36 – Alex
Joey was inside, with Jade and the baby, and I was outside with Oliver, enjoying the cool evening, after our dinner at the club. Oliver and Jade had invited us back to their place for some drinks and we’d agreed, only because Joey wanted to meet Hiro, Oliver and Jade’s son.
My gaze kept going back to the woman inside and each time it did, Oliver sniggered.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, give it a rest, will you?” I chuckled, as Ollie sniggered for what seemed the hundredth time and I rolled my eyes at him.
“What? I’m enjoying this. And to think, you used to give me shit, when I looked at Jade like that.”
“Like what?“.
“Like you want to put a ring on it.”
“Pfft.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at my best friend. “You know that’s the last thing I want,” And it v was
I wasn’t the marrying type. I didn’t want kids. I didn’t want to attach myself to someone for the rest of my life. Sure, I could see Ollie was happy, but he had little to no freedom, now baby Hiro was here, and sure, the kid was cute, but no. It wasn’t something I wanted.
“And what if it’s something she wants?”
I rolled my eyes at my best friend. “We’re not together, she’s here for a holiday, Oliver. If she wants kids and to get married, then she can go for her life. It just won’t be with me.”
“Uh huh.” Ollie chuckled. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”
“Meaning?” I squinted at him.
“You keep looking at her, Alex. And Sota gave me the card…” Oliver pulled the Jade Dragon card from his pocket and held it up. There were the strike marks on it, from how many women I had turned down, but there was also some writing.
“What has the big ass written on there?”
“That Joey turned up, and you lost your voice, and turned into a teenage boy.”
“Fucking asshole.”
Oliver chuckled and tucked the card back into his pocket, tapping it. “I will keep this, and give it back to you one day when you’ve married her.”
“It’s not happening Ol-
“What’s not happening?”
I blinked and lifted my gaze, noticing both women had come out of the house, and Joey was bouncing baby Hiro on her hip, cooing at him. My stomach flipped and I lowered my gaze, as she looked at me, smiling
*Fishing” Oliver replied, pulling Jade into his lap. “We were planning on going fishing, but Alex is too busy.”
“Oh, and he’s got Joey here. Going fishing would be rude. Jade stated, peering at me and I nodded.
“It would “I looked back up at Joey, who was still cooing at Hiro and again, my stomach flipped. For fuck’s sake, this
Worman
Joey looked at me and smiled, stepping forward and she started to move Hiro.
I shook my head. “Oh no, I don’t-
“Nonsense,” She said, plopping baby Hiro into my lap and I had to grab hold of him, to stop the chunky little thing from falling. Hiro looked up at me and started smiling and I pursed my lips. “See, Jade. You have to be more forceful with a Kazumi. They’re tough on the outside, but on the inside, they’re soft and gooey.”
I rolled my eyes and looked at Oliver, who was cackling like a mad man and then I looked at Joey.
“Oh, sorry. Am I ruining your tough guy image?” she giggled, and I stared at her, ignoring the squirming child on my lap. “Okay, okay.”
She picked Hiro up and put her back on her hip, cooing at him.
“Aww, Uncle Alex doesn’t like bubbas. We’re going to have to see if we can change that, aren’t we, handsome little man.”
“Sweetheart, why don’t you and Joey put Hiro to bed, and then we can sit and chat for a little.” Oliver said, kissing the side of his wife’s face and she nodded, lifting herself from his lap.
They took the baby inside and left Oliver and me by ourselves again.
Oliver stared at me, and I returned it. “What?”
“She definitely wants kids.”
“So? Like I said, it’s not going to be with me. She’s here for-
“A holiday. Yeah, you said that earlier, Alexander.”
“Then why are you still pushing it, Oliver?” I asked, amusement hitting my tone. We were like this all the time. At each other, picking and prodding, but I still would take a beating for him, in a heartbeat. And even though I didn’t like kids, I would always be there for his family too.
“Because you’re thirty–two, with no partner and no life.”
“Oh, because you are just the picture of stability.”
“Hey, jerk face,” Oliver chuckled, “Just because we aren’t living together anymore, and I’m happily married, with a baby, getting a fuck at least every other night, doesn’t mean you can be mean.”
I chuckled and picked up my drink. “Fine.”
“So..
“Ollie..”
“I just want to know something Just one thing.”
“Ugh.. What?” I asked and I knew what was coming. He was going to ask me if I was going to let Joey just walk away, after this holiday.
“Is getting involved with her, worth ruining your connection with your brother?”
Nope. That was not what I thought he was
was going to ask
“What connection? The last connection I had with Jake, was my fist, breaking his nose. As far as I am concerned, he is my brother, in name only.”
“Wow.. so, what happens, when he finds out what happened before the wedding?”
I had thought of that.
What would I say?
Oh, oops. I didn’t realize who I was fucking?
Well, it would be the truth, but I knew it still wouldn’t go down very well with him and if mom found out, well there would be a lot of explaining to do.
“I just want to know, is the worth it?”
Just as I was about to answer, the girls came back out
Jade curled herself up on Oliver’s lap, and I smiled at the scene of the huge idiot loving on his wife, wrapping his arms around her.
Joey sat in the armchair next to mine and I turned my head, smiling at her and she returned it. She had a soft glow to her and for the first time since had seen her at Jake’s wedding, she looked content. Looking back to Oliver, I saw him raise his eyebrow and I nodded at him
“Yes.” I replied to his last question, and he smiled, because we both knew, when it came to Joey–I was fucked.
