Page 73 of Rebound

“What the fuck is a slutty feline?” she asks.

“I don’t know. Like a horny tiger or something. Grrr.”

She looks into my face with a blank expression before she says, “I really can’t stand you.” She starts to giggle and buries her face in my chest again. I cradle her neck and find myself laughing too.

We laugh until my stomach hurts. Then I wrap my arms around her and pull her to me. We fall silent, and the only sound in the room is Gaga’s snoring. She rests her head on my chest,and I find that I like it. Other than Jasmine, no other human being has ever been this close to me before. I never thought I’d like this, but maybe this is why Chastain and Coach are always so close to their wives.

We stay like this, in comfortable silence, until the door to the room opens and Stella walks in. She stops short when she notices that Gaga is sleeping. Layla leaves my arms to hug her mother, and then Stella opens her arms to me. I hug her and it feels nice. I can’t remember the last time I hugged a mother figure.

“Where’s Jasmine?” Stella asks. “I have some toys for her at home.” When we tell her that Jasmine is at a playdate, she says, “You two get out of here and go have a nice dinner somewhere. It’s important to have time for the two of you. And you know me and June Bug will babysit for you whenever you want. Donna too. I put a crib in Layla’s old room. Go,” she tells us.

Layla looks at her grandmother, who is still sleeping soundly. I can see she’s conflicted about leaving.

“Come on,” I say. “Let me take you out to dinner. You can always come back tomorrow.” I put my hand on the back of her neck and cradle it.

“Go, honey,” Stella says. “Gaga is just going to sleep, and I’m going to read that new Victoria Chastain book.” She pulls the paperback book out of her big purse and waves it in the air before she plops herself on the loveseat.

Layla kisses her fingertips and presses them to her grandmother’s cheek. I take her hand and we walk out of the room together. We’re only stopped a few times before we get to the door. I take a few pictures and sign some autographs, and I’m relieved when we leave.

The moment we step outside, we’re assaulted by the humid August air, and after taking a few steps to the car, the skies openup again. With her hand still in mine, we sprint through the parking lot and jump into my black Land Rover.

Chapter 44

Layla

I’m not sure it’s true, and there’s no way I can prove it. If I ask, I know Seth will deny it or pretend to not know what I’m talking about, but I’m positive all the porn talk was a way to distract me from my grandmother’s terrible state today. I told him I would come by myself. I insisted he stay home and do nothing while Jasmine was at her playdate. Seth’s always doing something. Whether it’s taking care of his daughter, cooking, or handling things for his father. Things like talking to the housekeeper or the home health aide who comes three times a week. I don’t think Pete needs a home health aide, but I think it’s a way that Seth makes sure he has company.

If he’s not taking care of his father, he’s working out or playing basketball with Chastain and some other teammates. What he never does is sit down for the sake of sitting down. I insisted he do that today, but when I returned from the bedroom after getting dressed, he was ready and waiting for me by the front door.

Knowing I had lost that fight, I didn’t argue with him. Besides, he’s not that bad, and I find that I like having him around. He’s always saying or doing something stupid, but he’s been good to me. And not just taking care of Gaga’s medical bills, but he’s been good to me as my husband.

Instead of going out for dinner, he tells me to order something and have it delivered since it was pouring rain. It’s still thundering when we step inside the apartment. Still damp from earlier, I make a beeline for the bedroom and pull off my clothes. He follows, and when I’m in nothing but my bra and underwear, he walks to me and slaps my ass repeatedly.

“Look who’s getting horny. Who’s a Whorekowski now?” he teases. He grabs my panties and starts to pull. I do everything I can to get away from him, but he’s so strong. He pulls me into his body and wraps his arms around me. His hands rest right above my buttocks. I never knew that just being in a man’s strong arms could be so comforting. I look up into his green eyes, and he looks down at me. He traces his fingertip along my cheek, and just when he bends down to kiss me, I hear a knock on the door.

“To be continued,” he says. He starts to walk away, but he runs back and slaps my ass again. “I can’t resist that fat booty,” he says on his way to the door.

My stomach growls, and I quickly put on a pair of black yoga pants and a polo shirt with the Mischiefs logo. By the time I get to the kitchen, he’s opened several Chinese food containers on the island. He grabs two plates and two water bottles.

He’s funny and engaging at dinner. He doesn’t talk about porn or sex again, and about halfway through the meal, Jasmine gets dropped off because the Chastains are going out. She’s already eaten and plays happily with her toys in the corner while we finish our dinner.

“The best part about sending Jasmine on a playdate with Johnny is that they always send her back fed and bathed,” he whispers. “The bad news is, I have to bathe Johnny when he’s here. It’s like trying to give a fish a bath. You think Jasmine is bad,” he says while shaking his head. “Water everywhere after I’m done with him.”

Chapter 45

Seth

“I don’t know, Dad,” I say and roll my eyes. I have him on speaker while I finish getting dressed. He’s about the last person I want to talk to, but he’s not only calling me about a visit, he’s been blowing up Layla’s phone too. She feels bad and wants to visit him because heaven forbid Peter Wakowski is ever lonely. Never mind the fact that he’s the one who created his loneliness.

The past month has been great. We have a routine. We’ve even hired a new nanny. While we both met and interviewed the applicants the agency sent, Layla was charged with making the final decision. She chose a middle-aged woman named Dorothy. She’s a small woman with a slight Jamaican accent. Jasmine took to her immediately and sat on her lap.

The past month’s routine has been smooth. The nanny is there Monday through Friday, but she’s available on weekends if we give her enough notice. Layla goes to the office three times every week and works at home the other two days. She visits Gaga almost every day, and I try to go with her at least twice a week.

We have family dinners on Sundays. Either here, where we both cook together, or at her mother’s house where June Bug and Donna help Stella cook. Even though I’ve told Stella it’s not necessary, she has new clothes and toys for Jasmine each time wevisit. Now my daughter expects it. She’s also spoiled rotten by Donna and June Bug, but I never complain. This is what I’ve always wanted for my daughter, and since she can never get this from my side of the family, I’m happy she has it with Layla’s.

Now the source of all my unhappiness is trying to creep in.

“I have something I want to show you,” he says. He sounds happy today, and I don’t get why. The only time he gets happy is when I tell him I’ll visit, and I haven’t agreed yet.

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