends, they'll tell you I'm a very patient coach. The most important thing to me was that Marta didn't ask me for a seven thousand dollar mirror afterwards…or a raise." With a twinkle in his eye, he said, "It was her first time doin' that particular activity and she was real nervous. That made it incredibly hot and sweet, and when she whispered 'does it feel good?' I immediately lost it. She actually cared!" Grinning wider he shook his head. "Doc, I stopped fantasizing about makin' it to second base decades ago, but when it comes to self-gratification, you'll be happy to know that as of today, foolin' around with Marta officially replaced that Tawny hotel memory I shared the last time I was here."
"How on Earth did you manage to fit in self-gratification today?"
"Duh! When I showered." Twisting open his bottle of water, Drew winked, "I'm a firm believer in multi-tasking."
"You do realize if this relationship you're forging with Marta goes wrong, the kids will pay the price, right?"
"Yes, ma'am.," he somberly answered. "But I have a real good grasp on what I don't want in a woman, and I've never been the type to waste time when a fantastic opportunity presents itself."
"What about body image? How are you going to feel with a mortal woman on your arm at Le Cirque instead of a Supermodel? You've been going after cheerleader types since you were twelve. How can you know the urge won't strike after you have Marta and your childrens' emotions on the line?"
"Lissa really was considered the most beautiful woman in the world for fifteen seconds, and look where that got me. I've learned the hard way that supermodel types are grossly overrated. Secondly…I'll be real honest, I didn't think I'd like grabbin' an ass that big, but I did." Rubbing his hands together he snickered, "I'm countin' the minutes until I get to grab it again….not that I'm gonna rush things." Drew purred like a satisfied cat, "Mmmmm yeah, once a man has experienced quality booty, he can't go back."
Nordstrom
6:12 pm
Glancing at her reflection in the dressing room's three-way mirror, Becca asked her shopping buddy, "Does this dress do anything for my butt?"
"Yeah, about as much as this one does for my non-existent boobs," Carrie sighed, "nothing."
"Tony's Ex has the best butt. It totally compliments the big boobs he bought her. She literally looks like a top of the line porn star. He has to miss that now that he's making love to a stick person." Turning so Carrie could undo the straps for her Becca said, "He's always bunching up my hair and grabbing it when we make love, I seriously think it's because he's used to having something to hold onto and doesn't know what to do with his hands."
"I've really missed naughty girl talk with you," Carrie laughed, happy to be out being silly instead of sitting at home getting depressed about the baby. In a whisper she shared, "Nicky's not much of a hair grabber. Except when I'm…you know."
Becca smirked, "I've really missed uptight girl talk with you. Don't tell her I said this, but…I'm kinda glad Tawny decided not to return to BPAC. Now I don't have to be the third wheel, I have you all to myself. Tony likes me hanging out with you. He thinks you're a good role model."
"Aww." Carrie hugged her friend. "Nicky can't decide if you're a good or bad influence on me. He liked that I brought home your Camp Dunmore knowledge, but not the sinful Versace dress."
"That makes sense considering his Madonna/Whore Complex issues."
"Becca!" Shaking her head, Carrie returned to her fitting room. "He didn't like the dress because of the price tag," she laughed. "If it had been a sexy Wal-mart dress he would have loved it. He told me he thinks I'm sexiest in one of his white undershirts."
"Is there really such a thing as a sexy Wal-mart dress? Not that I want to find out!" Becca shivered. "I'm having a hard time slumming it at Nordie's, please don't take me to Wally World."
"Ooh, I think I like this one!" Carrie bounded out of the dressing room. "It's bright and cheery, and totally not sleazy."
"Do you know the men at this event have a secret ballot at this thing? Best Ass, Best Boobs, MiLF…"
"MiLF…"
"It's stands for 'Mother I'd like to F'. The woman who's a hottie even after she's had a kid as opposed to the one whose body doesn't recovery from pregnancy." When she saw Carrie place a hand on her stomach, Becca quietly said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you think about..."
"It's okay."
"It'll happen." Becca hugged her friend. "It wasn't the right time."
"I just keep crying about it," Carrie confessed as tears filled her eyes. "I'm so tired of crying about it. All I wanted to do tonight was come out and have silly girl fun and here I am…crying! I keep telling myself that I should be grateful for the life I have. That Nicky and I are blessed in so many ways, that we weren't even trying, that we really would be better off waiting until after the wedding, but…it doesn't work. I want our baby back. Seeing Nicky with Sean at the range…did you see how happy he was in father mode? What if I can't ever give him a baby?"
Wiping Carrie's tears with her thumbs, Becca said, "I'm crying with you, but the Zoloft doesn't let the tears out."
"Thank you."
"When we were at the range, did you notice that Tony was fighting Nick for turns as Sean's pretend dad?"
"I did." Carrie smiled through her sadness. "We're really lucky. They're both such sweet guys, true blue gentlemen."
LVPD Parking Lot
6:27 pm
"Hey, Fucktard!" Vartann yelled to Mike when he saw him walking through the lot. "Sara told Nick and me what you said to her. Ever hear of work place harassment?"
"Yeah, I'm experiencing it right now!" Mike waved to Fromansky, who was also heading to his car. "Did you catch the verbal harassment I'm receiving from a co-worker in authority over me?"
"Sure did! So did the parking lot cameras."
Mike shook his head, "Detective, what you have is hearsay. I have a witness and video. Consider yourself warned. Next time I'm reporting you. Have a good night, Gentlemen!"
Shaking his head, Nick muttered to his buddy, "That's his game, man. Look clean to the world while givin' us maximum shit. Gris is right, we can't fall for it every time." Waving the warrant they finally had, he said, "Forget him, let's go nail Belinda Connelly's ass to the wall. Sofia and Greg are meetin' us there after their dinner breaks."
Cheesecake Factory
6:35 pm
"Thanks for the dinner invite," Greg said as he slid into the booth across from Tawny. "Sorry I'm a little late. We're working a case and the vic was taken advantage of sexually by his teacher, so Nick's a man on a mission. I'm working a double, which is good though, because it means more cash."
"Speaking of cash!" Unable to contain her excitement a minute longer, Tawny grabbed her new LVPD employee badge and held it up. "I have a job! You're looking at the new Office Clerk in Questioned Documents."
"Are you serious?" He grabbed the badge to check its authenticity. "It's real?"
"Gil called and said Sara told him I might want a new job. I emailed my resume and he gave it to Lisa Cabbot, the Manager of Questioned Documents. She called me and I had an interview earlier today."
"She has a reputation for being really tough."
"She was!" Tawny's voice filled with pride. "I wasn't given the job, I had to interview and get tested. I was sweating bullets the whole two hours. Then she said she was really impressed with my work and hired me! Can you believe it? I got a real job all by myself and I don't have to take my top off! It's totally at the bottom of the career ladder, but Lisa said that once I get my degree, the sky's the limit, because the County likes to hire from within. I qualify for tuition reimbursement now too. Are you proud of me?!"
Greg answered by jumping out of his booth and shouting, "My wife just got a great new job and she's taking me out to dinner to celebrate! She's also pregnant with not one, but two of my babies! How lucky am I!? Ice water for all of you wonderful people!"
As strangers in the restaurant clapped, shook their head, or laughed, one man yelled, 'and she's a looker to boot!' Tawny beamed with delight. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Leaning over, he kissed his wife's cheek as she grinned from ear to ear. "I love…that you got that job. We can probably even synch up and take breaks together every once in a while."
Knowing he almost slipped and said the L word, made Tawny's heart soar. It didn't matter that he wasn't ready to say it, he felt it, and that's what counted.
"So, uh…what are you gonna have?"
"Sprite, Thai Chicken Pasta, and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake for dessert."
"Wow." Grabbing his menu, Greg hurried to catch up. "The lady really knows what she wants."
"Without an ounce of doubt," she replied while staring at her husband. "In case you were wondering if I would be changing my mind for some reason."
"Nick told me that Drew's divorce is going through."
"If I see Drew, all I'll be doing is wishing him luck finding a new partner as wonderful and understanding as mine."
After a quick nod, Greg changed the subject, "So, uh…did you find out the scoop with Lily and my dad?"
"You were right, she's been very lonely since her divorce and wanted his bod."
While perusing the menu, Greg replied, "Let's not get too graphic about my dad's sex life right before I eat."
"Your father politely declined. He told her he really likes her and hopes that something can happen down the road, but it was too soon for him. He didn't want her to take a taxi and he had a lot of wine, so he spent the night on the couch and gave her the bed." Giggling she said, "It was totally cute. He asked me if I thought he did the right thing."
"I guess I didn't inherit my father's restraint," the father-to-be laughed. "But way to go, Dad, huh? Women want him for stud."
"Like father, like son." Tawny reached out and squeezed Greg's hand. "I feel Lily's pain."
The Connelly Residence
6:48 pm
Now that the uniformed officers were in place, Vartann headed up the front walk with Nick. "How's your headache, Stokes? Mine's starting up again."
"Actually, mine's gettin' a little better every time we get closer to nailin' this bitch for somethin'. We'd already have her if age of consent wasn't sixteen here or we had a friggin' no 'person in authority' clause or…"
"Yeah, I'm a cop, I know all that, remember?"
"Sorry for rantin', I'm sure it doesn't help your headache."
At the door, Tony knocked. "Detective Vartann from the LVPD. We have a warrant to search the premises." With Belinda back at the station and the husband at work at The Mandalay Bay, they didn't expect anyone to be home. "Open her up," he instructed Officer Benitez.
"Oh yeah, the neighbors are comin' out in droves now." Nick checked his watch. "Wait until my future sister-in-law finds out her son's teacher was havin' sex with a student. She'll flip."
"Secure the perimeter, Harrison!" Vartann stepped inside the immaculate house with Nick. "Belinda Connelly is a very neat pervert."
"I smell bleach." Nick sniffed the air. "Lots of it."
The Grissoms
6:53 pm
"More," Sara moaned as she watched Gil squirting chocolate syrup on her ice cream sundae. "I can't believe you remembered me saying I craving one of these last week."
"I'm happy that the craving didn't disappear before I had a chance to indulge you."
"Dinner was delicious too." He had made her Pasta Florentine.
"That recipe's a keeper." Grabbing the whipped cream, he shook the can. "Where would you like it?"
"I know where you'd like it, but I want it on top of the chocolate syrup and ice cream." Moving in she whispered against his ear lobe, "But at the rate you're going tonight, I'll be more than happy to let you put it elsewhere later."
With a salacious smile, the delighted husband dangled the last ingredient. "Cherry?"
Drew's House
7:02 pm
"Marta…" Jillian smiled at the nanny who was just emerging from Matt's room an said, and said, "Cassie's out like a light. Between school, the emotion of the day, and shopping with me, she was exhausted."
In mid-yawn herself, Marta nodded. "I have Claire's monitor in my room, so if you don't mind, I'm gong to turn in for the night."
"I hear you. I'm not stickin' around to talk to Drew, because he's probably stayin' away just to avoid me."
"Mrs. Stokes, I've been debating whether or not to mention this to you and…well…I think I should. Matt heard you yellin' at Drew earlier, including the part about…" she switched to a whisper, "taking the babies and the castle if he started bringing sluts around." When she saw the guilty grandmother cover her mouth, she said, "I told him you were just joking around and when he asked what a slut was I told him it was a type of sword."
"Thank you for handling that. I will talk to him first thing in the mornin'."
"For what it's worth, I really don't believe Drew will be bringing any of those types of women home for sex."
"Why's that, Dear?"
Cracking a grin, Marta replied, "Because it would be very detrimental to the children and I made it perfectly clear I'd kick him in the nuts."
"I appreciate the assist, thank you."
"For what it's worth, I love my Daddy to death, but Drew's much more involved with his kids than mine father ever was with me. Mostly because my dad was running the farm, and because I'm a girl, and then with my brother's illness it didn't leave much time when I was older. Even though Drew would be gone on business a lot, he'd always check in with the kids and he do a bunch with them whenever he was around. The thing that strikes me most though is how affectionate he is with them. My mom and I still snuggle up on the couch when we visit, but my dad isn't one to give hugs, that seems real important to Drew. Now that he knows how vulnerable the kids are, I really believe he won't be messing things up for them. Even though he's caused some trouble for your family lately, deep down he's still a really nice guy." Realizing she sounded like a teen crushing on a rock star, she waved. "Sorry for rambling, good night, Mrs. Stokes."
Connelly Residence
7:12 pm
"Stokes!"
"Yo!" Nick emerged from the bedroom where he and Sofia had just begun their search.
Vartann waved him to the window. "Look who got dispatched to our scene….McAsshole. I bet he took a second shift just to spend some time with us. I'm sure we have Amy to thank for him shadowing us."
"At least Sara's not comin' here. That's one less thing I have to worry about." Turning to face the bedroom, Nick yelled, "Sof!"
"There's that Spidey Sense of yours." Laughing she said, "I just opened the lingerie drawer. I know that's your favorite part."
"Normally, yeah, but not when I know she was blackmailing a teen while wearing her leather and lace." He pointed to the front door. "Greg is parking his truck. I'll keep workin' in the bedroom while you walk him through what we're doing. Tell him I want him lookin' for a shoe that matches the print he almost blew."
Looking out the window, Vartann laughed, "Sanders looks like he got laid on his dinner break…"
With his kit swinging in his hand, Greg whistled on his way to the crime tape. Oh great, Mr. Rodgers is in this neighborhood too. "Hey," he greeted the enemy with absolutely no enthusiasm.
"Sanders!" Sofia waved from the doorway.
As Greg lifted his gaze to track his name, he was greeted with an earthmoving explosion.
"Everybody down!" Mike yelled as he tackled Greg to the ground, shielding him with his body.
Just as it had that fateful day in the lab, time seemed to stand still while all noise momentarily ceased, but then, just as quickly as time had stopped, it sped up again. "Sof…" Greg was on his back watching a plume of black smoke cross the dusky sky. "Sofia…" When the fog cleared, he recalled seeing her on the front steps of the house waving to him. "Sofia!" he yelled when everything snapped into place.
"I've got her!" Mike shouted back while carrying her limp body away from the burning house. "Vartann's on the front lawn, do you see Nick?! Hernandez! Call a 444! We need multiple ambulances!"
With his radio pressed to his ear, the cop yelled back. "Fire and EMTs are on their way!"
Stunned and operating on adrenaline, Greg rushed to Vartann's lifeless body. "Tony!" He smacked his friend's bloody cheeks. "Tony! I need help over here!" Greg searched the area for Nick.
"I saw him fly through the window onto the lawn!" Officer Davis, a rookie, shouted as he made to the lawn. "I used to be a volunteer fireman back home, trust me, we have to get out of here. Come on! Get over here! You never know what's in a house, it could blow sky high. I got his arms, you grab his feet!"
"I don't see Nick!" Greg yelled above a secondary explosion as he took Vartann's ankles. "I don't see Nick!"
"Everybody back!" Mike directed as neighbors fled their houses in panic. "This area is unstable! Down the block, now!"
"Sofia!" Greg shouted when he saw her coming to on the lawn across the street where they were carrying Vartann. "Where was Nick when you were on the front steps?!" He struggled to make it the last twenty yards with Vartann's heavy lifeless body.
Disorientated, Sofia remained silent and helplessly watched people scrambling about.
"Sanders! Take over for me!" Mike barked. "She has a gusher, keep applying pressure!" Then he took off running toward the burning building.
"I got a pulse!" Davis yelled in relief. "He's cut up, but I don't see any heavy bleeders."
Shaking like a leaf from fear and post traumatic stress disorder, Greg continued pressing Mike's bloody uniform shirt to Sofia's thigh and watched in horror as the house burned before his eyes.
"Greg?" Sofia murmured as her eyes struggled to focus. "Where…"
"Just…shh."
"I hear sirens!" Davis exclaimed. "Thank Christ."
"I see them!" Greg excitedly shouted when he saw Mike run from the house carrying someone. "Wait, was anyone else in the house besides Nick?!" he asked Davis right before the house blew to pieces in front of his eyes. "Duck!"
Wontons
7:25 pm
"Cashew chicken, please." Carrie handed her menu to the waiter and smiled. "And a glass of Chardonnay."
Still undecided, Becca said the first thing she saw, "Shrimp LoMein and a Sprite."
"Mmm, we can share." Unfurling her napkin, Carrie noted two fire trucks racing down the street. "Must be a blaze somewhere."
"Speaking of hot." Becca fanned her mouth. "That red wonton dipping sauce is killer."
Connelly Residence
7:33 pm
"Is he dead?!" His patience running out, Greg blasted the EMTs blocking his way, "Did you get a pulse?!" The memory of Mike placing Nick's corpse-like body on the grass terrifying him, he yelled, "Will someone give me a fucking answer already! Is he breathing or not?!"
"Sanders!" Hank hurried over and shook Greg. "Chill out, okay. Nick's gonna be fine. He has a knot on his head and he sucked in some smoke, that's it. Rodgers said he found him on the living room floor. He probably got slammed into the wall during the blast. He'll need a CT as a precaution, but I doubt it's more than a concussion."
Still clutching his head, Greg nodded. "Thank you."
"What about you?" Hank inspected the bruise on Greg's face. "Anything else hurt? Arms? Legs?"
"No." He watched the ambulance carrying Vartann and Sofia pull away. "Can I ride with him?"
"Sure thing." Walking away, Hank laughed, "Everyone's allowed one loved one along for the ride!"
"Greg!" Jim pushed his way through the crowd. "What the hell happened?"
Staring at the decimated house, Greg replied in spooked voice, "Mike Rodgers saved Nick's life."
"Are you…"
"Belinda!" A man's voice boomed over the crowd of emergency workers. "Belinda!"
"Sir!" Officer Hernandez lunged forward but was unsuccessful at stopping the muscle-bound man from crossing the tape.
"Belinda!"
Jim and Greg whirled around in time to see a huge, angry man coming straight at them.
"Is my wife okay?!" Stephen Connelly breathlessly asked before screaming her name again, "Belinda!"
"Sir! Your wife wasn't home at the time of the blast." Greg assured the panicked husband, "She's safe." He didn't have the heart to tell him she was at the police station being held while they investigated the murder of the boy she was sleeping with on the side.
"Thank God." Stephen Connelly dropped to his knees. "Thank God she's okay," he sobbed into his palms.
"Are you…" When the spotlight of a nearby fire truck suddenly pointed at them, Greg winced and turned his eyes to the ground. "Uh…" Crouching next to the quivering giant, he said, "Sir…my name is Greg Sanders, I'm with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Sir, I'm going to need your shoes." There, right in the beam of the spotlight, was a boot with identical tread to the one he had dropped the scale onto at the crime scene.
"What?" Stephen wiped his tears. "I don't understand. Why?"
"I'm investigating the murder of…" Before Greg could finish, the man was running away. "Suspect fleeing the scene!"
"All available officers!" Jim raced after the man shouting, "Sanders! Give the details!"
Wontons
7:53 pm
"We changed our wedding colors ten times already. Originally, when I was planning everything on my own and Nicky was just nodding and smiling, our colors were celadon and ivory. Then we had this big fight and I yelled at him for not being involved in the planning. To make a long story short, I started giving him options, but I always hated what he picked." Smiling she said, "We had an even bigger fight about that…on his birthday as a matter of fact. Now I'm happy to say, we actually discuss everything and sometimes he wins and sometimes I do. Our colors though, we agree on one hundred percent. They're chocolate and sky blue."
"Ooh, I've seen those together at some charity thing." Becca lifted her water glass. "Very classy."
"We were having a problem picking a cake too, but then we saw one of those cupcake tower ones and both loved it."
"Those are great!"
"Um…I really hope it's not tacky to ask after I've already asked others." Carrie sweetly smiled at her newest friend, "Would you be one of my bridesmaids?"
"Really?!" Stunned by the offer Becca burst into a grin.
"I never really had girlfriends until this year and you're quickly becoming a very good one."
"Yes, I'd be so honored!"
Connelly Residence
8:00 pm
"Mike's a bonafide hero," Greg informed Nick when they were in the back of the ambulance waiting for the EMTs to return from rushing to help a bystander who had collapsed. "He raced into the burning house to find you and pulled you out sixty seconds before the whole place blew up. Seriously, it was just like an action movie, complete with the girl bawling her eyes out on the sidelines when she believed her man was dead. I was playing the part of the girl." Cringing, he said, "Seriously, if people didn't believe we were secret gay lovers before, they do now, trust me. Apparently I did everything but fall to the ground sobbing 'I can't go on without Nicky!'"
"Mike really…" Nick fell into a coughing fit before finishing his thought.
"Yeah." Returning the oxygen mask to his buddy's sooty face, Greg shook his head. "No talking again for a while."
With a shaky hand, Nick reached into his pocket for his cell phone.
"You want me to call Carrie so she doesn't hear about it on the news?"
Nodding slowly, Nick flipped open the phone and pressed her speed dial number.
Holding the already ringing phone to his ear, Greg said, "I don't want to panic her by…hey Carrie! Sorry, it's Greg, not Nick. Whatcha doing?"
"Having dinner with Becca at Wontons. Why? Where's Nicky?"
"He's right next to me."
"Ooh, put him on, I want to tell him this great idea Becca had for our reception."
"Hey, Nick, Carrie wants to..." After a pause for effect Greg said, "Sorry, he can't talk right now."
"Why did you call me?"
"Hey, isn't Wontons on Pearl?"
"Yeah."
"Can you order me a To Go container of Orange Chicken and I'll swing by and pick it up? I'm only about five minutes from that place. Oh, wait a sec. Nick do you want anything from Wontons? He shook his head 'no'."
"Hey, since you're close by, do you know what's going on? We saw a bunch of fire trucks and…"
"House fire. No fatalities. It's really close to where we were processing actually."
"I thought I heard sirens in the background."
"Yeah, it's a crazy night." Greg covered the phone when Nick lapsed into another coughing fit and on a hacking break he rapidly said, "Orange Chicken, I'll be there in five!" Snapping the phone shut he explained, "I've been to Wontons, they don't have TVs. Becca's with your fiancée, and I didn't want Carrie to deal with hysterical Becca alone. I'll get them into my truck, and then break the news. I'll use the paper bag from the Take Out order to stop Becks from hyperventilating when I tell her about Vartann." When he saw Nick's eyes widen in fright, he said, "He's just cut up from flying through the window as it blew out. Luckily, he missed the big tree out front and landed on the grass. He was favoring his left arm, but didn't think it was broken. Sofia needs a few dozen stitches in her thigh though, but she'll be fine." Patting his best friend's shoulder, Greg shared his plan, "After I change my fudged boxer briefs, I'll pick up the ladies and pretend this wasn't a big enough deal to shit my shorts thinking you were dead." Winking, he joked, "Later, Lover."
Drew's House
8:10 pm
"Marta…" Drew knocked lightly on her door, hoping she wasn't asleep.
"Come in."
"Sorry if you were sleeping," he said when he saw her sitting in bed under the covers with her knees pulled to her chest.
"No, but after last night, I really should get a good night's sleep."
"Me too."
"How was your session?"
"Terrific, thanks for asking." Standing in the doorway he said, "I made an appointment for Cassie and me for Friday. The Doc said I was handlin' everything with the kids real good though."
"That's a relief, huh?"
"Yeah." Stepping into the room he closed the door. "I talked to her about you too. She's a little concerned I'm movin' too fast." Chuckling he said, "I don't know how she could think that." After laughing with Marta, Drew pointed to the edge of the bed. "May I sit for a sec?"
"Are you breaking up with me before our first date?" she tensed.
"No."
"Okay, you can sit."
They shared another laugh.
"Honey, I just wanted to say…I know I was a little over the top earlier when I made my speech. In case you're worried that I'm just playin' around with you, I'm not. That's just me when I get excited about somethin'. When I latch onto an idea, I don't let go."
"Thanks for clearing that up."
"You're welcome."
"I defended you to your mother tonight," she sweetly informed the man who was warming her body with his gaze. "She thinks you're going to hurt the kids by bringing unscrupulous women into the house. I told her you won't because that would be detrimental to the children and you're committed to not hurting them. I also told her that I threatened to kick you in the nuts if you did."
"Thanks for the defense and the warning." He chuckled with her while caressing her cheek. "I hope you're not worried about that."
"Not at all."
Breathing deep he slipped closer still. "You smell real nice, what is that? I've never smelled it before."
"It's Bath and Body Works Honeysuckle Lotion. I like to put it on after I shower because it smells really clean." Giggling from his proximity to her in bed, Marta explained, "You've probably never smelled it because it's only eleven fifty for a giant bottle and your previous women had more expensive taste."
"What about your toothpaste?" Brushing his lips over hers he murmured, "What kind is that? I like that too."
"Cinnamon Colgate."
"May I have a taste?"
"You most certainly may."
After sharing a delicious kiss, Drew playfully asked, "Be honest…did you shower and brush just in case we got close?"
"Did you?"
"Hell yes."
"Me too."
Lacing his fingers through her partially damp hair, he roguishly cautioned, "You really should kick me out."
"I really should," Marta concurred before planting a juicy kiss squarely on Drew's lips.
"Tell me to leave."
"Soon."
"When?" he teased while trailing succulent kisses down her honeysuckle-scented neck.
"Later."
When their eyes locked the next time, equally blissful smiles exploded on their faces and Drew blurted, "I wanna stay."
"Please do."
"Wanna go a little further tonight but not all the way?"
"I may need a little guidance," she shyly replied.
"Believe me, that's not a problem."
"Okay!" Dropping back against the sheets she suddenly panicked, "Wait! We have to lock the door because the kids sometimes come in here if…"
"I was prayin' you'd let me stay, so I locked it on the way in." After shucking his jeans and tee, he pulled back the blanket to find she was wearing a delicate floral print lace-edged cami with matching boy shorts. "Oooh."
"Do you like it?" Self-conscious of her body in the well-lit room, she chewed her bottom lip waiting for his reply.
Pressing up against her, he snickered, "Does that answer your question?"
"I can't believe that's all because of me." Blushing, she said, "I also can't believe I just said that out loud."
"You're adorable as hell, you know that?"
Her dream man poised over her with his eyes gleaming, Marta couldn't believe her fairytale was becoming a reality. "Mmm…" His wet kisses electrified her heated body. If I'm dreaming, pleeeeeeease don't let me wake up!
Connelly Residence
8:20 pm
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Mike whispered in Nick's ear as he sat next to him in the back of the abandoned ambulance. When his former friend jumped, Mike laughed, "You thought I was Greg, right? Sorry you're not allowed to sleep because of the head trauma. We're experiencing a bit of a delay in getting to the hospital because Brass and company just found the perp holding some granny hostage in a house up the street. The EMTs from this truck were all busy saving some guy who decided now would be a good time to have a coronary episode when the hostage situation broke out and they're waiting for SWAT to look for a way out for them. I volunteered to babysit you." He held up his radio. "I'm supposed to call them if your stability changes." He chuckled, "I told them you've always seemed a little unstable to me."
Forgetting for a moment that he was on oxygen in the back of an ambulance, Nick bolted up. Immediately, he coughed himself dizzy.
"Relax, Cowboy." Mike eased him back against the gurney. "Unbelievable. I just risked my life to save you and you still think I'm a murderous psycho. You know what? That really pisses me off. I didn't have to run into that building and risk my ass. It would have been a lot easier to let little Greggy watch you blow to bits." Pulling a book of matches from his pocket, he sighed, "But hey…if you would have preferred to blow up earlier, I can still make it happen. I can jump out, toss a match at your oxygen mask, and ka pow!" Watching Nick's pulse rate climb on the monitor, he burst out laughing. "Did you just wet yourself, Buddy? Gil, Sara and Wendy really have you brainwashed. I'm not the bad guy! How many times have I told you that, man?! Really think about it…everything bad you know about me came from one of them or from falsified evidence. All of it! You're their puppet. You've always been their puppet."
Lifting his mask, Nick rasped, "Out."
"No can do, Buckaroo. I promised the EMTs I'd watch you." Mike relaxed against the ambulance's wall. "It would be just my luck that you'd die and then Gil would blame me."
With his trembling hand, Nick grabbed his cell phone.
"Go ahead, call Gil and tell him I'm here scaring the crap out of you, which I'm not. Your overactive and paranoid mind is the only thing stressing you out. You're really calling, aren't you? You're an ungrateful little shit." Mike lunged for the door and threw it open. "Maybe your fiancée will be nice enough to thank me for saving your sorry ass, because if I hadn't risked my life today, you'd be a ghost right now and she'd be home bawling into her unused wedding gown! You think about that the next time you're making love to her, or the next time your friend Gil is cursing my name." Jumping out of the ambulance he yelled, "You know what…screw you." Standing in front of the open door, he struck a match. "Bye bye, Nicky."
"No!" Nick gasped for air. "I'm…s…sorry…" He sucked in a dose of oxygen. "Thank you…for…"
"Jesus, where did your sense of humor go, Stokes?" Shaking his head, Mike blew out the flame. "I was just screwin' with you because of your total lack of gratitude. Just some tough love, like your brother used to give ya." Climbing back in, he took a seat next to Nick, tossing his arm around him. "I accept your apology, and you're welcome. I'm sure you'd do the same for me, right?" He squeezed tighter. "Right?"
"Y…yes," Nick rasped before passing out.
"Buddy…?" Mike snickered, "Was it something I said?"
Author's Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Maggs