Chapter Ten
AJ
Holy fuck. How the hell did we get on that topic? Talking about my post-pubescent circumcision was humiliating, but it did serve one purpose. I managed to get my half hard-on to finally go down after several hours of being uncomfortable in the presence of both Chad and Sawyer.
But then Sawyer had to bring up how his dick is pretty good, and the damn thing was back and bigger than before.
Just walking out to the car is awkward, but I keep my back to the guys and my head down, anxious to climb inside the safety of my RAV4. The drive back to the hotel feels like it’s twice as long as on the way to Chad’s, so I press the heel of my palm against my cock to relieve some of the discomfort.
I don’t even know why I’m letting myself entertain these silly fantasies. Chad might be gay, based on his lack of girlfriend and the fact that his photos consist mostly of men. But I’m probably the last person he’d want to hook up with, considering I’m his rival in this custody situation.
And I’m pretty sure Sawyer’s not gay. Not if the only experience he’s had with a dick is with the one between his legs. But, damn, he’s cute. That dorky haircut and those innocent blue eyes just make me want to pull him into my arms and hold him. And his constant touching doesn’t make it any easier to stop myself from doing just that. I know it’s all part of his training to be compassionate with his clients, so I can’t let myself forget that I am just a client. Despite those reminders, I still feel a spike of warmth flow through my veins every time his skin touches mine.
But just for the shits of it, what if they’re both gay? What then? I live five hundred miles away. When I leave with those kids, I’ll probably never see either one of them again.
And now my hard-on is officially gone.
~**~
After checking in with Troy at The Melted Belt, I bring up my voice messages and toss my phone on the pillow while they play. Most are from vendors that Troy can deal with. He’s been my right hand since before the shop even opened and my best friend for years before that. I trust him to run the place like it’s his own, especially since he gets ten percent of the profits we bring in.
This year alone, he’ll make more than some executives will, but he’s worth every penny. I couldn’t have built my little grilled cheese sandwich business to where it is today without his marketing expertise and commitment to hard work.
My eyes are closed and I’m on the verge of sleep when a shrill voice from my nightmares startles me back to reality. “AJ, sweetheart. I know you’re busy but I need to talk to you. Please call as soon as you get this message.”
As much as I hate my parents, the thought of one of them being hurt or injured makes me feel…uncomfortable. I shouldn’t care about whatever has her panties in a wad. I should ignore her call, or better yet, block her number and be done with her. But I’ve never been able to walk away from my family. Not like Britney did. In many ways, I envied her determination to be on her own. She escaped the hell—completely.
I, on the other hand, only moved away from it. Away, but not really. And never far enough to say goodbye forever.
Even though I have enough shit to worry about right now, I hit the call back button and set my phone on my chest. Mom hates being on speaker phone, especially when something she says could make her look bad. But that’s too damn bad. Whatever she has to say to me, she can say to my empty hotel room. Not knowing who might be listening will keep the conversation brief. At least, that’s my hope.
“AJ, darling. It’s your mother.”
Duh. I called you, remember? “Yeah. Hi, Mom.”
“I just wanted to ask if you’ve heard from any of the detectives about your sister’s case. We’re waiting on some documents and haven’t heard a thing in days.”
“What documents?” Britney’s been dead for less than a week. What could they possibly need?
“Just some standard paperwork. You don’t need to worry about it. I was just wondering if anyone has been in contact with you.”
I debate what, if anything, I should tell her. I know she won’t approve of my decision to request custody of Harper and Austin, but it doesn’t matter whether she approves or not. She lost all rights to an opinion when she turned her back on them without a second thought. “Actually, I have. I’m in Denver now.”
“Denver?” She huffs into the phone like I admitted to being in Siberia. “What on earth are you doing there?”
“I’m petitioning for guardianship of Harper and Austin. I’ll probably be here for another month or—”
“Austin James Collins, you can’t be serious!” I’ve heard this furious tone often in my twenty-five years. The fact that she still thinks it’ll have some kind of effect on me is almost comical. At least, it would be if it didn’t piss me the fuck off.
“Of course, I’m serious, Mom. Who else is going to take care of them? A stranger?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. Your sister knew what she was doing when she abandoned this family. She chose some low-life scum instead of her blood. That punk can raise those kids for all I care. But I will not have you ruining your life to take care of her bastard spawn.”
I wish I were at the shop with my old-fashioned desk phone so I could slam the receiver down in her ear. Unfortunately, the rage just doesn’t come through on an iPhone, so I take two deep breaths and speak as calmly as I can. “I don’t care what you think. I’m not abandoning my niece and nephew. If that means you have to cut me out of your life as well, I’ll understand.”
Please let her cut me out of her life. It’d be one less source of drama for me to contend with.
“Oh, you’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Her shrill voice is maniacal as she laughs into the phone. My mother never laughs outside of the presence of her socialite friends, so the sound is oddly unnerving. “I bet you can’t wait to get your hands on them. Fine! I didn’t want to play it this way, AJ. But you’ve left me no choice. Expect to hear from my attorneys.”
What the fuck was that? The woman is clearly deranged. But like most crazy conversations I have with her, I don’t spend much time thinking about it. Instead, I close my eyes and imagine just how pretty good Sawyer’s cock really is…and what it might look like in Chad’s mouth.