A/N: It's been awhile, since I've updated, so I'll make this a long chapter. The chapter will consist of some issues between families.
Chapter 20- Commitment
Xxxxx
Previously. . .
Opening up her legs, she bounced up and down in tight movements, but her ass definitely clapped. Wearing stiletto heels, she jumped up gracefully, and as she turned around she was definitely mortified.
"What the fuck!" The guy said.
Geo looked. "OH MY GOD!" She shrieked in shock, fear, and worry. She used her arms, in a futile attempt, to cover her barely clad body.
"Kimberly, what the hell are you doing?" He demanded with ferocity.
She gulped. "Trent?" The woman, whose legal name was Kimberly Ann Hart-Mercer, looked at her little half-brother. How the hell was she going to get out of this? She groaned at the thought.
Xxxxx
Thursday
KO-35 Girls
Time seemed to stop for the first offspring of Dr. Anton Mercer, well respected scientist and billionaire. Her doe, brown eyes looked right through the fogged plexiglass and found her brother's dark brown eyes. His eyes converted to black, almost evil ones. Almost scared to come through the door, she stood ice-frozen.
Trent Mercer, student at New York University, was already home for the holidays. After finding out his best friend, Conner McKnight, was finally engaged to his girlfriend of 8 years, Kira Ford, they decided to celebrate. Conner always expressed interest in KO-35 Girls; Trent made the choice to check it out. This would be Conner's early bachelor party. Closer to Conner's actual wedding date, if they liked it here, then they would come back.
Yes, Trent was the one who dropped the money for the private rooms. He paid $1,000 for all five of them to be rented out. His friends: Conner, Terry, Matt, and Chester were along for the ride. Each had their own spending money on the women, and Trent had the bigger bucks to secure their own dancer. This was the biggest shock of his life. His older sister was a stripper- a fucking stripper- he knew their dad would definitely not approve of this.
After his sister had ran away from home, their dad went crazy. He had sent all the wolves out there. Dr. Mercer even recruited Trent, Conner, and Kira's school friend, Ethan, into the mix. Ordered by Dr. Mercer, Ethan worked with the private investigators. They tracked Kim, also known as Geo, to this illustrious strip club. Ethan continued spying on her, and he followed her to her condos. Everything and anything he found was to be reported back to Dr. Mercer and the P.I. people. Then, shit hit the fan, as soon as Ethan was arrested; Dr. Mercer paid his bail and helped Ethan to relocate. Getting someone arrested, that was the last thing on the world renowned scientist's mind. Frankly, he felt embarrassed for letting that happen. That's when Dr. Mercer pulled the plug on the investigation of his daughter.
Even more so, Dr. Mercer couldn't bring himself to see if Ethan's findings were true. He could never imagine his little girl becoming a stripper. Catering to men's nasty needs and flaunting what his late wife gave her. That scared him half to death. The other thing that scared him half to death was the fact his daughter could be drowning in a sea of prescription pills. Her addiction played heavily on his mind. There was no doubt, but he put her on the back burner. He chose to do that because he had other things to think about. Regretfully, his work and new family were more important than her. Every single day he kills himself because of that.
Picking up his jaw from hell, Trent shook his head. He began to take out his cell phone. "I'm calling Dad."
"No!" Geo opened the door immediately. She looked at her brother with anger. "You will not tell him about what I'm doing." She demanded.
"And why not?" He had to question. He looked at her, stunned. Her outfit was despicable. She was wearing a black corset, black thong, and she had on the black stalkings with the straps that connected to her corset. Her stilettos were so tall, he knew that could be used as a weapon on him or anyone else! "Kimberly, how could you do this to Dad?"
"Do this to Dad?" She echoed in mockery. She couldn't help but laugh at her little brother's concern over their dad. "Are you kidding me? What about what he fucking did to me!"
"He cares about you." Trent spoke calmly, since he found no point in arguing with his sister. "Dad's been so worried, he's sent people to find you."
Hearing the statement, she wasn't sure how to take it. One thing came to mind, her father sent spies on her. She pondered about the statement more, and it dawned on her. "Oh my God…" She said. "Oh my God!" She yelled.
"What?" Trent was in the dark.
"Little brother, you don't get it. What Dad did scared the flying shit out of me. I'm telling you, I thought that guy was a fucking stalker." She shook her head.
"Well it's only because you left so fast." He reasoned. He felt so nasty, and he needed to take a thousand baths to get the thought of him being attracted to his sister like that. He shook his body at the thought.
She giggled at her little brother's reaction. "Did you see something you like?" She teased playfully. It was an effort to brighten both of their dark moods.
"Shut. Up!" He hissed. He continued to shake his body, and then he got serious. "Come on, you gotta tell Dad that you're okay."
"No." She said, after thinking about it for a couple of minutes. "I don't want to talk to Dad, at least not yet."
"And why not?" Her little brother gaped at her. Trent didn't understand why she had so much hate for their dad.
Sighing, Geo looked at him square in the eye. "I'm just not ready. As you can see, I am perfectly fine. Dad doesn't need to know what I'm doing. On top of that, he didn't need to send spies on me."
"He's just worried about you." Trent spoke on the behalf of their absent father. "Dad, Grandpa, even my mom is worried about you."
"Whatever." Geo scoffed, knowing damn well his mother didn't give a flying fuck about her. "Listen, what you saw here." She motioned between the two of them. "Stays between us, and I don't want Dad, your mother, or anyone else finding out about it."
"Come on, Kimberly." Trent urged to give up her little act.
"It's Geo."
"Whatever, you don't need to continue doing this. You know Dad will be there for you, and he will give you everything you need. You are so much better than this fucking place!"
"Says the guy who came here to watch naked women dance and shake their tail feathers!" She disregarded his last statement entirely.
The sound of knocking became present in the reserved room.
Cursing herself, Geo knew the video cameras had caught a whole lot of nothing. Apprehensively, she approached the door. "Yes?" She called out.
"It's Andros. Is everything alright in there?" Andros had wondered why there wasn't a show going on. The cameras didn't have sound because of their high clientele. What came out of the lawyers, sports stars, and business men's mouth was strictly confidential. "Is it okay if I come in?"
Geo looked at her brother. She mouthed, 'That's one of my bosses.' Trent obliged. "Yes." She croaked.
Striding in, Andros' eyes bounced between the two. The other guy looked oddly familiar. "Is there a problem here?"
"No problem." Geo replied with sincerity. "Right?" Her eyes bulged at her little brother for him to comply.
Getting the hint, Trent nodded. "Uh, um." He withdrew a hundred dollar bill from his pocket and handed that to her.
Her eyes got even wider, recognizing the next thing she was supposed to do.
"Very well, Geo, if you may." Andros signaled the Benjamin in his hand.
"Oh God no!" Trent screeched in terror. He forgot the rules. "Shit." He shook his head at the thought again. He began to dance the nastiness off.
Confused, Andros turned to his best worker. "What's with this guy?" His thumb extended towards the predominantly looking Hispanic kid.
"That's my brother." She confessed.
Not understanding the full weight of the confession, Andros lightly giggled. "Oh come on, that's your 'brother', you've danced for me before." He reminded her of the audition process she was subjected to four years ago.
Smacking him on the chest, she got really serious. "My real brother, Trent." She clarified.
"Oh… oh God!" The realization dawned on Andros. He looked a Trent. "Sorry man, I know how you felt, the first time I saw my sister making her booty bounce, man it was dreadful!" He referenced Karone's audition. He shook his body to get the thoughts out.
"Thanks for the mental picture." Trent muttered sarcastically with an eye roll.
"Who else is here?" Geo asked with earnest. She had a feeling a certain 6'1", soccer player, who had an infatuation with red, was also in the establishment.
"Chester, Terry, Matt, and Conner." Trent replied, not knowing the last person made his older sister flinch. He noted the expression on her face. "You know those guys?" He asked with a disbelieving tone.
The stripper sighed. "Just the last guy." She wondered how she could get passed Conner. After the turbulent waters between her love and Conner, she knew a fight was bound to happen if their paths crossed. Not to mention, Tommy's double life would be blown.
Andros looked down at his 'sister'. "Is there something wrong?" He asked. She beckoned for him to come down, and she explained the situation between Conner and Tommy.
"Aw, come on don't leave your real brother out the loop." The closeness between Andros and his sister radiated incredibly. There was no doubt the relationship between them was 'brother and sister'.
"Has Conner said anything about his roommates from school?" Geo questioned with intent.
Thinking about it, Trent nodded. "Yeah, he said some douche needs an ass whooping. That the guy never deserved his girlfriend, and that he's changed. Not to mention his girlfriend, was so, so, so, hot. If he got a 'get of jail, free card', he would so totally rip into her."
Geo and Andros began laughing. The art student's brows furrowed.
"Wait, that's all he's said?" She needed to make sure. Trent nodded. "Well, how do you feel that he was talking about your sister?" She saw his face turn into anger.
"WHAT!" Trent gasped. "I'm going to kill him." His eyes narrowed at the thought of Conner trying to 'rip into her.'
"Don't." She smiled, realizing that her little brother did care about her. "Does Kira know about him being here?" Almost instantly, a plan was surfaced into her brain cells.
"No, she would kill him." Trent quickly replied. Kira might not be strong physically, but hearing wise, Conner would rather get hit in the face than hear Kira's torturing tirade. This, him being in a strip club, on the other hand, would definitely get a few fists to the face. "That would be very amusing though."
Andros caught on. "Trent, come with me to my office. We have an idea." This plan was payback on his partner's behalf and for his little 'sister'. No one talks about anyone in his family like that.
Geo became very happy. Her brothers were getting along. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was worried though. Would her little brother rat her out?
One Hour Later. . .
Trent found Conner in the main part of the club. He was tossing dollar bills on the mini, circular stage. Tonight, he had a favorite, Crimson. Ever since he spent time with her in the private room, he was definitely feeling her.
"Bro, just for you, I put an extra $100 on a private room for you." Trent lied. The plan his little sister and her boss had come up with, came together perfectly. Conner would never suspect something like that to happen.
Tommy and Geo stayed hidden, and Cassie too. She couldn't be seen because of her link to Conner's college. Andros made sure to cover for them, and that was great for the lovebirds. They were inside his office making love anyway. She was thankful for the shower in her personal dressing room. As for Cassie, she stayed in the communal room.
Conner looked at Trent. "I like it here." He pointed at Crimson.
"Come on, you deserve to live up your bachelor-hood how you like. I paid for it, and here." He handed over another $100. "You can get another private dance." Trent offered. He included the information of which private room to go to.
Feeling conflicted the soccer player took the money. He wondered what the other exotic dancer was like. He headed towards the back. Trent fished out Andros, and both gave each other the thumbs up.
An eager Conner went into the private room that his best friend told him about. He walked in, and he placed his butt on the lone, velvet couch. The woman on the other side of the plexiglass looked fairly tall. This room had a red light that illuminated the area. He made out her hair, and the hair looked like a light colored one. Her lanky body was decorated in a plaid skirt and a bikini top. She had on punk, rock, heels that went up to her knee. This woman's body type looked really, really familiar, but he couldn't place the thought of where he had seen it.
Sensual music began to permeate the room. Expecting a peepshow or something around that nature, Conner furrowed his brows because the woman stayed put.
"Not wanting to tell you how to do your job or anything, but aren't you supposed to swing your hips, you know, move side to side?" Impatience tinged Conner's voice. He began to tap his fingers on the seat's armrest.
The woman turned around, and she revealed herself. However, her job title wasn't a stripper, or even a dancer. Her job title was student… college student. Her second job title, a girlfriend, and not just some guy's girlfriend, or woman's, if she even chose to go that route; no, she was his girlfriend. Third job title, pregnant woman because her little pooch tummy was already beginning to show.
"KIRA ELIZABETH FORD!" Conner shrieked out loud out in bewilderment. His eyes continued to stare long and hard at her. He was really nervous about what was going to happen next.
Kira's eyes turned evil. "Conner William McKnight Jr.!" Her voice was as cold as the blizzard in the South Pole. "You fucking thought I wouldn't find out about your little guy's night out? Think again!" She stormed out the door, and she quickly approached him.
Conner gulped while his girlfriend's hot breath graced his face. She was definitely in attack mode, and he need to persuade her to calm down. "Babe…" He smiled at her, and he decided to tousle her hair around.
"Don't you Babe me!" She sneered and smacked his hands away from her. "You know when you talked about this place, I told you not to come here, but you still did. You fucking didn't listen!"
"Yeah…" His voice trailed off as he grew very small in his chair. "But you know I love you." He brought her in for a hug. "Kira, you need to calm down. You are carrying our child, and I am sorry for coming."
She looked into his multi colored brown eyes. "Do you mean it?" Her pregnancy hormones did get the best of her sometimes. He nodded. She smiled. Thinking he dodged a bullet, Conner smiled at her warmly. "Come on, Babe, you have a lot of making up to do." She cautioned. An evil smirk was present on her face.
"Like… what?" Conner warily said. "I know that look, and what you have planned for me must not be good."
"You are so right, Babe. Now, that we are moving to our own apartment after the semester is done, you are going to start the nursery, you will be in every single Lamaze class with me, and you will learn the art of breastfeeding, changing diapers, and everything else baby." She let that sink in for a bit. "On top of that, you remember my cousin, Tori, right?"
Conner thought about it for a bit. "Yes, the one that's married to the BMX dude."
Kira nodded. "Well, Tori and her husband, Blake, had a baby. Little Dawn is about 3 months old. You will babysit Dawn during Christmas break, while Tori and I will be shopping. Blake will help occasionally." She whispered the last part with a snooty tone.
"Fuck." Her boyfriend groaned. One question was still in his head, actually a couple. "How did you know I was a here?"
"A little birdie." Was her reply.
Actually, Kira got a phone call from Trent. He had informed her of Conner's plan to head over to the strip club. A shocked Kira, decided to come down and confront her man. Being almost 4 months pregnant she was not a woman to be fucked with. Her hormones were whacked, her attitude was shitty, she hated sex, and her favorite food, burritos, made her sick. Conner was wrong for going to the strip club on so many levels.
After getting the directions from Trent, Conner's girlfriend zoomed to the strip club. She rung up Trent's number and he met her outside. They spoke about the situation and a possible plan. Unbeknownst to Kira, Geo, Andros, and Trent had already came up with one. Andros made himself known to Kira and Trent, and he offered one of his private rooms to her. He conjured the story that women demanded 'to catch their husbands, boyfriends, or even baby daddy's in the act' all the time. A little hesitant, Kira accepted the proposition. This was definitely an experience alright.
Stashed away in Andros' office was an outfit he had bought for his girlfriend. He handed the unused outfit to Kira, figuring he could just buy a new one for Crimson. Kira dressed in the little outfit, strutted around in it. Trent and Andros were somewhat turned on. She smiled, and she decided to keep the outfit.
While all of that was going on, Asian Persuasian, Geo, and Tommy went into hiding.
"A little Birdie?" Conner echoed. Kira nodded.
There was a light knock on the door.
"Come in!" Kira called out. She watched as another woman entered the room. The woman was around 5'6, brownish, blondish hair that reached to her shoulders, and she was dressed in a yellow corset, matching thong, and red garter belts that connected to her white thigh highs. It was similar to Geo's. Her stilettos were black but there were accents in a light color. Kira figured they were yellow. "Yes?" She was somewhat nervous for some reason.
Conner gawked at his favorite stripper.
"The Boss of the club was wondering if you were finished with everything." Crimson relayed. She smiled at them. Conner had given her enough money to fill up Andros' gas tank.
"Sorry, we got to talking and must've lost tracked. Yes, we're done." Kira got up.
Crimson released a breath inconspicuously. She had been clued in to the situation. "Follow me." She escorted them to Andros' office. All of the 'one-hour' stripper's items were in there. Crimson softly rapped on the door. She heard Andros inviting her in. "I'll be back." She told them.
Conner looked around the back of the club. He noticed there were more doors, and he wondered where those led to. He was about to walk around, but Kira stopped him with her death glare. He immediately looked down at his shoes.
"Here you go." The full time stripper handed Kira her things. She walked out of her boyfriend's room. "I'll walk you out." For obvious reasons, Crimson needed to make sure those two left.
"What about Trent, Chester, Terry, and Matt?" Conner questioned about his friends, while they were walking out. Conner had to cover his girlfriend because of the prying eyes of the grubby men at the strip club.
"I know Trent drove, so don't worry about that. You need to worry about taking care of Little Dawn." Kira advised. She smiled at the squirming face Conner made.
Conner grabbed the keys from Kira. He unlocked the door for her, and he helped her into her side. And then, he hopped into the driver's side of Kira's BMW X5. They drove away hand and hand.
Crimson strolled into the club. She nodded towards Geo, the Boss, and Asian Persuasian. Asian Persuasian went back to her job, while Geo went to shower off the sex she just had.
Tommy retreated to his office. He couldn't believe Conner was at his club. Not to mention, someone from his girlfriend's real family was here as well. He wondered how Kim was really feeling about the situation. Did this make her want to use? How come the two Mercer children came up with this plan? Are they going to somehow make a relationship? Is Trent going to tell their Dad about his first born and only daughter stripping? He really wasn't sure what to make about this situation.
A few minutes later, Tommy's office phone rang. He answered. "Hello?"
"Mr. Oliver…" A woman's voice lingered.
The voice sounded familiar, but he wasn't sure who it was. "Who is this?"
"I just wanted to tell you, when we kissed, it made my night. I want you to come over tonight, so I can give you a proper thanking."
"DJ?"
"Yes sir…" Her voice trailed off. A whizzing noise could be heard in the background. "Oh, Boss, I can't wait to have you enter my pussy and fuck me all night long." She moaned louder for him.
"DJ, I'm going to hang up the phone. Do not call me unless it's important." He hung up. DJ had nothing to offer him because he had his girlfriend. A girlfriend he is very much love with. Honestly, the way their relationship was going, he knew she was the one for him.
His phone rang again, but Tommy let it ride. He began to roll up a blunt in his office. He was over the bullshit for the night.
Three Hours Later. . .
Trent was on his sister like white on rice. His friends drooled over her, and he didn't like that at all. Sadly, Trent paid more attention to his sister than to the other scantily clad woman in the room. He ushered Geo to her room.
Chester, Terry, and Matt didn't mind, they had struck up conversations with Mikayla, Lotus B., and Bella. They continued in their reverie with those dancers.
"Trent, I'm fine." Geo notified. Her relationship with her brother had been rocky, so for him to be so worried; it kind of shocked her.
"Are you sure?" Trent inquired with sincerity. He needed to make sure, and he needed to have peace of mind. Yeah, his sister and him have had their share of problems. He knew once he was born, he took the 'thunder' away from her. Now, he was older, and he realized how important his family was. Hence, his gallery being dedicated to her.
"Yes." She assured.
Trent looked at her squarely in the eye. "Are you using again?" He asked, knowing she had a problem with that before. Their family went through hell, and their Dad made the choice to forget about his daughter. He forgot about her because it was 'out of sight, out of mind'. Quickly, he changed his tune though. That's why the search party was created and sent.
"No." She reassured with the best acting skills she had.
"Alright."
"Promise, and I mean, you have to promise me, that you won't tell Dad." Geo begged. She needed to tell their Dad on their own time.
Contemplating about it, Trent wasn't sure what to do. Part of him wanted to listen to his sister, but the other part knew about their dad. He wanted to tell him. Something else came to mind though. "Where are you going for Christmas? You can't spend the holidays alone."
Geo smiled at him, and then she noticed her boyfriend walked out of his office. She shooed him away, and he quickly went back inside. Trent furrowed his brows wondering who she was talking to. "I have somewhere to go. Don't worry about it." She seriously stared at him. "Please, I am pleading with you, swear to me, you won't tell Dad."
The way her brown, doe eyes perforated into Trent's eyes, he couldn't say no. "I promise, and I swear I won't tell Dad." He really gave in. He felt the biggest, warmest hug he had ever received from his sister. Her tiny arms were snaked around his body.
"Trent, trust me, I will talk to Dad. I really, really will. But right now, just let me think about things."
"Fine, but I'm going to hold you to that." He gave her his cell phone number on a napkin. "If there is anything, and I mean anything you need, don't hesitate to call." He gave her a small peck on the cheek. With that, he walked away.
For a moment, Geo stood there as she watched her brother leave. Some reason, she felt closer to him than she ever had before.
Xxxxx
Three Days Later…
Angel Grove, CA
Oliver Residence
It was early in the morning, and Kim woke up first. Her bare body was sitting on Tommy's desk chair.
They had been in Angel Grove for two, full days. Mary Beth and Thomas Oliver were very excited to have Tommy and Kim over for the holidays. The house had been filled with joyous laughter and exciting conversations. With Mr. Oliver working in the race car industry, he's been able to travel. He's talked about the people he's met. There is a lot more financial stability in the Oliver household. Mrs. Oliver looks much younger with her secret to the 'fountain of youth' (she loves the sex between her and her husband). Not to mention, Mrs. Oliver had the money to buy new clothes.
Tommy informed them that he became the boss at the 'movie theater', and he's making more money now. His parents were proud of him, and then they questioned about school. Tommy gazed at Kim. What could he say to them? What could they say to him, so he could stay in school? Nevertheless, Tommy's decisive mind was firm on his choice. He dropped out of school. The aspects of his promotion outweighed the need for his degree.
Honestly, Kim thought Tommy made the wrong decision, but she agreed with him because of how much she loved him. School will never go away, and he could always go back.
Breaking her mind away from the thoughts of Tommy dropping out of school, she began to rummage through his home desk. In there, she found a piece of paper, a pen, and a calculator. She needed to budget their money. The moonlighting stripper began to punch numbers, write them down, and think long and hard.
His eyes began to flutter, and he began to feel around the bed for his petite lover. Then it dawned on him, his girlfriend wasn't in bed. He elevated his muscular, tanned body, and he looked to the side. She was at the desk. Part of him wished he had a camera, she looked so damn cute. However, part of him was glad he didn't have a camera, she was very much naked. Last night, they must've done it three times. He moved from the bed, and he came up to his girlfriend.
She felt his large, muscled arms slink around her body. Kim relaxed, and she reclined in his touch. Dropping her head back, she gave a sensual kiss. Very similar of the scene in 'Spiderman' when Tobey Maguire hung down and kissed Kirsten Dunst in the rain. She smiled at him.
He took the paper she was scribbling on, and he pondered about it more. The numbers made sense. "Perfect." He told her.
"Really?" She was shocked by his word.
Tommy nodded. "Yes, it'll work out. You already told me yes, and now that it's planned out even more, we can definitely do it."
Then, Kim thought about something. "And your parents?" Inquired the beautiful stripper.
"We might as well tell them today."
"Let's make them breakfast to butter them up." She rationalized by making them food, then they will go along with their plan.
"Beautiful, you know how much I love you?" He kissed her.
She smiled. "Not as much as you I love you." She winked his way. She went to the door.
"Um, baby, you need to put on some clothes." Tommy motioned to her bare body.
Kim blushed. "I forgot, we aren't in the condos." She smiled and got dressed.
Both left to make breakfast.
An hour later, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver walked into the kitchen. They were surprised by how much food was made. There were stacks of pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, biscuits, bacon and hashbrowns. It was a feast made for a Queen and King.
"Well, good morning." Mr. Oliver's voice boomed. He chuckled at the spread. Not to mention, he saw the gourmet iced coffees his son was making.
"Everything smells great!" Mrs. Oliver gushed. She couldn't believe she didn't need to lift a finger.
Tommy came from the stove, and he helped his mom to sit in her chair. "I'll make you a plate. Just sit down and enjoy." He ordered.
"Same goes for you, Mr. Oliver." Kim ordered as well.
After hearing that, Thomas and Mary Beth had a feeling something was going on, and as soon as their plates and drinks were handed to them they decided to voice their ponderings.
"Alright, what's going on?" Mary Beth wondered. She bit into her pancakes, and she felt like she was in heaven.
Kim smiled at the expression dancing on Mrs. Oliver's face. "This is a 'thank you' for letting us stay here." She grabbed her plate and drink and headed to the dining table with Tommy's parents.
"This breakfast is really delicious." Mr. Oliver complimented, not caring if there were any other intentions behind this breakfast.
"Thank you, Dad." Tommy accepted the compliment. He dug in as well, and then he decided to bring up the real reason behind the meal. "So, I've decided to live off-campus next semester." That was a lie in itself, but he had to keep up his act of going to school.
His parents stopped eating. The weight of the confession was pretty heavy.
"Off-campus?" Mrs. Oliver repeated in shock. Tommy nodded. "What's wrong with the dorms?"
"Nothing, Mrs. Oliver." Kim took command of the conversation. She lightly smiled. "It's just Tommy and I would prefer to live together." Her eyes bounced between the matriarch and patriarch of the house. She wondered if they would go for it.
"The dorms aren't co-ed, so Kim and I decided we should live somewhere else." Tommy reasoned.
Mr. Oliver took a drink of his iced coffee. The pure heaven traveled down to his stomach. He very much loved this drink. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Son, do you understand the full weight of living on your own?" Tommy nodded. "How about how the cost of rent, bills, laundry, where the apartment is located, do you have the money for gas? What about the cost of eating?" He rambled. "I mean, can you and Kim live under the same roof?"
"I know Kim's quirks, attitudes, and her mannerisms." The Boss placed a comforting hand on Kim's thighs. "We know each other like the back of our hands."
Kim grew a little small by his admission. He obviously had no clue about her secret pastime.
"Are you sure?" Mrs. Oliver didn't want to cause a fight. She looked between them long and hard, and she saw they nodded. "Do you know how much rent is going to cost?"
"Actually, we were looking into buying a house." Tommy admitted. He saw the shock on his parent's faces. "Kim and I have really good jobs, and I know we can make it. Both of us want a house."
"Mrs. Oliver, I have a good credit score, and I believe we will find the best deal. We know all the responsibilities of living together will entail, and I'm- we- are confident we will do our best." Kim reassured.
"How long have you and Tommy been together?" Mr. Oliver needed to see if this was even a possible choice for the two.
"Dad, I don't see-" Tommy tried to interject.
Mr. Oliver shook his head, and he put his hand in the air to stop his son from proceeding further. "Kimberly, how long have you and Tommy been together?"
Tommy reclined back further into his chair. He continued to massage his girlfriend's leg for support. Kim smiled, and she answered with the honest truth. "We've been together for 5 months." Their wide eyes played the recognition they shouldn't do this. "Mr. and Mrs. Oliver, I know Tommy and I are, are probably too young to move in and our relationship is probably really new, but I know we want to do this, and we want this to work."
"Have you guys looked into a place?" Mrs. Oliver wanted to know.
"There are three houses in Reefside we are looking at. Kim planned the budget accordingly." Tommy responded with confidence.
"You two are willing to do this on your own?" Mr. Oliver questioned. They nodded. "This is a big responsibility and commitment, owning a house, living together, going to work and school, this isn't a joke. This is serious and really big." He warned them, so he could put the actuality of the situation into perspective.
"Dad, we are very serious. We want this to happen, and we will make it happen." Tommy stated with bravado, and he was almost cocky about it.
Mrs. Oliver rolled her eyes at her husband's statement. "We support you." Mrs. Oliver reinforced. "We will help as much as we can, and as much as you ask, we will be there for you. I suggest, we start looking for a place." Thomas nodded.
Kim and Tommy smiled brightly at the parents. "Thank you." Tommy sincerely said.
"We are doing this because we trust the two of you. Not to mention, we can see the relationship you two have working." Thomas revealed his true opinion. He couldn't be any happier for them. "Well, we need to help them, my dear." He looked at his dutiful wife. She nodded.
"Let's start!" Kim was excited. She needed to sell some items in her condo, she needed to let her 'family' know, and she needed to make sure the house was away from her Dad and stepmom. Trent had informed them of where their Dad stayed, and she didn't want to be in that neighborhood.
The Oliver family plus Kim worked together to find a house.
Xxxxx
The Next Day
Ikea
Tommy was on the phone with his partner.
"You hired her?" Tommy was stunned. Red flags went up all over the place, and he was so glad Kim and his parents were inside the store. He needed a cigarette so bad with the bombshell Andros dropped on him.
"What was I to do? She needed the job, and with you and Kim gone, we needed the money. She's doing great, not to mention she brought in $2,000 last night." Andros argued.
"Okay, but did you think how everyone else is going to feel." Fucking shit Andros, you fucked up. Cassie, Ashley, Karone, and Kim are going to kick your ass. He thought to himself. You might be having Benjamins in your bank account, but motherfucker, it will come at a heavy cost. He threw caution away, and Tommy lit up a cigarette.
"Trust me on this, Tommy." Andros refused to mention what else happened.
Tommy exhaled. "As long as I don't get my ass kicked, then that's all I care about." He said, while he continued smoking.
"Listen, we'll keep it between us. She doesn't start until Monday, so I figure for two days it'll be quiet."
"Yeah, two days." The former Church Boy snorted. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"It's all about money. That's all I care about." Andros updated, while he grabbed for his own cigarette.
"Yeah, I agree."
"How's the parents?" Andros exhaled.
"Right now, they're helping me and Kim, pick out shit for our new place." Tommy flicked the used cigarette away.
"Whoa! About damn time you and my 'sis' move into a place together. You two are practically married, but now it's finally official." Andros congratulated in his own little way.
"Not yet, Kim and I are still looking for a place and we aren't married, Bro. We figured we might as well look for the furniture, right now."
Andros nodded, even though Tommy couldn't see. "Well there's some in my neighborhood or TJ's. I'm sure you'll find something. I mean, Kim should know where she wants to go."
"Yeah, she doesn't want any place near her Dad. You know he has a house in Reefside too. Even though, he also stays in Angel Grove. I'm sure he has houses all over the place." Tommy mentioned.
"Yeah, that little escapade with Trent was crazy. That little dipshit of a roommate you had and his girlfriend, man that girl's so fucking hot, I swear she should've smacked the shit out of him." He laughed at the thought. "Man, she should be a dancer." Andros reminded himself of Conner's girlfriend. He found her to be really gorgeous.
"Bro, don't start, she's pregnant like Cassie."
"Whatever, I should let you go." Andros threw out his cigarette. "Come home soon. I need my partner and best dancer here."
"Yeah, I'm sure that other girl has graced you with her 'wits'." Tommy waited for Andros to say something. "Hello?" There was still no response. "Andros?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't let her touch me with a 10 ft. pole."
"Damn, alright." Tommy chuckled. "I'll talk to you later." He hung up his phone. Tommy smelled himself, and he realized he smelled like cigarettes. Shit He ran to his truck, and he put some cologne on. He needed gum next, and he finally found some in his glove compartment. The Boss nonchalantly walked back to Ikea. He discovered his dad was lying down on one of the display beds. He laughed. "Mom got you sick of shopping?"
Thomas rolled his eyes. "Not your mother, Kim, that little girl can shop."
Again, Tommy nodded. "Very much so, but I'm used to it."
"Son, with the patience you have, you will make a woman, very, very happy." Thomas approved with a smile. "I have to question something."
Tommy browsed around, and then he brought his attention back to his Dad. "Yeah, Dad."
Thomas was wondering how to word this, but he might as well just come out and say it. "Is Kim going to be my future daughter in law?"
A little surprised by his question, he wasn't sure what to say. "From the way things are looking, I'm sure it's getting there." Tommy mused.
"That's good to know." Thomas sighed. "I guess, we should find the women."
"Yes, we should." Tommy braced the shopping he was about to endure. With his Dad, they walked in the same stride, and they went through all the floors. They were confused on where to find their significant others.
"Where could those girls be?" Thomas surveyed the store.
"I'll call Kim." Tommy decided. He phoned her number.
"Handsome."
Tommy smiled. "Hey, where are you?"
"On the second floor, we are looking at the bedding." She nodded. "I do love those colors." Kim whispered to Mary Beth.
"We will be there. Bye." Tommy hung up his phone. "Come on, Dad. Follow me."
The Oliver men walked to where their girlfriend or wife was. They stopped right in front of them, and they noticed they had a sales associate with them.
"Cindy, this is my husband and son." Mary Beth introduced the associate.
"Wow, what good looking men." Cindy admired their handsome, rugged statures.
Hearing that, Kim brought Tommy closer to her. "Well, Tommy, I picked out several items, and they will be transferred to the Ikea in Reefside." She notified.
"How much is all of this going to cost, do you know?" Tommy inquired. He knew between him and Kim, their bank accounts were going to get a good workout.
"So far, the total is at about $2,047. 89." Cindy was able to ring up on her price gun. She smiled at all of them, but most of her attention was concentrated on Tommy. She found him to be incredibly, delicious.
Kim and Tommy nodded, while Mr. and Mrs. Oliver were stunned.
"Sweetie, are you sure, I mean, we can put some of this stuff back." Mrs. Oliver hadn't realized the total was so much.
"Mrs. Oliver, everything is okay." Kim smiled. She loved going on shopping sprees.
Mr. Oliver's phone chimed. "Excuse me." He took the phone call away from them.
"Yeah, Mom, we have the money. Plus, Kim is going to sell some of her stuff." Tommy assured. "Babe, you already know we want about a 3-4 bedroom home. One room will be all green, another will have black and red, and our room will be pink and white. You got those colors, already?"
"Ah! Yes, I did." She enthused and clapped with a smile, and then she grasped his shirt for a moment. "I can't wait to move in!" She screeched, and a really joyful presence radiated from her. Seriously, Kim was on cloud 9.
Mrs. Oliver had to question how her son and his girlfriend got all their money. First, her son was able to pay for her bills, all the Thanksgiving shopping that happened Kim paid for, and Mary Beth had seen all pictures of Kim's condo. That condo wasn't expensive, and everything in there was high class. A manager of a movie theater couldn't afford all or any of that.
"Well, we should continue, we do have Hello Kitty décor as well." Cindy informed Kim. She started to walk off.
"Oh my gosh!" The nightly stripper babbled. "Baby, come on, we need to get that!" She dragged her boyfriend with her.
Mr. Oliver walked back to his wife. He noticed her deadpanned face. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"
Mrs. Oliver turned to her husband. "Do you ever question, how Tommy or Kimberly ever get their money?" Thomas shook his head side to side. "I have to question how, I mean, I know they work, but their jobs can't pay that much."
"Come on, we need to think about other things. Christmas is coming up, and my brother, his wife, and their kids are coming over again."
"I hope Mona doesn't start anything." Mary Beth wished. "Thanksgiving, she made me so mad over Abby. Mona needs to get that stick out her butt."
"Mary Beth!" Thomas gasped even though he agreed with her. "I know how you feel, but with that kind of language, I'm kind of turned on." He softly admitted
"Tonight." She smirked devilishly.
Xxxxx
Christmas Night
Angel Grove, CA
Oliver Residence
The Oliver household had just got done eating their holiday dinner. Uncle John, Aunt Mona, David, and Abby were in the home as well. They all withdrew from the kitchen to the living room.
Kim found her comfortable place sitting on Tommy's lap. She kept fiddling with her Tiffany's necklace Tommy had bought her for Christmas. In return, Kim bought Tommy a Rolex watch.
Again, during the gift exchange, Mrs. Oliver questioned where the money had come from. She knew all the gifts were name brand. Kim bought Mrs. Oliver a Coach purse, while Tommy had purchased Versace dress shirts for Mr. Oliver. Vice versa, Tommy had purchased a BCBG dress for his mom, and Kim had presented Thomas with Gucci cologne. The biggest bottle they had of that scent.
Aunt Mona gave glances to Kim and Tommy. She was repeating the same thoughts as Thanksgiving. She felt her nephew had changed for the worst. And, her sister in law had forgotten about her morals. Letting Tommy and his girlfriend sleep in the same bedroom again, that was very sinful in her opinion. Not only that, she echoed the same feelings Mary Beth had from before. She believed Kim was the devil in disguise.
"We should look on the computer, right now." Tommy suggested. They still hadn't found a house.
Kim nodded. "You're right." She kissed him on the lips. "Abby, care to join us?"
Abby looked behind her, and she nodded. "Can we take a 'walk to the park' later?" She wondered. There were some issues her mom had been bothering her with lately. Her cousin and his girlfriend nodded.
"Excuse me." Aunt Mona was ready to pounce. "I believe it's too cold to go out to the park."
"Mona, calm down." Uncle John urged. "They just want to walk around." He shook his head, and he needed a beer really, really bad.
Aunt Mona rose from her seat. "Kimberly, explain to me, why you couldn't spend Christmas with your own family?" Her green eyes stabbed Kimberly, literally.
The stripper was really taken aback by her brashness, and she wasn't the only one. David, Thomas, and Mary Beth were astounded by her words. None of them had understood why Mona had it out for Kim. There must be a reason why Mona disliked Kim so much.
"What?" Were the only words articulated from Kim.
"This is my family." Aunt Mona's tone became dangerous. She walked up to Kim, and she stood put.
Tommy made Kim get off of him, and he stood up. "Aunt Mona, that's enough."
"Mom, leave her alone, jeez." Abby rolled her eyes in annoyance, while she crossed her arms over her chest. "You are getting crazy over nothing!"
"Do not talk back to me Abigail Sheila Oliver!" Aunt Mona pointed at her, and then she turned to her nephew's girlfriend. "Now, tell me, why can't you ever stay at your family's house?"
Thomas got out of his chair. "John, you need to tell your wife to back off of my daughter in law." He advised. Aunt Mona didn't have a drink tonight, so why was she acting like this.
"Daughter in law? This woman is not going to be in the Oliver family!" Mona shouted.
"Mom, what the hell is wrong with you?" David asked.
Hearing her words, Kim couldn't help but feel inadequate, like how she felt in her own family. This was something she couldn't handle. Almost ready to cry, the stripper looked between everyone in the room. She hoped that they weren't going to kick her out.
"I repeat, why can't you stay with your family?" Aunt Mona enunciated slowly for Kim.
"It's none of your fucking business!" Kim screamed in the woman's face.
"You keep dodging the question, little girl; understand you must be hiding something. Why aren't you with your family? What, they didn't want you?" Mona sneered in anger.
The room got quiet. If an ant was climbing up the wall, anyone could hear it. That's how quiet it got.
The petite stripper didn't budge. "You don't need to know shit about me!"
"Mona, get away from her!" Uncle John hissed. He went to grab his wife's arm.
"No, get off of me!" Mona pushed her husband.
"Man, mom must've went off the deep end." David mumbled to his sister.
Abby nodded. "Fuck yeah." She whispered back. "What's wrong with her?" David shrugged.
Mary Beth intervened. "Mona, you need to back away from Kimberly. She did nothing wrong, and I will not have you talk about her in a bad way in front of me. You didn't have a problem with her during dinner, so why are you having a problem with her now?" She questioned seriously.
"Don't let her face fool you. I know she's hiding something." Mona vouched, while she never took her eyes off of Kim. "Your family didn't want you. That's why you are here for the holidays. You depend on Tommy 24/7, and when it comes to everything else, you prey on Thomas and Mary Beth."
Feeling like her prey, Kim's eyes grew dark. She didn't back down, but in the back of her mind, Kim wished her Oxycontin wasn't at home. She wished her connect, Adam, wasn't back in Reefside. The petite woman wanted so badly to have her weed. After this argument, she was going to have her weed and fuck Tommy like there was no tomorrow to spite this woman. Why did this feel so familiar though?
"Why I don't talk to my family, is none of your concern. Everything you've said about me is false, and I wish I could kick your ass out of this house my damn self." Kim snapped at the older woman.
Tommy grasped Kim's arm. He tried to get her out of there before things got worse. Aunt Mona was crazy in her own way, and sometimes she didn't know when to shut her damn mouth. "Beautiful, come on. We need to go."
She pushed him off. "No, I want to know what's her problem." She demanded.
"David, take your sister outside." Uncle John commanded. He needed to settle his wife's issues.
"Aw man, I always miss the good stuff." Abby stomped her foot on the ground.
David looked at her like she was crazy. "That's not good stuff, that's a big whole mess!" The siblings continued to walk out the house.
That left the couples, Thomas, Mary Beth, Uncle John, Aunt Mona, Tommy, and Kim. All of them were in vertical positions, and there were heated stares coming from Kim and Aunt Mona. The only one, who understood why she flipped out, was the person who flipped out, Auntie Mona.
"Alright, now back to the topic at hand. Kimberly, you have family right?" Aunt Mona continued her panel of questions. Kim nodded. "You have a Dad?" Once again Kim nodded. Tommy, Thomas, and Mary Beth knew the next question. They were determined to stop it before it was asked. Aunt Mona stopped them with her hand. "You have a Mom, right?"
Holding back her tears, Kim looked into Aunt Mona's eyes. "No, my mother died when I was young." She confessed.
Aunt Mona laughed out of vindictiveness. "God took your mother away because you didn't deserve her." She informed. "God's plan for you was already in place. With all the sins you've committed now, you didn't need a mother. That's why your mother is dead."
Smack! Mary Beth was breathing so hard. She had no clue Mona was that evil. "Get the fuck out of my house. Coming in her talking that bullshit! How dare you pick on Kimberly? She didn't do anything to you, and you are attacking her for no reason!" Thomas needed to get Mary Beth out of the situation, and he stopped her from lunging at his sister in law.
Kimberly stood put. Her bottom lip began to tremble, and she had a clue how words could hurt. On contact, her head was buried into Tommy's chest. She let the tears go, and Tommy carried her bridal style to his bedroom. If Aunt Mona was a dude, he would've punched her in her mouth.
"Get out of my house, get out of my fucking house!" Mary Beth demanded with anger.
Thomas and Uncle John looked between each other, and they had the same consensus.
"Mom, Dad, what happened?" Abby obliviously questioned. David chose to stay outside, since he didn't want to deal with the drama.
"Nothing." Uncle John kissed his sister in law goodbye. "I'll take care of things. When you see Kim, tell her I apologize." He whispered. "Thomas, I'll talk to you later." He forcefully grabbed Mona to exit his brother's house. "I can't believe you would fucking say shit like that. How dare you…" Were the last words heard from Uncle John.
"Mona is never allowed in this house again!" Mary Beth promised. "She'll get more than a smack next time."
Thomas hugged his wife. "That was the most interesting Christmas we've had." They went to check on Tommy and Kim.
At that moment, Kim was drinking her problems away. For Tommy, he made sure to protect his girlfriend, even more.
Preview for the Next Chapter- Moving In, New Year's Eve/Day, and backlash.