Pawliday Love

3. Big Plans

CHAPTER THREE

BIG PLANS

THALIA

“ O kay, honey. Be a good girl. Listen to your abuela and your tías. If I hear you got fresh, I’m gonna smack your stinky lil’ behind, you hear me?”

Thalia was busy kissing Ixchel’s cheek in a long goodbye. She would never make good on her threats and Ixchel knew it. Her daughter was wriggling, already anxious to get in the car. Her ex-husband waited patiently while his girlfriend was in the passenger seat wearing a fake smile.

Thalia was still pissed that Abel was exposing her daughter to a woman he’d been dating less than six months. Still, she found it amusing that Tenasha looked like her clone, a brown-skinned woman of Caribbean heritage, except she was quiet and wore her hair dark and straight the way he preferred. Abel’s perfect woman, for now. Thalia doubted they would make it through this vacation.

“Mommy, you’re squishing me,” Ixchel groaned.

With a deep sigh, Thalia released her. “Okay. Tell your mom and your sisters I said hi,” she told Abel.

“Sure will. Have a good Christmas,” he responded, his eyes raking her up and down.

He made sure Ixi was buckled up properly in the back seat, then waved at Thalia before getting behind the wheel and taking off.

Anxiety blossomed in her chest even though she knew Ixchel would be fine. Abel was attentive to her and the Mendoza family loved her to pieces. It was Thalia who suddenly didn’t know what to do with herself for her first Christmas without Ixchel since she’d been born.

She went back inside to escape the cold. Rick happened to walk in seconds later, blowing warm air into his hands.

“Hey, Hero,” Thalia greeted him.

“Hey, Blue Hair. I saw your daughter leave. She looked excited for her trip.”

Thalia sighed. “Yeah, she can run wild without mommy nagging her.”

She was about to go up the stairs to her apartment when Rick cleared his throat. “I’m about to make myself some coffee. Want a cup?”

“Sure, okay,” she responded cautiously.

Thalia tried not to breathe in too deeply standing behind Rick while he got the door unlocked. He smelled delicious like freshly baked cinnamon rolls.

He was carrying a giant black plastic bag. “Presents for the knuckleheads,” he explained, throwing the bulging bag under the large Christmas tree. “My siblings. They’re coming for dinner tomorrow.”

“Nice.”

“I’ll go put on the coffee,” he said, eyeing her for a moment after they’d taken off their coats.

While he was in the kitchen, Thalia walked around looking at Bill’s art. She never got tired of examining the fine brush strokes and bold themes. Her eyes were pulled to the family photos on the mantle over the fireplace. The one Ixchel had mentioned was still there of Rick grinning at the camera with a laughing little boy.

Rick reappeared, handing her the mug carefully. “Sorry I went and made it like mine before I thought to ask your preferences.”

Thalia took a sip of the light, sweet drink. “Holy smokes, this is exactly how I make mine. Thank you, mind reader.”

He snorted, then took a sip from his own mug. He contemplated the photo, his eyes turning darker. When he went to have a seat on a chair, Thalia sat on the couch nearby.

She broke the suddenly awkward silence. “So I’m not the only one who won’t be with their kid on Christmas. What’s the story with your son and your wife? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Rick smiled and shook his head. “I don’t mind. Her name was…is Ashley. We were together three years but not married. She had a two-year-old when we got together. That’s Chase. We split earlier this year, in April.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Something tells me the split was her idea?”

Rick’s fingertips pressed into the mug so hard they turned white. “Look who’s the mind reader now.” He paused for a sip but remained silent for a stretch of time. Finally, he started again. “She’d been with the father on and off before me. Dude was a fucking bum. Never kept a job for long, didn’t do shit for his son. Ashley had to rely on her family for everything. One day he took off. We got together not long after that. I moved them in, and Chase started calling me daddy. I thought next steps were getting married and having another baby together. Then one day I come home, and she’s laid up in my bed with the bum. They’d been seeing each other almost the whole time we were together.”

“What the fuck? That’s awful.”

“I know. She said she never stopped loving the bum. She and Chase moved back in with him and his mother. I wanted to keep my relationship with Chase but...” He paused, swallowing down coffee and maybe a little rage. “Ashley said he had a real dad, and I had to move on. Move on. From a kid I took care of and loved for three years.”

“So that’s it? You don’t have any rights?” Thalia asked, enraged on his behalf.

“I went to court and asked for shared custody or visitation, but they said no.”

“I’m so sorry, Rick. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I suddenly couldn’t be with Ixchel for longer than a week.”

He shrugged, as if to brush it off. “Mind if I ask you something?” he asked this time.

“What happened with me and Ixchel’s dad?”

He nodded. Thalia blew a breath, running her palms up and down her thighs. “Well. We’d been casually fucking for a month or so when the condom broke and fucked us both.”

“Yikes. Whoops baby?”

“Yeah. But it ended up being my best whoops ever. I was already in my early thirties, and I thought, ‘Okay, it wasn’t planned but I can do the single mommy thing.’ But Abel, wanting to please his parents , insisted we get married. I realized after we were living together that he didn’t really like me. My tatts, my piercings, my taste in music, my wanting to be an artist. Finally, last year I got so desperate to salvage the marriage, I —” She took a deep breath. “Silly me suggested a threesome. You know, shake shit up a little.”

Rick almost spit out his mouthful of coffee. “A threesome? That’s some fucking shake up. Another dude, or another woman?”

Laughing, she said, “I should’ve asked for another dude. It was only supposed to be a one-time thing with someone I chose. Well, Abel liked my pick. A lot . I ended up watching TV and having take out in the hotel room while they banged. Afterward, he said he realized he’d be happier with her. And the fact that I felt relieved when he said it proved I’d be happier without him.”

“Oh, man,” Rick remarked sympathetically. “Is she the woman who was in the car?”

“Oh no, that’s his fourth woman. Threesome Girl didn’t last two weeks.” She laughed again, shaking her head.

After a silence, in a slow, deliberate voice, Rick asked, “If he wanted to get back together and reunite your family, what would you say?”

“I’d say hell no! He’s Ixchel’s father so he has to be in our lives, but I’d rather be alone than be with someone who doesn’t like me. I’m happier now than I’ve been in a long time. I’m excited about not knowing what happens next, you know? I’m ready to be surprised, in a good way.”

“Excited about the unknown,” he mused. “Not me. I prefer plans over surprises.”

“Control freak, huh?”

“Do I like to be in control?” He stared at her and her pulse revved up. “Sometimes. Anyway, he should’ve been able to appreciate how special you are.”

“I’m not for everybody.” She smoothed her fingers down one of her blue braids. The silence grew thicker as he stared at her. Thalia put her mug on the coffee table and stood up. “Thanks for the coffee and the company but I need to get ready for my class.”

Rick walked her to the door. “Okay. See you.” He was still smiling at her as she walked up the stairs.

Class was pretty much empty, as a lot of students had already left for the break. Thalia was headed back to the house when a gust of wind skipped past her cheek. With it came a faint whisper of something wet right on her eyelid. Rain? Snow?

Fingers crossed it would snow. That might help her feel better about this lonely ass Christmas she was facing.

Her phone pinged. It was her cousin Dani on video.

“Hey, babe! How is everybody?” Thalia asked, climbing the steps to the wrap-around porch of the yellow house. “Having fun being in the mix?”

She pulled her hood up over her head and sat on the porch swing, looking at the twinkling lights and decorations on the other houses.

Dani made a face. “In the mix is right. You sure you don’t want us to get you a flight down here? First class baby.”

Thalia flushed. As much as she wanted to be with everyone, she refused to let anybody pay her way.

“I’m good here. You know I have my Single Sexy Mommy in the City itinerary laid out.”

“That’s right! I am so happy you’re gonna dust the cobwebs off that pussy. Details, please.”

Thalia grinned, drawing her legs up to crossed position. She wore thick blue wool stockings under her red ankle-length wool skirt. Tucking the hem underneath, she thought wistfully of her new neighbor but quickly pushed him out of her head.

“Well, it’s gonna go like this…first is a day spa for a hot rock massage, where I heard you can get a full-on happy ending from a masseuse named Walter.”

Dani erupted into laughter. “Sounds legit. Somebody named Walter in this day and age has to be a freak. What else?”

“Next is ice skating at Bryant Park. I’m going to find a man who’ll take me into one of those private igloos and finger bang me while I drink my overpriced hot chocolate.”

Another howl of laughter came through the line. “You are crazy.”

“For the finale, I’m going to a random bar, and getting someone to take me home and pound me like a fucking drum .”

“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Get it!” Dani exclaimed. “But are you for real about a holiday fuckboy?”

“I am so for real.”

After the call ended, Thalia went back in the house shaking her head. Most of that list had been purely wishful thinking. In her pre-married life, she hadn’t been shy about getting what she wanted from a man. But since the split, she was simply too busy, too exhausted and a little too insecure to find someone to fuck. The best she could hope for was a handy from Walter the masseuse, if he was even real.

The thought crossed her mind of skipping all that and merely asking Hotness Hero to come up for an hour or two. Maybe he could save her pussy from loneliness if he was big on rescuing wild, neglected things.

Thalia spent Christmas day baking and watching television until it was time to put on real clothes, style her braids and take her treats downstairs.

Rick and his brothers Russ and Waya were there, and their sister Ani. Cade, the eldest, had flown in from London. All of them were gorgeous and had the dryest sense of humor.

Dinner was delicious, with the standard baked ham, garlic mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and some good greens. There was also fried fish and corn bread, made Cherokee style.

“What, no frybread?” she asked, and they laughed. “Bill, your frybread is the only reason I came down here.”

“Try this instead,” Bill said, putting a bowl in front of her. “It’s kanuchi. It’s made out of hickory nuts.”

She beamed when they enjoyed her angel food cake, pecan tarts and blueberry pie. Even Doggie Fresh the beagle came by and parked his butt right on her foot to beg.

By the end of the night, Thalia’s stomach hurt from too much good food and laughter. It was only a little awkward when Russ openly flirted with her, making his sister tease him about how obvious he was. But it was the brother who silently stared at anything but her, that made her pulse beat harder.

On her way out, Russ stopped her. “We’re going out for New Year’s if you want to come hang with us. Rooftop bar in Chelsea. It’s gonna be fun .”

“Maybe,” Thalia said, giving him a smile.

“Cool.” Russ stepped closer with a sexy grin. “How ‘bout you give me your number and —"

Rick appeared at her side, putting his hand at the small of her back to steer her toward the front door. “I’ll make sure she gets it. Thalia, let me walk you out.”

At the bottom of the stairs leading to her apartment, he paused. The sounds of his family talking and laughing came through the door.

Thalia gestured toward the noise. “They’re fun. It must have been a good time growing up together.”

“It was somethin’,” he drawled, his eyebrow raised. “Anyway, I was wondering. When are you gonna do your holiday adventure bucket list?”

Thalia blinked with surprise. “Tomorrow. In Manhattan. I’ve got my spa reservations and after that it’s whatever trouble I can find.”

Rick nodded, his arms crossed over his broad chest. “I was thinking I’d tag along on your adventure.”

Thalia spluttered a laugh. “You want to come hang out with me? But it’s a Single Mom bucket list. You’ll be bored.”

“You’re anything but boring,” he said, giving her a long look. Was he aware of the heat in his own gaze? “I just want to hang out. No pressure.”

Thalia thought it over. If she went by herself, there was a chance she might not run into any hot, single men dying to get in her pants. Spending a night of platonic fun in the city with her handsome hero might be cool. Better than being alone at any rate.

“Alright,” she assented finally. “But we’re doing the spa. Be ready by ten.”

“Cool. Would you mind if I come up with a few other things to do?”

“Okay. What do you have in mind?” she asked, intrigued.

He grinned. “I thought you wanted to be surprised?”