Be Aware
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he moment he saw them Romero had to laugh.
“What?” Manny asked, looking back down at the box little Romeo had just unwrapped. “These were some of the best movies back in the day, stuff that Mandy and little Moe haven’t seen but have to. They’re classics.”
“Yeah, but they’re DVD’s,” Romero said, shaking his head. We haven’t owned a DVD player in years, Fred Flintstone. I keep telling you and Max to get with the times. We download all our movies now. Play them right off the TV.”
Manny pointed at the other box the kids had yet to unwrap. “That’s where that comes in. Open it up, Mandy.” He turned back to Romero. “What good is having a collection of something if you can’t show it off? How are kids these days supposed to show off their movie collections if they’re all in their iPad or TV?” Manny sat down next to Romeo as Mandy eagerly opened up the bigger present Manny and Max had walked in with. “And these are top of the line Blu-ray.”
Romero laughed as he saw what the bigger gift was: a Blu-ray player. “I didn’t even know they still sold those.”
“Sure they do,” Max said. “And they ain’t cheap. We ordered the movies online. This is just the eighties collection, but we got more wrapped up at home for the kids. Check it out.” Romeo handed Max the box of movies when Max asked him to. “Remember these? We had them all on VHS.”
Romero scanned the titles: ‘Goonies,’ ‘E.T.,’ ‘Jaws,’ the entire ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ collections. “War Games?” Romero laughed. “Shit, I haven’t seen any of these in years.”
“I’m telling you this is all the good stuff,” Manny said, smiling proudly.
“Can we watch E.T., Daddy?” Amanda asked.
“Oh, I loved that movie when I was a kid,” Izzy said, standing up. She leaned over and hugged Max first then Manny. “And I agree. I think having a collection of movies is very cool. My sisters and I had all the Disney princess movies growing up. Don’t listen to your ungrateful nephew.” She turned to Romero and gave him a look that only made him laugh. “This was very thoughtful of you, guys. Thank you. I’ll go make popcorn.”
They set up the Blu-ray player in the family room with the big TV, and the kids ran upstairs to get in their pajamas and bring their blankets and pillows down. Manny, Max, and Aida were going to hang out and watch the movie with them.
Aida went upstairs with Izzy and the kids to help get them ready and bring down their things. Romero told Izzy he’d finish getting the popcorn and snacks together. His uncles followed him into the kitchen where they started putting a tray together.
Just as Romero finished pouring the second bag of popcorn into a bowl, he noticed Manny sneakily looking out the kitchen door into the front room as indiscreetly as only his uncles could be. “What are you doing?” Romero asked with a smirk.
He crumpled up the empty bag of popcorn in his hand, still watching Manny as the big guy continued to look very obviously as if he were up to something.
“I wanna make sure Izzy doesn’t hear me,” his uncle said in that tone he thought was a whisper but was just as loud as his regular voice.
“Well, then whisper,” Romero said, “or at least lower your voice.”
Romero already had a feeling what this might be about. They were as bad as he was when it came to trying to outdo Izzy with her gifts for Christmas. Manny was probably going to try to talk Romero into telling them what she’d gotten them.
“I am whispering,” Manny said just as loudly as the first time.
“No, you’re not,” Romero said, grabbing the grapes out of the fridge.
“She told you about yesterday, right?” Manny asked in that same loud tone.
Both his uncles were hopeless when it came to lowering their voices, so Romero didn’t bother repeating himself. “What about yesterday?”
“That she was late and I had to pick up the kids for her from school.”
“Yeah, she told me,” Romero said, peering at Manny. “So?”
“Did she tell you why she was running late?”
Romero thought about that for a moment then shook his head. He hadn’t even asked. “No. She just said she was running late. It happens.”
Manny and Max exchanged glances before Manny cleared his throat. “Not to Izzy it doesn’t.”
That was partially true, but as perfect and punctual as Romero would like to think she was, it wasn’t fair to expect her to never be running late. Though at the moment he couldn’t think of a single time she’d been late to anything especially when it came to the kids. “So what are you saying?”
“I wasn’t gonna mention it, and it’s probably not a big deal, so don’t get all bent. I just got to thinking and thought maybe I should,” Manny said, glancing back out the kitchen. “She said and I quote, ‘I got caught up talking to the professor and the time just flew.’”
Now Romero stared at his uncle, not exactly sure, but he had a feeling what Manny was trying to imply. Normally, the mere implication would irritate the hell out of Romero, but right now he was trying to remember any time Izzy had lost track of time, especially knowing she had the kids to pick up. She’d always been meticulous about everything she did, but when it came to the kids, it was almost overkill. She was as overly protective of them as a parent could get. It was why for years Manny and Max had been busting his balls about Romeo being such a momma’s boy.
But he refused to let Manny think he’d actually buy into the idea that Izzy dropped the ball when it came to their kids—something so unlike her—because of this professor. So he shrugged.
“She works with the guy. Part of her job is discussing the curriculum with him—talking. I get caught up at work all the time too. It happens.”
“Sure, sure,” Manny said as if in total agreement but still added, “and that’s probably all it was, but then I got to thinking. Kind of odd that this would happen to your wife. You know especially the way she is with the kids and all.”
It’s exactly what Romero was thinking. But the kids, Izzy, and Aida were downstairs now, and he did not want her hearing what Manny was implying.
“Lower your voice,” he warned, feeling a little hot all of a sudden.
“I’m just saying I kind of had a feeling this whole thing with her going back to work might be trouble—”
“Lower your fucking voice,” Romero warned again through his teeth, knowing full well he’d just let his uncle in on the fact that the more he kept talking the more this was starting to get to him.
Manny obviously saw the sudden blaze in Romero’s eyes because he lifted his hands and started backpedaling. “All I’m saying,” Manny said, his voice still just as loud, so Romero raised a finger at him and lifted the crumpled bag of popcorn, threatening to throw it at him. Manny lifted his hand in front of his face in defense. “I didn’t think,” he repeated in a very loud whisper, “it might be this kind of trouble. And it probably isn’t,” he added quickly. “It’s just that I hear about this shit all the time at the bar. Guys come in there to drown their sorrows in booze about their wives doing them wrong. I’m not saying she would, but I’m just worried because I know how bat-shit crazy you’d get if she so much as got a little too friendly with the guy. Even that would make you . . . you know . . . go nuts. You got them kids to think about now. So I just thought as your uncle I should warn you to be aware.” He pointed at his ear. “Listen for the warning sirens. It probably really is nothing, and the only reason I’m even bringing it up is because shit happens to most people. Not Izzy. You know this. You say it all the time. She’s perfect, remember?”
Romero gulped hard, knowing his whole night could easily be ruined if he gave this too much thought. Manny would never come at him like this about anything he knew might set him off, unless he really thought he was onto something. Max had been quiet the whole time. Either Manny hadn’t discussed this with him before tonight, or this could be one of the many times Max disagreed with Manny.
“He’s right,” Max said, glancing out the kitchen door, making the knot in Romero’s gut go even tighter. “I don’t think she’d do anything either, Moe. But innocent flirting between two colleagues is more common than you think. I hear it down at the bar all the time too—married guys talking about flirting with their co-workers—but sometimes it goes a little further than just flirting. Sometimes some of these guys talk about developing feelings and shit. Before you know it, they’re feeling confused and tempted to take things further.” He lifted his hand up when clearly he too picked up on Romero’s instant irritation about the mere implication that this might be the case with Izzy and the professor. “I’m not saying she’s even flirting, and if this were anyone else, we wouldn’t have even brought it up. But this is you.” He shrugged. “And let’s face it. Even innocent flirting would make you fucking nuts. So in case it is, maybe, you know, you talk to her about this professor guy before it does go any further. You don’t wanna accuse her of anything because like we said it’s probably nothing, but I agree with Manny. Be aware. Knowledge is power. Find out more about this guy. Ask her what it’s like working with him. Is he married too? Stuff like that.”
Romero already knew the answer to that last one, and the more he thought about it, the more he hated the idea of her working so closely with Elliot. But he had to be reasonable. Just like him, Izzy lived for her family—for him. She told him this often. She’d never given him reason to doubt her. It wouldn’t be fair to not give her the benefit of the doubt. She hadn’t worked outside the house a day since the kids were born until now. This was new to her. This was likely to going to happen more than once. It was normal. She’d already admitted that the first few days after she’d gone back to work she’d nearly been late to pick them up. She was just getting used this huge change in her life.
There was no way Romero could be mad about her slipping one time. He’d slipped more times than he could count when it came to so many things. Izzy had always been so patient and forgiving with him all the times when he’d brought home the wrong kind of diapers or wrong stuff from the market and forgot about certain awards ceremonies for the kids. It’s not like Manny and Max hadn’t been there and videotaped the whole damn thing every time, even when Mandy got an award for holding her pencil correctly in kindergarten. Still he’d felt like shit the times he’d been so caught up with work he had to miss out. It was why he hadn’t even questioned it or even dreamed of being mad at his perfect wife yesterday when he found out about her running late.
To Romero’s surprise, he’d been able to get into the movie they watched, despite everything on his mind. Even more surprising, his son, who normally fell asleep during movies, not only had stayed up for the whole thing he immediately asked if they could see it again when it was over.
“Not tonight, baby,” Izzy said, opening up her arms, and his son jumped in them. “It’s time for bed now. But tomorrow for sure.”
Romero walked his uncles out with Romeo in his arms before Izzy tried to walk upstairs, holding him. He’d told her to leave Mandy, who had fallen asleep during the movie, downstairs too and he’d bring her up. He knew if he didn’t she’d try to carry her up.
Once he got upstairs with Romeo, he came back down for Mandy. He had to laugh at how limply his sweet daughter’s body fell over his shoulder. It almost made him forget about all the shit Manny and Max had put in his head.
Until he got into his bedroom.
Izzy stood in the middle of the room, wearing a baby-doll lingerie outfit and fuck-me heels. “Are the kids asleep?”
Romero nodded as his eyes ate up his wife from top to bottom. Goddamn, he was a lucky man. She was perfect. She shook her ass a little before lying down on the bed, and he made sure he locked the door.
“I’m as bad as your uncles,” she murmured, smiling at him sinfully. “I wanted to wait until Christmas before unveiling my newest naughty outfit. But I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t wait until Christmas to see what you thought.”
Romero unzipped his pants, staring at his perfect wife lying in his bed. Jesus-fucking-Christ. How could he be mad at her? One more glance at her perfect body lying on his bed in the most fuckable outfit imaginable and he felt his blood begin to bubble despite how hard he was already.
He ripped his shirt and pants off until he was down to just his boxer briefs and climbed on his bed, lying over her. “How the hell did I get so lucky?” he asked without giving her a chance to respond before devouring her mouth.
He ran his hands up and down her long legs and back up in between. Kissing Izzy had always been his favorite thing to do. He didn’t want to ruin the moment. Obviously, she’d gone all out for him tonight. He should forget what Manny said and just enjoy his beautiful wife.
But the very thought that this professor might in any way be distracting his otherwise meticulously organized Izzy grated him in a way that he couldn’t let go. He had to get to the bottom of this, and it couldn’t wait until they were done. “Baby?” he said breathlessly as he kissed her hard again then nipped his way down her jaw line to her neck.
“Yes,” she said, equally as excited and aroused as he felt.
“Yesterday, when you lost track of time,” he said, kissing her again, and immediately felt her go stiff. “What?” he asked, pulling his face away and searching her eyes. He couldn’t make out exactly what he was seeing in them, but whatever it was literally spiked his heart rate. “What happened?” he asked, still searching for a clue. “What made you forget the time?”
She shook her head, and while she attempted to hide it, he saw it now. There was panic in her eyes. It was fleeting, but he hadn’t missed it. “I was just working and didn’t realize what time it was.”
In an effort to hide his own panic now, he leaned in and kissed her neck again softly then licked it. “Working?” he whispered. “On what?”
Her body had yet to return to the relaxed state it’d been when he first lay over her. Though, she did run her hands along his back. Romero knew this was an odd topic to be talking about at a moment like this and that he was risking ruining the moment if he didn’t let this shit go, but he couldn’t help himself. He sucked her neck, rubbing himself against her thigh.
“Just discussing the day’s lecture,” she said, her words just a little too nervous for his liking.
But there you had it, just as he’d told Manny. Discussing thing like lectures and curriculum with this guy made perfect sense. He should just drop it now. But the fact that she’d been so caught up talking to Elliot she did something so unlike her had him fisting the sheet in his hand, and his dumb ass went on. “And you just forgot about the kids?”
She went completely stiff now and dropped her hands from his back. “No, I didn’t just forget about the kids,” she said in that tone she didn’t use often but he knew what it meant. She was pissed. “I’d never forget about them and you know that.” She tried to push him away now. “I just didn’t realize how late it was.”
“Hey,” he said, pulling away to look into her angry eyes. “I just meant you forgot it was time to pick them up. Don’t get upset.”
“Don’t get upset?” she asked, trying to sit up, just a little too defensive. “You’re saying I forgot my kids, Romero. When have I ever done that?”
This time she did sit up and he let her. “Baby, I was just asking because Manny brought it up tonight and I remembered I hadn’t even asked much about it. I was curious.”
“What did he bring up?” she asked, pulling her legs off the side of the bed. “Did he say I forgot the kids too?”
“No!” Romero pulled his legs off the bed, too, when she got up. “Look. I’m sorry I worded it that way,” he said, going after her because she was already headed to the bathroom.
He caught up to her in the bathroom and reached out for her hand, turning her around to face him. His heart nearly skipped when he saw her flooded eyes. Fuck! He knew he should’ve just let this go.
“You’re crying about this?” he asked, cradling her face in his hands, even as she tried to fight him, and then kissed her softly. “I didn’t mean anything by it, Izzy. It was just a question.” He pulled back and searched her eyes. “What’s wrong with you?”
If it weren’t for her dressing up for him, he might think it was that time of the month because this was way too much of an overreaction. Even on her moody days, she was never this bad.
“I just felt really bad about yesterday,” she whispered, looking down. “You know that kind of stuff never happens to me. I was so relieved when you weren’t mad about it.”
Damn it. He should’ve known Izzy would be hard on herself over something like this, and then his dumb ass goes and accuses her of forgetting the kids.
“I’m an asshole,” he said, kissing her again. “I wasn’t mad at you then and I’m not now. I know you’d never forget them, babe. It was a stupid choice of words.” He kissed her again and again because the more he thought about it the more he realized how upset with herself she must’ve been. He’d completely misinterpreted the panic he’d seen in her eyes. “Seriously,” he said, bringing his arms around her tightly and wanting nothing more than to assure her he was fine with her not being so perfect all the time. “I was just curious. But don’t beat yourself up about this, Izzy. Manny got them and there was no harm done. If it ever happens again, one of those two will always be around.” He shrugged with a smile, remembering how puffed up his uncles’ chests had gotten when Izzy had informed them she’d added their names to the kids’ emergency contact info. “Those two love feeling needed.”
He pulled back to look at her, and to his relief, she didn’t seem so upset anymore. She even smiled weakly. “Yeah, well, don’t expect it to happen ever again.”
He smiled even bigger now. “Izzy, never say never. I know you’re perfect, but there are things even you have no control over. Shit happens. So if this ever happens again, don’t sweat it. No one’s gonna be mad at you, least of all me, okay?” He leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry I upset you. You forgive me?”
Smiling a little bigger this time, she raised an eyebrow then surprised him by placing her hand over the front of his briefs, instantly getting a rise out of him. “Depends on how you plan on making it up to me.”
Groaning, he lifted her in his arms, overwhelmed with relief that their night hadn’t been ruined after all. “Oh, I’ll make it up to you in more ways than one.”
She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck as he rushed her back to the bed. The moment he realized the naughty lingerie she’d bought was crotch-less he knew the first time was going to be fast. After that, he’d take it slowly. Now that he’d managed to fix what could’ve easily taken a more disastrous turn, he had every intention of making it up to her all night.