Unstuck (42 page)

“So we have a thing,” he said going closer to me

“Yes we do,” I smiled.

“Does that mean that you can sleep over anytime I want?” he said kissing my neck.

“Anytime I want,” I clarified.

“Hmm,” he tried to say while still kissing my neck.

“Yes, I can,” I smiled.

“Do you want to start today?” he asked finally leaving my neck and looking at me.

“Why not?” I shrugged and he carried me to the top of the stairs.

“My dress,” I said when we were in the middle of the stairs.

“No one’s going to move it,” he silenced me with a kiss in the lips and that’s how our first non-Saturday sleep over began. It was more than that really; it was me admitting that Patrick and I were in a thing. That was a lot coming from me because even though this was a thing it didn’t go near to what me and Brian had or to whatever I’d had when I was in high school. I was a thing so different and more important than anything I had ever experienced before. It was a thing that I was ready for the world to know about. It was our thing.

“You are freaking out,” I heard next morning as I stared at the ceiling in Patrick’s room. I had been awake for a full hour now wondering how we were transitioning from being boss and assistant to a thing in front of everyone. I turned to look at him and he was face down with an arm under the pillow and the other one under his face. His eyes were still closed.

“I’m not,” I almost whispered.

“Yes you are,” he said opening his eyes and smiling “What are you thinking about?” “So many things,” I sighed.

“Ok, let’s start from the beginning,” he said sitting down and looking down at me.

“What are we going to tell Miranda?” I asked looking at him.

“That we are a thing,” he said grinning. He was happy and it felt so good that I could make him that happy.

“How?” I asked.

“Do you want me to talk to her?” he asked putting one hand on my cheek “what are you going to say?” I was indeed freaking out.

“That we are a thing,”

“Patrick,” I whined.

“Pepper,” he whined back.

“I’m serious,” I said covering his hand that was still on my cheek with my own hand.

“Me too, Lucinda. It’s not that difficult, I go and tell her that we are a thing, that nothing in the house should change but there will be a lot of making out and lots and lots of sexy noises around the house.”

“You are impossible,” I said trying to get out of the bed “I’m kidding,” he said grabbing me by the waist “I will say everything but the making out and sexy noises part,” “Ok,” I nodded.

“Ok?” he asked and I nodded again. “Good now, can we have morning sex?” he grinned and then kissed me. It felt quite good to be able to have a thing without the need of hiding I was just hoping that this thing didn’t get too serious because well that would be embarrassing. I wasn’t ready for anything serious. I wasn’t ready for him to be my official boyfriend, everyone would expect us to have some kind of commitment and I didn’t want that. My commitment to a thing was enough for me.

“Are you ok with that, Miranda?” I heard Patrick in the kitchen when I walked down the stairs holding my clothes from the previous night.

“Mr. Maynard, I’m more than ok with that,” I smiled. It was important for me that Miranda approved “may I tell you my opinion?” she asked and I paused. I assumed that Patrick nodded or something because Miranda went on “I think that you two are perfect for each other and I couldn’t be happier to see two people I care so much about together,” I wanted to cry but I hurried to take my dress from the couch and to run to the pool house. I was fine with Miranda knowing but I didn’t want her to see me coming down from Patrick’s room just yet. Although, I wonder if she knew something was up after all the times we had left a mess on his room.

As soon I got to the pool house I called Stacy because I needed to give her an update on our thing.

“I’ll put you on speaker,” of course, I knew Nick would be with her. He never stayed the weekend in any of the places where he traveled for work anymore.

“Hi, Nick,” I said and I heard him say hi.

“So, what’s new?” she asked and threw myself on the bed.

“A lot,” I said and I heard Stacy made a weird sound of what I assumed it was joy or excitement. Either that or Nick was trying to seduce her.

“Well, last night everyone was here for Regina’s birthday,” “of course,” she said and I could picture her nodding.

“And Regina’s boyfriend...”

“Regina has a boyfriend?” she interrupted me and I wonder when was the last time we had talked.

“Oh my god, how is it we haven’t talked about that?” I asked and went into every little detail about Sam during a long time.

“Wow, Regina got an older dude,”

“Are you sure he is not after sex?”I heard Nick asked.

“I don’t think so... he seems really nice,” I shrugged and looked out of my window to Patrick’s office. There he was, on the phone as well. He had the goofiest grin ever.

“Anyway, back to what I was trying to tell you from the beginning,” I said and sat on the bed with my back against the wall so I could see Patrick while I talked to Stacy “Last night Sam said something that made me realize that everyone, EVERYONE, thinks we have something going on,” I said.

“Who? Sam and you?” asked Stacy and I laughed out loud.

“No, stupid, Patrick and me,” I said shaking my head.

“Oh, that,” she sighed “that’s obvious Lucy. Everyone assumes you two are a couple but are too shy or professional to show any PDA,” ugh! Not a couple.

“Ok, well, everyone but me knew that,” I shook my head “anyway, talked to Patrick last night,” “Sugar?”

“What did you do, Lucy?” I heard nick and Stacy said at the same time. I was sure they were sharing a look of panic.

“Give me some credit guys,” I shook my head “I told him that I was ready for his family and close friends and stuff to know that we have a thing,”

“A thing?” she asked and I could hear a huge smile on her face.

“That’s what I am calling it: a thing,” I said and heard her screaming on the other side.

“Sugar,” I heard Nick closer to the phone

“Yes?”

“I am proud of you,” he said.

“Thank you,” I nodded.

“I’m so excited, Lucy!” I heard her talk about a lot of things including double dates that I knew weren’t happening. I turned to look out the window but Patrick wasn’t in his office anymore.

“Wait a second,” I interrupted Stacy “Patrick is not in his office anymore,” I said running to the office.

“So?” said Stacy.

“I don’t want him to catch me talking to you about him,” I said looking out the window and yes indeed there he was, walking in his winter jacket towards the pool house. “I knew it. He is coming here. I’ll see you guys tonight ok?”

“Ok, but you have so much to tell me,” Stacy said and I nodded “See you tonight, Sugar,” I heard Nick.

“See you guys,” I hung up just in time because Patrick walked into the bedroom.

“You are still in my clothes,” he said grinning and I nodded. “I like that very much,” “It’s ok,” I shrugged.

“Breakfast is ready,” he said laying in bed next to me. I scrunched up my nose. “What?” he asked looking at me.

“I’m embarrassed to see Miranda,” I said and I turned to put my head on his chest. It was ok. I could do that because we officially had a thing.

“I already talked to her,” he said running his fingers through my hair “she’s happy for us,” I knew that.

“How am I going to look her in the eye knowing that she knows that we have sex?” I cringed at the thought

“Lucinda, I am pretty sure she’s known that for a while,” I cringed again “I just made it official today,” I shrugged.

“It’s weird.”

“It’s perfectly normal,” he said and I looked up to see him and smiled. It felt perfectly normal but I hadn’t been out there with the rest of the world knowing. “Let’s eat,” he said.

“Let me change in some of my clothes at least,” I said and he nodded.

I looked at myself in the mirror while I brushed my hands on the skirt of the dress. I was nervous as hell. Nervous because the dress was too short and nervous because by now I was sure everyone knew our thing was official. I was glad Patrick had accepted that I didn’t want the whole world to know it yet; the whole world meant the press, people at work, Patrick’s business partners. That sort of world.

The day had been successful as we worked through it. We even worked a few hours in the MBU course since the numbers we had received the previous were so good. We worked just the same as always with the exception that Patrick did hold my hand every now and then when he was analyzing something or when I was telling something. He knew our thing was official and holding hands while working wasn’t so terrible anymore. Miranda was really happy about us and she showed it by smiling and nodding a lot but not another word was said.

Everything seemed perfect between us and I wasn’t ready to step out into the real world. I sighed for the hundredth time.

“Get it together, Lucy,” I said to myself while I ran my fingers through my tousled waves and grabbed my red purse from the bed. “Here I go,” I said walking down the stairs and grabbing my black coat from the living room.

“What’s underneath, Lucinda?” asked Patrick as I walked into the house with my coat on.

“A dress,” I said smiling as I closed the door.

“A red dress I assume,” he said grinning.

“How did you know?” I asked going closer.

“You have a red purse,” he said looking at my hand and I nodded. I wanted to die at the sight of him. He looked better than ever. He was wearing a black suit and jacket with no tie on and I was drooling all over the floor.  And it might have been the fact that we were free to eye fuck each other but I was doing that exact thing. I wanted to jump him and have a quickie in the stairs; I didn’t want to go out at all.

“How about not going out and have sex all night long?” I asked walking towards him. He put his arms around my waist

“It would be a shame not to wear our outfits on a night out,” he said with his forehead against mine.

“We could wear them while having sex. That’d be hot,” I said smiling “That’d be hot, true but I see what you are doing. We are going out tonight,” he said grabbing by my hand and walking me to the limo that was waiting for us. “May I take your coat?” he asked and I shook my head.

“Not ready,” I said going into the car.

“Not ready for what?” he said once he climbed through his side of the limo.

“To reveal the dress,” I shook my head.

“Can I see a tiny bit, please?” he asked pouting.

“Nope,” I said and he didn’t ask anymore. Truth was I knew he’d love the dress but I was too nervous to think about the dress and going out to the party so I decided that I would do it once we were in the club; a dark environment that allowed me to NOT think for a few minutes once the dress was revealed.

“How come Regina’s birthday dinners are always at your place?” I asked checking my lipstick on my compact.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged “I missed so much of her childhood milestones, every single cute and funny detail because I was in college that when I got this place 8 years ago we had her 10 year old birthday party in here, as time went by it became just a birthday dinner but every year she asks me
“are you celebrating me this year, big brother,”
I can’t say no,” he is smiling the smile he only gives to Regina. He really loves his sister.

“Well, I love it that you take the time to be in her life,” I said nodding and giving a squeeze to his hand.

As we went closer to the party I began to fidget in my seat, I was nervous and anxious and excited.

“You are freaking out,” he said looking out the window. How the hell did he do that? He knew how I was feeling without even looking at me.

“I know,” I said nodding. There was no reason for me to lie.

“What are you nervous about?” he asked looking at me.

“Well, how are we going inside? I mean I was present during the planning of the party so I know that there’s going to be a red carpet,” I was already cracking my knuckles.

“Don’t do that,” he said taking my hands into his. “You can stay behind me as always,” he said “What are we going to say if they ask about us? That fucking picture of New Year’s is still everywhere and there’s the picture of you trying to kiss me last week in New York,” I was about to throw up.

“Relax, if they ask I’ll just say no comment. We are not lying. We’ll address that some other time,” “Ok,” I nodded “ok,” I said again. I looked out the window and realize we were really close to the club. I could clearly see the purple lights that lit up the red carpet (it was actually purple).  “Wow we got here fast,” I said checking my make up again in the compact “I guess I should take this off,” I said unbuttoning my coat “Where’s the rest of your dress,” said Patrick with a grin on his face.