Clayton
I woke up to the sound of my cell phone ringing on my nightstand. Palmer had changed my ringtone for Emelie to the song “My Girl” about a week ago when I was caught up playing monster jam with Ethan. I bought him a series of monster trucks and now, he doesn’t really play with his other trucks.
Yeah, that shit made me smile. I was his BFF for sure.
I reached out, grabbed my phone, and slid my finger across the screen. “Good morning, pretty girl.”
“It’s almost noon, Clay,” Emelie added and I could sense she was smiling. “So it’s more like afternoon. Did you stay up partying hard?”
“Nope, me and my boy jammed out to some tunes and then my girl kept me up late kissing, before she kicked me out with a woody.”
“Real classy.” I may have been alarmed that I offended her had I not heard her laughter follow. “I was wondering if you wanted to attempt a shopping trip with me?”
“Are we buying lingerie that you will later model for me?”
“More like diapers and juice.” It was weird how her correction didn’t disappoint me. “I know definitely not as glamorous as something silky or lacy. Or even see through, you know, with that sheer material.”
“Are you trying to make me hard?”
“No.” Again she giggled. “Why? Is it working?”
“Like you really have to ask.” I had been a walking boner since the first night she practically rubbed me raw through my jeans on her couch.
“Fire,” I heard someone yell outside my room and it took me a minute to register what they’d said.
“What was that?”
“Oh shit.” I scrambled from my bed and searched for my shorts.
A pounding on the wall just outside my door made me drop the phone to the floor. “Fire! Get out now! Move it.”
“Fuck!” I searched for my phone and only found it when I was able to hear Emelie’s panicked voice shouting from the other end of the line. “I’m here.” I held the phone between my cheek and shoulder firmly, hopping around on one leg. “There’s a fire,” I told her as I rushed toward my door.
“Oh my god.” I could sense her worry. “Get out.”
“I am.” I yanked open my door, still trying to button my jeans, and plowed forward, only to bounce back and fall to the floor. Once again, my phone went skidding across the hardwood and I lay there, flat on my back, wondering what in the fuck just hit me.
The sounds of laughter filtered in as I lifted my head and looked toward my door.
“Seriously, you dicks?”
My frustration only made the idiots laugh harder. My adrenaline was still pumping through me fast, making me feel slightly dizzy. “Clayton?” Then I remembered Emelie was still on the phone and I reached out in search of it, still staring ahead at the door.
“I’m here,” I told her with a lot less playfulness than I’d had a few minutes ago.
“Are you okay?”
“No.” I pouted. “Yes,” I said, pouting like a damn child because these assholes were catching me at all angles and my guard was down.
“What’s going on? Did you get outside?”
“There’s no fire,” I said as I shook my head, still staring at my doorway in utter disappointment because I hadn’t pulled this prank myself.
“But I thought—” she paused, as if trying on her own to figure out what in the hell was going on.
“There was no fire, Em.” I stood from the floor and walked toward my door, reaching out to push against the plastic that stretched across my door. “The assholes streamed a shit ton of Saran wrap or plastic across my doorway, apparently securing it tight, and then yelled fire. If you picture in your mind what I just told you, I’d think you’d be able to figure out what took place when I tried to rush out of my room in a hurry.”
There were a few passing seconds of silence before Emelie suddenly burst out in her own round of laughter. “Oh my god,” she said between fits. “Please tell me that somehow that entire thing was somehow caught on video.”
“Are you seriously laughing at me?”
“Come on, Clay, seriously? That is hilarious, childish and immature, oh yes, but most definitely hilarious too. I can almost imagine you being sling shot backwards just after colliding with the barricade.”
“I don’t find the humor in it.”
“Oh, bullshit,” she challenged me. “You’re just sour that you didn’t think of it yourself.” She wasn’t entirely wrong. “Figure out how you’re gonna get out of your room and hurry up. I only have two diapers left and with this boy that isn’t safe.”
She ended the call before I could say anything more and I got an idea of my own. I’d teach her to laugh at me.
***
“This is cool.” I held up the little basketball hoop with a tiny ball. “Tell me he doesn’t need one of these.” I pointed toward Ethan as he reached out for the hoop with his eyes wide with excitement. “See,” I said, “he loves it.”
“He has more toys than we have furniture in my apartment and you think he needs more?”
“There is no such thing as too many toys.” I arched my brow, daring her to challenge me on the matter.
“Says the guy that doesn’t have to trip over them every night when he gets up to pee.” True, very true, but still not a good enough reason not to gift the boy his first basketball hoop.
“Don’t worry, pal.” I pointed toward my buddy, again giving me that look like I was his favorite person. That look alone made me feel so powerful. “I got this.”
“Clayton.” Emelie offered that motherly tone that I chose to ignore. It was her fault really; she should never have brought a big kid into a toy section and expected him to walk out empty-handed. Maybe one day she’d learn.
With a Little Tykes hoop and ball in one hand and a happy as hell toddler in the other, we exited the toy store ten minutes later. Granted Ms. SourPuss was trudging behind still giving her look of disapproval. But Ethan and I made a pact. We would both gang up on her when we got back to her place and she’d have no choice but to smile.
I’d mastered the carseat shit. I had him inside, buckled and secured with a smile before Em was even buckled herself. When I flashed her a smile and a wink, she just rolled her eyes. “Get over yourself.”
She had attempted to turn toward the window before I got the chance to see her smile but failed, because I saw the shit full on. She wasn’t mad at me, she just wasn’t used to this kind of attention for her or Ethan.
“Are you gonna drive?” she asked from the passenger seat as I sat behind the wheel just staring at her. “Or are we just gonna hang out in the parking lot all night?”
“I’ll drive when you kiss me.” I leaned in and she leaned back away from me. “My mom always said that you should never go to bed angry and I’m changing that up by saying that you should never drive angry. So, if you want me to drive, you need to kiss me and show me that you’re not mad.”
“You are ridiculous.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Please tell me you already know this?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m still gonna be needing that kiss.” I tapped my lips and waited. When she didn’t move in, I puckered my lips and made kissy sounds. I could see the grin tugging at her lips. “Come on now, we’re losing daylight.”
She moved in fast, intending to offer a quickie, but I didn’t let her get away that easily. I cupped the back of her neck and held her lips to mine, lengthening our connection.
“You need to stop spoiling him,” she whispered the words and I pulled back just enough to look down at her.
“That’s gonna be a problem,” I tell her truthfully, seeing the glossiness in her eyes. “Because all I wanna do is spoil the both of you all the time. Not just with gifts but attention.”
“Being with us is enough,” she confessed, closing her eyes tightly as if fighting off some type of hidden emotion. “It’s all we need.”
I knew I’d already been securely wrapped around this girl’s finger and her son’s. Hell, the two of them were all I thought about. I missed them like crazy when they weren’t around, and at night when I lay awake in my bed, the only place I wanted to be was at her place with them.
Ethan and Emelie had become such an important part of my life that without them close I always felt like something was missing.
“The basketball hoop wasn’t only for him,” I confessed, smiling widely. “It was for me too.”
“You are such a big kid.” She finally laughed and that ache in my chest felt lighter. “But an adorable one at that.”
“See, I knew you liked me.” I kissed her again.
“That I do, Clayton, much more than I should.” I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but instead of attempting to drag it out of her I leaned back and started my Explorer. With her hand held firmly in mine, we backed out of the parking space and drove to her place.