The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (125 page)

I also got the feeling that Nicole was planning to move, too. I’ve never seen her so hung up on a guy before and the distance between everyone was brutal. Nicole has always been the one to want to drop everything and start a family. Every guy she meets, she thinks about marrying him. Of course, they don’t work out, but Avery...I think, is the one for her. I can tell he loves her and all the other guys didn’t have that look about them.

Even if Easton and I didn’t work out, I needed a fresh start somewhere. I didn’t want to go back to a job where I hated my boss. Life is too short to be miserable and that’s what I was. Yes, I loved doing the work—helping children in the long run, but I was tired. I wanted to start over and get out of the apartment that I shared with Jared.

“Okay, sure, I can refer you to a center in New York. I’ll let Doctor Bloom know and the reception desk will have your referral.”

After I left the appointment, I was supposed to call Easton and tell him how it went and what the doctor said. I made the phone call short and just told him that I would need six weeks of radiation and that it would start in about a month. Luckily, he was getting ready for Cheyenne’s softball practice and couldn’t talk long. I didn’t tell him about having it in New York, I wanted to do that in person and surprise him. Little did he know that I wanted to surprise him tonight.

I texted Nicole and told her about the appointment and that I was going to New York instead of waiting until Friday. Easton and Nicole didn’t want me driving, but I didn’t want to wait two more days until I could see Easton again. Those two days would be tortuous given the fact that I would be sitting around alone in my apartment.

After I packed a few more bags of my things, I paid rent for the following month and took off for New York—my new home.

E
aston

Six weeks of radiation? Fuck that was a lot. And five days a week? I didn’t like the news that Brooke had just told me. If she was having treatments five days a week and Cheyenne had games every Saturday—plus practices, my time with Brooke was going to be minimal. I had already gotten it into my head that Brooke was going to be with me while she recovered and when her doctor told her about needing either chemo or radiation, I didn’t expect her to tell me that it would be for six weeks.

There had to be a solution.

I didn’t have time to think about a solution. Peanut had practice and then I had to cover a shift for Bethy since she had for me several times in the last few weeks. Cheyenne was getting better practice after practice. I couldn’t believe how much she had grown in only a few weeks. I was proud of her.

During practice, some of the girls were being little bitches towards Cheyenne. I didn’t know why. Cheyenne was a trooper and didn’t pay any attention to them. At first, it started out with a few girls turning Cheyenne down to warm up with her. Then I saw one of the girls bump into her and finally towards the end of practice, another one of the girls that started giving her a hard time, started calling her Cryanne instead of Cheyenne. I started to say something, but before I could, Courtney told them to shut up and then Phil stepped in.

“Are you okay, Peanut?” I asked when we got into my car.

“Yeah,” she responded curtly.

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Please just drop it.”

My heart was hurting. I didn’t know why the girls were being mean to her. Maybe something happened at school, but since she wasn’t talking to me, I didn’t know why they were being bitches.

“I’m sorry I have to go to work tonight, Peanut.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

Ouch, that stung.

“Would you rather hang out with Uncle A tonight instead of Grandma and Grandpa?”

Avery always had a way of cheering Cheyenne up. It was probably because he acted like a kid her age around her. I’ve tried, but she just sees me as her father—which I understood.

“Is he going to be on the phone with his girlfriend the whole time?”

I laughed. If it weren’t for Cheyenne, I would be on the phone the whole time with Brooke when I had a free moment, so it was understandable that Avery always had Nicole on the phone. He and Nicole were waiting until Nicole told Brooke that she was pregnant and she was moving to New York. I wanted them to hold off. I didn’t want Brooke going through radiation alone and I couldn’t be there every day—but it wasn’t my choice.

“No, I’ll make sure of it,” I said, smiling at her. She still had the sad look on her face and it was killing me.

I texted Avery before I put the car in drive that he needed to come over to my house to watch Cheyenne. I knew he didn’t have plans—his plan was to talk to Nicole all night and have phone sex...possible Skype sex.

When we pulled up to the house, Avery was waiting inside. Cheyenne barely muttered a hello and stormed off to her room.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know. Some girls were giving her a hard time at practice and I think she’s pissed off.”

“Why?”

“I have no idea. Just make her laugh and try to stay off the phone with Nicole until Cheyenne is asleep.”

“Alright. Have fun working,” he said with a smirk.

“Fuck you. You work tomorrow night, fucker.”

“Oh...yeah. I can’t wait until this doesn’t happen anymore.”

“Me too. We should hire two more managers. A day one and a floater.”

“Yeah we should.”

“Let’s talk about it later. I need to call Ma still and get there to relieve Bethy.”

I left and called my mom in the car before I started to drive to Halo. My mom understood about Cheyenne, but I could tell she was a little disappointed. I explained to her that Avery had a way of teasing Cheyenne just the right way to make her laugh. She couldn’t do that and neither could my dad or me. She looked at all of us as her parent—not her goofy Uncle A.

*~*~*

“W
hat time do you get off?”

Ahh, this line again?

I was seriously getting tired of hearing chicks ask me that question. Ever since I laid eyes on Brooke, I didn’t want to be with anyone else. Especially a chick from the bar where I didn’t know where she had been. I just wanted
my
Superwoman.
My
Superwoman that doesn’t have cancer and that isn’t going to leave me like Dana did.

I wonder if I had a wedding ring on if that would turn these broads off?

Probably not.

“Sorry, Babe, I have plans.” That was starting to be my usual line and I was getting tired of hearing it come out of my mouth. I should get a shirt printed that says “I have plans tonight and it
doesn’t
involve you. Move it along!”

“Are you sure?”

What? Of course I’m sure!

“Yeah...” I started to explain to the broad that I had a girlfriend and just as I started, my dick grew hard and I turned, looking at the door, meeting the green eyes that I dreamt about nightly. I smiled as Brooke walked over to me and the Annoying Broad.

“Hey,” Brooke said as she wedged herself between the broad and some ugly dude. “Can I get a shot of Patron? I’ve been told tequila makes my clothes come off.”

“Does it now?” I asked.

“Yeah, you want to find out? I’m sure my
boyfriend
won’t mind,” she said with a straight face.

“Is that so?” I asked, not moving to get her the shot or AB (Annoying Broad) hers...what did she order again?

“Yeah, watch. Get me a few shots and I’ll prove it to you.” Brooke turned to the AB. “I heard that this guy here,” she said waving her hand at me, “used to be quite the ladies’ man but some hot chick snatched him up and he’s off the market now.”

“I’ve been trying to get him to go to my car with me, but he won’t budge. He said he has plans tonight—probably with his girlfriend,” AB said.

“Is that so? I heard his girlfriend doesn’t live in New York—
yet
.”

“I don’t know, but I’m trying. Want to see who can get him to leave with them first?” AB asked.

“That’s tempting. What do you want to bet?”

I was pretending not to listen as I made a few shots for Brooke and AB a...Cosmo. At least I hoped it was a Cosmo. I was at least ninety-nine percent sure. Brooke pretending to be a stranger and showing up out of the blue was distracting me and I completely forgot what AB wanted.

“How about one-hundred dollars?” AB suggested.

I was trying not to laugh and I was also relieved that Brooke was being a good sport about the whole flirting situation now.

“That sounds fair,” Brooke said and turned to AB and shook her hand.

I walked over and handed Brooke two shots and AB her Cosmo.

“Can I get you ladies anything else?” I asked.

“Where does your girlfriend live?” AB asked.

“Boston.”

“So, she’s not here in New York now?” Brooke asked and gave me a look.

Yeah, Baby, I’ll play along.

“No...she’s not supposed to be here until Friday night,” I said.

“So, what’s the problem?” AB asked.

“Well...”

“Your girlfriend isn’t here and you have two hot girls that want you,” AB said, cutting me off.

“Well, every guy does want to be with two women,” I said.

“But I bet just one is all you need,” Brooke said.

Brooke leaned over and whispered in AB’s ear.

“Oh right,” AB replied. “Only one of us can rock your world.”

“Hmm...” I said. “Hold that thought while I help other people. I’ll be back.”

I stepped over and started taking more orders. Even though it was a Wednesday, the bar was still busy. I glanced at Brooke a few times and she was talking to AB and staring at me while biting her bottom lip. There was no telling what she was planning—but I liked it.

“Can I get you something else to drink?” I asked Brooke.

“No, but I’ll take your number.”

“My girl wouldn’t like that.”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” AB said and unbuttoned a few buttons of her shirt.

“I think you need to convince me why I should,” I said.

“What if I tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue? Does that earn your number?” Brooke asked.

My dick was at full mast just thinking about Brooke’s tongue and what she can do with it. “That will earn you more than my number, Honey.”

“Is that so?” Brooke asked, raising an eyebrow.

“But I don’t know how to do that,” AB said.

“A bet’s a bet,” Brooke said to her.

She reached over and plucked a cherry from the container in front of her. I needed to go help other customers, but I wanted to see her tie the stem. She leaned her head back slightly, touching the cherry to her lips and the sucked the juice off the red fruit as she watched me out of the corner of her eye. Fuck, I was so hard.

She plucked the fruit off the stem with her teeth and chewed the juicy fruit. I couldn’t move. After she chewed the cherry, she sucked the stem and then stuck it in her mouth. My cock was screaming at me. He knew it was Brooke and was confused why she wasn’t sucking him like she was the sucking the cherry.

Don’t worry, she’ll be sucking you once she wins the bet.

“What if I show you my tits?” AB asked.

“No, I’m watching this,” I said, my eyes never leaving Brooke’s.

About a minute later, Brooke reached with her fingers and pulled the stem from her mouth. The whole stem formed a knot. She reached her hand out to me and I reached for it as she placed it in my hand.

“Pay the lady,” I said to AB.

“Fuck. Are you serious? She won because of that?”

“Damn straight,” I groaned.

“The man wants who he wants,” Brooke said and waited with her hand out as AB reached in her purse.

AB stuck a wad of money in Brooke’s hand and she counted it. “Now, where should we go so I can do that to your cock?”

“Right this way, Gorgeous,” I said and started to walk towards my office.

AB groaned and stomped off.

“I think I just came up with how I’m going to make money since I’m moving to New York,” Brooke said.

B
rooke

“You’re...you’re moving here?” Easton asked, stopping mid-stride up the stairs to his office.

“Well, I thought my boyfriend wanted me to, but...”

“No—your boyfriend definitely wants you moving here. I can vouch for him,” he said with a huge smile.

“Good, because I’m having radiation here in a few weeks and I need a place to live.”

“Here?”

“Yeah, figured I would since I was moving here.”

“Do you know how much I love you?”

“Do I need to bet because I only have a hundred bucks?”

“No, you don’t need to bet, but I can show you.”

“Oh yeah?” I said, biting my lower lip.

“Fuck, I need to show you after I get off. Go to my house, Avery and Chey are there and they’ll let you in.”

“Okay, but hurry!”

“Trust me, I’ll be shooing these fuckers out the door as soon as we close,” he said and leaned down and kissed me—finally.

*~*~*

I
knocked softly on the door when I arrived at Easton’s. I didn’t want to wake Cheyenne by ringing the doorbell if she was sleeping. After a few seconds of Avery not answering, I knocked again, but a little louder. A few seconds later, he answered with his phone glued to his ear.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said and stepped aside so I could enter. “Nic said you were coming. I was starting to worry.”

“I went to Halo first.”

“I was sure you would have wanted to wait naked in E’s bed.”

“Shit, why didn’t I think of that?” I asked and we laughed.

“Baby, I’ll call you back,” he said into the phone. “I’m not....yeah, Saturday...I’ll call you back...fine, I’ll talk to you tomorrow...I love you, too...night.”

“What’s happening Saturday?” I asked, going into the kitchen to grab some water.

“Noth...Oh, um...Nic’s coming.”

“Oh, I thought she was coming Friday?”

“Right, Friday. I must have misspoke,” he said, looking down at his feet.

“Okay...Anyway, so, I went to Halo first and made a hundred bucks.”

“Easton made you work?”