“You’re really not going to sleep with me, are you?” Alexis questioned with her body leaned into his.
“Do you promise to stay on your side and not touch me?”
“Yes,” she promised with her mouth while shaking her head no.
“I better just sleep with Riki. There is no way I’ll make it through the night without making love to you.”
Just hearing him say those words sent a shiver up her spine.
“Cory, I’m fine.”
“I would feel better if we waited a couple of days.”
“Days?”
“Goodnight, Alexis.”
Alexis turned and left with a heavy sigh. She pouted while reading the bottle of pills out loud. “Take one pill three times a day as needed for pain.” She didn’t feel like she needed the pill, but she dry swallowed it anyway. Lying in her bed alone, she thought about her crazy, crazy day. Cory had a kid. Cory hid a kid for weeks. Cory had a little girl. Wow. Cory had a child.
Seven
Alexis groaned and placed her arm over her face, covering her eyes from the ringing noise. What the hell was that? Jesus. What time was it? Once she realized what was going on, she reached for the phone, grabbing the lamp right before it hit the floor.
“Hello?”
“Hi, how do you feel?” Bernie asked concerned.
“Much better, I think. I just woke up. Can I call you in a little bit?”
“You don’t have to call. I just wanted to check on you.”
“No, I need to talk to you. I have to tell you what happened last night.”
“What? Tell me now. Did you do it?”
“Bernie, let me wake up and let Mr. Dog out. I’ll call you in a little while.”
“You always do this to me, Lex. I’m getting ready to do a shoot. I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“Okay, talk to you in a little bit.”
Alexis rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked to the clock. Nine o’clock? Holy cow! She never slept that late. The floor creaked when Alexis crawled out of bed and yawned. The room she left Cory and Riki in the night before was quiet, the bed was made, and they were gone. Her nails dug into the discerning itch on her head, her face scrunched, and she wondered if it was real. It was real, and she knew even with the lingering effects of the pain pill, Cory had a little girl. How many more times did she have to tell herself that before it would finally sink in?
Mr. Dog whining from the bottom of the steps kept her from using the upstairs bathroom. She descended the steps, audibly sharing her thoughts with her selfish dog. “You think I don’t have to go, too? Hang on, I’m coming.” Mr. Dog whimpered and dropped his tail. “I know, I know, it’s late, you gotta go, but so do I. Come on before we both have an accident.” Alexis let Mr. Dog out to the gray, rainy day and groaned. Would it ever stop raining? Her legs danced to the bathroom quickly, feeling the strong urge coming closer and closer to releasing. “Aaah,” she sighed as she dropped the sexy panties she’d worn for Cory. That was before Riki, and when she thought she might have a chance at getting lucky.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” she called. Mr. Dog knew she was home. He didn’t want to stay on the porch, and he couldn’t wander around, sniffing in the rain. He followed her into the kitchen and to the small laundry room. She slid shorts up her legs while she walked, almost tripping when she lunged for the note on the table from Cory.
“Ouch! Shit!” she called with a clunk to the nearest chair. Sure she had at least three broken toes, Alexis held them tight in fist and rocked in pain. She hissed while reading the note.
Good morning. I hope you’re feeling better. I really am sorry for springing Riki on you like I did. I’ll call to check on you later. Stay home and rest today.
PS. You’re even more beautiful when you sleep. Love the panties. I hope you always sleep like that.
Cory
“Oh my God.” Alexis smiled while forgetting about the pain in her toes. Stupid table. The smile widened when she rinsed the sippy-cup. Yup, this was real. Who would have ever thought?
After starting coffee and feeding Mr. Dog, Alexis sighed and looked around. She still couldn’t believe she slept this late. She never slept this late. She didn’t even hear them leave. It had to have been the pain pills. Yes, that was it. Remembering why she took the pills in the first place, she pressed on the tender spot, just below her hipbone. The pain was practically gone, she really had to dig her fingers into feel it at all. Thank God. That was something she would be fine with never feeling again. The coffee gurgled behind her and she rolled her eyes, thinking about Cory’s concerning rejection. Afraid of hurting her, he wouldn’t touch her. She could only hope to get around the waiting a few days comment. For heaven’s sake. What was she saying? What the hell has gotten into her? Alexis was thinking about sex. With Cory! She chuckled and poured coffee.
Alexis didn’t know what to do with herself. She wasn’t used to being home alone, especially without a car. The rain wouldn’t allow her to start the porch floor, but she knew she’d be stir-crazy by noon if she didn’t do something. She sighed with a cup of coffee and reclined in her chair, trying to convince herself to relax and take it easy. The satellite that she paid too much a month for scrambled in and out due to the rain and light wind. That pissed her off. It was barely even raining and the wind was nothing more than a breeze. Stupid TV.
The cooking channel, scrambling in and out, made her think about Riki and being with Beth Regal. Alexis remembered her and Bernie going into the bakery where she worked. She was always so hateful with them, and had no patience whatsoever. They only had one chance to get it right and one dollar each to spend. It took time to pick out the right pastry. Did they want pudding in the middle or strawberry, chocolate or caramel, glazed or sprinkles? Those were tough decisions for two little girls and Beth Regal had always been so grouchy, telling them to pick something or leave. Being pulled from her thoughts of mean old Beth Regal, the phone rang. Finally, she could tell Bernie about her night, and Riki.
“Oh my God. You’re not going to believe this. It’s so crazy.”
“Good morning.”
“Oh, sorry. I thought you were Bernie.”
“And you couldn’t wait to tell her what a big dumb idiot I am, right?”
The palm of Alexis’s hand bounced off her forehead. She was the big dumb idiot. What’s the point in caller I.D. if you don’t use it? “Something like that.”
“Do you tell her everything?”
“Yes, since we were three. Unfortunately, she does the same.”
“Yeah, I can see how that could be scary. Did you take any more pain medicine?”
“No, the bottle says take three times a day as needed for pain. I’m not in pain, why would I take one? Besides, they made me sleep too soundly and too much, I didn’t even hear you leave.”
“Good, rest is the best medicine. Keep doing that. All day.”
“Yes, doctor.”
“Riki wanted to take Mr. Dog home with her this morning.”
“I can’t believe how cute she is, and I still can’t believe you have been hiding her for almost month.”
“I know, it wasn’t fair to either of you and I apologize profusely for it. Will you forgive me?”
“I might. Will you come over tonight?”
“I was hoping you’d ask.”
“What time will you be here? I’ll have supper ready.”
“No, you rest. I will take care of supper.”
“Cory, I’m bored out of my mind already. I’m fine. Now what time will you be here?”
“My last appointment is at four. I’ll run home and get Riki, and we should be there around five, but you really don’t have to cook. We’ll order in.”
“The only delivery you’re going to get out here is the mail, and that’s not a given, depends on the snow and how much the river rises.”
“Huh? The river?”
“Never mind, I’ll cook.”
“Yes, Miss Persistency. I’
ve got to go.”
“Then go,” Alexis teased.
“I’ll see you later. Rest,” Cory ordered in a snort.
Alexis looked at the time on the microwave and wondered what the hell she was supposed to do for seven hours. The rainy day assured her she wouldn’t be running to her parents’. Of course, that didn’t really entail resting. That idea was put to rest quickly. She did, however, have another idea. The pocket doors that opened to the den stuck a little when she tried to open it, nothing a little oil wouldn’t fix. She pondered for moment, wondering whether she should or not. Her fingers to the sore spot told her it was okay. She was fine; besides, what else would she do? Starting with the wood soap first, the old trim came to life. She loved this part of the restoration. There was nothing like watching the craftsmanship of the old trim come to life. Murphy’s oil filled her nostrils and the decorated trim was brought back to life. Her plan all along was to peel the old Victorian wallpaper and paint the room a silver-purple, something she’d seen in a magazine.
The decision to destroy the wallpaper vanished once she’d started scrubbing the years of tarnish. The exact same thing happened in the room Riki had slept in. She’d planned on painting that one, too, but couldn’t do it. The wallpaper held too much history and it looked brand new by the time it had been washed clean. Alexis had one side of the wall completely finished when Bernie finally called.
“It’s about time. I thought you forgot me.”
“I was busy. What happened? Did you have sex?”
“No. Where’s my Jeep?”
“I have strict orders not to bring it to you until we close tonight. Paige is going to follow me later to bring it to you. How are you?”
Unable to hold it in for one more second, Alexis blurted it out. “Cory has a kid, a little girl.”
“Really? He told you that? Is she in Chicago with her mom?”
“No, he’s got custody. He’s been keeping her a secret since we met.”
“Why? You love kids.”
“I love her. Oh my God, Bernie, wait until you see her.”
“I don’t get it. Why wouldn’t he just tell you?”
Alexis ran her soapy rag up the wood trim, watching the dull wood come to life. “Because I’ve told him several times that I didn’t want kids, that my work kids and my abundant family was enough for me. He was afraid I wouldn’t want him with her.”
“He doesn’t know you at all.”
“That’s what I said.”
“Wow, I’m shocked.”
“You? I threw him out last night when I overheard him on the phone. I thought he had a wife. He was talking to Beth Regal. She babysits for him.”
“Oh man, not Beth Regal.”
“Right? Yeah, it was so messed up. He showed back up less than an hour later with Riki.”
“Ricky? I thought you said it was a girl.”
“Yes, she is. Her mother was from Indonesia. It’s pronounced Ree-Kee, but no one can say it so everyone just calls her Riki, like the boy name.”
“How cute is that?”
“I know. Wait until you see her. This kid is so freaking cute.”
“I have to go, Lex, Paige needs me. I’ll see you later,” Bernie exclaimed without another word, hanging up in her ear. Alexis sighed and went back to her job.
She sang and worked for hours in the den she’d wanted to tackle. The old desk sat in front of a large bay window, overlooking the kidney-shaped pond. Bookshelves reached from floor to ceiling on both sides of the window, and a green sheet covered the same sofa that Mr. Tate had when he’d lived there. She couldn’t bring herself to get rid of it, it was too nice.
She still wanted to sand and refinish the wood floors, but thanks to Mr. Clean, they were a lot better than they were. The area rug from the room across where Cory and Riki slept covered the stain in the middle of the floor. Mr. Tate told her he’d peed on it when he was just a wee little lad. It was still there. The throw pillows she’d packed away in the attic a few months back matched the rug to a tee and she was happy. She’d made a lot of progress and the room looked amazing. Maybe she wouldn’t redo the floors. She kind of liked it like that.
The clock she’d hung on the wall told her she’d better quit and prepare for her evening with Cory and Riki. Alexis finished up a few minor details and called it a day. Happy with her accomplishments, she gave the room one more once-over and closed the doors. There were still a couple boxes of old books up in the attic that she wanted to bring down, some hers, and some left by the Tates, but she thought it best to wait on that. Lifting the heavy boxes probably wouldn’t be the best thing for her recovery.
With hamburger simmering in a skillet, Alexis sat with a glass of tea and dialed her dad. They talked about nothing in particular and then he handed the phone over to her mom. Lola listened to her explanation about Cory having a little girl, about how her mom just left her, and how he ended up in Cedar Springs. Lola listened, giving her input here and there, but she mostly listened. She did give her the dickens for not telling her that she was sick the day before, and Alexis rolled her eyes. Stupid bigmouth Bernie.
After a nice long bubble bath full of her favorite coconut and sandalwood scent, Alexis picked out her best bra and panties. She would need to make a trip to the Canterville mall if she intended to keep this up. The only reason she had the ones that she did was because of Bernie. She’d made her go to Lucy Webb’s lingerie party. The purchase was made to keep from being the only one who didn’t place an order. She bought the black lacy set, knowing she would never wear it.
She blew her hair dry with dangling, soft curls and her makeup was light. Alexis never was one for much makeup. That was probably Walt’s fault. He didn’t like it. He always told her and her sisters it was fake, and if God wanted them to be born with that stuff on their faces, He would have put it there Himself. It wasn’t much, but enough. Her jeans fit tight with a tucked in cotton shirt, showing just a hint of cleavage. It was just tight enough to increase her small breasts to look more like a small C rather than a small B. The glimmering belt presented a sexy waist and the reflection in the mirror thanked her for her love of running. If this didn’t get her laid, nothing would. She looked hot if she said so herself.
A salad had been prepared and waiting. She buttered the bread for baking, glancing out the window nervously. Acting like a basket of nerves, she wiped her damp hands down the front of her jeans several times. “What the hell is wrong with me, Mr. Dog?”
Mr. Dog’s ears perked up. Hearing the car before she did, Mr. Dog answered with a bark. “Stop it now,” Alexis scolded with a stern tone, wiping her moist hands one more time while she walked to the porch to meet her company. Cory ran to the porch, dodging raindrops without success.
“You look very hot,” he said with a quick kiss, handing over a grocery bag and dropping the pink backpack to the floor. The hot comment made her smile, after all, that’s what she had been going for.
“Here, take this umbrella,” she offered.
Cory ran back to his car, retrieved Riki and another bag. Riki wanted the umbrella as soon as her little feet were on the floor.
“Me hold it.”
“You look very hot.”
Alexis laughed. “I think we had this conversation already. Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving. I missed lunch today. No, that’s a lie. Misty shared her egg salad sandwich with me. How about you, Riki, you hungry?”
“No, me go down there,” Riki pointed with a crooked finger, wanting to take the umbrella into the yard.
“No, let’s go inside, Mr. Dog is cold out here,” Cory coaxed while using Mr. Dog as a decoy, taking the umbrella and trying to get her attention focused on the dog. He steered her inside, holding both her hands above her head. Alexis discreetly took the umbrella and they managed to get her inside without the fit.
“Why?”
“Because it’s cold and rainy out here,” he explained. Cory turned back and grabbed the two bags up from the
porch. “Alexis?” he questioned with a disapproving tone.
“What?” she asked, confused.
“It smells like cleaning stuff in here. Why does it smell like lemon and bleach in here? I thought I told you to rest today.”
“I had to do something, somebody had my vehicle.”
“You didn’t need a vehicle. You were supposed to lay on the couch and watch chick-flicks all day.”
Cory lifted Riki, slipped her shoes off, and kissed her with a growl under her neck.
“No, Daddy, me have a pet her,” she said in half a giggle, pushing his face away with her hands.
“Him. It’s a boy dog.”
“Him wikes me,” Riki assured her dad while she smiled up after dropping to her knees. Mr. Dog placed his head on her lap, soaking up the attention.
Cory followed Alexis to the kitchen and put away the beer. “It’s ready. Let’s eat.” Cory wasn’t the only one hungry. Being busy with stuff she wasn’t supposed to be doing kept her from lunch, too.
“What dis door for?” Riki asked from her the tips of her toes, trying to turn the handle.
“That’s the laundry room, where I wash clothes.”
“Why?”
“They get dirty. I have a chair in there for you. Let’s see if we can find it.”
Riki lifted her arms to Alexis. “You can pick me up?”
Alexis sucked in the smile and picked her up.
“Why do you have a booster seat? You hate kids,” Cory questioned.
“I do not. I never said that. It’s an old one that was left here from the Tates. I didn’t have the heart to get rid of it.”
Alexis scooted Riki to the table and slid her in. Cory took the sippy-cup of tea when she chugged half of it in one gulp.
Riki sucked in air like she’d just worked up a sweat and huffed. “Me firsty.”
“You have to eat. Your belly is going to fill up on tea.”
“Mmmm,” Riki hummed at the plate of spaghetti. The bread wasn’t ready, but that would get her started.
“Do you like spaghetti?”
“Me not wike a peas.”
Alexis smiled again. She didn’t even make peas.