“I guess,” she shrugs. I pick her up, toss her over my shoulder and smack her ass. “Hey now!” she squirms.
“Now that I’m your boyfriend, I get to smack this fine ass as much as I want,” I arrogantly tease her, trying to ignore the bewildering stares of the parents.
“It’s all yours,” she places her own hands on my ass, slapping it like she’s playing the drums. “Just remember, what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine,” she jokes before grabbing my ass, making me wish I was taking her home rather than to her sister’s.
“After your sister’s, I’ll be showing you what’s mine,” I tell her seriously, stopping outside my car, letting her body slide down mine. “Thank you for trusting me,” I change our fun moment to serious, and she cups my cheeks, her eyes remaining on mine.
“Something tells me you’re worth it,” she says and rises up on her tiptoes to kiss me. When I open my passenger side door and she scoots in, I secretly pray she’s right.
Kailey instructs me down the two side streets. There’s a beat up white Honda outside the house and she tells me to park behind it. The small beige two-story All-American house, it even displays the requisite American Flag hanging from the pole attached to the siding. The small front porch is decorated in an Easter theme of pastel bunnies and eggs. It’s the dream home little girls probably envision when they’re younger. That living happily ever after shit with a husband, two kids, and house in suburbia. Kailey pats my leg, similar to what I did that night she was going to hang out with the gang in Breckenridge. Giving her my best smile, I try to keep my nervousness at bay. I open my door and walk around to open hers. As she steps out, the front door swings open and there’s the little girl from the airport, running out of the house.
“Chloe!” I hear a man’s voice yell from inside and the guy who picked Kailey up from the airport appears in the doorway. Seeing Kailey, he waves his hand and walks back into the house.
“Hey, girly,” Kailey bends down and allows the girl to run into her arms before wrapping them tightly around her.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she sighs to Kailey.
“I’m sorry, do you want to meet my friend?” Kailey picks her up and faces me.
“Hi, Trey!” The little girl says without introduction. Kailey looks at her in disbelief. “What? You talk about him all the time,” the girl continues, much to Kailey’s chagrin.
“Hi, Chloe,” I say and raise my hand for a high five and she slaps it right away. “It’s nice to meet you,” I tell her and I notice her eyes roaming my body.
“You have a lot of drawing on your body.” Kailey laughs, and I chuckle.
“Yeah,” I agree, having no idea what else to say. I’ve never had to be around little kids before.
“They’re called tattoos,” Kailey informs her, and Chloe just continues her stares. “Let’s go in, there’s two other little ones for you to meet.” She rustles the hair on Chloe’s head and lets her down. Once her small feet hit the grass, she’s off and inside the house.
“Sorry, kids have no filter,” Kailey says, taking my hand in hers.
“No problem.” I become more nervous the closer we come to the house. You can do this, Trey Michaels, you lo–like this girl.
Once we get on the porch, I suck in one more deep breath and follow Kailey into the warm and welcoming house. My body instantly calms when I enter, noticing all the pictures of family that fill the walls. Seriously, I’ve never seen so many pictures in all my life. Most look to have been taken recently, and I half wonder if it’s because her sister is dying. “I just recently surprised Jen with a photo shoot I did of the kids,” Catching me checking out all the pictures, Kailey whispers to me.
“They’re amazing,” I say, allowing my hands to graze across one of all three of the kids surrounding a woman a few years older than Kailey. The uncanny resembles evident, telling me exactly what she’ll look like in ten years. “I had no idea you were a photographer.”
She laughs. “I’m not, but it was for class. Jen hasn’t had time to unpack all of the family photos since they moved in, so I did it for their anniversary.” She winks at me, obviously remembering our project that I had to beg Professor Hodges to be allowed to make-up. Crap, which reminds me I only have until Monday to finish it. “You want to borrow my camera?” she asks, noticing my rambling thoughts about my project.
“The pictures I want to take can’t be seen by anyone, but me.” I mention, pulling her closer and kissing her neck. “But if you’re up for it, I won’t complain,” I whisper, and she pats my chest.
“I’m sure something could be arranged,” she teases and scurries out of my embrace.
“Oh young love, isn’t it great, Caden,” the same woman from the pictures says, walking into the room.
“Remember those days, sweetheart. Before diapers, bottles, late night feedings, screaming—” Caden says.
“And Cancer,” Jen adds and the room goes silent. “Ugh, they never appreciate my jokes,” she says directly to me, holding her hand out. “Jen Campbell,” she introduces herself.
“It’s nice to meet you. Trey Michaels.” I present my best smile her way.
“So, I’ve heard.” She loops her arm through mine. “Come in, let me show you some embarrassing pictures of Kailey.” She giggles, rising her eyebrows in Kailey’s direction, who just shakes her head, allowing her sister to take me away.
We walk further into the house to what I assume is the family room, filled with toys, a large screen television, and an oversized couch. Blankets and pillows fill a recliner to be a make shift bed. She passes that and takes me right to the couch with Caden and Kailey in tow. “So, Trey, tell me about yourself. I already know the easy stuff, you’re an architecture major from Oberlin, and my favorite–play drums in a band called The Invisibles. Which by the way, kind of a lame ass name, you boys couldn’t come up with anything better?” I chuckle at her straight forwardness and catch Kailey’s eyes. “Oh, she’s no help, so don’t bother looking her way. All she tells me about is your body.” Her eyes appraise my body, like I’m a Chippendale dancer, and she looks at Kailey. “Great description, sis. His arms might not be as big as you described,” her hand clasps around my bicep, “but that face. Mmm—a girl could lost in those eyes.”
My body shifts uncomfortable of her talking this way with her husband ten steps away. “Oh don’t be shy.” She scoots closer again. “Kailey, didn’t you tell him?” Kailey focuses her attention to us and scrunches her eyebrows while Caden snickers in the kitchen. “The reason you brought him...” she tries to trigger her memory, but Kailey still appears dumb founded until she nods, signaling a light bulb just came on.
“I told him, Jen,” Kailey clarifies and nods.
“Good, so after the kids go to bed,” she teases her fingertips along my thigh, “we’ll swap.” Her voice steady and nonchalant. My head snaps to Kailey, and she shrugs her shoulders casually. “It’s my dying wish,” she whispers in my ear, her heavy breaths tickling my earlobe.
My eyes bug out, like I’ve been electrocuted. The thought of thousand bolts of electricity running through my body suddenly seems a hell of a lot better alternative than what’s being suggested right now.
Then Kailey bellows with laughter, pointing her finger at me, and her sister joins in. “You girls are evil.” Caden comes in and hands me a beer. “Well-deserved.” He clinks his bottle with mine. The two sisters continue to laugh until the sound of a crying baby screams out of the white speaker on the table next to me.
“I got it, Jen,” Kailey says when her sister slowly starts to get up. Jen sits back down as Kailey leaves the room, and Caden turns on baseball. At least I know I’ll have one thing in common with him. Of course, it only makes me remember I have to tell Kailey my secret once we’re alone tonight.