You're My Little Secret, chapter 13
The flight seemed long because I couldn't sleep but I read an entire book and watched a movie, which helped the time go by. I was just eager to get to the venue and get reacquainted with the world I was so accustomed to living in, a world I had come to miss. I felt like I had been slapped in the face a few weeks back when I met Ian's mom, for some reason she made me feel grateful for the tight knit family I had within the guys. And it made me realize that I wasn't about to give it up because of my past issues with Tre.
Finally I arrived at the venue and I couldn't wait to see everyone. I walked around a corner and spotted Mike leaning against a wall talking to someone I didn't recognize. He saw me and broke into a big grin.
"Ava." He said simply, pulling me into a hug. "I'm so glad you're here."
I hugged his tall, lanky frame and smiled up at him. "I missed you Mikey."
"God, I've missed you too. It seems like we've been gone for forever." He said pulling away finally and running his hand through his hair. "Feels like we haven't spoken properly in weeks."
"It does seem like I haven't talked to you in forever." I replied as Billie Joe walked up to us and I found that I didn't feel any repulsion or anger towards him as he pulled me into a half hug. "Adi will be glad you're here." He mumbled as way of greeting. I was willing to put my anger with him aside after our little stand-off in Canada, we just both needed to mind our own business.
"And where is my darling sister?" I asked excitedly.
"She's getting something to eat while the boys are off playing with Tre." Billie Joe answered.
I raised an eyebrow at my brother-in-law. "You willingly let your children play with him without a chaperone?" I teased. "Last time Tre ended up falling through a coffee table."
Billie Joe cringed. "Yeah, Adi isn't too happy about him entertaining them when there's all kinds of shit that can be broken around here, but she needed a fucking break, she's tired."
"K, well I'm going to go hunt her down." I said patting his shoulder and walking towards the makeshift cafeteria.
I felt really renewed for some reason, like my month away from everyone was just the mental vacation I needed to realize that I do love these people, regardless of their chaos and their drama. And needless to say I was more than excited to see my sister again.
I spotted Adrienne sitting at a corner table with her feet propped on a chair, nursing a Dr. Pepper and scowling. She looked up when I was a few feet away and broke into an enormous grin.
"Hey bitch!" She called, standing up to give me a hug. "I didn't think you'd be here so early."
I kissed her cheek and sat down in the chair she had kicked out with her foot.
"How goes it my spoiled wench?" I teased.
"Eh." She simply said shrugging her shoulders. "Better now."
"Sooo Billie Joe informed me that you have allowed your only two children to spend time with uncle Tre... I would have thought you would have learned after last time. Do you have your medical card handy?" I asked playfully.
"Oh Jesus, I know. Tre said he was taking Frankito, Joey, Jakob, and Estelle on some sort of treasure hunt. I won't be surprised if only a few of the children find their way back." She replied, chuckling. I noticed that she looked exhausted.
"How are you doing? Any news I should know about?" I asked, glancing down at her stomach as she shook her head.
"No, nothing to do with being pregnant anyway. But for some reason I just haven't been sleeping since we've been over here, which means I feel exhausted all the time. And the boys are so hyper all the fucking time. That's one of the reasons I let them play with Tre, he has just about as much energy as they do." She said grimly. "And besides I trust him with the kids, no matter how much I tease him."
Not two seconds after she said that we heard a large crash followed by Tre's unmistakable giddy laugh. I turned my head to see Tre and Joey sitting tangled up on the floor in some kind of net. The other three children were close on their heels, looking amused and giggling like crazy. Tre and Joey had crashed into one of the food tables, sending chicken wings and an assortment of lettuce everywhere. Adrienne rushed over but Billie Joe got there first.
"You ok buddy?" Billie Joe asked Joey, trying to help him up.
"I'm fine!" Tre announced. "I just bumped my head." Billie Joe laughed at his antics, but Adrienne shot him a look of death.
"What are you guys doing?" she asked in a very irritated voice.
Joey was finally able to stand up with the help of his dad. His big eyes were dancing with excitement. "Uncle Tre and I were trying to catch a cold." He answered innocently.
Adrienne looked confused, much like she did whenever Tre was involved in entertaining the kids. Billie Joe chuckled. "Well, next time be more careful, alright? We don't need any trips to the hospital."
Joey nodded and then upon spotting me ran over to give me a hug. "Aunt Ava!" he yelled launching himself into my arms.
"Hey sweetie." I said bending down to hug him a little better. "Why were you trying to catch a cold?" I asked, brushing a strand of thick brown hair off his forehead.
He motioned for me to come closer so he could whisper in my ear.
"Tre told me that's how I can bag a lady cuz if you get sick they will take care of you, like a nurse. And nurses are scorchin'. "
I tried not to smile but I couldn't help it, Tre really was a poor influence on these innocent children.
"And which lady are you trying to 'bag'?" I asked curiously. I watched as he timidly pointed to Estelle and then blushed a deep red.
"Ahhh." I nodded my head. "She is cute. But do us all a favor, Joe, don't listen to your uncle Tre, he knows NOTHING about getting a girl. Ask your mom or me for advice... and besides you're too young to be bagging a girl. Don't let yourself get tied down too early." I whispered, winking. "Okay?"
Joey nodded and then laughed before running over to Adrienne. "Mom, can I watch cartoons?"
Adrienne nodded. "I think some quiet time is a good idea; let me get Jakob and we'll all go watch some TV."
I watched her round up her boys along with Estelle and head for the entertainment room, but not before I engulfed both Estelle and Jakob in a hug. I was just about to help myself to a drink and follow them when all of a sudden I felt two familiar arms wrap around my waist and pick me up.
"Ava, where have you been all my life?" Tre said in an airy voice. He set me back down and turned me around so he could give me butterfly kisses on each side of my face, making my stomach flutter a little. It seemed like it had been a long time since we had been close like this.
I laughed. "Hi Tre. I hear you're helping Joey to 'bag' a chick." I teased poking his chest.
He leaned his head against mine; slinging an arm over my shoulder as though we were forming some sort of huddle.
"Okay, here's the plan, we're going to... ." He started to ramble something about a coloring book date but I pulled away and stepped back. "Ohhhh no, don't include me in this Don Juan. Adrienne would be none too happy if you started pimping her son out so early."
Tre grinned.
"And besides, if we're going to pool our efforts into getting a girl for someone I think it should be for Mikey." I teased, raising my voice so he could hear me.
He was standing off to the side of the room having a conversation with Jason, but he looked up upon hearing his name.
"Hardy, har, har." He quipped, but his eyes wrinkled with a smile.
"Love you. And you know I love Sidney." I said winking and turning back to Tre who was bouncing up and down, his blue eyes twinkling.
And suddenly it hit me; we were back to normal, the way we used to be years ago when our attraction to one another was less apparent and less awkward. It made my heart soar a little because right now I just wanted my friend back, and it looked like I might be getting my wish.
"Where is Frankito? He was just here, wasn't he?" I asked scanning the hallway and then looking back at Tre.
"Yeah, Claudia took him to go lay down for a bit." Tre explained.
"Ahhh. How long are they staying?" I asked.
"Too fucking long." Tre answered which earned him a slap in the arm.
"Hey! I love my son dearly, but that woman is driving me fucking bonkers!" he said, grabbing at his head as if he was a madman. "All she does is bitch."
I laughed and watched as Mike wandered back over to talk.
"How was your flight, kid?" he asked.
"It was good. I drugged myself before I got on the plane, so it was virtually a pain free experience." I replied smiling.
Mike chuckled and then we watched as Tre wordlessly wandered away and over to the food table where he started shoving chips in his mouth.
"It's a mystery to me why no woman wants to keep him around." I whispered to Mike who laughed.
"How about you and I get a drink later after the show? I would love to catch up." Mike offered.
I nodded. "I would love a night out on the town with you Mikey, it's been too long."
He smiled and then dropped a quick kiss on my forehead. "I'm glad you're here Ava." He said before turning to round up Tre so they could meet Billie Joe for their scheduled sound check.
I watched them walk away, focusing mostly on Tre who never seemed like he could be burdened by whatever was going on around him. Because I hadn't seen him in over a month it was like a swift kick in the gut, bringing me back to when I was 19 and completely enthralled in him. He was absolutely crazy back then... some things never change.
I thought about Ian suddenly and I saddened at the realization that I pushed him away from me, something that I tend to do out of habit when things don't go as planned. In my defense I would like to add that since I am 25 and not getting a day younger I am interested in dating seriously, and because of the poor reaction I received from his mother I wasn't sure what the point was in pursuing something. I respect how much Ian values his mother's opinion, but the last thing I wanted was stuffy in-laws.
But I did like Ian, a lot. There was no escaping that little voice in the back of my head telling me not to give up so easily.
So how come I still felt like Tre was everything I wanted? I guess maybe I never really was able to get over him, and that bugged the hell out of me because Tre had this incredible ability to pretend like nothing ever happened. Which ironically is what I asked him to do. It would be marvelous if I would make up my mind for two seconds.
I sighed, shaking myself from my thoughts, before grabbing a drink and heading down to watch TV with Adrienne and the kids.
Mike and I went out to a bar after their show, something I missed doing. I enjoyed talking to him on the phone, but nothing compared to shooting the shit in person, just him and me.
"How is life for my favorite heart breaker?" Mike asked as we clanked the top of our long neck bottles together in a traditional first drink toast.
"I'm in a rut." I admitted. "I'm just all turned around in my fucking head and I think I should seek help because I might be going crazy." I said sarcastically.
Mike chuckled. "Actually, they say if you think you're going crazy you probably aren't." He replied, to which I giggled.
"Stop reading those damn psychology books." I teased, nudging him under the table with my foot. "And what about you? I have not received an updates on Sidney in at LEAST two weeks."
He sighed. "Nothing too pressing to report." He admitted. "Things have been pretty quiet between us. She's been trying to get a week off work around the 4th to come out and see me, but she's been busy as fuck, which isn't rare... just annoying." He grumbled, rubbing at his eyes.
Sensing he wasn't up for talking about his girlfriend I switched subjects.
"When does Estelle leave for home?" I asked.
"At the end of this week." I watched his face fall a little as I reached over to cover his hand with my own.
"You've got me, Mikey." I offered, smiling a little as he furrowed his eyebrows together.
"Yeah, I guess you and her could be put into the same category. I'm always babysitting your ass too." He teased. "But no I'm glad you're here."
"Me too. For awhile there I didn't think I would be happy about coming out with you guys like I promised, but I've snapped out of it." I admitted as he looked concerned.
"You know, Adrienne mentioned something about you being a little distant, which she interpreted as you getting wrapped up in Ian."
I shook my head. "I'm not really into him like I was a couple weeks ago. The thing with his mother just freaked me right the fuck out." I said, glancing up at Mike as he nodded.
"Well, a mother's approval is very important. Believe me, I've been through hell and back with ex-girlfriend's parents." He replied, shaking his head. "It's not worth it."
"But you like Sidney's mom, right? You seemed to act like that meeting went fairly well." I questioned as he smirked.
"She thought I was too wild for her angelic daughter, what with my tattoos and 'wild' rock and roll band." He said as I laughed and shook my head.
"If she only knew her daughter."
"That's exactly what I thought too." He said grinning.
"Billie Joe tell you that him and Adrienne are trying to get pregnant?" I questioned as we started on another round of beers.
He nodded his head. "Yeah, he told Tre and me about it a week or so after you went home, but Tre told me later that you mentioned something about it to him while you were here that weekend in Canada." He replied. "Any news?"
"Nope, she just seems really tired. She says she hasn't been sleeping well."
Mike regarded me for a moment. "Ava, your sister has been acting weird for a couple months now." He said seriously, leaning forward across the table. "Something going on?"
I shook my head. "I mentioned something to Tre about it when I was last with you guys... I honestly haven't been around her much even when we all got back after the weekend in Canada. But I told you about the strange whisperings and then when she kind of freaked out when Billie Joe left. I don't know... maybe she's just having a hard time with the boys growing up so fast and stuff." I said quietly, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.
Mike cocked his head a little. "Something up... with you?" he asked.
I turned my beer bottle around in my hands before glancing up at him. "I feel like an ass, Mike." I mumbled. "I feel like I've been so caught up with Tre for the past seven months that I've been so far removed from things going on Adrienne... and even things with you and Sidney. I just feel selfish."
He shook his head. "That's not true, Ava. Yes, you and Tre were moving at like fucking warped speed, but you always took time to slow down and see what was going on. You're allowed to have a life, you know?" He said patting my hand.
"I know." I replied.
"No Ava, I don't think you do. I was kind of proud of you after you left, you did what you had to do and that was to take a REAL break from Tre... and from all of the bullshit around here." He said adamantly. "Good for you, kid. You've been nothing but a rock for your sister ever since you moved here five years ago, and that's great, I know you love her. But you DESERVE some normalcy and some 'you' time. And if that means telling people to fuck off for a month than so be it. I wasn't offended. And now look at you, you look refreshed and happy. AND you didn't even look like you wanted to maim Billie Joe." He teased as I smiled.
I nodded. "I missed everyone." I admitted. "I welcome feeling that way instead of resentful all of the time."
He nodded. "I know, babe, I know."
I sighed and stared a him with pretend googily eyes. "Mike, let's get married, whatd'ya say?" I joked. "We understand one another and we communicate beautifully, that's enough to make a marriage work, right?
"Oh fuck yeah, we would have such a simple existence." Mike agreed, leaning over to half hug me. "I love you, kid."
"Love you too. Maybe so much so that I can't marry you, I couldn't risk the possibility of driving our relationship into the ground. My sanity depends on you sometimes." I replied as he grinned.
"Ditto Ava girl, ditto."
A few days went by without much excitement or drama, just a lot of daily routine and entertaining the kids who had fleeting moments of boredom. Unfortunately I only got to spend a few days with Estelle and Frankito before they flew home. Mike and Tre were both sad to see their kids go, but now they weren't as concerned with making sure everyone used appropriate language and told age appropriate jokes.
The guys had a day off in Madrid, which meant Adrienne and I were going to go shopping while the guys watched the kids. It was nice to be out and about just with my sister, doing some shopping and having lunch.
"So have you talked to mom and dad?" I asked Adrienne after we had finished shopping in a local boutique.
She shook her head. "Not since last weekend. Dad mentioned something about going up and spending some time at the lake, but I haven't really heard much from them." She admitted
I frowned. "I always hated going to the fucking lake." I grumbled as she laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer as we walked.
"I'm serious." I continued. "You were always away at college when they first bought that condemned piece of shit cottage and it seemed like we went up there every freakin' weekend. My social life as a sixth grade was a disaster."
She chuckled. "Hey, I had to drive up there to see you guys when I came home for the weekends so I understand your pain." She replied.
"It's like an old person's paradise up there." I complained. "Mom and dad are so unhip sometimes it's semi-painful."
She grinned. "And we lived to tell about it.
I glared up at her. "I hate that phrase... mom always says that."
She just smiled.
Deciding that we were tired of hauling our bags around we stopped to have lunch at a quant little sidewalk café in the heart of the city.
"I'm a little sad that we never spent much time together when you were younger." She admitted after we had ordered drinks, catching me off guard with such a serious topic.
"You're ten years older than me." I replied. "What the hell does a ten year old and twenty year old have in common?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.
She shook her head. "I should have included you more in my life." She said, looking a little weepy as she pushed her silverware around in front of her.
I gave her a funny look. "Adrienne, are you okay? You're acting... you're acting weird again." I questioned as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"I've just been giving certain things a lot of thought lately and I kind of wish I could change a few moments from the past... that being one of them." She admitted as she took a sip of raspberry iced tea.
I shook my head. "Don't give things like that any more thought." I insisted. "Look how we turned out, we're closer than ever. I wouldn't have it any other way."
When our salads arrived we ate in silence, with me stealing a few looks at Adrienne across the table now and again. Something was definitely going on, I could feel it. My stomach lurched a little at the thought of more drama and more fighting, but I guess we would have to deal with it when it came about.
July 2nd, 2005
We were in Berlin to perform for Live 8, which the guys were really excited about it. It was also Billie Joe and Adrienne's 11th anniversary, a year they never thought they would see especially after last summer. But they were finally happy again, much to the relief of everyone around them.
Adrienne, the boys, and I watched from backstage as the guys hammered out a flawless performance and then stuck around for interviews and a few press conferences afterwards.
"I'm so proud of him." Adrienne gushed a few songs into their set.
I smiled at my awe-struck sister. "You're his inspiration, Adi. You and these two beautiful boys. You should be proud of making it this far." I said, as she smiled over at me, her eyes tearing up a little.
"Thanks Ava." She whispered. I nodded as Joey and Jakob continued to cling to each of my hands, cotton candy stuck to their faces and a baseball hat on their heads. They were having a good time too, and I was suddenly feeling gracious for no apparent reason.
I glanced back over at my older sister who was still grinning and tapping her foot along to "Holiday."
"Hey Adi, why don't you let me watch the kids tonight while you and Billie go out on the town and have some time to yourselves?" I offered. "I know you planned to take the boys out with you... but I'd be more than happy to watch them."
She turned to me with an uncertain but excited look. "Really? You wouldn't mind?"
I shook my head. "You two would behave for your favorite aunt, right?" I asked bending down to look at both of my nephews.
They nodded their heads as Jakob piped up. "Can uncle Tre watch us too?" he asked looking up at me with those beautiful brown eyes, I knew the ladies would be falling all over him one day. "He tells the BEST bedtime stories...besides my dad."
I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Yeah, we'll ask him when he gets off stage, k?" I said as Jakob smiled and went back to watching the show.
"Thanks so much, Ava." Adrienne said excitedly.
I smiled. Tre and I would able to behave ourselves, right? My only concern was what would happen once the boys were in bed.
Several hours later Tre and I were in the process of figuring out what the boys wanted us to order them for dinner, and we were also trying to decide which movie they wanted us to order for them off pay-per-view. Ordering dinner wasn't so hard, but trying to get them to agree on a movie was a slow moving process.
"Alright, we're taking a vote!" Tre declared after almost a half hour of the boys bickering back in forth. "Ava, you're voting too."
I shook my head. "I want a secret ballad then. None of this raising your hand business." I said as Joey and Jakob glanced over with pleading eyes, both hoping to sway me with their infamous bottom lip pouting technique.
"We're putting all of our votes in this here popcorn bowl and tallying up the results so it'll be fair. And tuck those lips in before I safety pin them to your shirts!" Tre warned, pretending to be menacing, which made the boys giggle.
I quickly scribbled down my vote, folding the piece of paper as the boys finished writing theirs down and did the same. Tre took his time, covertly glancing around the room and making a show out of covering up his answer with his hand. The boys watched in amusement as he folded his piece of paper in about forty different ways before I stood up and took it away from him and placing it in the big, red popcorn bowl.
"I'll tally up the results." I offered before Tre could. "Or we'll never get to the movie." I teased as the boys grinned.
"Yes, I suppose that would be best." Tre replied plopping down on the couch next to the kids and looking up at me with the same impatient expression that they wore.
I knew I was in for a long night when Jakob and Joey had practically pounced on Tre when he was coming off the stage, begging for him to be my co-babysitter.
Billie Joe had smiled. "Now you have three boys to baby-sit." He teased as he thanked me for volunteering to watch the kids so that he and Adi could have a nice dinner out. I also offered them my hotel room for the night so that Tre and I could watch the boys from within their two bedroom suite... we could do with the room. Tre and I had asked Mike for back-up, but he said he was feeling a little under the weather and was thankful that he could have just a night of rest and relaxation before we picked up and moved to the next city in the morning.
I had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't actually under the weather, just amused at Tre and I being paired up again.
"Ok, and the winner is... drum roll please Tre.." I said after looking through all of the pieces of paper... and holding in laughter at Tre's request to watch 'Showgirls'. Tre began his drum roll on the kitchen table. "... 'The Pacifier'." I said, as Joey cheered and Jakob's face fell.
"Aww man." He complained, rubbing his toe along the carpet.
"Don't sweat it, the losers get ice cream!" Tre declared, and that seemed to cheer up Jakob enough to sit down next to his brother on the couch once again and watch the movie. Tre joined them, which I knew wouldn't last long because he has the attention span of a small puppy.
While the three boys were piled on the couch laughing at the silly parts, I sat down at the table and pulled my laptop out, ready to do some work that I promised my boss I would complete while I was away. Tre glanced over a few times, frowning at my present laptop, as I shrugged at him and continued working. About half way through the movie he got up to grab a drink out of the fridge and plopped down in the chair beside me.
I was sitting with my legs tucked under me, a pen in my mouth, and trying my damndest not to take notice how good he smelled or how close he was sitting to me. I kept my eyes fixed on the laptop screen, answering email and jotting down a few ideas for slogans that came into my head.
And finally I couldn't take it anymore; I glanced over at Tre who had been staring at me for the past five minutes, trying to get me to look at him.
"Yes?"
He smirked. "What are you working on so intently over here?" he whispered, leaning closer to me.
"I have been appointed to come up with a new slogan and fundraising ideas for work." I said, frowning to show my less than enthusiastic attitude towards the project.
"How about 'don't rape women or you'll be forced to exercise with Richard Simmons'?" he joked, sobering immediately at the serious look on my face, which I only managed to maintain for about five seconds before I giggled.
"This is serious, Tre." I scolded. "This is a very important program on campus."
He nodded. "I know, I was just fucking around." He replied, taking a sip of his bottled water. I cursed myself when I glanced over and noticed that a water droplet was still lingering on his lips, he must sensed it too because I watched as his tongue slowly snaked out to run along his bottom lip. Good Lord.
I stood up suddenly, deciding that right then would be an appropriate time for a bathroom break. I excused myself and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind me and leaning against the counter. Get a friggin' grip...
In the bathroom I quickly flushed the toilet just for show and washed my hands before walking back out to where the boys were still watching their movie. Tre was sitting in my recently vacated seated as I came up beside him.
"What are you doing?" I asked, noticing he had pulled up some of my picture folders and was flipping through various pictures... some of which were of Ian and me.
"Just looking through some of your pictures, I hope you don't mind." He said, glancing up at me.
I shook my head. "Those are some of the ladies I work with." I said pointing to a picture of all of us at a work picnic earlier in the summer. "They're really sweet."
He nodded and brought up another picture of me standing with Ian, Ian's best friend Eric, and Eric's girlfriend Lindsay at Eric's band's gig. "Who are these people?" he asked curiously.
"Umm, that's Ian, Eric, and Eric's girlfriend Lindsay." I replied, clearing my throat. "Eric's in a band called Happy Hour. They're really good. They do a lot of Dashboard covers and Thursday covers... but they have original stuff too." I added, clearing my throat again. Why was I so nervous? Oh, yeah that's right... because this is awkward.
"Aunt Ava the movie is over, can we have ice cream now?" Jakob called from the couch. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 9:30, a little late for ice cream and I guess Tre was thinking the same thing.
"It's kind of late guys, but how about we make it up to you with a DOUBLE scoop of ice cream tomorrow?" Tre offered, as the boys hesitated for a moment before nodding vigorously.
"I want sprinkles on mine." Jakob insisted.
"And I want peanut butter pieces on mine." Joey added as Tre nodded.
"Deal." He said walking over and shaking both of their hands. "Now go brush your teeth and put your pj's on, k?" He said.
The boys obediently scrambled off the couch and headed for the bathroom as Tre walked back over to where I was still standing next to my computer.
"You're a good dad." I said, catching him a little off guard with my long overdue compliment.
"Thanks." He said smiling a little. "They're good kids."
I nodded. "But you're good with Frankito and Ramona too." I insisted as he sat back down in front of my computer. "You're not only good at fucking around, you know."
"Thanks Ava, that means a lot." He said glancing up at me as I stood behind his chair, watching him flip through old files of pictures of the band and some of Adrienne and I's family.
"I'm going to go check on the boys." I said as he paused for a moment to look at a picture of him and I last Christmas Eve. It happened to be one of my favorites so I didn't need to stare at it to see how happy we looked slow dancing in our formal wear next to a giant Christmas tree in Mike's living room. Mike always wanted a room with twelve foot ceilings so he could fill the room with a real ten foot tree, something he never had as a child. I also had pictures in that same folder of Estelle and the boys helping to decorate the tree alongside some of Mike's immediate family. There was an especially cute one of Frankito on Tre's shoulders hanging a homemade bulb on the large tree, as the two of them grinned for the camera.
I made sure the boys had brushed their teeth and of course they simply could not go to bed without uncle Tre telling them a story, and Tre was more than happy to oblige.
"How about a CLEAN one?" I teased as Tre lay at the foot of Joey's bed and I took a seat on the corner of Jakob's.
"Yeah, you two would probably absorb a little more than what I'm used to with Frankito." He mumbled before clearing his throat. "Any requests?"
The boys were silent for a moment, both thinking. "How about a story about dragons and magic?" Jakob finally said as Joey nodded his head. "Yeah that's a cool idea."
"Dragons and magic?" Tre said, scratching at his non-existent beard.
"And nothing scary." I put in. We didn't need two scared little boys crawling into bed with us later, or more specifically with him; I would take no responsibility for them having nightmares about underworlds and demons.
Pretty soon Tre had launched into this story that kind of sounded like a plot from a Harry Potter book, but with Lord of the Rings character names, and a few elements of Star Wars. The kids were so fascinated that they didn't want to fall asleep so when he was done he had to tell another story, but this one was boring... something to do with ants moving leaves or something equally boring. But it did the trick, both boys passed out almost immediately. We made sure they were covered and comfortable and that the nightlight in their bathroom was glowing before we quietly crept out of the room.
Back out in the living room we kind of stood awkwardly for a moment.
"Want a glass of wine?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, I only like red." I reminded him as he nodded his head and started digging through the mini bar for something good. I located two wine glasses from behind the bar as he emerged with something he claimed I would like.
We settled out on the balcony, making sure to keep the french doors open just a tad so that we could hear the boys in case they needed something.
"I hope Billie Joe and Adrienne had a good time tonight." I said lazily, just to fill the air between us.
He glanced over at me from where he sat stretched out on his lounger and smiled.
"Oh I'm sure they're reliving their honeymoon night." He replied as I shot him a look.
"Hey, we've talked about the boundaries of discussing their sex life." I warned as he started to chuckle. "That may be your best friend BUT that is my sister AND brother-in-law. I don't need images in my head, thanks."
"Sorry." He said, putting up his hands in surrender.
"This is really good, Tre." I said swishing the wine around a little in my glass, letting it breathe so to speak.
"I thought you would like it."
We settled into silence again, watching the lights and people hurrying around below our balcony.
"So how is everything going with Ian?" he asked suddenly, trying to sound casual.
I sighed. "Tre... "
He stopped me before I could even finish. "I'm not trying to be a dickhead, I'm asking you as a friend. If we're friends, like we say we are, we should be able to talk about this kind of stuff." He claimed.
"We don't HAVE to talk about our significant others." I replied. "There are plenty of other things we can discuss... politics, weather... uh, knitting." I said, coming up a little short of ideas in the end.
He chuckled. "But none of that is interesting to me. I haven't talked to you in over a month... I want to hear stuff that's going on in YOUR life." He insisted, glancing over at me.
I shrugged. "I'm not really sure of where Ian and I stand to be honest."
He nodded thoughtfully. "Why is that?" He questioned, leaning over to fill up my wine glass.
"I, uh, I met his mom a couple weeks ago and it didn't exactly go swimmingly." I murmured as he looked intrigued.
"His mom didn't like you?" He asked, making it sound like he was having a really hard time not laughing. "How old is HE? 19?"
I leaned over and punched him in the arm. "Hey, he's not 19." I said defensively.
I watched as he sat perfectly still waiting to hear exactly how old he is, smirking all the while.
"He's 21." I finally admitted as Tre threw his head back and laughed.
"He can BARELY buy alcohol." He said, glancing over at me with an amused expression. "This must be new for you, Ava, I don't think you've ever dated anyone your age, let alone someone younger."
I shook my head. "There is a first time for everything." I said raising my glass in the air in a toasting gesture.
He laid his head back against his chair and turned to look at me.
"He better be treating you right or I'll break his fucking neck." He said rather seriously, surprising me with his protective tone.
I nodded. "Ian is a good guy." I assured him. "But enough about me, what about you? Are you seeing anyone?" I asked, honestly not knowing whether or not I wanted to hear the answer.
He nodded a little. "I've been kind of seeing this girl Trina. I met her in a bar a couple weeks ago."
That made NO sense. "What?" I asked feeling confused. "If you met her in a bar a couple weeks ago how are you still seeing her? Is she traveling with you?"
He shook his head. "Webcam." Tre simply said, arching an eyebrow suggestively.
I rolled my eyes. "Jesus Tre." I said chuckling. "Technology really IS your best friend."
He nodded. "God Bless America. Oh, and Latin America too." He added, smirking.
I was starting to feel a little tired as the wine filtered into my system.
"I'm sleepy." I admitted looking over at Tre who appeared to be picking fuzz of his shirt.
He looked over at me, a little disappointment showing on his face. "Oh yeah? Well, you can take the bed and I'll sleep on the couch." He offered.
"You sure?" I'm shorter than you, the couch might be more comfortable for me to sleep on." I replied. "I wouldn't mind the couch."
He shook his head adamantly. "I'll be fine, I promise."
"Alright, thanks." I said standing up and fixing my shirt. "Are you staying out here a bit longer?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm wide awake." He said looking up at me. "My body is all screwed up with all of this damn traveling."
I nodded. "Well, thanks for helping me watch the kids... it was fun." I mumbled, fidgeting with the glass in my hand.
He smiled. "It was fun."
I looked down at him and almost caught my breath at how vulnerable and welcoming his blue eyes looked in the moonlight. RUN. ABORT. "G'night Tre." I mumbled, as my brain kicked into overdrive and my feet started moving.
"Sweet dreams, kid."
I hesitated as I walked through the french doors into the hotel suite, looking back at him and taking in the way his arm hung over his chair, holding his wine glass so delicately in his hand. My heart gave a small flutter at how well we seemed to be getting along. This was kind of like a test run in my opinion; if we could get through a few moments alone without fighting or bringing up unnecessary past issues between us than I think we would be okay.
Finally I arrived at the venue and I couldn't wait to see everyone. I walked around a corner and spotted Mike leaning against a wall talking to someone I didn't recognize. He saw me and broke into a big grin.
"Ava." He said simply, pulling me into a hug. "I'm so glad you're here."
I hugged his tall, lanky frame and smiled up at him. "I missed you Mikey."
"God, I've missed you too. It seems like we've been gone for forever." He said pulling away finally and running his hand through his hair. "Feels like we haven't spoken properly in weeks."
"It does seem like I haven't talked to you in forever." I replied as Billie Joe walked up to us and I found that I didn't feel any repulsion or anger towards him as he pulled me into a half hug. "Adi will be glad you're here." He mumbled as way of greeting. I was willing to put my anger with him aside after our little stand-off in Canada, we just both needed to mind our own business.
"And where is my darling sister?" I asked excitedly.
"She's getting something to eat while the boys are off playing with Tre." Billie Joe answered.
I raised an eyebrow at my brother-in-law. "You willingly let your children play with him without a chaperone?" I teased. "Last time Tre ended up falling through a coffee table."
Billie Joe cringed. "Yeah, Adi isn't too happy about him entertaining them when there's all kinds of shit that can be broken around here, but she needed a fucking break, she's tired."
"K, well I'm going to go hunt her down." I said patting his shoulder and walking towards the makeshift cafeteria.
I felt really renewed for some reason, like my month away from everyone was just the mental vacation I needed to realize that I do love these people, regardless of their chaos and their drama. And needless to say I was more than excited to see my sister again.
I spotted Adrienne sitting at a corner table with her feet propped on a chair, nursing a Dr. Pepper and scowling. She looked up when I was a few feet away and broke into an enormous grin.
"Hey bitch!" She called, standing up to give me a hug. "I didn't think you'd be here so early."
I kissed her cheek and sat down in the chair she had kicked out with her foot.
"How goes it my spoiled wench?" I teased.
"Eh." She simply said shrugging her shoulders. "Better now."
"Sooo Billie Joe informed me that you have allowed your only two children to spend time with uncle Tre... I would have thought you would have learned after last time. Do you have your medical card handy?" I asked playfully.
"Oh Jesus, I know. Tre said he was taking Frankito, Joey, Jakob, and Estelle on some sort of treasure hunt. I won't be surprised if only a few of the children find their way back." She replied, chuckling. I noticed that she looked exhausted.
"How are you doing? Any news I should know about?" I asked, glancing down at her stomach as she shook her head.
"No, nothing to do with being pregnant anyway. But for some reason I just haven't been sleeping since we've been over here, which means I feel exhausted all the time. And the boys are so hyper all the fucking time. That's one of the reasons I let them play with Tre, he has just about as much energy as they do." She said grimly. "And besides I trust him with the kids, no matter how much I tease him."
Not two seconds after she said that we heard a large crash followed by Tre's unmistakable giddy laugh. I turned my head to see Tre and Joey sitting tangled up on the floor in some kind of net. The other three children were close on their heels, looking amused and giggling like crazy. Tre and Joey had crashed into one of the food tables, sending chicken wings and an assortment of lettuce everywhere. Adrienne rushed over but Billie Joe got there first.
"You ok buddy?" Billie Joe asked Joey, trying to help him up.
"I'm fine!" Tre announced. "I just bumped my head." Billie Joe laughed at his antics, but Adrienne shot him a look of death.
"What are you guys doing?" she asked in a very irritated voice.
Joey was finally able to stand up with the help of his dad. His big eyes were dancing with excitement. "Uncle Tre and I were trying to catch a cold." He answered innocently.
Adrienne looked confused, much like she did whenever Tre was involved in entertaining the kids. Billie Joe chuckled. "Well, next time be more careful, alright? We don't need any trips to the hospital."
Joey nodded and then upon spotting me ran over to give me a hug. "Aunt Ava!" he yelled launching himself into my arms.
"Hey sweetie." I said bending down to hug him a little better. "Why were you trying to catch a cold?" I asked, brushing a strand of thick brown hair off his forehead.
He motioned for me to come closer so he could whisper in my ear.
"Tre told me that's how I can bag a lady cuz if you get sick they will take care of you, like a nurse. And nurses are scorchin'. "
I tried not to smile but I couldn't help it, Tre really was a poor influence on these innocent children.
"And which lady are you trying to 'bag'?" I asked curiously. I watched as he timidly pointed to Estelle and then blushed a deep red.
"Ahhh." I nodded my head. "She is cute. But do us all a favor, Joe, don't listen to your uncle Tre, he knows NOTHING about getting a girl. Ask your mom or me for advice... and besides you're too young to be bagging a girl. Don't let yourself get tied down too early." I whispered, winking. "Okay?"
Joey nodded and then laughed before running over to Adrienne. "Mom, can I watch cartoons?"
Adrienne nodded. "I think some quiet time is a good idea; let me get Jakob and we'll all go watch some TV."
I watched her round up her boys along with Estelle and head for the entertainment room, but not before I engulfed both Estelle and Jakob in a hug. I was just about to help myself to a drink and follow them when all of a sudden I felt two familiar arms wrap around my waist and pick me up.
"Ava, where have you been all my life?" Tre said in an airy voice. He set me back down and turned me around so he could give me butterfly kisses on each side of my face, making my stomach flutter a little. It seemed like it had been a long time since we had been close like this.
I laughed. "Hi Tre. I hear you're helping Joey to 'bag' a chick." I teased poking his chest.
He leaned his head against mine; slinging an arm over my shoulder as though we were forming some sort of huddle.
"Okay, here's the plan, we're going to... ." He started to ramble something about a coloring book date but I pulled away and stepped back. "Ohhhh no, don't include me in this Don Juan. Adrienne would be none too happy if you started pimping her son out so early."
Tre grinned.
"And besides, if we're going to pool our efforts into getting a girl for someone I think it should be for Mikey." I teased, raising my voice so he could hear me.
He was standing off to the side of the room having a conversation with Jason, but he looked up upon hearing his name.
"Hardy, har, har." He quipped, but his eyes wrinkled with a smile.
"Love you. And you know I love Sidney." I said winking and turning back to Tre who was bouncing up and down, his blue eyes twinkling.
And suddenly it hit me; we were back to normal, the way we used to be years ago when our attraction to one another was less apparent and less awkward. It made my heart soar a little because right now I just wanted my friend back, and it looked like I might be getting my wish.
"Where is Frankito? He was just here, wasn't he?" I asked scanning the hallway and then looking back at Tre.
"Yeah, Claudia took him to go lay down for a bit." Tre explained.
"Ahhh. How long are they staying?" I asked.
"Too fucking long." Tre answered which earned him a slap in the arm.
"Hey! I love my son dearly, but that woman is driving me fucking bonkers!" he said, grabbing at his head as if he was a madman. "All she does is bitch."
I laughed and watched as Mike wandered back over to talk.
"How was your flight, kid?" he asked.
"It was good. I drugged myself before I got on the plane, so it was virtually a pain free experience." I replied smiling.
Mike chuckled and then we watched as Tre wordlessly wandered away and over to the food table where he started shoving chips in his mouth.
"It's a mystery to me why no woman wants to keep him around." I whispered to Mike who laughed.
"How about you and I get a drink later after the show? I would love to catch up." Mike offered.
I nodded. "I would love a night out on the town with you Mikey, it's been too long."
He smiled and then dropped a quick kiss on my forehead. "I'm glad you're here Ava." He said before turning to round up Tre so they could meet Billie Joe for their scheduled sound check.
I watched them walk away, focusing mostly on Tre who never seemed like he could be burdened by whatever was going on around him. Because I hadn't seen him in over a month it was like a swift kick in the gut, bringing me back to when I was 19 and completely enthralled in him. He was absolutely crazy back then... some things never change.
I thought about Ian suddenly and I saddened at the realization that I pushed him away from me, something that I tend to do out of habit when things don't go as planned. In my defense I would like to add that since I am 25 and not getting a day younger I am interested in dating seriously, and because of the poor reaction I received from his mother I wasn't sure what the point was in pursuing something. I respect how much Ian values his mother's opinion, but the last thing I wanted was stuffy in-laws.
But I did like Ian, a lot. There was no escaping that little voice in the back of my head telling me not to give up so easily.
So how come I still felt like Tre was everything I wanted? I guess maybe I never really was able to get over him, and that bugged the hell out of me because Tre had this incredible ability to pretend like nothing ever happened. Which ironically is what I asked him to do. It would be marvelous if I would make up my mind for two seconds.
I sighed, shaking myself from my thoughts, before grabbing a drink and heading down to watch TV with Adrienne and the kids.
Mike and I went out to a bar after their show, something I missed doing. I enjoyed talking to him on the phone, but nothing compared to shooting the shit in person, just him and me.
"How is life for my favorite heart breaker?" Mike asked as we clanked the top of our long neck bottles together in a traditional first drink toast.
"I'm in a rut." I admitted. "I'm just all turned around in my fucking head and I think I should seek help because I might be going crazy." I said sarcastically.
Mike chuckled. "Actually, they say if you think you're going crazy you probably aren't." He replied, to which I giggled.
"Stop reading those damn psychology books." I teased, nudging him under the table with my foot. "And what about you? I have not received an updates on Sidney in at LEAST two weeks."
He sighed. "Nothing too pressing to report." He admitted. "Things have been pretty quiet between us. She's been trying to get a week off work around the 4th to come out and see me, but she's been busy as fuck, which isn't rare... just annoying." He grumbled, rubbing at his eyes.
Sensing he wasn't up for talking about his girlfriend I switched subjects.
"When does Estelle leave for home?" I asked.
"At the end of this week." I watched his face fall a little as I reached over to cover his hand with my own.
"You've got me, Mikey." I offered, smiling a little as he furrowed his eyebrows together.
"Yeah, I guess you and her could be put into the same category. I'm always babysitting your ass too." He teased. "But no I'm glad you're here."
"Me too. For awhile there I didn't think I would be happy about coming out with you guys like I promised, but I've snapped out of it." I admitted as he looked concerned.
"You know, Adrienne mentioned something about you being a little distant, which she interpreted as you getting wrapped up in Ian."
I shook my head. "I'm not really into him like I was a couple weeks ago. The thing with his mother just freaked me right the fuck out." I said, glancing up at Mike as he nodded.
"Well, a mother's approval is very important. Believe me, I've been through hell and back with ex-girlfriend's parents." He replied, shaking his head. "It's not worth it."
"But you like Sidney's mom, right? You seemed to act like that meeting went fairly well." I questioned as he smirked.
"She thought I was too wild for her angelic daughter, what with my tattoos and 'wild' rock and roll band." He said as I laughed and shook my head.
"If she only knew her daughter."
"That's exactly what I thought too." He said grinning.
"Billie Joe tell you that him and Adrienne are trying to get pregnant?" I questioned as we started on another round of beers.
He nodded his head. "Yeah, he told Tre and me about it a week or so after you went home, but Tre told me later that you mentioned something about it to him while you were here that weekend in Canada." He replied. "Any news?"
"Nope, she just seems really tired. She says she hasn't been sleeping well."
Mike regarded me for a moment. "Ava, your sister has been acting weird for a couple months now." He said seriously, leaning forward across the table. "Something going on?"
I shook my head. "I mentioned something to Tre about it when I was last with you guys... I honestly haven't been around her much even when we all got back after the weekend in Canada. But I told you about the strange whisperings and then when she kind of freaked out when Billie Joe left. I don't know... maybe she's just having a hard time with the boys growing up so fast and stuff." I said quietly, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.
Mike cocked his head a little. "Something up... with you?" he asked.
I turned my beer bottle around in my hands before glancing up at him. "I feel like an ass, Mike." I mumbled. "I feel like I've been so caught up with Tre for the past seven months that I've been so far removed from things going on Adrienne... and even things with you and Sidney. I just feel selfish."
He shook his head. "That's not true, Ava. Yes, you and Tre were moving at like fucking warped speed, but you always took time to slow down and see what was going on. You're allowed to have a life, you know?" He said patting my hand.
"I know." I replied.
"No Ava, I don't think you do. I was kind of proud of you after you left, you did what you had to do and that was to take a REAL break from Tre... and from all of the bullshit around here." He said adamantly. "Good for you, kid. You've been nothing but a rock for your sister ever since you moved here five years ago, and that's great, I know you love her. But you DESERVE some normalcy and some 'you' time. And if that means telling people to fuck off for a month than so be it. I wasn't offended. And now look at you, you look refreshed and happy. AND you didn't even look like you wanted to maim Billie Joe." He teased as I smiled.
I nodded. "I missed everyone." I admitted. "I welcome feeling that way instead of resentful all of the time."
He nodded. "I know, babe, I know."
I sighed and stared a him with pretend googily eyes. "Mike, let's get married, whatd'ya say?" I joked. "We understand one another and we communicate beautifully, that's enough to make a marriage work, right?
"Oh fuck yeah, we would have such a simple existence." Mike agreed, leaning over to half hug me. "I love you, kid."
"Love you too. Maybe so much so that I can't marry you, I couldn't risk the possibility of driving our relationship into the ground. My sanity depends on you sometimes." I replied as he grinned.
"Ditto Ava girl, ditto."
A few days went by without much excitement or drama, just a lot of daily routine and entertaining the kids who had fleeting moments of boredom. Unfortunately I only got to spend a few days with Estelle and Frankito before they flew home. Mike and Tre were both sad to see their kids go, but now they weren't as concerned with making sure everyone used appropriate language and told age appropriate jokes.
The guys had a day off in Madrid, which meant Adrienne and I were going to go shopping while the guys watched the kids. It was nice to be out and about just with my sister, doing some shopping and having lunch.
"So have you talked to mom and dad?" I asked Adrienne after we had finished shopping in a local boutique.
She shook her head. "Not since last weekend. Dad mentioned something about going up and spending some time at the lake, but I haven't really heard much from them." She admitted
I frowned. "I always hated going to the fucking lake." I grumbled as she laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer as we walked.
"I'm serious." I continued. "You were always away at college when they first bought that condemned piece of shit cottage and it seemed like we went up there every freakin' weekend. My social life as a sixth grade was a disaster."
She chuckled. "Hey, I had to drive up there to see you guys when I came home for the weekends so I understand your pain." She replied.
"It's like an old person's paradise up there." I complained. "Mom and dad are so unhip sometimes it's semi-painful."
She grinned. "And we lived to tell about it.
I glared up at her. "I hate that phrase... mom always says that."
She just smiled.
Deciding that we were tired of hauling our bags around we stopped to have lunch at a quant little sidewalk café in the heart of the city.
"I'm a little sad that we never spent much time together when you were younger." She admitted after we had ordered drinks, catching me off guard with such a serious topic.
"You're ten years older than me." I replied. "What the hell does a ten year old and twenty year old have in common?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.
She shook her head. "I should have included you more in my life." She said, looking a little weepy as she pushed her silverware around in front of her.
I gave her a funny look. "Adrienne, are you okay? You're acting... you're acting weird again." I questioned as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"I've just been giving certain things a lot of thought lately and I kind of wish I could change a few moments from the past... that being one of them." She admitted as she took a sip of raspberry iced tea.
I shook my head. "Don't give things like that any more thought." I insisted. "Look how we turned out, we're closer than ever. I wouldn't have it any other way."
When our salads arrived we ate in silence, with me stealing a few looks at Adrienne across the table now and again. Something was definitely going on, I could feel it. My stomach lurched a little at the thought of more drama and more fighting, but I guess we would have to deal with it when it came about.
July 2nd, 2005
We were in Berlin to perform for Live 8, which the guys were really excited about it. It was also Billie Joe and Adrienne's 11th anniversary, a year they never thought they would see especially after last summer. But they were finally happy again, much to the relief of everyone around them.
Adrienne, the boys, and I watched from backstage as the guys hammered out a flawless performance and then stuck around for interviews and a few press conferences afterwards.
"I'm so proud of him." Adrienne gushed a few songs into their set.
I smiled at my awe-struck sister. "You're his inspiration, Adi. You and these two beautiful boys. You should be proud of making it this far." I said, as she smiled over at me, her eyes tearing up a little.
"Thanks Ava." She whispered. I nodded as Joey and Jakob continued to cling to each of my hands, cotton candy stuck to their faces and a baseball hat on their heads. They were having a good time too, and I was suddenly feeling gracious for no apparent reason.
I glanced back over at my older sister who was still grinning and tapping her foot along to "Holiday."
"Hey Adi, why don't you let me watch the kids tonight while you and Billie go out on the town and have some time to yourselves?" I offered. "I know you planned to take the boys out with you... but I'd be more than happy to watch them."
She turned to me with an uncertain but excited look. "Really? You wouldn't mind?"
I shook my head. "You two would behave for your favorite aunt, right?" I asked bending down to look at both of my nephews.
They nodded their heads as Jakob piped up. "Can uncle Tre watch us too?" he asked looking up at me with those beautiful brown eyes, I knew the ladies would be falling all over him one day. "He tells the BEST bedtime stories...besides my dad."
I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Yeah, we'll ask him when he gets off stage, k?" I said as Jakob smiled and went back to watching the show.
"Thanks so much, Ava." Adrienne said excitedly.
I smiled. Tre and I would able to behave ourselves, right? My only concern was what would happen once the boys were in bed.
Several hours later Tre and I were in the process of figuring out what the boys wanted us to order them for dinner, and we were also trying to decide which movie they wanted us to order for them off pay-per-view. Ordering dinner wasn't so hard, but trying to get them to agree on a movie was a slow moving process.
"Alright, we're taking a vote!" Tre declared after almost a half hour of the boys bickering back in forth. "Ava, you're voting too."
I shook my head. "I want a secret ballad then. None of this raising your hand business." I said as Joey and Jakob glanced over with pleading eyes, both hoping to sway me with their infamous bottom lip pouting technique.
"We're putting all of our votes in this here popcorn bowl and tallying up the results so it'll be fair. And tuck those lips in before I safety pin them to your shirts!" Tre warned, pretending to be menacing, which made the boys giggle.
I quickly scribbled down my vote, folding the piece of paper as the boys finished writing theirs down and did the same. Tre took his time, covertly glancing around the room and making a show out of covering up his answer with his hand. The boys watched in amusement as he folded his piece of paper in about forty different ways before I stood up and took it away from him and placing it in the big, red popcorn bowl.
"I'll tally up the results." I offered before Tre could. "Or we'll never get to the movie." I teased as the boys grinned.
"Yes, I suppose that would be best." Tre replied plopping down on the couch next to the kids and looking up at me with the same impatient expression that they wore.
I knew I was in for a long night when Jakob and Joey had practically pounced on Tre when he was coming off the stage, begging for him to be my co-babysitter.
Billie Joe had smiled. "Now you have three boys to baby-sit." He teased as he thanked me for volunteering to watch the kids so that he and Adi could have a nice dinner out. I also offered them my hotel room for the night so that Tre and I could watch the boys from within their two bedroom suite... we could do with the room. Tre and I had asked Mike for back-up, but he said he was feeling a little under the weather and was thankful that he could have just a night of rest and relaxation before we picked up and moved to the next city in the morning.
I had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't actually under the weather, just amused at Tre and I being paired up again.
"Ok, and the winner is... drum roll please Tre.." I said after looking through all of the pieces of paper... and holding in laughter at Tre's request to watch 'Showgirls'. Tre began his drum roll on the kitchen table. "... 'The Pacifier'." I said, as Joey cheered and Jakob's face fell.
"Aww man." He complained, rubbing his toe along the carpet.
"Don't sweat it, the losers get ice cream!" Tre declared, and that seemed to cheer up Jakob enough to sit down next to his brother on the couch once again and watch the movie. Tre joined them, which I knew wouldn't last long because he has the attention span of a small puppy.
While the three boys were piled on the couch laughing at the silly parts, I sat down at the table and pulled my laptop out, ready to do some work that I promised my boss I would complete while I was away. Tre glanced over a few times, frowning at my present laptop, as I shrugged at him and continued working. About half way through the movie he got up to grab a drink out of the fridge and plopped down in the chair beside me.
I was sitting with my legs tucked under me, a pen in my mouth, and trying my damndest not to take notice how good he smelled or how close he was sitting to me. I kept my eyes fixed on the laptop screen, answering email and jotting down a few ideas for slogans that came into my head.
And finally I couldn't take it anymore; I glanced over at Tre who had been staring at me for the past five minutes, trying to get me to look at him.
"Yes?"
He smirked. "What are you working on so intently over here?" he whispered, leaning closer to me.
"I have been appointed to come up with a new slogan and fundraising ideas for work." I said, frowning to show my less than enthusiastic attitude towards the project.
"How about 'don't rape women or you'll be forced to exercise with Richard Simmons'?" he joked, sobering immediately at the serious look on my face, which I only managed to maintain for about five seconds before I giggled.
"This is serious, Tre." I scolded. "This is a very important program on campus."
He nodded. "I know, I was just fucking around." He replied, taking a sip of his bottled water. I cursed myself when I glanced over and noticed that a water droplet was still lingering on his lips, he must sensed it too because I watched as his tongue slowly snaked out to run along his bottom lip. Good Lord.
I stood up suddenly, deciding that right then would be an appropriate time for a bathroom break. I excused myself and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door behind me and leaning against the counter. Get a friggin' grip...
In the bathroom I quickly flushed the toilet just for show and washed my hands before walking back out to where the boys were still watching their movie. Tre was sitting in my recently vacated seated as I came up beside him.
"What are you doing?" I asked, noticing he had pulled up some of my picture folders and was flipping through various pictures... some of which were of Ian and me.
"Just looking through some of your pictures, I hope you don't mind." He said, glancing up at me.
I shook my head. "Those are some of the ladies I work with." I said pointing to a picture of all of us at a work picnic earlier in the summer. "They're really sweet."
He nodded and brought up another picture of me standing with Ian, Ian's best friend Eric, and Eric's girlfriend Lindsay at Eric's band's gig. "Who are these people?" he asked curiously.
"Umm, that's Ian, Eric, and Eric's girlfriend Lindsay." I replied, clearing my throat. "Eric's in a band called Happy Hour. They're really good. They do a lot of Dashboard covers and Thursday covers... but they have original stuff too." I added, clearing my throat again. Why was I so nervous? Oh, yeah that's right... because this is awkward.
"Aunt Ava the movie is over, can we have ice cream now?" Jakob called from the couch. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost 9:30, a little late for ice cream and I guess Tre was thinking the same thing.
"It's kind of late guys, but how about we make it up to you with a DOUBLE scoop of ice cream tomorrow?" Tre offered, as the boys hesitated for a moment before nodding vigorously.
"I want sprinkles on mine." Jakob insisted.
"And I want peanut butter pieces on mine." Joey added as Tre nodded.
"Deal." He said walking over and shaking both of their hands. "Now go brush your teeth and put your pj's on, k?" He said.
The boys obediently scrambled off the couch and headed for the bathroom as Tre walked back over to where I was still standing next to my computer.
"You're a good dad." I said, catching him a little off guard with my long overdue compliment.
"Thanks." He said smiling a little. "They're good kids."
I nodded. "But you're good with Frankito and Ramona too." I insisted as he sat back down in front of my computer. "You're not only good at fucking around, you know."
"Thanks Ava, that means a lot." He said glancing up at me as I stood behind his chair, watching him flip through old files of pictures of the band and some of Adrienne and I's family.
"I'm going to go check on the boys." I said as he paused for a moment to look at a picture of him and I last Christmas Eve. It happened to be one of my favorites so I didn't need to stare at it to see how happy we looked slow dancing in our formal wear next to a giant Christmas tree in Mike's living room. Mike always wanted a room with twelve foot ceilings so he could fill the room with a real ten foot tree, something he never had as a child. I also had pictures in that same folder of Estelle and the boys helping to decorate the tree alongside some of Mike's immediate family. There was an especially cute one of Frankito on Tre's shoulders hanging a homemade bulb on the large tree, as the two of them grinned for the camera.
I made sure the boys had brushed their teeth and of course they simply could not go to bed without uncle Tre telling them a story, and Tre was more than happy to oblige.
"How about a CLEAN one?" I teased as Tre lay at the foot of Joey's bed and I took a seat on the corner of Jakob's.
"Yeah, you two would probably absorb a little more than what I'm used to with Frankito." He mumbled before clearing his throat. "Any requests?"
The boys were silent for a moment, both thinking. "How about a story about dragons and magic?" Jakob finally said as Joey nodded his head. "Yeah that's a cool idea."
"Dragons and magic?" Tre said, scratching at his non-existent beard.
"And nothing scary." I put in. We didn't need two scared little boys crawling into bed with us later, or more specifically with him; I would take no responsibility for them having nightmares about underworlds and demons.
Pretty soon Tre had launched into this story that kind of sounded like a plot from a Harry Potter book, but with Lord of the Rings character names, and a few elements of Star Wars. The kids were so fascinated that they didn't want to fall asleep so when he was done he had to tell another story, but this one was boring... something to do with ants moving leaves or something equally boring. But it did the trick, both boys passed out almost immediately. We made sure they were covered and comfortable and that the nightlight in their bathroom was glowing before we quietly crept out of the room.
Back out in the living room we kind of stood awkwardly for a moment.
"Want a glass of wine?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, I only like red." I reminded him as he nodded his head and started digging through the mini bar for something good. I located two wine glasses from behind the bar as he emerged with something he claimed I would like.
We settled out on the balcony, making sure to keep the french doors open just a tad so that we could hear the boys in case they needed something.
"I hope Billie Joe and Adrienne had a good time tonight." I said lazily, just to fill the air between us.
He glanced over at me from where he sat stretched out on his lounger and smiled.
"Oh I'm sure they're reliving their honeymoon night." He replied as I shot him a look.
"Hey, we've talked about the boundaries of discussing their sex life." I warned as he started to chuckle. "That may be your best friend BUT that is my sister AND brother-in-law. I don't need images in my head, thanks."
"Sorry." He said, putting up his hands in surrender.
"This is really good, Tre." I said swishing the wine around a little in my glass, letting it breathe so to speak.
"I thought you would like it."
We settled into silence again, watching the lights and people hurrying around below our balcony.
"So how is everything going with Ian?" he asked suddenly, trying to sound casual.
I sighed. "Tre... "
He stopped me before I could even finish. "I'm not trying to be a dickhead, I'm asking you as a friend. If we're friends, like we say we are, we should be able to talk about this kind of stuff." He claimed.
"We don't HAVE to talk about our significant others." I replied. "There are plenty of other things we can discuss... politics, weather... uh, knitting." I said, coming up a little short of ideas in the end.
He chuckled. "But none of that is interesting to me. I haven't talked to you in over a month... I want to hear stuff that's going on in YOUR life." He insisted, glancing over at me.
I shrugged. "I'm not really sure of where Ian and I stand to be honest."
He nodded thoughtfully. "Why is that?" He questioned, leaning over to fill up my wine glass.
"I, uh, I met his mom a couple weeks ago and it didn't exactly go swimmingly." I murmured as he looked intrigued.
"His mom didn't like you?" He asked, making it sound like he was having a really hard time not laughing. "How old is HE? 19?"
I leaned over and punched him in the arm. "Hey, he's not 19." I said defensively.
I watched as he sat perfectly still waiting to hear exactly how old he is, smirking all the while.
"He's 21." I finally admitted as Tre threw his head back and laughed.
"He can BARELY buy alcohol." He said, glancing over at me with an amused expression. "This must be new for you, Ava, I don't think you've ever dated anyone your age, let alone someone younger."
I shook my head. "There is a first time for everything." I said raising my glass in the air in a toasting gesture.
He laid his head back against his chair and turned to look at me.
"He better be treating you right or I'll break his fucking neck." He said rather seriously, surprising me with his protective tone.
I nodded. "Ian is a good guy." I assured him. "But enough about me, what about you? Are you seeing anyone?" I asked, honestly not knowing whether or not I wanted to hear the answer.
He nodded a little. "I've been kind of seeing this girl Trina. I met her in a bar a couple weeks ago."
That made NO sense. "What?" I asked feeling confused. "If you met her in a bar a couple weeks ago how are you still seeing her? Is she traveling with you?"
He shook his head. "Webcam." Tre simply said, arching an eyebrow suggestively.
I rolled my eyes. "Jesus Tre." I said chuckling. "Technology really IS your best friend."
He nodded. "God Bless America. Oh, and Latin America too." He added, smirking.
I was starting to feel a little tired as the wine filtered into my system.
"I'm sleepy." I admitted looking over at Tre who appeared to be picking fuzz of his shirt.
He looked over at me, a little disappointment showing on his face. "Oh yeah? Well, you can take the bed and I'll sleep on the couch." He offered.
"You sure?" I'm shorter than you, the couch might be more comfortable for me to sleep on." I replied. "I wouldn't mind the couch."
He shook his head adamantly. "I'll be fine, I promise."
"Alright, thanks." I said standing up and fixing my shirt. "Are you staying out here a bit longer?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm wide awake." He said looking up at me. "My body is all screwed up with all of this damn traveling."
I nodded. "Well, thanks for helping me watch the kids... it was fun." I mumbled, fidgeting with the glass in my hand.
He smiled. "It was fun."
I looked down at him and almost caught my breath at how vulnerable and welcoming his blue eyes looked in the moonlight. RUN. ABORT. "G'night Tre." I mumbled, as my brain kicked into overdrive and my feet started moving.
"Sweet dreams, kid."
I hesitated as I walked through the french doors into the hotel suite, looking back at him and taking in the way his arm hung over his chair, holding his wine glass so delicately in his hand. My heart gave a small flutter at how well we seemed to be getting along. This was kind of like a test run in my opinion; if we could get through a few moments alone without fighting or bringing up unnecessary past issues between us than I think we would be okay.
