Chapter 11 - Sunday Fuckin’ Funday
After two nights with James, my body ached like I’d done the Tough Mudder obstacle course. Just peeing was a major issue. Everything hurt—even my face from smiling too much. James had entered my life like a hurricane, slowly building over time and then creating total and utter devastation in his path.
I’d always lived my life like a free spirit. I never gave a fuck what anyone thought of me and I was never apologetic for my actions. The words “slut” and “whore” left a bad taste in my mouth and made me want to rip the nuts off any man who’d muttered them. I acted like many men did; I used people for the physical aspect but never promised them anything more. I wasn’t into relationships or being tied down. Having a man tell me what to do and how to act was my biggest fear, and something I’d run from at every opportunity.
Men seemed okay with how I behaved for the most part. Only a few had hurled insults because they’d wanted more. Those boys had ended up on the floor, gripping their balls and crying like babies. Each one of them had thought they could get me, capture my attention long enough for me fall in love, and be the one. They hadn’t been man enough to be worthy of my time, let alone a lifetime of sacrifice.
After having spent thirty-six hours with James, I knew I needed to end it. Not because he wasn’t worthy of my time, but because he was too much of what I wanted. There was a problem. I wasn’t ready for someone like James to come crashing into my life and turn shit upside down.
When I opened my eyes this morning and watched him sleep, I knew what I had to do. I needed to gracefully bow out of whatever the fuck this was. James was a big boy and I was sure he’d understand. Maybe I could be his hookup when we both had an itch that needed to be scratched.
I knew I was scared, but fear was enough to make me lash out and run away. James had a way about him that altered the axis on which I teetered. I knew how I liked my life—uncomplicated and simple. He was a complication of epic proportions.
No one bossed me around—not even my four very demanding brothers. When James bossed me around, I bowed and said, “Yes, master,” giving more of myself than I ever had with anyone.
“You ready, Izzy?” James asked, walking out of the bathroom as I sipped my coffee.
Setting it down on the counter, I turned to face him. God, he looked amazing. He wore a plain black t-shirt that clung to every inch of his torso and arms, and dark blue jeans that hugged his thighs. His feet were bare. The fucked-up part of it all was that I even loved his motherfucking feet.
“Yeah,” I said, watching him approach.
“You look beautiful.” He kissed my temple, wrapping me in his arms.
I closed my eyes, letting myself enjoy the feel of him against me. “James, we can’t do this at my parents’,” I whispered against his chest.
“Do what?” he asked, rubbing my back with his palm.
“Touch like this,” I responded, pushing him away. The feel of him had become too much with what I knew I had to do.
“I’m not fucking you, Izzy. It’s only a goddamn hug.” He crossed his arms, looking down at me.
“My parents are old-fashioned,” I lied. My parents were used to my touchy-feely brothers and their girls. Hell, even my parents were prone to public displays of affection. It was one loving and nauseating family.
“Okay, Izzy. I’ll keep my hands to myself if it makes you happy.” He smiled weakly, his shoulders falling as he exhaled.
“Good. That makes me happy.”
“That’s all I want. Your happiness is my highest priority.”
Fucker. Why did he have to be nice? I’d rather him be an asshole and tell me to get down on my knees and suck his dick. That would make tonight so much easier.
“Ready to go?” I asked as I grabbed my coffee cup and set it in the sink.
“Yep. I’m starving.”
I smiled, knowing that he’d enjoy the food my mother had prepared. I was sure word had spread like wildfire about his appearance at Sunday dinner. She’d probably spent all night preparing a feast for the guest of honor. I prayed my brothers hadn’t spilled their guts about what they’d seen in the shop yesterday, but they all had loose lips.
“We’re taking my car,” I told him as I locked my front door.
“Whatever you want, Izzy.” James headed toward the passenger’s side door of my Infiniti as I unlocked the doors.
We didn’t speak on the trip, as I turned the radio volume up high enough to make it impossible. James toyed with my fingers and stroked my arms as I drove. I fought everything in me to not close my eyes and get lost in the feel of him against me. His simple, loving touches were almost enough to push me over the edge and pull the fucking car over and beg for his cock.
I dragged my hand away from his as I parked the car on the street in front of my parents’ home. Turning the radio down, I said. “We’re here.”
“Finally,” he replied as I shut off the car. We climbed out at the same time, making our way to the front door. “Wait,” he growled, grabbing me around the waist. “I want to kiss you before we go inside. It’s a long time not to be able to touch you.”
I nodded, biting my lip as I stared up at him. His eyes matched the color of the leaves that had just bloomed on the tree behind his face. His dark olive complexion made his eyes seem brighter than they were. Before I could reply, he kissed me, wrapping his arms around my back as he drew me in.
I melted into him, moaning slightly at his taste. James’s kiss was like a hit of a crack pipe for an addict. “Stop,” I mumbled against his lips. “Someone will catch us.”
“Shh,” he whispered before delving deeper inside my mouth.
Just then, the door popped open and I heard, “Oh heavens.”
Fuck.
My mother had caught us red-handed. I pulled back, heat creeping across my face as I looked at my ma.
“Sorry, Ma.”
“Oh no, child. Nothing to be sorry about.” She laughed, looking between James and me. “James,” she crooned, smiling at him and holding out her arms.
“Mrs. Gallo. It’s nice to see you again,” he replied, hugging her.
“It’s very nice to see you again, and with my Izzy too.” She winked at me over his shoulder, still tightly holding on to him.
“Ma, we’re not together.”
“Looks like it to me, dear.” Her smile grew wider as she watched me and released him. “Let me get a good look at you, James.” She snickered as she held his arms and drank him in.
“Ma, you’re embarrassing him.” I crossed my arms over my chest, watching my mother rape him with her eyes.
James laughed, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. “It’s always a pleasure, Mrs. Gallo.”
“Oh, sweetie. The pleasure is all mine,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder at me. She linked her arms with his and ushered him into the house. “James is here!” she yelled as I closed the door.
I’d already known this was going to be a long-ass day, but having my mother catching us in a lip lock made it that much worse.
“Me too!” I screeched, feeling a little left out.
Suzy and Mia both rounded the corner from the family room with giant smiles on their faces as they looked at James.
“James,” Suzy cooed, holding out her arms to him. “I’m so happy you’re with Izzy.”
“We’re not together,” I said.
“Uh huh. Sure, hon.” Mia laughed, drinking in James at such a close proximity. “I’ve heard a lot about you, James.”
He turned to me, winking with a grin on his face. “You have? That’s interesting,” he replied, looking back to Mia. “I hope they’ve all been nice things.”
She nodded as her smile widened. “Yep. Izzy’s told us all about you,” she said as she looked down at his crotch and wiggled her eyebrows.
“Oh,” James said, and laughed.
“For the love of all that is holy, shut the hell up, Mia.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. A sense of doom seeped into my body.
My ma leaned over and whispered not so quietly to Mia, “They were kissing outside.”
“You were not,” Suzy said, smacking me on the shoulder. “I knew you liked him,” she whispered—also not so quietly.
“Would everyone just shut it, please?” I begged, ready to run out of the house like a little girl throwing a temper tantrum.
“What’s all the commotion in here?” Pop asked as he entered the foyer with his eyebrows knitted together. As soon as he saw James, his face lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. “James, my boy,” he said, holding out his hand to him before pulling him close. “How the hell are ya, and my boy Tommy?”
“Fine, Mr. Gallo. I’m just fine, and so is your son.” James shook his hand, gripping his forearm.
I glared at my girls as they stood there with dopy-ass grins on their faces, staring at James. “Traitors,” I mouthed, snarling my lips.
Suzy stuck out her tongue while Mia shrugged and laughed. My ma, on the other hand, was watching James and my pop very closely.
“Come on and sit with the men. Dinner will be ready soon,” Pop offered, motioning toward the family room with his head.
“Hello?” I whined, wondering where my greeting was.
“Sorry, baby girl,” he said, stopping and walking in my direction. “I got caught up in the moment.” He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek.
“Seems to be a problem in this house,” I groaned.
“Let’s go, son. They’ll call us when it’s time to eat,” Pop said to James.
Son? Really? What the fuck just happened?
James gave me a wink before he disappeared with my pop to lounge in front of the television and bullshit. Ma smiled at me and quickly excused herself to check on dinner.
I turned my attention to Mia and Suzy. “What the fuck just happened?” I asked.
They laughed and shrugged. They were no fucking help.
“Just nice to have someone new here for a change,” Suzy responded.
“A fucking homeless guy wouldn’t get that kind of reception,” I bit out.
“Maybe if he was as sexy and locking lips with you he would.” Mia laughed.
“Fucking lying bitches,” I muttered, walking away from them.
I did love those girls. They were lying through their teeth, but they knew what had gone down between James and me. They were looking for some juicy gossip and they’d get it, but not today.
“Need help, Ma?” I asked as I walked in the kitchen to find my mother straining the pasta.
“You talk and I’ll cook,” she replied, keeping her back to me.
“I’d rather cook.” I leaned against the counter and watched her.
She looked at me with a smile on her face as she tossed the pasta, washing away the last bits of water. “I’m sure you would, but I want to know how James just showed up this weekend.”
“The boys invited him to dinner, Ma. I didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m sorry.” I crossed my arms, watching her.
“Baby girl, I know that. I mean how did he end up locking lips with you at my front door?” She laughed, knowing that I hated talking about this shit.
“I saw him last weekend and he dropped in to check on me.”
“Isabella, I wasn’t born yesterday.” She snickered as she poured the pounds of perfectly cooked pasta in the serving bowl.
She always had her ears to the ground. She knew everything that went on in this family.
“It’s a long story, Ma.”
“Do you like him?” She stopped, turning to face me with a grin.
“He’s okay,” I lied, feeling my cheeks warm.
“Just okay? Looks like he’s more than okay, dear.” She scooped sauce over the pasta, tossing it to keep it moist.
“Eh. He’s not my type.” I shrugged, hoping she’d drop it.
But in true Mama Gallo style, she replied, “You doth protest too much.”
“Ma, he’s bossy,” I whined, grabbing the bowl of pasta off the counter.
“Bossy or doesn’t put up with your bullshit?” she asked, following me into the dining room.
“We’ll talk about it later.” I sighed as I placed the pasta in the middle of the table.
“Fine, but I won’t forget.” She turned on her heels and walked back into the kitchen.
“Dinner!” I yelled toward the family room, and joined my mother in the kitchen.
We filled our arms with her chicken parmigiana, an enormous salad, homemade garlic bread, and a dish piled high with meatballs and sausage.
“You cooked for an army,” I said, trying to balance the dishes in my arms.
“I wanted to make sure no one left here hungry.” Her feet clattered behind me into the dining room.
Everyone had found their seat around the table, James sitting in the chair next to mine. He rose to his feet, moving toward me quickly, and grabbed two dishes from my arms.
“Thanks,” I whispered, placing the other bowl on the table.
“Everyone have everything before I sit down?” Ma asked, standing near her chair.
“We’re good, darling,” Pop said as he patted her hand.
“Guests first,” she said, passing the bowl of pasta to James.
A collective groan filled the room as James had first dibs on each dish. My father went next before the rest of us were able to fill our plates.
“James here said Thomas is doing great and hopes to be home soon,” Pop said as he filled half of his plate with pasta.
James nodded, grabbing my leg under the table as he waited for the next dish to be passed his way. “He’s an amazing agent.”
“How about our Izzy? She’s pretty special, isn’t she?” Ma remarked as I tried to swallow a sip of water but ended up choking on it.
James patted me on the back as I tried to catch my breath while coughing up the water that had gone down wrong. “There’s no one like her,” he replied, smiling at me.
I held up my hand, trying to set shit straight, but I couldn’t stop choking. God was playing a wicked trick on me. Everyone was in James’s corner and no one had my back. What the fuck?
“You okay?” Mike asked with a grin on his face.
I glared at him as I tried to clear my throat and rid it of the invasion. “I’m ooo—” I croaked out before choking again.
“So are you two seeing each other?” Suzy asked, biting her lip as she stared at James and tried to ignore me.
“I guess you could say that,” he replied, squeezing my knee.
“Wait,” I whispered, my throat finally clear enough to speak. “We are not.”
“You have a habit of kissing just anyone, baby girl?” Pop asked with his fork in midair.
Goddamn it. I closed my eyes, wiping away a tear that had formed while I’d been choking. “No, Daddy. I just don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, is all.” I smiled halfheartedly, hoping that it was enough to stop his line of questioning.
“No one is thinking anything. That’s why Suzy asked. We’re curious. You’ve never brought anyone to Sunday dinner before.” He stuffed the pasta in his mouth and began to chew.
I shook my head and sighed. “I didn’t invite James. The guys did.” I motioned toward my three jerkoff brothers around the table.
James leaned in to my ear and whispered, “Way to make me feel welcome, doll.”
I glared at him before turning my venom toward my brothers. “You know I feel this is family time.”
“James is the closest thing we have to Thomas right now, and for that, I’m grateful that he’s here. He’s welcome any Sunday he’d like to join us for a nice home-cooked meal,” Ma insisted.
“Thank you, Mrs. Gallo. Your cooking is superb. Better than any Italian restaurant I’ve ever been to, and the closest to my grandmother’s cooking I’ve ever found.” He smiled, turning toward me and winking.
I was in a losing battle. I was sinking fast, making a total asshole out of myself, and no one would throw me a fucking life vest. James had turned into the golden boy, and I felt like a major cunt for saying that I hadn’t invited him, because in all honesty, I liked having him around and I knew my family did too.
“We mean it, son. You’re welcome here any time,” Pop reiterated between forkfuls of pasta.
I hung my head, playing with the food on my plate as I wallowed in my asshole behavior. James pushed the hair away from my face and moved into my personal space.
“You and I will work this out later. Eat,” he whispered, reaching down and stroking my leg. “You’re going to need your energy.”
The man was sex crazed. Every part of my body hurt, and there was no way in hell I could have sex with him again. I wouldn’t be able to walk right if we did it one more time. He couldn’t honestly be serious…could he?
I turned, looking into his emerald eyes, and saw the seriousness behind his words. I ate the rest of my dinner in silence, letting the family talk to James and monopolize the conversation. I’d never sat silent for so long at the dinner table before today. I’d let them ask their questions and hear about Thomas’s work within the MC. I knew it was helping dampen the fears each one of them had about his work.
After dinner, we all fell into our usual spots—me on the floor with Anthony and the others on the couches and chairs around the room. James stretched out next to me, facing the television as he twirled a piece of my hair out of view of my parents. They wouldn’t have cared, in all honesty. I knew that about my parents, but I worried they’d see how I responded to him. They already didn’t believe that he meant nothing to me. I’d have a lot of explaining to do the next time the girls cornered me alone.
James Caldo was like a parasite, although a fucking sexy one.