“Whatever my wife wants.”
* * *
“Who can possibly be callingus right now?” she moans while she rests on top of me. She bites the chocolate covered strawberry and offers me the rest. We’ve been in bed since last night. We ordered room service for breakfast because I couldn’t bear for her to put on clothes. Her teddy is long gone, ripped to shreds in my need to have her. It’s lunchtime, and I promised her we’d go out, but neither one of us are in a hurry. She reaches for her phone.
“Why are you calling me?” she asks, then she bursts into giggles. “I’m going to put you on speaker.”
“What are you doing?” Tara asks. “I miss you guys.”
“I’m eating chocolate off my husband’s chest,” Vickie says. “I’ve found his weakness. He’s eaten about six chocolate covered strawberries today.”
“Hardly a secret,” I say. “And this is the second best chocolate I’ve eaten today.” I take another strawberry and savagely bite it. She looks at me in shock, then we both burst into laughter.
“I really didn’t need to hear that,” Tara says.
“That’s the risk you take when you interrupt our honeymoon. We only get two days since he has that stupid game tomorrow.” It’s an away game, and I fly out tonight. I was going to miss it, but she insists I go, but she’s coming with me, so it’s not too bad.
“I’ll let you go. Love you both,” Tara says, and Vickie ends the call. It rings again almost immediately.
“Are you kidding me?” I groan.
“It’s Mama,” she says. “Maybe it’s Evan.” I snort. It’s definitely not Evan. It’s just our nosy family. “Hey, Mama,” she says. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s great. Just checking on you two. You feelin’ okay with the morning sickness?” It’s never gone away, but it’s manageable. “You have to make sure you eat regularly.” She’s right, otherwise she gets sick.
“We’re good,” I tell her. “Just about to leave for lunch.” I cup my wife’s bare butt and Vickie mouths ‘liar.’ We’re both stark naked. We won’t be going anywhere until we shower and wash the smell of sex off our bodies.
“Don’t worry about a thing. Everything is fine here. We’ll see you in a couple of days.”
“Thanks for calling us to say nothing’s wrong, Mama.” Vickie bites my chest, but I still hear her muffled giggles.
“You’re welcome, honey,” Mama says, completely oblivious to my sarcastic tone.
“Forget going out,” Vickie says after ending the call and tossing the phone to the floor. “Room service will have to suffice, but I’m having dessert first.” She slides down my body and takes me into her mouth.
THE END
EPILOGUE
“It won’t bethe same this year without you at all my away games for the playoffs,” I complain to my wife. I play Boston tomorrow, and we arrived late last night. I reach over and cover her protruding belly with my hand. She’s seven and a half months pregnant now, and I can’t stop touching her. Our son or daughter rewards me with a kick. This is the last time she’ll be traveling with me until the baby is born.
“Ugh! The things you’ve done to me, Chastain. Either I’m going to your dumb games or I’m incubating your baby.” She tries to playfully shove my hand away, but I pull her closer and plant a loud kiss on her cheek.
“My traditional wife, supporting her husband.” I grasp her chin, and she tilts her face up for a kiss.
“Am not. Bite your tongue. I’m a rebel. Remember that.”
“The pregnant mother of my children.” I press my forehead on hers. “I always knew it would be like this.”
“Caveman.”
She comes to all my home games, but she stays home with Evan when I’m away. She’s only with me now because it’s spring break, and Evan is spending time with Tara, Ethan, and Vincent.
My driver pulls up to a brownstone. It’s bigger than I thought, but this is Ethan. He’s always going to have the best. I step out first and help her out of the car. The door of the house swings open and Evan runs down the steps. I pick him up and spin him around. I put him near Vickie’s face, and he kisses her cheek.
“Come inside,” he says, once I set him down. “Vincent’s new uncle is here and he’s teaching us to fight. He got us boxing gloves.”
I take Vickie’s hand in mine, and we follow Evan up the steps. Once we’re in, I help her with her coat. The television is on, but I hear talking and laughter from the back of the house.
