Chapter 30 #2
“Hmm. I was in college, too. My first boyfriend. I was nineteen. He was twenty. It was fine, but not what I expected. He didn’t know where the clitoris was, and I was too afraid to tell him he needed to focus some attention there. But it got better.”
“Just better?”
She sipped her wine. “Good enough. He found the clitoris. That helped.”
Alex’s phone buzzed. He casually picked it off the windowsill. Then he groaned. “For fuck’s sake.”
“What?”
There was a sudden banging on the front door, and a voice yelling, “Hey! You two! Let us in! We brought food!”
Diana sat up and turned to look at Alex. He frowned. Hard.
“Is that… Daphne? And Kane?”
“It’s all of the fuckers. Every last one of them, minus the kids. They said to let them in, or Seth is going to disarm the system remotely and they’re coming in. We have five minutes.”
He looked so annoyed that Diana started to laugh. And when she started, she couldn’t stop. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. “I don’t know why it’s so funny,” she wheezed. “Your face!”
He looked at her in wonder, but the corners of his mouth trembled until he was laughing, too. “Damn, you’re gorgeous when you laugh. Never saw you let go like this.”
“Nothing…this…funny…long time.” She wiped her eyes, still wheezing. “I don’t know why!”
He typed something into his phone. She heard the whoosh of the message going.
“Come on, Giggles,” he said, holding out a hand to help her to her feet so she could climb out first. “I told them ten minutes, but I guarantee they won’t wait a second longer.
Let’s get dressed and find out what they’ve brought us to eat. ”
He rose from the tub as she was reaching for a towel, but he got to it first. He didn’t give it to her, though. He dried her off thoroughly while she worked to get the laughing under control. Then he went to work on himself as she walked into the bedroom to find clothing.
He was muttering when he joined her. “They better have something good, or heads are gonna roll for this.”
Diana burst into laughter once more.
Eight minutes later, he was answering the door while she took her hair down from the messy bun she’d put it in for the bath and combed it thoroughly.
She was trying not to look too mussed, but the instant she joined everyone in the kitchen, it was patently obvious they knew what she and Alex had been doing.
“Hey, girlie,” Daphne said, giving her a side hug as Luna the Malinois came over, tail wagging, hoping for some pets. Diana obliged with ear rubbing. “Figured you’d be famished what with this one not letting you out of bed and all, so we brought dinner.”
“Daphne,” Alex warned.
“Headed outside to start the grill,” Kane interrupted. “Who’s with me?”
Chance and Blaze went, beers in hand, because one man wasn’t enough to start a grill. It wasn’t quite dark out yet, but twilight was waning. Somebody flipped on the flood light. Ethan and Seth were busy putting drinks in the fridge, and the women were setting out the plates, utensils, and napkins.
“What are we having?” Diana asked. Might as well go with the flow because these people were not leaving until everyone was fed and happy.
And, as much as she liked being alone with Alex, she didn’t mind spending time with them.
She was getting more comfortable every time they were all together.
Even if she didn’t quite belong, they accepted her because she was with Alex.
Though the women had informed her she would always be welcome, she thought it’d probably be awkward once they were no longer dating. A worry for later, though. For now, she was going to drink her wine and enjoy the fun.
“Grilled chicken,” Emma said. “And we picked up some sides from Miss Mary’s because she makes them family style. And a cake from Kiss My Grits.”
“Where are Violet and Nikki?” she asked as the men all disappeared outside with their beers, carrying platters of chicken and a bottle of barbecue sauce. Luna trotted outside with them.
“Violet is having a sleepover at Lily Park’s,” Paisley said. “And I’m nervous.” She held up her phone. “Hence the reason why I’m going to look at my phone a million times.”
“It’ll be fine,” Rory said, patting her arm.
“I know.” She huffed. “I know Trey is dead, and we’re safe—but I worry. She’s so little, and she had a rough time of it with Trey, so I worry she’s going to want to come home.”
“But she loves Lily,” Callie said. “And the Parks are wonderful people.”
“They are. Mr. Park is out of town this weekend and it’s Eun-Ji and the girls, but she said they were going to watch movies and make tents in the living room.
We talked it through, and Violet knows she can come home at any time if she gets scared.
I know that sounds very indulgent, but she still has some attachment issues.
Eun-Ji knows to call me if Violet has a hard time. ”
Callie wrapped her arm around Paisley and hugged her.
“I understand. My kid sister is with her trainer and some of the other girls. They’re helping to set up for a riding clinic at the barn tomorrow, and they’re going to sleepover at their trainer’s house because they have to get up early to get horses ready.
I know Nikki’s practically grown, but I still worry because I feel so responsible for her physical and mental health.
Like my parents would haunt me if I let anything happen to her.
But I also know I’m doing the best I can. And so are you.”
Paisley sniffed. “Thank you. Ethan says she’ll be fine, and he’s probably right. She’s stayed with Aunt Hettie before, and she didn’t have any problems. This sleepover with Lily is still a new thing and I’m obsessing over it.”
“So, nobody has to go home tonight,” Daphne said, coming over with a bottle of wine. “Between this house and ours, everyone can stay if you get blitzed. Well, except Rory and Emma. No getting blitzed for you two.”
Rory put a hand to her belly. “What I wouldn’t give for a glass of wine. It’s waited this long. It can wait until this little boy is born.”
“Oh my God,” Paisley said, “I thought you didn’t want to know. When did you find out?”
Rory beamed. “Thursday. Chance was fine with us not knowing. He never said anything, but I finally couldn’t stand it.
I’m looking at the nursery and wanting to know what color bedding to get, you know?
What kind of toys and onesies that aren’t neutral.
I was tired of yellows and grays. I want more color!
So I asked at our last appointment, and Dr. Shaw told us.
And we are not naming this baby Albert. Though I do kinda like Bear. ”
“As in Bryant,” Emma said as an aside to Diana.
“Oh. Of course. Roll Tide.”
“Yes! Roll Tide,” Rory said. “You get it.”
They talked babies for a little while before moving on to future plans and events.
Diana tried to sit silently and listen, but they kept dragging her in, including her in the conversation.
It wasn’t forced, but natural. Diana had been around enough people acting unnaturally in her job to know the difference.
When people were trying to hide things or putting on fake appearances, it showed up in ways she was very used to spotting.
These women weren’t faking anything. They were a genuine friend group, brought together by love for men who were friends and partners.
Emma and Rory were the only ones who’d been friends before they’d met their men, but if she didn’t already know that she would think every one of these women had known each other for years.
“Okay, speaking of upcoming holidays,” Emma said, raising a hand for attention.
“My parents have issued the invitation to all of you to join us at their house on Thanksgiving. Before you say no, my mother loves to entertain. Like loves it. She desperately wants a full house, and she wants to use all her dishes and silver. The house is big enough, and Theo has already agreed to smoke the turkey and make his to-die-for gravy. You don’t have to answer now, but please think about it.
I completely understand if you want to start your own traditions with your man and your family, but if you haven’t made any plans yet, come spend it with us. ”
Everyone said they were in without hesitation, though of course they had to make sure their men agreed—though nobody thought they wouldn’t. Rory and Chance had already accepted. Daphne was pretty certain Kane had no plans, and Callie and Paisley thought it was a great idea.
“Diana? Do you think you might come?” Emma asked.
Five women gazed at her expectantly. “I, um…”
She thought of her mother’s text. The phone calls that were soon to start.
The discomfort she would feel if she did go home for the holiday.
It was never a real family affair so much as it was a performance event to enhance social standing.
Everything was catered, and there were people to serve the meal.
Her brothers would go with their wives and kids in tow, and her mother would want to know when she was planning to get married.
Worse, she would make sure to invite an eligible pre-approved bachelor or two and seat Diana with them.
She wanted to go to Emma’s family home. A small-town Southern Thanksgiving?
She could think of nothing better. But it was over a month away.
What if she and Alex were sick of each other by then?
Would he want to spend a holiday with her?
Even if they were still pretending for the sake of the militia, would it be an intrusion to accept an invitation without discussing it with him first?
“Thank you,” she said, drawing on all her training in politeness and etiquette. “I’ll have to let you know, but I so appreciate the invitation.”
“You know,” Daphne said, leaning in, “if you’re thinking that you don’t know what the state of your relationship will be in a month, I totally get that.
But I’m telling you, that man is so into you.
I’ve worked with the guys for months, and I’ve seen the two of you butt heads—but I’ve never seen him like this.
He’s still intense and scary in ways I can’t even begin to contemplate, but he looks at you like Mr. Watson looks at a new pink unicorn T-shirt—and that’s an awesome thing, let me tell you. ”
Diana couldn’t help the inelegant snort that escaped.
She knew all about Mr. Watson and his T-shirts.
She’d gotten the lowdown on that when she’d been at the Bookalicious Besties meeting.
He had a whole range of shirts with sayings that could be outright funny or risqué, but his favorites were pink unicorns.
Soon, they were all laughing, howling about Hiram Watson and Fern Carter and the epic clashes those two used to have.
They’d mended fences, mostly, though sometimes Fern told Mr. Watson he was an obnoxious old queen and he called her a sour-faced biddy with a stick up her ass.
Then he’d bring her a box of donuts, or she’d give him unicorn cookies from Kiss My Grits, and all was well again.
It was a strange relationship to say the least, especially when they used to despise each other so much.
“To sum up,” Rory said, “Diana is a pink unicorn and Alex is an obnoxious old queen with a unicorn obsession.”
That started another fit of giggles all around.
By the time the men came inside with a platter of grilled chicken and a dirty platter for the sink, the women were wiping tears and snorting at things that wouldn’t usually make them laugh so hard.
The thing about laughter was that it was infectious—and it felt good.
They piled up plates with food, then gathered around the dining table that’d come with the house and occupied a rather large room with pocket doors.
The men told stories about their service together, though it was heavily censored.
Mostly about places they’d been and things they’d seen.
Ethan was terrified of spiders, and the others made fun of him, but they didn’t prank him with fake spiders.
Apparently, Daphne’s giant spider skeletons didn’t bother him at all because they were outsized and ridiculous.
There were other stories. Missed transports. Wrong directions. Parties where somebody got shit-faced and made a fool of himself.
The drinks flowed and so did the conversation. Diana’s head was swimming by the time Rory announced she had to go to bed, but first the kitchen needed cleaned. Everyone pitched in to wash dishes and put food away. Then the party broke up with lots of hugs and promises to do it again soon.
Rory, Emma, and Paisley were sober and could drive, Daphne and Kane only had to go next door, and Seth and Callie went with them to crash in one of the bedrooms there when Alex very firmly pushed them all out the door.
When they were gone and it was quiet again, Alex took her hand and led her to the bedroom. He dropped his T-shirt over her head, slipped on a pair of pajama pants, and they fell into bed, too tired to do anything but cuddle beneath the covers.
Diana yawned. “That was nice. Even if it felt like an interruption when they first arrived.”
“I wasn’t pleased, gotta say. But you’re right, it was fun. I’m glad they showed up and forced food on us.”
“You have a good team. A good family.”
“They are, aren’t they? I’m lucky to have them. This assignment hasn’t been what I thought it’d be, but oddly enough I don’t regret taking it. Thought I did for a while, but I don’t.”
She burrowed closer to him, feeling the chill creeping into the air. October nights were much colder than the days. “Emma said something about Thanksgiving. I hope you know I don’t expect to go with you—”
“Don’t you want to? Or do you plan to go home?”
She felt like being honest. “I do want to, and I don’t want to go to my parents’ house. But what if we remember we really don’t like each other? Do you want to be forced to spend a holiday that’s about family with me?”
He rose on an elbow beside her. “Princess, if this is what not liking you feels like, I want to keep doing it for as long as possible. I don’t think I’ll be over it by Thanksgiving. Do you think you will?”
Her heart squeezed tight, then took off like it had a race to win. “No,” she finally admitted. “I don’t.”
“Then unless you want to go sit around a table with the Adlers, I suggest you plan to come with me to the Suttons’ for Thanksgiving.”
“Okay.”
“Okay. Glad we solved that.”
She didn’t think they’d solved anything. But she liked the way it felt to be a part of his life.