Chapter Ten
Over a week had passed and Trenton still hadn’t called. Chloe tried not to let her disappointment take over, but his disinterest stung. Why had she let herself hope that something might come from this? Her life was satisfying a few weeks ago, but now she was very aware of parts that were missing. Urges that had been in hibernation for years were suddenly wide-awake and demanding attention—attention she wasn’t capable of supplying on her own.
He consumed her thoughts. She thought about him in the car, at the office, in her kitchen, in the shower, and most dangerously, in her bed. But eventually, her fantasies took a backseat to the cynical voices in her head.
Of course, she hadn’t imagined him kissing her in the parking lot or in his truck, but she was sure she'd embellished the details. It seemed clear he’d changed his mind.
She supposed it was better she accepted this now instead of later. Next time she saw Trenton she wouldn’t give him the opportunity to lead her on. She was grateful it was Friday, game night with Tommy and Adam because she was running out of ways to distract herself from thinking about the man she assumed would call, but never did.
“Mom, Tommy just left for the store. He said game night's at his house tonight. He invited some other people,” Dayton informed, dropping his school bag on the kitchen table.
Her nose scrunched. She didn’t feel like facing outsiders. Truth be told, she wanted to get plastered, safely, in the company of her closest friends. “Did he say who?”
Her son opened the fridge. The boy never stopped eating. “No. He just said other people and that Adam was setting up the Wii for us because you guys would probably play something for grownups.”
She returned to her closet—internally grumbling that she couldn’t stay in her comfy clothes. She never cared about the way Tommy or Adam saw her, but other people were different.
Her boys left the moment Tommy returned from the store, excited to start gaming. She followed once she had her hair decently styled and a more presentable outfit on.
“Hey, Chloe,” Adam greeted as he opened a bottle of wine. “I just ordered the pizzas.”
“Hey, yourself and thanks.” She stashed her purse in the corner.
Tommy’s voice collided with the boys’ laughter in the other room so she went to go check on them. Mattie was hysterical on the couch, holding his stomach laughing. Dayton and Tommy stood on the carpet, where the coffee table usually resided, pointing their controllers at the television.
“What are you guys playing?”
“Nothing yet.” Dayton laughed. “Tommy won’t let us play until he designs his Mii.”
She looked at the flat screen as Tommy scrolled through various eye colors and shapes.
“These options are hideous! They don’t even let you choose a decent shirt.”
She laughed. “Well, it looks like you found skinny jeans.”
“Thank God for that. The lack of accessories is a crime.”
“Tommy, they’re girl eyes!” Dayton teased.
Continuing to scroll without pause, Tommy said, “So? As long as there’s an apple there’s a banana. Don’t forget that, Dayton.”
“What are you talking about?” her eldest asked.
Tommy pointed to his Adam’s apple then his crotch. “Apple equals banana. Clothes are just a façade.”
“Lovely,” Chloe grumbled. “I’m going to get a glass of wine. Do me a favor and try not to corrupt my son’s innocent mind.”
Pouring a glass of wine, she read the instructions to the game on the counter.
There was a knock at the door and Adam called, “Chloe will you get that? I have to run upstairs.”
Opening the door, she prepared to pay for the pizza, but it wasn’t the deliveryman. Georgia and Amanda stood smiling on the porch.
“Hey, Chloe! How are you?”
A little taken off-guard, she tucked the money in her pocket and grinned nervously. “Uh, hey. I didn’t know you guys were coming. Come in.”
The girls entered the kitchen as Tommy and Adam returned. Everyone said hello and exchanged kisses and settled in at the table. Chloe took a big gulp of wine. When there was another knock at the door she handed Adam the pizza money and refilled her glass.
A bottle of wine later, she’d gotten over the aversion to hanging out with Trenton’s sister and loosened up. Loose as a goose. By her fifth glass, she was beyond punch drunk.
“Okay, the rules…” Tommy started and Chloe giggled for no reason. “I’m with Amanda. Chloe, Adam, and Georgia will make up the other team.”
“How come they get more players?” Amanda asked.
“Because Adam’s terrible at games outside of the bedroom. Trust me, he’s more a handicap than anything else.”
“Hey!”
“You know I love you, sweetie, but it’s true. Anyway, here’s how it’s played.”
As Tommy babbled on about the rules, Chloe got comfortable. The game was like hot potato. They had to guess the word before the buzzer sounded. Rapid-fire clues led to hilarious descriptions.
Although Adam wasn’t good, Chloe was worse. When the clicker came to her it didn’t leave her hand until the buzzer sounded—every time. By her fourth turn, she finally got her team to guess a word, but only because it was “ring” and she had one on her finger to point to.
Several empty bottles of wine later, the kids were asleep on the couch and things in the kitchen had gotten wildly out of control. She was smashed.
Disco and 80’s music played from the stereo and she happily bounced with the tunes. When the clicker came to her the phrase read “melon”. She probably shouldn’t have gestured to her breasts, but she was beyond caring what Trenton’s sister might think of her. Besides, Georgia guessed the word right away and they needed the point.
“So… Have you gone out with Trent again?”
Chloe stilled. “Uh, no. I don’t think he’s interested in me like that.”
Georgia raised an eyebrow. “I doubt that. I know my brother. He likes you.”
She waved her finger at the rest of them. “Oh contraire, mon frere.” She really should stop drinking. “A man who’s interested calls.” She pulled her cell phone out of the front pocket of her sweater and waved it at the others. “See? No calls.”
“He’s an idiot,” Amanda commented. “I swear, men are so stupid. I’m glad I have Georgia. No offense, boys.”
“None taken.” Tommy laughed. “Adam and I are the exceptions to the species. We communicate and cuddle.”
“Let’s call him!” Georgia poured more wine. “Let’s ask him why he hasn’t called our lovely Chloe.”
The smile left her face, panic working hard to sober her senses. “No, no, no, no, no. Georsha, no.”
Trenton’s sister plucked Chloe’s phone from her hand. “Why not? I know he likes you. Let’s see what his excuse is.”
Chloe clumsily stretched for her phone, but Georgia held it out of her reach as she dialed. Nausea tightened her fermented belly. “Oh, God, don’t call him. Really, I’m over it.” Was her tongue swollen? Suddenly her words were coming out all wrong.
“Oooh, girl, is that a new phone cover?” Tommy asked as Georgia put the phone to her ear. “Bedazzlie! I like it.”
“I know!” Chloe nodded and smiled, momentarily distracted. “I got it on eBay for fif-fif-four dollars.” She laughed as her words, again, awkwardly fell out of her mouth.
“It’s ringing.”
“No!” Chloe hissed and snatched the phone from her, hanging up, and tossing it on the table. “Georsha! We’re supposed to be a team! No calling your sexy brother.”
Bad Romance by Lady Gaga started chirping from her phone and everyone stilled. Without touching the table Georgia leaned forward and read the screen. “Oops.”
Chloe’s hand flung over her mouth as her eyes went wide and she scooted away from the table. “Is it him? What do I do?”
Before anyone could offer a solution, Tommy scooped up the phone and answered. “House of Beauty—name your cutie!”
Georgia snorted and Amanda cracked up.
“Oh, Trenton!” Tommy cooed. “How lovely of you to call. How have you been, poodle?”
Chloe lunged across the table and Tommy slid his chair out of reach. Adam moved the glasses so they didn’t spill.
“Oh, good. I’m actually sitting here with our girl now. Seems she’s had a bit too much of the bubbly.”
“Tommy, hang up the phone!” she hissed, all merriment leaving her in a whoosh.
He waved a hand for her to buzz off. “No, she’s fine. She’s just—”
She grabbed his sweater and tugged.
“Ahh! Honey, this is Ralph Lauren! Don’t do that!”
She swatted his hand, trying to knock the phone out of his grip. “Hang up!”
“Ouch! Oh, crap! What? No everything’s fine—”
She pinched his nipple.
“Ouch! Oh, poodle, I’ll have to call you back. No, it’s … I gotta go, Dancing with the Stars is on!” He clicked off the phone. “Damn, girl! Adam, she scratched me!”
“You asked for it. Should’ve given her the phone.”
“She never would have answered. My left nipple’s going to look like a swollen udder by morning.” He tsked. “Bitch.”
“I’m really sorry, Chloe. I didn’t think you’d get that upset,” Georgia apologized.
Chloe held her head. “This is bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad.”
Amanda tipped her face to the side. “Why? If he likes you and you like him, why not tell each other.”
“Chloe, honey.” Adam calmly pulled her hands from her face. “It’s not that big of a deal. If he calls back, Georgia will answer and explain what happened. Tommy won’t touch your phone and she’ll tell her brother if he wants to talk to you he can call tomorrow.”
She took a breath and Bad Romance played again. They all stared at the phone.
Georgia’s eyes turned apologetic. “Do you want me to answer it?”
Chloe groaned and pushed the phone to her.
“Trent? Hey, it’s Georgia. No, we’re over Adam and Tommy’s. Yes, she’s here… She’s perfectly fine… Um, I think you’d better wait until morning. What?” Her gaze shifted to the guys. “Um… Well, I guess. Okay … bye.” She ended the call. “He’s coming over.”
“What?”
Adam rested a calming hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. We got this.”
Thirty minutes later, after nearly hyperventilating a dozen times, Chloe still hadn’t calmed down. Adam and Amanda’s solution was to give her more wine while Tommy fussed over her hair and makeup. Georgia paced and apologized profusely.
Her heart pounded and she tried to convince herself no one special was stopping by. However, her stomach informed her she was a liar.
When he knocked at the door, Chloe attempted to stand but thought better of it when the room tilted. She straightened the game pieces as if they were still playing.
“Trenton, what a surprise,” Adam greeted unconvincingly and let him in.
Trenton settled into the chair next to hers, his familiar scent crawling into her as his arm brushed her sleeve. She didn’t look at him or say hello.
Breathe. She had to breathe.
“How ya doin’, doll?” His husky whisper sent her ovaries into spasm.
He chuckled in her ear and sat back as Adam handed him a glass of wine. The peanut gallery watched in silence, the weight of their stares making her face hotter than it already was.
“So what are we playing?”
“Game time’s over. We’ve moved on to stimulating conversation,” Tommy said.
“Where were you tonight?” Georgia asked.
Trenton’s large hand rested on Chloe’s thigh, stilling her foot from its incessant tapping. He squeezed her leg affectionately and her thighs clenched together, then unclenched the instant she realized she’d trapped his fingers.
“Around. I had to check on a new set-up we did downtown. Nothing too exciting.”
“What kind of set up?” Tommy asked.
“Security.”
“Oh, is that what you do? Exciting!”
“Trent does all kinds of stuff,” his sister added. “Tell them about that girl you found a couple weeks ago.”
“You found a girl? Do tell.” The men seemed very impressed by this, but Chloe was only half listening.
“It was just a runaway. Her parents contacted our agency to help locate her. She was a minor shacked up with an overage boyfriend.”
“He also catches criminals who break bail,” Georgia stated proudly.
“You’re like Starsky!” Tommy cooed.
Trenton’s chest rumbled with laughter. “I’d prefer to think of myself as Hutch.”
Georgia snorted. “There’s no way you're Hutch! Jeremy’s the Hutch and you’re the Starsky.”
“Then who’s Pete?” he asked.
Georgia thought for a moment. “I don’t know. Maybe he could be the Striped Tomato.”
Everyone burst out laughing. Chloe smiled but didn’t get the joke, too distracted as Trent’s hand continued to weigh heavily on her thigh.
Leaning back in his chair, he draped his arm over her shoulder and she tensed, unsure which was worse, this or the leg touching. His fingers kneaded her shoulder making it impossible to pretend he wasn’t caressing her.
The conversation rolled from work and current events, but to her intoxicated brain, it all blended into nonsensical syllables and words. But damn, his hands felt good. He was slowly unknotting every twinge of tension in her neck, despite the upheaval in her mind. The next thing she knew someone was touching her cheek. She opened her eyes and the room was quiet.
Georgia and Amanda were gone. The stereo was off and the game they were playing was put away. Tommy was washing dishes at the sink and Adam was nowhere to be found.
“Did I fall asleep?”
Blue eyes creased with amusement. “Afraid so, doll.”
She cleared her throat. “Where’s Adam?”
“He’s moving the boys to the guest room. What do you say I walk you home?”
Chloe looked over her shoulder at Tommy who was strangely mute. “I have to check on the boys.”
The boys were fine, tucked in and out cold. As she returned to the kitchen Tommy and Trenton were whispering. She couldn’t hear what Adam was saying, but she did hear Trenton say, “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t.”
“I feel like I’m forgetting something,” she said, letting them know she was back in the room.
“Just your children, sweet. Don’t worry, we’ll return them tomorrow.” Tommy kissed her goodnight.
They walked to the door and Adam called, “Make sure she locks her doors.”
Her breath hitched as Trenton placed his hand on her back. “I will.”