Page 47 of Take Two

“And I couldn’t drip pudding between your breasts and lick it off. Or between your legs. Damn that Terri,” I say with a laugh.

“You said damn,” she says, giggling.

I pull her on top of me and give her a deep kiss. “You’re about to say ‘Oh, God. Yes, Charlie. You feel so good, Charlie’ in a minute. “There’s nothing stoppin’ you from riding this dick now.”

I hear her go into the guest room and slam the door. Terri is still here, but it’s barely eight o’clock in the morning. Violet’s not going to work until midday, and she’s requested that I don’t make breakfast until Terri leaves, but my stomach won’t stop growling. Besides, I know Violet must be starving too. We went nonstop for hours last night until she collapsed on top of me.

She was still on top of me when we woke up. Our bodies were stuck together until she slowly rolled off and stumbled into the shower.

“Oh my God, do you have to yell?” Terri practically screams from down the hall. “I have a headache.” That’s no wonder after she put down three bottles of wine by herself. “Let me borrow some clothes. You can yell at me after I shower and have some caffeine.”

The door to the bedroom opens and slams. Another door slams, and about a minute later, it opens again. She stomps angrily and another door opens.

“Here!” she says before slamming the door yet again. I stare at the ceiling, exhale, and pray that Terri leaves soon so Violet can calm down, but I know this story. I’ve played a starring role like this for over a decade, and in my story, I played the part of Terri. Back then, if I made it this far into my brother’s orbit, I was going to prolong it as much as possible. That’s what getting too drunk to leave was about for Terri. She planned this. Theminute I let her through the front door, she probably already had her plan. The hard part was getting inside, and I made that easy for her.

Violet walks into the kitchen with her arms crossed and her brow creased. I open my arms to her, and she walks in. Since I’m so familiar with this scenario, I know there’s nothing I can say to make things better right now. She’s too angry, so I wrap her in my arms and pull her close. I kiss the top of her head and run my hands down her back. While she’s pressed to me, her stomach growls.

“I’m going to make an executive decision and make breakfast,” I say. “We’ve both worked up an appetite, and I need some food before my meeting today.”

She presses her face into my chest and groans. “I should pull her out of the shower and shove her out of here while she’s still naked,” she says against my chest. “The audacity of that woman.” I pull away, cup her cheeks, and make her look up at me. “She’s going to invite herself to eat too, but whatever. I’m gonna go change, and I’ll be right back.”

I press my lips to hers and give her a chaste but lingering kiss. “I’ll have your cappuccino ready for you.”

“You are the best,” she whispers. I swat her butt on her way out. She giggles and hurries down the hall.

A few minutes later, I hear footsteps, and expecting to see Violet, I turn with a mug full of cappuccino. Instead of Violet, it’s Terri. She’s dressed like her sister in yoga pants and a tee shirt that’s a bit tight on her. Despite all the drinking she did last night, she appears to be well rested.

“Good morning,” she says. She takes the mug from me before I can pull it away. “Oh my God, I needed this.” She takes another sip, and I start to make another one for Violet. Terri stands next to me, but she has her back against the counter while I face it. “I was pleasantly surprised to meet you, Charlie. Violet never brings anyone around.”

I look at her, unsure how to read her. She smiles, and it looks genuine. I chase the thought of Violet introducing men to her family away. It’s a crazy thing to be jealous of, and I refuse to be that guy.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you too, Terri.” She grins again and exhales in relief.

“As a thank you for last night, I’d like to invite you and Violet to dinner, though I don’t think I can get a better meal than what you made.” She sighs wistfully. “A man has never cooked for me. Ever.” She inches closer and whispers, “Do you think you can convince her?”

I arch an eyebrow. Her smile dips but she straightens up and waits for me to answer. “Please,” she whispers. “Maybe if you and I are friends, she’ll be willing—”

I hold my hand up and shake my head. Yeah, I’ve been Terri. Always trying to convince Mama or someone else to manipulate Colt into spending time with me. Mama was always all too happy, but each attempt ended in disaster, which would only make me more eager for a drink to forget. Rinse and repeat.

“I don’t think—” My words get cut off when the bedroom door opens, and Violet comes out in navy blue yoga pants and a light blue top. Her feet are bare and she’s holding a pair of socks. She rolls her eyes when she sees Terri and tosses the socks to the couch. I lift the mug to her and she gets on her toes to kiss me before taking it.

“Have I told you lately that you’re the best?” she asks.

“About fifteen minutes ago.”

“That’s way too long. You’re the best.” She blows me a kiss and sips her drink. “Terri, do you want me to put your coffee ina to-go cup for you?” She leaves my side and goes to the pantry where she grabs a disposable cup.

“Um, no,” Terri says. “I was hoping we could talk,” she whispers. "Maybe after breakfast since this smells so good. Do you have anything to make mimosas?” She opens the fridge but closes it when she doesn’t find what she’s looking for. “I can go get some real quick. Charlie, you like mimosas, right? Of course, you do,” she says before I can answer. “Everyone loves mimosas. I can mix them with orange pineapple juice—”

“Thank you, but I don’t drink,” I say.

“Not at all?” Terri asks as if the idea of someone not drinking is foreign.

“Nope.”

“Is it because of religious restrictions?” Then she lowers her voice and says, “I won’t tell if you won’t,” she winks. “Jesus drank, so I don’t think it’s that big of a sin. It shouldn’t be.”

“Thanks for looking out for my soul, Terri. I appreciate it.”

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