Three Rivers (15 page)

"I'm sorry, can you remind me?" His face fell and she felt a pang of guilt.

"About watching a movie together? Or we could go to dinner. Whatever you like."

"Mommy, Mommy!"

"Johnny what's wrong?"

"I don't feel good. I need help."

"It must be bad. You never ask for help."

"Maybe I can help Johnny. I mean I
am
a doctor," Curt interrupted.

Johnny glared at him with his chin thrust forward, "No. Not you. I want Mommy."

"What hurts Johnny? Your tummy maybe?" Vivian came up behind Althea and asked pointedly.

"Yeah. That's right Maw-Maw, it's my, uh, tummy."

"Aw, you heard the kid, Curt," Althea's mother said with a lilting tone. "You're an ear, nose, and throat doc right? Looks like this is a case that requires a prescription of some mommy TLC. Why don't you come with me and tell me about your recent piece on peritonsillar abscesses? Jenna says it was, um...descriptive."

"My pleasure, Viv," he said excitedly as they walked away. "You know, most people think abscesses are just..." Luckily his voice faded off before Althea had to hear more.

"Mr. Personality, huh?" Althea breathed deeply at the sensation of Griffen's warm breath at her ear. She turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me," he added with a smirk, "
Doctor
Personality."

Althea looked down as Johnny whispered, "How'd I do Uncle Gwiff?"

Griffen winced but said, "Great buddy. Why don't you run some plays with the guys while I talk to your mom?"

Althea raised an eyebrow as Johnny ran off, "Enlisting my son to corner me. Isn't that pretty low?"

"He
was
injured. That ass of a doctor was making him nauseous."

"I'm going inside. You're unbelievable."

"Thanks."

"It wasn't a compliment, stud."

"Hmm. Sounded like one to me." He grinned and she could tell he was thrilled to see her eyes widen and lips part despite her attempts at self-control.
Dammit
.

"Besides, all's fair, right?" Griffen added.

"Is this love or war?" she asked.

"That's up to you. I just know I'm not giving up on getting you to stop avoiding me."

"Humph," was all she could manage and then flounced off to the kitchen. She never flounced. This was getting serious.

She wanted to be mad, that would make it easier, but then he ran back over to Johnny and bent down to correct Johnny's throwing technique so he could connect a perfect pass to Chris. The sheer joy on Johnny's face fed some deep emptiness and hurt inside her she didn't even know was there. She sighed.

"I guess a little bit longer won't hurt," she said to no one in particular.

As Althea turned and slowly walked into the kitchen she caught Jenna and Aubrey searching through images and articles on
Google
about Griffen with maddening speed. "Um, guys, could you please stop cyber-stalking the man long enough to help me get some food put away?"

They simply ignored her.

"That's where I know him from!" Jenna exclaimed. "I thought he looked familiar, but I figured it was because he had such an athletic build." Aubrey smirked at her. "Ease up, Brey — athletes’ bodies are my job." Aubrey smirked again and made some kind of dirty gesture with her mouth and hand that Althea was sure she couldn't do without dislocating a thumb. "
Fixing
their bodies. Jesus, Brey."

"Calm down Jenna, I do believe you've gotten yourself quite worked up," Althea teased. "We know, you just doctor
on
them, you don't play doctor
with
them."

"Shut up you two. Point is, I didn't realize he was Nicky Tate. He was a star tight end at Pitt when we were in college. But he just dropped out and disappeared."

"Christ! He really is famous, Tea," Aubrey shrieked. "Look at all these red carpet shots. He's even on TMZ. Looks here like he only bangs models and movie stars."

"'Bangs'? Real classy Brey," Jenna laughed.

"Excuse me, 'makes looooove,'" Aubrey cooed sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, coming from you, that sounds even worse," Jenna cringed.

"Whatever, Jenna. Point is, he only dates A-list hotties. And a lot of them. I don't see any relationships anywhere here. Not even any long hookups. Either way,
mamacita
, you are in some smoking hot company. Up top."

Althea grimaced when Aubrey held up her hand for a high five.

"Don't leave me hanging, Tea! You are right up there with some really famous honeys, like we didn't know that already."

"Stop it you guys," Althea begged.

"I agree. Althea is far more beautiful than any model or movie star. For the record." All three women turned around quickly at the sound of Griffen's masculine voice coming from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Jesus!" Althea had been surreptitiously sneaking a peak at the laptop screen when Griffen had walked in and the shock of his voice made her jump. She watched in defeat as a dozen leftover brownies slid off their tray and fell to the floor, a thin layer of saran wrap preventing their total destruction. "Dammit. Griffen, you need to stop sneaking up on me," she said looking dejectedly at the chocolate mess at her feet.

"But it's so much fun. Makes your eyes bright and your lovely cheeks flush." He stood very close and tilted her chin up to look down into her eyes. He glanced over at the laptop and turned back to Althea, his thumb stroking across her face. "Can't get enough of me, I see?"

Althea huffed, thrusting her chin away from him. She slapped the plastic tray for the brownies down on the kitchen table a little too hard, "I was not checking up on you. These two deviants were.
I
couldn't care less."

"Oh, come on, admit you were a little curious about me, I saw you peeking." He turned back and nodded toward Aubrey and Jenna, "Ladies, good to see you two again."

"Oh yeah, good to see you," Jenna offered quickly. "Aubrey, do you remember that thing we need to get in the living room?"

"Huh?" Aubrey asked and Althea rolled her eyes. She couldn't be sure, but she suspected Aubrey's current bout of deafness was caused by her focusing all her energy on undressing Griffen with her eyes.

"Aubrey!" Jenna shouted.

"Oh shit, oh yeah, that thing. Of course! Right behind you." And with that, Althea was left with only the company of Griffen and the army of butterflies in her stomach.

"Get back in here you, two. Right now!" Althea yelled helplessly after them.

"They seem to always run off whenever I appear," Griffen said with a knowing smile.

"Yeah, imagine that. Don't get too used to them, I'm trading them in for new friends who actually listen to me," Althea muttered, crouching down and trying to busy herself with picking up the brownies from the floor when she felt Griffen's warm breath on her hair as he crouched beside her.

"I had a really nice time today, and last night, Althea," he purred in her ear as he picked up a brownie for her. She turned her face to him trying to look fierce but realizing she probably only came across like an irritated child. "Why are you trying to act like you're mad at me?"

Breathe, breathe
, she instructed herself. "You're unreal."

"Thank you," he smirked.

"I keep telling you, it's
not
a compliment!" She caught that she was almost yelling and turned it down a decibel or two, when she asked, "Can't you just let me deal with this alone, in peace, for maybe, I don't know, forever? Yeah, that sounds good."

"I don't think so, sorry. The more I saw you today, the more I think it was the best thing that could have happened. In fact, I think we should do a lot more of it. For two weeks to be exact."

"
What
?" There was no hope of discretion; she knew she was straight up close to shrieking now.

"I think we should enjoy each other while I'm here."

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Because we had fun together, and I think you deserve to have a little fun. And, well, I want to be around you more. I also want to get to know Johnny. And if you're really going to start with some baby steps I think they should be with me."

"Ex-
cuse
me?"

"You're considering more nights of fun, right? Well, let me be the noble one here and offer you my services. While I'm here, we have hot sex, fun, friendship. I help you with Johnny and anything else you need and then I'm gone. Built-in expiration date, so no guilt about moving on before you're ready, just some baby steps, like you call them."

"Your services? You know I was kidding when I told the girls you had a stud fee last night. I hope I wasn't actually right," she said.

"I don't charge baby," he answered with a laugh. "Though you know I'm skilled. I'm here for only two weeks and have no interest in love either. You know I'll look after you and treat you right. And I don't do relationships or emotions — just sex — so it seems like I'm your guy, right?"

"So we have fun, and then you go. No strings attached?"

"That's right, gorgeous. Then I leave and you can move on with a guy that fits into the limited whatever that you decide you're looking for. A nice guy — not some jerk who picks you up in a bar," he added with a wink.

"Let me think about it," she said, gnawing on her bottom lip with a determined focus.

"Meet me tonight at my hotel room at seven if you’re game. And I really hope you are."

Althea barely had a chance to catch her breath and bring her libido in check before Aubrey, Jenna and her mother stampeded into the kitchen.

"I think it's a great idea, you should do it," Aubrey ordered.

"Well, I guess I don't need to ask if you guys were eavesdropping or not." They had the decency to pretend to look ashamed, well, except for Aubrey of course, who just kept grinning like an idiot.

"I agree," Vivian purred, adjusting her elaborate silk robe as she spoke. Since most of the guests had left, her mother had decided it was time to dress like she was on the set of a 1940s film noir. "You know he won't treat you like crap and there's an end date. He's only in town for a short time, so things won't get out of your comfort zone."

"Glad you're on board, Mom. This is not weird at all. It seems you've all had plenty of time to consider this in the two seconds it took you to ambush me," Althea grumbled.

"Oh stop being such a whiny baby. If you're worried, just blame us, say we forced you to do it. Never regret what you do..."

"Only what you don't do, I know, Mother. But what about Johnny and my job? I know you think it’s wrong that those are all I ever focus on, but I can't exactly disappear for two weeks."

"No, but you just settled that big pharmaceutical liability case, you told me yourself work has been light since then," Jenna countered.

"Damn you for listening to me and my boring work talk," Althea said through a smile. "Besides, I've got other stuff going on. I don't really have time for distractions."

"Oh, sorry, I'm sure this 'distraction' would interfere with you making it through your instant queue on
Netflix
, I mean those
Psych
and
30 Rock
reruns aren’t gonna just watch themselves, right?" Aubrey challenged. Althea petulantly swatted at her hands that were still doing rabbit ears for the word "distraction."

"Tina Fey's funny," Althea muttered.

"I'm on board, too," Jenna chimed in. "Not about Tina Fey, well, yeah, she's funny, but I mean about Griffen's idea. What more perfect person to ease back into a love life with than someone known for avoiding any commitment and intimately understanding your loss and how it's affected you? Plus, he's super hot," she added with a smirk.

"
Et tu,
Jenna?"

"I know, I can't believe it either," Jenna laughed. "Honestly, I'm not sure why you're even hesitating," Jenna scoffed. "This offer is tailor-made for you. Especially because Griffen wants to spend time with Johnny, too, while he's here. How great is that?"

"And when you two need some privacy for grown-up sexy times, well, Jenna and I can help," Aubrey added doing an elaborate dance with her eyebrows.

"Yep, and I can help tonight. If you need me more than that, I can try to come up again." Althea resisted the urge to roll her eyes. That is
so
much her mother — she couldn't visit regularly but promise of her daughter getting laid regularly for two weeks and she was on it. "That way Carol doesn't need to know about your little arrangement."

"Oh God,
Carol
. She can't know about this! She still views me as Jack's wife, this would kill her. Especially with Griffen of all people!"

"You know how I feel about Carol and her little comments about you. What she did today was outrageous. You need to stop obsessing about protecting that woman's feelings. It's not fair to you for her to treat you like you are biding your sexual time until you can meet Jack in heaven. You have your own grief to deal with." Vivian was getting worked up, like she often did when she got to talking about Carol's view of Althea as Jack's forever wife.

"Mom, don't start again about Carol. Please."

"You realize you are simply enabling that woman's never-ending denial that Jack's gone. At some point, she will accept that you have to move on..."