Still Human (Just Human) (27 page)

“We’re not, like, gang-banging here!” I reply.

Charlie laughs, “No, but come on, there’s you and Liv, right. You both have these questionably close friendships with members of the opposite sex. Just about everyone already accepts that. But here we are in Vegas, getting you secretly married because the first one was a fake, you’ve knocked your bride up already. Then you, hopefully, get your best friend pregnant while on your honeymoon. Now there is talk of Liv helping us if we want kids. People are going to think there’s some bed swapping going on. ”

“I don’t care what anyone thinks, it is what it is. I’m happy.” I watch the pool for a moment, reflecting on how utterly inadequate the words ‘I’m happy’ actually are. I’m complete, alive, ecstatic, delirious, content, excited, relaxed, overwhelmed and most of all deeply in love. Is there a word for that? Happy is a piss poor excuse if that is all there is. I shrug, with all that in my life, people can think what they like. They can’t touch us. “So, what do we have planned?”

“We finish breakfast
,” says Scott. “Then we hit a strip joint.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

Charlie groans and throws his head back, although I get the sense that he would tolerate it for the sake of the group. But I screw up my nose.

“I’m kidding! I’m not telling you what we have planned. Drink up.” He grins.

“Easy, it
’s bad enough you are making me eat breakfast without Liv, now I’m on the clock?” I knock back the rest of my coffee, wishing secretly I could have gone to the spa.

“This is your bachelor party, suck it up. Tonight you’ll be married, this is your last stand
,” Scott moans.

“I’ve been married for two weeks
,” I remind him. God, if he keeps mentioning it, I’m going to kill him. I can’t wait to get this paperwork straight to shut him up.

“Whatever, come on let
’s go.”

When I get back to the room its 4pm. Liv is drying her hair wearing a hotel robe and doesn’t hear me come in. I watch her from the doorway to the bathroom. She’s just beautiful. I could watch her all day. She looks up and shuts off the dryer.

“Hi, I didn’t hear you come in
,” she says smiling sweetly.

“Sorry
, I didn’t mean to startle you.” I step over to her and wrap my arms around her. We both face the mirror and look in each other’s eyes. I kiss behind her ear. “How was your day? You smell fantastic.”

“My day was very relaxing thanks. How about yours?”

“I wouldn’t say it was relaxing, but it was awesome! We went to the Speedway, took a tour and got to drive some fast cars. Then we stopped in at the Shelby HQ for a tour. Honestly, you should have seen some of the cars, Liv; it was a great day.”

“I can see you enjoyed it.” She grins
and kisses me on the forehead. “You look like you did when your dad gave you that BMX when you were eight.”

I laugh, I love that she knows that much of my life. “I feel like an eight year old.” I agree. “I’d better shower and get ready.” I turn on the shower and Liv finishes her hair. Then we help each other get dressed. She straightens my tie and I zip up her dress.

“You should leave the jacket,” she says. “It’s way too hot. But here…” She turns back the cuffs of my dress shirt in wide neat folds until they are just above my elbows and then she buttons my vest. Then she steps back to appraise me. I put my hands in my pockets, self-conscious with her eyes on me.

“Do I pass?”

“Pass? You look perfect. I might make us fashionably late.” She purrs running her hands around to my back and pulling me tight.

“No you won’t, not for this, I need to get this done, it
’s been driving me crazy.” I admit.

“Ok
ay.” She laughs. “Come on then.”

I grab my wallet and shades and take her hand, lacing her fingers between mine. I stop and look at her. “You are perfect, you know that
? I love you.”

“I love you
, too.”

I hold the door open for her and she walks through still holding my hand tight. We stay like that, firmly connected while we knock for Max and Charlie
, and then Jen and Scott. We ride in the lift and I lead her proudly through the lobby, wanting everyone to see how beautiful she is and that I’m the lucky guy she’s marrying. We don’t let go while we climb into the waiting limo and we’re still holding hands when the limo arrives at The Chapel of the Flowers.

We fill out the papers and choose Liv a small bouquet from the flower shop, then we walk around to the cute white Victorian Chapel. While we wait for a few minutes, we’re quiet as a group. I watch our friends. Following our lead, they
’re all holding hands. Jen and Scott sit on a leather couch in the marble reception and Jen is speaking softly to Scott, while he strokes his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. She giggles at his reply. It makes me happy to see them like this despite the stress they have gone through recently.

Charlie and Max are standing by the window. Max lifts their intertwined hands to his lips and kisses Charlie’s fingers. Charlie smiles shyly and smoothes Max’s collar. Max smiles. They
’re so different at home than they seem separately and in moments like this, amongst friends, they can be so tender. I’m grateful for my time living with them so that I could really get to know them. I hope Liv and I are as happy after six years together.

Liv squeezes my hand. “Nervous?”
she asks.

“No.” I shake my head. “Happy.” I kiss her on the cheek as she just reapplied the gloss that makes me want to get messy.

“We’re ready for you now,” says a lady from the doorway. We walk in as a group and Liv and I don’t let go of each other once until the minister asks us to place rings on each other’s fingers. Then we go right back to holding hands. It’s a simple ceremony, because I still want our wedding two weeks ago to be the real one in our memories. This is just a renewal to me.

We have some photos taken outside, it was part of the package, like the flowers. But aside from the included extras, we don’t really want all the Vegas crap added on. I chose this place because it wasn’t tacky.
It’s still Vegas, but it’s nice.

“Thank you
,” Liv whispers while we pose with our friends for a shot with Jen’s camera.

“Anytime.” I smile. “Mrs Morgan.”

The limo is waiting when we’re all done and we hit the town. Dinner, Chinese at Liv’s request, was amazing, thanks to Scott’s insider knowledge. I parade Liv around in her dress, showing her off like I just won the grand prize. We get a few congratulations from strangers and each one lifts me slightly higher. We wander through the casino back at the Bellagio and decide to have celebratory game or two. Then it happens. I find out something about my wife that I never knew.

My. Girl. Plays. Poker.

“What are you doing to me?” I whisper in her ear.

“What?” She looks puzzled.

“Poker? You’re killing me. Do you have any idea how hot that is? I’m in enough trouble around you already.” I shake my head.

“We play at the bar sometimes, Connie taught me.”

Can she get any more perfect? Not only that but she and Max are good. In the end, us lesser mortals give up trying and gather around them at a table. She’s something to watch. Does she go around doing stuff like learning how to play poker, just to make herself more irresistible to me? She must. I’m literally hard. I already have enough trouble with the mental image of her behind the wheel of the Shelby, now I have to have her at a poker table at the Bellagio wearing her wedding dress rolling around in my head too. I won’t get anything done!

Then she does something only a woman could do, she quits while she
’s ahead and walks away $600 up.

“I have to have you right now!” I tell her as I scoop her into my arms.

Laughing, she pouts. “But I want to dance.”

I sigh. “Seriously
, you’re going to be the end of me. You think I can go rub myself up against you when I already feel like this?” I settle her down and pull her tight so she can feel the extent of my predicament.

She smirks and presses in. “You’ll survive. Besides, anticipation is half the fun.”

“Jesus,” I mutter and follow her to cash in her chips.

We end up at The Bank, the club inside the Bellagio and Liv drags me straight out onto the dance floor. This is another experience
I’ve yet to have with her. We danced at our wedding and a couple of times when there was live music in the bar. But we have never been to a club together. Our friends join us and it’s clear that we both have the same setup with our friends. Scott doesn’t dance and Jen loves it, so I was usually her dance partner. It seems like Max and Liv dance and Charlie doesn’t so much. Well tonight everyone makes an effort. Before long Charlie and Scott head to the bar, leaving Liv to torture me and Max to more than adequately partner Jen.

Liv can move. I mean it was obvious. She is unbelievable at everything else and
I’ve seen her move her body in countless other ways. How could she be bad? But I’m in serious trouble, like the elevator last night but with about a thousand more witnesses. She faces away from me, but that doesn’t mean I’m safe. She backs all the way up against me and the rhythm she is keeping with her hips ensures I don’t get a break.

When I see that Scott and Charlie have secured a small table near the dance floor, I suggest we go cool down. I signal to Jen and she grabs Max and follows. They’ve got beers and cocktails waiting.

“Those had better be virgins,” Liv shouts to Scott.

“Well you sure as hell ain’t sweetheart!”
he jokes.

Liv laughs, but clocks him in the arm anyway. She grins as she takes a gulp of her virgin daiquiri and winks at me. Seriously? How long do I have to put up with this shit before I can take her upstairs
? I have maybe thirty minutes left in me and that’s it. After that I can’t be held accountable for my actions. After a quick pit stop, the girls drag Max and I back out onto the floor.

Liv turns and wraps her arms around my neck, looking in my eyes as she moves. We can’t talk, it
’s too loud, but she says everything she wants to in that look.

I love you too
, baby, you’re everything to me.

Epilogue

Liv

“I was just imagining them…”

“Oh don’t, I was fighting that mental image.” He cringes.

“No
, but just think of how exciting this is for them.” I point out as Danny winces again.

“Please stop telling me to think of them. I’ll never be able to get it out of my head.” He laughs, but shifts me off him. “Can we put the TV on or something before I start freaking out.” He shudders.

“Oh stop being a baby!” I laugh. Grabbing the remote and scooting under the covers. “What do you fancy?” I ask casually. “Knocked up? Nine months? Oooh, what about What to expect when you’re expecting?” I tease.

He narrows his eyes and presses his lips together, suppressing the smirk. “You’re evil
,” he says, getting in bed beside me.

“Come on, laugh. This is quite funny and the more positive we are about it, the easier it will get.”

“It’s just…” He shudders again. “THAT bit of me…it’s IN…THAT bit of her.” Another shudder. “I know I didn’t put it there, but it’s there. That’s weird isn’t it?” His face twists in disgust. “I’d imagined myself blissfully oblivious when it happened. Not sat here waiting for their Skype call.” He pulls the sheet over his head and starts rocking, hugging his knees. I’m beside myself by this point, hysterical and no help whatsoever. 

“Thanks for your support!”
he says huffily from under the covers.

“Oh don’t!
I have to pee!” I leap up and run to our bathroom. The new house certainly has its advantages. Right now, my favourite thing is the number of bathrooms at my disposal, because this baby took up residence on my bladder about six weeks ago and seems to like it there.

When I come back into the bedroom
, Danny is still rocking under the covers. I pull them back and he grimaces.

“I don’t think I can talk to them, can you just tell them I had to run to the bar?”

“No! It’s you they want to tell.” I wrap my arms around him and nuzzle his neck.

“Hmmm, that
’s nice.” He sighs.

I drop a kiss behind his ear where he likes it. He rolls his head to the side, a clear invitation, which I accept, scraping my teeth on his earlobe. He groans and has me on my back in two seconds flat.

He stares at me and touches the end of his nose to mine. His lips curl into a tender smile that melts my heart. Then he raises his eyebrow and smirks as he presses himself against me.

Just then his laptop trills from the end of the bed.

“Oh for the love of…” Danny strops and drops down beside me.

I pat his shoulder
. “Get used to it babe, because in a few days this little one will be calling all the shots.”

“Ugh!” He groans
, adjusting himself.

I grab the laptop and settle it on my knees and Danny yanks the sheet over his head, beside me.

“Hello!” I say happily as Jen and Scott appear on my screen.

“Hey!” the
y both reply in unison.

“Where’s Danny?” Jen asks.

“Being a big baby.” I laugh, elbowing him.

He waves his hand outside the sheets and I pull them off him.

“Hi,” he says reluctantly.

“Oh there he is
,” says Scott. “The man who just tried to knock-up my wife!” He shakes his head slowly. “People have been trying to tell me for years it would happen, but would I listen?”

Danny groans and tries to cover himself back over. I don’t let him, while Jen tells Scott off for teasing.

“So how did it go?” I ask Jen, Trying to ignore the boys 

“Great!” She grins. “It all went smoothly, so now we just wait.”

“And you can find out in a couple of weeks?”

“Yeah, but we aren’t getting our hopes up. We know the odds, so we
’re just trying to put it out of our minds.”

“Oh Jen, it will work, I just know it, we will get there
eventually.”

“Eventually
,” she says. “It’s a long road. But thank you.” Then she speaks just to Danny. “Thank you for what you’ve done, I’ll never forget it.”

Danny smiles and nods. He kisses his fingers and touches the screen and Jen does the same. I love watching the two of them together and it breaks my heart that it has to be via Skype most of the time. They still talk
almost every day, but at times like this, they need to see each other. But I’m so close to my due date Danny refused to go when I suggested it. Still, they will be here soon. They’re coming to meet the little nugget.