Imperfections (19 page)

"No. I won't be happy until this whole mess is settled." We sit in an uncomfortable silence. She puts her hands on the table and stands.

"Are you finished interrogating me? I'm going downstairs."

"I thought we were having a friendly conversation."

"Please, you haven't been friendly to me since the night Cat came home."

"If you didn't make your big announcement, we could've figured this out quietly and we would still be on friendly terms. I don't like to be blindsided and that's exactly what you did when you decided to announce to your family we were engaged."

"I'm sorry if you felt that way. I didn't see what the big deal was anyway, you don't care what people think about you."

Is she trying to piss me off? I stand up from my chair, take a step toward her, stop myself, and take a deep breath. "You're not sorry, don't look at me and give me a fake-ass apology I didn't ask for. You're right; I don't care what most people think. I think we know who most people are; that's one of the reasons you made your little announcement that night."

She knows who I'm talking about. She doesn't have to say a thing. Placing her hand on her stomach she manages to straighten her back even more, I'm surprised it doesn't snap as she stands up with her head held high. I turn around and open the door to go downstairs. Holding it open, I motion with a sweep of my hand for her to go first, even though she's a manipulative bitch. After we reach downstairs she sits down on the couch and takes a sip of what looks like ginger ale. I stand across from her with my hands in my pocket. She doesn't look so good. I wonder if it has something to do with the pregnancy.

"You don't look good."

"Gee, thanks! What every woman wants to hear." She rolls her eyes at me and leans back against the cushions.

"I didn't mean it like that. Are you okay? Are you sure everything's fine?" As much as I don't want this baby to be mine I do want it to be healthy. Whether I'm the father or not.

"I'm fine, just a little queasy. Its normal, don't worry about it."

I nod and I hear the door open. In walks Chris with a big-ass smile on his face like a Cheshire cat. "Why the hell are you smiling so hard? You look like you found out you hit it big."  He walks over to me and pats me on the back.

"You can say that. Jay and I had a bet to see which one of us could sell a multi-million dollar property first that's been on the market for a considerable amount of time. Guess who won?"

I smile back at him and shake my head. "Let me take a wild guess. You."

"Damn right."

From the couch Kate raises her head. "What's the prize?"

"My big-ass commission and a round of beers on him. You coming out with us? Guys' night out."

"Definitely. I brought those papers for you to sign; they're on the table over there."

"Cool, after I'm finished we'll head out."

"Sure, but first I need to speak to Cat."

"She's not here."

I look at Kate still leaned back against the cushions. "She's not home yet?"

"She was, then your cousin came over and they said they were going to some club in the Bronx."

Chris stops signing and turns around to look at her. "Which part of the Bronx?"

"I don't know. Some shady-sounding part."

I stare at her and throw my hands up in the air. "You let them go without finding out where?"

"Yes, I'm not their keeper, they're adults. They're free to go wherever they want to go. Cat's capable of taking care of herself; besides, your big-mouthed amazon of a cousin can help her if she gets into any trouble."

Chris finishes signing the papers and turns around to stare at her with one hand in his pocket. "You could at least act like you're a little concerned instead of name-calling."

"Are you kidding me, Chris? I showed plenty of concern when I told them, two women dressed the way they were shouldn't be out in a part of the Bronx they're not familiar with."

I laugh because I can't see her telling them that. "Did you really?"

Taking her feet off the couch she stands. "You two can stop looking at me like I'm a rotten apple and kiss my ass!"

"Why are you getting so upset and defensive, Kate? We're just concerned about them."

"So what's new? I don't see anyone concerned about me when I leave my house," she mutters under her breath as she walks up the stairs. "I'm not a fucking babysitter, next thing you'll be telling me I have to wipe her ass."

Chris and I turn to each other when we hear her parting words.

"What the hell is up with your fiancée?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?"

"She is your—" The look I shoot him stops him from finishing what he's going to say.

"Okay, let's head out to meet up with Jay. I can see you need a drink more than I do."

Ava and I finally arrive at the club after we go to her house so she can make a quick change, which took her two hours. When we get out of the cab we see Matt standing in front of the club doors waiting for us. He offered to pick us up but I decided it would be better if we took a cab after Ava asked me not to tell Nick we went out with Matt and that it was her idea to go. The neighborhood we're in doesn't seem bad. I don't see any shady-looking characters that are going to put a cap in our asses and the buildings are in good condition.

When we walk up to Matt he smiles at us. "I approve of your outfits and so will a lot of the guys inside."

Ava spins around in a full circle to give him a better look at her. She puts her arm around his neck and gives him a lingering kiss on the edge of his jaw. "I'm so glad you approve. I had to make sure I gave you something spectacular to look at."

He wraps his arms around her waist and hugs her back. "No man could keep their eyes off you no matter what you're wearing."

"My my my, you do know how to make a lady feel good about herself."

"I'm serious. You're the second best-looking thing I've laid eyes on all night."

She steps back from him with his hands still draped around her waist.

"So what beat me out for the number one spot? It better be freaking amazing or I'm going to be extremely offended."

Looking over at me, he proceeds to slowly undress me with his eyes from head to toe. The look he gives me reminds me of the first time he looked into my eyes and kissed me. I can feel my cheeks start to warm because of that memory and the sexy smile he's now giving me. I forgot how good he looks, he's even better looking now. I didn't realize the last time because I had Nick on my mind the whole night. He's tall, almost as tall as Nick, around the same build with thick brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a light growth of stubble that gives him a roguishly handsome look. No wonder he, Chris, and Nick always had a Harem of girls always hanging around them back in high school.

Seeing the way he's looking at me, Ava's face lights up. "I'm not offended at all," she says.  "I'm in total agreement with you now that I see who took the number one spot."

Now I know I'm blushing, my cheeks are on fire. I look down at my sky-high platform heels that Ava made me wear. I look back up with a shy smile and hope I don't make a fool of myself by tripping over my feet in these things. It would be like the episode of
Sex and the City
when Carrie trips on the runway in her sky-high stilettos and Heidi Klum steps over her. Fashion road kill, how embarrassing!

I stand next to Ava and Matt puts his hand on the small of my back and we go inside the club. He leads us through a crowd of people dancing. I look around the club; it has three floors and is bathed in soft white-and-blue lighting. I see scantily clad women dressed in what looks like string bikinis dancing and gyrating on poles and doing things on those poles that I didn't think was possible, whoa. I have to stop for a second and stare at what I'm seeing. I turn to Matt and raise my voice so he can hear me over the music.

"I hope they're being paid well for the tricks they're putting their bodies through."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they are. I know the owner of this club; he wouldn't shortchange his employees. He's going to pay you what you're worth, he takes care of them. They're paid." He winks at me, grabs my hand, and leads us up to the second floor to a raised table in the corner overlooking the entire first floor. Ava sits down, I sit next to her and Matt sits across from me holding my hand. I don't say anything because it feels nice, familiar. He orders us a round of drinks from one of the waitresses in a low-cut black mini dress.

Smirking at me he says, "I'm glad to see you didn't bring your bodyguard with you tonight."

My eyebrows shoot up questioningly before I ask, "What bodyguard are you talking about?"

"Nick."

"He is not my bodyguard."

"You wouldn't know that by the way he was guarding your body that night at the club. I couldn't talk to you without him looking like he wanted to knock my head off."

"He was not doing that."

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, Cat. I know you a little better than you think I do. Nick and I have been boys for years, even though we don't hang out like we used to. I know him."

I nod my head at him slowly and bite the inside of my cheek. The waitress comes over and places our drinks on the table. I take a sip of my drink and look at Ava to help me out. She is no help at all. I'm sure she heard everything Matt and I said to each other. She smiles at me and Matt, looking back and forth between the both of us, shaking her shoulders to the beat of the music.

"Ava, you know what I'm talking about, don't act like you didn't see it, he's your cousin."

Ava gets up from her chair and claps her hands together to an Usher song.

"I don't know what you're talking about and I didn't hear a word you two said to each other. This is my song. I'm going to hit the dance floor and find me a hot-ass guy to dance with. When I come back we're going to do some shots and stop being so damn intense. Forget about our problems, get drunk, and have a good time."

With that she wiggles her ass down the steps to find her a look-alike Usher, leaving me and Matt alone. He brushes the back of my hand with his fingers and I have to admit it sends a tingly sensation through my body, nothing like when Nick touches me, but it still gives me butterflies.

"What's up with you and golden boy?"

I look at him and shake my head. "Nothing."

He looks at me skeptically and licks his lips before he speaks. "I would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to see the way he was looking at you and how intense things looked between the two of you."

"Is that what you saw?"

"Yes. We're friends, right? At least I hope we're friends. You trusted me once with the most precious thing you could give to a man. I hope you can trust me enough now to tell me the truth; it's only me and you talking. What we say to each other will stay between me and you just like that night."

"Why do you care if something is going on between me and Nick?"

"I'm going to be totally honest here. I'm laying it all out. I like you, Cat. I like you a lot.  Ever since that night we had sex I've wanted you to be my girl."

Wow, this is a revelation. I never knew that.

"After that night, I wanted to call you and take you out. I never met a girl I could hold a three-hour conversation with, who I had so much in common with, but you were only seventeen. Your brothers would have killed me, not to mention your father and Nick.

"You got that right. You don't know the half of it."

"I knew I was wrong but I couldn't help it, you looked so cute and we were laughing and talking. I felt a connection with you I never felt with another girl before. I didn't see you as my friend's little sister anymore, you were just a girl and I was just a guy who had a lot in common. You seemed older than your age and you were so sure of what you wanted. I gave in to what you wanted besides my better judgment."

"I remember how sweet you were to me and how you took your time. How you talked to me after and you wouldn't leave me until you were sure I was okay. I fell asleep in your arms."

"You did. I knew that was the only night I would be with you. I wanted it to last as long as it possibly could. You needed me. You felt good wrapped up in my arms."