The Reunion (16 page)

“Will you look at the neckline of this one?”  Toni held it up.  “and it's backless to your thighs, Oh this would be ideal.  You don’t even have to have a waist.  Everyone’s eyes will be on your boobs.  They won’t even notice you’re pregnant.”

“I’d be embarrassed to wear that one to bed let alone in front of my son.”  Em looked at an Italian lace shawl and simple silk gown.  Sleeveless with a conservatively scooped neck and the back open to the waist which was empire, making the possible tummy a mute issue.  It was in cool white, leaning towards blue.  It would be perfect, if you didn’t freeze to death.   Still impractical not knowing when they would be getting married, assuming it would be during the winter.  It was still not in the real realm yet.  It was like playing at being grown up and pregnant and getting married.  She figured she probably never would get married.  After all, the chances of getting married after 30 was about as good as being hit by lightening or hitting the lotto.

"I’ve got it.  You wear that one and no one will notice me during the ceremony.  I can get married naked.”

“There you go.  The perfect wedding.  I have to find another dress to match those copper heels.  I found a demi that matched the thong but I can’t wear it under the dress.  He nailed that one.  It was the
perfect
dress.”

“Yes but with your reputation you’d be wearing the same thing twice and it would simply disappoint everyone.”

“I’m working on it.  Maybe they won’t notice if I wear my hair up.”

“Good Idea, let’s do that and I’ll see if I can still get the blue one on.”  She looked down and shook her head.  “No too late I’ve already gone up another size just while we’ve been shopping.”

“You'll never hear Charles complain.”

“Honey there isn’t a man alive stupid enough to complain.”  Em had an inspiration.  “Stop kissing Ty.”

“What?”

“Stop kissing Ty.  Don’t kiss him for the rest of the trip.”

“WHY?”

“I want to see what happens.  I’ll give you a hundred bucks if you don’t kiss him for 24 hours starting right now.”

“What if he kisses me?”

“No kissing.”

“Hundred bucks?  Starting now?  It’s 1630.  Until 4:30 tomorrow.  New York or London time.”

“Come on 24-hours is 24 hours.” Em looked at her pityingly.

“You’ve got a deal.”  Toni and her did a ritual handshake and pinkie lock. Em rubbed her hands together; someone was going to crack.

The view of the parks and lights of the season were still everywhere and the town getting ready to blow its top with the New Years Eve celebrations.  Em kept yawning and closing her eyes as she settled into Brockton's shoulder.

“You bought two blankets, a lace shawl, a rattle, and bath towel set.”  He scratched his head.  “In four hours that’s all you found?”

“And Toni’s shoes.”

“And a dress that was completely inappropriate. She said she was going to try and get back into the blue dress for the wedding, but that her boobs are too big.”

“WHAT?”  Mike choked. 

“Cover your ears Mike.”  Toni put her hands over Mike’s ears too.  “She said that the first time she got pregnant too.  She knew she was knocked up because her boobs got bigger.”

“Really, can I see?”

“Shut Up Ty.”  Em stuck her tongue out at him. 

“Charles?”

“No comment.”  Em smiled at him.  He blocked his face by putting his hand up then rolled his eyes them skyward.

“I’m depressed.”

“Me too baby.”

“You’ve nothing to worry about Toni.”  Ty leaned forward to kiss her, she turned away and she patted his cheek.

“That’s the fourth time you’ve done that.  You haven’t kissed me since we got back, but you kissed the kid and Charles about a million times.”  Em bit her lip trying to keep from smiling.  Ty caught it before she looked away. 

“If you’re finished talking about tits and ass can you move your hands so I can hear you guys.”  Mike snapped.

“Sorry kiddo.”  Toni leaned over and kissed his cheek.  “We’ll change the subject.  How was The London Eye?”

It was a lot slower than I thought but the view was unbelievable.  Ty said you could see all the way to Scotland.”

“Wow.  That sounds fabulous.  What else did you see?”

Piccadilly, I don’t get the circus part but it had nice lights; and the station where Harry Potter was filmed, King Cross I think.  And the wax museum, Charles said it made a difference if you’d seen the movie or not.  Lots of people.  The guard with the large fuzzy hat, the palace guy.”

“I know what you’re talking about Buckingham Palace, the changing of the guard and all that.  Did you see Big Ben and Tower Bridge or London Bridge?”

“Lots of bridges.  They’re making googoo eyes again.  The Tower of London where they kept the prisoners and the crown jewels or something.”

“You all can turn in.  I want to hear all about what Mike saw.”  Toni cuddled Mike from behind.

“I am tired.”  Em was kissing Charles' jaw and neck.

“I have a feeling she’s done something I’m not happy with.”  Ty looked sour.

“I have and I’ve got a hundred dollars riding on it.”  Em leaned forward and kissed him on the nose.  “Good night Ty-ger.”  She kissed Mike. “Good night baby.  Don’t keep Auntie up too long after midnight.  She needs her beauty rest.”

“Night mom.”  Mike pulled out a tourist pamphlet and started showing Toni the things they saw. 

Ty went to the bar and poured a double and watched them talk.  Brockton just shrugged his shoulders.  Em whispered something to him and he started laughing but didn’t look back at Ty, as they disappeared into the other room.  Whatever it was Ty knew he wasn’t pleased.  It was after 10 and he was feeling restless and a little geared up.

"Let's go down and listen to the bands."  Ty started gathering coats for Toni, Mike and himself.  "We should do this right and go down to Piccadilly."   He leaned down to kiss Toni after helping her into her coat and she stepped away and smiled.

"Thanks hun."  She grabbed a couple of scarves and gloves for her and Mike and led the way to the elevator.

"I've got it."  Mike smiled at Toni.  "Mom's bet you that you can't go some length of time without kissing Uncle Ty."

"You're too smart kid."  Toni gave Mike a squeeze.  "Hundred bucks for 24 hours abstinence."

"I hate that woman."  Ty pouted.  "I'm going to get her for this."

"You know she was planning on making bubbles in your bathroom in Vegas before the Pizza thing struck her, I still don't know what the duck tape was for.  It's not like the time she sent you that e-mail that added a character to all your folder names."

"That was a good one."  Toni smiled.  "She picks on Ty because he's so fun."

"No one else is a challenge.  She likes to think she's outsmarting him."

"She's conniving but she's not all that smart or she'd pick on someone else."

"She's plenty smart."  Mike snapped back.

"She's smarter than anyone thinks she is.  Sorry kid, I didn't mean it that way.  I mean that she's not smart to keep playing these little tricks."

"Whatever."

"Shit Mike.  Don't be pissed."  Ty put him in a chokehold and pounded on his head.  "With you as a co-conspirator I don't have a chance.  Two against one."

"How did she do that thing she did with the picture in her Christmas card to me?"  She had taken the picture of herself in the tub and switched the head to Ty's with his hair bright pink and makeup on.

"She took a picture from one of your school pictures and aged it and then painted your face."

"I loved the blue eye shadow.  There isn't a blond alive that should wear blue eye shadow, except for that guy from Twisted Sister."

"Who?"  Mike played dumb.  Toni laughed. 

As the crush of bodies increased she brought herself closer to Ty and put her arm around him for contact and a bit of security.  She expected it to be crowded and loud but she didn't remember being in a crush like this since the mosh pit at the weenie roast at the meadows.  Toni expected a body to go over their heads any minute.  It took them over an hour to make it to the stage at Piccadilly.  The band on stage was the third of four performing there that night.  The vibrations of the stage, ground and people were brain numbing.  Another group was set up on one of the bridges and the third in Hyde Park.  Ty worked them up to the stage and pulled a pass from under his coat and showed it to the guard.  He was every bit as big as Uncle Ty, Mike thought as he let them pass then had them sign in and get badges to wear around their necks.

"That's better."  The sound wasn't as deafening back stage but was plenty loud.  He nodded and said hi to many of the technicians or roadies.  He knew all the security people by name and stopped at a trailer parked up the alley several yards behind the stage.  It was filled in television broadcasting equipment and monitors of the three stages.  "How we doing?"  He asked the guy near the door who was calling out numbers to someone behind him.

"Terrific.  This is the best broadcast we've done for a New Years Eve.  The bands are really pumping the crowd."

"Looks like the bridge has already turned over to the headliner."

"The park is moving now.  We only have a five minute lag.  The crews are busting their asses getting the bands turned over."  Ty patted the man on the back.  "Arnie this is Toni and Mike."

"Nice…  Seven, get that girl that five is focused on…  to meet you."  He started barking out numbers again to the techs behind him.  "Who's on 14, the hand held on the bridge.  The guy is jumping all over the place."

"He's in the pit and the crowd is making his camera jump."

"We'll use it then, after the commercial break and they start the next set. I want it switched to him 45 seconds into their last song before midnight.  Tell him to get the bloody camera over his head."

"We'll let you get back to it."  Ty smiled at the others in the room.  Two had their eyes fixed on Toni and when Arnie finally turned around he almost choked on his coffee while he stared.  They exited the trailer and walked right into the lead singer of the group that had just been performing.

"Hey Rob, how's it going?"  The man was sweaty and looked angry until he saw who it was then hugged Ty like a brother.  "Kenny, Jeremy."  He nodded to the other members of the band.  The drummer was following behind "Chris."  He was smiling and shaking hands.  "Great set.  They had all of your last two songs televised, it was terrific."

"That'll up sales a might."  He watched Rob checking out Mike and Toni.  "This is Toni and Mike."  He pulled them forward.  "Rob Johnson."

"Hi beautiful."  He took her hand and pulled her forward and kissed her cheek.  "The transitions are going great mate."  He didn't release Toni's hand.  "You've a tight crew for us tonight."

"International broadcast.  We're trying to knock some time off the Vegas and LA broadcasts later.  Great night.  I was hoping we wouldn't get sleet."  He started pulling Toni back to his side.  She was laughing mischievously and flirting silently with the band.  Mike dumbly held out a pen and paper to the musicians.  They scribbled their names on the tour brochure for the Eye.

"Son?"

"Nephew."  Ty smiled.  "Wife."  He looked down at Toni and smiled.

"Keep her close mate or we'll be stealing this one away."  He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, pulled her forward and kissed her again.  "The party's at the penthouse, we'll be over in a few minutes, you should swing by."

"Maybe later."  Ty patted his back and they headed towards the stage where the new group had just taken the stage to deafening applause and shouts.  He led them backstage and covering his ears Mike started bouncing to the music.  Toni mouthed 'thank you' and squeezed his hand.  He was going to kill Em the next time he saw her.  The stage and audiences were rocking, the sets would all finish with 15 seconds and the countdown filled the darkness and boomed everywhere.  The lead singer was pumping his hand in the air as the countdown whaled through the streets in thousands of voices.  Toni was hugging the two of them enjoying the moment immensely.  He knew, this was going to cost him the hundred she'd bet Em.  He couldn’t stand it another second.  It was all he'd been able to think about since they left the suite.  As the fireworks started overhead and the Happy New Year cheer went into the night he framed Toni's face with his hands and kissed her in a very un-cousin like way.  Her response was immediate and devastating.  He pulled her tight against him and she pulled herself into his coat and strained against him.  His mind clouded and it took several moments for him to feel the hand slapping his arm.  He drew away and looked blindly at the kid.  He looked worried about something.  Then the words made the two of them smile.

"Do I have to ask someone for cab fare?"  Mike looked so worried and so upset.  Toni recovered quickest. She pulled him into an embrace and kissed both his cheeks.

"No honey.  I won't be asking for cab fare."  She suddenly laughed.  It sounded strained and a little nervous.  "But I do owe your mom a hundred bucks."  Mike suddenly laughed and rolled his eyes.  Ty reached down and lifted the kid onto his shoulders, pulling Toni close with the other arm he kissed her again.  Not as ardently but possessively.  The band was playing one of their biggest hits and the crowd began to party into the New Year.