Beautiful Life: The Carpino Series (18 page)

“Hey, Gabba.”

“Hey, Ronnie,” she grins drunkenly.

I shake my head as Leigh informs me slurring her words, “I rock at quarters, honey.  But somehow I’m still really drunk.  You wanna play with us?”

“No,” I grin back at her.

“Come on, I’m really good,” she squeaks.  “We can be a team, Madonna and the President.”

“Sweetheart, maybe you should take a break,” I suggest.

Her bright eyes looked shocked at my suggestion and she almost pouts, “But I think I’m gonna win.”

“Leigh, everyone wins at quarters,” I say.

“No really, Tony.  I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be the champion of all things quarters,” she says.  “Hey, I wonder if they have that song?  The song about the champions?  Was that the eighties?” she keeps rattling off questions.

“It’s by Queen,” I hear Paige yell from the other side of the kitchen.  “
We Are The Champions
.”

“I love that song!” Leigh exclaims.  “Is it from the eighties?”

“I have no idea,” I say smiling down at her.  I hold my hand out for her, “Come with me to find some food, I’m hungry.”

“Oh, all right,” then she looks to Gabby.  “Hold my spot.  We’re gonna get some food.”

“Gotcha girlie,” Gabby promises as she tries and misses to bounce another quarter into a shot glass having to take a big drink.

I pull Leigh up to stand and she’s almost eye to eye with me.  I let my eyes travel down from her face to her chest where she’s wearing a tiny tank top leaving very little to the imagination.  Then I let my eyes wander further to see a black netted skirt barely covering her ass because it almost stands straight out with lace tights that come down to her ankles topped off with spiked high heels.  I drag my eyes up her legs that seem to go on further than forever in those shoes.

“Honey,” she calls.

I pull my eyes back up to hers and I can tell by the look on her drunk face she knows what I’m thinking.  And I’m thinking we’re going to leave soon to get home.  I want Madonna all to myself. 

“Tony,” she calls again.

I put my hand to her waist and pull her to me, kissing her faster than I want to and say, “Let’s get some food.  Then we can go.”

With bigger eyes, she says, “We can’t leave yet, you just got here.  What about Joe?”

I look over to my cousin standing with a group of his friends, laughing and talking loudly, “Trust me, Joe won’t care.”

I take her hand and pull her to the food, hearing Jude and Gabby following us.  I fill a plate with the dregs of the buffet as Leigh pokes around the food eating off the platters. 

I smile and say, “Hungry, gem?”

“Mm-hmm,” she answers after popping a chocolate covered cream puff in her mouth. 

“Oh my.  The room is spinning,” I hear Gabby slur.

“Shit.  I knew it,” Jude mutters as he puts his arm around her, Gabby leaning into him while closing her eyes. 

“Oh no, are you okay?” Leigh asks loudly with her mouth full.

Gabby puts her hand up to her head, like that’s going to keep it from spinning and chokes out, “I don’t think so.  I was fine sitting there but once I stood up the room started moving.”

“Come on, sugar,” Jude says, sounding exasperated with his new wife as he pushes her toward the front door trying to get her outside. 

I hear a giggle from my side and I see Leigh trying to hold back her laughter as she bites down on a big Frito chip full of bean dip. 

“How long were you all playing quarters?” I ask her.

“I dunno,” she says, pausing to swallow.  “We played mini-pong before that. But I wasn’t
nearly
as good at that as I was quarters.”

“What’s mini-pong?” I ask as she stuffs another chip with dip in her mouth.

“Kinda like beer pong.  I think they just made it up.  We used empty Dixie cups and we didn’t share drinks because that’s gross and germy.”

“Germy?”

She swallows another bite and grins at me saying, “Yeah, germy.  But, I’d share a drink with you.”

I smile back at her, “You would, would you?”

“Mm-hmm,” she hums her answer again and then smiles big.  “I’m thinkin’ I kinda like your germs, Tony Carpin-O.”

I smile, shake my head at her and say while tossing my plate to the table, “Let’s go.”

“But, what if they start a new game?” she asks in a high voice.

Taking her hand, I pull her toward the door while looking back at her and say, “Maybe we can play strip poker at home, gem.”

“Ha!” she bursts.  “That’s funny!”

“I’m not being funny, sweetheart.  I’ve had a long day and I’m ready to share my germs with Madonna.”

She giggles even louder as we head out the door and I hear her before I see her.  Looking to my right, I see Gabby bent over a bush with Jude holding back her big eighties hair with one hand and rubbing her back with the other.  He looks over at us and doesn’t say anything, just shakes his head back and forth with a resigned look on his face. 

I hear Gabby spit and then whine, “I think I ruined my new sweatshirt.”

I look over at Leigh who’s looking at her friend puking in the shrubs, but her body is shaking with laughter. 

“Shut up, Leigh,” Gabby slurs as she stands up, wiping her mouth on the back of her arm.  “They didn’t have any more like it at the thrift store.  It’s one of a kind.”

“Are you going to get sick, too?” I ask Leigh.

She looks back to me with big eyes and says with a serious but still drunk face, “I hope not.  I like my new outfit.”

I shake my head and look to Jude saying, “Good luck with that, man.  See ya later.”

“Yeah, we’ll see you later, new-ly-weds!  The honeymoon couldn’t last forever!” Leigh yells still laughing as I drag her to my car.  But then she whispers loudly, “Oh shit.  I’m going to wake up Rosa.”

“Who’s Rosa?”  I ask, as I pull the seatbelt around her to buckle her in.

“My new friend.  I’m going to do the texting with her.  Maybe we can have her over soon and you can meet her.  I think she’ll love Finny and she wants to know all about you.”

I pull out of the neighborhood to make the short drive home and ask, “She wants to know about me?”

“Yep,” she answers, as her knees bounce to the music playing low in the car.  “I love Train.  Do you like them?”

“Train?” I ask for clarification, because I’m pretty sure we’re listening to Matchbox Twenty.

“Yeah, honey.  The band, Train.  I think they’re the happiest of all the bands, ever.  I mean, even if they’re singing a breakup song, it’s still cute and happy.  That’s talent if you ask me.  Bein’ able to sing a happy breakup song that everybody sings along with and it doesn’t even sound like a breakup song.  And don’t even get me started on their real happy-happy songs that aren’t even breakup happy songs.  They’re awesome,” she sighs, ending her crazy explanation of why she loves a band she obviously thinks we’re listening to but we’re not.

“I can’t argue with that,” I smile as I pull into my garage next to Leigh’s silly blue car.  At least her car is small enough I still have more than enough room for my Harley. 

I meet her at the front of my car as she stumbles around the hood holding her shoes in her hand.  We head into the house, Leigh going to the alarm panel and I go to Fin’s kennel where he’s yelping to get out.  

“Finny,” Leigh calls and he goes right to her where she crouches low to greet him. 

“Come on, buddy.  Let’s go outside,” I call for him and he instantly runs to the back door.  I’ve gotta hand it to him, he’s a pretty smart dog.  He’s only been with us for a week and it’s like he’s been with us forever.

I hear clanking and turn around to look back into the kitchen.  Leigh has shed her tiny sweater, net skirt and leggings, all lying on the kitchen floor at her feet.  She’s pulling off her jewelry, letting it clank on the granite.  Her hands go to her head yanking out the bow letting her hair fall down her back in a big eighties mess.

“I’m sorry you missed the party, Tone,” one side of her mouth tips up and she starts walking to me in nothing but her tank and a black pair of panties.  “I could have had drunk sex with the President.”

She reaches me and her hands immediately go to the lapels on my suit jacket pulling it off my shoulders and I say, “Only one of us needs to be drunk to have drunk sex.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Oh good,” she says, yanking my tie loose.  “Because I think I’m a little drunk.”

“I agree,” I say, smiling down at her reaching my hands around to her ass to pull her to me.

“Can I take your shirt off?” she asks even though she’s already unbuttoning it.

“Sweetheart, you can do whatever you want.”

Her hands still at the buttons on my shirt and she looks up at me with heated eyes.  But instead of saying anything, she surges up on her toes slamming her mouth hard against mine.  Her arms round my neck to hold on tight and I put one hand in her hair to hold her to me.  She thrusts her tongue in my mouth and moans.

With her hands in my hair, she pulls back and her heated eyes roam my face as she says, “You always want me to have what I want.  I love that about you, Tony.”

My body, working on its own accord, stills and I feel my fingers tense in her hair and on her ass. 

“What?” I ask.

Her eyes catch mine and she repeats breathily, “I love that about you Tony.  I think I love everything about you.”

“You love everything about me?” I barely get out.

“Yes, honey.  Everything,” she breathes.

She tries to lift up to kiss me again, but I put both hands to her ass and lift her.  She yelps in surprise, her legs rounding my waist and hangs on while I stride to my bedroom with her in my arms.  I turn the corner, walk to the side of my bed and put her down.  I whip off her tank and then her bra.  She hooks her thumbs to the hips of her panties to drag them down her legs.  Unbuttoning my shirt, I pull it off while reaching to my nightstand for a condom tossing it on the bed.

“You don’t know how bad I wanted to take you in the kitchen, gem.  I can’t wait to get rid of these things,” I mutter.

“Tony--” she starts but I interrupt her by cradling her face in my hands and demand, “You love me?”

She doesn’t answer but she blinks slowly.  I feel her body pull in a breath of air but she still doesn’t say anything.

“Do you love me, Leigh?” I demand again.

“How could I not love you, Tony?”

“Gem,” I start, my voice dipping and my fingers tensing in her scalp.  “Do you love me?”

She lets out her lungful of air and closes her eyes slowly.  Finally opening them, she says, “Yes.  Yes, I love you.”

I think my heart might beat out of my chest.  He’s looking down at me with hooded eyes while still cupping my face in his hands perfectly, just like he always is with me.  Perfect. 

“You love me,” he repeats, his voice rough and husky.

I pull my hands up to his forearms to hold on tight say quietly, “Yes.”

His eyes sweep my face before narrowing a bit as he tips his head and asks, “How drunk are you?”

“Well,” I start, because I am drunk but I’m not too drunk that I’m saying anything I don’t mean or feel.  I’ve known I love Tony for so long now but never had the courage to tell him.   I step closer and press my bare body up against his bare chest, also loving the feel of him against my skin and go on to evaluate my drunkenness, “Kind of medium to medium-high drunk.  But I mean it, honey.  I’m not too drunk that I’m saying things I don’t mean, I think I’m just drunk enough to finally say things I do mean.  Do you know what I mean?”

“You love me,” he says again as his hands fall from my face, making their way down my neck to my breasts where he cups me with both hands.  I feel a shiver through my body and my nipples immediately go hard where he’s brushing them back and forth with his thumbs. 

“Yes,” I say as I let out a breath and try pushing my chest into his hands for more.  He immediately rolls my nipples and gives them a perfectly hard but gentle tug.

“You love me,” he repeats, letting his hands fall from my breasts. 

Even I can hear the protest in my exhale but he doesn’t let me go.  His hands make their way down my body, one dipping between my legs and the other to my ass keeping me close to him.  His fingers slide through me making me jerk a bit, but he holds me tight with his other hand at my bottom.

“Yes,” I huff again, not really knowing if I’m answering his question or wanting him to know how much I like what he’s doing to me.  I hope he knows I mean both.

I look up into his eyes and the side of his mouth tips up, “Sweetheart, I would have gotten you drunk a long time ago had I known this is all it would take for you to tell me how you feel.”

“Sorry,” I mutter, because I am but would really like him to quit talking. 

I hear him puff out a single chuckle when I hear him ask, “You want to have drunk sex?”

“Well, I wanna do something,” I mumble as I try and press harder into his hand where his fingers are still lightly playing between my legs. 

I hear him chuckle for real this time and he says while turning me so he has his back to the bed, “Okay, but only because you love me, gem.”  He sits at the side of the bed and says, “Climb on, sweetheart.” 

I grin and move forward planting a knee on either side of him on the bed.  He brings his hand up to my hip to steady me as he widens his legs a bit, splaying mine even more in front of him.  With his eyes on his hands, he fills me up with two fingers and I have to close my eyes as I hang on to his shoulders feeling him work me with his hand. 

“You’re ready for me,” he says.

“I’m always ready for you,” I breathe. 

I open my eyes to see him smiling up at me.  He moves both hands immediately to my ass and leaning forward to kiss me, he thrusts his tongue in my mouth.  He falls back taking me with him and I press down against him sending tingles up my spine.

He breaks our kiss to say against my lips, “Crawl up over me.”

“Hmm?” I ask, pressing down again.

“Now, Leigh.  Up.”

He doesn’t give me time to do as he says because his hands start pushing me up and I have no choice but to crawl up his body.  I feel his tongue dart out to make its way down my chest as I move up and up and up.  He pushes my knees up and over his shoulders, grabs my ass again and pulls me down to his mouth, hard. 

“Ah,” I exhale as I’m starting to gasp. 

My tingles have turned to fire and between Tony lapping, sucking, gently biting and me moving on his mouth.  He keeps this up in a way he knows he’s driving me crazy but doesn’t give me enough to come. 

“Tony,” I complain as I try and press down again to get more contact with his mouth. 

I feel him smile against my clit before gently putting his teeth to me finally sucking hard and it comes over me fast and intense.  I throw my head back to hear my own strangled cry and come down to my forearms because I can’t hold myself up any longer.  I feel Tony move out from under me and I fall to the bed on my stomach.  I hear his belt clank and then the whoosh of his pants hit the floor.  As I’m sprawled on the bed trying to recover, I hear the rip of Tony’s condom and then his hand comes lightly to my hip, lifting me up to my knees again. 

“Up sweetheart.  We’re not done,” I feel his lips whispering at my ear. 

“Honey,” I say, as I pull my knees up and feel him naked at my back. 

Tony cocoons me with his body, his lips at my neck and one arm is under me with his hand moving on my body with his other supporting his weight. 

“Arch your back for me,” he says in my ear.

I arch my back at the same time I breathe out and feel him slide inside me.  Beautiful.  I’ve never had anything more beautiful than this.

“Leigh,” Tony calls as he starts to move.  “Tell me you’re mine.”

I arch my back further to take as much of him as I can, turn my face to his and say, “Yes, honey.  I’m yours.”

“Yeah, you are,” he says as he moves faster and harder. 

But all of a sudden we’re up, I’m on my knees with Tony pressed up to my back still inside me.  I feel one hand go down and he finds my clit while the other pulls at my nipple again, but he stops moving.

“Don’t stop,” I whimper. 

“You love me?” he asks, his breath labored.

I turn my face into his neck and barely get out, “Yes, I love you.”

His lips capture mine in a searing kiss as my second orgasm rocks through my body.  But then I lose him as he pulls out of me and flips me to my back.  Yanking my legs up high he surges back into me, filling me up. 

“Never thought I’d have this, Leigh.  Never,” he breathes with his face close to mine and I wrap him up as best I can as he moves again.  A minute later he slams into me one last time and stays buried deep inside me. I circle my legs around him while threading my fingers in his hair. 

“I love your hair,” I mumble into his neck.  Tony gives great drunk sex but I’m starting to get tired. 

I feel his long hard body tense and tighten around me, “I’m not letting you forget this tomorrow, you understand?  I’ll remind you of every second and every word uttered in this bed.  You said you loved me and you’re mine.  We’re not going back after what you gave me tonight, gem.”

I try not to yawn in his face because it’s rude, but I’m really starting to fade and mutter, “Not going back, honey.”

“Love you, Leigh.”

“Love you, too, Tone.”

Then I can’t help it, I have to yawn in his face. 

He kisses me gently on the side of my mouth, pulls out and flips the covers over me.  I vaguely hear him in the bathroom, dealing with Finny and finally feel the bed move again.  As usual, I roll into Tony, stuff my face in his throat and wait for him to hitch a thigh in between my legs.  Once he does, I sigh, let the heat of his big hard body seep into mine and relax into the dreamless sleep that has become my normal that only Tony can give me. 

*****

I wake up to whining, but it’s more of a whine grumbled with a low bark.  I can tell it’s going to be a bad day because I haven’t even opened my eyes and I feel like they’re being pushed out of my eye sockets by the jackhammer pounding inside my head.  I barely peek through my lids when the whining becomes excited moans and those moans turn into barks, making my jackhammer work double time.  Finny is standing at the side of the bed shaking with delight that I opened my eyes.

“Oh,” I protest with my own whine and bring my hand up to cover my eyes. 

“No Fin,” I hear coming from behind me and I sense Tony entering the room.  Finny immediately quiets and settles his snout on the side of the bed continuing to stare at his stupid, stupid mama who thought it was fun playing drinking games last night.

“You hung over, sweetheart?” I feel a hand on my ass at the same time I swear I hear Tony’s voice smiling, which pisses me off.

“No,” I say into the pillow without turning to him.  “I’m not hung over, I’m dehydrated.”

I feel him sit down by my hip and start to pull the covers off my back. 

“Stop it,” I protest into the pillow.

“I’ll get you some meds and water.  You’re hung over but you’ll be fine.”

“I’m not hung over,” I keep mumbling into my pillow.  “I’m dehydrated.  I’m a nurse, I know the difference.  After I get an IV of fluids I’ll be fine.”

I hear him chuckle and feel him leave the bed.  A moment later, I feel him back and hear him set something down on the nightstand.  But this time the covers are pulled all the way off me and I feel hands under my arms. 

“Tony!” I yell, upsetting my jackhammer again.

Before I know it, I’m up and being twisted so our hips are touching and we’re facing each other.  I immediately grab the sheet to cover my body as Tony thrusts pills and water my way, “Take this.”

Pushing my hair out of my face, I take the pills and swallow them down chasing them with the entire glass of water. 

“I need more,” I mumble, pushing my glass back at him.

He smiles, leans in to kiss my forehead which only makes me wince.  I fall back to the bed, pulling the covers up over me again and roll to my stomach.  I hear water in the bathroom and then another clink on the table before I feel him at my back climbing in bed with me this time. 

“Gem?” he calls as he brushes the hair out of my face. 

“Hmm?”

“You gonna be able to get up and go see Tina today?”

My eyes fly open remembering what today is, “Oh, I’m the worst sister ever!  Who goes to visit their sister in drug treatment hung over?  What have I done?”

“You’re fine,” he chuckles while nuzzling my ear.  “Get up, I’ll make you some eggs and toast.  You’ll feel better after a shower and food.  I’m pretty sure you won’t even need an IV.  But before you go, we’re gonna talk.”

“Talk?” I ask, remembering every detail of last night.  I was drunk but not that disjointed.  I know exactly what he wants to talk about.  I say into my pillow again, “I might not have time to talk.  I don’t want to be late for my visit with Tina.”

“You won’t be late.  Get up and shower.  I’ll start your eggs,” he kisses me under my ear while giving my bottom a squeeze and exits the bed.

Finny barks at me one more time.  I reach out to scratch under his ear and his whole body starts shaking with excitement when I tell him, “We’ll walk you later, okay Finny?”

As if he knows what I said, he starts dancing in circles with glee in anticipation of later.  I hear Tony whistle for him and he stops but his head swings to the door.  Upon hearing the second whistle, he bounds for the door and I lose sight of him but I hear him crash into the wall as soon as he hits wood floors losing his traction. 

Trying not to smile from Finny being too cute for words because I don’t want to antagonize my jackhammer, I slowly pull myself from the bed.  I grab Tony’s shirt from last night off the floor and make my way to the bathroom. 

Oh, shit. 

There’s a reason people don’t crimp their hair anymore and the reason is the morning after.  Crimping your hair should be illegal in all fifty states and Canada.  My hair has never looked scarier not to mention my morning after Madonna makeup.  I shudder at the thought of Tony having drunk sex with me looking like this, never mind snuggling with me this morning.  I suddenly feel sorry for him and think he really must love me to not blink an eye with me looking like this.

I turn to the shower groaning as I vow to retire my Madonna outfit and pray crimping your hair never comes back in fashion. 

*****

“Wipe that smile off your face, Tony.  It’s not funny.”

“Sweetheart, it is.”

“It’s not,” I repeat as I push my eggs around my plate before dropping my fork, deciding to stick with toast and coffee.  “I can barely eat anything, I feel awful.  But I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a cheeseburger and a ton of fries later.  Or maybe some fried chicken.”

“I bet you will,” he says through his smile.  “I’ll take you through a drive through, whatever you want.”

I can’t decide if I’m hungry or going to be sick, so I ignore his smile and sip my coffee.

“Come here,” he says, finally losing the grin.

“What?” I ask taking a bite of toast, thinking it tastes good and bad at the same time.

But Tony doesn’t wait for me to come to him, he gets off his bar stool where he’s sitting next to mine, comes as close to me as he can and turns me in my seat to face him.  He brings one hand up to cup my jaw and the other threads through my damp hair tilting my head back to look up at him.  His eyes sweep my face softly and I wonder if I’ll ever get used to how that feels, like he’s memorizing me or something.  I exhale and close my eyes.

“Yes or no answer,” I hear him say and open my eyes to look up at him.