“Clementine.” I shuddered and placed my finger on her lips. “You know I love you more than life itself and you know I love sex, but it is way too early to be bringing up kids.”
“Rhett Madison.” She brushed past me into the bedroom and shook her head. “You’re a dumbass.”
“Just don’t be trying to trap my dumbass self with a kid.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice rose and I realized that I’d crossed the line. Suddenly my little joke of humor was no longer funny. I didn’t even need to see her face to know I shouldn’t have mentioned her trying to trap me. I knew she would take it the wrong way. Just like all women. You made a silly little joke and they always get bent out of shape. Even Clementine and she’s about as perfect a woman as I know. However, even Clementine took things too seriously sometimes.
“I was joking Clemmie.” I gave her my award winning smile and batted my eyelashes at her. I knew Clementine loved my big blue eyes and I was hoping that they would distract her from being mad.
“You got a fly in your eye, boy?” She frowned at me.
“No.” I shook my head and smiled again.
“Good because I’d hate to kill a fly when I slap you.” She stood there with her hands on her hips and then pointed her finger at me. “How dare you accuse me of trying to trap you! If you think that I’m the sort of person that—”
“Watches trashy TV?” I interrupted her. “Yes I do think you’re that person.”
“What are you talking about?” She frowned in confusion at my change of subject.
“You watch those trashy shows and get ideas in your head.” I held back a grin. “How do I know you haven’t watched one of those Real Housewives shows and decided to trap me with a baby?”
“Rhett?” Her eyes narrowed and her voice grew lower, but I just couldn’t help myself.
“They should rename that show Devious Housewives.” I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “Or Devious Girlfriends That Want to be Wives.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Wouldn’t you watch that show though?” I grabbed her hand and played with her fingers.
“No.” She replied huffily.
“You wouldn’t be calling me into the living room to see how someone on the show got pregnant to trap her man after she found out he was cheating on her with her maid or assistant or something?”
“Maybe.” She said finally and then started laughing. “Okay fine, it sounds like a show I’d enjoying watching, but I certainly don’t want to be compared to one of the women from the show. You’d be so lucky to have a baby with me.”
“I was just joking Clementine.” My stomach churned as I looked into her annoyed eyes. “You don’t really want a baby do you?” My life flashed before my eyes as I thought about us having a baby and all the extra mess we’d have to deal with. It was something I wasn’t ready for, plus I knew Nanna would be upset and Clementine’s parents would kill me. They hadn’t even been happy that we were going to be living together. It was only because Nanna had convinced them that it was better for the both of us. And we’d been friends for so many years and spent so many nights together anyway, that what difference did it make? She’d told them we’d end up spending most nights together in Boston so we might as well live together. It had been my idea of course, but Clementine had been equally as excited. In fact, the day we’d moved in had been the most exciting of my life. Surreal, but exciting. Much like every other day since then had been.
“Rhett, you know I don’t want a baby. And who knows, maybe I won’t even have a baby with you when the time comes for me to have a baby.” She gave me a look and turned around and my heart started thudding. What was she talking about?
“What are you talking about, Clementine?” I frowned and grabbed her around the waist.
“I’m saying don’t worry, there are other men that would love to be my baby’s father.”
“What other men?” I growled down into her face.
“Men you don’t know.” She licked her lips slowly. “Men that would—”
“Clementine, there are no other men for you.” I kissed her hard. “And that’s not even—”
“It was just a joke, Rhett.” She pulled back and smiled sweetly and rubbed my cheek.
“What?” I frowned, my heartbeat slowing down. “That wasn’t funny.”
“Just like your joke wasn’t funny.” She smiled and I shook my head.
“Touché.”
“Rhett, you need to calm down.” She squeezed my hands. “This is new for both of us. We’ve been best friends for years and neither one of us knew it would become a relationship. There are still going to be days that we annoy each other and that’s fine. It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean that I’m going to look for a new man or that you’re going to look for a new girl. It’s just how relationships go.”
“You better not go finding a new man.” I took a deep breath as a feeling of fear hit me. I felt like I’d been slapped in the face. I’d never considered Clementine leaving me to be with anyone else. It had never crossed my mind. Yes, she was beautiful and yes other men were interested in her, but it had never crossed my mind that she would give them a chance. So why then, was she bringing it up? Was she considering dating someone else? I frowned as my heart dropped. What if Clementine was done with me, already? Maybe my jokes weren’t as funny now that we were dating.
“Rhett?” She frowned as she looked at me, concern in her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I laughed and she leaned forward to kiss me, her eyes full of love. I ran my hands down her back and grinned. Who was I kidding? Of course, Clementine would never leave me. We were made for each other and I was Rhett. I was the man that every girl wanted to be with. And Clementine had been lucky enough to catch me. There was no way she’d even look at another guy. No way at all. I tried to ignore the voice in the back of my head that reminded me that I still checked out other girls. It wasn’t like I was looking to hook up, but how could I not check out the goods?
Chapter Two
Clementine
All good things one day begin.
If I knew the words I’d sing,
I’d sing it loud so we could hear.
We have only this one chance. Let’s take it my dear. Let’s taste it my dear.
“Back to Blue” by David Berkeley -
The Fire In My Head
Rhett’s blue eyes looked confused as he held me in his arms. I touched his shoulder softly to let him know that we were good. I decided not to tell him that I’d had a scare last week. I didn’t think it was the right time.
No, I don’t want a baby right now, Rhett, but last week I thought there was a chance it had happened anyway
. That would go down real well. I hid a smile as I imagined how shocked and scared Rhett would look. He’d be like a big baby himself. There was no way I could deal with two babies right now. And I knew he’d be mad at me. I was the one that hadn’t gone and gotten the pill and I was the one that had asked him to enter me without a condom on. I bit down on my lower lip. I’d been stupid. Even though he hadn’t come inside of me, I knew the risks.
“What are you thinking about?” Rhett asked me softly.
“I’m thinking that this is an all too serious moment, right now.”
“So what do you want to do?” He batted his eyelashes at me and I laughed. I’d never seen a guy that was so cocky and self-assured. Only my Rhett would think he could bat his eyelashes and get sex.
“Isn’t that something girls are meant to do?” I said and then giggled.
“Huh?”
“Bat their eyelashes when they want sex.” I teased him. “And just in case you got the wrong idea, no we’re not about to have sex.”
“Why not?” He pouted.
“Because I have homework and we need to tidy up.”
“Well, we don’t have to tidy up...” His voice trailed off and I wanted to burst out laughing. Rhett was in such denial about the mess in the apartment. He was constantly blaming me for being a slob, but most of the mess was his. He was under the mistaken impression that he was some sort of clean freak because his place back home had always been clean, but that had only been because he had a maid that tidied up behind him.
“Excuse me Rhett Madison?”
“It’s your clothes everywhere.” He shrugged and gave me a look.
“Rhett, my clothes are everywhere because you pull them off of me, because you want to have sex everywhere.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Do you really think I’m disrobing and changing in the kitchen?”
“Your bra was on top of the fridge the other day.”
“Because you came behind me when I was cooking.” My voice rose and I laughed. “You’re in some serious denial. You know that right, Rhett?”
“Who me?” He shook his head. “I think not.” His lips turned up in a grin and he paused. “Well, now that you come to explain it a bit, I guess I can see some of your points.”
“Uh huh.”
“I just thought you’d be a bit tidier Clementine O’Hara.” He flashed his teeth. “Considering you’re a young Southern lady, I thought you’d know how to keep house a bit better.”
“What?” My jaw dropped open at his words. “Are you joking right now?”
“Bad time to joke?” He winked at me and I wrinkled my nose at him.
“Rhett, go and do something. I need to study.” I looked at my watch and sighed. “Holden is coming over tonight.”
“Hole who?” He froze and his eyes became alert.
“Holden, my assignment partner.” I said slowly and looked away. “I told you about him, remember?”
“Noooo,” he drawled. “I’ve never heard about him before in my life.”
“You most probably weren’t paying attention to me.”
“I don’t remember you mentioning him.” He shook his head.
“Remember I told you, his brother went to school with David Berkeley.”
“Who the fuck is David now?” He frowned at me. “Another guy you want to study with?”
“Rhett?” I sighed. “David Berkeley, my favorite singer, remember?”
“Hmmm.” He shrugged and looked sheepish. “Oh yeah.”
“So Holden is coming over tonight so we can work on our assignment, so I need to get ready.”
“Get ready?” He raised an eyebrow and his jaw dropped. “Did you put a facemask on to get your skin all glowy for him?”
“Rhett.” I shook my head. “Don’t be an idiot. I meant get ready for our discussion, not dressing up.”
“Am I going to have to let this guy know what’s up?”
“No, we’re just friends.” I sighed and blushed. I didn’t tell Rhett that Holden was hot, really hot. And smart. I knew Rhett wouldn’t appreciate hearing about that. Even though he knew I loved him. Even though he knew he was my world. It was funny, I never would have thought that even gorgeous guys could be insecure, but they were as insecure as the rest of us. It still amazed me that Rhett and I were dating and that we’d gone from best friends to boyfriend and girlfriend with very few hiccups. Not that I wasn’t worried of course. A part of me was scared that everything would go down badly and I’d lose my best friend and my boyfriend. A part of me was scared that someone like Rhett couldn’t change. I mean, how many players went from multiple women to one girl? Not many, I was sure. And Rhett was gorgeous, so all he had to do was go out to have women hitting on him. It was hard dating someone with such good looks and charisma. Though I trusted him. I had to trust him.
“Are you mad at me?” Rhett sighed as he studied my face and I just gazed at him.
“No, I just get worried sometimes.”
“Worried about what?” He asked softly.
“If we made a mistake.” I looked down. “I don’t want to lose you Rhett.”
“All good things one day begin. If I knew the words I’d sing, I’d sing it loud so we could hear. We have only this one chance. Let’s take it my dear. Let’s taste it my dear.” Rhett sang softly at me and I smiled.
“I love that you don’t know David Berkeley’s name, but you know his songs. I love Back To Blue.”
“Of course I know his songs; you play them all the time.” He grabbed my hands. “But it’s true, Clemmie. We only have one life, we only have one chance. We couldn’t just walk away from what we have without giving it a shot.”
“Don’t you ever get worried though?”
“Never.” His blue eyes became serious. “There is no doubt in my mind that you’re the girl for me.”
“But you never wanted to fall in love or have a girlfriend or...” I stopped myself from saying get married. I knew that he didn’t want to hear the words married or baby right now. I tried to stop myself from giggling at the picture his face would make if I said the words marriage. Not that I didn’t want to marry him. Of course I did. However, I knew it was important to take baby steps with Rhett. It had taken him long enough to figure out he had feelings for me, I didn’t want to cause him to go backwards. Not when I’d been in love with him for so many years.
“Or what?” I could see him thinking as he stared at me. The blue in his eyes changed from a light sky blue to a more serious azure color.
“Nothing.” I said lightly and turned away from him. I could feel my heartbeat skipping, worried that he’d catch on to what I’d been thinking and flip out. I knew Rhett well enough to know that the words wedding and marriage would cause him to have a heart attack, no matter how much he denied it. It would be too much, way too soon.
“Remember when we went to that movie theater and danced and sang that Hansen song?” He grabbed my arm and spun me around.
“How could I forget? The MMMBop song?” I made a face and he laughed.
“Yeah, remember how we were laughing and dancing?” His eyes crinkled as he recalled the spectacle we had made of ourselves.
“Yeah why?”
“We did that because we thought it was fun. We did it because we had no fear of what other people were going to think. We did it because we were together and we just wanted to have a good time.” He squeezed my shoulders. “We were each other’s rocks. We can do anything together Clemmie. I’m not scared about what could happen to us because I know that there’s nothing that could happen that we couldn’t get over. We’re still best friends first.” He grinned. “And that means I can still tease the heck out of you and not worry that you’re going to get all silly and girly on me.”
“Phew.” I laughed. “I thought you wanted to go to Copley Place, that mall downtown, and perform a new dance routine.”