Heavy: A Contemporary Romance (28 page)

Cali

It was just getting dark by the time I pulled into the garage of my new home in Las Vegas.

I say ‘new’ because I just spent the afternoon making Eric an offer he couldn’t refuse to purchase his vacation home from him. With Bernie’s help and negotiation skills, Eric agreed on ten percent above asking price along with my promise that I’d personally pack up and move all his artwork and other belongings into storage. I couldn’t wait to start painting over the purple and tearing down all the mirrors!

Thatch and I had both agr
eed to take things slow. He insisted that we couldn’t disrupt Thaddeus’ stable home life until we were completely sure we were making the right decision.

Translation: He needed more time to make sure he was ready to
take a chance on me.

I certainly could’
ve afforded to buy a bigger property in a nicer neighborhood, but why do that when I wasn’t exactly sure how long I would be there – and I loved my neighbors. At the back of my mind, there was also the thought that if I went too big and grand, there was no way Thatch would ever consider sharing the space with me if we ever ended up going down that road in the future. A small house in the suburbs was affordable and perfect.

“Well, welcome home Miss Huntington,” Zak said, stepping through the bushes that separated his driveway from mine.

“Have you been lurking in the foliage all day anticipating my return, Mr. Solano?” I teased, giving him a big hug.

“I
have
been a bit of a curtain-twitcher for the last twenty-four hours… I’m not gonna lie.”

“I have some exciting news, my curtain-twitching friend.”

“Oh, yeah? You and your hot and hunky tattoo man finally proclaimed undying love for one another and are going to live happily ever after in a big castle made entirely of ice, surrounded by a moat filled with angel dust and fairy wings?”

I rolled my eyes at him as I laughed
. “Not quite yet. But, he’s at least going to give us a try. We’re ‘taking it slow’,” I added, using air quotes to demonstrate whose idea it was to take it slow.

“Ah
. At least it’s a start, girly.”

“Yep
. What I was actually going to say is that you have a new neighbor.”

“What do you mean?”
Zak asked, eyebrow arched.

“I just bought this house from Eric.”

“Oh my God, that’s wonderful news!” Zak exclaimed, grabbing me by the waist and spinning us both around. “Come on, let’s go tell Tony and Hayles. There might even be some of Tony’s killer chili in it for you… if you play your cards right.”

***

It was after ten that night, as I lay lounging on my couch catching up on several weeks’ worth of
Vampire Diaries
episodes, that I heard the sound of the front door opening. I’d cut Thatch a key and given it to him before he left L.A.

He climbed over the back of the couch and
scooted his way in next to me, so my legs were across his lap and the side of his body pressed tight to mine.

“Hi,
” he smiled, kissing me on the nose.

“Hi,” I smiled back, pulling him in a little closer for a real kiss.

“What are we watching?” he finally asked after I greeted him properly.

“
The Vampire Diaries
. You ever seen it?”

“I don’t really watch much T.V.
,” he replied apologetically. “Fill me in on what I’ve missed.”

“You’re going to regret you ever asked me that,” I giggled.

Thirty minutes later…

“But wait, you said her name was Elena.”

“It is. The same actress is also playing her doppelganger, Catherine. When she’s cute and sassy, she’s Elena. When she’s fierce and bitchy, she’s Catherine. When she’s Catherine she is all over Stefan like white on rice. But Elena is hot for Damon.”

“Damon’s the one with the squinty eyes and the drinking problem?”

“Yeah, only it’s not really a problem, as all vamps apparently drink a lot to lessen their blood cravings… or something like that.”

“The guy has had almost a full bottle of scotch in the thirty minutes I’ve been watching
. Call it what you want, but that’s a problem,” Thatch grimaced. “Stefan’s the perpetually sad-looking one, right?”

“Yes, only that guy on screen now isn’t Stefan, but Silas
. Stefan has a doppelganger, too.”

“You’re just fucking with me now, aren’t you?” Thatch laughed.

“Oh, if only I were,” I laughed back. “You miss a single episode of this show and there’s a chance you’ll never catch up to what’s going on.”

The closing credits began to roll and Thatch breathed out a heavy sigh of relief.

“Thank God. I thought I was going to have to break up with you if you made me watch any more of that crap.”

“Don’t
diss the C.W., man,” I said in mock-horror. “You’re not
supposed
to follow the plotlines. You just have to look at all the pretty people and enjoy.”

“This coming from the girl who was watching a silent film the night I met her.”

“What can I say, I have varied tastes when it comes to television,” I giggled.

“I think I may need something with a bit more substance,” Thatch said, settling in to rest his head against my side, putting his feet up on the couch so we were almost in spooning position.

“By substance, do you mean action?”

“Maybe
. What else you got saved on that DVR of yours?”

I settled back against his chest and pulled up my long list.

“Oh, I’ve heard of
Game of Thrones
,” Thatch exclaimed from behind me. “Rufus is always telling me I need to watch that show.”

I rolled my eyes
although he wouldn’t be able to see it from his position. God, help me now. If he thought
Vampire Diaries
was a challenge to follow,
Game of Thrones
might just make his head explode.

“Let’s start with episode one, then,” I suggested.

Thatch

“It’s nice hanging out like this, Thatch,” California said after we’d watched an episode of
Game of Thrones
. “I think this might be the longest we spent alone, without jumping each other’s bones.”

“Would you be mad if I told you
that’s pretty much all I’ve been thinking about since I got here?” I replied.

“Oh
, thank God I’m not the only one. Bedroom. Now,” she said, turning off the T.V.

***

“A heart-shaped bed is not as comfortable as one would expect, is it?” I said as I pulled California in for a post-coital snuggle.

“Oh
, I don’t know. I was thinking of keeping it,” she answered. The gleam in her eye told me she was joking.

“What are your plans for this house, anyway?”

“I’m thinking of tearing down that wall in the living room and expanding the kitchen a little. And, of course, new paint throughout. I was hoping you might like to give some input on some of the changes. If you’re planning on staying over often, I’d love to turn one of the two guestrooms into a room for Thaddeus. Or is it too soon to be thinking like that?”

“Maybe
. I don’t know. It might be nice to start off with staying here with him on the weekends – bearing in mind I have four-day weekends most of the time.”

“He does love that pool…” Cali added with a smile.

“That he does,” I smiled back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“We still haven’t had the money talk yet, have we?” she said hesitantly.

“I know,” I responded with a sigh. “I don’t need or want your money, California.”

“Yeah, I know that
. But we still have to acknowledge the fact that I have a lot of it.”

“Which is why I’m a little surprised you bought this house.”

“Would you be comfortable if I bought a huge mansion or rented a permanent suite in a luxury hotel?”

“No.”

“Well, there’s your answer then.”

“Will you be happy here?” I asked.

“In Vegas, or in this house specifically?”

“Both.”

“Yes – to both. I love this house just because I love my neighbors. I love the little neighborhood and feel safe here. I love the fact that the house can be altered to fit my – our – needs, and I love the fact that it isn’t too much of a stretch to imagine you and Thaddeus moving in here with me one day, even if it’s only until we find a place together sometime in the distant future,” California said.

“I’m living with my dad because I’ve been saving money for Thad
deus. For his college and eventually the plan was to buy my own home. I could’ve easily afforded to move out of the shop a while ago. It was just easier before Thaddeus was in preschool to have my dad there to watch him while I was at work. It was a way to keep an eye on my dad, too. I don’t think he needs me as much anymore. I won’t ever be a kept man, California. A life with me would be much… smaller… than the one you’ve grown up in.”

“
Well,
that
life didn’t exactly end up being so great as it turns out. A smaller life would be a good thing. It’s what I want,” she added. “Besides, if you ever move in here with me, those H.O.A. fees aren’t going to pay themselves,” she joked. “I was also thinking about trying to do some of the renovations myself.”

“By that you mean you’re going to have me painting and knocking down walls, don’t you?”

“Pretty much,” she giggled.

Cali

Thatch left early to make sure he was home in time to have breakfast with Thaddeus
. Having to leave so early to do that was going to get old and tired very soon. The thought of him and Thaddeus eventually living with me just filled me with an unbelievable sense of jubilation and happiness.

“Can I assume from that grin on your face, girlfriend, that you had a little company last night after you left here?” Zak asked as he served up my oatmeal and blueberries.

“Maybe…”

“Good for you, Cali,” he winked
.

“Is Thaddeus coming over again soon?”
Hayley asked from behind her big bowl of cereal.

“He might be spending the weekends with me starting soon,
Hayles. Thaddeus and his daddy.”

“Oh goody!” the little girl said, clapping her hands in delight.

“You almost done, Hayles?” Tony called from the other room. “I’m leaving for work in five minutes and you’d better be ready!”

“Coming, Daddy!”

I turned to Zak. “And what are your plans for the day, mister?”

“Something tells me that if I say ‘nothing’ that’s going to change very quickly,” he replied with an exaggerated grimace.

“I have an entire house to start packing up before the movers I hired get here on Monday,” I said with puppy-dog eyes.

“Let me guess
. You don’t know where to get packing boxes from, do you?”

“Mr. Sol
ano, sir, it appears you know me too well.”

***

As it turns out, apart from Eric’s artwork and the furniture, he didn’t keep a lot of stuff in his vacation home. There were, thankfully, no piles of junk that usually accumulated when you lived somewhere full-time for an extended period.

“Personally, while I remain firmly on team Damon,
I’ve never fully recovered from Alaric’s death,” Zak said as he finished packing a large poster-sized and framed photograph of a naked man into a protective box.

“The rumor is that he might be back next season,” I answered, reveling in the fact that my neighbor was a
Vampire Diaries
fan, too.

“Oh my
God, I hope so! His bro-mance with Damon was one of the main reasons I watched the show. That and the fact Jeremy is such a closet queen.”

“You think
? I don’t get a gay vibe from him.”

“Are you kidding me
? Have you seen the way he looks at Matt Donovan!”

“Stop, Zak
! You’re going to make me drop this damn picture if you make me laugh anymore!” I cried.

“Come on,
girly, we’ve been at this long enough. Time for a break anyway,” Zak chuckled as he pulled me out of the bedroom and back to the kitchen.

“So
, is he excited for the big final tomorrow?”

“Oh my God, I completely forgot
! Thatch has a lot of tickets for family and friends and he asked me to see if you, Tony, and Hayles wanted to come,” I said apologetically.

“For sure we do
! Are you kidding me? You’re going to be there too, right?”

“I think so
. He wants me to, but I’m worried about the press focusing more on the fact I’m there than on him.”

“Who cares
? He doesn’t seem like the type to give two shits about all that. You’re coming and that’s that.”

“Well, in that case, we’re going to have to wear the T-shirts my publicist Ruby had overnighted to me,” I smiled.

“Oh no! Now you’ve gone too far,” Zak teased. “Let’s see these T-shirts and they’d better not be yellow. Yellow and my skin tone can never be friends.”

I rolled my eyes at him
. “No, no yellow. Check them out – they’re in that box over there.”

Zak pulled out a black T-shi
rt and held it up to read. On it was written:
ABAS supports Team Thatch!
Underneath was the Anorexic and Bulimia Society logo in a bold red.

“Very nice
! How did she get all this done so quickly?” he asked, clearly impressed.

“That woman is a force to be reckoned with
. If she had her way, I’d be on
Good Morning America
doing an interview tomorrow. As it is, she’s already setting me up to be featured in a series of ABAS commercials and we compromised that I would do some local interviews to start off with while I’m working on my house.”

“You’re going to be a busy girl
. You still thinking about college?”

“Yeah, maybe
. Let’s see how we all get through the next few weeks first,” I said, pouring him a glass of orange juice.

“At least the tabloids haven’t caught on to where you’re living yet,” Zak replied, sitting down at the kitchen table.

“It’s not for lack of trying. Thatch has to do a lot of maneuvering to lose them when he comes over. It’ll all die down once we give a few interviews. They just want us on record. Once we come clean and there’s really nothing else to report, the whole thing will die down and we can get on with our lives.” I hoped.

“Everything’s going to be just fine, Cali, you’ll see,” Zak smiled.

I hoped that was true, too.