Jake: Whatcha up to?
Me: Nothing much, just corrupting the youth with some good ol Kanye.
Jake:???
I snapchat a video of EJ rapping and dancing along to Kanye West's "Stronger" in the kitchen. He was helping me cook for the dinner at my brother's apartment Thursday night. We just finished shaping up sirloin patties for chopped steak. When we finished washing our hands, I saw I had a text from Jake.
Jake called me back while I was checking the baked potatoes in the oven. I could tell it was him by the ringtone.
"EJ, answer that for me!" I called to him, while I juggled hot potatoes from the oven rack to a waiting pan.
"Hello?... Yes.... she's right here." EJ then laughed. "She told me too...My dad is at work.... she's at work too... I don't know. Ok." I listened to half the conversation as I made my way to him.
"It's Jake." EJ said, handing it over.
"Hey." I said, with a smile. I haven't seen Jake since Sunday night. I know it's only been two days, but I missed him. Urgh, I need to get it together.
"Hey. What's EJ doing there?" Jake asked.
"He's gonna spend the night. I'm gonna drop him off at his camp in the morning before I go to work." I explained to Jake. Ethan only needed me to watch him after his basketball camp until he got off work, but I told Ethan that EJ could spend the night instead.
"Do y'all want some company?" Jake asked.
"Yes! And chives. And a chocolate bar." EJ's eyes widen. "Two chocolate bars." I corrected.
I was finishing up scooping out the last potato from the skin and into the bowl that EJ was mashing, when the doorbell rang. I went to go answer the door. Through the peep hole, I saw it was Jake. I opened the door and greeted him with a smile.
"Hola! {Hello}"
"Hola. Ven aqui y bésame. {Hello. Come here and kiss me}" He replied.
I stepped up on my tip toes, rested my hands on his shoulder and pecked him on the lips.
"Uno más. {One more}" He said, when I pulled back. I kissed him again, a little longer this time.
"Uno mas. {One more}" He repeated. I giggled and kissed him deeply. When his hand that wasn't carrying the grocery bag wrapped around my waist, forcing our bodies together, I pulled back.
"Stop it. There is a child present." I scolded him, with a grin on my face.
He returned my grin. "So? How does he think he got here?"
"Like all other babies. The baby store." I replied, letting him into the apartment.
He shook his head. "I heard of the stork, but not the baby store."
"Everyone knows the stork is not real. That's just the logo of the baby store's delivery van."
He chuckled as I led him to the dining room. EJ was still hard at work at the table, mashing potatoes.
"What's up EJ?" Jake greeted him.
"Nothing. I'm helping Lily, then were gonna play the Xbox Kinect she bought." EJ informed him.
"What? You did not buy him a Xbox." Jake asked me.
"Nope. I bought myself one. I wanna test it out before I buy one for Amber and her family." I replied, while walking to the kitchen to wash my hands.
"That's generous of you." Jake commented, following me in the kitchen.
"Not really. I've been slacking with her and her kids for 2 years. Besides, she wants to lose weight and I heard it's a good work out." I explained, pulling sour cream, butter and milk out the refrigerator. Jake took them from me. I smiled, gratefully and grabbed the salt and pepper. We went back into the dining room.
"Why not just workout with her?" Jake asked, putting the ingredients on the table.
"Because she feels guilty leaving her kids. She feels like they're her responsibility, so she can't put them on anyone else. I figured with the XBox Kinect they can have fun and workout together." I finished. I added milk, sour cream and butter to the potatoes that EJ mashed.
Jake nodded. "Speaking of, where are your parents at?" Jake asked EJ.
"I told you at work." EJ responded. I let him sprinkle in a little salt and pepper.
"Good job EJ. Go wash your hands. We're almost done." I said, stirring up the potato mixture.
He left the dining room table and headed for the kitchen.
"But really, what's up with his parents?" Jake asked me.
"Nothing. Ethan just needed me to watch him for a couple of hours. He's working more because he's up for partner. I told him EJ can just spend the night here."
"I didn't know he was up for partner. That's cool." Jake responded.
"Yeah. I don't think he wanted anyone to know just in case he didn't get it, which is silly cause I don't know anyone more ambitious than him. He works his ass off." I reasoned.
I don't know how he does it. I was that way in school, just so I could relax when I got a good job. Ethan is just non-stop. I think being a dad made him more relentless.
Jake nodded but didn't comment. He watched for a moment as I scooped the mashed potato mixture back into the potato skins.
"What are you making?" He asked, stepping closer to me to watch.
"Twice baked potatoes." I answered, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through my body. This was getting ridiculous. The man was just standing next to me.
"I picked a good night to come over." Jake smiled at me. I had an overwhelming desire to lick his dimple...
"Done!" EJ declared, coming back in the room and interrupting my naughty thoughts.
"Me too. Go ahead and look through the folder in the living room and see what you want for dinner tonight." I instructed him. Patrick and Lamar gave us a late moving in present. They composed a binder of all the delivery places around our area. EJ ran off to the living room.
"What's all this for?" Jake asked.
"Dinner with my brother tomorrow. They don't believe I can actually cook. Since I'm spending the night over there so that we can head to the airport together, I figured I'll show off my skills." I bragged.
"Ok. What time are we eating?" Jake smiled.
I didn't even think to invite Jake. Did that sound like an invitation? I was not sure if I was ready to take that step with him. If I was, I wouldn't do it at my brother's place. Cam didn't need home court advantage. "Uh, I'm heading over there after work. You can come over anytime you're ready to explain to my brother what we are." I answered, smartly, before grabbing the pan of potatoes and heading to the kitchen.
I was putting the pan in the refrigerator when Jake joined me. "I'm not afraid of your brother. I'm a big brother too. I know how it goes."
I smirked. "Not with my brother, you don't. He beat a man who had the audacity to sleep with me."
"Been there done that." Jake replied.
"Mid hook up? As in, pulled him off of me and beat him while he was half dressed?" I asked.
That got his attention. He looked shocked. "Alright, you gotta explain that one to me."
"I try to forget it." I shook my head.
"How bout pizza?" EJ asked, joining us in the kitchen.
"Sounds great!" I smiled, taking the menu from him.
After we ordered the pizza, we set up the Xbox Kinect. Xbox Sports came with it so that's what we played. It was so much fun. It consisted of soccer, volleyball, ping pong, track events, bowling and boxing. The camera on the Kinect really picked up on our every move. It was an amazing little workout. I was having so much fun, competing with Jake and EJ, I didn't realize how tired I was until the pizza arrived 35 minutes later.
"You did not just uppercut me!" I heard Jake exclaimed to EJ as I set up dinner in the dining room.
"TKO! TKO!" EJ cheered. I smiled.
"Guys. Dinner! Wash your hands and let's eat." I called to them.
They joined me in the dining room and we had dinner together. I tried my hardest not to focus on how easy it was with Jake and how good we were together. I focused on enjoying both of their company.
After dinner, we played the Disneyland game I bought with the XBox. I was more excited for this one than EJ was. We went through swamps on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and ran for our lives in Phantom Manor based of The Haunted Mansion. Jake took over for EJ on the Peter Pan attraction. EJ was having trouble flying. I think it was the height different with the Kinect sensor trying to pick us both up. Jake and I had no problem. And we were having so much fun. We both were laughing and working together to defeat Captain Hook. When we finally did, we smiled at each other.
He then looked behind me to where EJ was sitting.
"You ready to go to bed EJ?" He asked.
I turned around to see EJ leaning against the arm of the couch. He just nodded. I should have known he was tiring out. He gets quiet when he's sleepy.
I took him upstairs and washed him up before helping him into his pajamas and putting him in my bed.
"So I don't have any books. Do your mom and dad still read to you at night?" I asked.
"Sometimes." He yawned.
I pulled out my laptop and pulled up YouTube.
"So this was the first book you ever read. Sorta. I read it to you before your naps when you were 4. It was the only kid book I had because my brother used to read it to me. You knew it so well, you could tell me what each page said." I explained.
I showed him a video of the dramatic reading of "There's a Monster at the End of This Book."
"I have this book. At my dad's house. We read it all the time." EJ exclaimed.
I smiled. It warmed me knowing that we shared that. I know it's not much, but it means the world to me. I watched him as he watched the video. He read along with it, smiling at the funny parts. His facial expression normally remind me of Megan, but just then, with him smiling, he looked like Ethan. I felt a pang of regret, but I pushed it away.
When the video ended, I gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Good night EJ. I'm right downstairs if you need me."
"Good night Lily." He replied. I turned the light off and headed downstairs.
When I went into the kitchen, Jake was wiping down the table. He already put the few dishes away.
"I think this is the most turned on I've ever been by you. Seeing you clean my kitchen? That's hot." I joked. He threw the sponge in the sink and stalked towards me.
"Guess I'm gonna have to find another way to turn you on, because that ain't happening again." Jake said.
I laughed as he kissed me. It was deliberately slow, teasing me into wanting more. When he led me to the couch, and laid me on it, I had to stop him before I couldn't help myself.
"EJ. He might come down. He has never slept over before."
"That kid is worn out." Jake argued.
"But still."
