Taste the Courage
two.
New Message: Matt Sanders
hey kid, having a bbq for the holiday. I want you to meet the guys, i'll pick you up at 6.
Emma sighed and tossed her gym stuff by the front door. Checking the clock, she only had about an hour and a half to get ready. The hot water pellets falling from the shower head massaged out her tense muscles in her back. Between work and running all over the place for Abe's baseball, Emma rarely had time to get in a work out herself. The only type of exercise she got was when she conditioned with her team.
While getting ready, she heard the front door slam shut. It was an obvious sign that Max wouldn't be pleased when she told him that she wouldn't be home and needed him to watch after Abe. Emma could feel his smirk burning her skin as she came downstairs.
“Awe, darling, no need to get all dolled up for me. I'll be taking all those clothes off you soon anyways.”
Emma scoffed, “You wish this was for you. I'm going to a barbecue tonight at Matt's, I shouldn't be out too late. Can you pick Abie up from his play date?”
“I hate that you hang out with him.” Max groaned.
“You ignored my question, can you pick Abie up from baseball?”
He shook his head, “Nope, I have a press conference in an hour.”
The brunette sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “Alright.” She pulled out the crappy replacement phone she had been using and dialed Matt's number, “Hey, Matt?”
The voice on the other end wasn't the usual roughness she was used to, it was sweet and delicate, “No, this is his wife.. who's this?”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just a friend of Matt's. Is he around?”
Emma heard the woman call out to Matt. She waited a moment before her ears were greeted with the usual sound of Matt's voice, “Hey kid, get my message?”
“Yeah! I'm almost ready, it's just.. Max isn't going to be home tonight and I don't feel comfortable leaving Abe alone. Would it be alright if I brought him with me?”
Matt smiled, “Of course, Hammer is always welcome!”
Emma giggled at the nickname Matt had given her son. Even after only a few weeks of knowing each other, a solid friendship had already bloomed. It was amazing to see someone bond with Abraham so quickly, “Okay, cool. He's at a playdate right now; it's just down the street. Think we could just scoop him up on our way back to your place?”
“Nope,” Matt smirked, “kids gotta walk.”
“Alright, I'll let him know where you live, asshole.”
Matt let out a hearty laugh before hanging up. Luckily, Max had already left by the time the 6'4 musician swung by to pick up Emma. It was progressively worse and worse each day Emma and Abe stayed with the athlete. He was so controlling and questioned her intentions every time she spoke to another man. Only once had it escalated to something physical and Matt was there to pick her up.
“So, you're married?” Emma asked casually.
Matt nodded, “Yeah, Valary- she's my best friend, can't imagine life without her.”
A sigh of relief was left out that Emma didn't even realize she was holding in, “Oh thank god. As disappointing as it is that you're off the market... that makes things so much easier with Max. He's starting to get crazy ideas that I'm going to run away with you or something.”
“He's getting worse isn't he?” The car came to a rolling stop and Emma jumped out to get Abe.
“We'll talk about it later.”
Moments later, Emma returned to the car with Abe trailing behind. The second he noticed Matt in the car, his whole body perked up.
▲▲▲
With Abe hamming it up with all Matt's friends, it gave Emma a chance to meet a few of the girls. Val, Matt's wife, was an absolute joy. She was so sweet, just as Emma figured from the sound of her voice. Then there was Whitney, Zacky's girlfriend.
There was a soft tap on Emma's shoulder causing her to nearly spill her drink. She turned around to be greeted by a girl who looked a few years younger than she was with a familiar button nose she had seen on someone else earlier in the evening.
“Hi, I'm McKenna, Brian's sister. Sorry to startle you, it's just I really wanted to meet the girl my brother keeps asking Matt about.”
Emma let out a nervous laugh, “Brian...? I'm sorry, it's just- so many names in the past hour it is kind of hard to keep track of everyone.”
The girl laughed and pointed to a man about 5'10 with long brown hair and a fedora on his head, “That's him, the dork with the hat on.”
“Oh, I doubt he's a dork.” Emma blushed, fully taking in his appearance.
McKenna giggled, “He wants to know if your single, how old you are, what you do; that kind of thing.”
The older of the two smirked, “Ah well, I guess I'll just have to go talk to him myself.” On her way over to the other side of the pool, Emma grabbed another bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade- liquid courage She thought.
She walked behind Brian and smiled, “Excuse me gentlemen, but I'm just going to borrow your friend here for a minute.” Emma's dainty fingers wrapped around Brian's calloused ones and pulled him into the unoccupied gazebo.
“Well, hello.” He said with a smug look of satisfaction planted on his face.
With a slight buzz slowly growing stronger, the gymnast smirked, “You know, if you want to know something about a girl... the best way to find out is by asking her.”
Brian's face inched dangerously close, “So, what's your name?”
Taking a deep breath and steadying herself against a pillar, she closed the space between them. Her lips on his, their tongues doing a dance. Pulling away, she nibbled his earlobe gently, “Emma.” She whispered into his ear.
She pressed her lips to Brian's one last time. A natural blush seeped onto her skin. Emma stepped out of the gazebo and began wandering the crowd looking for Abe. It wasn't too long before she found him testing his charm out on Rachel, Jimmy's fiancée. A chilly California wind brushed by causing Emma's face to cool down.
“All right womanizer, it's time to call it quits.”
hey kid, having a bbq for the holiday. I want you to meet the guys, i'll pick you up at 6.
Emma sighed and tossed her gym stuff by the front door. Checking the clock, she only had about an hour and a half to get ready. The hot water pellets falling from the shower head massaged out her tense muscles in her back. Between work and running all over the place for Abe's baseball, Emma rarely had time to get in a work out herself. The only type of exercise she got was when she conditioned with her team.
While getting ready, she heard the front door slam shut. It was an obvious sign that Max wouldn't be pleased when she told him that she wouldn't be home and needed him to watch after Abe. Emma could feel his smirk burning her skin as she came downstairs.
“Awe, darling, no need to get all dolled up for me. I'll be taking all those clothes off you soon anyways.”
Emma scoffed, “You wish this was for you. I'm going to a barbecue tonight at Matt's, I shouldn't be out too late. Can you pick Abie up from his play date?”
“I hate that you hang out with him.” Max groaned.
“You ignored my question, can you pick Abie up from baseball?”
He shook his head, “Nope, I have a press conference in an hour.”
The brunette sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “Alright.” She pulled out the crappy replacement phone she had been using and dialed Matt's number, “Hey, Matt?”
The voice on the other end wasn't the usual roughness she was used to, it was sweet and delicate, “No, this is his wife.. who's this?”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just a friend of Matt's. Is he around?”
Emma heard the woman call out to Matt. She waited a moment before her ears were greeted with the usual sound of Matt's voice, “Hey kid, get my message?”
“Yeah! I'm almost ready, it's just.. Max isn't going to be home tonight and I don't feel comfortable leaving Abe alone. Would it be alright if I brought him with me?”
Matt smiled, “Of course, Hammer is always welcome!”
Emma giggled at the nickname Matt had given her son. Even after only a few weeks of knowing each other, a solid friendship had already bloomed. It was amazing to see someone bond with Abraham so quickly, “Okay, cool. He's at a playdate right now; it's just down the street. Think we could just scoop him up on our way back to your place?”
“Nope,” Matt smirked, “kids gotta walk.”
“Alright, I'll let him know where you live, asshole.”
Matt let out a hearty laugh before hanging up. Luckily, Max had already left by the time the 6'4 musician swung by to pick up Emma. It was progressively worse and worse each day Emma and Abe stayed with the athlete. He was so controlling and questioned her intentions every time she spoke to another man. Only once had it escalated to something physical and Matt was there to pick her up.
“So, you're married?” Emma asked casually.
Matt nodded, “Yeah, Valary- she's my best friend, can't imagine life without her.”
A sigh of relief was left out that Emma didn't even realize she was holding in, “Oh thank god. As disappointing as it is that you're off the market... that makes things so much easier with Max. He's starting to get crazy ideas that I'm going to run away with you or something.”
“He's getting worse isn't he?” The car came to a rolling stop and Emma jumped out to get Abe.
“We'll talk about it later.”
Moments later, Emma returned to the car with Abe trailing behind. The second he noticed Matt in the car, his whole body perked up.
▲▲▲
With Abe hamming it up with all Matt's friends, it gave Emma a chance to meet a few of the girls. Val, Matt's wife, was an absolute joy. She was so sweet, just as Emma figured from the sound of her voice. Then there was Whitney, Zacky's girlfriend.
There was a soft tap on Emma's shoulder causing her to nearly spill her drink. She turned around to be greeted by a girl who looked a few years younger than she was with a familiar button nose she had seen on someone else earlier in the evening.
“Hi, I'm McKenna, Brian's sister. Sorry to startle you, it's just I really wanted to meet the girl my brother keeps asking Matt about.”
Emma let out a nervous laugh, “Brian...? I'm sorry, it's just- so many names in the past hour it is kind of hard to keep track of everyone.”
The girl laughed and pointed to a man about 5'10 with long brown hair and a fedora on his head, “That's him, the dork with the hat on.”
“Oh, I doubt he's a dork.” Emma blushed, fully taking in his appearance.
McKenna giggled, “He wants to know if your single, how old you are, what you do; that kind of thing.”
The older of the two smirked, “Ah well, I guess I'll just have to go talk to him myself.” On her way over to the other side of the pool, Emma grabbed another bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade- liquid courage She thought.
She walked behind Brian and smiled, “Excuse me gentlemen, but I'm just going to borrow your friend here for a minute.” Emma's dainty fingers wrapped around Brian's calloused ones and pulled him into the unoccupied gazebo.
“Well, hello.” He said with a smug look of satisfaction planted on his face.
With a slight buzz slowly growing stronger, the gymnast smirked, “You know, if you want to know something about a girl... the best way to find out is by asking her.”
Brian's face inched dangerously close, “So, what's your name?”
Taking a deep breath and steadying herself against a pillar, she closed the space between them. Her lips on his, their tongues doing a dance. Pulling away, she nibbled his earlobe gently, “Emma.” She whispered into his ear.
She pressed her lips to Brian's one last time. A natural blush seeped onto her skin. Emma stepped out of the gazebo and began wandering the crowd looking for Abe. It wasn't too long before she found him testing his charm out on Rachel, Jimmy's fiancée. A chilly California wind brushed by causing Emma's face to cool down.
“All right womanizer, it's time to call it quits.”