Status: Completed
Best Thing In Town
My Cherie Amour
Picking up Estelle from Anastacia's had been an interesting experience. Mike had to introduce Audrey and Katarina and what their relationship was to one another. Estelle wasn't that happy that someone who wasn't even his daughter got to live with him. And now he was going to have a baby with a woman she didn't even know he knew. Anastacia, however, had taken the news a lot more maturely and welcomed Audrey with a hug and a smile and said that if she ever needed anything, to just give her a call.
Mike was glad Anastacia had accepted Audrey as well, and was also a little disappointed about Estelle's reaction. He'd hoped she'd be a little less huffy. The girls sat in the back of the car, not talking. Well, Katarina talked. But it was like talking to a wall. Mike steered his BMW with his left hand and reached over with his right hand, placing it on top of Audrey's leg. She smiled and looked over at him, unaware of the sour expression Estelle wore. Audrey bit her bottom lip and placed her hand on top of Mike's, curling her fingers around so that they held on to each other's hand.
She looked at her reflection in the sideview mirror and glanced down at the outfit she wore. It was a simple black, pleated skirt that hung just passed her knees along with a magenta-colored satin camisole with spaghetti straps and lace edging at the V neckline. Aside from the simple necklace around her neck and tiny earrings, she wasn't really done up. Her make-up was minimal and she had her contacts in, and her hair was pinned up.
And Mike thought she was the prettiest thing in the world.
They pulled up to Tre's house and found a place to park. Each parent walked with their respective child up to the front door, not even having to knock it when Tre poked his head out with a wily grin.
"Happy Four Hours Until 2006!" he announced. Tre grabbed Mike by the shoulders and pulled the older man in for a bear hug before pushing him away to greet Audrey and the girls. "And you've brought a bounty of pretty ladies. Ooh, that just makes me wanna do a jig."
Audrey let out a small laugh as Mike placed his hand on the small over her back as the four of them stepped into the house that was already full of noise.
"You're the last ones to arrive," Tre denoted.
"Well, we just got off a plane earlier," Mike reiterated. "Not to mention going back to the house to get ready and then picking up Estelle..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Excuses."
They moved toward the thick of the house and Tre and Mike began introducing everyone to Audrey and Kat, which was slowly becoming overwhelming. The children were carted off to a separate room to all play. Katarina and Frankito seemed to hit it off easily, since they were both four years old. Mike offered to get a glass of champagne for Audrey but she turned it down because of the baby, which he winked about and said he'd bring her a soft drink instead. Sitting down with Billie Joe's wife was a nice experience. She was just a really sweet person who was so clearly in love with her man and vice versa. It was admirable.
Conversations here and there tended to drift toward how Audrey knew Mike and where she was from...what she did for a living...yada, yada, yada. But not once was she placed in the position to spill the news that she was pregnant with Mike's child.
Around 11:30, Ramona came running into the living room where the majority of the guests were, scrunching her nose and pulling on her dad's arm.
"What's up, squirt?"
"Frankito and Katarina were playing with the Legos in the play room and he kissed her."
Audrey's eyes went wide and she smiled, almost on the brink of laughter when Tre shrugged and smirked. "Gotta teach 'em young, I say."
So her daughter had gotten her first kiss at four years old from a punk rocker's son. This was going in Kat's baby book.
The remaining half hour of 2005 wore on rather slowly. Mike had migrated over to Audrey, sitting beside her on the couch that Billie Joe and Adrienne shared with them. When the countdown began, they had the kids all join them. Frankito seemed to take a liking to Katarina, so he sat on the floor with her while the older kids stood near the TV counting down with the adults.
"10...9...8...7...6..." they shouted, watching the ball drop in San Francisco and holding up their glasses. "...5...4...3...2...1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Everyone shouted and cheered, hooted and hollered. Everyone seemed to pair up with someone else to give them a New Years kiss. Again, Frankito kissed Katarina...on the cheek. And she pushed him away but he didn't look discouraged by it. Audrey couldn't help but smile at them. They were just too cute. And she was so engrossed with catching glimpses of everyone else in the throws of the New Years spirit that she was utterly taken by surprise when Mike ran his hand up her arm.
She turned to him as he smirked. "Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year," she repeated.
Taking both hands, Mike cupped either side of her face and they leaned in toward one another, pressing their lips softly against the other's. It was delicate and sweet. With a hint of 'Rawr' and 'God, I want you.' The kiss seemed to go on forever which, in itself, was a pretty nice feeling. That was until Tre interrupted the magical moment.
"I'd like to make a toast to my friends and family. May we all have a kickass new year in this, 2006. And I also wanna congratulate my buddy Mike and his girlfriend, Audrey. Here's wishes of health and all the cheese on this green earth for your baby!"
Mike broke from kissing Audrey and they both looked around at everyone. Adrienne hit Billie Joe on the arm, making some comment about him not telling her about knowing all along that Mike was gonna be a dad again. Everyone began coming up to them, patting them on the arm or shaking their hands. Generally wishing them congratulations. Tre came up behind them on the couch and threw his arms around their shoulders, leaning forward to place a kiss on both their faces. Adrienne even reached over the guys and gave Audrey a hug.
When the kudos settled down, Audrey lifted her legs up and tucked them under her while Mike leaned her closer into him. She looked at him and smirked.
"So, I'm you're girlfriend, huh?"
He smirked back. "I dunno. It depends."
"On what?"
"Do you wanna be?"
Audrey placed a kiss on his cheek and then looked at him. "I'll have to give it some serious thought," she teased.
Mike was glad Anastacia had accepted Audrey as well, and was also a little disappointed about Estelle's reaction. He'd hoped she'd be a little less huffy. The girls sat in the back of the car, not talking. Well, Katarina talked. But it was like talking to a wall. Mike steered his BMW with his left hand and reached over with his right hand, placing it on top of Audrey's leg. She smiled and looked over at him, unaware of the sour expression Estelle wore. Audrey bit her bottom lip and placed her hand on top of Mike's, curling her fingers around so that they held on to each other's hand.
She looked at her reflection in the sideview mirror and glanced down at the outfit she wore. It was a simple black, pleated skirt that hung just passed her knees along with a magenta-colored satin camisole with spaghetti straps and lace edging at the V neckline. Aside from the simple necklace around her neck and tiny earrings, she wasn't really done up. Her make-up was minimal and she had her contacts in, and her hair was pinned up.
And Mike thought she was the prettiest thing in the world.
They pulled up to Tre's house and found a place to park. Each parent walked with their respective child up to the front door, not even having to knock it when Tre poked his head out with a wily grin.
"Happy Four Hours Until 2006!" he announced. Tre grabbed Mike by the shoulders and pulled the older man in for a bear hug before pushing him away to greet Audrey and the girls. "And you've brought a bounty of pretty ladies. Ooh, that just makes me wanna do a jig."
Audrey let out a small laugh as Mike placed his hand on the small over her back as the four of them stepped into the house that was already full of noise.
"You're the last ones to arrive," Tre denoted.
"Well, we just got off a plane earlier," Mike reiterated. "Not to mention going back to the house to get ready and then picking up Estelle..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Excuses."
They moved toward the thick of the house and Tre and Mike began introducing everyone to Audrey and Kat, which was slowly becoming overwhelming. The children were carted off to a separate room to all play. Katarina and Frankito seemed to hit it off easily, since they were both four years old. Mike offered to get a glass of champagne for Audrey but she turned it down because of the baby, which he winked about and said he'd bring her a soft drink instead. Sitting down with Billie Joe's wife was a nice experience. She was just a really sweet person who was so clearly in love with her man and vice versa. It was admirable.
Conversations here and there tended to drift toward how Audrey knew Mike and where she was from...what she did for a living...yada, yada, yada. But not once was she placed in the position to spill the news that she was pregnant with Mike's child.
Around 11:30, Ramona came running into the living room where the majority of the guests were, scrunching her nose and pulling on her dad's arm.
"What's up, squirt?"
"Frankito and Katarina were playing with the Legos in the play room and he kissed her."
Audrey's eyes went wide and she smiled, almost on the brink of laughter when Tre shrugged and smirked. "Gotta teach 'em young, I say."
So her daughter had gotten her first kiss at four years old from a punk rocker's son. This was going in Kat's baby book.
The remaining half hour of 2005 wore on rather slowly. Mike had migrated over to Audrey, sitting beside her on the couch that Billie Joe and Adrienne shared with them. When the countdown began, they had the kids all join them. Frankito seemed to take a liking to Katarina, so he sat on the floor with her while the older kids stood near the TV counting down with the adults.
"10...9...8...7...6..." they shouted, watching the ball drop in San Francisco and holding up their glasses. "...5...4...3...2...1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Everyone shouted and cheered, hooted and hollered. Everyone seemed to pair up with someone else to give them a New Years kiss. Again, Frankito kissed Katarina...on the cheek. And she pushed him away but he didn't look discouraged by it. Audrey couldn't help but smile at them. They were just too cute. And she was so engrossed with catching glimpses of everyone else in the throws of the New Years spirit that she was utterly taken by surprise when Mike ran his hand up her arm.
She turned to him as he smirked. "Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year," she repeated.
Taking both hands, Mike cupped either side of her face and they leaned in toward one another, pressing their lips softly against the other's. It was delicate and sweet. With a hint of 'Rawr' and 'God, I want you.' The kiss seemed to go on forever which, in itself, was a pretty nice feeling. That was until Tre interrupted the magical moment.
"I'd like to make a toast to my friends and family. May we all have a kickass new year in this, 2006. And I also wanna congratulate my buddy Mike and his girlfriend, Audrey. Here's wishes of health and all the cheese on this green earth for your baby!"
Mike broke from kissing Audrey and they both looked around at everyone. Adrienne hit Billie Joe on the arm, making some comment about him not telling her about knowing all along that Mike was gonna be a dad again. Everyone began coming up to them, patting them on the arm or shaking their hands. Generally wishing them congratulations. Tre came up behind them on the couch and threw his arms around their shoulders, leaning forward to place a kiss on both their faces. Adrienne even reached over the guys and gave Audrey a hug.
When the kudos settled down, Audrey lifted her legs up and tucked them under her while Mike leaned her closer into him. She looked at him and smirked.
"So, I'm you're girlfriend, huh?"
He smirked back. "I dunno. It depends."
"On what?"
"Do you wanna be?"
Audrey placed a kiss on his cheek and then looked at him. "I'll have to give it some serious thought," she teased.