Falling for Him (Stories of Serendipity) (8 page)

BOOK: Falling for Him (Stories of Serendipity)
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That evening, when they got home, Bryan surprised her yet again.

“Hey kiddos.  Can y’all order a pizza or something while I take your mom out to dinner?  She doesn’t need to worry about cooking tonight, we’ve had a pretty busy day.  We can decorate the tree tonight.”

Mouths gaped open at the thought of both parents gone, and Amy looked at Bryan wide-eyed.  “What about the dinner I had planned?  The meat’s marinating in the fridge.”

“Cook it tomorrow.  Come on.”  He held out his hand to her and smiled a timid smile that looked odd on his face.  She was again reminded of Teenaged Bryan.  She shrugged but ignored his hand.

He took her to a restaurant, which if she hadn’t been so angry at him, would have been very romantic.  It was a relatively new place, Estelle’s, in an old Victorian house on what was known as Silk Stocking Row, a part of old Serendipity that at the turn of the last century had some of the nicest homes in town.  Still did, if you liked historic homes.

The ambiance at Estelle’s was romantic, and Amy couldn’t help but feel suspicious of Bryan’s motives.  Was he trying to butter her up?  Let her down gently?  Was tonight the night he would finally come clean about the affair?  She inwardly scoffed at the idea.

He pulled her chair out for her, and after she sat, he squeezed her shoulders gently before walking around to the other side and seating himself.  Her sister Kathy worked here, and she winked across the room at Amy and Bryan. 

After placing their orders, Amy couldn’t take it anymore.  “What’s this about, Bryan?”

He raised his hands in an innocent gesture, eyes wide.  “What do you mean?”

“Today.  This.  You don’t do stuff like this, Bryan.  You don’t do romantic gestures, and you certainly don’t do family stuff.”

His blue eyes turned down at the corners.  “I’m sorry, Ames.  Really.  We’ve let things get…”  His hand stretched across the table, and Amy eyed it warily, not touching it.  He sighed.  “…difficult.  And that’s partly my fault.  I’m sorry.”

She was silent, biting her lip in thought.  “So what?  You apologize and it’s all better?  Now we’re a happy family?”  They used to be, but she didn’t see how it could all go back the way it once was.  For one thing, she couldn’t remember them all being happy in years.

“No.  I need to work on some things with you.  That much is obvious to me.”  The waiter chose that moment to appear with their food, and it looked delicious.  But the lump forming in Amy’s gut wouldn’t let her eat.  Nor would her swelling throat.  She swallowed back tears.

“I’m not sure you can, Bryan.”

His voice sounded choked as well, and Amy hardened her heart, reminding herself that he had another woman somewhere.  “Too late?”

She nodded, using her fork to twirl pasta on her plate, unable to look at him.

“So what do we do now?”  His voice was quiet, his food untouched.

“Wait until after the holidays.  Then we’ll discuss it.  But we’ve got to have some semblance of normalcy for the children.”

Bryan nodded, not saying anything else, until they finally gave up and boxed up the food to-go.

 

Amy spent her days chatting online with Cool_Hand_Luke and getting ready for Christmas.  Her house was now covered in red and gold bows, as well as an inordinate amount of angels.  She did a lot of baking for the holidays, as that was what she gifted most everybody.  She did some shopping for the kids, and decided to buy Bryan some cologne for Christmas.  She needed to get him something to unwrap in front of the kids, but she didn't want to put a lot of thought into a gift for him, because it hurt.  She figured he could wear the cologne for his new girlfriend.  Whatever.  Amy and the kids decorated the house and wrapped presents and did other holiday-type things.  Nobody seemed to notice th
at Amy wasn't really with them.

Bryan had been acting funny, too.  He seemed to want to talk more, but every time he started, she shook her head.  Amy didn’t want to get down and dirty with the details until after the holidays.  She could only do one thing at a time, and pretending she was happy at Christmas time was hard enough.  She assumed his thoughts were running along the same lines as hers were.  She knew he was feeling guilty about throwing away their marriage vows and the family they had worked so hard to build.  She was too. 

 

 

 

Chapter
7:

 

Christmas dinner was the usual hectic bustle.  Presents were unwrapped by the Christmas tree, amidst much ooohing and aaaahing.  The kids loved their gifts, a new video game console for Brad and a gift card to a clothing boutique downtown for Ashley.  Bryan pursed his lips and thanked Amy for the cologne.  She was shocked at his gift for her though.  It was a band of diamonds to wear with her wedding band set. 

When she unwrapped his present, she looked up at him, speechless.

He looked at her sheepishly.  "When we got married, I couldn't afford much.  I've been meaning to get you something nice to wear with your wedding band.  I hope that's okay…"

"It's beautiful, Bryan."  She put it on with her other rings, and admired the three bands together, knowing she wouldn't wear them long.  Trying to divert attention from herself, she stood.  "I've got to get the Ribeye in the oven."

The rest of the morning flew by, in a whirlwind of activity, Amy rushing around the kitchen getting everything ready: potatoes au gratin, green bean casserole, corn on the cob, and fresh yeast rolls.  For dessert, she was making a lemon meringue pie, Ashley's favorite.

When lunch was ready, she put everything on the table, and stuck the pie in the oven to toast the meringue before sitting down to eat.

"Why didn't Aunt Kathy come eat lunch with us?"  Ashley asked.  Amy knew that Ashley had a thing for Luke, but wasn't about to say anything.

"She and Luke were having a special Christmas together," Amy responded, willing her jealousy to subside.  She had no right to be jealous of Kathy's relationship with Luke, even if he did appear to dote on her.  Amy knew Kathy wasn't totally happy there, either.

"Oh…" Ashley sounded dejected.

Brad made a comment that elicited a kick from Ashley under the table, which Amy pointedly ignored.

"I really enjoyed your show last weekend, Ashley.  I need to go to more of those things."  Bryan piped up.

"They're more fun than you realize."  Amy tried to hide the disdain from her voice, but it was hard.  Bryan went to one event and expected nothing but praise for his efforts.  Amy went to every single one, and she never received any appreciation, whatsoever. 

"It was just cool to have the whole family there for once, instead of just Mom and Brad."  Well, acknowledgement was pretty close to appreciation.

"See how this whole supportive family thing works, Ashley?"  The comment was directed at Ashley, but her underlying meaning was pointed at Bryan.  He had to understand that everybody had to do it, including him.

"You outdid yourself, honey.  These rolls are amazing."  Bryan was looking at her, an unreadable expression on his face.  He'd been looking at her like that a lot lately.  It made Amy uncomfortable.

"Shit!  The pie!"  Amy sprang from her chair and raced into the kitchen to find a blackened meringue pie in the oven.  Tears of frustration sprang to her eyes.  She swiped at them, while she tried to get the pie out.  Her hand accidentally brushed against the heating element in the oven, and she shouted another obscenity.

Bryan was behind her in an instant. 

"Let me see it.  Are you alright?"  He grasped her hand gently, looking for the burn.  When he found it, he led Amy to the sink to run cold water over her hand.

"I'm fine.  Let me go."  The hoarseness of her voice surprised her.  Bryan dropped her hand as if it burned him.  He looked at her with eyes filled with sadness, before taking a step back.

"Okay."  Slowly, he turned and left the room.

She stood at the sink awhile, swiping tears from her eyes, letting the water run over her burn.  She needed to talk to somebody who cared.

"Mom?"  Brad's voice made her turn.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Can I go hook up my games?  Please?"

She nodded.  "Of course you can.  I'm surprised you haven't done it already."

"MOM!"

Ashley's shriek had Amy running for the front of the house.  "What?"

There was a brand new Mustang parked in her driveway, with Ashley's friend Meredith in the driver's seat.

"Seriously?  You got a car, Meredith?"

"Yes, Mrs. Caldwell.  Isn't it awesome?"  Shrieks and jumping drowned out any response Amy may have had.

"And I suppose you want to take Ashley for a spin?"

"I was going to drive out and show Kelly and was wondering if Ashley could come along?"

Kelly was a friend, whose dad had been killed when she was a baby around Christmas time.  The holidays without a dad seemed to be hard on her sometimes.  Amy felt bad for her mom though.  The entire town knew the circumstances of the accident, though most had forgotten by now.

"You'll be careful, and won't drive recklessly?"

"Of course."

"Fine.  But remember, it's Christmas.  There may not be that many people available to gloat to…Ashley you need to be back in two hours."

"Thanks, mom."

 

Amy decided to save cleaning the kitchen until later. It was Christmas after all.  Bryan had disappeared to his man cave after dinner.   She wondered how Cool_Hand_Luke was faring at his house.  She wondered if he was busy.  Walking up to her bedroom, she logged onto the computer.  Cool_Hand_Luke was on.  And he wasn't messing around.

 

Cool_Hand_Luke:  Let's meet New Year's.  Do you think you can get away for the evening?

 

Amy's pulse raced.  This was it.  Do or die, so to speak.  She'd been wanting to meet him, to see if the spark was there in person. 

 

Mommee_dearest:  Yes.  I'll meet you.  Where?

Cool_Hand_Luke:  Do you know Serend
ipity?  A place called the Gin?

Mommee_dearest:  Yes.

Cool_Hand_Luke:  There's a bridge behind it.  Meet me there at ten.  We'll meet, and if we hit it off, we'll ring in the New Year together.  How does that sound?

Mommee_dearest:  Like the
best thing I've heard all day.

Cool_Hand_Luke:  Do you have time?

 

Amy listened carefully to the house.  Brad was in his room, she could hear his games screeching.  Bryan was probably in his cave composing love songs for his girlfriend.

 

Mommee_dearest:  Yes.

Cool_Hand_Luke:  Do you know what I want to do to you?

Mommee_dearest:  Tell me.

Cool_Hand_Luke:  I want to see you in the distance, leaning on the bridge railing, looking over the creek, lost in thought.  I'm going to walk up to you and lay a kiss on the back of your neck.  Then I'll grip your waist, so you can't turn around. 

Mommee_dearest:  You don't wa
nt me to watch?

Cool_Hand_Luke:  No.  I just want you to feel me, as I kiss the backs of your legs, licking and sucking my way up to your sweet, wet pussy.  Because you're not wearing panties, Dearest.  Under your skirt, you're naked and ready for me.  My fingers will tease your folds, opening them for my tongue as you bend over the railing, moaning with pleasure.  I'll spread your ass-cheeks, to give myself better access to your hot, dripping pussy.  I will tease your clit with my circling tongue, flicking it, nipping it with my teeth, until you shatter under my ministrations.  Then I'm going to slip my cock inside your ready pussy.  Slip it into the folds, Dearest.  Sink into your heat, and pump in and out until I've had my fill.  We'll cum together, Dear
est.  Would you like that?

Mo
mmee_dearest:  I think I would…

Cool_Hand_Luke:  Good.  Because I need you.  I'll be there.  I'll find you, and you'll know it's me.  I won't be able to get online much this week, but please p
romise me you'll meet me there.

Mommee_dearest:  I promise,
Cool_Hand_Luke.  I'll be there.

 

How could she not?  With that to look forward to?  Amy was dripping wet in her panties, but because everyone was home, she hadn't done anything besides get all kinds of worked up.  She wondered if she could sneak into the bathroom with her bullet.  She was just about to give it a shot when the bedroom door opened, and Bryan was standing there, face flushed, hair sticking up in all directions.  He started walking towards her, but stopped.

"Is your hand feeling better?"

"Yes, thanks."  She smoothed her hands down her pants awkwardly, wondering if he could tell how aroused she was.

"Amy, I'm sorry…For everything."  He looked lost, and she felt a pang of something sharp inside.  Was it regret?  She didn't think so.  Bryan approached.  "I know I haven't been the best husband to you lately, and I'm sorry.  Let me try to make it up to you.  Please?"

"How?"

BOOK: Falling for Him (Stories of Serendipity)
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