Getting My Business Done- Gospel Choir from The Middle.
Thursday, I finally met my brother Cam at his work for lunch. After checking in at the reception desk, I made my way to Cam's office. I knocked, before opening the door. I texted him from the car that I was coming in, but there's another guy in his office with him.
"Hey beautiful." Cam said to me.
I waved and smiled politely at both of them, a little thrown off by the greeting. Maybe being grossly affectionate was something he picked up in therapy. Or his girlfriend. Or both. The other guy looked me over, before excusing himself.
"Have a seat. Give me 5 minutes." He said, apologetically.
"Take your time." I said, continuing to stand. "In fact, should I go get Trevor?"
"Nope, Craig's most likely taking care of that right now." Cam smiled, mischievously.
"Craig?" I asked, sitting down. Before he could answer, the door opened again. It's Trevor, as well as the guy from before.
Trevor's eyes widened at the sight of me, then he turned to the guy. "Craig, that's his sister! Not a hot date."
"Oh, I didn't know. He said he had a lunch date. I didn't know his sister looks like that." Craig exclaimed, throwing his hands up.
"Yeah, this is my lunch date. My sister Lily. What do you mean 'looks like that'?" Cam asked, putting the guy on the spot.
When he turned red, Trevor started laughing. I can't help but join in. Cam just smiled at us.
"I have work to do. Enjoy your lunch." Craig said, before exiting the room.
"That was mean." I said, shaking my head.
"That's what he gets. I'll be right back." Cam said, hopping up from the desk and leaving too.
"So... y'all finally made up? That's why he was busy Saturday?" Trevor asked me.
"Yep. Thank you for making that happen. I can't even be mad at you for keeping me in the dark about what was going on with Cam."
"Hey, I tried. I came to California to try to knock some sense into you. Not my fault you didn't listen."
"I would have listened if you would have told me Cam was going Incredible Hulk at his job!" I exclaimed.
Trevor laughed. "That was so funny. Not why it happened. But the actual event? Hilarious."
Cam then joined us in the office. "Ready when you two are."
"Just a second. I wanna tell her about Josh. " Trevor said.
Cam shook his head. "Please don't."
"He had it coming." Trevor continued, ignoring Cam. "He always slacked off. We couldn't finish a project on time, so he told our supervisor at the time it was due to bad time management. And Cam just exploded. It was everything everyone was thinking and thought about him. I only wish I could have recorded it!"
"It was embarrassing. Can we go now?" Cam asked.
"It was awesome!" Trevor declared, as we headed to the parking lot.
"You know what sounds awesome? That pho place." I commented.
Trevor makes a face, but doesn't say anything.
"No complaints?" Cam asked him.
"No, I'll suck it up. I know y'all haven't been in a while." Trevor sighed.
"We went there last weekend." Cam replied, nonchalantly.
"What? No way then. We're going to Chili's" Trevor announced.
At Chili's, it was like nothing had ever changed between us.
---------------------------
After lunch, I went back to work for my last appointment. Then I headed home for the day.
"Hey Lily." Rocky surprised me from the couch.
She's never home this early. She's still in her work clothes, so I'm sure she's not sick.
"Hey you. You're home early."
"Yeah, they were getting on my nerves today. I needed to get outta there." Rocky sighed, stretching.
I smiled. "Well, I have some good news for you." I said, flopping onto the couch with her.
"Let's hear it." She rotated on the couch to face me.
"Sammy and I looked at apartments. Our application got approved." I smiled.
Her face stayed neutral. "Ok. That's great."
"Geez, don't be too excited." I snapped at her. I know we called a truce, but her lame attitude is getting old. "I don't know why you think I can't handle Sammy. I handle you just fine."
She nodded and smiled, sadly. "Yeah, you do. I would be proud if it wasn't against me."
This attitude is more upsetting than her going off on me. At least I was used to that. "What's going on Rocky? I thought you would be glad to get your house back. So you can get naked with your man again."
"Yeah. Make up sex is the best. It's all the arguing I'm not looking forward to." She sighed.
What?!?!?
"Explain..." I prompted her.
"We were arguing all the time before you moved in. It's like we skipped the honeymoon phase and went straight to bickering."
This is news to me. She never told me while I was in California that they were having issues.
"It was just an adjustment phase. Y'all get along great now!" I reassured her.
"Sure, because Brandon actually likes living with you. You don't know how many times he would push my buttons, just so we could argue and he could leave. You're our buffer." Rocky explained.
I shook my head. "I don't think that's it. I'm a guest here. You both are on y'all's best behavior. That just tells me y'all need to treat each other better. And I love you Rocky, but you are not the easiest person to live with or get along with."
"I know. I also know I'm not going to change."
I understood that. Her mom taught her to be strong, independent, and never ever EVER take shit from anyone. Especially a man. Empathy, compromise, and understanding were not high on the priority list, if they were on it at all.
"Rocky, I'm not saying you should change. I love you. And obviously Brandon loves you too. He went through a lot just to win you over. All I'm saying is tone it down. Rake it in. Choose your battles. Stop being a crazy bitch."
She smirked. "I can try."
"No, no trying. Do. Just ask yourself do you wanna be right? Or do you wanna be happy?"
She rolled her eyes at that. "Alright Dr. Phil."
I grinned. "They don't call him doctor for nothing."
She finally cracked a smile. "I don't get it. We're able to compromise. Why can't I with Brandon?"
I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "Maybe because we don't really compromise. I cave or bury my feelings." I admitted.
She winced. "Oh god-"
"But that's not all your fault. I'll take the blame on that. You teach people how to treat you. That's another Dr. Phil gem of wisdom."
"Ok. We'll both work on it."
"Absolutely."
After our heart to heart, we sat down and watched reruns of The Middle (Rocky's guilty pleasure). One of the episodes is about the family inspired by a new church to get their business done. The episode, especially the choir singing, inspired us. It inspired Rocky to find a church. And it inspired me to finally get my business done.
I pulled out my phone and composed a text to Ethan.
Me: Hey. Is it Megan's weekend with EJ? If so, can we meet up? If you're free.
Before I could second guess myself, I pressed send.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Life is a Highway
Life is a Highway- Tom Cochrane/Rascal Flatts
June 2012
I spent 40 minutes looking in my mirror, trying to fix my hair and makeup. For me, that was 2 times as long as it normally took me. I wanted to look nice, but not like I was trying too hard. Megan was going to be at the party of course and I didn't want to look frumpy compared to her. EJ's grandparents were going to be there as well and it was going to be my first time actually meeting them. It will also be the first time seeing Ethan after he confessed his feelings for me...
That thought made me put my make up away. I didn't want to encourage him. This was EJ's day: One of the last chances I have to hang out with him before I moved to California. I put my straightened hair back with a checkered headband and got dressed in black capris and a white fitted tee.
When I get to Ethan's house, I was 30 minutes early. I applied a cherry red lip gloss before I made my way to the house. I saw Brandon's car, so I knew I had at least one ally. He was still trying to get Rocky to go out with him, so he had to be nice to me. EJ's grandmother opened the door. She is a few inches shorter than me, with few extra pounds on her frame, but she carries the extra weight well.
"Hi Mrs. Carter. I'm Lily. I don't know if you remember me-"
"Of course Lily! Even if I didn't, the way EJ talks about you, there's no way I wouldn't know who you are. Come on in!" She smiled, friendly at me.
I stepped into the house. The living room is filled with black and white racing decorations, Lightning McQueen posters, and Cars themed balloons.
"My best friend Lily!" EJ exclaimed, running from the couch to me. His smile warms and breaks my heart at the same time.
I spent several minutes trying to comprehend what happened, then what he said hit me. Hard. I got dressed and left the room. I couldn't stand saying goodbye to anyone else. So I left, letting the tears fall freely as I raced to my car and drove away.
***Flashback of EJ's 5th birthday party***
June 2012
I spent 40 minutes looking in my mirror, trying to fix my hair and makeup. For me, that was 2 times as long as it normally took me. I wanted to look nice, but not like I was trying too hard. Megan was going to be at the party of course and I didn't want to look frumpy compared to her. EJ's grandparents were going to be there as well and it was going to be my first time actually meeting them. It will also be the first time seeing Ethan after he confessed his feelings for me...
That thought made me put my make up away. I didn't want to encourage him. This was EJ's day: One of the last chances I have to hang out with him before I moved to California. I put my straightened hair back with a checkered headband and got dressed in black capris and a white fitted tee.
When I get to Ethan's house, I was 30 minutes early. I applied a cherry red lip gloss before I made my way to the house. I saw Brandon's car, so I knew I had at least one ally. He was still trying to get Rocky to go out with him, so he had to be nice to me. EJ's grandmother opened the door. She is a few inches shorter than me, with few extra pounds on her frame, but she carries the extra weight well.
"Hi Mrs. Carter. I'm Lily. I don't know if you remember me-"
"Of course Lily! Even if I didn't, the way EJ talks about you, there's no way I wouldn't know who you are. Come on in!" She smiled, friendly at me.
I stepped into the house. The living room is filled with black and white racing decorations, Lightning McQueen posters, and Cars themed balloons.
"My best friend Lily!" EJ exclaimed, running from the couch to me. His smile warms and breaks my heart at the same time.
How am I going to say goodbye to him?
"My best friend EJ! Happy birthday little man!" I said, pushing those thoughts away. I gave him a huge hug. He latched on to my neck, so I was forced to pick him up. I didn't mind, I held him tightly in my arms.
"You're 5 years old now- Getting too old to be picked up." Megan said to EJ, giving me a tight smile.
"Oh, it's his birthday. He should get whatever he wants." Mrs. Carter declared.
"I want to play outside." EJ complained.
"Let's go see if your daddy is done out there. The grill should be cooled down by now." Mrs. Carter said. I followed her out, carrying EJ.
Outside, there was a Cars jump house and orange cones with red balloons scattered throughout the backyard. There was a happy birthday banner and racing flags covering the fence. A battery operated Chevrolet Camaro ride-along car sat by the door with a red bow on it. Now I saw why EJ was so anxious to come outside. It was a 5 year old dream.
"Hmph, great timing Lily. Get here when all the work is done." Brandon grinned at me from a patio chair.
I smiled. "Looks like you didn't need my help. It looks great out here." I said, putting EJ down. Mrs. Carter took him around the backyard to look at all the decorations.
Ethan nodded at me. He was securing the pegs on the bounce house. I waved back.
Okay. We can get through this.
"Coulda used your help with the food. Or at least setting it up so no one gets food poisoning. " Brandon complained.
I scoffed. "Whatever. I'm officially a doctor now. I don't need to know how to cook." I said, playfully.
"You Baylor girls like to throw your accomplishments around. Congratulations by the way."
I laughed. "Thanks. How is it going with Rocky? Can I congratulate you?" Out the corner of my eye I saw Ethan approach us. I watched him touch the grill.
"Still working on it, but soon." Brandon said, with a cocky grin.
"Good luck with that. You're gonna need it." I warned him.
"Stranger things have happened..." Brandon looked at me and Ethan, knowingly.
I blushed.
"Help me move the grill to the garage." Ethan told Brandon, ignoring his comment.
"Lily! You're flushed. C'mon inside and get a drink before you dehydrate!" Mrs. Carter commanded, leading me to the kitchen.
Once the party got started, there were no more awkward moments with Ethan. Mostly because Brandon was on his best behavior and I spent most of my time with EJ and the other kids. They had a blast, jumping in the bounce house and taking turns driving EJ's new car.
Everyone gathered inside to sing happy birthday and cut the cake. After that, EJ opened his presents. Nothing compared to the race car he already got from his parents, but he still got excited over every new toy. I got him a V-Tech digital camera. As his friends began to leave, I could tell EJ was starting to tire out. He sat beside his mom on the couch, leaning against her, fighting to keep his eyes open.
"Come on babe. Let's get ready for bed." Megan told him.
"Can I have a minute with him before you do that?" I asked her. It was now or never: I had to say goodbye. Megan nodded and went to the kitchen. I sat down next to him.
"EJ, you know why I bought you a camera?" When he shook his head, I continued. "I'm moving away. I won't be able to see you all the time, so I need you to take a ton of pictures so I can see how you're doing."
"Where are you going? Are you coming back?" He asked, looking up at me.
"I'm moving to California for my job. You have to ride an airplane to get there. I will come visit you, just not as much as I want to."
"Do you have to go? Who's going to watch me?" He whined. Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Uncle Brandon will. He already said he'll show you how to send me pictures on the computer. And I'll send you any cool toys I find in California, okay?" I promised him.
He nodded. "Ok."
"Alright. Goodnight best friend EJ. I love you."
"Love you, best friend Lily." He said with a yawn.
I hugged him, picking him up. I gave him a kiss on the cheek before I turned my head, looking for Megan.
"I got him." I looked up to see Ethan. He gave me a small, knowing smile, letting me know he heard our conversation. I handed EJ over, hiding my face. I couldn't take how he was looking at me. I don't want him to see the tears in my eyes. When Ethan took him to his room, I hurried to the hallway bathroom, but someone was in it. I decided to just leave and get far enough away to cry in my car, when Mrs. Carter stopped me.
"Use the bathroom in the bedroom." She said to me, softly.
I nodded. I knew it was Ethan's room. As awkward as it was to be in there, I was sure being a blubbering mess at a kid's birthday party was worst. I went into his room and into his private bath. I let the tears fall silently. I quickly splash cold water on my face, ruining the little make-up I had on. 5 minutes later, I got myself together enough to say goodbye to everyone.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Ethan was standing in the bedroom.
"Your mom sent me in here." I blurted out.
Great, blame his mom.
"She told me." He said. I nodded and tried to get past him to leave the room, but he stopped me, calling my name.
"Lily-" he grabbed my hand.
"Ethan-"
"My best friend EJ! Happy birthday little man!" I said, pushing those thoughts away. I gave him a huge hug. He latched on to my neck, so I was forced to pick him up. I didn't mind, I held him tightly in my arms.
"You're 5 years old now- Getting too old to be picked up." Megan said to EJ, giving me a tight smile.
"Oh, it's his birthday. He should get whatever he wants." Mrs. Carter declared.
"I want to play outside." EJ complained.
"Let's go see if your daddy is done out there. The grill should be cooled down by now." Mrs. Carter said. I followed her out, carrying EJ.
Outside, there was a Cars jump house and orange cones with red balloons scattered throughout the backyard. There was a happy birthday banner and racing flags covering the fence. A battery operated Chevrolet Camaro ride-along car sat by the door with a red bow on it. Now I saw why EJ was so anxious to come outside. It was a 5 year old dream.
"Hmph, great timing Lily. Get here when all the work is done." Brandon grinned at me from a patio chair.
I smiled. "Looks like you didn't need my help. It looks great out here." I said, putting EJ down. Mrs. Carter took him around the backyard to look at all the decorations.
Ethan nodded at me. He was securing the pegs on the bounce house. I waved back.
Okay. We can get through this.
"Coulda used your help with the food. Or at least setting it up so no one gets food poisoning. " Brandon complained.
I scoffed. "Whatever. I'm officially a doctor now. I don't need to know how to cook." I said, playfully.
"You Baylor girls like to throw your accomplishments around. Congratulations by the way."
I laughed. "Thanks. How is it going with Rocky? Can I congratulate you?" Out the corner of my eye I saw Ethan approach us. I watched him touch the grill.
"Still working on it, but soon." Brandon said, with a cocky grin.
"Good luck with that. You're gonna need it." I warned him.
"Stranger things have happened..." Brandon looked at me and Ethan, knowingly.
I blushed.
"Help me move the grill to the garage." Ethan told Brandon, ignoring his comment.
"Lily! You're flushed. C'mon inside and get a drink before you dehydrate!" Mrs. Carter commanded, leading me to the kitchen.
Once the party got started, there were no more awkward moments with Ethan. Mostly because Brandon was on his best behavior and I spent most of my time with EJ and the other kids. They had a blast, jumping in the bounce house and taking turns driving EJ's new car.
Everyone gathered inside to sing happy birthday and cut the cake. After that, EJ opened his presents. Nothing compared to the race car he already got from his parents, but he still got excited over every new toy. I got him a V-Tech digital camera. As his friends began to leave, I could tell EJ was starting to tire out. He sat beside his mom on the couch, leaning against her, fighting to keep his eyes open.
"Come on babe. Let's get ready for bed." Megan told him.
"Can I have a minute with him before you do that?" I asked her. It was now or never: I had to say goodbye. Megan nodded and went to the kitchen. I sat down next to him.
"EJ, you know why I bought you a camera?" When he shook his head, I continued. "I'm moving away. I won't be able to see you all the time, so I need you to take a ton of pictures so I can see how you're doing."
"Where are you going? Are you coming back?" He asked, looking up at me.
"I'm moving to California for my job. You have to ride an airplane to get there. I will come visit you, just not as much as I want to."
"Do you have to go? Who's going to watch me?" He whined. Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Uncle Brandon will. He already said he'll show you how to send me pictures on the computer. And I'll send you any cool toys I find in California, okay?" I promised him.
He nodded. "Ok."
"Alright. Goodnight best friend EJ. I love you."
"Love you, best friend Lily." He said with a yawn.
I hugged him, picking him up. I gave him a kiss on the cheek before I turned my head, looking for Megan.
"I got him." I looked up to see Ethan. He gave me a small, knowing smile, letting me know he heard our conversation. I handed EJ over, hiding my face. I couldn't take how he was looking at me. I don't want him to see the tears in my eyes. When Ethan took him to his room, I hurried to the hallway bathroom, but someone was in it. I decided to just leave and get far enough away to cry in my car, when Mrs. Carter stopped me.
"Use the bathroom in the bedroom." She said to me, softly.
I nodded. I knew it was Ethan's room. As awkward as it was to be in there, I was sure being a blubbering mess at a kid's birthday party was worst. I went into his room and into his private bath. I let the tears fall silently. I quickly splash cold water on my face, ruining the little make-up I had on. 5 minutes later, I got myself together enough to say goodbye to everyone.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Ethan was standing in the bedroom.
"Your mom sent me in here." I blurted out.
Great, blame his mom.
"She told me." He said. I nodded and tried to get past him to leave the room, but he stopped me, calling my name.
"Lily-" he grabbed my hand.
"Ethan-"
The next thing I knew, we were kissing. I didn't even know who kissed who. The only thing I knew was that it had been so long and he felt so right. There were so many reason why it was wrong: The birthday party. His mom. EJ. Megan. All valid reasons to why we shouldn't be doing this here or right now.
"Ethan. We can't." I said, breathlessly, moving my lips away. He just kissed my face instead. "I'm still moving. Nothing has changed." I gave him the reason why we shouldn't be doing this at all. His lips on mine and his arms holding me close almost made me forget I was moving back to California. Almost.
He stilled, and I thought I got to him. Then, he continued, rubbing his hands over my ass and crushing his lips into mine again. "I know." He breathed against my lips. "We didn't know last time was the last time. Just one more time. For fun."
I stiffened at his last word, but he kissed my neck. He knew that was my spot. Sparks ignited all over my body as he kissed me there and I clenched between my legs and moaned. He took that as my consent, because he led me to the bed. Instead of laying me on it, he leaned me against it, so I propped myself on my hands at the end of the raised bed.
I gave him a questioning look over my shoulder.
"Sorry. It's my mom's room tonight." He explained.
I was nervous as he tugged down my capris and panties, but my wants overshadowed my nerves.
"Arch your back for me baby." He said, huskily.
I did and he groaned as he grabbed my hips. After a moment, I felt him rubbing against me before he pushed himself deep inside of me. We both moaned when he was all the way in. He rocked into me slowly, his hand sliding around my waist to reach between my thighs. He found and rubbed my clitoris in lazy circles. I bit my lip to stifle my groans and pushed back into him, wanting, needing him to give me more. He didn't. He kept up the excruciatingly slow pace, edging me closer and closer to orgasm, just to stop, pull me up close to kiss me, before he started all over again. I was close to tears of frustration as he kissed, touched and grinded into me just the way I loved, only to stop and drive me crazy. It felt like forever until he finally brought me over the edge, erupting inside of me at the same time.
Afterwards, he drew me close and held me against him. He kissed my shoulder, again and again, just like he did in the kitchen on the day we decided to be friends with benefits.
"I'll explain it to him. You don't have to keep in touch. I promise, he won't feel like you left him. He'll get used to you not being around anymore." He said, letting me go. "Have a safe trip. Good luck with everything." He backed away from me. Without another word, he left the room.
I stiffened at his last word, but he kissed my neck. He knew that was my spot. Sparks ignited all over my body as he kissed me there and I clenched between my legs and moaned. He took that as my consent, because he led me to the bed. Instead of laying me on it, he leaned me against it, so I propped myself on my hands at the end of the raised bed.
I gave him a questioning look over my shoulder.
"Sorry. It's my mom's room tonight." He explained.
I was nervous as he tugged down my capris and panties, but my wants overshadowed my nerves.
"Arch your back for me baby." He said, huskily.
I did and he groaned as he grabbed my hips. After a moment, I felt him rubbing against me before he pushed himself deep inside of me. We both moaned when he was all the way in. He rocked into me slowly, his hand sliding around my waist to reach between my thighs. He found and rubbed my clitoris in lazy circles. I bit my lip to stifle my groans and pushed back into him, wanting, needing him to give me more. He didn't. He kept up the excruciatingly slow pace, edging me closer and closer to orgasm, just to stop, pull me up close to kiss me, before he started all over again. I was close to tears of frustration as he kissed, touched and grinded into me just the way I loved, only to stop and drive me crazy. It felt like forever until he finally brought me over the edge, erupting inside of me at the same time.
Afterwards, he drew me close and held me against him. He kissed my shoulder, again and again, just like he did in the kitchen on the day we decided to be friends with benefits.
"I'll explain it to him. You don't have to keep in touch. I promise, he won't feel like you left him. He'll get used to you not being around anymore." He said, letting me go. "Have a safe trip. Good luck with everything." He backed away from me. Without another word, he left the room.
I spent several minutes trying to comprehend what happened, then what he said hit me. Hard. I got dressed and left the room. I couldn't stand saying goodbye to anyone else. So I left, letting the tears fall freely as I raced to my car and drove away.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Shipoopi
***New Post Times! Monday, Wednesday and Friday @ 10am***
Shipoopi- Buddy Hackett/ Seth MacFarlane
Sammy and I met up to check out apartments today. It was Sammy's day off, so I got off as soon as possible to meet her. We ruled out her apartment complex in Arlington just because it was too far out for me. Dallas and Fort Worth are the major cities. A lot of smaller cities and suburbs comprise the rest of the Metroplex. Arlington is a city close to Fort Worth. The apartments were cheaper and it is where the Cowboys Stadium, Rangers Ballpark, (yes, I know they have new names. I don't care whose sponsoring them now) and Six Flags are located. But Sammy and I work in Dallas. And I really don't wanna be that far from my friends and family. Trevor and Cam both live in Plano, a city close to Dallas; Rocky's house is in North Dallas; and Ethan lives in Carrollton, a suburb of Dallas. So we decided to look for apartments close to Dallas instead.
We narrowed it down to the city of Addison. It's right in the middle of everyone. It's a cool city that has a little bit of everything. Upscale shopping and living, and a great night life scene; but it also has parks and beautiful residential communities. I think it's a perfect location for us, and thankfully Sammy agrees.
The first apartments we looked at are luxurious apartments in Addison Circle. Most the festivals and events that happen in Addison take place in Addison Circle. The complex itself is surrounded by office spaces, small businesses, and shops. The amenities are out of this world. Renting the apartment comes with full access to 2 fitness centers, resort style pools, a private theater, and a game loft. It's expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for. The apartment itself is pretty awesome. I has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and an upgraded kitchen. They have a waiting list, but assured us they should have apartments available in October.
The second one we ruled out. It's nice, but tiny. The one that's available only has 1.5 bathrooms. Neither one of us wants to compromise on that. And there are no washer/dryer connections. That's not a problem for Sammy. She doesn't have a washer and dryer anyway. But I'm used to being able to wash at home. I planned to buy a washer and a dryer for wherever we moved to.
The 3rd is a townhome located near a city park. For the same price of the first apartment, we get a two story apartment, both bedrooms on the top floor (with their own bathrooms!), with 2 living areas, a large patio, a fireplace and a two car garage. And full size washer/dryer connections! It doesn't have the same amenities as the first apartment, but it has a pool with a sun deck, tennis courts, and picnic and bbq areas.
I'm in love with it. I think it's perfect. The only thing that gave me pause was the bedrooms being so close together. I remembered Rocky's comment about looking forward to hearing Sammy have sex. But I guess that's what ear plugs are for.
Sammy likes the amenities and the location of the first one better. The leasing agent informs us that the townhome will be ready first thing in July and they have a tendency to rent fast. That sells it for Sammy. She doesn't want to wait til October. So we go ahead and fill out an application.
------------------------------------
After that, I went home. I was surprised to see Brandon, Rocky and EJ playing outside. Apparently, Megan had an appointment so Brandon was babysitting until Ethan came to pick him up. I went inside, changed my clothes, and joined them outside with a cut up watermelon. I took it outside and set it on the patio table. EJ came running over and inhaled a piece before asking for another. After he devoured that one, he ran back to grab the football. We all watched him in amazement.
"If anyone ever questions his blackness because of his skin tone, just put a watermelon in front of him..." Brandon jokes.
Rocky and I laughed. We all continued to play catch with the football. Brandon threw a long pass to EJ. He caught it and ran to the fence.
"All right! Touchdown!!!" We cheered for him.
"Oh yeah!!" EJ celebrated, throwing down the football and shaking his shoulders in a wild dance.
"That's right homie. Shake 'em off." Brandon laughed at him, joining in the dance.
"That's horrible!" Rocky laughed.
"Yeah, your touchdown dance needs work." I commented, smiling at them.
"Would you rather him dance to Shipoopi?"
I turned around to see Ethan at the gate entrance of the backyard. "OMG, did Ethan Carter just reference Family Guy?!?!" I exclaimed, in a valley girl accent. "I can totally die happy right now! Like, you learned something from me!" I grinned.
Ethan smiled as he entered the backyard with us. "What's Family Guy?" EJ asked.
"A show for grown ups." Ethan answered him.
"What episode was that?" Brandon asked.
"When Peter joins the New England Patriots. And he scores a touchdown. They all dance to Shipoopi. Do the dance with me Rocky!" I said, excitedly.
"I will not."
"You will. Or I will call Trevor and we will upload the footage of you doing it." I threatened. In college, we watched the episode together. Then Rocky got drunk one night at a party and busted it out. Bilal put it on Facebook until Rocky sobered up and saw it. She threatened us all bodily harm if we didn't delete it.
"Good luck with that. I made sure to watch y'all delete it."
"You watched one copy of it being deleted...." I replied.
"I hate you." Rocky said, but she got up and did it with me. We were all laughing by the end of it.
We decided to have dinner together. Brandon left to go pick something up. Things were a little tense when Rocky said she wanted to go with Brandon. Brandon made a comment about not needing her help to bring home food. I was waiting for Rocky to snap back, but she just said, "Whatever" and went in the house and Brandon left.
Me and Ethan just looked at each other. What the fuck was that?
EJ then went inside to use the bathroom.
"It's good to see you. I feel like it's been forever." I said, when EJ went inside.
"I know. You've been keeping busy. I never got to ask you about your trip."
"Yeah, it was good. Nice to kinda physically get away from everything. It put things in perspective."
"And what's your perspective?" Ethan asked me.
"Hmmmm, still working on that. But I did talk to my brother. We are working on it."
"That's good to hear."
EJ then came back outside and ate more watermelon. He started talking to us about his birthday party coming up.
"We got the invitations yesterday. I invited the whole soccer team, even though I don't like Caleb and Miguel. And I invited my friends from school."
"Am I going to get an invitation?" I asked him, smiling.
"Yes! You've never been to my birthday party before. It's going to be fun!" EJ promised.
"I've been to your party before, you don't remember?" I asked him. He looks at his dad for confirmation. In that moment, I instantly regretted that I even brought it up.
"Yes. Your 5th birthday. We had it at home. It was a Cars Party." Ethan said, looking at EJ only. I can't tell if it's because he doesn't want to remember that memory either.
"Oh yeah." EJ nodded his head.
"Do you know what you want for your birthday?" I asked, desperate for a subject change. He lists off games and toys he wants while Ethan watches me. I focus on EJ. I don't want him to know I'm thinking about that day. I don't even want to think about it.
Thankfully, Brandon returned with dinner. We went inside and managed to have a pleasant dinner together, despite the weirdness with Brandon and Rocky. And without me putting my foot in my mouth.
*****Wednesday's post will be a flashback.*****
Friday, June 6, 2014
Hey Brother
"Hey Brother"- Avicii
Work kept me distracted all week. Part of me was over compensating for skipping my shift. Another reason was trying to keep my mind off my brother. Trevor's words kept eating at me. I knew I had to reach out to Cam soon. Darren, my last appointment of the day on Friday, actually came in early. I haven't heard back from his athletic trainer yet. I did talk to Derek about the arrangement. He asked me to let him see the email when the athletic trainer finally gets back to me. He then informed me that I can never change a patient schedule without consulting with him first, but since Christy has already complained about Darren, he'll run it through the "appropriate channels."
Feeling uneasy at being corrected, I run off my frustration on the treadmill at the end of the day. I have my music on, to try to drown out my thoughts. It works until my legs are begging me to stop. I turn down the speed, and walk it out.
After I caught my breath and my heart rate returned to normal, I'm no longer worried about the little lecture Derek gave me. My thoughts return to my brother. I stop walking and stretch. My work out over, I changed and went home. On the way, I called him.
Part of me is hoping to get his voicemail. But on the second ring, he picks up.
"Hey Lily." He said, obviously happy to hear from me
"Hey Cam." I replied, a little more relaxed at his tone. "I was calling to see if we can meet up some time. And talk. When you're free." I added.
"Yeah. I'm actually finishing up at work right now. We can meet up at that pho place you like. Or I can come over to your part of town if you don't mind waiting-"
"No. I mean, not today. I'm not really dressed for dinner. I just got off work." I answered, quickly. I wanted to get my thoughts together before we meet up. "I'm off this weekend. Anytime that's good for you."
"Ok. Dinner tomorrow? Around 5?" He offered.
"Yep. Sounds great." I said, ready to rush off the phone.
"Uh, Lily? The place by my job or do you want to meet somewhere else?" Cam asked.
"Oh, sorry. The pho place is great."
"Ok. See you tomorrow."
-------------------------------------
I showed up at the small mom and pop restaurant 15 minutes before 5pm. I thought long and hard about what I was going to say, but nothing came together right. I figured I'd wing it and hoped the public place would discourage any more breakdowns from me. I went ahead and ordered us both pho noodles and spring rolls for Cam. We discovered this place when I suggested we meet there for lunch on Cam's break. Cam wasn't as adventurous with food as me. He preferred take out Chinese over Vietnamese food, but at least I could get him to try new foods, unlike Trevor. We didn't come here as often for lunch when Trevor started joining us.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one anxious to get this over with. I'm barely seated with our lemonades, when I see Cam walk in. He saw me and I stood as he walked my way. We greeted each other and he hugged me, awkwardly, before we both sat down.
I studied him for a moment. Before, I was so shocked and angry I didn't really noticed the change in his appearance. He looks more like our dad than I remembered. Same height, build, honey brown eyes, dark bronze skin, and chiseled facial features. The major difference was the tattoos Cam had hiding under his t-shirt on both his biceps. I'm used to seeing them covered, so I know that's not why he's resembling Dad all of sudden...
He cleared his throat, stopping my appraisal of him. "I just want to start by saying I should have told you the truth. I didn't because it was easier for me not to. And I know you don't just wanna hear I'm sorry. So I will answer any question I can to show you how sorry I am."
I sat and thought that over. Our food is delivered, but I'm not really interested in the food at the moment. I'm surprised he's willing to be so open with me. That's a first. I was prepared to go to battle with him to get some answers. I wanted to know why. I wanted to understand. I wanted to... just be normal.
"I don't have any question." I finally sighed.
He takes a breath, and exhales slowly before answering me. "I'm trying Lily. I really don't know what else I can do for you to forgive me."
"I don't wanna focus on the past. I just want to move forward." I said. When he looks at me warily, I continue.
"I don't understand. And I don't think there's anything you can say to make me understand it. But I know you would never want to hurt me. So I forgive you."
Now he's studying me quietly.
"Can we eat now? I'm starving." I smiled, nervously, not really comfortable with how reserved he was being.
He finally smiled back at me. "Please. I'm glad to see you're eating. Looks like you need to eat more."
"Wow...already telling me what to do?" I deadpanned.
When he takes another deep breath, I giggle. "I'm joking!" I exclaimed, before he gets upset.
"Too soon..." he muttered, taking a bite of his spring roll.
"I'm sorry. I had to. Everyone has been telling me how good I look." I smiled.
"You've always look good to me." He shrugged. "I guess what's important is how you feel."
"I feel awesome. I feel like I can gain 10 pounds and be okay."
"Are you still trying to lose weight?"
"Nope, just maintain."
"Good."
While eating, we catch up. I tell him about my job and how I'm going to be moving in with Sammy. He tells me about his new place that he shares with his girlfriend.
"So how did you meet?" I asked him, finishing my noodles. I knew of her. They had been dating for 8 months now, but had known each other for a while. They moved in together after 3 months, but I knew nothing about her. Just bits and pieces I put together from my dad and Trevor.
"She was my anger management counselor." He admitted. My eyes went wide. It finally clicked for me. He saw a therapist! That's the changes I've noticed. The calmness in his demeanor, his voice, and especially his eyes. That's why he reminded me so much of Dad. The rebellious, angry brother I was so used to was not in front of me.
"No fucking way! You saw a shrink? You're dating your shrink?!?!" I said, quietly, trying not to draw attention to us.
"Not really. Therapy didn't work for me. But that is how we met."
I tried to take this all in. "What made you decide to go to therapy?"
"Trevor didn't tell you?" He asked.
I shook my head. We had a don't ask don't tell policy about Cam when we weren't speaking.
"After I couldn't get you to move back to Dallas or away from dad, I kinda lost it. At work." Cam explained.
I gasped. I am so shocked. "Cam, I'm so sorry-"
"Don't. It wasn't your fault. This anger has been inside me for a long time. Even when I was a kid. I needed help dealing with everything. You remember Will?"
I nodded. He was the Air Force connection that owned the company Trevor worked for.
"He gave me a pass. But made me go to anger management. It didn't work for me. It just made me angrier." He shook his head. "I was such an asshole. I'm surprised Jenna didn't just throw me out. I ended up quitting anger management anyway. I was arguing with Will about it, ready to quit my job too. But he didn't let me. We just talked it out."
I nodded, not wanting him to stop.
"Will helped me see I needed help. But he also recognized that maybe therapy wouldn't work for me. So we just talked. And keep talking. Every week. About everything. You. Dad. My mom. It helped, getting it off my chest. I didn't realize how much I just...buried away.
Anyway, I started to work on my relationships. I even apologized to Jenna. She ended up sending me some tips to deal with my anger. And we just started talking through email and now we're living together." He finished.
I couldn't believe he was going through so much. And instead of being there for him, I was rejecting him in anger. "Cam. I'm so proud of you. I'm sorry I've been so difficult..." I choked up.
"Stop. I didn't expect our relationship to change overnight. Like I said, I'm willing to put in the work if you want to."
"I want to. Can I hug you? For real this time?"
He stands up quickly and I got up and hugged him tightly. He was never a hugger, just like our Dad, but his embrace makes me feel loved. And safe. I felt tears well up in my eyes. He sees them when he pulls away.
"Hey. None of that. We're supposed to be ok now." He said, as he led us out of the restaurant.
"I know..." I smiled through my tears. "I've just missed you so much."
"I've missed you too..." he started, as we stopped in front of my car. "Thats why I hate to jeopardize the peace between us, but I really need to say this." Cam said.
I looked up at him, concerned. "Okay..."
"I think...no, I know, you need help. Not only with dealing with our dad and your mom, but Perez too."
I shook my head. I didn't want to talk about him. Ever.
"I'm fine." I disagreed, keeping my face neutral.
"The fact that you think any of that was your fault, lets me know you're not. I wish you could talk to me about it, but I know I'm not at a place where I can handle the details. I don't know if I ever will be." He finished. I just looked away.
"Just think about it, ok?"
I nodded, and he hugged me. He checked his phone when it went off. "So, who gets to tell Trevor?" He asked, changing the subject.
"Was that him?" I asked. Cam nodded. Strange. I haven't heard from him at all this week.
"Let's not...why don't we just go to lunch next week?" I smiled.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Your Surrender
"Ohhhhhhh
How long till your surrender?
Ohhhhhhh
How long till your
Surrender?
It's a long way
For heart break
Let your heart wait and bleed
Ohhhhhhh
How long till your surrender to me?" Your Surrender by Neon Trees
"Remember, stand your ground." Trevor said to me, when he dropped me off, when we got back to Dallas.
I shook my head. "Not necessary. I'm gonna be like you. In one ear, out the other."
"I don't think you're as cool as me to pull that off."
"I'm cool like the other side of the pillow!" I declared, leaning over to give him a hug. He holds me for a moment, before letting me go. Hopping out the car, I gave him a confident grin. "Thanks Trevor. See ya later." I walked to the house, ready to slay my own dragon/witch/beast hybrid. Inside, Brandon is in the kitchen, stirring tomato sauce in a pan. Rocky is buttering a sliced French loaf. The smell of garlic overwhelms the kitchen.
"Wow. It smells good in here." I exclaimed.
"Lily! Perfect timing. It's almost ready." Brandon greeted me.
"All we need is the salad. You can get started on that." Rocky said, smiling sweetly. I wasn't fooled by her smile. She was trying to get me relaxed and comfortable before she struck. Not happening.
"I would love to. But I really should shower first." I replied, just as sweetly.
Her smile faltered briefly. "Go ahead, we'll wait."
I take my time showering and washing my hair. I slather lotion all over myself and dress in the sexy low cut maxi dress I bought with Sammy. I was saving it for Ethan, but I needed to prove a point. I towel dry my hair then pile the messy curls up into a bun. Dressed for battle, I head back to the kitchen. I'm shocked to see the salad ingredients sitting out waiting for me. I figured Rocky would get impatient waiting and would make it herself, then she could complain about having to make it. But that's ok. Game on.
"Where'd Brandon go?" I asked her, washing my hands.
"He left to go get some wine." She answered, looking me over. "You look nice."
"Nice and appropriate?" I questioned, spinning in a full circle.
"Very." She said, dryly.
"Thanks. Sammy the slore picked it out." I told her, grabbing the lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers and throwing them in a colander to wash.
"So are we going to talk about why you ran to Austin with Trevor?" Rocky asked, changing the subject.
"I definitely did not run. We drove." I hid my grin from her. That's something Trevor would say. I'm so glad I thought of it.
She sighed. "You know what I mean."
"I don't. I told you I had plans at the game."
"Plans before or after you got upset with me?" Rocky questioned.
"I wasn't upset!" I answered, too quickly. Dammit. Her lips twitched in amusement.
"Why would you think that?" I said, regaining my cool, as I tore the lettuce into the salad spinner. "Do you think you said something that woulda made me upset?" I spun the lettuce, looking her straight in the eye.
"Sometimes the truth hurts. Even if that wasn't the intent." Rocky shrugged, keeping my stare.
"And sometimes people should just keep their opinions to themselves. Unless asked." I challenged. Any other time, I would accept that as her way of apologizing, but not this time.
The tension is broken when Brandon returns.
I focused on finishing the salad when Brandon asked me about my trip. "So how was it? I miss being able to be spontaneous and just leave. The joys of working in retail."
"It wasn't spontaneous. It was planned." Rocky corrected him. "Kinda weird you planned it on a weekend you were on call..."
"It turned out ok. Besides, Bilal's band was playing a major bar. Couldn't work that around my schedule." I lied, trying to cover up that she had me on that. She knows I would never skip out on any of my responsibilities. I'm still feeling bad that I did. I was hoping the mention of Bilal would throw her off that line of questioning.
"That's your ex, right babe?" Brandon asked, changing the subject for me.
"Well, yeah." I answered quickly. "But he was so much more than just her ex. Rocky is my person. Bilal is Trevor's person. Bilal was Rocky's boyfriend. I wanted Trevor to be my boyfriend. We were like the fantastic four in College- Inseparable." I grinned, good naturally.
Rocky forced a smile. Brandon just listened, nodding understandingly.
"We should all make a trip down there soon! We never got to after I graduated." I reminded her. "Trevor was talking about going down for the Fourth of July."
Brandon answered when she just narrowed her eyes at me. "My mom always has a huge bbq at the house. We have a swimming pool and everything. The whole family goes. I understand if you wanna go to Austin, but my mom invited you too."
Now I'm shocked. "Me? Really?"
"Of course. She's been trying to get you over there ever since EJ started talking about you. After I bragged about your cooking, she's not gonna stop til you come." Brandon explained as he set the table.
Rocky looked over at me. When Brandon's back is turned, I waved my hand like I'm holding a white flag in surrender. I don't need to be going into battle with her. I need to be focusing on being Ethan's girlfriend by the 4th of July. She smiled, but pretended to wave her flag as well.
"Tell your mom I would love to." I replied.
"Awesome. Let's eat!" Rocky declared.
Surrendering never tasted so good.
-----------------------------------
The next day at work, I found Christy first thing.
"Thank you so much for covering for me. I swear when I didn't get a call Saturday afternoon I thought I was all clear and I went out of town. I'll work two of your weekends. Whichever ones you choose." I thanked her profusely.
"It's no big deal. Just don't make a habit out of it." She said, patting me on the shoulder. "As far as working my weekends, I have another proposition for you. Can you take over Darren Wood's rehab for me?" Christy asked.
"Done!" I agreed, enthusiastically.
"Don't get too excited. He's young and stubborn. And constantly late. And he's supposed to be here 3 days of the week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Don't be surprised if he cancels on you. Particularly on Friday. I've already talked to the parents, but it didn't help. I just don't have the patience for him." Christy explained. I nodded and thanked her again. I remembered Darren. He was one of her patients I worked with when I shadowed her. He was the 17 year old patient that claimed he broke my rehab cherry.
Just as Christy said, Darren was late. He was supposed to be here at 4:30, the last appointment time because of his school schedule. He doesn't show up till 4:50. "Hey, you're normally gone by the time I get here." he grinned widely.
"Yep, couldn't leave because you're now my last appointment of the day." I told him.
"For reals? What happened to Christy?" He asked.
I had already thought over my approach. I couldn't let him think it was acceptable for him to be showing up late and half-assing. I was aware that I could contact his parents again like Christy did, but at the end of the day, he was my patient and it was his knee. I needed commitment from him.
"Honestly, she couldn't continue to keep up with your routine of being late and canceling. You're the one that's going to have to deal with your knee for the rest of your life. What can we do to make this successful?" I asked him, as we headed over to the stretching mats.
He huffed, irritated. "The surgery was successful. I already told Christy I don't need to be here all the time. I've been doing the same stuff with my athletic trainer at school instead of spring football. She's the one that pushed 3 days a week. I'm straight."
I thought this over. After working through his routine, I set him up on the stimulation machine. I asked him about the routine he does with his athletic trainer at his high school. He talked me through it. It was pretty much the same. They don't have the up to date equipment, but if he was comfortable there, there was no difference as long as the work was being done.
"Ok. I need your athletic trainer's contact information." I told him when he finished.
He huffed. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"Cause you're right. There's no point of you doing the same thing twice a day, 3 times a week. Quite frankly, it's probably too much." He gave me a crazy look, but I continued. "When is school over for you?" I asked him.
"2 weeks. But I have summer school. The training room is still going to be open, so the assistant trainer is still going to work with me. He's who I rehab with at school." He explained.
"I think if you continue working out with him over the summer, we can start meeting only on Wednesdays. I still gotta monitor your progress for the next 3 months, but me and your athletic trainer should work together. If that's what you'd rather do." I explained.
He nodded enthusiastically.
-----------------------------------
On Wednesday, Darren brought me the assistant athletic trainer's information. I sent him an email from the nurse station explaining what I told Darren. I asked him to email me back so we can work out the guidelines together. I had to run it by Derek, my boss, before I can agree to it with Darren. I hoped it worked out.
How long till your surrender?
Ohhhhhhh
How long till your
Surrender?
It's a long way
For heart break
Let your heart wait and bleed
Ohhhhhhh
How long till your surrender to me?" Your Surrender by Neon Trees
"Remember, stand your ground." Trevor said to me, when he dropped me off, when we got back to Dallas.
I shook my head. "Not necessary. I'm gonna be like you. In one ear, out the other."
"I don't think you're as cool as me to pull that off."
"I'm cool like the other side of the pillow!" I declared, leaning over to give him a hug. He holds me for a moment, before letting me go. Hopping out the car, I gave him a confident grin. "Thanks Trevor. See ya later." I walked to the house, ready to slay my own dragon/witch/beast hybrid. Inside, Brandon is in the kitchen, stirring tomato sauce in a pan. Rocky is buttering a sliced French loaf. The smell of garlic overwhelms the kitchen.
"Wow. It smells good in here." I exclaimed.
"Lily! Perfect timing. It's almost ready." Brandon greeted me.
"All we need is the salad. You can get started on that." Rocky said, smiling sweetly. I wasn't fooled by her smile. She was trying to get me relaxed and comfortable before she struck. Not happening.
"I would love to. But I really should shower first." I replied, just as sweetly.
Her smile faltered briefly. "Go ahead, we'll wait."
I take my time showering and washing my hair. I slather lotion all over myself and dress in the sexy low cut maxi dress I bought with Sammy. I was saving it for Ethan, but I needed to prove a point. I towel dry my hair then pile the messy curls up into a bun. Dressed for battle, I head back to the kitchen. I'm shocked to see the salad ingredients sitting out waiting for me. I figured Rocky would get impatient waiting and would make it herself, then she could complain about having to make it. But that's ok. Game on.
"Where'd Brandon go?" I asked her, washing my hands.
"He left to go get some wine." She answered, looking me over. "You look nice."
"Nice and appropriate?" I questioned, spinning in a full circle.
"Very." She said, dryly.
"Thanks. Sammy the slore picked it out." I told her, grabbing the lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers and throwing them in a colander to wash.
"So are we going to talk about why you ran to Austin with Trevor?" Rocky asked, changing the subject.
"I definitely did not run. We drove." I hid my grin from her. That's something Trevor would say. I'm so glad I thought of it.
She sighed. "You know what I mean."
"I don't. I told you I had plans at the game."
"Plans before or after you got upset with me?" Rocky questioned.
"I wasn't upset!" I answered, too quickly. Dammit. Her lips twitched in amusement.
"Why would you think that?" I said, regaining my cool, as I tore the lettuce into the salad spinner. "Do you think you said something that woulda made me upset?" I spun the lettuce, looking her straight in the eye.
"Sometimes the truth hurts. Even if that wasn't the intent." Rocky shrugged, keeping my stare.
"And sometimes people should just keep their opinions to themselves. Unless asked." I challenged. Any other time, I would accept that as her way of apologizing, but not this time.
The tension is broken when Brandon returns.
I focused on finishing the salad when Brandon asked me about my trip. "So how was it? I miss being able to be spontaneous and just leave. The joys of working in retail."
"It wasn't spontaneous. It was planned." Rocky corrected him. "Kinda weird you planned it on a weekend you were on call..."
"It turned out ok. Besides, Bilal's band was playing a major bar. Couldn't work that around my schedule." I lied, trying to cover up that she had me on that. She knows I would never skip out on any of my responsibilities. I'm still feeling bad that I did. I was hoping the mention of Bilal would throw her off that line of questioning.
"That's your ex, right babe?" Brandon asked, changing the subject for me.
"Well, yeah." I answered quickly. "But he was so much more than just her ex. Rocky is my person. Bilal is Trevor's person. Bilal was Rocky's boyfriend. I wanted Trevor to be my boyfriend. We were like the fantastic four in College- Inseparable." I grinned, good naturally.
Rocky forced a smile. Brandon just listened, nodding understandingly.
"We should all make a trip down there soon! We never got to after I graduated." I reminded her. "Trevor was talking about going down for the Fourth of July."
Brandon answered when she just narrowed her eyes at me. "My mom always has a huge bbq at the house. We have a swimming pool and everything. The whole family goes. I understand if you wanna go to Austin, but my mom invited you too."
Now I'm shocked. "Me? Really?"
"Of course. She's been trying to get you over there ever since EJ started talking about you. After I bragged about your cooking, she's not gonna stop til you come." Brandon explained as he set the table.
Rocky looked over at me. When Brandon's back is turned, I waved my hand like I'm holding a white flag in surrender. I don't need to be going into battle with her. I need to be focusing on being Ethan's girlfriend by the 4th of July. She smiled, but pretended to wave her flag as well.
"Tell your mom I would love to." I replied.
"Awesome. Let's eat!" Rocky declared.
Surrendering never tasted so good.
-----------------------------------
The next day at work, I found Christy first thing.
"Thank you so much for covering for me. I swear when I didn't get a call Saturday afternoon I thought I was all clear and I went out of town. I'll work two of your weekends. Whichever ones you choose." I thanked her profusely.
"It's no big deal. Just don't make a habit out of it." She said, patting me on the shoulder. "As far as working my weekends, I have another proposition for you. Can you take over Darren Wood's rehab for me?" Christy asked.
"Done!" I agreed, enthusiastically.
"Don't get too excited. He's young and stubborn. And constantly late. And he's supposed to be here 3 days of the week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Don't be surprised if he cancels on you. Particularly on Friday. I've already talked to the parents, but it didn't help. I just don't have the patience for him." Christy explained. I nodded and thanked her again. I remembered Darren. He was one of her patients I worked with when I shadowed her. He was the 17 year old patient that claimed he broke my rehab cherry.
Just as Christy said, Darren was late. He was supposed to be here at 4:30, the last appointment time because of his school schedule. He doesn't show up till 4:50. "Hey, you're normally gone by the time I get here." he grinned widely.
"Yep, couldn't leave because you're now my last appointment of the day." I told him.
"For reals? What happened to Christy?" He asked.
I had already thought over my approach. I couldn't let him think it was acceptable for him to be showing up late and half-assing. I was aware that I could contact his parents again like Christy did, but at the end of the day, he was my patient and it was his knee. I needed commitment from him.
"Honestly, she couldn't continue to keep up with your routine of being late and canceling. You're the one that's going to have to deal with your knee for the rest of your life. What can we do to make this successful?" I asked him, as we headed over to the stretching mats.
He huffed, irritated. "The surgery was successful. I already told Christy I don't need to be here all the time. I've been doing the same stuff with my athletic trainer at school instead of spring football. She's the one that pushed 3 days a week. I'm straight."
I thought this over. After working through his routine, I set him up on the stimulation machine. I asked him about the routine he does with his athletic trainer at his high school. He talked me through it. It was pretty much the same. They don't have the up to date equipment, but if he was comfortable there, there was no difference as long as the work was being done.
"Ok. I need your athletic trainer's contact information." I told him when he finished.
He huffed. "What does he have to do with anything?"
"Cause you're right. There's no point of you doing the same thing twice a day, 3 times a week. Quite frankly, it's probably too much." He gave me a crazy look, but I continued. "When is school over for you?" I asked him.
"2 weeks. But I have summer school. The training room is still going to be open, so the assistant trainer is still going to work with me. He's who I rehab with at school." He explained.
"I think if you continue working out with him over the summer, we can start meeting only on Wednesdays. I still gotta monitor your progress for the next 3 months, but me and your athletic trainer should work together. If that's what you'd rather do." I explained.
He nodded enthusiastically.
-----------------------------------
On Wednesday, Darren brought me the assistant athletic trainer's information. I sent him an email from the nurse station explaining what I told Darren. I asked him to email me back so we can work out the guidelines together. I had to run it by Derek, my boss, before I can agree to it with Darren. I hoped it worked out.
Monday, June 2, 2014
What I Got
"(That's) why I don't cry when my dog runs away
I don't get angry at the bills I have to pay
I don't get angry when my Mom smokes pot
Hits the bottle and goes right to the rock
Fuckin' and fightin', it's all the same
Livin' with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane
Let the lovin', let the lovin' come back to me
Lovin', is what I got, I said remember that (x3)
Lovin', is what I got, I got I got I got" What I Got by Sublime
On the drive to Austin, I refused to talk about Rocky. I didn't want to ruin the trip by being upset.
Trevor does bring up a slightly more pleasant topic: Cam. He doesn't know why I'm really upset with my brother, but I do tell him I don't know how to forgive him.
"Do you want my unbiased opinion?" Trevor asks.
The irony of that statement; Trevor being the neutral party between my brother and me. Once upon a time, I was the middle person. Trevor and my brother were on my side and didn't care much for each other. Cam thought Trevor was your typical college guy that was planning to use and hurt his little sister and Trevor thought Cam babied and spoiled me.
To an extent, they both were right. I was completely dependent on Cam. And Trevor never used me, but it did hurt when he never returned the massive crush I had on him.
But all that changed after I graduated from Baylor. By then, Trevor and I were just great friends. And I got a job to support myself while in grad school so I didn't run to my brother for everything.
On the other hand, Trevor was having problems finding an entry level job. He majored in computer programming. My brother had a job in Dallas in that field using his Air Force connections. When I reached out to him about job leads for Trevor, Cam hired him as his intern and Trevor moved to Dallas too. Long story short, after 6 months, Trevor got hired on. He and my brother became close friends. At the time, I was thrilled my two favorite guys were getting along so well. Oh, how the tables turned.
"Sure. Go ahead." I replied, honestly interested in what he had to say. Maybe my brother told him something...
"You love each other. At the end of the day, what's more important?" He said.
I want to argue. Truth. Loyalty. Trust. Fucking normalcy. But as I think about it, I can't even convince myself.
When we finally arrived in Austin, the first thing we did was buy clothes. We found a touristy western shop and agreed to buy each other's outfit. I picked out blue jeans, a matching western style denim button down and, of course, a cowboy hat for him. After we paid for our purchases, we went to the fitting rooms to get changed. I laughed, in horror, at what he got me. I'm standing in the mirror with a short jean skirt that has a pink rhinestone design on the back pockets and a pink halter. He finished the look with a sleeveless denim vest and white rhinestone covered cowboy boots.
"I can't believe I forgot the hat!" He laughed, when I step out the dressing room.
"I can't believe I have to wear these boots." I said, laughing too.
After that, he asked me what I felt like eating. I told him I had no preference. I'm not surprised we ended up at a burger joint. Trevor is a meat and potatoes type of guy. I am surprised by the selection of burgers. It's more like a burger bar. I got the Greek burger. It's made up of a lamb patty, feta cheese, arugula, onions, tomato, cucumber and tzatziki sauce. Trevor got the Primetime that had Kobe beef, brie cheese, truffle aioli, arugula, onions and steak sauce.
He also orders us 2 of their brewed beers and truffle parmesan fries to share. It was all amazing. We ate our meal on the patio of the restaurant.
"I will never be able to eat regular fries again." I lamented after the first bite of fries.
"Sorry." He smiled, before digging into his food.
After walking off our food and enjoying the scenery, we went to the bar Bilal was performing at. In Trevor's 3rd year of college, he shared a school apartment with 2 other guys. To this day, they were all very close. Bilal was one of them.
Bilal got a degree in communications, inherited his trust fund from his grandfather, and then moved to Austin with his band. Trevor came out to Austin as often as he could. During graduate school, I was always dreading the day he got another job and moved out here permanently, but he never did.
Bilal's band is a ska punk band, and they're as good as I remember. Bilal plays the bass. Trevor and I are grooving to the beat at a table while gulping down drinks. When their set is over, Bilal makes his way over to us.
"Lily, you look more beautiful every time I see you." He greeted me, giving me a huge hug. I hugged him back, beaming.
"What da fuck are you wearing?" Bilal asked Trevor when he let go of me.
"Hey, she picked it out!" Trevor pointed at me. I giggled and finished my drink.
"Looks like we need another round. Just tell the bartender you're with me" Bilal told Trevor.
"Why don't you just go get them?" Trevor asked.
"Cause I see you all the time. I wanna catch up with Lily." Bilal answered. Trevor grumbled a little more before going to the bar.
"It's good to see you. Especially with Trevor. I'm so glad you two are finally making a love connection." Bilal smiled at me.
I snorted, than giggled because I snorted. "No love connection. We're actually escaping your ex love connection." I explained.
"Rocky?" He asked.
"Shhhh, I'm not supposed to talk about her around you. That's one of her rules. As if the break up wasn't awkward enough. She had to make fucking rules about it. See? That is why I'm glad Trevor and I never made a looove connection. I would never want to have a messy breakup like y'all did. It was awful." I rambled. Obviously I get loose with the lips when I drink. I was too tipsy to care.
Bilal just shook his head. "That's crazy. You shouldn't let our bad decisions influence you."
"I'm not. I'm not in the business of changing someone like she was. And is. Although, she did whip her boyfriend into shape. It's kinda hilarious and ridiculous at the same time. I don't have to whip my guy, he's amazing." I gushed.
"You have a boyfriend?"
I frowned. "No. He wanted to be my boyfriend two years ago, but I moved to California. Now I think he likes me, and I know I like him. But I don't know if he likes me or if he just pities me, ya know?"
"The dude with the kid?" Bilal said, with a worried brow.
"Yes. His name is Ethan. The kid is EJ. And they are both awesome." I reassured him.
"What's awesome?" Trevor asked when he came back with shots.
"Everything is awesome. Everything is cool when you're part of a team." I sang, smiling at him.
Trevor laughed, putting his arm around me. "After this, you're cut off." He said, handing me my shot.
"To Austin." He toasted us.
"To Austin!" We repeated, clinking our shot glasses, tapping them on the table and then downing them. College style.
After the bar closed, we stumbled to Bilal's apartment. The original plan was for Trevor and me to get a hotel room, but Bilal insisted we stay with him. He has a second bedroom, so I expected to share a bed with Trevor. Trevor felt the same, cause he immediately led me to the room.
"Trevor. Come here for second." Bilal called from the doorway. Trevor gave me a lopsided smile.
"Be right back Lilypad." He said, before turning around. I fell asleep waiting for him to come back.
The next morning, I woke up alone. When I shuffled out to the living room, I saw Trevor sleeping on the couch.
I retrieved my phone from the bag, and saw I have texts from Sammy and missed calls from Rocky, Ethan, and my boss Derek. I listened to Derek's voicemail first. He has a last minute session I need to cover. I groaned and called Christy. She agreed to cover for me, no questions asked. I felt sick. I didn't know if it was the drinking or the guilt I felt about neglecting my responsibilities.
I tried to wake up Trevor but he just looked at me, and rolled over. I decided to focus on breakfast instead. I navigated to Round Rock Donuts. The only reason I knew of this place was because Trevor and I saw it on Man vs Food. I was relaxing after a test and we were eating junk food and watching the host attempt to eat a donut as big as his head in Austin. We called Bilal right away, and told him we wanted to go there as soon as I was done with school. It was supposed to be our celebration trip.
While I waited in line for the donuts, I tried to call Ethan back, but he didn't answer. When I got back to the apartment, Trevor and Bilal were up.
"Where were you?" Trevor asked.
I motioned to the box of donuts. "Getting breakfast." I replied. "I tried to wake your drunk ass up. This is the second time in two weeks you passed out on the couch. You're becoming a lightweight."
Bilal smiled. "I can't believe you remembered that." He said, grabbing a donut.
"Of course I did. I remember we were supposed to take a vacation out here too. With everyone. We should still do that." I said. Trevor looked lost in thought.
"T-Rev?" I asked, questioningly.
"Sure Lilypad. Sounds good." He agreed with me, with a little smile.
By the time we get ready to head back to Dallas, Trevor is back to his goofy fun loving self. I credited it the donuts. You can't help but feel giddy when you enjoy the sweetest sin that is Round Rock's donuts. Another thing I will never be able to truly enjoy again in Dallas now that I tasted perfection here. I was sure that was for the best.
On the car drive home, we had a blast, singing and rapping along to the music, and challenging each other about who knew what artist or lyrics best. By the time we were 30 minutes out of Dallas, I was dreading going home and facing Rocky.
"What were y'all arguing about anyway?" Trevor asked me, turning down the music as he drove.
"We weren't really arguing. She's like constantly getting on to me. And I know that's just how she is, but it's frustrating." I explained.
"What was she getting on to you about?"
"The way I dress. The things I say. The things I didn't even say. The way I fucking breathe!" I exaggerated.
Trevor chuckled
"But it was like small stuff..." I started, explaining to him the cabin incident then the conversation at the game.
"And it wasn't like I was mad about her telling me I need to watch how I dress. I really wasn't. Even though Sammy thought Rocky was just upset that I was trying to be the hot one." I finished.
Trevor shook his head. "Sammy is stupid. You both are hot. Don't let her try to put you down."
I look over at Trevor, surprised by his rough tone and his tightened grip on the wheel. "I didn't think she was..." I trailed off. When he relaxed, I continued. "I was more upset about the whole Megan thing."
"Do you feel like you need to talk to Megan about everything that happened?" Trevor asked.
"No. I agree with Rocky. That was two years ago. Who cares? The fact Rocky thinks I don't recognize that is what pissed me off."
"Good." Trevor nodded. "We both know how Rocky is. It's her way or no way. I let majority of what she says go in one ear and out the other but you take things to heart. You need to sit her down and tell her how it makes you feel."
I pouted. "I don't take everything to heart."
He looked over at me briefly and grinned. "Yeah, that's why you're pouting right now."
I make an awful face that made him laugh. "It's not a bad thing. I was actually worried the other day, that Rocky's callous attitude was finally rubbing off on you. I think you need to stand up for yourself. Especially with Rocky cause she's used to treating you that way. But don't ever lose your sensitivity. It's beautiful." He complimented me.
I smile, and look over at him, waiting for the punchline. It never comes. He's focused on the road, so I just study him. When did he become so sweet and wise? I guess I wasn't the only one to change over the years.
"I agree with her about that dress though. I could see everything." He winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Why didn't you say something if it was sooo inappropriate?"
"I didn't say it was inappropriate. Even if it was, it's against man law to tell a hot girl to cover up. Unless she's related to you, but even then, there's a hotness factor you have to abide by."
"Perv!" I laughed. A little late, but there's the punchline.
I don't get angry at the bills I have to pay
I don't get angry when my Mom smokes pot
Hits the bottle and goes right to the rock
Fuckin' and fightin', it's all the same
Livin' with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane
Let the lovin', let the lovin' come back to me
Lovin', is what I got, I said remember that (x3)
Lovin', is what I got, I got I got I got" What I Got by Sublime
On the drive to Austin, I refused to talk about Rocky. I didn't want to ruin the trip by being upset.
Trevor does bring up a slightly more pleasant topic: Cam. He doesn't know why I'm really upset with my brother, but I do tell him I don't know how to forgive him.
"Do you want my unbiased opinion?" Trevor asks.
The irony of that statement; Trevor being the neutral party between my brother and me. Once upon a time, I was the middle person. Trevor and my brother were on my side and didn't care much for each other. Cam thought Trevor was your typical college guy that was planning to use and hurt his little sister and Trevor thought Cam babied and spoiled me.
To an extent, they both were right. I was completely dependent on Cam. And Trevor never used me, but it did hurt when he never returned the massive crush I had on him.
But all that changed after I graduated from Baylor. By then, Trevor and I were just great friends. And I got a job to support myself while in grad school so I didn't run to my brother for everything.
On the other hand, Trevor was having problems finding an entry level job. He majored in computer programming. My brother had a job in Dallas in that field using his Air Force connections. When I reached out to him about job leads for Trevor, Cam hired him as his intern and Trevor moved to Dallas too. Long story short, after 6 months, Trevor got hired on. He and my brother became close friends. At the time, I was thrilled my two favorite guys were getting along so well. Oh, how the tables turned.
"Sure. Go ahead." I replied, honestly interested in what he had to say. Maybe my brother told him something...
"You love each other. At the end of the day, what's more important?" He said.
I want to argue. Truth. Loyalty. Trust. Fucking normalcy. But as I think about it, I can't even convince myself.
When we finally arrived in Austin, the first thing we did was buy clothes. We found a touristy western shop and agreed to buy each other's outfit. I picked out blue jeans, a matching western style denim button down and, of course, a cowboy hat for him. After we paid for our purchases, we went to the fitting rooms to get changed. I laughed, in horror, at what he got me. I'm standing in the mirror with a short jean skirt that has a pink rhinestone design on the back pockets and a pink halter. He finished the look with a sleeveless denim vest and white rhinestone covered cowboy boots.
"I can't believe I forgot the hat!" He laughed, when I step out the dressing room.
"I can't believe I have to wear these boots." I said, laughing too.
After that, he asked me what I felt like eating. I told him I had no preference. I'm not surprised we ended up at a burger joint. Trevor is a meat and potatoes type of guy. I am surprised by the selection of burgers. It's more like a burger bar. I got the Greek burger. It's made up of a lamb patty, feta cheese, arugula, onions, tomato, cucumber and tzatziki sauce. Trevor got the Primetime that had Kobe beef, brie cheese, truffle aioli, arugula, onions and steak sauce.
He also orders us 2 of their brewed beers and truffle parmesan fries to share. It was all amazing. We ate our meal on the patio of the restaurant.
"I will never be able to eat regular fries again." I lamented after the first bite of fries.
"Sorry." He smiled, before digging into his food.
After walking off our food and enjoying the scenery, we went to the bar Bilal was performing at. In Trevor's 3rd year of college, he shared a school apartment with 2 other guys. To this day, they were all very close. Bilal was one of them.
Bilal got a degree in communications, inherited his trust fund from his grandfather, and then moved to Austin with his band. Trevor came out to Austin as often as he could. During graduate school, I was always dreading the day he got another job and moved out here permanently, but he never did.
Bilal's band is a ska punk band, and they're as good as I remember. Bilal plays the bass. Trevor and I are grooving to the beat at a table while gulping down drinks. When their set is over, Bilal makes his way over to us.
"Lily, you look more beautiful every time I see you." He greeted me, giving me a huge hug. I hugged him back, beaming.
"What da fuck are you wearing?" Bilal asked Trevor when he let go of me.
"Hey, she picked it out!" Trevor pointed at me. I giggled and finished my drink.
"Looks like we need another round. Just tell the bartender you're with me" Bilal told Trevor.
"Why don't you just go get them?" Trevor asked.
"Cause I see you all the time. I wanna catch up with Lily." Bilal answered. Trevor grumbled a little more before going to the bar.
"It's good to see you. Especially with Trevor. I'm so glad you two are finally making a love connection." Bilal smiled at me.
I snorted, than giggled because I snorted. "No love connection. We're actually escaping your ex love connection." I explained.
"Rocky?" He asked.
"Shhhh, I'm not supposed to talk about her around you. That's one of her rules. As if the break up wasn't awkward enough. She had to make fucking rules about it. See? That is why I'm glad Trevor and I never made a looove connection. I would never want to have a messy breakup like y'all did. It was awful." I rambled. Obviously I get loose with the lips when I drink. I was too tipsy to care.
Bilal just shook his head. "That's crazy. You shouldn't let our bad decisions influence you."
"I'm not. I'm not in the business of changing someone like she was. And is. Although, she did whip her boyfriend into shape. It's kinda hilarious and ridiculous at the same time. I don't have to whip my guy, he's amazing." I gushed.
"You have a boyfriend?"
I frowned. "No. He wanted to be my boyfriend two years ago, but I moved to California. Now I think he likes me, and I know I like him. But I don't know if he likes me or if he just pities me, ya know?"
"The dude with the kid?" Bilal said, with a worried brow.
"Yes. His name is Ethan. The kid is EJ. And they are both awesome." I reassured him.
"What's awesome?" Trevor asked when he came back with shots.
"Everything is awesome. Everything is cool when you're part of a team." I sang, smiling at him.
Trevor laughed, putting his arm around me. "After this, you're cut off." He said, handing me my shot.
"To Austin." He toasted us.
"To Austin!" We repeated, clinking our shot glasses, tapping them on the table and then downing them. College style.
After the bar closed, we stumbled to Bilal's apartment. The original plan was for Trevor and me to get a hotel room, but Bilal insisted we stay with him. He has a second bedroom, so I expected to share a bed with Trevor. Trevor felt the same, cause he immediately led me to the room.
"Trevor. Come here for second." Bilal called from the doorway. Trevor gave me a lopsided smile.
"Be right back Lilypad." He said, before turning around. I fell asleep waiting for him to come back.
The next morning, I woke up alone. When I shuffled out to the living room, I saw Trevor sleeping on the couch.
I retrieved my phone from the bag, and saw I have texts from Sammy and missed calls from Rocky, Ethan, and my boss Derek. I listened to Derek's voicemail first. He has a last minute session I need to cover. I groaned and called Christy. She agreed to cover for me, no questions asked. I felt sick. I didn't know if it was the drinking or the guilt I felt about neglecting my responsibilities.
I tried to wake up Trevor but he just looked at me, and rolled over. I decided to focus on breakfast instead. I navigated to Round Rock Donuts. The only reason I knew of this place was because Trevor and I saw it on Man vs Food. I was relaxing after a test and we were eating junk food and watching the host attempt to eat a donut as big as his head in Austin. We called Bilal right away, and told him we wanted to go there as soon as I was done with school. It was supposed to be our celebration trip.
While I waited in line for the donuts, I tried to call Ethan back, but he didn't answer. When I got back to the apartment, Trevor and Bilal were up.
"Where were you?" Trevor asked.
I motioned to the box of donuts. "Getting breakfast." I replied. "I tried to wake your drunk ass up. This is the second time in two weeks you passed out on the couch. You're becoming a lightweight."
Bilal smiled. "I can't believe you remembered that." He said, grabbing a donut.
"Of course I did. I remember we were supposed to take a vacation out here too. With everyone. We should still do that." I said. Trevor looked lost in thought.
"T-Rev?" I asked, questioningly.
"Sure Lilypad. Sounds good." He agreed with me, with a little smile.
By the time we get ready to head back to Dallas, Trevor is back to his goofy fun loving self. I credited it the donuts. You can't help but feel giddy when you enjoy the sweetest sin that is Round Rock's donuts. Another thing I will never be able to truly enjoy again in Dallas now that I tasted perfection here. I was sure that was for the best.
On the car drive home, we had a blast, singing and rapping along to the music, and challenging each other about who knew what artist or lyrics best. By the time we were 30 minutes out of Dallas, I was dreading going home and facing Rocky.
"What were y'all arguing about anyway?" Trevor asked me, turning down the music as he drove.
"We weren't really arguing. She's like constantly getting on to me. And I know that's just how she is, but it's frustrating." I explained.
"What was she getting on to you about?"
"The way I dress. The things I say. The things I didn't even say. The way I fucking breathe!" I exaggerated.
Trevor chuckled
"But it was like small stuff..." I started, explaining to him the cabin incident then the conversation at the game.
"And it wasn't like I was mad about her telling me I need to watch how I dress. I really wasn't. Even though Sammy thought Rocky was just upset that I was trying to be the hot one." I finished.
Trevor shook his head. "Sammy is stupid. You both are hot. Don't let her try to put you down."
I look over at Trevor, surprised by his rough tone and his tightened grip on the wheel. "I didn't think she was..." I trailed off. When he relaxed, I continued. "I was more upset about the whole Megan thing."
"Do you feel like you need to talk to Megan about everything that happened?" Trevor asked.
"No. I agree with Rocky. That was two years ago. Who cares? The fact Rocky thinks I don't recognize that is what pissed me off."
"Good." Trevor nodded. "We both know how Rocky is. It's her way or no way. I let majority of what she says go in one ear and out the other but you take things to heart. You need to sit her down and tell her how it makes you feel."
I pouted. "I don't take everything to heart."
He looked over at me briefly and grinned. "Yeah, that's why you're pouting right now."
I make an awful face that made him laugh. "It's not a bad thing. I was actually worried the other day, that Rocky's callous attitude was finally rubbing off on you. I think you need to stand up for yourself. Especially with Rocky cause she's used to treating you that way. But don't ever lose your sensitivity. It's beautiful." He complimented me.
I smile, and look over at him, waiting for the punchline. It never comes. He's focused on the road, so I just study him. When did he become so sweet and wise? I guess I wasn't the only one to change over the years.
"I agree with her about that dress though. I could see everything." He winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Why didn't you say something if it was sooo inappropriate?"
"I didn't say it was inappropriate. Even if it was, it's against man law to tell a hot girl to cover up. Unless she's related to you, but even then, there's a hotness factor you have to abide by."
"Perv!" I laughed. A little late, but there's the punchline.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
I know, I know. I said no more flashbacks! But I really wanted to write this scene, so I did. :-)
This is a mini post to how Ethan discovered Lily's love of gummy candies.
"Scooby Dooby Doo, Where are you?
We got some work to do now
Scooby Dooby Doo, Where are you?
We need some help from you now
Come on, Scooby Doo, I see you
pretending you got a sliver
But you're not fooling me,cause I can see
the way you shake and shiver" Scooby Dooby Theme Song
April 2012
"Are you okay?" I asked Ethan, as we sat on the bed in my room watching Family Guy.
It was our tradition. I knew it was a booty call when he called and asked if he could come over when I got off work. I was still a little uneasy about how to act now that we were hooking up. The first time he came over after we made our arrangement, I ended up asking him if he wanted to watch TV in my room. It was how I normally unwind after a night at the bar. Animated adult cartoons weren't really his thing, but he seemed amused by how I knew almost all the lines and laughed so hard I cried. Or snorted. That instantly relaxed me, and him as well, until we were going at it in my bed.
Tonight though, he was super quiet. He stared straight ahead at the TV even though it was a commercial. Normally by the first commercial break, his arms would be around me and we would be kissing until the show came back on. By the second break, we would be making out and caressing each other over our clothes. I would be ready to turn off the TV, but we never did. We stopped until the end of the show. Anticipation was the best aphrodisiac.
"Can we skip TV tonight?" He said, ignoring my question, but finally looking at me. I couldn't read his expression, but I definitely felt the intensity of his gaze. He'd never looked at me like that before- I had no idea what it meant. I gulped, but nodded. He wasted no time, pulling off my t-shirt to reveal my simple, black bra. As he reached to unclasp it, I looked for the remote. I wanted the room to be dark, as usual.
I didn't have a chance to find it because Ethan removed my bra and shoved me back on the bed. I felt the remote on my back and I reached to grab it. Before I could turn the tv off, Ethan removed his shirt and pants. The sight of his body in the TV light was enough for me to forget about wanting it off. He pulled off my shorts before positioning himself on top of me. He rubbed me through my panties before he yanked them off of me. As enthusiastic as sex could get between us, he had never been this impatient or rough. I was surprisingly turned on by it and I was so ready for him.
"Where is the condom I left?" He asked, gruffly, obviously as ready as I was.
"The nightstand." I panted, quickly, nodding towards it next to the bed.
He reached over and opened the drawer. He pulled out a package and stopped. I read the confusion on his face before I looked at his hand. I wanted to die of embarrassment when I saw a Scooby Doo fruit snack package instead of a condom. I tried to snatch it from him, but he was too quick.
"EJ picked them out!" I blurted, feeling my face heat up as I threw EJ under the bus. He burst out laughing.
This is a mini post to how Ethan discovered Lily's love of gummy candies.
"Scooby Dooby Doo, Where are you?
We got some work to do now
Scooby Dooby Doo, Where are you?
We need some help from you now
Come on, Scooby Doo, I see you
pretending you got a sliver
But you're not fooling me,cause I can see
the way you shake and shiver" Scooby Dooby Theme Song
***Flashback***
April 2012
"Are you okay?" I asked Ethan, as we sat on the bed in my room watching Family Guy.
It was our tradition. I knew it was a booty call when he called and asked if he could come over when I got off work. I was still a little uneasy about how to act now that we were hooking up. The first time he came over after we made our arrangement, I ended up asking him if he wanted to watch TV in my room. It was how I normally unwind after a night at the bar. Animated adult cartoons weren't really his thing, but he seemed amused by how I knew almost all the lines and laughed so hard I cried. Or snorted. That instantly relaxed me, and him as well, until we were going at it in my bed.
Tonight though, he was super quiet. He stared straight ahead at the TV even though it was a commercial. Normally by the first commercial break, his arms would be around me and we would be kissing until the show came back on. By the second break, we would be making out and caressing each other over our clothes. I would be ready to turn off the TV, but we never did. We stopped until the end of the show. Anticipation was the best aphrodisiac.
"Can we skip TV tonight?" He said, ignoring my question, but finally looking at me. I couldn't read his expression, but I definitely felt the intensity of his gaze. He'd never looked at me like that before- I had no idea what it meant. I gulped, but nodded. He wasted no time, pulling off my t-shirt to reveal my simple, black bra. As he reached to unclasp it, I looked for the remote. I wanted the room to be dark, as usual.
I didn't have a chance to find it because Ethan removed my bra and shoved me back on the bed. I felt the remote on my back and I reached to grab it. Before I could turn the tv off, Ethan removed his shirt and pants. The sight of his body in the TV light was enough for me to forget about wanting it off. He pulled off my shorts before positioning himself on top of me. He rubbed me through my panties before he yanked them off of me. As enthusiastic as sex could get between us, he had never been this impatient or rough. I was surprisingly turned on by it and I was so ready for him.
"Where is the condom I left?" He asked, gruffly, obviously as ready as I was.
"The nightstand." I panted, quickly, nodding towards it next to the bed.
He reached over and opened the drawer. He pulled out a package and stopped. I read the confusion on his face before I looked at his hand. I wanted to die of embarrassment when I saw a Scooby Doo fruit snack package instead of a condom. I tried to snatch it from him, but he was too quick.
"EJ picked them out!" I blurted, feeling my face heat up as I threw EJ under the bus. He burst out laughing.
"Doesn't explain why they're in here..." he finally stated through his laughter.
"Um, I like gummy bears. They're my favorite candy. It's like nostalgia for me." I defended myself. I was obsessed with ANY gummy candy. They were my addiction.
"I can understand gummy bears. Baby, these are not gummy bears." He chuckled, sitting up on his knees.
I blushed deeper, my face had to be a deep red. Not only at him destroying my weak defense, but him calling me baby. That was a first. "So? Same thing. They're gummy and they taste better." I huffed out, willing my face to cool.
He opened the package and I watched, thinking he was going to eat one to see how much better they tasted than gummy bears. Instead, he placed one on my nipple. I was so distracted by the fruit snacks, I forgot I was completely naked. Ethan obviously didn't. He placed another fruit snack on my other nipple, my stomach, two on my navel, and between my legs. My frazzled mind was trying to make sense of his actions when he put his mouth on my candy covered nipple. He swirled his tongue around the candy, until he finally bit it into his mouth, grazing my nipple with his teeth. I gasped, heat spreading all over my body as the throb between my legs was now a rapid pulsing.
We lay there, in silence for a good 30 minutes before Ethan spoke up. "I had dinner with Megan and her parents tonight." He exhaled, deeply.
I looked up at him, trying to read his expression. Again, nothing, but the severity that was in his eyes earlier that evening was gone. I cuddled close to him, happy that I gave him some kind of relief. "How'd that go?"
"Interesting. At first, it was like nothing changed. Then, her dad pulled me aside and asked me if I could forgive her for what she did. I was shocked. I didn't think she would tell them why we broke up." Ethan explained.
"Oh, you didn't want them to know?" I pondered. If my significant other cheated on me, I would probably tell everyone. Go scorched earth with their infidelities.
"I didn't want anyone to know. I told my family the truth when they wanted to know who was the Lily that got EJ a Tablet for Christmas." He explained, with a little smile.
I blushed. Probably a little much for a 4 year old, but EJ loved it. "Sorry."
"Don't be. I think talking about it helped me realized it was over. I guess not talking made me feel like we could just move on after the anger went away." Ethan admitted.
"And has it?" I asked him, curiously.
"It has. I told Megan's dad tonight I forgive her. I truly do. I'm not angry anymore but that doesn't mean I want to get back together with her. We fell apart a long time ago. I hate how she went about it, but I understand why we needed to go our separate ways." He confessed.
I nodded understandably as I shivered. Now that the orgasm heat was wearing off, our sweat on my naked skin plus the ceiling fan was making me cold. Ethan covered me with my comforter, tucking me in before leaving the bed to get dress. This was part of the routine too. Afterwards, he would get dressed and leave. Normally, I would be okay with it. In fact, I preferred it. No chance for awkward moments. Tonight though, after him opening up to me and cuddling me, I felt...empty.
"Lily? Is that ok?"
I realized Ethan was speaking to me. I didn't hear a word he said.
"Huh?" I replied.
"It's fine if you don't want me to spend the night-"
"No! I want you to stay." I interrupted him, gleefully. I flushed when he gave me a little smile. "I'm sorry, why did you get dressed?"
"I'm going to the gas station. I need to buy condoms and I'll replace your candy. They probably won't have the Scooby Doo ones." He informed me.
I giggled. "Ok. Anything gummy will work."
"Come here real quick."
When I got to my knees on the bed, the covers still wrapped around me, he hugged me and kissed me gently: It was soulful and sweet . He pulled away and smiled. "I have some fun ideas for peach rings anyway."
"Um, I like gummy bears. They're my favorite candy. It's like nostalgia for me." I defended myself. I was obsessed with ANY gummy candy. They were my addiction.
"I can understand gummy bears. Baby, these are not gummy bears." He chuckled, sitting up on his knees.
I blushed deeper, my face had to be a deep red. Not only at him destroying my weak defense, but him calling me baby. That was a first. "So? Same thing. They're gummy and they taste better." I huffed out, willing my face to cool.
He opened the package and I watched, thinking he was going to eat one to see how much better they tasted than gummy bears. Instead, he placed one on my nipple. I was so distracted by the fruit snacks, I forgot I was completely naked. Ethan obviously didn't. He placed another fruit snack on my other nipple, my stomach, two on my navel, and between my legs. My frazzled mind was trying to make sense of his actions when he put his mouth on my candy covered nipple. He swirled his tongue around the candy, until he finally bit it into his mouth, grazing my nipple with his teeth. I gasped, heat spreading all over my body as the throb between my legs was now a rapid pulsing.
I watched him chew and swallow the fruit snack. "You're right. They do taste better." He said, before moving his mouth to my other nipple.
"Urm...Ahh..." I wasn't sure if I was going to agree with him or just encourage him to keep going as he sucked the fruit snack and my nipple into his mouth. I lost all ability to speak as he worked his way down my body, eating the candies the same way he did the first. By the time he got to the last one, settling his face between my thighs, my whole body was burning up and I was desperate for release. I cried out in shock and pleasure as he licked his way up before sucking the candy in his mouth. I bucked up against him, unable to stop my hips from gyrating up into his face
"Please, please, please!" I cried, not quite sure what I was begging for. Ethan obviously knew, because he gripped my hips forcefully to still me before his mouth found my clitoris and he sucked greedily on me.
"Oh God!" I screamed out, not remembering to care if Rocky could hear me. I was normally self- conscious and timid enough to stifle and muffle my sounds, but I wasn't tonight. Something in the air, his need and assertiveness caused me to lose all my inhibitions. He swirled and flicked his tongue against me as I writhed against his hold, confused if I wanted him to stop or continue. When he did pull his mouth away, I felt despair and cheated until he continued to rub my clit with his finger as he sat up. He stopped to reach for the night stand again, this time grabbing the condom. I was so close, I didn't want to wait anymore, and I kept grinding up against his pelvis. We both groaned out in exquisite pleasure as his erection rubbed my wet slit. I was so far gone, I wrapped my legs around his waist, trying to guide him into me. I was glad he still had a trace of self control; he quickly tore open the condom and slid it on before plunging inside of me.
Any self control he had was lost as soon as he sank inside me. His strokes were uncoordinated, no rhythm or motion and he didn't pay attention to my spot or my clitoris like he normally did. It didn't matter though. I was so close to climaxing, my whole body was pulsating. His skin pressed so intimately against mine, his wild kisses and his uncontrollable deep thrusts had my head spinning and my body shaking until I finally released, wailing out his name. He pace quickened even more and I held him tighter, locking my arms and legs around him until he shuddered and came too. He collapsed beside me, breathing heavily as he pulled me into his arms. This was another first: post sex cuddling. My body still felt wobbly, and I was struggling to catch my breath, but I basked in his warm embrace as he held me.
We lay there, in silence for a good 30 minutes before Ethan spoke up. "I had dinner with Megan and her parents tonight." He exhaled, deeply.
I looked up at him, trying to read his expression. Again, nothing, but the severity that was in his eyes earlier that evening was gone. I cuddled close to him, happy that I gave him some kind of relief. "How'd that go?"
"Interesting. At first, it was like nothing changed. Then, her dad pulled me aside and asked me if I could forgive her for what she did. I was shocked. I didn't think she would tell them why we broke up." Ethan explained.
"Oh, you didn't want them to know?" I pondered. If my significant other cheated on me, I would probably tell everyone. Go scorched earth with their infidelities.
"I didn't want anyone to know. I told my family the truth when they wanted to know who was the Lily that got EJ a Tablet for Christmas." He explained, with a little smile.
I blushed. Probably a little much for a 4 year old, but EJ loved it. "Sorry."
"Don't be. I think talking about it helped me realized it was over. I guess not talking made me feel like we could just move on after the anger went away." Ethan admitted.
"And has it?" I asked him, curiously.
"It has. I told Megan's dad tonight I forgive her. I truly do. I'm not angry anymore but that doesn't mean I want to get back together with her. We fell apart a long time ago. I hate how she went about it, but I understand why we needed to go our separate ways." He confessed.
I nodded understandably as I shivered. Now that the orgasm heat was wearing off, our sweat on my naked skin plus the ceiling fan was making me cold. Ethan covered me with my comforter, tucking me in before leaving the bed to get dress. This was part of the routine too. Afterwards, he would get dressed and leave. Normally, I would be okay with it. In fact, I preferred it. No chance for awkward moments. Tonight though, after him opening up to me and cuddling me, I felt...empty.
"Lily? Is that ok?"
I realized Ethan was speaking to me. I didn't hear a word he said.
"Huh?" I replied.
"It's fine if you don't want me to spend the night-"
"No! I want you to stay." I interrupted him, gleefully. I flushed when he gave me a little smile. "I'm sorry, why did you get dressed?"
"I'm going to the gas station. I need to buy condoms and I'll replace your candy. They probably won't have the Scooby Doo ones." He informed me.
I giggled. "Ok. Anything gummy will work."
"Come here real quick."
When I got to my knees on the bed, the covers still wrapped around me, he hugged me and kissed me
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