“You trying to steal my woman, Click?” Leo joins in with the Click fussing. “Should I be jealous?” he jokes as he watches me baby talk Click unabashedly.
“No more than I am of Liaden and Dean for those cuddles,” I quip back with a wink to them both. And then I remember that he’s given them the same massive cheque he gave Em and Eli on their wedding day. I was stunned when I heard about what he’d done all these years, saving their rent so he could give it back to them at a later date, but the more I thought about it, the more typically Leo the move seemed to be. I hadn’t realised just how well off Leo is, but maybe I should have. He has nice cars, quality threads, and he’s a highly successful businessman who pays us well, after all. Not just the class clown.
“Where’s the birthday boy?” I ask, holding up Eli’s card with the Nine Inch Nails tickets Leo and I managed to score for him. At my insistence, we went halves.
Em tips her head towards the kitchen. “Birthday Boy insisted he wanted to make us all po-boys for his birthday,” she says fondly. “I’d have taken him for a posh dinner somewhere, but he has his heart set on them.”
“Yum.” Eli made me a po’boy once, and it was nothing short of epic. The crawfish was magically delicious, like nothing I’veever had before. Emily married an amazing cook, that’s for damn sure.
Eli pokes his head out of the kitchen door, smiling at us in greeting. “Hey, y’all. They’re almost ready.”
“Cool. So, what’s the plan for this evening? Beyond the best sandwiches in the world, obviously.”
Eli cringes. “You can’t call this asandwich! That’s like calling Dom Perignon ‘grape juice’, for Chrissakes.”
“Uh huh. Am I eating one and going dancing, or two and settling down for a pleasant evening in?”
“The latter.” I’m not surprised; Eli is a homebod, even more so since he got married. “I’ve got all the Karate Kid movies lined up on Prime, and a whole shit ton of N’awlins style praline in the fridge.”
“Rock and roll,” I tease, though that actually sounds perfect. I love a good eighties movie franchise, the cheesier the better, and I’m a little tired tonight, so these low key plans suit me down to the ground.
“My birthday, my rules,” he says with a wink, and Em yelps next to him as though he just pinched her bum. My suspicions are confirmed when she taps him on the arm, going bright red and failing to repress a huge smile.
The food is unbelievable.All of it. The po’boys are even better than I remembered, the shrimp so fresh and juicy that I could weep. And the shards of praline, with chopped pecans sprinkled on top, are heavenly. I think I take more than my fair share, but I just can’t bring myself to be apologetic.
“So, I’ve never seen Karate Kid,” Liaden says. The boys all stare at her incredulously, but neither Em nor I are surprised. She had a rather sheltered upbringing that prioritised nurturing her genius IQ more than providing it with mindless entertainment. Poor thing hadn’t even seenCluelessuntil we came along.
“OK, but before we right that wrong,” Eli says, shaking his head a little in disbelief, “Em and I have something cool to share with you all.” He puts his arm around her as she cuddles Click, who’s ensconced in her lap and doggy-swooning as she strokes his ears.
There’s no way she’s pregnant, I think. Apart from both of them having fertility issues, neither one of them would look as happy as they do right now. They’d be more likely to be devastated and inconsolable.
“We kept it quiet in case it didn’t go through, but…” Em beams from ear to ear. “We bought a house at auction! It’s just a few streets away on Vance Street, and it’s a total wreck, but it’s going to belovelywhen it’s done.”
We all cheer and give congratulatory cuddles. It’s clear that Dean already knew - I imagine Eli told him because he’s lived downstairs from Dean for years because he was needed, but from what I hear, Dean has all but moved into Liaden’s flat. And besides, he’s a lot more stable now, so there’s no problem.
“And the best part,” Eli adds, “is that we can still live here while the building work is done, thanks to Leo’s generosity.” Leo lifts his can of lager in acknowledgement. “And also thanks to Leo, we’re cash buyers because it’s that much of a disaster zone, we got it for a song, so no mortgage, and there’s still a little money left over to remodel. So…” He lifts his own can in a toast. “To Leo, one of the best guys I know.”
We all agree and toast him with our cans and glasses, and it’s sweet to see Leo go a little pink. “Well, also, to Eli and Em,” he protests, “congrats, guys. Can’t wait to see the end result.”
I give him a thoughtful look. He really does take every opportunity to do nice things for people. And he doesn’t want credit. He’s just glad his incredible gift has been useful to them. How many people can say that?
And, if I want him, he’s all mine. For the rest of my life.
Leo
All I did was bring her breakfast in bed.
Honey nut cornflakes in a bowl that separates the milk from the cereal, and a sweet, milky coffee to go with it. Nothing fancy; Eli inherited all the cooking nous in the family.
But, I think as her tits brush against my face while she ties my hands to her bed head with her dressing gown tie, I’ll make a point of bringing her cereal every morning if this is my reward.
“How long do you think you can stay hard?”
“What a question.” The truth is, with her naked and straddling me, and me at her mercy, I’m not too sure…but I’ll give it my best shot.
“Only asking because I want to - “ She eases down onto me with a little grunt, making my toes curl. “I want to try something.”
“I’m at your disposal,” I say wryly, but my breath comes faster when she starts riding me. And not just riding me. She’s using me to further her own enjoyment, tightening experimentally and switching up her speed until she finds one she likes. “Ohhhhh…” She throws her head back, and her hair is so long that it tickles my legs. “It’s usually harder to…come…when I’m on top, but…” She winces happily as I feel my helmetrub against a place inside her that I know she loves. “God, you really do have the cock of the century…”
