Liam

The expression on Lourdes’s face whens she walked through my front door was killer. She was awestruck. I bought the house when I started making big money. I thought I needed it to be taken seriously, but I would prefer something smaller now with more yard. The pool takes up all of the limited space on the side of the house because it’s built on a hill.

It’s a beautiful warm summer day in paradise. I love LA. After traveling all over the world, this is where I’m most comfortable—in the sun, surrounded by palm trees and people who love my work. It was always my dream to open a dance club of my own here. Fiction is the product of years of hustling and living out of my car. I never thought it would end up being secondary to my public appearances. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we are going to make our future work together. I need to tour, but she’ll be in school with two children, and I won’t leave her alone to fend for herself. I haven’t come up with anything yet, but I will. I always do.

Lourdes is sitting next to me in lounger chairs, watching Toby splash in the pool. I found his swim trunks in his dresser, and Lourdes is wearing one of the many bikinis we have for guests who don’t have a suit. Amira loves pool parties. She’s always having sloppy drunk fests when I’m out of town or at work. I know this because we have closed circuit television everywhere on the property. Amira also leaves the mess from the party until someone she’s hired comes to clean it up. Sometimes, I’ll come home and my house, yard and pool are littered with trash, beer cans, and occasionally, a naked straggler who didn’t get the message that the party was over.

I much prefer the family atmosphere. Watching these two relax in a healthy environment with more than one hundred and fifty square feet to turn around in is satisfying.

“This is amazing, Liam. Thank you for today. He’s having a blast.”

“No problem. I do want to talk to you about something though.” She freezes and chances looking away from Toby for a fraction of a second.

“Uh oh, am I going to like this? Because I’m feeling like maybe I won’t.”

She’s fiddling with the side string on the bottom of her suit. She’s a fiddler, I’ve noticed. She unconsciously plays with anything on or near her that has strings, fringe or zippers, especially her necklace. It’s adorable.

“It depends. You should like it, but you’re a little pigheaded and independent, so it could go either way.” She drops the string and straightens her spine.

“I’m pigheaded? Seriously, Liam? I think out of the two of us, you win that coin toss,” she says, getting up to check on Toby. He’s wearing a bodysuit with floaters in it, so he’s fine. She’s just using him as an excuse to shift some of the attention from our discussion.

“Okay, so I’m pigheaded too. I’m glad you understand that, because I’m not taking no for an answer on this.”

She’s sitting down on the edge of the pool now with Toby between her ankles, bobbing him up and down. Her thigh muscles flex and relax every time she lifts him out of the water, and her abdomen tightens simultaneously.

Fuck, I shouldn’t be having thoughts like I’m having while watching a mother have fun in my pool with her little boy. I’m not in my right mind lately. I can’t even watch her doing the simplest mundane things without some sort of erotic fantasy running like a movie through my mind.

“Toby, watch and listen. This is what it’s like to be bullied. Don’t let anyone do this to you when you start preschool, okay?” she says, reaching out to tousle his hair. When she bends over—Lord, she’s bent over—I notice the tip of a tattoo peeking out of her suit bottoms. A tramp stamp. I would have never guessed sweet little Lourdes Kennedy would have a tramp stamp. It’s just one more thing to fantasize about when I lie awake tonight, alone in my bed.

I lean forward and look around her to speak to Toby. “Your mommy is kidding, Toby. I would never bully her.” He squeals, not knowing what we’re even talking about. He just enjoys the attention.

“I’m moving you and Toby into the lower level of my house while you’re pregnant. I’m not going back on my word to buy you a house near Berkeley, but I want you safe until you go back to school.”

I watch her shoulders rise and fall. I think she may be deep breathing to keep herself from freaking out. I’ve never seen her angry, and I don’t want her angry now—especially since she’s pregnant—but this is non-negotiable. She needs help, and I’m giving it to her.

She slips off the edge of the pool and disappears under the water—where she can’t hear me or where she can’t yell at me, I’m not sure which. Either way, it’s proof that she is just as pigheaded as I am.

That’s all right. I can wait. I’m a very patient man, and I’m used to dealing with cranky women. I stand and slip my hands into the pockets of my shorts and step to the side of the pool. I watch as her gorgeous body glides underwater to the other side.

Away from me.

Inside my pockets, I cross my fingers and say a prayer that she’s not going to give me much trouble on this matter, because I have movers scheduled to pack them up and move them the day after tomorrow.

When she surfaces she looks fine—more than fine. She’s glowing. Toby is kicking and splashing, trying to reach her. She smiles at him and ignores me. First time for everything, I guess. I kick off my flip-flops, pull my t-shirt over my head and toss it aside. When I look back at her, she’s staring at me while treading water with her mouth hanging open. She realizes she’s been caught and snaps it shut.

Toby has flopped himself halfway across the pool, and she’s about to swim out to him when I dive into the water and come up between them.

“Got him. Come here, you little fish.” I never realized what good buffers kids could be. Toby grabs onto my neck, and I slide him around onto my back and face Lourdes.

“You still like me,” I say.

She rolls her eyes. “Yes, I still like you. You’re an overbearing, overprotective, dominant, crazy man. But I like you—a lot.”

“Good, because the movers will be at your house the day after tomorrow to pack you up and move you.” Without giving her time to object, I swim away with Toby on my back, screeching and thrashing with joy.