The Deal (27 page)

“Did you know for the first six weeks we didn’t share the bed? I tried my best to stay away, because having him and not having him was slowly killing me and my heart was breaking into pieces every single day. The countdown was on and ticking away every hour, every day, every week and the closer it got, the more I tried to hang on to every little moment. I broke down one night on the sofa, Craig consoled me and that was the day that changed everything. We still hid our feelings but we got on better. We acted in front of our friends and it's only now that I realise we
were
a couple, regardless of this fake marriage. We weren’t faking our feelings around one another, only shying them away so we couldn’t show the other how we truly felt. But now, God, my heart is pumping full of love for your son. There isn’t a second that goes by when I don’t think of him, even now. I can't see myself with anyone else and if that isn’t the God's honest truth then I don’t know what is.

“I really think we could get on, if you could see that I'm not my mother. I didn’t like going to the bloody rich kids dinner parties and I loathed how my mother thought, or should that be thinks she is above everyone else, especially me. She’s my mother and she always looked down on me because I didn’t want her world. My dad didn’t want that world but it's his job and he has to attend those events. I'm sorry for the way she split your friendship apart, but please, I am nothing like her, nor do I ever want to be. I'm happy with one man, the love of my life, your son and if you can't trust me, then I’m not sure what else I can do.”

I sigh in defeat after my confession and I lean my head back to get rid of the tension riding on my shoulders. I decide there and then that I can't listen to his retaliation, I have to get out of the coffee shop and take a walk along the beach, kick some sand, watch the waves roll in. I need my calm back in my life. I pick up my bag and stand up. John's eyes don't leave me but he does frown up at me.

              “I'm sorry, John, I don’t know what else to say to make you believe me. I want to have a great relationship with my father-in-law but it's up to you now. I've said my part.” I weakly smile at him then rush from the shop, but before I can reach the traffic lights, John is next to me. He grips my elbow and we rush across the street to the bench that overlooks the stretch of the beach. I tug my arm from his grip and take a seat, my father-in-law taking one next to me. I glance at him to see the knots in his forehead, his body tight and his eyes focused on the beach. I cross my arms, stretch out my legs and watch the sunlight bouncing and glistening on the water.

“I trust you.” Are the first words to break the awkward silence between us. I turn, confusion flashing all over my face. He looks my way and lets out a small chuckle.

“No more than fifteen minutes ago you were saying you didn’t trust me.” I point out.

“And fifteen minutes later I do. I saw the truth in your eyes, I saw the sincerity over how you wouldn’t want to be like your mother, I saw the spark and the love shine from your eyes when you spoke about Craig and the utter horror of ever being without him. The fact you stood up for yourself proves that you love my son, and it proves that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt him, so I trust you.” He shrugs, leaving my speechless.

“No, John, you can't just turn on and off your trust for people, it doesn’t work like that. I was determined to show you just how trustworthy I was.” I sulk despite the fact I should be happy that he's changed his tune. I turn back to the waves, pick up my bag and grab my phone. John looks over my shoulder, wondering just what I am doing but I sit closer to him and lean in so my cheek is next to his. This feels totally weird but I am going to document this moment and remind him that I gained his trust, albeit, a little too fast, but we are now Father and Daughter-in-law and we haven’t had a picture together yet.

“Um, Nic, just what the hell are you doing?” John asks but I reply with my arm around his shoulder and my arm stretched upwards with my phone. I smile into it, catching John's expression. A mix of confusion, amusement and disbelief at what I am doing.

“Taking out first Father-in-law/Daughter-in-law photo, now smile, John!” I demand, smiling into the camera. John follows suit and I snap the image. I bring the phone so both of us can see the picture and I laugh. He certainly looks like an older version of Craig and he really is a DILF. I know for a fact when Craig and I have kids he is going to be the yummiest DILF imaginable and I cannot wait!

“Well, Papa Thomas, that is your birthday present sorted.” I giggle, locking the phone and throwing it to the bottom of my bag. John shakes his head and stares back out to the ocean.

“You know, Nic, I had you down all wrong. I thought you were a spoilt little girl who was exactly like her mother, but you are nothing like her. You're like your father; strong, determined, and loyal. I'm so lucky that in some backarse way you and Craig found each other and I'm proud to call you my Daughter-in-law.” John admits and I look to him, tears filling my eyes. It's hard to swallow but I push the lump down. I lean forward and wrap my arms around his neck, wanting a hug. John's arms wrap around my back and he laughs at my emotions, rubbing my back as I sniff the tears back.

“You have no idea how much that means, DILF.” I murmur, drawing back from him. I smile widely at him and gather up my belongings, ready to leave and dart to Kelsie's to pick up my suitcase. “I'll see you around, Papa Thomas. Don't be a stranger now we are BFF's” And with a wink I begin to walk away from him.

“What's a DILF?” He shouts after me and I let out a hearty laugh. I turn around and begin to walk backwards.

“
Google it.”

***

“You called him a DILF?” Kelsie splutters, holding her stomach whilst she laughs so hard I think she may faint. I smirk as I take a sip of my wine, glad she is amused by my comment. I can't wait for John to figure out just what DILF means. I'm surprised he isn’t down with the kids but then he is a broadsheet editor and not a tabloid editor. I suppose he hasn’t seen many words that could relate to him. Did he even know what BFF was? I'll have to ask him.

“I totally did. I told him to google it when he asked what it meant. I can't wait for that phone call.”

“I can't wait for the reaction Craig is going to have when he realises you called his dad a DILF!” Kelsie pours more wine into each of our glasses and raises an eyebrow at me.

“His dad is hot, he has to get over it. Plus he's totally going to be a DILF when we have kids so it's a win/win really. He got the hot genes and our kid's friends will be calling him a DILF in the future.”

I watch Kelsie's face freeze and a slow smirk comes across it. I never talk about wanting children, I've never wanted them, but with Craig? Yeah, I could totally see a little Thomas clang running around a house, Craig and I running after them, catching them, spinning them around, giggling. I let that vision flash before my eyes and grin at the thought that it could be a reality in a few years time.

“Well, I tag calling him DILF when the time comes around. God knows he needs a fucking nickname.”

“Just start calling him that now, freak him out a bit. I want to see what he will do.” I let out an evil laugh and I know Kelsie will start to call him that immediately, she isn't one to back down and neither am I.

“So now that everything is seemingly fixed with DILF, what about Craig? What happened down at the beach?”

“We still have a few things to sort out but it went as well as expected. We both apologised, both explained a few things and he told me Matt and he had a plan to kidnap me and would get Rob to distract you while they do it.” I watch Kelsie's cheeks turn pink and I know that she was in on it too. “I also found out that Christmas night when I was paralytic I told Craig I loved him.”

“Say what now? After you were too chicken shit to tell him sober you blurt it out drunk? Typical Nic.” I lean forward and punch her arm, hard.

“Whatevs, at least I’ve said it drunk and sober now. Kind of a right of passage and I've got the certificate to prove it. Oh and the ring.” I move my hand around my face, head bobbing and lips pouting. Kelsie slaps my hand and I pull it back, glaring at her. “So when are you getting engaged?”

Kelsie's face falls and she looks around the room, avoiding my gaze. I become concerned because one) She and Rob have either broken up and she hasn’t told me, or two) She is engaged and she hasn’t told me. I cough to get her attention and I point to my phone clock, to let her know I am waiting for her answer.

“Uh yeah, kind of already am.” She murmurs, looking up at me through her lashes. I gape at her. I put my glass down on the table and shriek, jumping up from the sofa, pulling her up. I engulf her into a hug, sprinting on the spot due to my over excitement. Kelsie gets over the initial shock of my reaction and joins in, both of us screaming and jumping up and down.

“What the fuck, Kelsie, when the hell did this happen and why have I only just found out!” I slap the back of her head and collapse back onto the sofa, overjoyed yet annoyed she hadn’t rang me the moment it happened. Although I must admit I hadn’t told Kelsie about Craig and my 'engagement' until the wedding was all booked. I know that killed her.

“Well it happened Tuesday evening. We went on a walk along the beach, ice cream in hand, sun setting in the distance. I had to take a photograph, just to show you and when I turned back to Rob, he was down on one knee, ice cream in one hand, the ring in another. You know how much I love my ice cream but in my shock I dropped the bastard thing on the floor. I was more concerned over my chocolate ice cream than the damn ring in his hand but Rob laughed and gave me his.” She gives me a goofy smile and my heart swells. Kelsie has never been one to be serious over anything, and I'm not just talking about relationships. She is the funny one, the one who banters, who joins in with the mocking and although she is there with advice it has to be laced with an insult here or there. Seeing her well up when talking about her engagement night makes me gleam that she can be sentimental.

“The only downside was it was vanilla! VANILLA, NIC! We don’t even have vanilla sex.” I can't help but laugh at her outburst. Only she would bring her sexual preferences into her engagement story! “But once he could see how happy I was to be licking something, he told me that he had loved me afar for years, that I was the only girl he could see a future with and that he loved my crazy arse like no other. And then asked me if I would marry him. Of course I said yes! I love him with everything I have and it's true, he’s the only person who can put up with my crazy arse. After he slipped the ring on my finger, he grabbed me, kissed me like no other and kissed the ring. It was perfect, Nic, even after I smeared ice cream in his face then licked it up.”

“Oh, Kels, that engagement is so you two! I'm sorry Craig and I got in the way of your engagement sex period on Wednesday. Is that why you didn’t tell me? And where the hell is the ring anyway?!” I muster, looking at her hands. She smirks and withdraws her necklace. She takes it off and slips the ring back on. I grab her hand and study the ring. I gasp at how simple yet beautiful it is. For an extravagant personality such as Kelsie, Rob really has found an amazing ring for her. It is a diamond cut with tiny beaded diamonds gently cascading down the sides of the ring. They say you should save at least a months salary for a ring, my guess is that Rob has been saving his whole bloody life. I can't get my head around how gorgeous it looks sat upon Kelsie's finger. It puts my ring to shame.

“It's so you, Kelsie. Rob has it spot on. God, I want it for myself.” I chuckle, letting her have her ring back. I watch her gleam at it, paw over her ring and I fill up with proud. We have both found men that love us unconditionally, that would do whatever they could to keep us, make us happy and for best friends to be married and engaged to best friends is more than you can ask.

“My boy did good. He really did. And of course you are the Maid of Honor. And you are stuck with my bridezilla ass.” I give her a 'well duh' look and bask in the knowledge that my best friend could be Mrs. James in the next year or so. Our group is slowly closing down on the marriage deals. “And d'ya what, I don’t want to keep it a secret any more. Next Saturday we are going to ZoHoKa, you are staying more than an hour and we are celebrating everything. My engagement, the feud out in the open, your birthday! And just having a fucking awesome drunken night out.”

“Done deal there, Kels. I am so down for celebrating and forgetting and getting drunk.” I pick up my wine glass and lift it up. Kelsie copies me and we gleam at each other.

“To getting engaged” I cheer. Kelsie tips the head of her glass with mine and we click them together.

“To love and kinky sex.”

Chapter Twenty Seven

Craig

Nic has been gone all day and I am panicking just a little bit. Her clothes and belongings still aren’t back from Kelsie's and I know we sort of hashed almost everything out last night, but it's now six pm but she's been out since half eleven this morning. I wouldn't normally be stalking my wife...okay I would, but I've rang her, text her and nothing. I resorted to ringing Jamie, who she said she was with and he told me he hadn't been with her today, that he and Tammy took a weekend break to Devon to visit his parents. That was when my heart began to race and doubts began to fill my mind. Did she say that so she could leave me? I knew I should have gone over to Kelsie's last night and picked her stuff up. I am cacking myself not knowing where Nic is. This isn’t like her at all. She at least tells me she is okay, or what time she is home, but nothing. Nada. Nowt. I begin to pace the living room and it's not until my phone chimes that I realise that half my nails have been bitten to nothing. SHIT, what is happening to me? Why am I acting like such a psycho? That's right, because I am petrified Nic has changed her mind. I unlock my mobile and see a text from Kelsie. My heart splutters before I even open the message. What if she tells me Nic isn’t coming home? I have to push these negative thoughts away because they are just messing with my fucking mind and this is not me. I glance at the message, the words embedding into my eyes.