Talk of the Town, page 19
“Mom, I wouldn’t have married Kyle anyway. I know you and Dad really liked him, but he wasn’t the right guy for me. Brewster is my husband and I love him.”
She nods. “I know. I just wish your father and I had been a part of it. We love Brewster. We’ve always loved him. And we’re thrilled you’re happy; we’re just feeling a bit left out is all. And now we don’t even get to buy your dress or pay for your wedding or anything the bride’s parents are supposed to do. I’ve looked forward to your wedding day since you were a little girl. I’m just a little sad, sweetheart.”
And whether it’s mom guilt or just the mournful expression on my mother’s face, I wrap my arms around her and give her a big hug. “I’m sorry, Mom. I promise, if we had planned this at all, you and Dad would’ve gotten to pitch in all the ways you wanted. How about this; you and your ladies’ group can throw us a shower and you can go with me and Brewster to register for stuff, okay?”
Her eyes brighten. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I’ll even let you plan the menu and I’ll do my best to not complain.”
She smiles and returns my hug. “Okay, I can live with that. And when you have babies, I can throw showers then, too, right?”
I laugh. “One thing at a time, Mom. It’ll probably be a little while before we have kids.”
“I don’t know. Marriage has a way of making people baby crazy. Your father and I were only married two years when Graham was born. Of course, it could’ve been our inability to keep our hands off one another that contributed to that.” She winks and I blush.
“Mother! I don’t want to hear about that.”
Augusta laughs. “Oh, she and Brewster already have the whole not keeping their hands to themselves part down, Mrs. H. It’s totally weird considering that just a couple of weeks ago they were only friends. They’ve flipped some sort of switch, and now they’re all over each other.”
I level my friend with a glare. “Augusta. I don’t need my mother knowing things like that, thanks.”
My mother dismisses my admonishments with a wave. “Oh, please, that son-in-law of mine is quite yummy. I can totally see the appeal. I’ve never really liked long hair on a man, but it works for him.”
Augusta pipes up, “Right? He rocks it. I bet it feels great to run your fingers through, doesn’t it, Gem?”
I cover my face with my hands. “I’m not talking about this right now.”
“That’s a yes,” Augusta says with a laugh and my mother joins in.
I’ve never been more grateful for an interruption as I am when Ashley comes out of a back room, arm loaded down with dresses, none of them white. “Alright, Gemma, I’ve got several to get us started, if you want to come with me.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
BREWSTER
After seeing Gemma, I head back into the station to take a bit of time to go through my emails. Most are simply for company-wide distribution that were valid last week, but don’t serve a purpose to me now, so I delete them.
When I get my inbox cleared out, I’m disappointed to see I don’t have one from the casino employee. A quick online search nets me the phone number for the casino, so I decide to give Edward a quick call.
Ten minutes later, after I’ve been routed through seemingly every employee at the casino, I’m connected with Edward’s company voicemail. I leave him a brief message and my number, hoping to hear from him soon.
Once I leave the station, I go by the grocery store to get enough groceries for the week, including Gemma’s favorite caramel and chocolate gelato and a bag of Cheetos, knowing those are her preferred PMS foods. I can’t help but smile that I’ve known Gemma long enough to know exactly what all her favorite things are.
In the past, whenever I thought about marriage, which, to be honest, wasn’t a lot, I always dreaded the thought of having to combine houses and learn the habits of someone, knowing there are some things you never truly know about someone until you live with them.
But I don’t feel that with Gemma. We’ve spent so much time together over the last ten years, I’ve yet to be surprised by anything in the week we’ve been married. Granted, working closely with someone, you learn the ins and outs of their bathroom habits after a while, so not even that part of our relationship has been a surprise.
The thought of women’s periods has never bothered me. I mean, what’s the point in being grossed out by something that’s completely natural? So there have been several instances where I’ve gone on supply runs for Gemma. And since she’s not a prude, she’s never been ashamed of her cycles, anyway. She’s always been good to tell me when she’s PMSing since we met, but anymore, I’ve almost got her cycle memorized since I’ve known her for so long.
So, I throw some tampons in the cart for good measure, just in case she’s low, and finally head to the checkout. The clerk, a woman in her fifties, rings up my order and when she gets to the tampons, she gives me an impressed nod. “How long have you been married?”
I chuckle. “A week.”
Her eyes widen. “And you’re comfortable enough to buy your wife’s tampons and she’s comfortable enough to let you? Wow, that’s something.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I’ve known my wife for ten years. We were best friends before we got married.”
She nods. “Well, that’s good. Not a lot of men, even ones married for a long time, will venture into that territory. I applaud you.”
I grin. “Nothing to applaud. It’s the least I can do for what she has to go through. I don’t know what I’ll do when we have kids. I’ll probably need to buy her a new car or something for that.”
The clerk laughs and tells me my total and I swipe my debit card. She hands over my receipt and congratulates me on my marriage. I thank her and roll my cart out to my car to load the groceries.
Knowing Gemma’s going to eat with Augusta and her mother after they visit the dress shop, I swing in and grab a fast food burger and fries to eat on the way over to her apartment to gather the things on the list she gave me.
When I pull in at the complex, I look over the list one last time before sticking it in my pocket. I nearly laugh out loud when I read Gem’s neat script and see that she’s underlined and circled the word “pillows”.
I’m guessing if I go home without those pillows, she’s gonna be pissed.
As I reach the door to her apartment, I run my fingers over the frame for the spare key and head inside. And although she didn’t ask me to, I clean out the fridge of expired items so they won’t start to smell, and also toss out some shriveled apples and black bananas.
I glance around her kitchen to see if any of her small appliances are better than mine, and unplug the coffee maker since I know for a fact it’s practically brand new, as I was with Gem when she bought it last month. I set it on the table next to the front door and grab a trash bag from under the sink to put her pillows in.
I walk into the bedroom and bag them up, along with a few other items Gemma must’ve overlooked when she was here. I pull the list out of my pocket to double check that I have everything and see that she’s also listed the books on her nightstand. I grab the bag and books and start back toward the front door. When I’m halfway down the hall, it opens with a soft groan.
My first thought is that Gemma must’ve forgotten something on her list, so she had Augusta run over to see if I was still here and she could just ride home with me. But when I get to the living room and see Kyle sitting on the sofa, I stop in my tracks.
He has a bottle of what looks like bourbon in his hand and it’s over half empty, so I’m sure he’s got to at least be buzzed, if not completely drunk. I set the bag and books down on the floor. “What are you doing here, Smith?” I try to keep my tone level, even though I’m pissed. I know for a fact that I locked the door when I came and I have the spare key in my pocket.
“How did you do it, Lincoln? Was it like some kind of long-term plan for you? You’d bide your time and then, as soon as we got in a fight, you’d pounce? We were supposed to get married.”
He stands, and he’s not too steady on his feet, but I still keep my distance, because I know myself and I’ve always itched for a reason to put my fist through Kyle’s face.
I still keep my tone even, but I level with him. “Actually, Gemma proposed to me, and I said yes.”
“Bullshit,” he literally spits out, droplets flying from his mouth.
I shrug. “I’m not saying you have to believe me, but that’s what happened. Now, I’ll ask you kindly, just this once, to leave whatever key you still have and go. I know for a fact Gemma wouldn’t like you being here. You have no reason to be; you have nothing here. She threw all your shit out with you the night she turned down your proposal.”
He tips the bottle up to his lips and takes a long drink before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yeah, and that’s your fault, too, fucker.”
I shake my head. “Whatever you need to tell yourself, man. I get it. Gemma’s the best woman I’ve ever met. If I lost her, I’d be torn up, too.”
“I never should’ve lost her. If it hadn’t been for your stupid ass, I wouldn’t have.”
I can’t help but smile. “From what Gemma said, you fucked yourself on that. You should’ve known better than to give her an ultimatum. She’s not some bird to be caged. Now leave, before I make you leave.” My phone rings in my pocket and I know, without even having to check, it’s Gemma. Probably wanting to make triple sure I got her pillows. “Listen, man, I’m sorry your life is shit right now, but it’s not Gemma’s fault or mine.”
He throws the bottle against the wall and I’m just thankful it doesn’t shatter. I square my shoulders as he takes a couple of steps toward me. Knowing that he has a temper, seeing as how he threw Gemma’s phone when he got pissed, I wouldn’t put it past him to charge me or try to get physical. “One of these days, Gemma’s gonna see what a loser you are, you know that? She’s going to realize how little you offer her. I wonder, does she still let out that little sigh when she comes? I always loved that.”
I laugh and his eyes narrow. “Kyle, I’ll tell you this. Nothing I offer Gemma is small by any stretch of the imagination. And as far as the sound she makes when she comes, it’s never been anything as quiet as a sigh. Most of the time, it’s my name that she absolutely screams.”
Even though I’m expecting it when he lunges at me, I’m not expecting his speed. He’s either not as drunk as I originally assumed, or he’s just an angry drunk. But somehow, the punch he throws merely glances off the side of my mouth. I still taste blood, but thankfully, it’s not a straight-on hit.
I manage to get a good right hook on his chin, but I’m not a fighter and apparently, Kyle is, because he comes in with a punch that lands square on my left eye and pain radiates through my cheek. He loses his balance after the second blow and while he seems to be a bit unsteady, I get a lucky shot off that hits him in the nose.
His hands fly to his nose and blood pours down his face as he stumbles back. “Enough, Kyle. I don’t want to fight you. You’re not worth it. You can go or I’ll call the cops.”
He falls to his knees, and a sob works its way up his throat. “I just miss her so much. And if it weren’t for you, I’d still have her.”
I wipe away the line of blood that runs from my bottom lip and I can tell it’s already starting to swell. “I was never your competition, man. I never would’ve gone after her while she was with you or anyone else. She’s still my best friend and all I’ve ever wanted was for her to be happy. Even if that meant she ended up being with you. But you never understood that.”
“It was always so easy with you two. Even after three years, I never felt like I had her the way you did. I was so jealous of you. When we’d all go out, you all had this shorthand and all these inside jokes. People always thought y’all were a couple and I was a third wheel. It made me feel like a fool.”
I nod. “Yeah, but if you had just let Gemma be herself, you might still have her. Like I said, I feel bad for you. Now that I’ve had her, I’d never be able to give her up. But you need to go. Also, hand over whatever key you’ve got. This is the last time you come here and you won’t call or text Gemma or harass her anymore. You also won’t harass us at work. If it happens again, we’ll file a restraining order.”
Kyle digs in his pocket, pulls out a key, and tosses it on the floor. He climbs to his feet and blood still pours from his nose. I walk over to the kitchen and pull out a towel and extend it toward him. “Do you need a ride or are you good to drive?”
He scoffs and snatches the towel from my grip. “I’m good.”
“Okay, then go. Like I said, don’t bother Gem anymore.”
He walks out the door and my phone rings again. I pull it out and answer it. “Hey, Pearl.”
“Hey, I thought you’d be home by now.”
“Yeah, I’m getting ready to leave your place. I’ll be there soon, okay?”
“Alright. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
When I pull in at the house twenty minutes later, I carry in the cold groceries first since they’ve been sitting out for a while. As soon as I walk in the door and Gemma glances up from where she sits on the couch watching Hell’s Kitchen, she jumps up from the sofa and runs over to me. “What the hell happened to your face?”
“You should see the other guy,” I say flatly. I put away the ice cream, milk, lunch meat, cheese, and eggs and Gemma steps in front of me.
“You’re home so late because you got in a fight?” After a beat, color rises to her cheeks. “I told you I would handle Kyle. I asked you to let me take care of him. You went and started a fight? You know I’m not some fence post for you to piss on, right?”
I slam the fridge shut and round on her. “I didn’t start shit, Gemma. Kyle came to your apartment. I was getting ready to leave and he was sitting on your couch, drunk. Although, I guess not too drunk to throw a couple of punches. I was happy to let you handle it. I wasn’t going to get involved if I didn’t have to. But he attacked me, Pearl. I wasn’t going to willingly take a beating just because the guy’s in bad shape. I even tried to be civil. I asked him nicely to leave. And until the point that he wanted to talk about our abilities in the bedroom, I was cool.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fucking male ego. I swear. I bet you wanted to get out a ruler and measure your dicks, didn’t you?”
I can’t help the smile that crosses my face. “Not directly. But I made sure he knows that you’re very satisfied.”
She sighs and shakes her head. “Sweet Jesus, Brew. Your eye looks bad. And your lip. What did you do to him? We both know you’re not a fighter.”
I chuckle. “I got a lucky shot off and I think I broke his nose. But then he just cried. It was a really shitty first fight. I thought I’d always feel this rush of adrenaline, but turns out, I just felt bad for the guy.” I put my hands on her hips and pull her to me and look into her eyes. “I know if I lost you, I’d be distraught, too, so I can’t really blame him. But he shouldn’t bother us anymore.”
Gemma grips my jaw, her expression serious. “Are you okay?”
I nod. “I’ll be fine. I just hope this black eye goes away before the party.”
“It better, or Curtis will say you got in a fight on purpose to ruin the pictures.” We laugh and she presses a kiss to my lips and I hiss. She gives me an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Put some ice on that. I’ll get the rest of the groceries.”
I shake my hand. “I’m fine, Gem. But you can come get these pillows and stuff that I had to literally fight my way out with.”
She rolls her eyes. “Sure. Although, I think you’ll like these pillows.”
“I like my pillows just fine, thanks.”
“That’s just because you haven’t slept on my pillows.”
While we lay in bed later, Gemma draws lazy circles on my stomach with her fingertip. “Did you find a dress today?” I ask as I drag my fingers down her back.
She presses a kiss to my pec. “Yep. It’s so perfect, even Mom liked it. She’d picked out some traditional dresses, and I still tried them on for her, but as soon as I put on the dress, even she knew it was the one.”
“So, what do you mean by traditional, just a white one or whatever?”
“Yeah, I told her up front I was not wearing a white dress. And the one I got is nowhere near white.”
“Ooh, sounds interesting. Want to tell me about it?”
“Nope, I want to surprise you.”
I run my hand down her arm and intertwine our fingers. “Okay. Do you still want me to get a dark gray suit? Isn’t that what color you said?”
“Yeah. I mean, you could do black, but gray looks better on you.”
“You’ve got it. Lawson is going to go with me, and then we’re going to go out for beers.”
“That’ll be fun. I’m sorry about Kyle, and I’m sorry that I assumed you started the fight.”
“It’s okay, Gem. If it was up to me, there would have been no fight. Fighting is overrated. I can’t believe people actually do that for a job. My eye hurts like a bitch.”
Her laugh vibrates through her chest and into my skin. “Oh, poor baby. Want me to kiss it and make it better?”
“You can kiss any part of me you want, Pearl. Always.”
Her hand slowly skims down my waist. “Is there a particular part you would like me to focus my kisses on?”
I huff a laugh. “No. If they’re kisses from you, I’d be happy to have them anywhere you wanted to put them.”
Her fingers slip under the waistband of my boxers. “Do you need kisses here?”
“That might be nice,” I say with a smile.
Her hand dips into my boxers and she runs her fingers along the length of my cock and taps the head. “What about here? Do you need kisses here?” My cock hardens under her touch and I hear her smile in her voice. “I’ll take that as a yes,” she says as she pulls her hand out.
