Chapter 37

Throughout the rest of the day Mike and Vic had just caught up and went for drinks that night. Vic was right about something, Reba liked this guy. He was sweet, charming, and nice despite the moments where he still acted like he was in college but Vic acted like that too and as soon as Reba had given them the okay, Mike started planning. He immediately went into details of food and guests. Reba had never heard of a guy getting so excited about planning a party. Of course it was a bachelor party. It was completely different.

"Dude…" Mike said as he came into the kitchen the next morning. Reba smiled as she handed over a plate to Vic. "I have the list of all the guys we have to invite. I got everyone we used to hang out with in college and of course your new best friend and step…?" he asked, "Son-in-law, I am not sure how that works."

"Would you like something to eat Mike?" Reba asked sweetly as she scrambled some eggs into a pan for herself.

Mike smiled and shook his head. "No thanks doll, not hungry." Mike sat down next to Vic and handed over a piece of paper. "This is going to be a great party. I'm only here until tomorrow night so we have today to get it all planned. I called everyone and most of them are able to push back whatever they had planned tomorrow and will be there. Hooters will be catering it."

Reba had to hold back her tongue at this. This was Vic's party and if he wanted Hooters to do it then she would just have to deal with it. She hated the way Mike called her doll. She didn't have a plastic body with legs that didn't move. She wasn't a doll. Reba did like him. He was nice and sweet, like she had mentioned before, it was just the nickname she hated. But he was Vic's friend and she only had to deal with it until tomorrow so she could just grin and bare it.

"So…" Mike said taking out some more papers. "The caterers will show up at five thirty to set everything up, guests arrive at six, and then strippers arrive at six thirty."

Reba stopped what she was doing when she heard the word strippers. She slowly turned to find Vic shaking his head and laughing. "No…" he said chuckling. "We can't have strippers."

Mike scoffed. "What kind of bachelor party can we have without them?"

"No…" Vic said chuckling again. "We can't have them."

"D*** right you can't." Reba said speaking up.

Vic eyes shot open and looked to Reba. He had never heard her swear before. This was quite new. "What?" he asked shocked.

Reba threw the pan into the sink and glared at both men sitting at the table. "There is no way you are having strippers at your bachelor party!"

"Strippers?" asked a voice coming into the kitchen. Reba turned to see Van come into the kitchen, followed by her daughter, Brock, and Barbara Jean. "What strippers?" Van asked.

Reba turned to Vic, giving him an angry look. "Vic wants strippers at his bachelor party."

"Really?" Van asked excitedly. "I am so…" He then saw the look of his wife and quickly changed his demeanor. "Not there."

Reba rolled her eyes and took her plate to the table. She sat down next to Vic, still glaring a bit. "You really think its right to have strippers at your party?"

Vic shook his head. "No, I said no."

Reba shook her head and poured some chocolate sauce on her eggs. "No, you said…" She chuckled a bit while saying, "No." She stopped the chuckling and glared at her husband once more. "Do you really think it's appropriate to have some girl shaking everything she has in your face while your pregnant wife is out with her friends?"

"I said no!" Vic exclaimed.

Reba glared. "No you said…" She chuckled a bit again while saying, "No."

"This is stupid. I said no and there will be no strippers at the party. We won't even have the party here." Vic said turning to Mike. "Cancel Hooters catering. We will just go there."

"But dude…"

Vic shook his head and interrupted Mike. "No…dude…we will not have anything like that at the party. We will just have some food and a couple of drinks."

Mike nodded. "Okay, I got it." He said getting up. He left the room but not before he gave Vic a small wink.

Vic rolled his eyes and turned back to his wife, who was had an angry eyebrow raised at him. "Honey, there is no need to worry. I will not be having any strippers."

"Hooters isn't any better."

Van laughed. "She said Hooters."

Reba glared at him and he shut up immediately. "Look, I can't stop you from going there but I am just cautioning you."

Vic chuckled. "For what, what do I need caution for?"

Reba sighed and shrugged. "Chicken wings, alcohol, half naked women, temptation might arise."

Vic smiled and patted her arm. "Nothing will happen, trust me, the only woman that makes me give into temptation when she's half naked is you."

Reba couldn't help but smile and she leaned over to kiss him. "I'll agree for you to have one stripper if you want."

Van's eyes it up. "You would let him do that?"

Reba smiled and leaned over to Vic. "Me." She said giggling and kissing him again.

Van shivered. "Ewww, can you please leave the dirty talk to the bedroom?"

"What are you smiling about?" Barbara Jean asked Brock when she saw he had a big grin on his face. Brock shook his head and immediately the smile left his face.

Reba broke the kiss and glared at Van. "Go home." She then turned to Brock and Barbara Jean. "All of you."

Barbara Jean frowned. "I can't go home. If Brock is going with Vic and Van then I need someone near me and you need someone near you Reba." Barbara Jean sat down next to Reba and smiled. "We are in delicate situations. We can't take any chances. I am going to stay by your side all night and we are going to have so much fun. I rented a few videos, made a few snacks…" She turned to Vic. "And don't worry, their healthy snacks." She wrapped an arm around Reba and grinned. "This is going to be great, food, movies; it will be a regular girl party." Barbara Jean said excitedly.

Reba gave her a week smile and then turned to Vic. "Is it too late to say you can't have the party?"

-

Mike and Vic changed their plans to just have the small party at Hooters that very night. It was simple, easy, and it made Reba feel so much better about when they would leave her and the threat of Mike having strippers at the party. Cheyenne and Barbara Jean agreed that having strippers at the party would be degrading to the women who would be actually doing that and that they didn't trust their husbands was another thing.

"So…" Reba said as she looked over the movies Barbara Jean brought. "Did you bring anything that wasn't Disney made?"

"What?" Barbara Jean asked innocently. "The Lion King is a sweet movie. I always cry when Mufasa dies." Barbara Jean sniffed and wiped away a small tear as it sneaked out of her eye.

Reba just shrugged and sighed. She didn't really care. Her mind was on Vic and the fact that he was upstairs, getting dressed for the small party he was leaving for a in a few minutes. Even though it was a small party, it still made her nervous. Why did she agree to let him have the party? She thought he would just have a few beers with some friends and that would be the end of it but…going to Hooters and then who knows what they would be doing afterwards. It made her completely nervous.

"You okay?" Barbara Jean asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Reba turned to Barbara Jean and smiled. "I am fine." Barbara Jean eyed Reba as if to say who are you fooling? Reba saw this look and sighed. "I am just worried about Vic and his party."

"Eh…no need to worry, they will go to Hooters, have fun, and then come home."

Reba sighed and grabbed the chocolate popcorn she had Vic go out and get earlier from the table. "Its how much fun they have I am worried about."

Barbara Jean chuckled and popped in the movie. "Don't worry. Brock will be there to keep him straight."

Reba looked at Barbara Jean, more worried now than she was just a second ago. "That's not helping me."

Barbara Jean was about to come back with something but Van and Brock decided to walk in at that moment. "Hey Mrs. M, Barbara Jean, how are the buns cooking in the oven today?" he asked laughing. He turned to Brock and smiled. "You get it…they call being pregnant…bun in the…" He stopped when Brock shook his head. "Anyway, Mrs. M, we know you are worried about Mr. M and all but there is no need. We are only going to Hooters for a couple of beers and then to The Purple Moon."

Reba's eyes widened and Brock hit Van on the arm. "Van, The Purple Moon, is a strip club, why are you going there?"

Van scoffed. "Why does any man go to a strip club Mrs. M?"

Reba sat up quickly and was about to run upstairs to talk with Vic when Vic and Mike came downstairs. "Okay sweetheart, what do you think?" He asked, doing a turn as he approached her with a smile. He was dressed his tights jeans, white shirt, and leather jacket. He looked way too sexy to be going out. "What's wrong?" he asked when he saw the look on her face.

Reba placed her hands on her hips. "What is this I hear about going to the Purple Moon after you go to Hooters?"

"What?" Vic asked in confusion.

"Like you don't know."

"I don't." he said shocked. He turned to Mike. "What is this all about?"

Mike sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I was going to surprise you after we left the restaurant."

"I told you no strippers. This is just a little get together."

Mike nodded. "Okay, all right, no Purple Moon. I guess I will be waiting in the car dude." He saw the look on Reba's face and thought it was best to leave the two alone for a few minutes to talk things over. Van and Brock followed Mike out. Barbara Jean also decided to give them some privacy and she went upstairs to check on Henry who was watching a movie with Jake.

Reba turned to Vic. "I've changed my mind. I don't want you to go." Reba said firmly.

Vic chuckled and tried to wrap his arms around his wife but she pulled away. "Honey..."

Reba shook her head and stepped away even further. "No, this isn't right and you know it."

Vic sighed. "Look, we are not going to a strip club. I will make sure of that. I didn't even want strippers."

Reba kept glaring but it softened just a bit. "You promise me you're not going to go to a strip club?"

Vic smiled and nodded. "I promise you that we will have no fun whatsoever."

Reba smiled and stepped to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I want you to have fun, just not too much of it."

Vic chuckled and kissed her gently. "I promise not to have too much fun." Reba smiled and he kissed her once more. "Now can I go?"

Reba chuckled and nodded. "Get out of here." She said pushing him away. "Wait…" She pulled him back and pressed her lips against his, giving him a knee weakening kiss of a lifetime. She pulled back, leaving him in a daze and his breath ragged. "I just wanted you to know what you have at home, just in case you are thinking about anything you shouldn't be thinking about." She patted him on the shoulder and let him go. She chuckled when he walked still in a daze. He walked to the right and Reba shook her head. "Vic, sweetie…"

"Huh?" he asked turning to her.

She smiled. "The door is that way." She said pointing.

Vic cleared his throat and straightened himself out. "I knew that." He then gave her one last smile and walked out.

-

Mike drove Vic, Brock, and Van to Hooters where they were meeting Mike and Vic's old friends from college. It was great times they were remembering once they arrived. They ordered beer, chicken wings, and other assortment of appetizers. They celebrated like it was Vic's last night as a free man, even though he was already married. They spent most of the night being guys and checking out the waitresses, talking like creeps, all except Vic, well, he was trying to be one of the guys but he couldn't get Reba out of his head.

"It's too bad you decided to settle down and get married." Brad said, one of Vic's old college friends. "You could be going home with that." He said pointing to a blonde that looked really qualified to work there.

Vic chuckled and shook his head. "No, I'm happy with who I am with."

Brad scoffed. "No one is happy with who their married to."

Mike rolled his eyes. "You are just bitter because your ex-wife took everything you've got."

"Brock should know how I feel." Brad said nodding toward the man he just met. "You divorced Reba. She had to take all your money."

Brock shook his head. "Divorce is never easy but Reba and I have a wonderful friendship now and Vic is lucky to have such a wonderful woman." He said raising his beer to Vic.

Vic smiled and nodded. Mike chuckled. "**** right he's lucky." He turned to Brad. "If you had seen this woman, you would see why he married her. She may be pregnant but her curves are still very much evident."

"Hey!" Vic said trying to sound offended that they were talking about his wife. "She's mine."

Mike smiled and nodded. "Yeah but I can still look, let me know if she ever comes to her senses and divorces you're a**."

Vic shook his head. "Don't talk like that and besides, I waited a long time to get Reba to marry me and now that I have her I am not letting her go."

"You sound like a Hallmark card or something." Brad said with a chuckle.

"So…" Mike asked turning to Van. "You haven't said much since we've started talking about Reba. What do you think of your mother-in-law?"

Van made a disgusted face. "Dude, she's like my mom."

Mike smiled. "But she isn't. There had to have been a time when you thought about her as more than your mother-in-law."

Van shivered and shook his head. "Hell no."

"Van…"

"Okay, I might have noticed Mrs. M…" He paused, deciding to use his words carefully, "Does not look like most mother-in-laws."

Mike smirked. "Van…"

"Fine, if I wasn't married to her daughter I would totally…"

"Van!" Brock said, stopping him before he said anymore. He didn't want to hear about his ex-wife anymore.

Mike chuckled and smacked Van on the back. Van was suddenly very disgusted with himself for admitting that he thought Reba was hot. For the remainder of the time they spent at Hooters they ate, laughed, and the other single guys were on Van, Brock, and Vic's case about being the only married guys in the bunch.

"What I don't understand…" Mike said, grabbing a chicken ring from the middle of the table. "Is how you three got so lucky?"

Vic furrowed his eyebrows together. "What do you mean lucky?"

Mike rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe they didn't see it. "You have Reba…who is hot, Brock has Barbara Jean…who is hot, Van has Cheyenne…who is…"

"Hey!" All three of them said. "That's my daughter." Brock said with a glare.

"My wife." Van said, eyeing him.

Vic glared at him as well. "And she is my stepdaughter. You watch your words carefully."

Mike shook his head. "She is gorgeous okay. She is a very beautiful girl but I just want to know how you three got so lucky. What did you do to deserve them?"

"Got her pregnant." Van and Brock said at the same time.

They all laughed and shook their heads. "How did you meet Reba?" Brad asked curiously.

Vic took a sip of his beer and cleared his throat. "We worked together…we still work together."

Brad shook his head and sighed. "I should have gone into the real estate business but no…" He said with a roll of his eyes. "I had to follow my stupid dreams and become a surgeon."

Mike chuckled and downed the rest of his beer. He signalled for their waitress. A gorgeous and very smiley redhead walked up to their table. "More onion rings guys."

Mike shook his head. "Nah Brandy, we have to get going, got a surprise for our friend Vic here." He said smacking Vic on the back.

Vic smiled. "What surprise?"

"Don't worry, just be patient dude."

Brandy chuckled and pulled out their check. "Well, here's your check and…" She pulled a slip of paper of her shirt and smiled as she slipped it over to Vic. "Call me if you change your mind about the wedding."

Vic chuckled and slid the paper back to Brandy. "I think one redhead is all I can handle but I am flattered."

Brandy shrugged and then handed her number over to Mike. "Call me." Mike chuckled and put the slip of paper in his pocket.

After they paid for their check they walked to their cars and began driving towards Vic's surprise. He didn't like being kept in the dark about what was going on.

"Why won't you tell me where were going?" he asked Mike as they followed behind their friends.

Mike smiled and shook his head. "Trust me, your going to thank me later."

Vic looked at him suspiciously and then glanced back at Van and Brock. They seemed just as confused as he was. They obviously had no clue where they were going and the closer Mike said they were getting to their destination the more excited Mike would get and the more it made Vic uncomfortable. He just had a feeling that his "surprise" was not going to be such a good idea.

As soon as Mike pulled into the parking lot of his surprise Vic instantly knew he should have listened to Reba and not have gone. "Mike, what are we doing here?"

Mike smirked. "I promised Reba we wouldn't go to the Purple Moon. Does this look like the Purple Moon?" he asked putting the car into park.

Vic shook his head and refused to leave the car. "I promised Reba we wouldn't go to any strip club."

Mike chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Come on man, she has your boys all tied up, it's just a little fun." Vic shook his head and got out of the car. "All right." Mike said, following his lead and getting out of the car. "Now we are going to have some real fu…where are you going?" he asked to the man who was walking toward the street.

Vic stopped and turned. He flashed his cell phone. "I am going to call a cab. I am going home because believe it or not I would rather be at home making love to my gorgeous wife than be here with you." He turned to Brock and Van. "If you two have any sense at all you will come with me because you know Cheyenne and Barbara Jean would not approve."

Brock and Van immediately followed Vic to the curb where they patiently waited for their cab. "Vic, come on man, I am sure Reba wouldn't mind."

Vic shook his head. "I promised her I wouldn't and you know I didn't even want this party. I would rather be at home right now with Reba. I could be taking care of her and believe it or not I enjoy taking care of her." The cab pulled up and the three guys got in, leaving Mike and the others in the dust.

Nothing was said on the way home. Vic was angry with Mike. He told him that he didn't want to go to a strip club. That used to be his style. If this was a few years ago or even a few months ago, before he met Reba, he would be in that club, throwing bill after bill up on that stage but it was different now. He had a wife and a baby on the way. He had a life, one that he liked.

The cab pulled up into Vic and Reba's driveway. Vic paid him and left a generous tip. They all walked out of the car and up to the door. "Maybe we shouldn't tell them where we had gone." Van said nervously. Van knew his wife wouldn't take it so well that they even almost went into a strip club.

Vic shook his head with his hand on the door knob. "I am telling Reba. I keep no secrets from her."

They walked into the living room and the sight before them made them laugh a bit. Reba was sitting in the middle of the couch with Cheyenne, and Barbara Jean laying on each of her shoulder. Elizabeth and Henry were curled up on each chair, fast asleep, and Danny was gurgling bubbles in his car seat on the coffee table. "We will get out of your way." Brock said smiling.

Van picked up his daughter gently and shook his wife awake. He held his sleeping daughter with one hand and picked up his son with the other. Cheyenne, who was still half asleep, waved goodbye to anyone who was paying attention. Brock did the same with Henry and Barbara Jean, guiding her towards the door instead of trying to give Reba a life squeezing hug goodbye.

Vic shut the door and locked it behind Brock and turned to his sleeping wife. He sat down on the couch and shook her gently. "Reba…" he whispered. His heart ached for her when she stirred just a bit and then went straight back to sleep. He didn't need to wake her now. Whatever he had to say to her could wait until tomorrow. Vic gently lifted her into his arms and took her upstairs to sleep.

-

The next morning Reba awoke to find herself in her comfortable bed. She figured Vic must have put her there last night when he came home. She hoped he had fun last night. All she did was complain to her daughter and Barbara Jean about how worried she was. Reba would walk to the window every five minutes to see if they decided to come back early. She had tired herself out by the second Disney movie and fell asleep next to Cheyenne and Barbara Jean. She did go a little over the top with the whole party thing. She couldn't really stop him from doing what he wanted and she did trust him. She shouldn't have worried. She knew Vic didn't do anything.

Reba stretched her body and got out of bed. She took her quick shower and got ready for her day. She was walking downstairs when she heard Vic talking with Mike. She didn't want to spy but she couldn't help but stop at the top and listen to what they were talking about.

"So where did you go after the club?" Vic asked. Reba's breath caught in her throat. They did go to a strip club? He promised her he wouldn't.

"I stayed with Brad."

Vic nodded and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry I left like that but I just didn't feel right by going in there." Reba smiled when she heard that. He didn't go.

Mike smiled. "It's okay man. I understand. Your wife has you on a short leash. It's okay." He said chuckling.

Vic shook his head. Mike just wasn't getting it. "No, it's…"

"Look, its fine dude. You're married now but things don't have to be completely different. Now Brad and I have arranged for all of us to play some ball in the park and then were going out for a drink later. Like the old days. Let's go."

Vic chuckled and stood still. "It's not like the old days."

Mike chuckled and looked at him like he was crazy. "Of course it is. Now come on, their all waiting for us."

"How about you go okay? I'm going to stay here, take care of my wife."

Mike shook his head and smiled. "She really has you tied down doesn't she? Now come on it won't be the same without you."

Vic was starting to get angry. "It isn't the same Mike. It's different. I'm different. And Reba doesn't have me tied down. I like my life. I like coming home to someone and I like the fact that Elizabeth calls me Grandpa. I like playing the game of football with the family and having a wonderful Sunday afternoon at home. I don't like partying anymore. I don't like waking up to a hangover and some stranger. I like waking up to Reba. I love her and I think you should go." Mike shook his head and left the house quickly.

The minute Mike left Reba made herself known and she walked down the stairs with a big smile on her face. "Do you know how sweet you are?" she asked.

Vic smiled. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough." She said smiling. She stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his middle, bringing him extremely close. "You know…" Reba said kissing him on the lips. "I really love you."

"I don't know what I did to deserve all this attention." He said chuckling.

Reba shrugged and smiled. "Just being extremely sweet." She then frowned and looked at him curiously. "You don't regret giving up all that life you had before for me? You could have any woman you want. You could be out right now with them, having a few drinks, acting like morons."

Vic smiled. "I am with the woman I want. The life I had before wasn't a life. It was stupid. The partying and the one night stands, it was just not a way to live. It was time I grew up." Reba smiled and brought him into a kiss. He kissed her back and then broke it, smiling big. "You know…" He said, his hands running up and down her sides. "I can't stop thinking about that kiss you gave me last night. I had a set mind to just forget about the party and take you upstairs."

Reba chuckled. "Really?"

"Yup." He said with a smirk. "What do you say we go upstairs now and stay in bed until one in the afternoon?" Reba giggled and nodded, pulling him by the hand and dragging him up the stairs.

End of Chapter