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"Can't believe Ada's two months old already. Seems like just yesterday we were at the hospital and she was being delivered."
"Lot's changed for you with her and Jean around."
I shrugged. "Yeah. But it's all good."
"Well, I for one am very surprised and disappointed in young Ada for not getting into the film." He popped the tops on a couple of beers and added them to Rosie's tray.
"Why is that?"
"I really thought she'd be into Thor. Guys with long blond hair are just cooler," he said, tossing his own blond locks around. The dickhead. "Ask anyone."
"Be prepared to wallow in disappointment, bro." I wiped my hands off on a towel. "Ada's an intelligent and discerning young lady who thinks highly of men with long dark hair. She told me so."
Rosie watched us, unimpressed. "You're both such idiots."
"Harsh but true," said Joe.
I smiled. "It runs in the family."
"Pretty sure it comes from Dad's side."
"Probably." I laughed. "Mom would agree with that."
It'd been a great night. Busy, but not crazy stressful. Everyone had been in a good mood. It was close to eleven-thirty and things were winding down now, though the music kept pumping. Nights like this made me glad to own a bar. Or one third of a share in a restaurant and bar. Whatever.
Lydia, Nell, and I had decided to stick with the no decision as a decision regarding the offer on the place. If the resort owners, the people wanting to buy the Dive Bar, had tried pushing us for a definite answer, we probably would've just said no. None of us were busting to be free of the place. But since they were content to leave the offer on the table, so be it. It could sit there until something changed.
If something changed, I mean.
Boyd and Curt the kitchen kid had been taking over more of the cooking duties as Nell's belly expanded. Funnily enough, being heavily pregnant seemed to improve her mood. It was like once the period where she'd lost the last baby passed, she could relax a little. She even stopped riding me so hard about Jean. Especially since I'd kept my word and not made a single move on the woman. I'd mostly made peace with the fact that Nell would never see me as a decent upstanding member of the community. Given how badly I'd let her down, I probably deserved it. Some things weren't so easy to forgive.
"You good here?" I asked, finishing cleaning up my area.
"Yeah. You on for the gym tomorrow?"
"Text me what time."
"Will do," Joe said and nodded. "'Night."
During the winter, my brother's building jobs tended to slow as working outside became next to impossible. He took on more shifts at the bar to maintain the cash flow. It freed up Vaughan to book more gigs out of state and also meant I was available to pick up the slack in other areas, if necessary. No more doing inventory into the early hours of the morning on my own. Thank God.
Tonight, however, I was free.
A couple of ladies I'd chatted with over the course of the night gave me inviting smiles. I nodded back but kept walking. Honestly, the thought of a random hookup just didn't do anything for me. My dick was still officially out of order, though I had more than a sneaking suspicion it wasn't broken. More like Jean had unknowingly taken my libido hostage. Until I worked her out of my system, I didn't see anything changing.
I started hitting the gym with my brother more often to use up extra energy. My own hand took care of the rest. Given I'd been sexually active since losing my virginity at fifteen, it was weird to take a break. The smell of it, the feel of skin on skin, I missed it all. But there was an upside. Being friendly, as opposed to flirty, made interactions with women interesting. I'd had some decent conversations about various shit. Like I had a bit more room in my head without the need for pussy.
Don't get me wrong, taking a break from fucking didn't make me deep or anything. But enough about the insides of my head and back to reality.
In the office, Curt was pulling on a jacket.
"Finished?" I asked.
"No," he said. "Nell asked us to make an order for upstairs before she left, but we got busy. Haven't had a chance to get away before now."
"I'm heading that way. I'll take it."
Curt grinned. "Thanks."
I grabbed my jacket and picked up the brown paper bags off the desk. "Jean, Andre, or Alex?"
"Jean."
Excellent.
The outside steps were a little icy so I took it slow. Hopefully, Jean hadn't given up on dinner and gone to bed. If my timing was right, she would be finishing up Ada's midnight feeding before her big sleep. Of course, Ada answered to no one, so no guarantees.
When I put my ear to her door, noises could be heard. It was safe to knock.
She answered the door in flannel pajamas covered in hedgehogs. I'd never considered the small animals a turn-on before. But honestly, it was hard to look away, she was so cute.
"Eric. Hi."
"I hear you've been waiting on this?" I held up the order. "Sorry about the delay."
"No problem at all." She smiled. "Are you heading straight to bed?"
"You feel like company?"
"Absolutely." She stepped back, holding the door open. "Come on in."
Subtlety had never been my strong suit. By now Jean should just know that if given the chance, I'd want to be with her. Ada lay on a blanket on the floor, apparently watching a TV show involving colorful balls bouncing around and a soothing voice reciting the alphabet. Weird.
"She was wide awake so I gave up trying to settle her," said Jean, unpacking her chicken-and-noodle salad. "It's her favorite program."
"Remind me to introduce her to WWE sometime."
Jean cocked her head. "Maybe not."
"Okay." I pulled a chair up to the table. "I bet this show would make perfect sense if you were stoned."
"Probably." She laughed. "How was work?"
"Good. Busy."
And right up there with hedgehogs was watching Jean eat. Lips sliding over the tines of her fork and her tongue struggling to keep everything under control. She was hot even with noodles slipping over her chin. Hell, I had to look away before things got uncomfortable.
"Joe is upset Ada didn't love Thor," I said, picking at a thread on my jeans. "I think he sees himself as Thor in this scenario."
She laughed. "Tell him I feel real bad for his poor delicate male ego."
"We can't help it." I put my hand to my heart. "We're sensitive creatures."
"Sure you are."
"Meant to ask you, did you hear any more from your parents?" I asked, curious. And maybe a little protective.
She nodded, taking a moment to swallow her food. "Yes, actually. I haven't talked to Dad yet, but Mom's called a couple of times."
"Big turnaround."
She shrugged. "I don't know. She seems sincere."
"Like I said, they're missing out big-time not being part of your and Ada's life."
"Thank you."
I shrugged it off. It was, after all, a simple statement of fact.
"I think they've mostly agreed with all of my big decisions up until this point." She frowned, staring off at nothing. "Guess going against their wishes and keeping my baby caught them by surprise."
"Maybe," I said.
"You know, you guys don't have to keep bringing the orders to my door," she said, changing the subject. "Not that I don't appreciate it."
"Curt often runs things up for Alex." I shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I'm sorry it was late though."
"No worries. Are you sure about delivering?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "Saves you from having to suit up Ada and bring her down."
"That's true," she said, wrapping noodles around her fork. "But I don't have to take it easy on the stairs or anything anymore. The doctor okayed me for everything a couple of weeks ago."
"That's great."
She nodded, finishing another mouthful. "Not that I have the least interest in sex."
Whoa. Where did that come from?
"Even if I did have a partner," she said, waving the fork around. "Can you imagine getting busy after caring night and day for a baby?"
"Hmm." I tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace.
"It's just so full-on. I mean, where would that energy even come from?" she asked, eyes wide. "Besides the fact that I look like something a cat coughed up on the rug."
"You don't look anything like cat barf," I said, sternly. "I keep telling you, you look good, but you don't believe me."
She barked out a laugh. "I think you're very kind."
"No. Not really."
"They should make up a sex position for new parents," she continued. "The sloth. 'You have my permission. Just hurry up and get it done while I lie here and take a quick nap.'"
"Sounds hot."
"Right? Total turn-on."
"I take it there'll be drool and snoring during this incredible quickie?"
"Oh, absolutely."
I just shook my head.
"Sorry," she said. "I'm probably making you uncomfortable."
"It's fine," I said, not thinking about having any kind of sex with Jean to the best of my ability. My ability sucked. "We're friends. You can talk about anything with me. Even the sloth."
For a moment, she just looked at me. Her gaze full of I don't even know what emotion. Then she sighed. Oh holy shit, that sound. It alone had my dick at half-mast. All the woman had to do was click her fingers and I'd be begging on my knees. Friendship my ass. I was the literal worst.
