The Cost To Play (Slivers of Love) (21 page)

The last two days of the con went far better than either Toshi or Jayne had imagined.  Several comic book stores placed orders for the first three editions. Katsuo and Gauntlet were invited to perform at ComicCon. S organizers of South by Southwest handed them a personal invitation to come out in March. On the last day, as they packed up to ship he remaining comic books and costumes home, a collector stopped by their booth and purchased 100 copies of each edition.

The only way the entire experience got any better was when one of the big wigs at DC Comics handed Jayne a business card. “Call me next week,” he told her and she handed him one of their cards as well.

“Professional, I like that,” he said as he walked away.

Jayne was bone tired and ready to head home.  She made a quick call to her grandparents to let them know she and Toshi were headed back to Georgia and he would be giving her a ride home. Even as she settled into the seat on the plane, she made the final calculations on her iPad, turning it to face him, displaying the spreadsheet with the preliminary data.

“Simply amazing,” he said as he stared into her eyes. Toshi already knew the numbers as he calculated them in his head 30 minutes before she even started the spreadsheet.

Even after he had fallen asleep, his fingers intertwined into hers. It took Jayne a minute to realize Toshi had been referring to her, not the sales and projections. A slow smile crept across her face as she flipped their hands over and she looked at her engagement ring.  It was perfect. Three stones, with a ruby in the center, flanked by two diamonds.  It was a nice touch to make her birthstone the focal point of the ring.  On her small hand, the stones were complimentary, much like her new fiancé. When he slept, he would either intertwine their legs, fingers or arms, often waking in the same position.

The entire experience had been surreal to Jayne. Never before had she spent the
whole
night with a man. Waking up next to Toshi was amazing. The same man that she had dismissed on more than one occasion for being an insensitive ass, she was going to marry!  She watched him sleep, imagining him playing with their son or daughter. 

Jayne had never wanted kids, nor had she imagined any in her future.  Her parents had been such head cases and her grandmother a religious zealot, making her fearful to even want to try and attempt mothering anyone.  She had never brought anyone home before Toshi, either. Not even girlfriends.
He was so different, yet they were so much alike. As the plane touched down and he stretched himself awake, he found Jayne staring at him. “Simply amazing,” she told him with a gentle squeeze to his fingers.

His car had been brought to the airport by
P
h
ở
.
As they rolled their luggage out to the parking garage, Toshi was quieter than normal.

“Is something bothering you, Toshi?”

He loaded the luggage in the back and walked around the car to open the passenger door. “No, I am just trying to process how blessed I am to have you, Jayne.”

“You do realize you said that out loud right?” She laughed as her arms came up around his neck.

“I love you,” he told her as he lowered his head to kiss her deeply. “Let’s go home.”

On the drive, Jayne fumbled with the iPod, but instead, ended up playing what was in his CD player, which was still the Barry White song.  She laughed, but soon noticed he wasn’t taking I-520. 
Maybe he is going a back route, but there isn’t a lot of traffic
.

As the Mazda made its way up Central Avenue, Jayne began to wonder. It was still early and maybe Toshi was stopping by her grandparents so they could see her face. Instead he turned up a side street, then made a left, a right, and pulled into the driveway of the pretty yellow cottage.

Jayne squealed!  “Are we going to make them an offer?” She bounded out of the car before he even placed the car in park.  She knocked at the door, peered into the window, and then rapped on the glass. “Toshi, I don’t think anyone is here.” Her nose crinkled with disappointment covering her face, looking as if she had just dropped her ice cream cone.

He walked up slowly, jangling his keys.  She still had not paid him any attention until he slipped the key into lock and turned the handle. “How did you get keys to these people’s house?”  His eyes were wide as she tried to get into the door, but he held up his hand to slow her pace.

He bent down as if to retrieve something and hefted her into his arms, carrying her across the threshold. “Welcome home, baby.” He flicked on the light switch. Her painting hung above the fireplace.  The couch was there in the living room and her coffee table. She begin to wiggle to get out of his arms, hitting the floor as she took off up the stairs. He locked the door behind them as he followed her up the stairwell.

In the master bedroom she was relieved that her bed was in there versus the block of hard foam he slept upon.  All of their things were here. Her clothes, dressers, and even the items under her sink!  She ran into the master bath and sure enough, there those things were!

“How, Toshi…, I don’t understand,” she said through tears which were threatening to consume her.

“Easy. I was prequalified for the loan and for a quick close, I talked the owners down by two grand. Your dad bought down some points and we sealed it up in 15 days. Our friends moved us in while were gone.”

Jayne plopped down on the bed. “Dear Lord!” Her hands flew to her cheeks.

“What’s wrong?”

“My grandmother will probably die in that closet on her knees in prayer if she knew you are I were living together and we are not married!”

Toshi was in the bathroom starting the water in the tub, adding bubble bath and soaking salts, while removing his pants.  It then registered in her head what he had said
. Your dad bought down some of the points
.

“You said Grandpa Joe bought down some of the points?”

Toshi was already in his underwear, eyeing the tub like a lover welcoming him home. “No, your dad, Malik.  He called and asked what he could do to help.  I told him.”  He peered around the corner, using his finger to beckon her forward. “He also sent that painting in the dining room.”

Jayne took off down the stairs to the dining room and turned on the lights.  Over the fireplace was a wonderful portrait of a biracial family. With her, Toshi and two small faceless children. The family was enjoying a picnic by the lake.  The little boy held a comic book.  Jayne moved closer to the painting. The cover read, “The Vigilantes.”

“Said it was his wedding present to us.” Toshi’s voice startled her. His arms encircled her waist, planting a small kiss on her neck and he guided her back up the stairs. 

“You are so calm about all of this,” she told him as she tested the temperature of the water.

“All I know is…” he told her as he helped her disrobe. “I want to end my evening with you in this tub, and start my day in your arms in that bed.”  He stepped into the tub, water pooling around his ankles.

She joined him in the water, still frocked with worry. “My dad may be okay with this, but Grammy Pearl is going to anoint your head with oil.”

“Jayne.” He helped her get comfortable in the large tub. “You’d better plan the wedding fast.”

“Oh that is even worse! She is going to think I’m pregnant,” she said with some disgust.

“I can make that happen to, if you like,” he said with a sheepish grin as he leaned back into the warm water, pulling Jayne against him.

“Not this soon, I hope.” She laughed as she allowed the sponge to fill with water.

“Whenever, you are ready, Gauntlet.”

Jayne pretended to click her wrist cuffs together like she had on the stage. “We need more time to play Katsuo.”

The button was pressed and the jets kicked on, massaging their sore, tired bodies. But something else had been bugging Jayne. “Toshi, I have been meaning to ask you something that has been troubling me a bit and I didn’t know how to ask you about it.”

“Hmmm?” He mumbled through half closed eyes.

“Why did you have a strip of missing pubic hair?”

-Fin-

.

Olivia is an author, a blogger and an adult educator. She writes fiction under the penname of a private hero, her mother, Olivia Gaines Aaron. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master's in Organizational Management.

Olivia Gaines has authored the short story series The Bounty (2009), Vengeance (2012) and The Bounty Hunter (2013). The Slice of Life Series is new in the Olivia Gaines portfolio which includes, Two Nights in Vegas, The Perfect Man, The Basement of Mr. McGee and Letter to My Mother.

In 2011, she completed work on her second novel, Courting Guinevere and has recently completed Loving Words, her 3rd novel, the second book in the Davonshire Series
, which will released later in 2014.