C'mon and Love Me

I saw Mallory practically dancing in the foyer, and said, "You ready, duckie?"

She raised her arms for me to pick her up and I grabbed the 2 bags sitting by the door with my free hand.

Honestly, I was just tired of being told I was dense, or blind, or whatever else her parents called me regarding how Nikki feels about me. They could say whatever they wanted, but it was what she hadn't shown me that I was hanging my hat on and building my wall against. That had to be more important than her emotional words. At least it was to me. Maybe I was dense?

*****

After a couple of hours of walking around the zoo, we went to the park area for lunch. Nikki passed out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with juice boxes, and Mallory was in her own little heaven as she dug into her favorite meal.

"Thank you, double D. We're having a great day," Nikki smiled.

"Thank you for joining me. I would hate to buy all of these wax figures and not have anyone to share them with."

I was referring to the molded wax animals, one could buy, that are scattered throughout the zoo. Mallory had an eagle eye for the machines that made them and made sure to give me the doe eyes when she saw one.

Mallory smiled and thanked me with her mouth full of sandwich. It sounded like, "mmph phoo," so I assumed it was a thank you. I was impressed she said thank you without being asked to do so by Nikki.

"We could be a family and do this all the time, Drake," she said softly.

"I already thought of us as family," I countered.

"No, not family. A family. It's different."

I sighed and leaned back onto my elbows.

"Please, stop pushing me."

She glared at me with a look I'd never seen before, "I will never stop. I'm telling you; I will not make the same mistake again. I will show you that my feelings are real."

"Good luck," I shrugged.

"This is no game, Drake. This is our future, and I want that future to be together as we should have been all along: husband and wife."

"You're still married."

She shook her head, "We're going around in circles. The papers are signed and filed. We're just waiting of the mandatory 60 days to expire before it's final."

It was hard to look at her. Sunlight framed her face and made her look angelic.

"Mommy, can we see the pen-gins now?" Mallory asked.

"One more bite," we said in unison and laughed, breaking up the serious mood.

*****

It was an hour's drive home from the zoo and Mallory fell asleep before we got out of the parking lot. My arm was rested on the center arm rest of Nikki's car and Nikki took ahold of my hand. I looked over at her and she was looking out the window nonchalantly.

I should have moved my arm, but I let her continue to hold it. It felt nice and I had to think she was softening the wall I was trying to build which wasn't bothering me. It confused me at first, but the solitude of the quiet drive home allowed me to think about what I wanted to do about us.

I decided to give in to my feelings and hope she didn't break my heart.

When I pulled into her parents' driveway, Nikki woke with a start.

"Sleep well?" I asked.

She looked down and saw we were still holding hands, even as she slept, and smiled.

"I feel like I was only out for a second."

I laughed.

"You fell asleep before we got on the expressway. Mallory never woke either."

She looked into the backseat and saw Mallory sleeping with a line of drool falling down her chin.

"Will you stay for dinner?" she asked, hopeful.

"No."

She let go of my hand as I needed to shift into park.

"Mom will..."

"I was hoping you'd go out to dinner with me," I interrupted.

"Are you messing with me? I'll kick your butt."

"Nix, would you like to go out to dinner?"

"Is it a date or as friends?"

I sighed and turned the car off. "Do we have to put a name on it? Can we spend an evening together and see how it goes?"

"We could," she said, "but I would dress differently for a date night. Heck, I might even take a shower first." Her smile stirred something in my shorts. Jesus, she was beautiful.

She patted my arm and exited the car to tend to Mallory.

I walked ahead, carrying the ubiquitous bag that went along with Mallory, and Nikki's purse.

I rang the doorbell, and John answered, "Drake! Come in, come in. You know, when you're expected, you don't have to ring the bell. You know the code for the lock by now, don't you?"

"I know, I'm just not comfortable with walking in unannounced."

He smiled, "Maybe, that will come in time."

"Maybe," I grumbled and walked through the large foyer.

It was more like a small rotunda, as there were entrances to the other rooms set away in a circular form. The stairs to the second level were a double staircase that was like something you'd see in the movies. I walked up the right side of the stairs to drop the bag off in Mallory's bedroom. I saw John walk up the left staircase pacing behind me. I wondered what he was up to.

I set Mallory's bag on the floor and turned to the surprise of Mallory grabbing my legs.

"Thank you, Unckie Dwake!"

"You're welcome, duckie. I've got the bag of animal molds in the car. How about if I leave them with you and you take care of them for me?"

She giggled, "You silly. Those are for me."

I knelt and hugged her.

"Of course, they were for you, duckie. Enjoy them."

"Come on, Mallory. Let's get you cleaned up for dinner. Grandma made stuffed cabbage."

"Can I have no cabbage?" she whined.

"Of course."

Nikki winked at me and took Mallory into the bathroom next door. I saw down the hall, John was trying to look inconspicuous as he loitered in the hallway.

"You'd make a terrible spy, John," I said as I walked down the stairs.

He guffawed and went into his bedroom suite, albeit with a smile on his face.

I turned the corner towards the kitchen and the wonderful smell of the stuffed cabbage hit me.

"Smells great, Mom," I said as I walked behind her.

"You're staying for dinner, right?" she asked then hugged me.

"No. I have a date tonight. I just wanted to say hi and goodbye. I need to get home to take a shower and get ready."

Her entire face took a pallor of sadness, "You have a date? After you spent the day with Nikki and Mallory?"

I nodded and kissed her cheek.

"I have to go. She's a real pain in the neck and I don't want to upset her by being late."

I left her in shock and texted Nikki on my way out.

"I'm going to head home and shower. I'll be back in an hour."

"K. Hurry back."

She texted me a picture of her in just a towel, as she was getting into the shower herself. I shivered at the thought of what was underneath the towel. She'd been the object of many of my fantasies.

It seemed that her sending that picture confirmed our escalation into potential romance. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the thought of dating her, but I knew I had to give it a fair shot, especially if she felt about me as I felt for her. The last of my walls were crumbling.

*****

An hour later, I rang her doorbell as nervous as I ever was in high school. Mrs. Dryer answered and said, "You're mean."

I smiled and said, "I didn't lie."

She laughed and said, "No, but you almost broke this old woman's heart. You know how badly I want to see you two find each other."

"You aren't old, Mom. Heck, if you weren't married to my boss, I'd make a run at you."

"Quit your flattering, Drake. You know I'm the wrong Dryer woman for you."

"Mm, hm. Is the youngest of the Dryer women ready yet?" I asked.

"Of course not. You know she can't be on time for anything."

We laughed and she led me into the kitchen.

"Coffee's fresh. Or would you like an espresso?"

"Black coffee's fine, thanks. Where's John?" I asked.

"He's helping Mallory find room on one of our bookshelves for those wax animals you bought her."

"Sorry about that."

She giggled and patted my arm, "Don't worry about it. I love having them here with us. The house gets lonely sometimes, you know? You men work too much."

"Someone has to pay for this monstrosity of a house," John said as he strolled into the kitchen. "Drake, I just saw her dressed and looking for shoes, so she'll be another hour, at least."

We laughed and Mom sighed, "Men! You know she's going to want to look her best for you, Drake."

"So, it is a date then?" John asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yes," Nikki said, as she walked into the kitchen carrying her shoes. "He doesn't want to call it that, but there he is dressed in a sport coat, with a fresh shave, and..." she sniffed the air, "yep, Sauvage cologne. Very nice, Drake."

I shook my head and said, "Come on, before I change my mind and have your leftover stuffed cabbage."

She put her shoes on and we made our goodbyes.

"Where are we going for dinner?" she asked as we walked to my car.

"Wildfire. I've got a taste for a pre-dinner martini," I answered.

"You always did like their martini's. What makes theirs so different?"

"It's not the drink, it's the atmosphere. They've got that 1930's décor with the old standards playing. I can't explain why I like it so much; I just do."

"Fair enough. Just as long as I can get a steak, I'll be happy."

I laughed, "You always were a carnivore."

She shrugged, "What can I say, I'm my daddy's girl."

Twenty minutes later, we were seated at a table with menus in our hands. I looked across at Nikki and couldn't believe my eyes. She looked as perfect as I'd ever seen her, and I'd seen her look amazing.

There was no sadness, such as had been present for the last few months, in her eyes. She was smiling as if she were thinking of her happiest memory. Her copper hair sparkled, and a stray curl hung down over her left eye. Her blue eyes reflected the dim light like disco balls as they danced along the menu

I was caught staring as she looked up to ask, "Are you having steak?" Her smirk as she caught me wasn't hidden.

"Yep," I smiled and set the menu down. "Is red wine alright? Cabernet?"

She nodded, "I've never been able to figure out how to pick a wine. The wine list seems so daunting."

I agreed, "Yeah, the first thing I do is look for something I've had before. From there I look for something I've heard of. I'm no expert."

"You don't care about price?" she asked as she buttered her pumpernickel roll.

"Honestly? When I'm out for dinner, I don't worry about the price of anything. You know I'm not rich, but what else do I have to spend my money on? It's not as if I have much of a life."

"And now," she started brightly, "you're Daddy's money man."

I nodded and said, "I'm very lucky in that regard. I'm good at what I do, and he trusts me to do well in the role."

She took my hand which was resting on the table, and said, "You have no idea how he talks about you. He's going to hand his empire over to you when he retires. My sisters have their own lives and don't want it and I'm not a businesswoman."

I laughed, "That's not funny."

"I'm serious, Drake. I heard him tell my mother when he told her about your promotion. He told her he would give us each a chunk of the business on paper, but you're going to be the main man running it."

"Well, that's a long way off. I won't have to worry about turning that down for many years."

"Don't be so sure," she countered. "Mom doesn't want him working past 55. She wants to enjoy their retirement years."

I shrugged my shoulders and was glad the waiter came to the table at that moment.

*****

"Mm, double D, you have to try this," she said, offering me a bite of her steak.

I accepted the bite and agreed it was good.

"Why do you go back and forth calling me Drake and double D? You never used to do that."

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I guess I didn't realize I was doing it. We're not kids anymore, ya know?"

I sipped my wine, then asked, "When did you realize you loved me?"

She coughed up the bite of baked potato she'd just eaten and took a drink of water.

"I've loved you since high school, double D. You know that."

"Nuh, uh. You know what I'm talking about. You told me you loved me, that you made a mistake with Mike. When did you realize that you loved me and wanted to be with me?"

She became angry and stood, "The day the god damned pregnancy test told me Mallory was on the way."

She threw her napkin on the chair and stormed off towards the restrooms.

The waiter stopped at the table and sheepishly asked, "Would you like some to go boxes?"

I shook my head no.

"Could you bring another bottle of wine and a big slice of triple chocolate cake please?" I asked.

He smiled and said, "Chocolate works every time."

I laughed and said, "If that were only true..."

I didn't bother to wait for her, I continued to eat and smiled at the folks at the neighboring tables when they looked over at me.

It only took five minutes for her to come back. When she did, her steak was pushed off to the side and the chocolate cake was in front of her seat.

"You know me well," she said softly.

"Always will," I countered.

"I'm sorry, I know why I ran off like that, but you didn't deserve me taking it out on you."

"I'm fine. I never thought you would think of duckie as a mistake though," I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my lips.

"The mistake was having her with Mike, jerk. That's another thing. I've never asked you why you call her duckie? I mean it's cute and all, but where does it come from?"

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I'll never tell."

"Whatever!" she groaned as she sliced into the decadent dessert with her fork.

I finished what I was going to eat of my steak and poured us more wine.

"You got another bottle?" she asked.

I simply nodded.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?"

I shook my head no.

"I've known you forever and I've already professed my love for you. On top of that, I know you're in love with me too, so if you want to take me back to your place later, I guarantee you'll get lucky."

I snorted and said, "You're very forward, aren't you?"

She shrugged and took another bite of the cake. She mumbled, "This is really good cake."

I sighed and sipped my wine.

*****

I didn't feel comfortable driving home, so I tipped the valet to move my car to the back of the lot and ordered an UBER.

She was overly handsy as we waited and then as we were driven to her house. She didn't realize we weren't going back to my house until we pulled into her parents' driveway. She stopped nibbling on my ear when she saw where we were.

"Oh, you're kinky, huh? You want to make love to me in my childhood bedroom."

"Nope," I smirked and handed the driver an extra cash tip for putting up with us.

I had to adjust the hard-on in my pants as we walked to the door. I entered the code and followed her into the foyer.

"Would you like a drink?" she purred.

"I'll put some coffee on," I said and walked towards the kitchen leaving her shocked.

I popped a K-cup into the machine, and she barreled into the kitchen behind me.

"If you think you're not going to..."

I shut her up with a kiss, then said, "Nikki, I have been in love with you since before I knew what love was. The first time I make love to you will not be in an alcohol-induced haze."

I regretted buying that second bottle of wine. She looked at me with drunk eyes, questioning the all too brief kiss we shared.

It was nothing special. Closed mouths, lips pressed tightly into each other, yet wonderful all the same.

"Well, I'm going to bed. You can see yourself out," she proclaimed, then stormed off.

I took the cup of coffee from the machine and saw the time was only 10:30. I walked out to the patio and found John sitting outside drinking a glass of Scotch.

"Hello, Drake."

I sighed and sat down. "I suppose you heard that." I nodded towards the screen door.

"Don't worry about it, Son. She's going through a rough time right now."

"Mind if I crash here tonight?"

"You're always welcome here, Drake."

I changed the subject to work talk and we didn't revisit the Nikki issue the rest of the night.

*****

I was sitting with Mallory, early the next morning when Mrs. Dryer walked into the room.

"Good morning, Drake, Mallory. You're up awfully early."

"Duckie found me in the guest room and wanted to watch Peppa Pig with me."

"Mallory, you shouldn't wake people up to watch cartoons with you. You know until what time you should sleep."

"But I saw Unckie Dwake. I got excited and couldn't sleep."

"It's true, Mom. She did climb into bed with me, but all she did was wiggle like a worm."

I tickled her and she shrieked.

"Okay, be nice, Drake," she said with a smile. "We've got some of that thick cut bacon you like. I'll get started on breakfast. Keep an eye on her for me?"

"Of course."

"Thanks."

She walked off to the kitchen and I heard footsteps behind me.

"Hi, Mommy. Look, Unckie Dwake is he-ow."

"I know, pumpkin. Make sure to thank him for watching cartoons with you."

"I know," Mallory moaned and spun back around to watch the cartoon.

"Nikki?" I said as she ignored me and walked from the room. I was pissed that she was being so cold. I didn't feel I deserved that treatment.

"Juice," Mallory said and jumped down from my lap.

It wasn't a question. She was going to get her juice and I was demanded to follow when she held her hand out for me.

"Ok, duckie. Let's get some pineapple-mango juice."

"Ew. No!"

She let go of my hand and ran ahead, ostensibly to ask for apple juice before I could get her the pineapple-mango juice. That kid was such an angel, I found myself smiling while imagining being her stepfather.

"Breakfast isn't ready, Drake," Nikki said coldly, which made me groan.

"I was just escorting Mallory to get some juice."

She didn't respond as she stabbed the straw into the juice box for her impatient daughter.

"Mom, do you think I could seal your daughter away for a quick second?"

"Of course. I'll watch Mallory while she has her juice."

I grabbed Nikki's hand and led her through the foyer and up the right-side staircase.

"Morning, kids," John said as he walked down the left staircase.

I waved and continued almost dragging her to the guest bedroom.

I closed the door behind me and wiped the angry look off her face with a blistering kiss. I put every ounce of affection I'd felt for her since freshman year into that kiss. After a few shocked seconds she returned it and her lips opened slightly.

I took the opportunity and extended my tongue, eagerly searching out hers, and she moaned when they met. Her tears ran down her cheek to where our lips met, and I didn't care. I continued kissing her wet, salty lips and was willing to do so until I was forced to stop.

She wrapped her arms around me and held my lower back and the back of my head, running her fingers through my hair.

She pulled away to catch her breath and looked at me shocked. "Drake, I..."

"Shush," I whispered. "Stop acting like a child who didn't get the toy they wanted. I told you last night, I want you but not when you're drunk. I don't want you to regret a moment."

She pulled me into a hug and said, "I love you, double D. With all my heart. I'm sorry I've been acting out on you this morning. I was hurt when you rejected me last night."

I answered, "I'm still coming to grips with what's happening between us. My feelings have been buried deep for a long time."

She kissed my cheek and said, "I know, baby, and you'll never have to hide them again."

"Hey, lovebirds!" John called from the foyer, "breakfast is ready, and you know she won't let me eat until our guest is seated."

We laughed and she called down, "On our way." We kissed once more, before she sighed and said, "I can't wait for more."

*****

"It's about time," John mock groaned as his fork hovered over the French toast waiting on the table. "I'm 52-years-old and can't have breakfast unless everyone is at the table. It's ridiculous."