Chapter 12: Over-Grown Monkey Butt
Three weeks ago...
Nico
Today was Becca's birthday, so our family and friends were gathered at my house for a poolside cook-out. My sister wasn't a huge fan of birthdays - her own at any rate - and had asked for something simple. I'd planned to have it catered, but Mom and Nonna had a holy fit over that idea. So, my father and Tony had declared themselves the grill masters for the day. Mom and Nonna had prepared numerous side dishes, and Allie had brought desserts.
She had made Becca's favorite carrot cake, along with mini cheesecakes topped with fruit, Turtle brownies, and her famous chocolate chip cookies. I fucking drooled when I walked up behind her as she was setting it all out on the long table. Not gonna lie, it was a toss-up as to which I wanted to take a bit out of - the desserts, or Allie's ass in those shorts. Sweet Jesus, the woman was trying to kill me. Then she turned around, and the sight of her fitted V-neck shirt stretched across her gorgeous tits made my knees weak. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, which made me want to nibble my way up the side of her neckto her cute little earlobes. Of course, nibbling my way down her neck to her luscious tits sounded like an even fucking better idea.
OK, I needed a distraction before I pitched a full tent in the board shorts I was wearing. I looked around my backyard, and my gaze landed on my Nonna, who was wearing a T-shirt with an old lady sunbathing in a thong, the phrase "Sun's out, buns out" emblazoned across the bottom of the picture. Oh hell no. Yep, just the thing I needed to wilt my willie.
Gracie came running over then, with a little boy fast on her heels. "Uncle Nico!" she screeched. Sometime over the past few months, I'd gone from Unka to Uncle. It was a reminder that my little princess was growing up. She launched herself me and half-hid behind my legs. "Micah's trying to give me his cooties."
I recognized the boy as the son of Becca's best friend, Min Zhang. Min had been divorced for a couple of years, and her ex-husband had moved across the country as soon as the divorce was final. Now, at five years-old, Micah hadn't seen his dad since. I knew Min and Micah were better off without the rat-bastard, but it still had to be hard on them. Min was a lawyer, so at least the asshole ex hadn't been able to weasel out of paying his financial support.
Micah stopped trying to chase Gracie and stared up at me shyly. "Hey bud," I said with a grin. "What are you two doing?"
"We're playing tag, but Grace won't let me catch her," he complained. Then he peered around me to look at Gracie. "And boys don't have cooties, girls do!"
"Nuh-uh," said Gracie. Not much of a compelling argument there, Gracie-girl, I thought to myself. We needed to work on her debating skills.
I laughed and reached down to swing Grace up into my arms. She let out a high-pitched squeal and I put her down with a wince, hoping the hearing would return to my left ear soon. Micah stood there giggling, so I grabbed him and tossed him over my shoulder, pretending to run off with him. He laughed harder, and Min called out "If he throws up down your back, don't say I didn't warn you!"
That made me think twice, so I carefully set him back on his feet and sent the two kids off to play on the swing set I'd had installed for Gracie last summer. When I looked over at them a few minutes later, they had managed to rope Josh into pushing them both on the swings, and Min was walking over to join them.
As I watched, Josh seemed to get distracted by Min's approach and forgot to watch out for the swinging kids. Micah almost knocked into him, and Josh stumbled back barely missing a flying swing to his crotch. I snickered as Josh windmilled his arms in an attempt to keep from falling on his ass. Min rushed to help him, as he righted himself and tried to look suave. They spoke for a couple of minutes, and Min laughed and blushed at something he'd said. I'd seen Josh in lady-killer mode before, and if I wasn't mistaken, he had just flipped that switch on.
Allie walked up and murmured quietly, "Well, that looks interesting. I wondered how long it would take him. Poor guy just about swallowed his tongue when Min walked out here earlier."
Min was a pretty woman. Petite, with dark hair falling straight to the middle of her back, deep brown eyes, and a warm smile. Sharp as a fucking tack in the courtroom, too, from whatBecca had told me. I wasn't surprised that she had caught Josh's eye.
"Min's a pretty serious woman, and Josh is a fucking goofball. Should we take bets on how long it takes her to wise up?" I asked.
Allie tsked and smacked me across the stomach with the back of her hand. "Oh, be nice. Josh is a good guy with a lot to offer. They may seem to be a little mismatched, but opposites do sometimes attract, you know."
"The meat is ready," Dad hollered, saving me from a response to that statement.
We all dutifully followed Mom's instructions as we moved around the tables filling our plates. Allie helped Gracie with hers, and I filled one for Allie as I got my food. We made our way to one of the smaller tables set up around the pool, with Gracie sitting between Allie and me. Nonna joined us and we all started to eat.
Nonna pointed to her T-shirt. "This shirt you got me is a hit, Allie. Matt thinks he and the boys should pose with me for a picture, and you can post it on that Insta-thingy."
I turned to Allie and raised a brow. "So, you got her that shirt? I should have known."
"Yes, I did. I knew she'd love it." Allie smiled and winked at me.
Oh, fuck me, I'd do anything for Allie when she smiled at me like that, even eat my lunch while trying to avoid looking at saggy old-lady buns in a thong.
After lunch, we cleared away the food, except the desserts, and Mom brought out the candles. We sang a rousing rendition of the Happy Birthday song, and Becca blew out the candles.
Nonna piped up and said, "You know, for having a bunch of professional musicians in this group, that song sounded like shit."
Matt laughed and said, "There's always a critic!" Nonna snorted and flipped him the bird.
Once the dessert table had been pretty well demolished, I collapsed on a lounger next to the one Allie and Gracie were sitting on. Allie was braiding Grace's hair and putting more sunscreen on her.
"Oh damn, Sunshine, I'm going to have to double my work-outs this week. I am seriously addicted to your baking." I said, rubbing a hand across my stomach. I was seriously addicted to Allie period, but I didn't think I should mention that at the moment.
Allie smiled at me and said "I'm glad you enjoyed them. I'm also glad I kept some of the brownies and cookies in a container in the kitchen. I didn't get any of the ones out here. I think your dad and Tony ate them all."
