Laws of Motion – Book 3
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT
Chapter 41
Saturday – November 19, 2005
The Sanders Home
8:14 am
"Tony is sound asleep, so he won't catch you," Becca informed Greg in a giggle while patting the empty space on the couch next to her. "He covered for someone last night and was beat when he got home."
"Tawny is zonked too, which is good, because I want her to be well rested for the formal tonight." He plopped next to Becca, who was wearing the same coral satin robe she donned every morning since she and Tony had moved into his father's guest suite. "Let's saddle up!" He grabbed an Xbox controller, ready to play Barbie Horse Adventures, a game he didn't want macho man Vartann to see him enjoying. He had purchased the game, which was described as 'non-violent and without peril', hoping it would help Becca relax, but much to his surprise, it had the same effect on him. "How are you feeling today?" In the aftermath of Amy's suicide, and in the throes of pregnancy hormone adjustment, she had been on a non-stop rollercoaster of emotions all week.
"I finally slept well last night."
"That's good," said Greg as he customized his horse. "Forest, river valley, or snowy mountains?"
"My mare Calypso would like a forest adventure today, if that's okay with you and Black Beauty."
"Forest it is."
Becca settled in for a relaxing romp through the woods. "Tony and I had an intense session with Dr. M yesterday."
"Did you muster the courage to bring up your concern?" She had been worried about the similarities between her and Amy, and wondering about Tony having issues.
"Yeah." After making sure her husband was in the kitchen, she whispered, "Turns out Tony is attracted to women in peril for a reason. It was so sad, Hoj. He totally broke down telling the story of his first serious girlfriend, Karina."
"What's the story?" he asked while starting the video game.
"Well…the girl's parents were divorced. The dad was a wife beater and when he started in on Karina, the mom finally had the courage to leave the bastard. She fled Texas one night with her daughter and took her to Phoenix. Tony met her in the hallway at his high school; the locker they gave her was two down from his. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever met, but she was real jittery and shy, so they didn't really say much to each other until they were assigned to work together dissecting a pig."
"Hey, we dissected a pig together," Greg sweetly chuckled, "but I have a feeling Tony gets the girl in this story. You ended up going out with Mason, the future plastic surgeon at the next table. God, I hated that prepster."
"I remember that," she smiled while dressing her electronic horse for its simulated adventure. "He was a jerk. No surprise there, huh?"
"Nope," he remarked while trotting his horse through the trees with Becca's chestnut mare. "Watch that dangling tree branch!"
"I see it!"
"Okay, so what happened with Karina and Tony?"
"Seeing the cuts and guts of the dissected pig reminded her of her mom getting pounded, and she had a PTSD moment. When she bolted out of class, Tony ran after her."
"I totally saw that coming from our resident Knight in Shining Armor."
"She told him everything and just like that they were a couple. Tony took her to the Junior Prom later that year and they went all the way that night; she was a virgin, he wasn't. After that, they grew even closer and Tony did everything around the house for Karina and her mom. They both loved him and everything was great."
"I have a feeling it's about to get ugly."
"Yeah," Becca sadly said, "About a month after the Junior Prom, Karina wasn't waiting on her front porch for a ride to school. Matt was a senior and he had been driving her and Tony every day. Tony knocked on the door, but there wasn't an answer. Karina's mom's car was in the driveway, so it's really odd. Tony and Matt, being sons of a cop, got suspicious and checked around back. They saw the backdoor was busted open and they rushed inside." Remembering her husband's emotion telling the story, she choked up, "Karina's father had shown up in the middle of the night and killed her and her mother in their bedrooms…something like a hundred stab wounds in each of their bodies."
"Oh my God." Greg paused the video game.
"Yeah. They caught the father the next day and he's serving out a life sentence in Arizona. Tony keeps tabs on him. Anyway, that day was a life changing moment for both brothers, according to Dr. M." Becca nodded, "So, we concluded that Tony goes over board in the protection and control areas, because he doesn't want to fail like he failed Karina…not that it was his fault or that he could have prevented her death."
"He meets Karina, she tells him her sad story and the next minute they're a couple. He saves Amy from her abusive boyfriend, she tells him her sad story and the next minute they're living together. He's introduced to you in a bar by Drew, you tell him your sad story and six hours later you're married." Greg nodded. "Sounds like a consistent pattern of escalation."
"There were a few between Karina and Amy too. All the same scenario, all of them eventually breaking up with Tony because they felt he was too controlling and/or suffocating."
"Makes sense. After seeing his high school sweetheart stabbed a hundred times in her bed, it definitely explains his reluctance to get rough in bed with a woman."
"Totally!" She restarted the game. "Not that I want him too anyway, because that's not my cup of tea, but it was for Amy. He said in the session that he never opened up about Karina to Amy and thought maybe if he had she would have cut him some slack. Dr. M was good about taking his guilt away about that. I didn't think it was possible to love him more than I already did, but holding his hand while he was telling that story…I fell a hundred times deeper."
"Watch the skunk!" Greg pointed at the screen. "That's how I feel about Tawny since getting back together. It all feels so much more real than it did before the Drew drama."
"Hoj…"
"Yeah?"
Becca elbowed her oldest and dearest friend while making sure her horse avoided a video skunk on the big screen TV. "Do you think we finally grew up?"
Greg laughed along with Becca, "Yeah, I guess so. It didn't hurt nearly as much as staying immature for all those extra years either. Ooh! There's a wild horse to catch at ten o'clock. I'm gettin' my lasso!"
"Not if I lasso her first!"
"Morning!" Tawny greeted the Xbox addicts as she strolled into the room tightening her pink terry cloth robe. "I knew I'd find you two horsing around."
"Platonically!" Greg yelled before chuckling. "Just in case Tony is coming around the corner, I don't want him to hear you and get the wrong idea."
"Nah." Tawny dropped onto the couch next to Greg. "He and I had a long talk yesterday and we both think it's hilarious that it took living together to realize there's nothing left between you two but deep friendship." She patted her belly. "Instead of you and Becca getting together, maybe your kids will."
"Speaking of babies. Here." Greg handed over the game controller. "Take over and I'll make you preggos breakfast. What'll it be? Omelets? Blueberry pancakes? Stuffed French Toast?"
Becca smiled at the moment. "See how far he's come, Tawny? You got mad at him the day you kissed Drew because he didn't pay attention that you were starving and didn't have breakfast money. Now he's offering to make you breakfast without prompting."
"Aww, she's right. Kiss me, hubby." Tawny puckered up and waited for a juicy one. "Mmm…a ham and cheese omelet with whole grain toast on the side would be wonderful, thanks."
After a second smooch, Greg jumped up from the couch. "What about you, Becks? What would you and baby V like for breakfast?"
"We'll have what Tawny and the girls are having, thanks."
"Iron Chef Greggo is on it!"
Tawny turned to Becca, "I know you and Tony are anxious to move into your new home, but pleeeeease stay until Tony teaches Greg to make some really good dinners too."
"It was really sweet of Scott to go to San Marino for a couple of weeks, so we wouldn't be crowded. I want to give him a special gift when he pops back here for turkey day."
"Oh please, the over-crowding was just an excuse," Tawny giggled. "He really went because he missed Lily and was ready to do the deed."
"You think?"
"I know! I caught him packing condoms."
"Hmmm… that means Lily will be one happy lady by the time she gets here for Thanksgiving. That poor woman had 'desperate for affection' written all over her face."
"Totally," Tawny agreed.
"And as far as fifty-eight year olds go, Scott's a hottie, don't you think? And he knows how to please a woman."
"Uh, you know this how?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter, sistah!" Becca snickered, "Hoj and I could hear him and Bev in the bedroom if we were in the study and she sounded very pleased."
"He is in fantastic shape for a guy his age."
"And since they were nudists, I've seen…"
"Excuse me!" Greg shouted from the kitchen island. "Could we not talk about my Dad's package while I'm making breakfast? Thank you."
"Sorry!" Becca yelled back. "I forgot you're new to cooking and have to concentrate."
The Blakes
8:41 am
"Penny for your thoughts," Wendy sweetly told Ryan when she found him lying on the couch lost in thought.
"Huh?"
"It's an old saying."
"Oh." He returned to staring at a black fleck on the ceiling.
"You miss Celine already, huh?"
"Don't go all Hallmark on me, Mom." Ryan sat up, ready to make a quick escape. "Go iron Sean's shirt for the dance."
"I already ironed it twice." Patting her son's knee she said, "I came to present you with an offer."
"What kind of offer?"
"A money-making offer."
"Now you have my attention," said the boy who was saving to buy an Xbox 360.
"Nick's brother Drew needs to go out tonight and it's the nanny's evening off." She refrained from mentioning that Drew would be taking the nanny out on her night off. "He's paying me thirty dollars an hour to go to his home and babysit his three children. I'll be bringing McKenna so she can play with Cassie. If you're interested, you can come along too and I'll pay you five dollars an hour to entertain four year old Matt for me. It'll be easy, he loves football and video games."
"But if you're getting paid ten dollars per kid per hour, why do I only get five dollars an hour to take one of them off your hands? I should get the full third, ten dollars an hour."
"Look who knows how to do math if it's not homework." Wendy tousled his hair. "How about eight dollars an hour since I'm still accountable and you're just in charge of making the kid have a good time?" She held out her hand.
"Deal." He shook on it. "I hope he stays out all night."
Nick and Carrie's
9:04 am
"Daddy had a late night, Binda!" Carrie heatedly whispered while chasing the growing pup down the hall. "Don't! No! He didn't get to bed until two! Don't…wake him," she said as the dog ran into the bedroom, leapt, and pounced on Nick's face. "Sorry, Sweetie, I forgot to shut the door."
"Mornin'," Nick groggily greeted as the pup assaulted him with licks. "What time is it?"
"A little after nine."
"Time to get up anyway."
Carrie snatched the pup from the blankets. "Ugh, and your paws are wet from our run through the sprinklers."
"How about you put her in the crate to dry while I freshen up?"
"Any particular reason?" she puckishly queried while lifting the sheets. "Just as I suspected."
"Hey! I just want to talk about honeymoon plans is all." He winked. "Meet me back in here in two."
The Blakes
9:08 am
"Two minutes, Sean!" Ryan banged on the bathroom door with his fist. "So, whatever you're doing in there…as if I don't know…hurry it up!"
"I'm experimenting with hair gel for the dance tonight?!"
"Is that what dorks call spanking the monkey these days?" Ryan teased.
When the door whipped open, Sean blasted, "Stop it! Our sisters could hear you!"
When Ryan saw his brother's jumbled hair he knew the gel story was the truth. "Jeeeeez, if you come within ten feet of a lit match you'll be a hot head for sure. You're supposed to use a dab, not the whole tube, genius!"
Nick and Carrie's
9:10 am
"Smart move," Carrie busted her man when she caught him stowing a condom under her pillow.
"Just in case all that talk about honeymooning puts us in the mood a little later."
"I suppose that could happen," she coyly replied before Nick pulled her onto the bed.
"I brushed," he announced with a five year old's pride.
"Wow, next time warn me before you throw a romantic line like that at me, Stokes." She fanned herself. "I may pass out from swooning."
"Pity me, Darlin'," he begged while taunting her with his eager body. "I have to pin a medal on Rodgers tonight, so I fully expect this time in bed with you to be the best part of my day." He tapped her nose with his. "But only you can make it so." Then he recalled the issue from earlier in the week. "Oh, are you still not done with your…"
"No, I finished Thursday."
"Then what are we waitin' for?" he asked while dropping kisses along her neckline and untying her robe.
"I'm waiting for you to ask me nicely, because I'm in the mood to play hard to get."
In her ear, Nick urged in a whisper, "Please, make love with me…intense, passionate love." Making love wasn't 'exactly' what he was in the mood to do, but the truth seemed a little too crass for a sunny Saturday morning.
"How passionate?" she asked as her body warmed to the idea.
"So passionate, your toes will stay curled and you'll need smaller shoes for the formal tonight."
"Ooh! If shoe shopping is a consequence of making love with you, then I say…take me, Stokes!"
"I knew that would work." Nick shucked his shorts and suited up in record time, but when he made his move, Carrie held him off with two palms to his chest. "What?"
"I didn't mean literally take me this second," she chuckled. "Where's the foreplay, Cowboy? Have you forgotten that it takes a little prep work to get me in toe-curling territory?"
"Oh, I planned on curlin' them after," he laughed. "I'm afraid this is gonna be more of a sprint than a marathon, Sweetheart."
"What's the rush?"
"Oh…umm." Once again the crude, hard truth seemed wrong. "When Binda woke me up I was havin' this dream that left me a little pent up."
"What kind of dream?" Curiosity accented her question.
"A naughty dream, if you must know."
"How naughty?" One eyebrow raised. "Was I there?"
"Of course you were there." His lips spread into a devious smile. "You were everywhere if you get my drift. We're talkin' some serious bad-girlishness."
"Was it just the two of us?"
"No," he chuckled. "We were doin' it on the beach and all these people were watchin'."
"No way!" Her giggle returned. "Did I care they were watching?"
"No, you seemed pretty damned pleased that they were."
"I can't picture me not caring," she giggled. "Are you sure I knew they were there?"
His patience running out, Nick pleaded, "Can we analyze it later, Darlin', because I'm good to go here."
"Just tell me who the people were. Did I know any of them?"
"Uh…it was all the women I ever slept with."
"So, it was a very large beach, eh?" Carrie sat up laughing. "Why do you think they were there?"
"To be jealous I suppose, because you were experiencin' a high level of satisfaction and they were all sayin' 'I wish that was me'."
"If it was all the women you've slept with, then Sofia was there."
"Yep, right in the front row."
"Ha! Now I won't be able to look at her without thinking about that. I wonder why she got a front row…"
"Time out." Sitting back on his heels, Nick confessed, "There wasn't really a dream. I just made that up to excuse my behavior when you were wonderin' why I wasn't takin' my time. I thought it was a good idea, but now I'm really regrettin' it because this is taking forever to explain and you're psychoanalyzin' it for…"
"You're nuts!" Laughing at her fiancé, Carrie asked, "Why did you lie that a dream made you randy?"
"Because I thought you were too sober to hear the truth," he chuckled.
"I'll be the judge of that." Carrie slid away and rested her head on a pillow. "Wake me up, Stokes."
Watching his fiancée pretend to snooze, Nick burst into a smile and dropped his head on the pillow next to her. "Mornin', Darlin'." He brushed her tousled hair with his fingertips until her eyes fluttered open. "I've been watchin' you sleep and thinkin' about what I'd like to do to you when you woke up."
In a sexy whisper she replied, "What do you want to do to me, Cowboy? I hope you know by now, that you can be completely honest with me."
"Thank you." Staring into her deep brown eyes, he used the code phrase they had come up with in Flagstaff, "I wanna ravage you…from behind preferably…and without worryin' about your needs. Afterwards though, I'll be more than happy to do your bidding. Hell, I'll do your bidding the rest of the day in exchange for five self-centered minutes of hardcore ravaging. What do you say, Roxie?"
After flirtatiously slipping her robe off one shoulder, she purred, "I say have at it, Tex." She dropped the robe the rest of the way. "Ravage me."
Four minutes and fifty-two seconds later…
"How was it?" Carrie asked as she collapsed onto the rumpled bedding with Nick.
"As far as ravaging goes," he answered in between jagged breaths, "it really doesn't get better than that. Thank you, it was truly Cinemax worthy."
Carrie excitedly shared, "I watched Cancun Nights when you worked late this week and picked up some new noises and lines."
"I had a feeling you got some coaching recently," he chuckled before pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "I appreciate the extra effort, Darlin'. Please know that if a meteor takes out the Earth in the next hour, I'm dyin' a happy man."
"Good to know." Her eyes twinkled with delight. "Now you do my bidding for the rest of the day, right? Or at least until the meteor hits."
"A deal's a deal." He wiggled his brows. "What are you in the mood for, Sweetheart?"
"Pancakes. A side order of sausage. Strawberries with whipped cream. Mmm, and a vanilla latte."
He stared at her in disbelief. "Uh, I wasn't expectin' you to ask me to cook."
"I think the day is going to be full of surprises." Winking, she slipped out of bed. "See ya later, Baby. I'll be in the shower while you're slaving over the hot stove."
The Grissoms
9:30 am
"I wish I could join you in that steamy Jacuzzi," Sara commented while dropping into a deck chair with her decaf coffee. Gil had announced he was taking a soak after he returned from his training session with Irving. "I'm getting a little tired of all the pregnancy don'ts."
"Good thing you only have twenty-three weeks left." Gil relaxed a little further into the bubbling water. "This is my first day off in a while, so I intend to enjoy it to the fullest. Well, as much as a guy can without, you know…partaking in various forms of pleasure that would enhance the day off experience."
"I intend to enjoy the day to the fullest too. Well, as much as a girl can while sitting at a banquet table with the guy who drugged her and tried to rape her a year ago."
"Brass tried to reason with the Sheriff, but he's not budging on the seating arrangement, so you know that means Donny Boy requested it." As much as he hated the idea, Gil said, "We'll be breaking bread with Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers with phony smiles on our faces."
"Okay, but if either one of them starts choking, I won't be jumping up to perform the Heimlich."
"Me either and if asked why I didn't render aid, I'll say my hearing was acting up and therefore I didn't hear the gagging."
"I'll just claim it's against my religious beliefs to give Satan an assist."
"You know, my dad is sending over his limo for us to use tonight," Gil announced, abruptly changing to a more pleasant subject.
"Are you hoping Boom Boom shows up in the back seat?"
"I think there's a better chance of me dancing a slow one under the stars with Mike."
"Is it that bad?" she droned.
"Worse."
"You went without for years."
"Yeah, but I got used to going with."
"Is that the phone?" Sara stood pretending to listen for a ring she knew wasn't happening. "I better check."
"You heard the doctor! You're fine!"
"I'll think about it!" she yelled while hurrying toward the house.
"What a coincidence!" Gil retorted. "That's what I'll be doing too!" He glanced over at Flash who was lazing under a shade tree. "I hate to sound like a whiner, but I'm pushing fifty. I could afford nine months on the bench if I were twenty-one, but this is the last of my prime and it's so…" I'm talking to my dog about my sex life. Maybe I should have kept my appointment with Dr. Myers.
Drew's House
9:40 am
"I only hafta go to the doctor lady once a month now," Cassie informed her nanny while feverishly coloring at the kitchen table. "I'm gonna miss her toys. She has really good ones."
"Why don't you have to go anymore?" Marta asked, already knowing the answer from Drew.
"'Cause I'm not sad anymore. I wouldn't hafta ever go again, but she said she'd miss talking to me." The little girl glanced up and whispered, "She's real old like Grandma, so I didn't want to make her sad. I said I'd visit with my Daddy. What about you, Nanny Marta?"
"What about me, Sweetie?"
"Are you happy?"
"I'm very happy," she answered with a Snow White lilt.
"Do you think you'll get married to my Daddy one day?"
"Awww, it's really very soon to think about that. We just had our first dance, remember?"
"And kiss," Cassie giggled into her palm. "Oops! I wasn't supposed to say that."
"About me kissing your Daddy." Marta pulled up a chair. "When my Mommy and Daddy come to stay here on Wednesday, I need you to do me a favor and not mention that your Daddy and me like to go dancing and kiss, okay?"
"Why?" The girl's smile melted. "I thought you liked my Daddy."
"I do! I do with all my heart, but…well." She whispered, "My Mommy and Daddy think I'm too young to be dancing with boys and kissing them."
"But you're a grown up."
"Well, some mommies and daddies don't believe their daughters are grown up until their wedding day." Marta pointed to the band on her left hand. "They gave me this ring. It's called a promise ring. They asked me to promise not to kiss a boy until my wedding. I'm breaking the rules and I don't want to get in trouble or get your Daddy in trouble."
"I thought kissing was a nice thing that two grown ups do when they like each other?"
"It is, it's just…well…some people have different rules than others."
"You mean, your Mommy won't let you kiss boys, like my Mommy wouldn't let me have candy, and McKenna's Mommy won't let her eat hot dogs."
"Exactly!"
"Don't worry. You never told my Mommy when I got candy at the movies, so I'm not gonna tell your Mommy that you kiss my Daddy."
"Thank you, Sweetie." Marta breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Can I tell them you and Daddy take baths together? Or is that bad too?"
Marta froze on her way to the sink. "What makes you think we take baths together?"
"You left your door open one night and I heard you giggling in the bathroom. When I peeked I saw Daddy washing you up," Cassie giggled. "You musta got soap in your eyes, 'cause you started shrieking when I was walking out of the room."
"Yeah, we're not going to mention bath time either." Marta pointed to the ring. "That's against my Mommy's rules too. Think you can remember to not say anything?"
Cassie held up a thumb. "No sweat!"
"Good." The relieved nanny reached for a sponge to wipe the counter and recited her Thanksgiving Holiday mantra. It's going to be fine. Everything will be A-okay. We'll find the right time and break the news to my parents and they'll be happy for me…for Drew and me. They'll see how much we love each other and know there's nothing wrong with our relationship even though he's a forty year old divorced father of three with a history of boozing and womanizing, and I'm an innocent twenty-four year old Methodist farm girl. Yeah, Thanksgiving will be one big happy family time with minimal drama.
Café Lizette – Paris, France
6:36 pm
"What did you just say?" Lissa Lexington shrilled into the phone as she sat at an outdoor table looking as important as possible.
"Have you forgotten your English now that you've been in Paris for a couple of months?" Carly cackled into the phone before repeating the cold, hard truth for one of her dearest enemies, "I said, it must be killin' you that Andy divorced you to be with a big farm girl. What will the folks back in Dallas say when their engagement notice pops up on the society page? Marta has a Texas-sized ass and the fashion sense of a four year old playin' dress up. When I saw her at what used to be your gorgeous home, she was wearing this hideous seaweed green dress that actually looked like it was made from seaweed. Nevertheless, Andy is happy as a pig in poop. He talked non-stop about her through dinner. It's been a couple of weeks since I was there, so who knows, they may already be married at the rate he was goin'. They do have all those chapels in Vegas. Your kids could already have a new mommy. I just had to call and rub in that Lissa Lexington, washed up supermodel, lost it all to a girl who looks like a living Cabbage Patch Doll and wouldn't know Cristal from Asti Spumante." After blowing a smooch, she snickered, "You can thank me later, buh bye."
The click of the phone brought Lissa out of shock. That…lyin'…schemin'...bitch! Grabbing her Fendi clutch, she stormed from the café. She was playin' me for a fool all this time! I bet I wasn't out of there two minutes before she made her move. Oooh, she'll pay. She'll pay big!
Clutching her phone, she hurried for her apartment.
She'll be sorry.
After a quick jog up the stairs, Lissa raced to her laptop, grateful she had left it on.
You will not get away with stealing my life!
When the airline reservation page popped up, she sat back smiling. "Guess who's comin' to Thanksgivin' dinner, bitch?!"Typing 'Las Vegas' in the destination window, Lissa said, "Instead of bringin' a bottle of wine for a hostess gift, I'll be openin' a can of whoop ass!"
Nick and Carrie's
1:32 pm
"I'm gonna spank that cute ass of yours if you don't stop flauntin' it in front of me while I'm doin' your biddin'." Nick returned his eyes to the closet organizing system's directions. "I can't work under these tortuous conditions."
"Do you think these shoes look good with my itty bitty thong and matching lace bra?" Carrie extended the beer she had just fetched for her hard working man. "Hmm?" She placed one foot in the middle of the directions page and made sure to flex her bare calf. "Do you like 'em, Tex?"
"I give up." He tossed his screwdriver, grabbed the beer, and sat back against the wall of the large walk-in closet.
"Sorry!" Carrie flitted over to her man's side of the closet and grabbed one of his old white t-shirts. "I'll cover up, so you can concentrate." Sitting in front of him, she sweetly shared, "It feels really good to be silly and have fun for a change, doesn't it?"
"I wouldn't know, I've been cookin', doin' your laundry and buildin' stuff all day. Hell, I've had slower days at work." After laughing with her, Nick quietly said, "I know what you're doin', you're tryin' to keep my mind off pinnin' a medal of honor on Wendy's rapist tonight. It's workin', thanks, Darlin'."
Tracing the outline of his smile with her freshly manicured nail, Carrie soothed, "When you see me in my new dress, there's not a chance in hell you'll give Mike a second thought."
"It's that good huh?" She had refused to let him see it.
"It's hot, Stokes…steamy hot." Her lips bumped his as she spoke, "And if you're worried that you'll be in a terrible mood after the awards, don't worry, Roxie has a plan for perking you up in the limo on the ride home." She lunged to reach the shelf to the right of her. "Check it out…strawberry flavored prophylactics."
"Aww, did you make a special trip to the naughty store?"
"Tawny and I took Becca there yesterday when Tony got called in to cover a shift. We thought it might get her laughing again, and we were right."
"What was she laughin' at?"
"Me!" Carrie proudly announced. "The first time was because I said, 'who cares what a condom tastes like. It's not as though my woo-woo cares about flavor.'"
"I suppose that would do it," he cracked up imagining the expression on his fiancée's face while dropping those lines. Raising his beer, Nick said, "Remind me to profusely thank Becca and Tawny when I see them at the formal tonight."
The Sanders Home
1:47 pm
While their wives were at a spa getting pampered before the formal, Tony and Greg were being manly men in the kitchen
"Fluffier," Tony commented when he looked at the contents in Greg's mixing bowl. With a pen and pad in hand, he took a seat at the counter. "The first step to any good Thanksgiving dinner is planning your menu. What would you like to serve your family?"
"Well, I only know how to make breakfast, so it'll have to be something like turkey omelets, hash browns, biscuits and fruit."
"Becca and I aren't flying into Phoenix until the day before, that gives me plenty of time to help you prep. You're a Chemist, Sanders, if I give you the ingredients and a formula, you'll be able to combine it properly and heat it to the right temperature."
"When you put it like that it seems far less daunting." Greg showed his mixing bowl full of homemade, low fat frosting once more.
"That's perfect. Go ahead and put it on the cake." He was teaching him how to make a heart-shaped angel food cake. "After the frosting, I'll show you how to arrange the strawberries."
"Let's go for a traditional Turkey Day menu. A bird, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and pumpkin pie."
"How about turkey with apple and sage dressing, garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cheddar biscuits and pumpkin pie with caramel sauce?"
"That's like Chem 401, not 101, isn't it?"
"Don't worry, Hoj." Tony flipped through his recipe book, "You have a very skilled mentor."
"You are a good mentor," Greg said, dropping the joking tone. "Not just for cooking, but for the husband suggestions you've made to me along the way. You've got the husband thing down. Becca and I had little heart to heart this morning. She's never been happier, and Tawny's a lot happier now too, thanks to you getting my ass in gear in the kitchen and around the house."
"Thanks." Bookmarking a stuffing recipe, Tony quietly replied, "Those are nice things to hear a week after learning my ex-wife hated me enough to want to kill herself just to send me to prison."
"You can't let what she did reflect on you though," Greg treaded softly. "I've sorta been in Amy's shoes, only I lived to realize killing yourself is a colossally stupid thing to do. I can look back now and see that all I had to do was go to my Dad for help, but when you're in that zone, you can't see solutions." He focused on perfecting the frosting while sharing the painful truth. "I used to tell myself that I did it just to end the pain, but I can admit now that was only half of it. I wanted my mom and dad to feel guilty and hate themselves after I was gone. I was wrong. Amy was wrong too. You have nothing to feel guilty about. It's all on her. You're the innocent victim she almost took down with her, not the cause, and if she was half as determined as I was back then, there wasn't anyone who was going to stop her from carrying out her plan."
"I think that's what Dr. Myers was trying to tell me yesterday, but for some reason it didn't sink in until you said it just now."
"Because I'm not a shrink lecturing you. I'm an idiot who almost ended his life to get revenge. Listening to me is as close as it gets to Amy coming back from the grave and giving you absolution."
"Yeah, I guess that's it." Just like that, the knot in his stomach started to loosen. "Feel like a beer?"
"Why not. We've got a limo for tonight and I think being drunk will make dinner with Mike Evil Rodgers much more bearable."
Nick and Carrie's
3:05 pm
"Teach me how to shoot whiskey, Tex!" Carrie's curiosity was high because of a line in Before He Cheats, a rollicking tune on the new Carrie Underwood CD she had purchased that morning after getting her nails done. She loved it because it reminded her of their infamous visit to The Rusty Spur in Flagstaff and her run in with Vicki Lynn. "I don't want to be the silly girl having a fruity little drink because she can't shoot whisky with her boyfriend. All the bar hopping Southern Daisy Duke types will laugh at me."
"When exactly are you plannin' to go bar hoppin' in the South, Sweetheart?"
"Never!" she laughed while fetching two shot glasses and her man's bottle of Jack Daniels. "But that's not the point."
"Okay, Roxie." Nick grabbed two beer bottles from the fridge and a can of ginger ale. "We'll practice technique with soda and then you can have a go with the real stuff, but just one, because I don't want you faced for the formal. If you do okay with it, we'll shoot a second before we go, okay?"
"I'm ready!" Taking a seat at the kitchen counter, Carrie rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
"So, you go up to the bar and ask for a beer and a shot of JD. The bartender obliges you." Nick filled the shot glasses with ginger ale and then lifted one glass. "Here's to a wonderful night together." He knocked back the shot, smacked his lips while slamming the empty glass on the counter, and then grabbed his beer. "Your turn."
"To a wonderful night together," Carrie toasted before slamming back the soda pop like a pro. "Piece of cake."
"Stand up for the next practice." Nick poured two more shots and then took a few steps back. "You're me, I'm you. Here's how you work it." Pretending to be a woman, he sauntered up to the bar. "Buy me a whiskey, Tex," He ordered in a brazen girl's pitch while leaning seductively against the counter.
"Here you go, Baby."
Nick shot the ginger ale, licked his lips and rasped, "Let's dance. See…after shootin' the whiskey, the vixen always demands a dance."
"Wait here!"
As Carrie rushed out of the kitchen, Nick's lips spread into a smile, "This oughta be good." He filled a glass with the real stuff and drank it down. "Jack, you're gonna make my time with Mike Rodgers a little easier tonight. Mmm."
The Sanders Home
3:34 pm
"Yum!" Tawny rushed to the kitchen counter full of appetizers. "You really made all this, Greg?!"
"Under my mentor's watchful eye, yes." Greg proudly announced, "Once Tony pointed out the similarities between cooking with recipes and conducting chemistry experiments, all my fear evaporated. Bam! Look out Emeril!"
"Aww." She took him in her arms. "I love you."
"Mmm, you smell really good."
"The spa was wonnnnnnnnderful." She snuggled into his chest. "I think I'm even relaxed enough to deal with Mommy Dearest for a few hours."
"You know what I think would really relax you," Greg said with a mischievous lilt.
"Are you sure that won't relax you more?"
"Grabbing a tray of appetizers, he said, "I have non-alcoholic champagne on the rocks in our bedroom."
"Did you get this idea from Carrie, by any chance?" Giggling she explained, "She didn't want to go with Becca and me to the spa, because she was devoting the whole day to distracting Nick, so he'd be uber relaxed at the formal."
Tony and Becca's Guest Room
3:51 pm
"This is the least amount of tension I've felt in your shoulders since the drama began." Becca rubbed her husband's knots, like she had been doing twice a day every day for a week.
"Hoj and I had some beers and a good talk," Tony explained. "You know I really don't want to go to this thing tonight. The last place I want to be is on a stage with half of LVPD staring at me."
"I know." She hugged him tightly from behind, resting her head on his sagging shoulder. "But the little boy you saved and his family are going to be there to give you your medal and I think they'd be hurt if you didn't show, don't you?"
"Yeah."
"And I want to see my personal hero get the public recognition he deserves."
"Thanks, Honey."
"I bought new relaxing massage oil when I was shopping with the girls last night." She patted his shoulders. "Take off your shirt and we'll try it out."
While Tony's fingers worked open the buttons, he realized they hadn't been intimate since trying for a baby in Disneyland. "Mmm…that does smell good. Feels really nice too." As the tension continued to leave his body, he whispered, "I've missed you, Becks."
She slid around, until she was on his lap. "I've missed you too." Slowly their mouths gravitated together, until their lips were touching. "Do you think we can just forget everything for an hour and…" Her suggestion was cut off by her husband's passionate kiss.
The Blakes
5:49 pm
"Are you gonna kiss Lindsay?" McKenna asked her nerve wracked brother.
"Mom!" Sean shrieked. "Please tell McKenna to leave my room! I've asked her twice and she's not listening!"
"I told you to leave your brother alone!" Wendy yelled from the doorway.
"I just wanna help! Cassie tells me all about how she pretends she's a Fairy Godmother helping her Daddy get ready for his dates with Nanny Marta. I wanna be a Fairy Godmother too, but you and Daddy never get dressed up and go anywhere!"
Wendy gave her son a pleading glance. "It's hard trying to keep up with the Stokes's. Cassie lives in a castle. She has a real horse, every Barbie ever made, and more shoes than your Aunt Carrie. Could you let sister be your Fairy Godmother for fifteen minutes? Because your father and I probably won't be getting dressed up until Nick and Carrie's wedding in February. Please?"
Suddenly feeling sorry for his little sister, Sean crouched down and said, "Go ahead, put a spell on me."
"Yay!"
"Thank you, Honey." Wendy patted her son's head and hurried out of the room.
McKenna reared her star-tipped glitter wand and began dancing around the room. "Bippity Boppity Boo! Bippity Boppity Boo!"
"Ooh!" Ryan raced over and snatched his sister's wand. "Let me play too!" He waved it like a lunatic. "Bippity Boppity Boo! For once let Sean know what to do! Let him not fart! Let him not hurl! And if the right moment comes, give him the guts to kiss the girl!"
"Give me my wand!" McKenna jumped, but Ryan held it just out of her reach.
"Give it to her, Ryan!" Sean screamed.
"Here!" Ryan threw the wand without looking, and inadvertently poked his brother in the eye.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Sean's hand rushed to his eye. "It hurts, it hurts so bad. I think it's bleeding."
"Mommy!" Terrified her brother's eye was dead, McKenna raced for the door to get her mother and bumped right into her grandfather.
"What's going on in here?" Ken Blake huffed.
"It was an accident!" Ryan yelled in a panic. "We were fooling around with Kenna's magic wand and…"
"Grandpa!" Sean clutched his eye and cried, "It hurts so much. I…I think I'm blind."
"What's wrong?!" Wendy rushed to Sean, who was writhing on the floor.
"Ryan ripped his eye out!" Mckenna shouted while tears poured down her cheeks.
"I didn't mean to hurt him!" Ryan's eyes filled with tears. "I threw Kenna's wand and…"
"It hurts!"
"I didn't do it on purpose!"
"Get out, Ryan! Ken, take McKenna in the backyard, she's terrified." Once they were alone, Wendy cupped Sean's head. "Mom's a nurse, remember? I know it hurts, Honey, but you need to move your hands and let me look at it, okay?"
"Okay," Sean meekly replied while moving his trembling hands.
"Good boy." Wendy grabbed a bottle of hand sanitizer from Sean's desk and cleaned her hands. "I promise to be gentle." She carefully opened his lid and tried her best not to panic when she saw a corneal abrasion and a puncture. "There's a bunch of glitter from the wand, Honey so it's very important that you don't rub it in the cut, do you hear me?"
"Yes, Mom."
"I need to go to the kitchen and get a paper cup and some tape. We're going to put that over your eye and go to the ER." She kissed his forehead. "I know it hurts, Honey. They'll give you pain medication as soon as we get there."
"But the dance…"
"I'm so sorry." Wendy stroked his hair. "You won't be able to go tonight."
The Willows/Brown Household
5:57 pm
"Ready to go, Lindsay?" Catherine paused in the doorway to admire her daughter. "You look beautiful, Honey." Seeing her with her hair done and a little make up, she was reminded of herself as a teen. "Don't do drugs."
"Mom." Lindsay rolled her eyes. "I'm not you. Grandpa told me all about how you used to troll the casinos pretending to be older and drinking under age."
"He probably made me sound much worse than I was."
"He said you threw yourself at the most notorious mob guy in Vegas, Mickey somebody, when you were sixteen and he was in his thirties."
"Look at the time!" Catherine tapped her watch. "I have to get to work. I'm in charge of the lab since everyone else is at the formal."
"Why don't you and Dad get to go to the party?"
"It was a trade off for our two week honeymoon. Trust me, I got the better end of the deal. Two weeks with Warrick in Bermuda, versus a stuffed chicken breast eaten in a stuffy room full of stuffy people. No thanks. Those banquets suck."
The Sanders Home
6:09 pm
"I can't wait to go to my first banquet!" Tawny hurried to put the finishing touches on her hair. "How do I look, Greg?"
"Gorgeous."
"You're just saying that because you're buzzed and I rocked your world." She patted her belly. "I'm huge."
"Hugely beautiful with my babies." He grabbed her hand. "Let's go, the limo is out front and the Vartanns are waiting. We promised Nick we'd get there at there at the same time to face Rodgers."
Nick and Carrie's
6:12 pm
"Ready, Tex?" Carrie called from behind the bathroom door.
"I'm wearin' a hole in the carpet, pacin'!"
"Okay." She flung open the door and strutted out in her sexy red gown.
"Uh…" He gulped, "You weren't kiddin' when you said…you look…wow." Nick's eyes had a difficult time choosing a focal point as both the slit up the left leg of the dress and the plunging neckline were equally tantalizing. "Uh…is that rhinestone clip across the chest there real secure? Because if that thing goes, I'm thinking the whole dress will…"
"Very secure," she said through a brilliant smile. "And the dress is tied around my neck." She turned with the skill of a pageant queen. "See."
"Holy hell!" The gown dipped down to her waist in back and hugged her hips with perfection. "Sweetheart, you look amazing, but I'm not all that sure I want you lookin' this good in a room full of men and lesbians."
"I don't think there is a higher compliment than that," she giggled. "Becca picked it out for me. Her exact words were, 'You have a body built for sin, but it's been living the life of a saint. Let it have its night in the spotlight, sister. You'll be old and fat soon enough.' Nicky, if it's too much and you want me to change, I can save it for a special evening at home."
"No, no…that's what your Dad used to do to you." He stepped forward to clasp her hand. "It's accentuates every curve, but nothin' is showin'. You look elegant, not trashy. Like a Hollywood glamour girl, Darlin', and I'm thrilled beyond words that I get to be on your arm." Kissing her cheek he whispered, "Thank you for the day full of romance and fun. I loved every minute of it. I love you."
"It was my pleasure, and I love you too." Grinning, she reached up to fix his bow tie. "You clean up real good, Tex."
"Check this out, I set up a bar." He guided her to the dresser. "Care to shoot some whiskey with me?" He had pre-filled two shot glasses.
"I'd love to." She grabbed a glass and raised it. "To an evening full of fun and surprises."
Nick tapped his glass to Carrie's and then knocked back the booze. "Look at you! You shot that one like a pro."
Smacking her lips, she blissfully said, "After a day full of lovin', laughin', and libations, we are going to be sooooooooooooo relaxed at dinner."
The Grissoms
6:23 pm
"Dammit!" Sara shouted as she stared at the run going up her leg. "I hate panty hose! And formal dinners! And dresses! And high heels! And Mike Rodgers!" Crashing back on the bed she groaned and asked a stupid question she already knew the answer to, "Remind me again why we're going to this damn thing."
"Because Greg's receiving an award for saving your life, an award that you've been asked to present to him."
Sara closed her eyes and shook her head. "I am grateful to be alive, I really am. I'm just…ugh. What's wrong with me?"
"It's just a funk." Gil stood at the edge of the bed fixing his tie. "We only have to stay until the awards are over."
"I'm so tense. Every muscle in my body feels tense. I think I know what rigor must feel like." Glancing up she said, "You look tense too."
"I am, but I plan on drinking in the limo to remedy the situation."
"Thanks for rubbing that in."
He took her hand. "Let's go."
"I really do love you," Sara announced as though she were admitting a vice.
"I really do know that." Gil nodded. "Strangers observing us wouldn't, but I do."
"That's ironic, because strangers used to notice I loved you, but you were clueless." She took his hand and reluctantly climbed to her feet. "I'm boycotting panty hose. I'm going to take them off on the ride over and when I get to the banquet, I'll just stand next to Tawny's boobs the whole night and no one will look down at my legs."
"There's that brilliant Harvard mind at work." He walked her to the door. "Hopefully Tawny is wearing a low cut dress."
The Vartann/Sanders Limo
6:31 pm
"Omigod! A boob just popped out of your dress!" Becca riotously laughed while pointing at Tawny's chest.
"Oops!"
"Tawny, from here on out tonight, if you drop something, ask me to pick it up for you." Greg opened his tux jacket to shield his wife while she tucked in her chest. "What did you see?"
Vartann continued to pour whiskey nonplussed. "Nothing I haven't already seen covered in whipped cream and chocolate sauce in San Marino."
"Hey, Hoj!" Becca pulled down the top of her dress for a flash. "Now you're even."
Tawny couldn't resist the opportunity to razz her friend, "Honey can you do that again, I didn't have my magnifying glass ready."
"Stripper tits," Becca loudly coughed into her fist.
As Greg made alley cat noises, Tony handed him a glass. "Three fingers of whiskey will help you chill out and tolerate your father-in-law a little better."
"There he is now." Greg pointed to the front entrance as the limo pulled up. "He's waiting to pounce."
"Is that my mother in the slinky black dress?!" Tawny shrilled while looking through the limo's glass. "Oh my God! She looks younger every time I see her."
"Those chemical peels can do miracles."
"Whoa." Greg reluctantly admitted, "Marlene really does look hot. She's the same age as Catherine, but looks at least seven years younger. Don't tell Cath I said that, she'll kill me."
"Who's that babe in the red gown walking toward the stairs?" Becca asked, knowing exactly who it was.
"I don't…it's Carrie! It's Carrie Blake!" Greg yelled like a crazed fangirl. "Holy shit! I can't believe Stokes let her wear that sexy red dress in front of Rodgers."
Being male, Tony had no choice but to check out the aforementioned sexy wear. "Whoa. That doesn't seem like something Carrie would pick though, maybe Stokes asked her to wear it."
Becca proudly admitted, "I dressed her." Smiling at Greg she said, "Just like you were in Junior High, Carrie's my makeover project for this semester."
As the limo door opened, Greg laughingly asked, "What's her super cool nickname?"
"Roxie! Darling!" Becca shouted as the driver helped her out of the limo. "You…look…mahhhhhhhvelous!"
"For luck." Tawny stole a kiss from Greg. "May neither of us kill my mother by the stroke of midnight."
"There's my little girl!" Marlene shrieked from the top of the stairs. "Tawny! Over here! I'm…whoa!"
"Careful!" Mike grabbed Marlene's waist. "You almost fell down the stairs, Honey." He glanced over at the group of cops and wives standing next to him. "I told her not to wear these ridiculous shoes, she's going to break her neck."
"They're Manolos,' Marlene proudly told the group. "Like that Carrie Bradshaw wears on Sex in the City. Six hundred and thirty dollars, these babies are." She showed off the spike heels. "My husband gave me a thousand bucks for an outfit tonight and I couldn't resist."
Mike shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a pushover when it comes to beautiful women." I pushed my fiancée over a cliff. I pushed my first wife off a boat. "Have a nice evening, everyone." Mike took Marlene's hand so they could walk and meet Greg and Tawny who had re-routed to the other set of stairs. "Hello there, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders, don't you both look wonderful tonight." He suavely placed his palm on Marlene's back. "Look at your mother, Tawny." Mike pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek. "Doesn't she look drop dead gorgeous?"
Author's Notes:
And so the night begins! Does anyone get the feeling there will be a little drama? LOL
This chapter was the transition from the previous drama. I thought they all deserved a little time off for good behavior before dealing with Mike, you guys too!
It was also a check on everyone's mental state. Cassie is cured, Tex & Roxie have made a full recovery, Mr. & Mrs. Sanders are now Mr. & Mrs. Happily Married, Scott's in San Marino ready to move on with Lily, Tony & Becca are on the road to recovery, Lissa's on the war path, Sara's in a funk while her husband is patiently standing by, and Mike's dressed to kill! LOL
Mom always said 'be careful, you could poke someone's eye with that thing!' She was right. Poor Sean. Lindsay gets the bad news in the next chappie.
Hodges fans – I tried to work him in the last two, but nothing seemed to fit. He'll definitely be at Turkey Day dinner though!
Next Chapter: Posting December 28th! A holiday delay.
Have a wonderful holiday season!! When we return, we'll be at the LVPD formal!!
Thanks for all your support this year!!! I really appreciate it :D
Maggs