VII. Hush
There are some secrets which do not
permit themselves to be told.
–Edgar Allan Poe; "Man of the Crowd"
June 26th. Their tenth anniversary. The event had to surpass all other wedding anniversaries. It was a decade, after all. Reid looked at Rowan out of the corner of his eye as they drove to the Danvers estate. They were in his Mustang with the top down so her ebony hair was being tossed back by the wind. She wore a blue maxi dress with thin straps, scoop neckline, the bottom half of the dress designed with some African print in white and different hues of blue. Strappy sandals were on her dainty feet, and her Hanging Garden necklace hung from a graceful neck. Altogether, his wife created a cultured picture of femininity with some gypsy thrown in.
"Are you sure my ankles don't look puffy?" Rowan asked as they drove.
Reid chuckled. Naturally, when she'd asked him that this morning he'd choked on his mouthwash. Mostly because the last time Rowan questioned him with a comment like that she'd been under the influence of a spell. But he supposed that Rowan now had a legitimate excuse to wonder if fingers, toes, ankles were swelling; though, he didn't think they were.
Rowan concocted a special oil for such a thing. Her tummy was bigger; her jeans officially did not fit. She was glad that her dresses and skirts did (the elastic waist bands), this meant less shopping.
"I promise you they are not puffy," he answered. Erwin woofed from the back seat. "And Erwin agrees."
Rowan smiled a him.
Soon, they were passing the gates of the estate; Reid parked his car in the winding driveway. He helped her out of the car, then disengaged the animals from their seatbelts.
"Why the secrecy?" she said.
"Then there'd be no surprise."
He led her to the back of the mansion to the garden where she had once spent many hours. Rowan gasped with awe. It was a mini-representation of her wedding. The family was present, including Pinkie, Laurie, Aaron and Francesca.
"You never cease to amaze me, Reid Garwin," she said, giving him a kiss on the lips.
Whatever work he'd put into this small gathering was worth the gleam of happiness in her eyes. Twenty-three days since the Diagnosis, as the blond so aptly referred to it as. Things were going okay, despite the intermittent headaches that plagued Rowan, even a pin drop was agonizing. Two checkups a week continued to reveal the signs of her condition. Some days were a bit worse than others, but they sallied forth nonetheless.
An hour later Reid said he'd go inside and get some more napkins. His father, Joseph, followed him.
"So, how's it really going, son?" he asked.
Reid came out of the pantry with a package of napkins. He shrugged. "Better than I worry it could be."
Joseph patted him on the back. "I'm proud of you."
Reid smirked. "Thanks."
A few hours later Reid took Rowan home. Normally this would have been the time to make love to her, but he remembered what the doctor said.
"One thing," Reid said as he led her to their living room.
She smiled. "What else? I think you thought of everything."
"I did, I did," he replied immodestly. He turned on the stereo system.
Bryan Adam's "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" began to play. Reid took her in his arms and began the slow dance. The song they had danced to the night of the Winter Ball when he had confessed his love for her. The first song they danced to as husband and wife.
And when you can see your unborn child in her eyes…
You know you really love a woman…
"So," Rowan asked quietly, dreamily as they swayed. "I'm going to take you upstairs after this."
"Oh…don't tempt me. You know what the doc said."
She smiled at him. "She never said anything about me not paying all the attention in the world to you…That is…if you don't mind a pregnant woman doing certain things that I know you like very, very much…" She let her sentence trail off, preferring him to pick up the rest through their blood bond and the unmistakable suggestion in her big, brown eyes.
Reid was already at full attention. He had no qualms about a pregnant woman paying attention to him. His thought his wife incredibly sexy, even when carrying their child (mores the pity he couldn't make love to her), and Rowan did pay attention to him very well.
"And don't feel badly because you think I'll be left out," she reminded him. "I get pleasure by giving you pleasure."
The song came to an end.
"In that case…" Reid swept her up in his arms carefully.
The animals (who had been sitting on the periphery) aimed to follow, but Reid stopped them, "No, this isn't suitable for kids."
xx
Ginger hummed as she put on her stretch cream lotion which was remarkably affective. The bigger she got, when an unsightly line popped up, on went the lotion and by the next day it was gone.
This afternoon's gathering had been nice. Chase was a bit more sociable, not as uncomfortable. No one was best buddies yet but Ginger still continued to hope. Suddenly, a half-squeal, half-gasp emitted from her mouth.
Chase heard it from the bathroom. He hurried out. "What is it? You okay?" His wife's hands were on her tummy with a wide grin and look of wonder.
"He kicked!" Ginger exclaimed. Until now all she'd felt were light flutters. "Come feel!"
He approached somewhat cautiously. Ginger grabbed his hand and placed it on her tummy. Just as she did, the baby kicked again.
Chase's eyes widened at the feeling. He was speechless. His…son was in there, alive, thriving. He was reading all the baby books, but was still somewhat distant; though less adverse to the situation. He'd heard the baby's heartbeat on the sonogram, but it was just a noise. Feeling the kick it made it, the baby, tangible, real... His own heart thudded, strangely moved at this event. Chase swallowed a lump in his throat; put his other hand on her stomach.
"Will he do it again?" he asked.
His question permitted another faint thump, then both parents sensed the baby went back into a slumbering repose.
"Gin…" Chase said in awe, fascinated.
Ginger's eyes filled with tears. This was the first time she'd seen her husband actually joyous about their son. And when they went to bed, Chase kept his palm on her stomach the entire night, wanting to feel his son again.
"God, Gin, he's really in there," he whispered.
"He really is," she replied.
xx
"Hey, where've you been?" Pogue greeted, opening the door wider for his vampire brother-in-law.
Justice Lassiter smiled, showing fang. "Dealing with recalcitrant baby vamps."
"You'd know about that," Pogue joked.
Justice rolled his eyes, chuckling. When he had first been changed into a vampire by his maker (a rather sadistic female) she had let him run amok, showing him the ways of lawlessness and the subsequent lack of consequences. It led to the abandonment of his little sister, the loss of good sense, nearly the loss of his soul. Eventually, by a series of events, Justice was put into the hands of Raphael Spellman, taken to a vampire retreat for vampires who had difficulty dealing with their undead-ness. He began to see the error of his ways. It took some time to mend his broken relationship with his sister, but they were closer now than ever. And today Justice was a counselor to the type of vampires he'd once been.
"Sit down, she'll be out in a minute," Pogue said.
Justice sat on the couch. Pogue offered him a drink and the vampire politely declined. A second later he heard a ticking sound. Like a metronome. And it was increasingly annoying in its monotony, especially with his preternatural hearing.
He grimaced. He called out to Pogue, "Dude, did you get a-"
A scream came from the bathroom.
"Hope!" Pogue yelled.
With the vampiric speed, Justice was at the bathroom door first. "Hope?" Forgetting his strength, his knock broke the wood.
The door swung open. Hope was not hurt. She had a wide grin on her face, eyes covered with a film of ecstatic tears. "I'm pregnant!"
Both men went quiet, stunned.
"Seriously?" Pogue asked. Hope showed him the EPT test. "Shit, we're pregnant!"
Hope nearly leaped in his arms and Pogue twirled her around. Then Justice gave her a hug. So close now to his sister, he paused.
"Wait. Shh."
Confused, the humans went close-lipped.
A look of concentration came over Justice's face. Brow furrowed, he lowered his head, near his sister's abdomen. That was where the ticking was coming from.
"Holy hell, I can hear the baby's heart," he exclaimed.
"You can?" Hope and Pogue said simultaneously.
"Yeah, sounds like a clock."
"That happens about the beginning of the sixth week," Pogue said, having read the books.
Hope grinned, scanning her mental calendar. It was the first week of July now so... "It must have been the week Judy told us she was pregnant, and then all weekend we-"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Justice interrupted, palms up. "As the kids are still saying, TMI."
xx
"Hey, Row! Hope's knocked up!" Reid yelled from their bedroom as he hung up the phone.
"Really?" she squealed excitedly, emerging from the bathroom. "I'll ignore your comment, by the way." Her hands clasped over her chest. "We're all pregnant now."
"The circle is complete!" he announced bombastically.
Rowan's body jerked. "Darn. That was a strong one."
"He kicked again?" he asked, grin wide. He put his hands on her tummy. The first time his son kicked, a couple of weeks before their anniversary, was like being hit with an anvil, but in a good way. Reid felt a flutter. "Shit, I love that."
"You're lucky the baby can't quite hear you yet," she said.
He chuckled. "I'll clean it up." He bent down and gave her tummy a kiss. "You know, if I had bet someone that our baby was a boy, I would have won." Because it was a boy, no real surprise to them but it was nice to see on the ultrasound.
"Betting on the baby," she tsked.
When she took a step back towards the bathroom, a strong wave of light-headedness came over her and she saw white, her head felt like it was compressing. Reid caught her before she could fall.
"Row."
"It's okay," she said. "Just got a bit dizzy." Her face was pale, she felt a cold sweat coming on.
Reid began to take her pulse to which she did not object. It was 112. "Does your chest hurt?"
She shook her head.
They had their second weekly appointment tomorrow, but he wondered if he should just take her in today.
"No, it's okay," Rowan replied to his silent thought, "I'm feeling better. I just need to lie down for a bit." Just for a bit. "Can you hand me the baby journal? I need to record the time of those kicks."
xx
"He's already saying I need to take a sabbatical from work," Hope said, giving her husband admonishing eye.
"Yeah, well, we'll talk to the doctor and see," Pogue voiced, not giving ground.
Hope rolled her eyes and went back to talk with the other pregnant women. The guys were congregating nearest the kitchen with celebratory beers.
"I don't know about you," Maria said, "but I can hardly sit still. I can't remember the last time I've had so much energy."
Ginger and Judy had to concur, that is after the morning sickness had abated.
"Wait until you feel him kick," Ginger added, smiling.
"Oh, he finally kicked, Ginger?" Maria exclaimed. "Congratulations!"
"It'll be a while for me yet," Judy said.
"It's a wonderful feeling," Rowan put in.
But Rowan wished she could say she had as much energy as they all did. That she felt like she could run a marathon or jump for joy whenever the mood struck. The doctor allowed her mild exercise, brief walks, some light yoga, but nothing compared to what her female companions were capable of.
xx
Reid saw the brief flash of regret in his wife's eyes, but it quickly dissipated because he knew she did not want anyone to see and ruin the happy atmosphere. She had felt marginally better after resting the previous evening. At their gyno appointment this morning the doctor wasn't overly pleased with her vitals, but was always sympathetic and understanding. She once again reminded Rowan to take it easy, and the gamut of other health regimens which Rowan always followed to a T.
"Where's Gabe?" Tyler asked Hunter.
"Called away to another dimension," he replied.
"Maybe when you two have kids the work load will taper off," Caleb said.
All male eyes centered on the second eldest Son of Ipswich.
"I…" Hunter trailed off.
"You could have kids," Chase put in affably. "Isn't it the thing nowadays?"
"I never thought about it," Hunter answered.
"Well, you're going to have a shitload of kids calling you 'Uncle Hunter,'" Reid said, "so you won't ever be short of a bunch of tiny creatures demanding a piggy-back ride or something."
They chuckled.
"Or asking you to float them in the air," Pogue said.
"Raphael and Uriel nag me for that," Hunter confided, not without humor. "What's several more?"
xx
Mid-laugh, Ginger's cell phone rang. She apologized as she glanced at the caller ID. Her brow furrowed, but she did not answer.
"Who is it?" Maria asked.
"Just a friend," Ginger replied, putting away the phone.
"Ooh…that friend from the picnic?" Tyler's wife prodded. "What was his name?" She looked at Rowan.
"Jeffrey," Rowan said.
xx
Chase's stance tensed at the mention of Jeffrey's name.
"Damn, your wife got a stalker or something?" Reid quipped.
He didn't reply. Not used to confiding in others besides Ginger and Dottie, he didn't recognize the subtle invitation to vent guy-to-guy. So, naturally, Chase dealt with it the only way he knew how.
"Ginger, we have to go," he said, walking over to her.
All the girls startled at the sudden male intrusion.
"But, Chase-"
"Now."
Not wanting to create a scene, Ginger smiled apologetically with fond goodbyes and left with her husband.
xx
All he had wanted was to hear her voice, but she didn't answer. Jeffrey fumed deeply from across the street, hidden behind a tree. He wanted to be close to her, all he had was their lunches two days a week. But they seemed to be tapering off as the husband or another friend made plans with Ginger during their time.
Our time, Jeffrey growled.
Three minutes later he saw Ginger emerge from the apartment building with Chase. His heart galloped upon seeing his lady love; his veins pulsed fiercely seeing her with that ignoramus. Jeffrey noticed said ignoramus did not look happy.
Because I called? he mused. Perhaps.
Did Chase think of Jeffrey as competition? A rival for Ginger's affections? It was the only logical excuse for Chase's ill reaction. Jeffrey snorted contemptuously when Chase opened Ginger's car door for her. Gallantry from a Neanderthal.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, was their lunch date. Ginger had not said anything about other plans, so Jeffrey meant to make certain that it was just he and Ginger.
xx
"I can't believe you did that!" Ginger exclaimed as Chase drove.
He hands clenched the steering wheel and he stared straight ahead, not sparing Ginger a glance.
"Why did you do that?" she demanded. He didn't answer. "Chase!"
"Is that asshole so obsessed with you he has to call everyday?"
"He doesn't call everyday," she insisted.
"He calls enough."
Pause. "Have you been checking my phone Chase Smithers Collins?"
"Don't pull that middle name on me. Yes, I've been checking your phone." Jeffrey and Ginger didn't talk as much as it would seem, but they did have lengthy conversations for up to an hour.
"You don't trust me?"
He chuckled sharply. "No, I trust you. I don't trust him."
"You don't even know him," she argued.
"I know something's not right with him."
Ginger glared at him. "You've spoken to him once. Once. You have no right to judge him."
Chase snorted. "He does see that ring on your finger, doesn't he?"
"We're back to that again? Because I have a new friend, one who's male?" She did not give him a chance to reply. "Two people of the opposite sex can be friends. Look at Aaron Abbot and Rowan. Hunter and Rowan!"
"That's different," he growled. "And Hunter's gay, he doesn't count."
"How?"
"It just is!"
Ginger exhaled audibly. "You're jealous."
The silence was palpable. In a low voice, Chase said, "What did you say?"
"You are jealous, Chase Smithers Collins."
This time his middle name rang like a bell. He was convinced that middle names were given at birth for no other purpose than to be a signal when you were in deep shit.
"We'll talk about this later," he grumbled.
Ginger said nothing. She had her arms crossed over her chest, head turned to look out the window. After a very lengthy silence she spoke, "Jeffrey's had a hard time of it, Chase. You know he was married once?"
Chase frowned.
"But she died. In childbirth…the baby, too." Ginger looked at him. At least his jaw was no longer clenched. "Her name was Josephine."
"I'm supposed to feel sorry for him now?"
"No. But he's obviously lonely. There's no harm in extending a hand of friendship."
He sighed. "I don't like it Gin, but I can't stop you."
"Fine."
As they neared home, Chase asked, "Did you ever get his last name?"
Her brow rose. "Rosenberg."
xx
"Uh oh," Maria said after Chase and Ginger left. "I detect a marital spat coming on."
The guys came over to join their women.
"Jeffrey must be Ginger's first real male friend," Judy commented. "And Chase is having a difficult time assimilating that."
Pogue scoffed under his breath, having been right in Chase's shoes. "Maybe I should recommend my old counselor to him." This received a chuckle.
"Yeah, if Pogue can overcome his moods," Hunter said, smirking.
"Maybe he needs a 'guy' night," Hope suggested, looking at the males. "You could take him to Nicky's."
It didn't sound like a bad idea. They hadn't been to their favorite hangout of yore in a few months now. It wasn't just for teenagers. And one was never too old for pool or foosball. Not long after, the couples left, leaving Hope and Pogue alone. Both were still processing the pregnancy and looking forward to their gyno appointment the following day.
Hope had not been exaggerating when she'd told her friends that Pogue was already harping on her to 'take it easy' with the yoga and self-defense instructing. Hope was in excellent shape and was confident the doctor would agree with her continuing her job; up until a certain point in her pregnant state of course. She was going to do anything and everything to make certain she and her baby remained healthy.
"I was thinking," Pogue said. They sat on the roof upon a wooden bench-swing they'd put up years ago. It was supported by a sturdy A-frame of durable wood.
"Hmm?" she said. Hope was quite content laying on the swing, head on her husband's lap, legs hanging over the edge.
"The apartment's big enough for the two of us," he said as he stroked his fingers through her hair. "But our son's going to need room to play."
"Like a big back yard."
Pogue smiled. "Yeah. And the roof probably isn't the safest place to be."
"So…are you saying we should get a house?" Hope had been thinking of that for a while now, but it never seemed like a priority with it being just the two of them.
"Do you want a house?"
Hope grinned. She remembered having a house and back yard once. When her parents were alive, before they died. It'd been filled with smiles and laughter, some tears, but mostly Hope recalled the good times. She had lost her family young, and had not felt the security of family until she met Pogue years later.
"When can we start looking?" she asked.
xx
"Listen, I know Row will resist it, but please call me if she feels sick," Reid told Hunter.
Hunter nodded. "I will. No worries."
Reid had just kissed his wife (who was gardening) goodbye and was walking towards the front door with Hunter. The blond just didn't feel comfortable with leaving Rowan alone for too long by herself.
"I shouldn't be going to this," Reid mumbled.
The taller of the two chuckled and slapped his friend on the back. "Go on, man. Schmooze with the lawyers and business types, get this ownership thing wrapped up."
"I hate schmoozing," Reid complained, tugging at his tie.
Today he was meeting with his lawyer (Atticus Crane, who mostly did prosecutorial work, but moonlighted as the Family's legal representative, along with his two sons), the ex-owner of Beans, and some other 'business types,' to finalize the process. There were still some nuts and bolts to tinker with despite Reid Garwin being, technically, the owner of Beans.
Five minutes later, not without some more grimaces from Reid, Hunter walked back outside where Rowan was now sitting on a blanket, tossing a ball to Erwin while Tippy and Bruce Lee wrestled. Hunter sat down next to her with an exaggerated groan of relaxation. Rowan smiled at him.
"Nice break from slaying demons," Hunter mused.
She chuckled. "Slaying demons to a hormonal pregnant woman."
"Yeah, I don't know which is worse."
Rowan playfully slugged his arm before falling silent.
Hunter gave her a few minutes of playing fetch with Erwin before he spoke to her about something on his mind. "I noticed you were kind of quiet yesterday at Pogue's."
"Hmm." She threw the ball one more time for Erwin. "Can we go for a walk? I didn't get my daily exercise yet."
Hunter helped her up. The animals, upon seeing their humans heading for the lake, got up and followed. Rowan threaded her arm through Hunter's, one of the five men she felt absolutely at ease with, always. The breeze ruffled her hair and she wiped it out of her face. Her aversion to being near large bodies of water had gradually waned over the years though she still preferred to keep at least ten feet distance when she took a stroll.
"I wish I could run," Rowan said softly. "Or have the energy to be on my feet for hours at a time, take self-defense." She rolled her eyes at that. "Something."
"It's hard for some women," he tried, hoping his words offered some solace. Hunter thought that his much beloved friend was beyond that at this point.
"I know," she agreed. "But why does it have to be hard for me?" She looked up at him. "Just this one time, Hunter. This one experience I'd like not to be…ill. I'm happy about my baby but… I'm scared I'm not strong enough to carry him." She stopped walking now, trying to keep her tears at bay.
"You are strong enough," he told her, believing it.
"Physically? No. Maybe not. I have to…do more monitoring of myself than the healthy pregnant woman. Reid's worried. He shouldn't have to be this worried!"
"He's worried because he loves you."
"But he shouldn't have to be," she insisted. She sniffed. "Bruce Lee was hiding the other day. So I followed him. He was behind Reid's mini bar." Rowan breathed deeply. "Reid knows I don't go back there because, you know, it's his place." Rowan smiled at this. "And I found a list of books." Not like the ones on becoming a prospective father, the ones with humorous titles.
Hunter saw she needed a pause and did not bother her when she ceased speaking for a minute and wiped her tears away.
"It was a list of books about the loss of a child, miscarriage and how to deal with it, premature birth." She laughed bitterly through her tears. "He shouldn't even have to think of that. And he is because I…" She held both hands over her stomach. "Because I'm weak."
He pulled her into his arms, unable to keep from doing so any longer.
"If…if anything happens to our baby…do you think Reid will hate me for it?"
"No!" Hunter exclaimed, cupping her face in his hands. "Listen to me, Rowan. There's nothing you could do to make Reid hate you. He knows you're strong. And he knows your being sick is not your fault."
"And what if our baby is sick because of me? Complications from premature birth, or just being affected by the preeclampsia?" She sniffed. "What then?"
He shook his head, almost imperceptibly.
Before he could answer, she said, "Argh!" Rowan stepped away with a self-deprecating smile on her face. "Listen to me. Spouting self-pity." She wiped her face as best she could with her hands. "I'm being stupid."
"No."
Rowan waved him off good-naturedly. "Let's go in. I'm having one of those pregnant woman cravings."
Knowing that steering her back into talking of her troubles wasn't best at the moment, Hunter let Rowan lapse back into her natural state of benevolence. She took his hand and laced his fingers with hers, simply comforted by the gentle squeeze of his grip.
"One more thing," she said.
"Yeah?"
Rowan lifted the hem of her peasant skirt. "Tell me honestly. Do my ankles look puffy?"
xx
"You look really nice today," Jeffrey complimented Ginger.
She blushed lightly. "Thank you." Her eyes danced away, embarrassed. "It's just the hormones though. The 'glow.'"
Jeffrey chuckled. "That's what my wife said." This was good, he needed to insert Josephine into the conversation as much as possible; to get Ginger's sympathy, compassion. Reel her in.
As was his intention, Ginger did don a genuinely sympathetic expression. After telling Chase about Jeffrey's past, her husband had been quiet. They still weren't entirely made up from the previous day because Ginger believed she'd done nothing wrong and no apology would be coming from her. And Chase was being plain stubborn. He'd gotten a new wind for his current novel and was alternating between typing and writing depending on where he was.
Jeffrey cleared his throat, sensing (peevishly) that he was losing Ginger to some other place in her head. "I was wondering," he proposed. He once again had her focus. "This Saturday the Coolidge Corner Theatre is showing a double-feature of classic romance films. I have an extra ticket and I'd love it if you'd go with me."
Her brow rose and she did not answer for a moment.
"I promise I'm not one of those people who chat throughout the whole film," he joked.
Ginger grinned. "That's good. It's very tempting. I love romance movies."
"They're showing Casablanca, and Love Story."
"Those are two of my favorites!"
"Mine, too!" And he had watched and watched them, taking copious notes, memorizing lines. So he said, "Here's lookin' at you kid."
"'I wish I didn't love you so much,'" Ginger quoted the next line. She gasped, put her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I just got caught up."
"It happens to me all the time," he laughed. "So?"
"Hmm…" She worried her bottom lip. "I…" Why was she so apprehensive? She and Jeffrey were just friends, friends went out to see movies together. "Okay. What the heck!"
"Great!" His cheeks hurt he was smiling so wide. "I can't wait. I can pick you up around noon."
"You know, I think it'd be best if I just met you at the theatre," Ginger said. Wouldn't want Chase giving Jeffrey the evil eye or trying to interrogate her friend.
"Whatever you prefer." As long as I get you.
xx
When Reid got home Rowan was sleeping. Erwin was curled up against her back with Bruce Lee under his muzzle, and Tippy was gently held against Rowan's chest. He slowly tapped into their bond so he could feel what his wife was in her slumber. There was no discomfort, just genuine, peaceful sleep.
The blond changed quietly so as not to disturb her and went downstairs to talk to Hunter. Naturally, the first words out of his mouth less than fifteen minutes ago were to inquire about Rowan, but hadn't gotten a full report.
"Sandwich?" Hunter asked.
"You making it?" Reid replied.
Hunter snorted. "At least I can make a sandwich."
"I can make sandwiches."
The Shepherd merely chuckled. "Rowan made them before she went to rest. She knew you'd be hungry when you got back."
That's why I love her, Reid thought. He and Hunter sat in the TV room (adjacent to the kitchen) on the couch, shoeless feet propped on the coffee table, with fat sub sandwiches on a Dixie plate and a side of chips.
"You think we're too old to be spoiled like this?" Hunter inquired.
Reid glared at him incredulously. "That's a philosophical argument I don't want to get into. I like being spoiled."
"Yeah, and after your son's born?" Hunter parried.
Reid grinned, shrugged, took a healthy bite of his sub. After a bit, when a commercial break interrupted the Discovery channel's segment on the history of witches, Reid remembered something from the previous day.
"Oh, yeah, you free this weekend?"
"Nah. What's up?"
"That thing the girls mentioned yesterday at Pogue's. About going to Nicky's."
"I'm free."
"One of us has to call Chase for the invite."
Hunter eyed Reid blandly, jaw moving monotonously.
"Ah, come on!" Reid said. "You missed our intervention thing so now you have to do your part and call Chase."
"Why don't you call him?"
Reid sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew that it would probably be best if he did. For some reason, Reid understood Chase's biting humor and outlook on things; not overly pessimistic but certainly with an edge. Plus, Rowan had asked him to reach out to Chase. Not that he liked to do a lot of 'reaching;' he was a guy after all, and Moments with anyone other than Rowan made him grimace.
"All right, I'll call him," the blond capitulated, receiving an arched brow from Hunter. "No one can say no to me." Bite. Chew.
Hunter snorted. "Yeah, Reid, you're persuasive that way."
Still chewing, he said, "Don't mock me."
"Whatever." Bite. Chew. "How was the meeting?"
"All done with the schmoozing. My dad thinks I should take some business classes though."
"Go back to college?"
Reid frowned theatrically. "Not for a degree. But just to have a better understanding of the business world." He shook his head mournfully, as if the return to academics was inevitable and as uncomfortable as a scheduled colonoscopy.
"You going to?"
"My dad knows more about business than I do. So…" Bite. Chew. Swallow. "I'll have to think about it. I won't make any solid plans until after the baby's born."
Mentioning the impending birth of said baby, Hunter was more clearly reminded of Rowan's painful insecurities. Should he mention it to Reid? Or would that give the blonde more reason to worry? One of issues that had Rowan fretting. Luckily for Hunter, Reid was so occupied with the last bits of his sub and complaining about the some of the myths and legends about witches on the Discovery channel, that he did not notice Hunter's furrowed brow of troubled indecision.
xx
"You are not going," Chase ordered.
Ginger exhaled sharply. "I can go where I please with my friend."
"Jeffrey," he scoffed, spitting the name out like poison. "Spending all day with him?"
"It's a double feature, Chase!" She would be leaving in twenty minutes to meet Jeffrey at the theatre. She hadn't told Chase of her plans until forty-five minutes ago. He'd been so angry he stalked off without a word. Now he was calm enough to talk…sort of.
Chase lorded over her as she sat on the bed to put on her boots. "Ginger. You're not going."
She stood up, head tipped back to look him in the eyes. "Chase, you cannot tell me who I may or may not socialize with. I don't know how many times I can tell you that Jeffrey and I are just friends until you believe it. I love you more than anyone, and you're my best friend, you don't have to be afraid of losing my affection for you."
"I'm not afraid of Jeffrey replacing me!"
"I can't think of any other reason why you're so opposed to this then." Ginger shrugged. "You're going to have to accept it." Chase was stunned which gave Ginger the moment to stand on tip-toe and give her husband a kiss on the cheek.
Chase was standing in the same place when she grabbed her purse and fifteen seconds later the front door closed behind her.
xx
It was Saturday so naturally Nicky's was crowded. Since they were teenagers the place hadn't changed. The jukebox was in the same place, as were the foosball and pool tables. People still refused to form an orderly line to order at the bar, instead choosing to yell their orders over peoples' heads. And when a patron got rowdy, Nicky still had his old wooden bat to wield.
Caleb, Reid, Tyler, Pogue, Hunter and Chase occupied a round table in the back. The eldest Son of Ipswich had been the last one to arrive and probably would have begged off if Reid hadn't called to remind him of their get together at Nicky's.
"Pinkie and Laurie declined the offer to come," Reid was saying.
"Apparently we're too rugged for them," Hunter added.
"Did Ginger join in the chick flick fest tonight?" Reid asked Chase. He couldn't remember if Rowan said if Ginger would make it or not to their place for said movie night.
At the mention of Ginger, Chase's jaw clenched and he took a drink of his beer to keep from answering for a moment. "I don't think so."
"Oh, yeah," Reid blurted, suddenly remembering, "she went to that old theatre with her friend, right?"
Chase gripped his beer bottle, blue eyes glaring above his companions' head. Tyler nudged Reid with his elbow.
"They're not friends," Chase said as if it were an afterthought.
The guys stared at him. Reid said, "You know, Pogue could suggest a great counselor to help you out with these jealousy issues-" He was met with a chorus of disdainful groans, and reproachful eyes. "I'm just saying!"
"I'm not jealous," Chase defended, and even to his ears the denial sounded false, especially in the light of male comrades; who were giving him dubious stares mixed with wry pity because they'd all been there a time or two.
"Sure, right," Reid said, nodding.
"Do you shut up?" Chase snapped. "Ever?"
"No, he doesn't," Caleb answered. "Ever."
Reid opened his mouth, "I'm just saying-"
"Yeah, yeah, we heard you," Tyler cut him off.
"Like you guys haven't been in Chase's shoes here," Reid went on valiantly.
That rendered them suitably quiet, dousing it with their beverages. Reid was grinning superiorly at his coup; the last word. He broke the silence by saying, "I read one of your books."
Chase's brow rose. Reid read one of his books?
"Well, I mean, Rowan read one of the short stories to me and I didn't know you had written it-"
"Otherwise you wouldn't have listened?" Chase interrupted dryly, getting a laugh from the guys.
"This was several years ago, so, yeah, I probably wouldn't have," Reid answered honestly. "It was okay, kind of wordy though."
"It's a book," Chase rejoined.
"Hence the words, Reid," Hunter said wryly.
And even Chase found himself laughing, joining in the camaraderie like he belonged. Funny, the last time he had been here he was just coming from watching a movie with Pogue's ex-girlfriend, trying to horn his way into the group, causing tension that led to the inevitable showdown that had ultimately led him to…Ginger. If he hadn't lost against Caleb that night, he never would have met her. And…
Someone nudged him, it was Reid.
"All of us have been jealous of at least one of our significant other's male friends," Reid told him.
Chase glanced at the guys who all agreed somewhat sheepishly, but as evidence of their proudly worn wedding rings, they'd worked it out with their partners.
"And unless we've got solid proof that the dude's some kind of psycho, we have to accept it," was Reid's final word. "Now, enough caring-and-sharing. Who's up for pool?"
xx
"'Some proof that the dude's a psycho'?" Rowan quoted Reid from earlier that night.
It was one in the morning, her guests had departed sometime after eleven, and her husband came home a few minutes past midnight. They were getting ready for bed as Reid told her about Nicky's.
Reid grinned at her. "I got my point across." With a relaxed groan he got into bed next to Rowan. "How's baby doing?" He put his hand on her tummy, hoping to feel a kick.
"Sleeping," she said. "I can tell."
"Sleeping as quiet as our furry kids?" He looked at the three animals, dead to the world on their beds in the corner.
"I think all the girl stuff tired them out," Rowan said. She turned off the lamp, getting situated with Reid. "I wish Ginger could have come."
Reid chuckled. "I bet Chase wished she had come here too." As opposed to where Ginger had gone.
xx
Jeffrey was still high from his day with Ginger. His entire body was on vibrate from being so close to her for several hours. Many times he had had to restrain himself from reaching over and taking her hand in the dark movie theatre. Instead, as they shared a jumbo bowl of popcorn, he had timed himself accordingly so their hands would periodically meet. He had also managed to swipe the straw she had used for her drink. He added it to his collection.
What was she doing now? Jeffrey wondered. Probably sleeping soundly. He imagined it was he that was slumbering next to her and not that…
Red rage coursed through him violently.
"No," he seethed under his breath. "Don't think about that."
His gut clenched, past memories of betrayal seeping forefront to his mind. They had cruelly betrayed him, turned their backs on him. Bitches! Whores!
Jeffrey reached under his bed to retrieve a thick photo album. His entire body shuddered, seeing her face again. Josephine. His fingertips stroked the page.
"Why did you betray me, Josephine?" he whispered. "I would have done anything for you."
He scanned the photographs he had taken. Josephine in the park, at work, shopping, working, living her life. A life she should have been spending with him. Pictures then graduated to newspaper articles. His Josephine had gone missing. The search for his Josephine spread wide and far. Her loved ones interviews filled with pleading and laments of their lost Josephine.
And that man. His face pictured in black and white. The man Josephine had betrayed him for.
Jeffrey scoffed. Well, he showed her what happened to those who deceived him, who toyed with his heart strings before cutting them viciously.
The stories of Josephine stopped. Her memory faded to the next chapter in the album's contents, his once beloved Janice. She had mislead him too.
Rhona. Lacey. Carlene.
All unfaithful.
But not Ginger. No, Ginger would never let him down. She wasn't like the others. She was pure, wholesome, faithful. And when the time was right, Ginger, he, and the baby would begin a fresh life together. After all, Ginger told him that she loved him just the other day. (In his delusional mind he dismissed the fact that Ginger was quoting a line from Casablanca.) And Ginger would not profess love insincerely.
Jeffrey closed the album reverently.
I noticed some more people were alerting this story. I'd like to know what you guys think. :)
Major thanks to the continued readers and/or reviews. Always hugely appreciated. :D