Chapter 59: Chapter 59

I couldn’t wait to see Franky, it’s my main reason for taking time off work, and helping Lara out of course. I show up on their doorstep with suitcase in hand at 8:00 A.M. sharp. It’s rather early, but my hours are on coaching mode and I figure they aren’t too different then baby mode. Tempted to come dressed like a nanny, but fortunately: unfortunately my wardrobe doesn’t support the temporary image change. Jeans and a sweater will have to do. Jeremy answers the door in cotton pyjama bottoms hanging off his waist and shirtless, “Nanny Isa at your service,” I chirp.

He greets me while adjusting himself, “Mother and child are upstairs, first door on your right, damn morning hard on,” he complains as he walks towards the bathroom.

“I hope I wasn’t the cause of it,” I tease Jer.

“If I said you were?” he closes the bathroom door behind him.

“I will add you to my long list,” I joke. Taking the stairs two at a time I hope to catch the baby and Lara sleeping. I love how babies look when they are sleeping. I turn the knob and inch the door open. Lara is lying on her back and the baby is attached to her!

I start backing away, “I’ll come back.” “We’re almost done.”

“Great,” I say closing the door behind me, following the scent of percolated coffee to the galley style kitchen that barely has enough room for me and one other person in it. If the fridge and stove are open at the same time, you can’t come in. I forage through their messy cabinets in search of sugar for my coffee.

Jeremy returns just as I was sitting down to enjoy it, “Thank God you’re here, can I get you anything else?”

“You don’t have anything else! It looks like the first thing on my to-do list is go shopping for you. Make me a list and I’ll go after this cup.”

“Thanks Isa.”

I admire his bare chest as he reaches into the cupboard for his mug. Damn, he is way more muscular than I remember him to be, “You’re not too hard on the eyes, have you been working out?” If it isn’t the fact that it was Jer, I might have swooned a bit. The fact that I even notice is probably a good sign that I am starting to heal from the heartbreak I just endured.

“Ya it relieves the sexual frustration from not getting any since the baby was born.”

“That bad eh?”

“Worse.”

“What’s wrong with Lara and why are you so worried about her? Has she said anything?”

“She’s over emotional. Cries over anything and everything. I offered to call our parents for help, but she flat out refuses. You being here, will be a nice break for her. She won’t let me bottle feed so she can sleep either. The incessant preaching about breast feeding has her brainwashed into thinking Franky won’t develop properly if she doesn’t.”

“I’d probably be the same way if Franky was mine. It’s still early days,” I reassure.

I finished the last sip of my tepid coffee, “I’m going now.”

Jeremy gets up, “If you give me a minute I’ll drive you. I can use a change of scenery. I don’t think we’ve left the house since she was discharged from hospital.”

“Sure, I’ll wait.”

He returns a few minutes later appearing less obscenely gorgeous in jeans and a black turtleneck sweater, “You ready?”

“Yup!” He leads me out of their house to his beat-up Avalon that doesn’t look much better than dad’s shit box Honda.

“Will it get us there?” I tease as I run my hand across the bonnet.

“Drives better then your dad’s car. Scott still worries about you driving around with it.”

“He said something to you?”

“He talks about you all the time to me.”

“News to me.”

“We’re pathetic, driving terrible cars? I don’t even know if mine will pass drive clean,” I gripe.

“Me too, and now safety is another concern now that the baby’s here. We just can’t afford anything right now.”

It felt good spending time with Jer. Even though he’s friends with the guys, he remains profoundly loyal to me. He always gives me the inside scoop, leaving nothing to mystery. He starts the car and then his censor broke wide open, “Lara doesn’t want me to go back to school, she’s afraid of being left alone too long with the baby. She doesn’t want me to work for the same reason. She won’t leave the baby in anyone’s care other than her own. We never leave the house. I can’t remember the last time we had sex. When I saw the afterbirth spill from her previously beloved pussy, I almost threw up. I don’t know if I can put my cock back in her after that.”

“Food Basics or Metro? I prefer Food Basic’s it’s cheaper.” I absolutely don’t know where to start with Jeremy.

“Did you hear anything I said?” he asks frustrated.

“You’re tired Jer. You probably hallucinated the afterbirth. Things will look better after you get some shut-eye.”

“My life’s falling apart, and you’re concerned about which grocery store we go to?” he balks.

“Short of having sex with you, there’s nothing I can do to help you except do the groceries and gain Lara’s trust to let me spend time with Franky.”

“Would you mind?” “Mind what?”

“Would you mind having sex with me?”

I giggle, “Having sex with you? You’re hallucinatory and delusional! You’re the only stable thing I have left in my life, I’m not ruining it with cheap meaningless sex.”

“There’s always a queue for you, I just want to see why!”

“Ha ha, that line stopped in high school. Scott chose divorce me and Michael’s moved on.”

“Scott’s proven to be a complete idiot where you’re concerned and Michael’s still not dating anyone.”

“You’ve got to be joking. Maybe he’s not kissing and telling. It might get back to the wrong person, namely you!”

“You have to hear the way he talks about you, especially at the hospital, as far as he’s concerned you walk on water.”

“Ha ha,”

“Isa, I’m not kidding. When you’re not around he says he will do anything to have another chance with you. The only reason he took his father’s job offer at the NSA was because of you. He knows you’ll never completely leave the skating world, so he joined it.”

We pull into the Metro parking lot and start walking towards the store, “You’re pulling my leg,” I downplay his comment.

“I know I’ve told you this before, but he’s changed. He’s really nice now. I said it all along, you should have given him more of a chance rather than Scott.”

“Why? Why do you always side with Michael?”

“Because when the going gets tough, where the fuck is Scott? He made you pick skating over Michael because he can’t handle competition. Instead of fighting for what’s rightfully his, namely you, he shrugs you off over a kiss to Michael. I don’t ever think I’ve seen such insecurity in my life,” Jeremy shrugs.

“You’re just tired and not seeing situations logically,” I tell Jer.

“I might as well get this in then, I know I’ll never bag you, but I know if we did, it would have been good together.”

“No doubt!” I smile.

Jeremy and I tackle aisle by aisle. I load the buggy as he pushes it. I focus on healthy easy meals assuming I’m going to do the majority of cooking while I’m visiting. His phone beeps in the produce section and Jeremy stops pushing the cart and starts typing away.

I glanced over at him, “Lara?”

“No, Michael, he’s asking if you’ve arrived yet.”

I stop what I’m doing.

“He knows I’m here?” I asked incredulously.

“Sure, he was over when Lara was talking to Anna. He practically lives at our place when he’s not working. He wants to come over tonight. He says it’s to see the baby.”

“Really,” I ask in disbelief. “He wants to see Franky?”

“Ya I know, serious bullshit, what do you want me to text him?”

“Fuck Jer,” I said sarcastically, “invite him over for dinner, you might as well invite Scott too while you’re at it.”

Jeremy starts texting Michael back. His lips are spread in a salacious grin, “If I can’t get it, at least one of my friends will.”

“I can tell you right now, you have more chance than he does,” I say half serious, half joking. Jer’s eyebrows furrow in surprise.

“No shit!” he winks flirtatiously at me. “I knew you were seriously checking me out this morning.”

“You were checking ME out this morning, you were the one complaining of the hard cock.”

He starts laughing, “Whatever! Let’s get back and check on Lara. God forbid I leave her alone with the baby too long.”

“First, let me see what you texted Michael.” “Don’t get mad?”

“I’m not promising that.” “Promise.”

“Okay, I promise.”

He hands me the phone and I go to the texting application. Michael’s name is on top.

MICHAEL: Is she here?

Jer: Ya bro

MICHAEL: Can I come over tonight? Jer: Running it by Isa

Jer: She invited U 4 dinner, don’t fuck it up man! Dessert is a definite possibility.

I look at Jeremy totally appalled, “With friends like you.” “I’m doing you a favor,” he insists.

For a little baby, Franky can make several messes: she vomits on me, fills a nappy full of pee, another of mustard colored poo that smells like Scott’s beater shirt after skating hard. I manage to place her in her Tropical Rainforest Swing which is to be every mother’s savior, long enough for Lara and Jeremy to get two hours sleep. Later, pandemonium breaks out. With a wide-open mouth that appears to be shaking and alligator tears to boot, I take princess Franky out of her swing and start walking around the house desperately trying to keep her quiet. It doesn’t take long for me to realize she is inconsolable as her mouth keeps reaching for MY boob. I try telling her that mines a dud, but when she manages high screeching decibels, I feel I had not choice but return this little peace challenged squirt back to her mother before I lose it!

I found sanctuary in their shower stall before getting dinner ready. There are only a few minutes to go when I hear a light knock at their door.

I called out, “Do you want me to get it?”

“Please,” Lara asks ducking into the bathroom for a shower. “Where’s Jer?” I call through the door.

“He’s changing the baby.”

I take a deep breath thinking this will somehow increase my courage. I stop by the mirror on the way and run my fingers through my hair like a makeshift comb and rub my lips together so my lipstick will appear even. I don’t know why I care so much about my appearance but I do, even though mom says I look like a freak.

I swing the door open and my heart skips a beat with nerves.

Oh my! I didn’t think he still has the power to evoke this kind of reaction from me anymore but obviously he does, “Michael.”

“Isabella.”

“Would you like a drink?” I offer.

“Whatever you’re having,” he says with a husky voice.

I open the liquor cabinet and find a half empty bottle of Scotch. “Scotch okay?”

“Sure,” he agrees.

I find two glasses, “Neat or straight up?” “Neat.”

I pour both drinks and turn to find him standing directly behind me. I lose my breath. The unrestrained attraction I feel towards him is making my head spin. I hand him his glass before taking a large drink of my own. I trying to get a grip, “You’re looking sharp, I take it you’re doing well?” I say thinking light conversation and maybe a couch to sit on will be a good idea before my knees give out from underneath me.

“I am, thank you, and you?” his eyes are dark with concern or is it lust? “Better now,” I say referring to my break up with Scott and the loss of my father.

“I’ve noticed you’ve lost quite a bit of weight Isa, the cameras aren’t on us anymore, you can tell me, what’s he done to you?”

“He hasn’t done anything to me. What makes you think that?” I ask defensively.

“What else could it be?”

I follow him as he leaves the kitchen and walk into the living room. He takes a seat on the couch and gestures for me to sit next to him.

Obediently, I sit down where he wants me to and watch him as he studies me, “You’ve been through a lot,” he perceives.

“I have,” I say reflectively.

“You’re still beautiful,” he says more to himself rather than to me.

In that self-assured way he has about him, he takes the drink out of my hand and places it down on the table before pulling me into a demanding kiss that undoes me. His hand cups my cheek guiding my face into the angle he wants as I slide my arms into his jacket. His kiss sweeps me away, to a better more forbidden place.