Damnit, Seri came outside for a reason.
“You look like you could use this,” Manny said, sliding beside her and handing her a mixed drink. Okay. She could probably use a drink. She needed to call Monica yet. Although she was grateful that Aquilla was the same size as her, she wanted her own clothes. One more day, just one more day, she could make it.
Quill peeked out the door before logging back on to the computer. The coast was clear. She plopped to the small bed and began her awaited task.
I was so excited to be in New York. We had such a great time, and for the first time in my life, I felt like we were a family. We even stayed in the same hotel room and my parents slept in the same bed. Other than the one time when my father demanded my mother to go into the bathroom, it was great. I stayed with Quill while he did his thing with my mother in the next room. Quill sat on my lap and we watched cartoons…. really loud.
I wish you could have met my mother, Quill. She was so beautiful. She deserved so much more than my father ever gave her. It was so fucked up. She was there and then she wasn’t. Quill was there and then you replaced her. Although, I have forgiven him, I had to; it would have eaten me alive from the inside out, anyway, although I forgave him a long time ago, I can never forget it. He did things, Quill, things that would make you vomit. I’m not going to go into all of those details because I know that you love him, and I’m not going to take that away from you.
We spent four days sightseeing, eating at fancy restaurants, and just being a family. I was the happiest ten year old boy on earth. Thanksgiving morning was supposed to be our last day there. We were scheduled to leave at three that afternoon. I heard my parents argue that morning, well, I heard my father argue. My mother was never allowed to speak. She did argue that morning. She was protesting him taking us along with him. I didn’t know where he had planned on taking us, but as a young boy, I was excited. Was it a surprise? It was no surprise. We picked up the rental car in an abandoned warehouse. I remember thinking we were going to miss the parade. Quill was so excited about the parade. My father kept talking and talking to the two men in the warehouse while I waited in the car with Quill and my mother.
I was so mad at him when he finally moved into the driver’s seat. We had to go drop the car before we could attend the festivities. We were running out of time and still had to be at the airport by three. I sat in the backseat with Quill, staring out the window with crossed arms and a scowl. He told me to be a man and stop pouting. He pulled the car over to the side of the road and told my mother to get in the back with Quill. He needed to teach his son a lesson or two about business. I knew my mother wanted to protest. I could see it in her face. She didn’t. She got out and traded places.
He talked and talked about the importance of deadlines, limits, targets, and I have no idea what else. I had no idea what the hell he was even talking about. I just nodded as he spoke. I was ten for Gods’ sake. I didn’t care. I wanted to go to the parade.
“Rum and coke,” Seri smiled over to Manny, savoring her drink. He smiled back. Fuck. He needed to go back to New York.
“My favorite,” he admitted with the same stupid ass sexy grin.
Seri quickly turned her eyes from his and made some sort of get your shit together moan from deep in her throat.
“What?” he asked, catching it too.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“But, you were thinking it. What were you thinking?”
“I don’t sugarcoat anything, Manny.” She warned. She didn’t. She spoke it like it was. She always had. If you didn’t like what Seri had to say, tough shit, she didn’t care.
“I don’t need to be pacified.”
Seri snorted and shook her head. UNBELIVABLE. “How long you going to be here?”
“I’m staying until I meet this Monica that is coming to fix my daughter, and then I am heading out. Why?”
“She’s not coming to fix your daughter. She’s coming to help her deal with everything that has happened to her. She is a very good friend of mine. Quill will be in good hands.”
“Okay????”
She snorted again. Why the hell did she keep doing that? “I need you to be far, far away from me.”
Manny smiled. He knew where this was going, right where he wanted it to go. “Why?” he asked in a low husky voice.
“No sugarcoating,” she warned again.
“Don’t need it sweetened.”
Seri looked straight into his eyes. “I have a very strong urge to want to fuck your brains out.”
“I don’t need brains.” Shit. That sounded stupid.
She laughed. “We need to stay away from each other. You think I haven’t noticed the looks all day?”
“You think I haven’t?”
Shit. Was she that obvious?
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No. I don’t do relationships”
“What do you do?”
“I fuck.”
Shit, his hard on was out of his control. “I like to do that.” Stupid, again, what the hell?
“I’m going to hang out with Quill and let you take care of that problem you’ve got going on there,” she said, nodding toward his crotch. She gave him her empty glass with ice and walked away. She had to. She was ready to straddle him right there on the swing.
Goddamnit, why can’t she go away? Aquilla closed the laptop…AGAIN.
“What are you doing on that thing?” Seri asked, plopping to her bed next to Quills.
“Playing Solitaire. Why can’t you leave me alone for five minutes?”
“I did leave you alone for five minutes.”
Aquilla groaned and slid out of her shorts. She crawled into her tiny little bed made for munchkins and snuggled under the homemade quilt. For a little bed, it felt amazing. She hadn’t realized how tired she was. She was emotionally drained. Her muscles instantly relaxed.
“The press left,” Seri said, crawling into her own bed.
“Do you think they will stay left?”
“No. They’ll be back tomorrow. I’m sure of it. Guess who called them?”
“Who?”
“Agent Dick Face.”
“Imagine that, stupid fucker.”
“Is your own shower broken?” Manny asked, sitting at the table when Liz came in right at eleven with wet hair.
“Is your house broken?” she retaliated. Why the hell couldn’t he have been in bed, better yet, why the hell couldn’t he go HOME??!!!
“What’s up with you and this guy?”
“We’ve been divorced for almost 12 years. I don’t think that is any of your business.”
“It is when my girls are living in the same house.”
“Not really, Manny. Maybe if you didn’t work 80 hours a week, and you actually honored your weekends with Reese, but you don’t. It’s none of your business who I am with or when I am with them. Reese isn’t three. She’s old enough to know what adults do.” Who the hell did he think he was?
“Why do you keep saying Reese? What about Shelby? You have two girls, and furthermore, who kept Reese while you moved away and left her?”
“Fuck you, Manny. You don’t have the right to judge me during that time. I let my daughter be taken. I couldn’t take care of myself.” Shit. Where the hell did the tears come from? She didn’t want to have those emotions with Manny. Why couldn’t they have manifested with Connor?
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” Manny admitted, standing and holding her in his arms. “I’ve always hated to see you cry. Please don’t cry.”