Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Bray
I follow Ava as she walks around the garden looking for the key. Carly went to take a quick nap before she helps set up the rehearsal dinner. Apparently, Vito and Drew are in charge of it even though Cam’s and Fletcher’s families offered to pay for it.
Either way, I’m staying out of it and just showing up for the food.
As Ava looks under literal rocks, I contemplate whether Carly felt my erection against her leg this morning.
I woke when she moved. My hand was practically in her crotch, and her leg was over mine at some point, right against my dick.
I know I claimed it was morning wood, but it was more than that. It was her.
Ever since I saw Carly naked, she’s all I think about. It’s her body that is burned in my mind when I jerk off. It’s her perfect tits I see when I come. Jesus, I’m so screwed.
Some of the other kids who are here for the wedding run out into the nearby field with a ball. Vito’s cousin yells over to see if Ava wants to play with them.
“You want to play?” I ask her.
She purses her lips. And I swear she’s going to say no until a little girl a few years older than her comes over and talks her into joining. Gray’s walking my way, so I lean down to Ava.
“You go have fun. Mr. Gray and I are going to be right here, OK?” I say.
“OK, Unca Bray,” she whispers as she runs off to join the other kids. I watch her go, a feeling of pride swelling in my chest. Our little peanut is growing up too fast.
“She likes it here,” Gray says as he steps to my side, his gaze also on the kids.
“Yeah. She’s having fun and eating her weight in pasta,” I say with a laugh.
“How about you?” Gray asks.
I glance over at my friend, who has directed his attention to me.
“Well, aside from finding out Carly is dating, to waking up half naked with a boner next to her in bed this morning after she swore there was an intruder, to half considering telling her how I feel even though I think it’ll ruin everything between us… not bad,” I say.
Gray laughs and claps me on the back. “Man, you have it bad. It’s about time you admit that to yourself. Why do you think you’ll ruin things?”
He motions to a stone bench, and we follow a path and sit.
“You know about my childhood friend who had leukemia, right?” I start.
He nods. “Lanie? Right?”
“Yep. Anyhow, ever since, I sort of swore off close relationships. I was always afraid to get too close and then have it all disappear. I guess…I never really got over that,” I admit.
“That’s understandable. But have you ever considered that all of us are here for a limited time, and if we like someone, we should try to spend as much time as we can with them because it’s better to have felt that connection for a little bit rather than not at all?
” Gray says as if he’s some world-renowned therapist.
“Thanks, Dr. Freud. And yes, I have. But it’s easier said than done,” I mutter as I look back at the kids who are playing soccer.
Ava assists in a goal, and the other kids surround her, giving her high fives.
She looks back in my direction and gives me a big thumbs up.
I return it with a grin. I love that fucking kid so much.
Gray motions to her. “What about Ava?”
“I’d kill the Grim Reaper before I’d let anything happen to her,” I hiss, a deep feeling of protection welling in my chest.
Gray laughs again. “Damn, good to know you’ll combat death itself for the ones you love.”
I glare at him, which only makes him laugh more.
“Seriously, get out of your head. You clearly love Carly, and deep down I know you want to be with her. So stop fucking around,” he says as his laughter subsides.
Sighing, I glance back at the kids. “It’s not just my fucked-up head that’s the problem.
Carly’s past is…complicated. I know she’s talking to a guy online, but she’s very hesitant when it comes to men.
Her ex really fucked her up. I feel like there are things she hasn’t told me, but what she has told me is horrible.
He was emotionally abusive at best. And I don’t even want to think about the worst. She’s worked so hard to move on and be a good mom.
She might be ready to go on a date when there’s no chance of a future, but I’m not sure she’s ready to jump into the deep end of the pool,” I explain.
“Shit. I didn’t know it was that bad with her ex,” Gray says as he looks at me.
“It was from what she’s told me. I think that’s part of why he’s not in their lives. That and the prick didn’t want to be,” I add.
“Wow. I knew she had sole custody, but I never really pried as to why,” Gray admits.
“Well, that’s the why,” I mutter as I look out to the vineyards and rolling hills before us.
We’re quiet for a few minutes as we both watch the kids. Then I see Margie and Cornelia emerging from where they are staying. They are literally tiptoeing across the patio like cartoon characters.
I point to them. “What the fuck do you think is going on there?” I ask.
Gray puts a hand over his eyes and squints. “What the hell are they doing?” he says.
“They look like they belong on a cartoon or are pretending to be teenagers breaking out of the house for a party,” I muse.
“Both are valid descriptions,” Gray adds as he stands. I follow him around to the front of the main house. We stay slightly behind a set of hedges.
The ladies stand on the edge of the drive, whispering to each other. They’ve changed from their earlier outfits into new ones.
“Either they are sneaking out to meet people, or they are having friends over,” Gray guesses.
I see a car driving down the tree-lined drive. “Well, we won’t have to wonder for long,” I murmur.
The car stops and out come two men, not much older than we are. They are dressed to the nines in suits. They each walk up to a lady and say something before kissing her. And I mean, kiss. I look away and blush.
“What in the actual fuck is happening?” Gray whispers.
“Please tell me they did not hire escorts for the rehearsal dinner,” I scoff.
“I don’t think I cannot tell you that I think they hired escorts,” Gray replies.
“Fuck. Cam’s going to have a shit fit,” I mutter as I turn.
“Holy crap! Cam’s walking up to them,” Gray says. I look back over, and Cam’s walking out the door. She shakes their hands. The taller one says something, and she laughs and presses a hand to her chest.
“Is that dude flirting with the bride?” Gray asks.
“Fuck if I know,” I reply.
“What are we doing?” Hutch’s voice makes us jump. He leans forward, his head between us. “Are those their dates for tonight?” he asks.
“No fucking clue,” Gray replies.
The shorter one wraps an arm around Cornelia’s waist. And then, without looking our way, she calls out loudly, “Will you boys stop hiding and just come meet our dates?”
We all look around as if there are other boys hiding in bushes nearby.
“OMG! You guys are ridiculous. Get out here,” Cam says in a voice that has us all jumping and scurrying around the hedges like little kids that just got caught with their hands in a cookie jar.
When we’re standing on the drive, Cornelia introduces us.
“This is Lorenzo and Enzo,” she says.
Hutch starts laughing, but no one else is. He quickly stops. “Oh, uh, sorry…uh, nice to meet you,” he manages as he extends one of his giant hands.
Margie levels a stare at him. He gives her a sheepish look.
“You must be some of the men that live in the ladies’ building, no?” Lorenzo says.
“Yes,” Gray and I say in unison.
“Well, dinner isn’t for another two hours, so make yourselves at home. I have to go get ready for the rehearsal. It was nice meeting you,” Cam says with a warm smile as the men each lean in and give her that double-cheek-kiss thing everyone here seems to do.
“I’ll show you gentlemen to our quarters. Follow me,” Margie says as she sashays toward their rooms.
Cornelia hovers back. “I’ll be right there,” she says as she waves at Enzo, the shorter guy.
He blows her a kiss, and she catches it and places it on her heart.
“What the hell is happening, Cornelia?” Hutch asks without looking away from Enzo.
Cornelia turns to us and gives us a conspiratorial look. “Listen, Lorenzo and Enzo think we are rich widows who own a building along with our business partner, Al. So, just go along with it, OK?”
I look at Cornelia and realize she is dripping in pearls and diamonds. “I’m sorry, what?” I say as I shake my head.
“Those young men think we are rich old ladies. We met them on some app that connects rich older people to younger people who need a…what’s the word the kids use?” she explains.
“Sugar baby?” Hutch asks.
“Yes, that’s it. Anyhow, just go along with it. That shorter one”—she leans in as she speaks—“has a dick twice your size, Hutch.” She holds up her hands like she’s saying how big of a fish she caught.
Hutch winces. “Uh, Corns, you have never seen my dick,” he says.
She glances down. “Well, I can imagine. Anyhow, it’s hard to find good dick when you’re our age. So just shut your mouths and pretend we are rich, OK?” She pats us each on the shoulder and pinches Hutch’s cheek. “Such good boys. I’ll see you at dinner.”
And with that, she leaves us all standing there staring.
“Did that just happen?” Gray asks.
“Yep,” Hutch replies.
“Should we like, tell the others?” Gray asks.
“Nope,” Hutch replies.
“For the love of God. Come on, we'd better explain this before everyone ruins their cover and it causes a big scene at the dinner,” I say as I turn and head back to check on Ava. It’s time to get Carly up and tell her she has to pretend our elderly neighbors are sugar mamas. This should be good.