NINE: Boyle Heights

  Drew had expected that sour expression of his, maybe even something harsher. Instead, his expression was a blank one as he sat there thinking silently for a moment. “I was never embarrassed and definitely not ashamed. I’m just trying to think if I was ever in a position where I would’ve been.”

  “So you were never embarrassed to tell people you had two moms?”

  He shook his head but seemed surprised himself. “I guess it’s because it’s all I knew. I took being surrounded by women for granted. The neighborhood I grew up in had all kinds of mixed families—two and three families squeezed into one apartment or tiny house together. Lots of grandparents living in back rooms or garages. So my moms living together and raising me with my grandma didn’t set off any alarms. I guess, when I was too young to know any better, most people assumed we were just another mixed family, and no one ever bothered to ask me. It wasn’t even until high school that I realized how different my family was from most, but by then, I’d become a thug running around with the wrong crowd. I was the bully, and at that point, no one was gonna tease or bully me about shit. Least of all about my moms.”

  Drew didn’t know whether to smile or frown. On the one hand, she should’ve known Nine, who was so upfront and carefree, wouldn’t care what anyone thought even back when he was a kid. But on the other, this wasn’t helping her.

  “Why you asking?” For once, Nine stared at her very seriously. “Is this about your daughter? She being bullied?”

  “No.” Drew shook her head. “At least I don’t think so, but then she hasn’t even started grade school.”

  Nine flagged down the waitress and ordered them another round. It was the first time that whole time Drew thought to glance around and check if maybe Brad had arrived. Her heart nearly skipped a beat because, if he had arrived, he would’ve been witness to how deeply engrossed in conversation she’d been with Nine that she hadn’t noticed anything, or anyone, else in the room in just as long.

  Fortunately, he was nowhere around. Besides, he’d likely call or text to let her know when he got here. At the very least let her know when he was on his way or not making it at all.

  Turning back to Drew, after paying for their second round, Nine eyed her inquisitively. The moment the other waiter took their empty plates from in front of them, Drew sighed, pondering for a moment on the fact that she was about to discuss something so important to her, with Nine—before discussing it with anyone else.

  “First, you have to promise you won’t make any rude remarks or stupid jokes. This is very important to me, and the only reason I even decided to share this with you is because I figured if anyone could offer some perspective on this it’d be you.”

  Nine smiled big as if instantly he knew who this was about but nodded. “Got it. I’ll keep the fruitcake remarks to a minimum.”

  Drew crossed her arms in front of her, glaring at him. “To absolute zero.”

  The waitress arrived with their drinks. Nine thanked her and tipped her then turned to Drew. “Absolute zero? You’re just setting me up for failure.” He started to lift his beer. “Fruitcake—ouch shit!”

  He lowered his voice when a few heads turned. Drew watched as he set his beer down and massaged his hand. “The fuck was that?”

  “What?” Drew asked, staring down at his hand.

  “A cramp I guess.” He clenched his fist and opened it several times then pressed down on the part of his palm by his thumb. “Hurt like a bitch.”

  Drew couldn’t help but smirk. “Is that why you cried out like a little one?”

  Nine’s eyes were immediately on her, his humor-laced eyes peering at her. “I see we’re okay with name-calling now. That’s cool—”

  “No,” Drew said immediately as her smile flattened, remembering what they were about to discuss. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it, but please, for once in your life, try to be serious.”

  Continuing to flex his hand, Nine lifted the beer with his other one, smirking. “Let’s hear it.”

  This time Drew did the peering but decided to just let go that he hadn’t actually promised to be serious. Instead, she took a deep breath before starting up with the troublesome topic. “Chelsea asked me something earlier today that just stumped me, and to be honest, I’m not really sure how to handle it.” She shook her head, feeling stupid. “I’ve had years to prepare and I’ve done my research—read books, countless articles, watched videos etc.—because I knew the day would come and I was still speechless.”

  “What’d she ask? What’s gay?”

  “No.” Drew shook her head, almost dreading having to say the word. “She asked if her daddy is a . . . fag.”

  Nine’s face remained vacant; though he nodded with a hint of humor in his eyes as if it didn’t surprise him. “What’d you tell her?”

  Exhaling, Drew went on, suddenly beyond grateful to be able to talk about this with someone who totally got it. “Well, first, I told her that’s not a nice word and asked her where she heard it. She said Scott, the older brother of one of the girls in her tap dance class, had asked her. She told him she didn’t know what that meant, and he told her”—Drew paused to gather to her calm like she had when she’d spoken to Chelsea—“that fags are all going to hell.”

  After waiting for the waiter to drop off the slice of cheesecake he was bringing around to everyone at the table, Drew continued to tell Nine the rest. How Phoenix and Sean had dropped her off together at her tap lesson but hung out for a while. How Scott and his mother always stayed for the whole practice. So Scott must’ve observed something before Phoenix and Sean left. “They’re both very discreet and modest about showing any public affection. So I don’t know what it could’ve been. But it’s not the first time they’ve dropped her off together. Maybe this kid just got to wondering. I don’t know. Anyway, Phoenix later picked her up alone, but she didn’t ask him about this. She waited to ask me, which leads me to believe this was a negative experience for her—one that even at her young age she sensed might hurt her daddy’s feelings.”

  Digging into her cheesecake, Drew slipped a much-needed delectable forkful of it in her mouth. Nine did the same, and they were quiet for a few moments, but it was fleeting.

  “What did Phoenix say about this?”

  “I haven’t told him.” She stared at her cheesecake then glanced up at Nine. “This conversation happened just as I was finishing up getting ready for tonight. Besides, I would’ve had to call him, and this is something I’d want to talk to him about in person.”

  The surprised expression on Nine’s face eased up after that last sentence. “Well . . .” Nine started already smirking. “Just an FYI and I already told you this, but you seemed surprised. Phoenix is pretty obvious, babe.”

  Unable to help reacting to his use of the term of endearment again as her heart fluttered, Drew did her best to recover. But he must’ve taken it as surprise to his actual comment because he added quickly, “At least to me he is. If Sean’s anything like him, then I’m not surprised the kid noticed. So basically, what I’m saying is get used people noticing and ignorant asses like this kid making stupid remarks.”

  Now that she knew Phoenix was gay, she had to admit he was pretty obvious. Thankfully, Sean wasn’t at all. So hopefully, this wasn’t something they’d have to get used happening too often as Nine was suggesting.

  They spoke in depth about his childhood as he told her about some of the few similar incidents he’d had regarding his gay parents. It was something else to see and hear Nine be so serious and mature about something—especially this. Drew had been the only one to act immaturely when she teased him about his uncle/dad and then laughed at his crying out when he got a cramp, but Nine surprised her yet again.

  Midway through their conversation, Nine glanced down at his beeping phone and read whatever it was on his screen with a frown. He glanced back up and around until she saw his eyes stop at the bar. Curiously, because he looked annoyed suddenly, Drew followed his gaze to where Becca stood at
the bar, giggling with some guy.

  His phone beeped again, and this time his hard expression broke into a weird combo of annoyance and a smile. He tapped something quickly on the screen then looked up with a smug grin. “Bah-bye.” He mouthed the words as he waved at her.

  Drew turned just in time to catch Becca’s glare, first at Nine then at Drew. “She’s leaving?”

  “Yep.” He put his phone down on the table as if he couldn’t care less. “She got a ride.”

  Not a minute later, Becca walked out with the guy she’d been standing with at the bar. Drew was dying to know, but she was pretty damn sure she already knew. Whatever Becca texted him to have him saying good-bye so coldly, had everything to do with Drew. If that were the case, addressing it might ruin the perfectly pleasant and completely innocent evening she was having chatting with him. So she opted not to ask.

  Because of the wedding tomorrow, the rehearsal dinner was set to finish early. Even the cocktail hour was exactly an hour. Drew had switched to coffee a while back. Ali and Beast had already left. Drew and Nine were two of the few stragglers left to close out the cocktail hour.

  Brad hadn’t showed up, and Drew hadn’t bothered to text him to check where he was. She figured she could call him when she was in the car to let him know he didn’t have to bother driving down anymore. Obviously, he’d missed it.

  About twenty minutes earlier, she gotten a text. She’d been so caught up in her conversation with Nine again she ignored it. But now she remembered the text. Brad might be on his way down, and she’d be leaving in a just a few.

  Glancing down at her phone, she tapped on the message indicator and read his message.

  Just finished up. Am l too late? I can meet you there or at your place. Let me know.

  Feeling a wave of guilt wash over her because instantly she knew what her response would be, she shook it off. It’d be silly to tell him to come here when they were getting ready to close everything down. So she quickly texted him that she’d meet him at her place in a few then went back to chatting with Nine for a while longer.

  Drew could hardly believe that, while she had made some small talk with some of the others at her table, she’d spent the majority of the evening engrossed with Nine. She did spend a little time chatting with Ali and Lila during one of Nine’s bathroom breaks and even went to the ladies’ room with Jen. Still, while her time spent with Nine tonight was absolutely innocent, she couldn’t help feel a tinge of guilt that it felt like one of the best nights out she’d had in a long time.

  Unlike in their earlier conversation when she’d had Nine’s undivided attention for the most part, toward the very end of the evening, he’d been distracted with his phone. She had to wonder if maybe Becca wasn’t giving him a hard time about the way their evening had ended.

  “I think this is it.” Drew stood up, glancing around as more and more lights turning on brightened the room. “Pretty sure that means we need to leave.”

  “O’s at the bar out in the restaurant.” He motioned to his phone as he stood up with her. “He’s hanging out a little longer. Wanna grab something from the bar? I’m gonna have to wait on him anyway.”

  As tempting as that was, Drew knew tonight she’d already pushed the envelope. Sure, their conversation the whole night had been as innocent as any she’d have with a friend or even co-worker. Something about the tingling she’d felt and ignored all night made it feel less innocent. The fact that she’d been relieved that Brad never showed up, giving her the freedom to enjoy Nine’s company so blatantly, made it even worse.

  “I can’t,” she said with a pout, and even that made her feel guilty. “Brad texted me. He’s done with his client, but since this is over, I’m meeting him at my place instead.”

  They walked out of the small banquet room, but Drew refused to look at Nine and see what his reaction to that last comment was. He went quiet, and that was telling enough, but she wouldn’t look and confirm or worse be left to obsess all night what his reaction to that after such a nice evening together might mean.

  As they stepped out toward the entrance, they saw Orlando at the bar surrounded by several women. He was quick to lift his drink at Nine with a very telling grin. Nine nodded at him with a huge smile as the women all turned to look at what they were in for once he was rid of Drew.

  Feeling that familiar tightness in her belly, Drew tried in vain to not sound irritated. “You two will have fun tonight.”

  “I’m not a morning person,” Nine said, opening the front door for Drew. “If it weren’t for this pesky wedding tomorrow, I might stay up, but Beast will kill me if I mess this up, so I need to hit the hay early tonight.”

  Since Drew walked out in front of him, she rolled her eyes. Orlando was in the wedding tomorrow as well, and he seemed perfectly content with hanging out longer. It wasn’t even that late. Just past nine on a Friday evening. There was a lot he could do in the next several hours and still be in bed—asleep—at a decent hour.

  The valet brought her car around. “Hey, you got the crossover. Good choice.”

  Drew smiled, keeping to herself that his input that first night had everything to do with why she had. To her surprise, Nine jumped into the passenger side. Drew tipped the valet as her heart walloped, getting in the driver side. “What are you doing?”

  “I’ll hop out around the building, but I just remembered something I wanted to ask you.”

  Driving around the corner and into the deep dark end of the parking lot, Drew slowed to a stop then turned to him nervously. “What?”

  “That ring.” He pointed at her ridiculously huge cocktail ring. “Is that your engagement ring? I don’t remember seeing it on you before. So it’s certifiably official now?”

  She should’ve been mortified. Instead, her belly swarmed in delight. What douche, like the ones she’d compared him to so many times, would bother to remember the details about her engagement status. And she’d worn the stupid fake ring around others who never bothered to ask if it had anything to do with a possible fiancé or even husband.

  But her heart’s thumping was quickly knocked down to reality as she remembered the smile on his face when he saw all those women with Orlando at the bar. She’d be out of there soon enough on her way to meet Brad. And Nine would be back in that bar inviting one, maybe two, of those women home with him.

  “Just a cocktail ring, but a girl’s gotta drop hints in case he hasn’t narrowed down his choices.”

  She winked though it almost hurt her heart, but she had to do it. The knot in her stomach felt too damn close to jealousy. Something she should not be feeling, no matter how deep her conversation with him tonight had been compared to all the other douches she dated who only ever flirted like crazy and dropped mostly outrageous innuendos.

  Anything with Nine was out of the question. Her fiancé was waiting for her at her place for crying out loud, and she was sitting here in a dark parking lot with a guy she’d already had very indecent dreams about.

  Holding her hand up, she pointed at the finger and forced a smile. “In case he’s wondering what I like.”

  Nine glanced at the ring again then smiled. Though like hers, the smile felt forced. “I’ll never understand why people spend so much money on diamonds. I couldn’t tell the difference between that and the real thing.”

  He opened the door. “I can take you back to the front entrance.”

  “Nah.” Nine started out of the car but turned back to her before getting out. “I’m gonna have a smoke. See you tomorrow.”

  As empty as her car suddenly felt without him there beside her—as if he’d been there often—Drew was glad for that last comment. A smoke. Just another reminder of the many reasons she needed to keep the damn tingling and obnoxious butterflies still dancing in her belly in check.

  Chapter 13

  Nine

  Secret Service. It’s the first thing that came to mind when Dee, Chelsea, and a guy who Nine could only imagine was Brad walked into Sabian’s back
yard. The guy was tall and wore a dark suit and dark sunglasses. He walked alongside Dee and her young daughter, his arm at Dee’s lower back, looking around almost defensively. The only thing missing was the earpiece. But the impression changed quickly to politician the moment he flashed his big overly white smile at everyone they greeted.

  Even the way he shook everyone’s hand was like that of a man campaigning for office. Dee smiled along with him as they made their way through the crowded backyard. Her hair was up in a fancy do, and she looked amazing in her long silver bridesmaid’s gown. They looked perfect together, but something about it felt off—forced somehow.

  Yes, Brad looked as mature and put together as the ideal man she should date now that she’d grown-up. It was one thing to hear her say it, but seeing them together didn’t mesh. Nine knew he hadn’t known her very long, but he’d talked to her enough that, while she looked as put together as Brad did, this wasn’t her.

  Dee glanced over in the direction where Nine stood with O, Byron, and a very nervous-looking Beast. She smiled sweetly when their eyes met, making Nine’s insides warm, but her attention was brought back to the couple they were talking to.

  “I don’t get why you’re so nervous,” Byron said to Beast with a smirk. “You’ve been living with her for months already, and she’s knocked up with your kid. It’s not like she’s gonna say no.”

  O laughed and Nine might’ve too if he hadn’t been so caught up watching Dee still. “I’m not worried about that,” Beast said gruffly. “I’m just not used to doing formal shit like this.”

  Glancing around impatiently, Nine turned just as Beast fidgeted with his bow tie. His eyes were barely on Beast long enough to crack a smile when they were back on Dee again. She was busy now, fixing the bow on the back of her daughter’s dress.

  Inevitably, he glanced up to take in Brad again, and the guy was staring straight at him. At first, Nine couldn’t be sure if it was him he was looking at or just in his direction because Brad’s glasses were so dark. But when Nine didn’t look away immediately, Brad pulled the glasses off, and there was no question about it. He was looking right at Nine.