always been a bone of contention between them. They both earned a good, living wage. But when she wanted something extra, something frivolous, or if she wanted to buy a special gift, she had to put in extra time at work to get it. And that tended to tweak Enrique's pride. "I umm…" she started reluctantly, "I did work a lot of extra hours this summer." She was a recreational specialist at a local YMCA, and this had been one of the busiest summers she could remember.
"I know." His tone grew melancholy. "I wish you didn't have to."
"Aww… Ricky." She tugged on his hair affectionately. "I did it because I wanted to, not because I had to. You know that."
"Yeah," he relented with a deep sigh. "I know." He forced his mind back on track. "If you go to Missouri, you'll have to rent a car right? Or maybe you can use one of your parents' cars. And what about work?" he reminded, his body relaxing under her familiar touch. "You'd have to take a few work days off. Could you even do that? You know I want us to visit my uncle in Oaxaca this Christmas."
"I could," she admitted, biting her lower lip as she thought. "I have more vacation built up than I can even use this year. And none of it will carry over till next year."
"But you'd want to spend your vacation with her?" He scrunched up his face. "I remember how she made you crazy and how rotten she was. Why would you want to see her again?" He knew the answer already, but he also knew that Audrey needed to come to her own conclusions in her own time. And talking always helped.
"She wasn't always that way," Audrey heard herself saying. "Dammit, Ricky, why am I defending her? It's not like we're even friends anymore."
"No, but you were once."
"And she blew it."
"You're right," he agreed softly. "She blew it. And nobody changes that much over time."
Audrey's brow furrowed and she shifted in bed, resting her chin on his chest and peering up to try and find the dark eyes she knew would be looking back at her. "Some people do, don't they?"
He smiled a little. "I have faith that they can. And it won't be just her there," he prompted, knowing for certain Audrey would love to see her other childhood friends.
"I'm crazy to even think about it," she whispered, wishing he'd talk her out of what she was about to decide. "But just hearing from Katy was so wonderful. I've missed the brat." Then she thought of Nina and Jacie and all the things they had to talk about and, despite herself, even some things that she found herself wanting to share with Gwen.
"You might be crazy, but you're crazy with me. And that's all I need." He leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft, heartfelt kiss. "C'mere." He tugged her higher onto his body and wrapped both his arms around her back, his lips moving to her neck where the powder tasted slightly bitter but the skin underneath was so salty sweet that he didn't care.
She moaned softly when his mouth found a particularly sensitive spot and his hand moved down to the soft skin of her bottom. "I'll think about how to lose 40 pounds in a few weeks… later…" she decided on a slightly uneven breath, her hips moving forward of their own accord.
"Mmm… You do that, querida," he breathed against her skin. "In the meantime, I'll enjoy every luscious inch of you."
She felt more than heard his rumbling chuckle and she gladly returned his loving touch, all thoughts of trips, diets, and the past banished in the wake of a vibrant and happy present.
* * *
Present Day
Town & Country, Missouri
"No!" The sound of exploding glass echoed throughout the house. Gwen closed her eyes for a moment, hearing nothing but her own panting breaths and the wild thumping of her heart. "Christ." She was alone in her bedroom and half-dressed for a dinner out that night when she foolishly decided to get directions to the new restaurant from her laptop. While online, she checked her email. And there it was. Another blackmail demand. After venting her
"I know." His tone grew melancholy. "I wish you didn't have to."
"Aww… Ricky." She tugged on his hair affectionately. "I did it because I wanted to, not because I had to. You know that."
"Yeah," he relented with a deep sigh. "I know." He forced his mind back on track. "If you go to Missouri, you'll have to rent a car right? Or maybe you can use one of your parents' cars. And what about work?" he reminded, his body relaxing under her familiar touch. "You'd have to take a few work days off. Could you even do that? You know I want us to visit my uncle in Oaxaca this Christmas."
"I could," she admitted, biting her lower lip as she thought. "I have more vacation built up than I can even use this year. And none of it will carry over till next year."
"But you'd want to spend your vacation with her?" He scrunched up his face. "I remember how she made you crazy and how rotten she was. Why would you want to see her again?" He knew the answer already, but he also knew that Audrey needed to come to her own conclusions in her own time. And talking always helped.
"She wasn't always that way," Audrey heard herself saying. "Dammit, Ricky, why am I defending her? It's not like we're even friends anymore."
"No, but you were once."
"And she blew it."
"You're right," he agreed softly. "She blew it. And nobody changes that much over time."
Audrey's brow furrowed and she shifted in bed, resting her chin on his chest and peering up to try and find the dark eyes she knew would be looking back at her. "Some people do, don't they?"
He smiled a little. "I have faith that they can. And it won't be just her there," he prompted, knowing for certain Audrey would love to see her other childhood friends.
"I'm crazy to even think about it," she whispered, wishing he'd talk her out of what she was about to decide. "But just hearing from Katy was so wonderful. I've missed the brat." Then she thought of Nina and Jacie and all the things they had to talk about and, despite herself, even some things that she found herself wanting to share with Gwen.
"You might be crazy, but you're crazy with me. And that's all I need." He leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft, heartfelt kiss. "C'mere." He tugged her higher onto his body and wrapped both his arms around her back, his lips moving to her neck where the powder tasted slightly bitter but the skin underneath was so salty sweet that he didn't care.
She moaned softly when his mouth found a particularly sensitive spot and his hand moved down to the soft skin of her bottom. "I'll think about how to lose 40 pounds in a few weeks… later…" she decided on a slightly uneven breath, her hips moving forward of their own accord.
"Mmm… You do that, querida," he breathed against her skin. "In the meantime, I'll enjoy every luscious inch of you."
She felt more than heard his rumbling chuckle and she gladly returned his loving touch, all thoughts of trips, diets, and the past banished in the wake of a vibrant and happy present.
* * *
Present Day
Town & Country, Missouri
"No!" The sound of exploding glass echoed throughout the house. Gwen closed her eyes for a moment, hearing nothing but her own panting breaths and the wild thumping of her heart. "Christ." She was alone in her bedroom and half-dressed for a dinner out that night when she foolishly decided to get directions to the new restaurant from her laptop. While online, she checked her email. And there it was. Another blackmail demand. After venting her
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