“I dunno.” Kenneth shrugs while still squeezing my hand. “Not that for sure.”
I bite the inside of my cheek the whole time TJ gives Kenneth care instructions, knowing I’ll have to make sure he looks at them tomorrow, sober. Once we’re all done, I call Leila and tell her the address of where to pick us up. She’s running errands in Springfield, so it’ll only take her about ten minutes to come pick us up.
I’m having a strong case of déjà vu, but this time around, I’m allowed to openly lust after my woman, not scared that her brother might deem me unfit. In fact, his approval means a lot to me. More than I expected. I guess I really like being accepted into a big family, and gaining not only my future wife, but brothers.
We chat as we wait for Leila, and at some point, Kenneth asks the question I was waiting for.
“So, what about you?” He nods toward me.
“What about me?” I smile sweetly, playing dumb.
“Do you like yours?” He nods at my crotch.
And here’s the moment I’ve been waiting for. “I don’t have one.” And my face stretches into the widest smile.
TJ laughs but tries to hide it with a cough.
“You motherfucker!” Ken yells in something close to a falsetto, and TJ and I can’t hold it anymore and start laughing.
Ken lunges for me and punches me in the shoulder, nearly knocking us both down on the floor in our drunkenness. But I’m saved by the bell. Well, a phone call. My device starts beeping, and then I see Leila’s car parked outside. When she notices me watching her, she gives me the most brilliant smile and waves. I go all sappy when I see her like that and lose focus, so I get punched again, and this time it hurts. Well, I deserved that one.
“Stop, stop!” I raise my hand in front of me in defense. “You don’t want to punch this pretty face; it needs to give you cute nieces and nephews!” It’s the first time I’ve thought of kids, but once I do, it’s all I can see. Leila with a belly full of my babies, in our house we’re building. A big family of happy people who don’t treat each other like shit and constantly put each other down. I’ll raise them well and I’ll be a good husband. I know I can.
“A punch in the face won’t ruin your genetics, idiot.” Then he pauses midair. “Wait a minute. Are you pregnant? I mean…” He nervously looks between me and Leila’s car outside. “Is she pregnant.”
“Nah, relax. She’s too young for that. But it’s in the plans.” Then I level him with a stare. “And I’m not asking your permission.”
He snorts. “So defensive. But if you did,” he turns to stare me down, “need my permission, I wouldn’t object.”
I nod with a secretly happy heart, keeping my face level. I wave at TJ, who’s watching our bickering with a cup next to his mouth. “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime.” He laughs and adds, “And that deal we talked about? Send me your proposal. I want my place to be in good hands.”
I don’t show him my surprise since he’s been sending me around the block every time I bring up this topic. “I will.” I wave, and we walk outside.
TJ accepting my offer to buy his place means more than anyone knows. I’ve always wanted to build a work environment where people felt like they came home to, and TJ managed to do just that. This parlor is his life, and him saying that he wants to sell means that he sees the same potential in me and he trusts me not to let him down. I don’t know what he just saw, but he did. And I refuse to overthink any of it. I’m just going to accept it.
When we sit in the car—I’m in the passenger seat and Ken is in the back—I pull Leila to me and my mouth lands on hers in a hot kiss. I haven’t seen her in a few hours, and I’ve missed her. I want to pull her pants down and move her to my lap so we can…
“Staaaahp it, my eyes!” Kenneth complains from the back seat, and I remember that we’re not alone.
Leila pulls away, her cheeks red, and her lips swollen. She pointedly looks between me, Kenneth, and the parlor. “Do I want to know?” she asks.
“No,” we answer in unison, and she shifts the car into gear.
“Alright then.”
A few minutes later, Kenneth is snoring away, and I enjoy the quiet moments with my woman.
“Marry me,” I say out of nowhere.
“What?” Her head whips toward me for a moment. “Let’s talk about that when you’re not drunk to tears.”
“I might be drunk, but the decision has been made a long time ago when I was very sober.” I dig into my pocket on the inside of my winter coat she makes me wear and pulls out a black velvet box. “Pull over.”
“Stephan—” She gives me a wide-eyed stare.
“Pull to the side, please.”
