Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (133 page)

"Well, then all we're left with is a cartoon, and the movie we already saw."

"Damn.  Well, I guess it’s 'Home for the Holidays 2' then.  You've got to love that tagline.  'Merry Christmas Mom and Dad.  I'm finally pregnant but we're getting a divorce'."

"Yeah, pretty catchy isn't it?"

She followed him into the long line in front of the ticket window.  Suddenly realizing she had to go to the bathroom, she gave Tony a plaintive look.  "Will you buy the tickets and then wait for me?  I don't want to have to trip over a million little kids while I'm trying to find you in the dark."

"No problem baby." 

When she reached the bathroom, all three stalls were being used.  With the extra-large soda that she'd drunk at lunch, she was practically dancing around by the time the first door opened. 

A pretty girl came out giving her an off handed smile.  It looked like she'd been crying, and Tory did a double take. 

"Mellenda?"

"Oh hey, Tory.  I didn't expect to run into you here.  And me looking like such a mess too."

"Are you okay Mellenda?"

"I'm all right.  Just got into a big fight with my boyfriend.  But then everybody's extra stressed over the holidays huh?  Does your family live up here?"

"Yeah, well my mom and stepdad.”  Not that she really counted them as family but.  .  . 

"Oh that's nice.  Well, you have a merry Christmas Tory."

"You too Mellenda.  Thanks.  I hope things get better for you with your boyfriend."

"I doubt it Tor, but it's nice of you to say so."

By the time Tory had finished using the toilet and exited the stall, practically being shoved aside by a weary looking young mother, two little boys in tow, Mellenda was gone.  She washed her hands and left the bathroom, getting back to the lobby in time to see Mellenda throwing her arms around Tony. 

Tony gave her an apologetic look over the other girl's shoulder.  When Tory reached them, she heard Mellenda saying "Oh Anthony, it's so good to see you.  I didn't know you had family up here."

"I don't." He turned to Tory.  "My girlfriend does."

"Oh, Tory.  I'm sorry.  I didn't know you two were dating.  I keep screwing everything up today."

"It's okay Mellenda."

Had it been anyone from school besides Mellenda, who had at least always been friendly, it wouldn't have been.  But the girl was obviously having a bad day.  Why did she need to make it worse she thought? 

"Well, I guess I'll let you two get to your movie." Mellenda still looked uncomfortable. 

Giving her a smile that she hoped would put her at ease Tory said "Do you want to come with us?  I mean, if you're not busy."

"Thanks Tory, but I'd better get out of here.  Enrique took off a while ago, so if I don't want him to leave without me I'd better see if I can find him."

"Do you need a ride somewhere Lin?"  Tony said. 

Ugh, now that bothered her she thought, Tony calling her 'Lin’.  'Lin’ sounded a bit too familiar for Tory's tastes. 

"No Anthony.  He wouldn't really leave me here.  I'm sure he's wandering around the other side of the mall.  We had such a terrible fight.  I'd better find him before he gets any angrier, thinking I left HIM.  You two have a merry Christmas."

She gave them a wave and took off out of the movie theatre. 

"So," Tory said as they walked back to the section of the theatre that was showing their movie.  "How do you know Mellenda?  Or ‘Lin’ as you call her."

"Chill, Tory.  Stick that green eyed monster back in your pocket.  We went out a couple times.  Nothing serious."

"Did you have sex with her?"

“Tory, it doesn’t matter whether or not I had sex with Mellenda.  I love you.  No other woman has meant a damn thing to me since I met you.”

“So you did have sex with her.”

Tony gave her a warning look.  “Chill baby.  I don’t have any weed to calm you down.”  He smiled to let her know he was teasing.

“Ha ha Tony.  Let’s just go see this stupid movie.”

"Tor, are you okay?"

"Of course Anthony."

He gave her a funny look, but she threw him back a tight smile, following him into the crowded theatre.  They managed to find a seat on the aisle so at least they weren't trapped on both sides by mothers with screaming kids.  She didn't know why, but it seemed like Tony was the only male in the whole theatre over 18.  Fathers didn't seem to exist in the crowded mall theatre on the day before Christmas. 

The movie was pretty stupid, and there were so many people that it seemed to take forever for them to get out of the theater.

"Let's get out of here," she said when they'd made it safely out of the theatre.  "If I ever see this many people again toting around screaming children I swear I'll go crazy."

He laughed.  "So it'd be a good idea to wait on kids?"

"Are you kidding me?  Maybe you'll be able to convince me to have kids when I'm thirty, but I highly doubt it."

"You would make a really hot mother." He put an arm around her as they headed towards the door. 

“Shut up Tony.”

"Baby, baby baby." He put his arms around her when they had reached the car.  "I think you need to get laid."

"I don't need to get laid.  I need you to stop talking about Mellenda like she's a goddess."

"Oh Tor.” He buried his head in her hair.  "I'm an asshole aren't I?"

"Yes you are.  Teasing me about getting laid."

"What if I wasn't teasing?  What if you took so long in the mall that I rented us a room for the next four nights at that little motel across the street?"

"You didn't.  Besides, you couldn't possibly afford it."

"It was pretty cheap.  It's kind of a dump.  I told the dude that we were on our honeymoon, but with it being the holidays we might not be using the room all the time with all the family stuff.  He was fine with it as long as he got his money."

He pulled a key attached to a faded plastic keychain out of his pocket, giving her a triumphant smile. 

"What if I'm too mad at you to have sex with you?"

"Oh darlin’, it's all the better then.  I have ways to make you want me even when you are pissed.  I love it when you've got that fire in your eyes."

"You said four nights.  We're still staying at Lindsey's right?"

"Of course.  No way in hell are you going to mention our room to your stepdad.  We've got tonight.  Well, we'll use the room for a couple hours, and then head back to your mom's before they get home.  We might get a chance to sneak off tomorrow.  I think I like you much better when you're not sexually frustrated."

"I like me much better too."

She gave him a kiss, getting into the passenger side of the car for the drive to the motel.

Once they had pulled into the parking lot of the rundown motel, they got out of the car and she followed him to their room.  She stood back as he opened the door, looking at the room as he flipped on the light.  There was a queen size bed with a faded comforter, a small nightstand with a telephone sitting on it, a dresser with an old TV that had bad reception, and a tiny bathroom with a shower stall. 

At least the towels in the bathroom looked clean she thought, and they still smelled of bleach. 

"So what do you think?"  He shut the door and smacked the top of the TV to see if he could get the picture to come in better. 

"I think that whatever you paid for this place was too much."

"It's not that bad Tor.  At least it's clean.  The sheets smell like laundry detergent and not piss." 

"You are so nasty Tony."

"C'mere baby and I'll show you how nasty I can be." He motioned for her to join him on the bed. 

They spent the next hour engaged in blissful foreplay that led to urgent can't take it anymore sex, followed by a short nap.  Then they showered together to conserve water.  It was a good thing they did because the hot water ran out pretty quickly. 

When she was dressed again and feeling ever so much better Tory said "I'm hungry.  Let's stop and get something to eat on the way home."

"Are you sure you're not pregnant?  You seem to be awfully hungry all of a sudden."

"I'm a growing girl.  Shut up about pregnant or I'll wait to get pregnant until science has figured out a way for the man to carry the child."

"Good luck with that one."

He turned the thermostat up enough so that it would at least kick on every once in a while while they were gone, flipped the light switch off and turned the lock on the door as they left the room. 

"So are we gonna end up back at the mall food court so we can afford to eat dinner?"  Tony said, as they got back in the car, Tory in the driver's seat once again. 

"As you can see by our luxurious accommodations, the further you get out this way, the lower the tax bracket.  There's a really good Italian restaurant a few miles up the road.  Let's hope that they're still open."

"Sounds good to me."

The open light was still on when they reached the restaurant and the place was pretty crowded.  They were seated at a small booth in the back and both ended up ordering the lasagna, though Tony ordered the large plate where Tory ordered the small.  They left just over an hour later both stuffed.

Tory didn't really want to go back to her mother's house but there wasn't much else for them to do this late on Christmas Eve.  The only places that were going to be open after the next couple hours would be the convenience stores that never closed. 

"So I guess it’s back to Lindsey and Langston's then, huh?" She sighed as she pulled out into traffic.

"Guess so.  We should be able to find something to watch on TV huh?"

"But you're not going to let me cuddle with you on the couch.  You'll still be too afraid of Langston coming after you with a butcher knife to let me touch you again."

"Didn't I let you touch me enough in the motel room?"

She stuck her tongue out at him.  “Will you at least hold my hand?"

"I think I could probably manage that if you manage not to get your girl cooties on me."

She rolled her eyes at him for paying back her grade school gesture with a grade school comment; and drove slowly towards her mother's house, taking the longest route possible.

Langston's car was still gone and she was glad not to have to deal with her mother or stepfather.  If she was really lucky she thought Langston and Lindsey would get home late again tonight.

They went in the house, settling on the couch.  Tory left Tony in control of the remote. 

"Damn," he said after he'd scanned the whole onscreen program guide twice.  "All these channels and still nothing decent to watch.  And you wonder why I don't have cable."

"I think its satellite."

"Same difference.  Think they'd mind if we got a pay per view?  It's the only thing that I could find remotely worth watching."

"Like they'd notice if their bill was a few dollars higher.  And I sure as hell don't give a shit.  Go ahead."

"I'll pay them back for it."

"Langston would probably laugh in your face if you tried to give him five bucks for a stupid movie.  Don't worry about it."

He pushed the button on the remote to order the movie.  When it dialed out he got a funny look on his face.  "I thought you said they didn't have a home phone."

"I didn't know they still did.  I thought they got rid of it.  Why?"

"You didn't bother to try the home phone when you called your mom."

"Oh geese Tony." She was irritated.  "We got here in one piece didn't we?  And it's not like she bothered to call me back after I left that message now did she?  Have you not noticed the way my mother acts?  She barely said hello when we got here and has she said a word to me since then?  She didn't care enough to tell Langston your name, if she remembered it with her alcohol fogged brain.  I promise you that I'll be civil to my stepfather while we're here.  He at least sort of deserves it, besides the fact that he threatened to chop your penis off, and that he mentioned setting me up with some loser right in front of you, like I was supposed to dump you right then and there because I was so hot to go out with some loser rich kid who I'd probably never see again."

"I don't think he meant it that way when he mentioned wanting to set you up with that guy.  He was trying to be helpful."

"No, he was trying to pawn me off on someone so they could busy themselves getting drunk like usual.  Quit defending him.  He threatened you and you still defend him.  Don't be like my dad forever defending my mother after all that she's done to ruin my family."

"C'mon baby.  Let's watch the movie.  No more arguing.  This one's supposed to be really good.  You should like it.  People die in it."

She had to laugh because she'd once told him that she didn't like to read a fiction book that nobody died in.  He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.  She was surprised when he kept his arm around her, but she loved him for it. 

The movie was pretty good she had to admit.  She stood up and stretched when it had ended; yawning though it was still early.  "We may as well head to bed.  We've got a long day of torture ahead of us tomorrow."