This Too Shall Pass

  “You could knock,” Alexis pointed out. She was moving that key.

  Kinley leaped from Cory to Alexis and she knew exactly what he was doing there. She was warm. “I didn’t know you were having a party. Riki is staying with me, we’re getting pizza. I gave her something for the fever and she’s drinking, but she keeps crying for you.”

  Alexis looked to Riki and winked. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

  “Okay, if I get sick I will want you, too,” Riki assured her.

  Alexis smiled. Perfect response. Cory gave her a dirty look and glanced at the empty bottle of beer. “You better hope that’s not my kid,” he threatened.

  Alexis turned so that Riki couldn’t see her and mouthed, “Fuck you,” with a middle finger behind Kinley’s back.

  “Let’s go, Riki.”

  “I love you,” Alexis called to Riki.

  “Love you, too. Why you mad at Lexis, Daddy?”

  “I’m not. What movie are we watching?”

  “What a dick!” Bernie spouted with a distasteful glare toward the door.

  “Let’s move this party into the living room so I can rock her,” Alexis suggested. Bernie and Sam followed with another beer. Alexis sat in the recliner and listened to Bernie and Sam talk about Wyatt. Bernie was the one who commended her on it.

  “Good for you, Sam. I’m glad you’re not settling for mediocre. You deserve to be happy. And if that means Wyatt Drummond is the guy you lay down with then so be it. Who cares? It’s your life.” Bernie was drunk. Bernie always spoke the truth when she was drunk, more so than when she was sober.

  “You’re never going to be able to bring him to the farm,” Alexis assured her.

  “Maybe not, but that’s okay. I’m not planning on marrying him. You deserve to be happy, too, Lex. I can’t believe what an ass Cory turned into. I hope this kid is Mitch’s.”

  “Oh, my God. Shut up! That would be hell on top of hell.”

  “Wait, you didn’t tell her, Lex?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “Nothing. I’m going to go lay her down. She’s out,” Alexis said while she grunted, trying to lift both babies from the chair.

  “Can I tell her?” Bernie questioned while Alexis disappeared upstairs.

  “Whatever, but we’re not discussing it.”

  That topic was handled just like everything else Alexis didn’t want to face. Nonexistent. The conversation had changed again when Alexis returned. Now they were discussing her going to Chicago with him.

  “You’re really going to do it, Lex?” Sam questioned.

  Alexis pulled the quilt from the back of the sofa, feeling sick again. She plopped to the chair and covered her arms. “I don’t have a choice. He’s not taking them without me.”

  Sam stood to retrieve more drinks for her and Bernie. “You don’t really have a say over Riki. I’m surprised he even lets you keep her at all.”

  “Oh believe me, Cory points that out all the time. The only reason she is here at all is because of Kinley. He doesn’t want them separated like that. He’s a good dad. He’s just a dick for a man.”

  Alexis fought with her eyes for the rest of the evening while listening to talk about everything under the sun from Bernie and Sam. It was fun having them there, a nice change for once, but she was fighting the exhaustion like mad, finally giving up just before nine and leaving them to their party. The Kinley being sick wasn’t the problem. Alexis didn’t sleep because of Cory.

  The scenery was a garden, a beautiful garden full of red and white roses. A red brick path led to a white gazebo with flowing cherry-red curtains. A floating bed, covered in white satin was the formal center of attention.

  “Cory, what is this?” Alexis questioned. Her dress was the same white satin with an open back and a long train. A strand of white pearls wrapped around her thin waist-line, her flat stomach.

  Cory pulled her to his chest and kissed her forehead. “It’s your honeymoon. What do you think?”

  The expression Alexis wore skewed, confused. Her hand covered her lower abdomen and she asked, “Where’s my baby?”

  “He’s with Sam.”

  “He?”

  “Yes, Cowen Mitchel Baker,” Cory smiled and brushed his lips across hers, parting them with his tongue. Alexis let herself get lost in the familiar kiss, feeling warm hands on her opened dress.

  Alexis sat straight up in bed, still feeling Cory’s hands on her open back. That’s when she noticed the throbbing between her legs. That’s when she noticed the wetness. Her eyes darted around the dark room and to the clock, reminding her that it was still night time. A deep breath followed by her body collapsing back to her pillow did little to calm the commotion going on in her panties, or the unopened box in Cory’s empty sock drawer. That’s why she bought the stupid thing. Why not?

  Alexis quickly sat up, slid from the bed, and retrieved the package. Once she had it opened and in her hand she frowned at it. A magic wand? It didn’t look like it was going to do much magic at all. She looked through the dark for a plug, landing on one just below the window. The switch clicked and a strong vibration shook her hand. Her eyebrows shot up in wonder while she moved it to the satin covering the ache.

  “Oh,” Alexis audibly spoke with a jolt of her hips. Wow. Okay, maybe it was magic. She moved to the chair and slid the pulsating between the elastic and to her swollen nub, instantly grasping the side of the chair. Her teeth bit hard on her bottom lip while her mind went to the white gazebo and to Cory. Her eyes closed and her imagination took charge, allowing Cory to bring her to fascinating bliss in record time.

  Holy fat cow! Who needed a man? Alexis didn’t need a man, and she sure as hell didn’t need Cory Baker. Not when she had magic, her new best friend.

  Nine

  Alexis spent Thanksgiving Day with her family, dreading the six o’clock departure with Cory. Eight hours in a car with him would test her limits to the end. She wasn’t playing his games. They were taking her car because it was more practical. He could drive, and she was riding in the back with the girls, whether he liked it or not.

  By five in the evening the crowd had started to dwindle, and she was watching out the window, ready to get it over with. She was looking forward to exploring the city with her camera while Cory and the girls were off at the stupid wedding. They hadn’t discussed what the sleeping arrangements would be with the girls, but she assumed since they were going to be there four nights they would just take turns keeping them in their rooms. There would be plenty of hours to figure that out.

  “You should fix him a plate. I’m sure he didn’t get Thanksgiving dinner anywhere else,” Lola suggested.

  Alexis turned from the window and frowned at her mother. “No way. I don’t care if he ate shi—shi—shish kebobs.”

  “That’s not the Christian way. Do you know what’s up with Sam and Doug? Why didn’t he come to dinner?”

  Oh no. She wasn’t going to be the messenger. “I don’t know. Go ask Sam.”

  “I did. She said he was playing golf.”

  “Well, there you go.”

  “Doug doesn’t play golf.”

  “There’s Cory. I’ll call you when we get there. Love you,” Alexis said with a quick kiss to her cheek. She stopped and hugged her dad first and then a quick word with Sam.

  “Where is Doug? Mom’s asking questions.”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t go home last night.”

  “Oh, boy. Text me. I’m going to need the distraction. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Alexis rounded up the girls and walked out to meet Cory.

  “We’re taking my car,” Alexis ordered without looking at him. She placed Kinley in her seat and buckled her in.

  “No we’re not, Alexis. We’re taking my truck.”

  “That’s stupid. Get in, Riki. And what if it rains? It makes more sense to take the SUV and you know it. I’ll even let you drive.”

  “Whatever. Let’s drive the truck over to your house. It’ll be lat
e when we get back Monday.”

  “I wanted to run by there anyway. I forgot to grab the extra bag of diapers.”

  Cory didn’t reply. He got in his truck and backed out. Asshole. Lola met her at her door with a bag of snacks for the girls. Alexis hugged her again, thanked her, and set out for her long trip with Cory.

  She followed him to her house and ran inside to grab the bag of diapers. Mr. Dog met her at the door and she said goodbye to him again. “You be a good boy. Grandpa Kinney will be over to let you out and give you some supper later. I bet he brings you a big ham bone.”

  Cory was in the driver seat when she returned, tossed the diapers in the back and got in the back seat with the girls.

  “Hey, you’re going to ride with us?” Riki questioned with a broad smile.

  “Yup, and I have a whole bag of goodies for us to do.” Her eyes shifted to Cory’s smirk through the rearview mirror and she turned to Kinley, already wanting out of the seat. Her mommy didn’t ride in the back with her and she didn’t want to sit beside her. Alexis distracted her with a book about a purple bird. The time spent with her girls in the backseat was rewarding, fun, and memorable. They sang, they read, they watched a movie on her tablet, and they played with magnetized paper dolls. Riki spent the most time on that, mix-matching outfits with shoes and hair. Maybe she would grow up to be a fashion designer.

  It was easy not to talk to Cory, although the glances through the rearview mirror was evident. Her eyes shifted from his more than she could count, but she wasn’t quite sure who was playing who. The red face and then the smell was her undoing. She had to be the one to talk first.

  “We need to stop. Kinley needs her butt changed and I want to put the girls in their pajamas so they can sleep.”

  The space between them had grown dark with the passing of the sun and it was easier to hide the eye contact. Nonetheless, things were still awkward and Alexis knew the glances were still there. Cory didn’t reply, only because he smelled it too. He’d already given a signal for the next exit.

  “I’ll take Kinley, you take Riki,” he offered once they were off the highway.

  “Go to that McDonalds. We’ll let them get a snack before bed.”

  Alexis took Riki and her backpack to the ladies room and Cory took Kinley.

  “I don’t want to brush my teeth. I’m going to eat chicken nuggets,” Riki complained when Alexis handed her the pasted brush.

  “Brush,” Alexis ordered with a frown and then distracted her with talk about seeing Ellen.

  Kinley leaped from Cory to Alexis as soon as she saw them. “You take them out to the car. I’ll go order them something.”

  “I want to come with you, Lexis,” Riki whined.

  “No, you’re in your pajamas. Go with daddy. Do you want french-fries, too?”

  “Yes and ketchup and ranch.”

  Alexis handed Kinley back to Cory and walked away, avoiding the damn eye contact. What the hell was that? Why did he keep doing that?

  Circumstances being what they were, it was ironic that Alexis was in the same situation as the last time they’d traveled to Chicago, déjà vu, only different. She was pregnant, just like the last time, her pants were too tight, just like the last time, and she felt sick, just like the last time. The pungent stuffiness in the car and the smell of greasy McDonald’s food left her feeling queasy.

  Riki was the first one to doze off, holding Alexis’s phone while she watched cartoons. Kinley wasn’t far behind, maybe ten minutes at the most. The urge to sleep herself was heavy. The only problem with that was her eyelids. They weren’t heavy and the unsettled flutter in her stomach was felt in her throat. Alexis closed her eyes and laid her head back to the seat, but that only lasted a second. She was carsick. Her first thought was to tell Cory to pullover, however that would mean having a conversation with him, defeating the purpose she was trying to avoid. Instead she climbed between the seats and over the console. Well, she tried. The round plump kept her from being graceful like it had played out in her head. Her body plopped to the back, collapsing like an unbalanced spinning top.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Cory questioned. It wasn’t an angry query. It was more like he was amused.

  “Pullover so I can get up front. I’m getting carsick back here.”

  Cory obliged and eased the car to the berm, crossing the white line and coming to a stop right beside the guardrail. “Get out on Kinley’s side,” he ordered, concerned about her safety. How sweet.

  Alexis didn’t oblige. She looked down the long dark highway and crawled over Riki. She wanted Cory to think she did it to purposely spite him. He didn’t need to know that she knew there was no way she was going to squeeze past the bulky car seat without falling or getting stuck. She chose the vindictive way.

  “You’re the most stubborn female on the face of this earth,” Cory assured her with a stretched neck, looking before pulling back on to the highway. Alexis didn’t comment. Alexis was sick. The light rain and the wipers going back and forth was the culprit. That’s what was making her sick. Maybe. Maybe it was his cologne. Why the hell did he need to smell like that to travel for eight hours?

  No response was needed. It would have been nasty anyway. Ignoring him was the better alternative, one of the safer policies she had adapted over the last few months. Alexis locked the seat belt and crossed her arms over her breasts and stared out her side of the window. Counting white reflectors as the lights hit, one by one.

  “What’s the doctor saying about the baby?”

  Alexis snorted and snapped her head to his. Seriously? Again, no response. She turned the knob on the radio instead, infusing the ignoring policy again. Cory turned it off.

  “I have a right to know. Especially if it’s my kid.”

  “It’s not, and you’re a doctor. You have access to all the records. If you truly cared, you would already know.” Alexis turned the knob again, hoping Cory would let Katy Perry sing her song.

  He didn’t. Alexis tapped her toes to the floor, irritated when he cut Katy off mid-chorus. “You wanted to talk. Let’s talk.”

  “I didn’t want to talk,” she assured him with another snap of her head right toward his stupid head. “Oh, wait a minute. You mean months ago. You mean whenever I begged you through text messages, emails, and voicemails to talk to me? To let me explain. Is that what you mean?”

  “I was upset, I was hurt, Lex.”

  “Oh, my God. Shut the fuck up. Don’t even go there. We’re not doing this.” Katy Perry singing how she had the eye of the tiger and being a fighter took on a whole new meaning for Alexis. Was this idiot for real?

  Cory didn’t shut up, but he did change the subject. That only annoyed her more. “We’re staying at the Trump Tower. There is plenty for you to do without running around Chicago.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’ll let you know when I need you to worry about my wellbeing.”

  “You’re not running around Chicago, Alexis.”

  Alexis made a grumbling noise in her throat and turned her attention back to the reflectors and then to her phone.

  Alexis—I’m going to kill him. Why did you let me do this?

  Bernie—Hey, that good, huh?

  Alexis—Yeah, how the hell did I fall in love with this guy. I must have been on something. I swear I hate him.

  Bernie—No you don’t. If you did, you wouldn’t look at him the way you do every time you see him.

  Alexis—You’re on crack. That look is all hate! Shut up. You’re supposed to be on my side. What are you doing?

  Bernie—Taylor just crashed, we’re about to watch a movie and get busy on the sofa. Call me tomorrow.

  Alexis felt a hint of nostalgia, remembering the way that felt, curled in Cory’s arms while they watched television and made love wherever they wanted. Thanksgiving Day would have been no different, only the movie would have been replaced with all day football games. Thinking of the football games was the better thought. She shook it off and searched her phone for
the score of the Steelers game and then she searched the stupid hotel.

  Holy shit! A five star hotel with a price tag of almost five-hundred bucks. What the hell? Alexis kept her phone tilted away from Cory, hiding her investigation while she read about the skyscraper, the ninety-eight-story structure in down town Chicago.

  “We rode past it on the ferry the last time we were there,” Cory explained. Alexis rolled her eyes and continued to explore the extravagant hotel. She remembered the mirrored building, the outside anyway. She also remembered flirting and kissing Cory while they floated the Chicago River, in love. Enough of that. Alexis switched off her phone and placed her hand over the little foot, protruding right below her ribs. Maybe it was a knee. Her hand pressed the little limb away from her rib and she twisted her body, trying to move him around and away from her ribs.

  “You okay?” Cory questioned with some sort of an, I give a shit, comment.

  “I need to pee.”

  The recollection of the last time this happened was moved to the front of her mind. She wanted to change into something more comfortable, but she wasn’t about to do it in the car again. She took them with her this time and then waited in the car for Cory to go.

  Cory made a joke about the last time she’d changed her tight jeans beside him. Alexis wasn’t even really sure what he said, something about her giving it up. She didn’t need to hear the exact words. She didn’t care. She ignored the statement and dropped her head to the back of the seat and closed her eyes, feeling the exhaustion. Alexis never was one to sleep in a moving car. It made her nauseous to her stomach, but she was already queasy, so it wasn’t hurting anything. Three more hours in a car with Cory was too much for a conscious Alexis. She needed to sleep off the rest of the trip.

  ***

  “Lex? Hey, wake up. Lex, we’re here.”

  Alexis squinted her eyes from the bright lights and wiped a little drool from the corner of her lip. It took a moment to comprehend what was going on. The bright lights and all the gold and shiny white made her wonder if she’d died and gone to heaven for a moment. They were literally indoors. The valet attendant met them at the back of the car with a cart, ready to show them the way.