Tennille
I was lounging on the hotel bed reading a paperback while Razor gussied up his hair. Sally Mae was on the adjacent queen-sized bed reading on her tablet. She was accustomed to her father’s primping. You would think I would’ve become accustomed to it by now, but it still struck me funny every once in a while. It was Labor day, and our last day in Orlando for the holiday weekend. We were taking advantage of my sister Cecilia’s position with Walt Disney World, which meant we were admitted to the park for free. As a Floridian, I would normally stay far, far away from the Disney properties during a three-day weekend, but free tickets were a game changer.
My attention was pulled to the door of the bathroom when Razor exited. “It’s the third time I’ve seen you in shorts, and it still takes me by surprise,” I blurted.
Sally turned her sparkling blue eyes my way and giggled. “Daddy wears shorts all the time.”
My eyes bulged at her. “Uh, no. No he doesn’t wear them ‘all the time,’ because this weekend has definitely been a first for me.”
Not that I was complaining by any means. The khaki cargo shorts Razor was wearing did justice to his round ass, and if Sally weren’t in the room I’d be hard pressed not to run up and squeeze his tush right now. Plus it was pretty damn awesome rubbing my smooth leg against his hairy ones when riding the monorail or sitting at lunch with him.
I beelined into the bathroom so I could do my own business after drinking two cups of tea. I was looking forward to today in a big way. We were hitting the Magic Kingdom and Sally Mae had yet to ride Space Mountain. While it wasn’t the height of roller coasters, it was definitely a great experience and I couldn’t wait for her first time. As I washed my hands at the sink, I realized Razor had not packed up one bit of his extensive grooming supplies.
Opening the door just enough to poke my head out, I saw Razor was right there. I cocked my head at him. “You need to grab all your stuff from in here, don’tcha?” I asked.
He moved toward me, pushing me back into the bathroom, and closed the door behind him. “Nope. We’re staying another coupla nights.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Sally’s got school!”
“Think I don’t know that? Chamarissa’s pickin’ her up from here at five thirty, takin’ her to dinner at a damn tourist trap I don’t have the stomach for. Figuratively or literally. You and I are gonna live it up. Hit one of the adults only pools. Have dinner at the House of Blues restaurant. The one off International Drive is really damn good. Listen to some blues, then come back here where I’m gonna fuck your brains out.”
“You had me until I was gonna lose my brains via fucking. I kinda need my brains to earn money and stuff.”
He slid a calloused finger along my jaw and stared into my eyes. “You know what I mean, Neil.”
Before I could respond, from the other side of the door Sally’s sweet voice asked, “Can I use the bathroom? What are y’all doin’ in there anyways?”
“Let’s go again!” Sally Mae squealed as we navigated the extensive maze-like pathway out of the Space Mountain ride. Her pace was brisk and Razor was keeping up with her, but I was in no hurry to leave the air conditioned confines of Space Mountain. By far, it was one of the best features of the ride.
“Ain’t waitin’ in no damn hour long line today, Sally Mae. Did that shit yesterday, so it isn’t happening today.”
I quickened my steps and said, “Most of that waiting happens indoors with the AC, you know.”
Razor gave me a pointed look, turned back to Sally and said, “Let’s see how long the wait is first, sweetheart.”
Sally paused long enough to do a little jump and then skipped the rest of the way out of the attraction.
Before either of us caught up with her, she was around the corner to spy the sign with the estimated wait time. She did another jump, this time with her fists in the air, and came back to us. “It’s only a forty-five minute wait, Daddy! Let’s go! That ride is awesome! Who knew a roller coaster could be that much better in the dark?”
“Walt Disney, apparently,” Razor muttered.
I giggled because Razor was right, but so was his daughter. If someone foolishly turned the lights on inside Space Mountain, the magic would absolutely be lost.
Mid-way through our wait time, Sally turned and gave me an inquiring look. With such expressive eyes identical to Razor’s, I knew whatever she had to ask me would be important to her. “Will I get to be one of your bridesmaids, Miss Tennille?”
My heart warmed immediately and I had to fight to keep tears at bay, but I still managed to smile at her.
Unfortunately, Razor spoke before me. “No—”
“Daddy!”
“Sally Mae, you are too young to be a bridesmaid yet. You can be her flower girl, but bridesmaid? No way.”
Sally’s lips pressed into a firm line, and then like a miniature woman, she crossed her arms on her chest and planted a foot out at an angle in an angry girl stance. I wanted to giggle in the worst way, but we did not need to be escorted out of Walt Disney World because of a family tiff. “Honey, you will absolutely be part of my wedding party. Since—”
“I’m too old to be a flower girl!”
“Sally Mae, you’re too young to be a bridesmaid. You can be the flower girl and wear a fancy-ass dress or you can wear a Sunday-best dress and sit with your Mimi and PopPop. Decide.”
I didn’t care for how Razor was handling this, but I was determined to play peacemaker. “You know, Sally, I never got to be in anybody’s wedding. Still haven’t been a bridesmaid. From what my other girlfriends tell me, being a bridesmaid is overrated. If I were you, I’d totally jump on being the flower girl. You’ll be the first one down the aisle and get nearly as much attention as me because you’ll be doling out the fancy flower petals.”
Her lips tipped up slightly at that. “Really?”
I lowered my chin so I was looking down at her from a serious angle. “Would I lie to you? Yes, really! Now, what have I told you about this Miss Tennille business. You can call me Neil, honey.”
“Cool,” she said in a shy voice and we moved forward in the line.
As I slowed down behind Sally, Razor slid his arm around my waist. He murmured in my ear. “In case I haven’t mentioned it lately, you’re crushing it at this step mom business, Marigold.”
Leaning my weight back into Razor, I tipped my head back and kissed his cheek. As I tried to lean forward again, he held firm and kissed me on the lips. It was hot and wet, but very short.
Razor engaged the deadbolt on our hotel room door, and I slung my purse over the desk chair. His hands grabbed my hips and he turned me to face him. Those sapphire eyes of his were heated. “I want to knock you up,” he whispered.
“We just got engaged last month!” I cried.
A sly grin split his lips. “You’re right, but seeing you with Sally Mae made me realize I can not wait to see you carrying my baby, you feeding our baby, me feeding your baby, the whole thing, Neil. Not so sure you got a year to plan whatever wedding you want.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep but not entirely calming breath. “You do know this sort of thing is normally agreed upon, not simply decreed upon someone, right?”
His hands slid from my hips around to my ass. “Yeah. You’re right. Except, when we were in line for the slow shit Sally Mae wanted to do, I saw you making the eyes and big smiles at the toddlers and babies who weren’t even walking yet. You’d make a fabulous mom because after only a month of being Sally’s step mom, you’ve practically mastered it.”
I sighed. “I appreciate the praise, really I do. But, it’s far different with a ten-year-old girl. I’ve been her age before. What if we have a boy—”
I couldn’t finish my question because my mind filled with a glorious vision of a miniature Razor and my Daddy teaching him stuff. Not that Razor couldn’t do the same, but still, the vision made my breath catch. My heart swelled even as my lungs seized.
“Nothing wrong with having a boy, Tennille.”
“I know that,” I breathed.
I cleared my throat. “Fine. You’re right, but I’d still like time for just us.”
His hands squeezed my ass. “How about we let nature set that course?”
I stiffened. “I do not think so! I’m not going down the aisle knocked up.”
“Then you better speed things up with your plannin’, babe”
The look of disbelief on Tennille’s face nearly made him laugh. The fact was, Razor would wait, but he wouldn’t wait on the wedding shit.
The two short visits they had with Cecilia at the theme park resulted in her and Tennille squabbling about wedding crap and a date wasn’t even set yet. He could only imagine those asinine conversations when Neil’s mom, MeMaw, and Cecilia were in the damn mix. Additionally, Neil, Abby, and Trixie had struck up a very tight friendship, so if either Abby or Trixie were involved in that conversation, Razor’s head might explode.
His motivation wasn’t entirely selfish either. He would do whatever it took to save his Marigold from the many headaches associated with wedding planning, and if that meant he saved himself from them in the process, all the better.
Technically, he lied about wanting to knock her up immediately. What he really wanted was to elope or hit the justice of the peace at the earliest opportunity, but that would negate earlier statements he made to Neil.
The next morning they were meeting Cecilia for breakfast, and then heading back to Jacksonville. He prayed her sister wouldn’t start another argument about wedding plans. Time would tell, but since it was only ten after midnight, he had more pressing matters on his mind, namely fucking Tennille’s brains out as promised.
We let my sister choose the restaurant for breakfast. I didn’t know what all the hype was about with the Hash House A Go Go in Orlando, but it became clear very quickly as I got a look at the food on other people’s tables. Almost as soon as the three of us sat down, a server came by for our drink orders. Cecilia ordered a Nitro cold brewed coffee, which was apparently on draft,
but before I could order Razor piped up.
“She’s having the Huckleberry Sin, and I’m having the S’mores Mocha. And two waters, please.”
The server hustled off, and I turned murderous eyes on Razor. “It’s not even ten in the morning, and with with Sin in its name, I imagine you just ordered me alcohol. We’ve never even been here, for all you know I’ll hate that drink. Seriously, are you for real?”
Razor cupped my cheek with his warm hand, and I felt my anger dissipate instantly. “MG, you aren’t drivin’ and I’ve been to their Las Vegas location a few years back. It’s a fantastic cocktail, and you get to keep the glass. You’ll be able to remember this trip. Seriously, if you don’t like it, I’ll drink it and you can drive us back to your place.”
I heard my sister sigh, and I pulled away from Razor’s hold. She was looking off to the other side of the restaurant.
“What’s up with you, CeCe?”
She turned her sky blue eyes to me. “I met a guy last week, but my therapist says it’s too soon.”
“Hmm,” I said in order to stall.
“What’s his name?” Razor asked.
“Brock.”
I gave Razor a look.
“Common name, babe,” he said.
I exhaled. “Yeah, you’re right,” I looked at Cecilia, “Does he live in Orlando?”
“No, he,” she hesitated and I willed her not to say Daytona. “He said he was in Maitland with his brother, who was the D.J. that night at the club.”
Well, that was too bad but good all at the same time. It was too bad her therapist thought it was too soon for her to start dating again, but it was good that this guy wasn’t Brock Sullivan. I
may have only had coffee with him once, but I sensed he would be quite pushy. A woman as beautiful as my sister holding him off because of a therapist would only entice a guy like Brock. Involvement with someone like him absolutely would be too much for my sister.
Cecilia could read me almost as well as Razor. “It doesn’t matter, Neil. The new semester just started up and I’m gonna be busy as hell. I don’t really have time for dating right now anyway. There’s supposed to be another round of auditions for character roles, so that and school are my main focuses right now. I just have to keep reminding myself of that.”
I put my hand over Cecilia’s on the table and squeezed. “I’m really proud of you, CeCe. You can do any damn thing you put your mind to.”
The look in her eyes told me she was going to argue with me, but the server came back with our drinks. Razor was right. Huckleberry Sin was a fantastic cocktail