Chapter 40
Deejay
Friday after school might be my favorite time of the week. The kids let go of the stress of the school week and can relax with more laughter and better attitudes, and I can leave the stress of weekend homework for another day. Fridays are pizza and movie night for us. I order enough pizza for the night and for anyone who wants cold pizza for breakfast, and then we just laze around the theater room eating and watching. The babies play on the floor, the younger kids can watch or play, and everyone else can watch, or do whatever. Sometimes, if the movie isn’t to our taste, we leave it playing in the background and break out a deck of cards.
Fridays are my favorite.
So, when I get done ordering the pizza online and find Matt looking fine in a three-piece black suit with a royal purple shimmering paisley patterned vest, I’m a bit startled. In his hand is a suit on a hanger and there’s a hopeful smile on his lips.
“Want to go on a date with me? Robbie’s agreed to babysit for us.”
I blink at him, shocked for about half a second before I launch myself at him. He grunts as our bodies collide and catches me with his free hand. I push my mouth onto his and my tongue into his mouth, so fucking delighted by this turn of events. He mentioned a date early in the week, and then nothing until right now.
Fuck, he’s such an amazing guy.
I kiss him thoroughly, making certain he knows exactly how I feel about his plans, and when I pull back, he happily smiles down at me. “Go get dressed. You have time, so no rush.”
Oh, this man.
I grab the suit out of his hand, kiss him again, and run upstairs. In the dressing room attached to my bathroom, I unzip the suit bag and take it out, looking at what he prepared for me. It’s gorgeous, of course, and made by my tailor! I didn’t even know Matt knew about my tailor. It’s a lovely shade of lavender with a satin gray vest and matching bow tie.
Swoon.
Excited, I hop in my shower, going through a thorough routine in anticipation of a fun night, and then style my hair into long curls. I debate about putting on make-up, but Matt did tell me to take my time, maybe he noticed my small collection of make-up? I don’t wear it except for going out, so not in months.
Yeah, I’m going to wear it.
I wipe some lotion onto my face, then liquid foundation and some powder to take the sheen off and blend. I add some light tan blush, brown eyeliner that makes my green eyes pop, nude eyeshadow, and mascara. I don’t wear make-up to look like I’m wearing make-up, I wear it to enhance my features and feel good. It’s amazing what a little eyeliner and lip gloss can do for a man’s confidence.
Satisfied with the man in the mirror, I head back to my wardrobe and pull on my suit, reveling in the slide of soft cotton over newly shaven skin. I feel amazing getting ready to go out on an actual date. And if the voice niggling at the back of my mind telling me it’s too soon to leave the twins won’t shut up, it can just go to hell for a few hours. I am doing this. The twins will be fine; Robbie knows the kids and how to care for them. He loves them and if something does happen, he happens to be surprisingly good in an emergency. Not that anything will happen. Nothing but movies and pizza and playing, and—
Shit, did I tell anyone the pizza would be coming?
No, I didn’t. Hopefully Matt or Robbie have cash for a tip to the delivery person.
I pull on my socks and shoes, and then admire Matt’s stylish choice in the mirror. I look so good. I grin at myself before heading downstairs just as the doorbell rings.
Sweet, I didn’t miss the pizza delivery.
I open the front door and stop short. On the stoop stands Tio with his black smile and a delivery guy holding five boxes of pizza with a terrified expression on his face. “What the actual fuck?”
I demand, glancing at the poor guy who probably would like nothing more than to run away right now.
“Delivery,”
Tio announces grinning wider. “You look fabulous, Deejay. What’s the occasion? You finally going to close the deal with that throwback?”
“Who’s here?”
Matt asks, coming from the living room.
I turn just in time to catch Cary run past me and stop. “Pizza!”
he exclaims happily.
My heart jumps into my chest as I reach for Cary to pull him back, but Tio scoops Cary up into his arms before I can grab him. “Look at you! It’s been two weeks and I swear you’ve grown three inches!”
Tio exclaims, tickling my kid.
Cary squirms and laughs before Tio stops. “You saw me before? I don’t remember you. Why are your teeth black?”
he asks breathlessly.
Tio smiles wider. “Because the best people in the world all have black teeth and I want to be just like them when I grow up.”
“Cary, come to me,”
I tell him, holding out my arms, real fear making me taste copper.
Tio hugs Cary and kisses his cheek affectionately. “Be good for your Papa,”
he says, handing Cary to me.
Matt takes Cary out of my arms immediately. “What are you doing here?”
he demands.
Tio’s smile fades a little. “I came to let you know that you are expected at the Hub tomorrow, but if you try getting there, I will stop you. My employer is specifically paying me to keep you out of the Cage. So here I am, letting you know that I. Will. Stop. You. That’s all. Enjoy your evening.”
He smiles like he didn’t just threaten Matt in front of a human, and saunters to the pizza guy’s vehicle, sliding into the passenger seat.
The delivery guy stares at me wide-eyed, pleading for help.
“Did he hold a gun to your head?”
I question seriously.
“Paid me five hundred dollars,”
he whispers.
I narrow my eyes at him. “That’s the bed you’ve made, feel free to lay in it. I’m not your fucking hero.”
I take the pizzas from him and hand them to Matt, who balances them on one hand. “I’ll sign the receipt and you can leave. I won’t report this to your employer, because I think maybe that Tio will teach you the right lesson here, but next time some jackass offers you five hundred to bring them to my house, I won’t let you off so easily, understood?”
The guy nods shakily. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, you are.”
I agree, signing the receipt—no tip for this guy—and tossing it back to him, before shutting the door in his face.
Matt frowns down at me, Cary in one arm, pizzas balanced on the other. “I wasn’t planning on going back,”
he rumbles thoughtfully.
We haven’t discussed this more than him mentioning it on Wednesday. I think we both assumed he wouldn’t be going back until we filed our grievances against her, but the look on Matt’s face tells he’s reconsidering his decision. Erroll of Morgaine has already tried to kill Matt and disrupt the business of our demesne, and I can see the temptation to give him and Tio a big ol’ fuck you for their trouble in Matt’s eyes.
I take the pizza and head to the kitchen, careful to keep the boxes away from my suit. “Are we seriously considering whether we get you to the Hub just to flip Erroll off?”
“Hmmm,”
he hums. “We could put off thinking about it until tomorrow. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?”
“Me,”
Chanda comments as he walks in from the mud room. Sweat drips off him as he pulls the bottom of his shirt up to wipe his forehead, having just finished his afternoon jog. “What are you putting off? If it’s not too personal—woah, you two are looking dandy. Going out?”
“Are you staying in?”
I ask because after what just happened, I don’t think I can leave my kids alone with just Robbie. He’s great with the kids, but he can’t do anything about Tio if the Chaos Eater returns.
“I was planning on heading to the Hub. I have an appointment with the King of Morgaine,”
he answers. “Do you need me here?”
I give him a run down of the last few minutes then, “I don’t think I can leave the kids here with just Robbie. If Tio comes back, he could do anything, and Robbie wouldn’t be able to fight him off.”
Chanda relaxes and smiles. “Trust me when I tell you that Robbie could end Tio in a blink, but Tio won’t do anything to your kids. You two should go out, have fun, and relax. Robbie’s the best possible sitter for your kids right now.”
“It would be helpful to know exactly what Robbie is, if you’re asking me to trust him,”
I point out.
Chanda gives me a sympathetic shrug but says nothing.
I click my tongue at him and turn to Matt again. “What do you think?”
“I think that I trust the guy who can actually tell us what tomorrow brings,”
he tells me, stepping forward and slipping his hand around the back of my neck. “And I think that we shouldn’t waste an opportunity on a what-if. However, if you don’t want to go, I will not be disappointed and I will enjoy pizza night and movies with you just as much as I would enjoy a fancy dinner and a musical.”
“Musical?”
I can’t help the desperate way my voice squeaks.
Matt nods. “They’re the only tickets I could get on such short notice, but the reviews are good.”
I glance at Cary, then look at Chanda. “My kids will be safe?”
Chanda doesn’t hesitate to nod. “Perfectly.”
I turn back to Matt. “I want to go.”
Matt pulls me in for a quick peck. “Then let’s go.”
“I want to go too!”
Cary pleads, big blue eyes begging us.
Matt kisses his cheek. “Sorry, buddy. Not this time. This time it’s just me and Papa.”
Cary produces the biggest crocodile tears I’ve ever seen. “But Daddy, I want to come.”
Matt chuffs softly. “Wipe those tears up, buddy; I’m not buying it. You’ve got pizza, a movie, games, Jasper, and Robbie. I get Papa. It’s a fair trade. You love pizza and Robbie.”
“I also love Papa and Daddy,” he begs.
“And we love you, but the answer is no. Give us kisses, then go back to the living room with Robbie,”
Matt gently directs.
Cary frowns, an imitation of Matt if I ever saw one. “Will you bring me a present?”
Matt grins, amused. “I’ll bring you a fist sandwich.”
He holds up a fist and mock-punches Cary’s chin.
Cary laughs. “I like fish ‘andwiches!”
Matt chuckles and kisses his forehead. “Fist, fist sandwich, silly boy.”
He puts Cary on the floor. “Go find Robbie in the living room.”
Cary hugs my thigh and kisses it. “Bye, Papa.”
“Bye, baby.”
He scampers off and I take a Robbie breath. “We should go before I change my mind.”
“You can change your mind at any point,”
Matt assures me, pulling my hand through his arm.
I wave at Chanda and let Matt lead me to the living room, where we tell Robbie we’re heading off and warn him about Tio.
And then.
Matt takes me on a real goddamn date.