14. Really

CHAPTER14

Really

Wyn

“I’m going too,” Noel declared, pacing my office while I leaned against the front of my desk watching him.

“Noel, I told you this in the strictest of confidence,” I reminded him severely. “And anyway, you have to remain here to hold down the fort.”

He stopped pacing and glared at me.

“I met her. I liked her. I thought she was fabulous. A killer queen. The bitch even smoked cigarettes in vintage holders, and cigarettes are revolting, but she rocked that.”

I’d shared with Noel…well, pretty much everything about the night before at Remy’s. And clearly, Noel was feeling personally deceived that she’d turned out to be a monster.

Also clearly, Colette should have quit smoking a long time ago.

Last, even I had to admit she was fabulous.

Definitely a killer queen.

“I regret to inform you of this, but I thought you two were just in competition for Remy’s attention,” he went on. “That happens.”

“I love that you feel a part of my family,” I said.

He waved a hand to wave this comment away because Noel didn’t do sentimentality.

“I love how much you care about him,” I kept going.

“I love that you two are working things out,” he replied. “Though, I don’t know why you didn’t spend the night with him. He needs comforting.”

Dear Lord.

“Working things out is not the same as things being worked out,” I returned. “A lot is going on and we don’t need to confuse the situation by getting physical.”

“Have you considered the fact things getting physical might go a long way to working things out?” he asked.

“I can hardly pounce on him the night he shares his mother is dying, and oh yeah, she also physically, and along with her husband, mentally and emotionally abused him his whole life.”

Though, I had to admit, once I got over the shock of it all, being alone with Remy, spending time with him in his amazing home, that option had been preeminent on my mind.

And, I had to admit, I didn’t want to be talking about this with Noel, because that thought was still preeminent on my mind.

I had decided to work things out with Remy.

And one could say I was keen to work things out with my husband.

We hadn’t touched in that way since…

Well, since he came over about a year and a half ago to pick a fight, we’d both lost control and ended up having sex against the wall in my foyer.

That was the last time I’d had sex.

After he’d filed for divorce, I’d dated, and since Remy, taken two lovers.

But after that time in the entryway, that was over.

Not because I thought we’d get back together.

Just because, unconsciously I was holding on, and the reminder of how we were in that way, it was ridiculous, but seriously…

Remy ruined me for all other men.

Now, we were working things out.

And I was intent to get my husband back…and give both of us that back.

However, he was dealing with a lot, and although we had a history of working things out sexually after arguments, when things were emotional for Remy, he craved affection.

Heck, when my mom and dad died, Remy and I spent hours cuddling (literally hours). Or he’d play the piano, and no matter how much I had to do, I’d set it aside and sit close to him, reading, just so he could see me.

It had not been lost on me why this was, his mother and father being as they were.

Now, truly knowing the way his mother and father were, I felt it imperative to give him my time, attention and affection but not push him to…well, perform.

“Uh, yes you can,” Noel shot back. “Men feel comforted by precisely two things. You cooking them their favorite foods and you giving them an orgasm.”

I looked to the ceiling.

My cell rang.

So I aimed my eyes down to my desk and saw my daughter was calling.

I picked up the phone and answered, “Hey, honey.”

“Mom, love you, and I love that you and Dad are so totally getting back together even if you’re trying to be careful with our feelings in case it doesn’t work out, when it absolutely will, but all this family drama is killing my social life.”

Needless to say, I’d called the family meeting via text, telling the kids I wanted them all at their father’s house by seven that night for his steak tacos and discussion.

I knew this was doable because I knew their schedules. We had a family calendar on our phones, and yes, more evidence that I’d been ludicrously blind, and completely missed how my husband was reaching out to me even as he pushed me away, because Noel and Lisa had not once ceased in adding Remy and my details into it.

Therefore, I knew both Sabre and Manon were finished with classes that day by early afternoon, (Sabre’s last class finished at three). This meant they had time to get packed and drive up.

“Save the environment, drive together for once,” I ordered my daughter.

“Benji’s driving me up. We’re going to multi-task and add a meet the parents,” she declared.

Oh no they weren’t.

I pushed up from the desk. “Manon, if Benji is important to you, I’d love to meet him. But this isn’t the time.”

“If he’s gonna be a keeper, then he has to be introduced to Gastineau Family Theatrics. I’ll need to assess his reaction to that, and I figure that should be sooner rather than later.”

And there it was.

Reed had not been wrong.

Women also referred to men as “keepers.”

“Really, honey, this isn’t the time.”

“I talked to Yves and he’s bringing Theo. Though, that’s probably more about Dad’s tacos.”

Damn it.

Though, it probably was. Remy’s steak tacos were simple, but they were amazing.

“I’ll talk to your brother because he’s not bringing Theo.”

“It’s not a big deal, Mom, we all knew you’d get back together eventually.”

I drew in a breath.

And then I said, “Okay, yes, your dad and I are talking. However, this meeting is not about that, and it isn’t appropriate for Benji to be there.”

She started to say something.

But I didn’t hear it because Noel was there, taking my phone right from my ear and putting it to his.

“Doll, you’ve got Noel. Don’t fight your mom on this one. You with me?” Pause then. “Mm-hmm.” Pause and, “Mm-hmm.” One last pause then, “All right. We’ll do brunch. Byeee.”

He took the phone from his ear, disconnected from my daughter and handed it back to me.

“She’s going to contact Sah. They’ll come together. Benji is out…for now.”

“It’s unpleasant, being grateful to you and annoyed at you at the same time.”

He just grinned then asked, “Shall I call Theo?”

Before I could answer, my phone rang again.

Noel and I both looked at it.

But it was Noel who again slipped it from my hand, took the call and hit speaker.

“You got both of us, beautiful,” he announced to Kara.

“Excellent,” Kara’s voice came from the speaker. “I’ve got a few minutes between patients, and this is a time saver. I’m officially changing my vote. I’m ghosting Bea. She called last night and unleashed the verbal hounds. Don’t worry. She won’t care about the ghosting since I ended the call by telling her to go fuck herself.”

Noel and I stared at each other.

He looked like he was trying not to laugh.

I felt sick.

“And, not quite an aside, but it has to be an aside for now since I have to call Bernice too and I have five minutes before I have to hit an exam room, but you’re up for Cock and Snacktails next, Wyn. And during them, you’ll be telling us all about Remy being at your house late on a Tuesday night,” she continued.

Translation: Bea had heard Remy’s voice over my phone and had called Kara to bitch about me…and Remy.

That whooshing started to happen in my head again.

“No can do, sister,” Noel spoke for me. “Seeing as she, Remy and the kids are heading to NOLA to bid adieu to a dying Colette.”

“The witch is almost dead?” Kara breathed in what sounded like excitement.

“Thank God I’m not a child and you’re not my doctor because I fear you lack empathy,” Noel drawled.

Kara ignored him and asked, “Wyn, you’re going with them?”

“Yes, because his mother is dying, and Remy and I are talking things through.”

“Ah-ha!” she crowed like a mad scientist who just made a breakthrough. “I totally knew you’d get back together. Now I’m going to be late for my patient because I also I have to call Reed. He’s going to be so excited. He’ll probably break out the purple box.”

Oh, for heaven’s sake.

“What’s the purple box?” Noel asked.

“Our sex box,” Kara answered.

“New rule!” Noel cried. “No phoning between patients when you don’t have time to get detailed in all the things.”

I broke into their repartee.

“You need to make your calls, and I need to contact my youngest son to share he can’t bring his boyfriend to a family meeting that will include him learning his grandmother is dying and we need to go to New Orleans to say goodbye. I also might need to get some work done. And Noel does too. So we’re saying goodbye now.”

“Wyn?” Kara called.

“Yes, honey?”

“I’m really happy you and Remy are talking.”

“I think she got that with the sex box,” Noel remarked.

I shot him a look and then said into the phone, “I am too.”

“Really?” she asked.

There was a wealth of feeling in my one-word response.

“Really.”

“Awesome,” she whispered. “Later, my lovelies.”

Then she was gone.

The instant she was, Noel asked, “Do you know what’s in this purple box?”

I looked at him, and it wasn’t only to avoid his question (because, yes, I did know), that I said, “I love you.”

He shrugged. “I’m lovable. And I love you too because you’re fabulous. And as you know, I don’t do mushy. So I’m going back to work now.”

With that, he strolled out of my office.

I watched him go.

And then I called Yves.

After I sorted things with my youngest, I was able to get fifteen minutes of work done before my phone buzzed.

It was a text from Remy.

I’ll hit AJ’s on the way home. Come over when you want. Lisa’s couriering over a key. The security code is 21209. See you tonight. Love you.

Twenty-one was Manon’s birthday (October).

Twenty was Yves’s (January)

Nine was Sabre’s (August).

That got me.

Remy was couriering over a key.

That got me more.

And even more was Remy hitting AJ’s, which he used to do a lot.

What got me most was the last.

I touched the phone to my forehead and took a second, pushing into the back of my mind the vision of Remy shouldering his life with me in the form of literal baggage and walking out of our home. Then remembering the Remy of last night who bought me Frasher’s, and we ate it using our daughter’s napkins.

Then I texted back, Should be done around five. So I’ll be at yours at 5:30. Too early?

I got back, I’ll aim to be there then too.

It was hanging.

Just hanging.

And I couldn’t leave it hanging.

Because this was Remy.

And my hold might have slipped along the way.

But from our first date, he’d been mine.

So I didn’t leave it hanging.

And that meant I texted back, See you then. Love you too.

He didn’t reply.

But that felt so right, even though I gave myself five minutes, I fretted about it for maybe one.

And then I got back to work.