Chapter 21-30
Chapter 21
A few weeks passed. Evie tried to forget about Bruno burying herself in homework and applications for summer internships. She was doing pretty well until the day Lucy broke her arm at school. That day it all came back..after she got the phone call from school. And after Sean seemed to suddenly find the feelings that he had lost years ago.
Evie ran as fast as she could to get to her daughter’s school entrance. She ran right next to Sean trying to keep her breathing under control.
”She’s okay, Geneva. I’m sure she just hurts a lot…” he leaned over to tell her.
”But she broke her arm…” Geneva said signing the sign in sheet with both their names glancing at the names above them just to see if there was anyone else there that she might know. Nope. No one. They heard their daughter crying in the nurse’s small office.
”Lucy! What happened?” Sean asked walking over to her.
”Don’t touch her, Sean…she’s probably really hurt..” Geneva cried as he reached out for her daughter holding onto her arm tightly wrapped in gauze.
”She needs to go to the hospital…” the nurse responded handing them a list of things that needed to be done.
”Lucy…what happened?” Evie asked sitting next to her crying daughter.
”This boy hit me and I fell.” she answered.
”What boy?” she asked confused.
”He’s in kindergarten, momma. He’s big and mean.” she answered through her tears.
”We’re waiting for his mother right now.” the nurse answered. ”He’s in the office…” she pointed to the boy with scraggly brown hair wearing a bright red shirt and denim jeans wearing brand new black converse shoes.
”I don’t know his mother…” Evie told Sean as he held onto Lucy. They could be civil towards each other, they just didn’t like to.
”Oh..there’s his mother…” the nurse answered seeing her walk in the room.
”I’ll be right back. You stay here with her, Sean.” she answered.
”Hi…I’m Geneva…Lucy’s mother.” she said holding out her hand being very diplomatic.
”I’m Kaliani. Nice to meet you.” she answered. Shit. That face looks familiar. Evie thought to herself running through familiar faces trying to place it. ”My son was telling me what happened and he said he was very sorry.”
”I’m sure he is. And we’ll have it all taken care of.” Evie answered seeing this mother smile an oh so familiar smile. Shit. She thought to herself. He did say his sister lives close to me…oh shit. Oh my god. I need to find a way out of this before it becomes weird…”Geneva?” she asked again.
”Oh. I’m sorry. I just…she’ll be okay.” Geneva answered.
”Well, I’m so sorry for this. Jameson will be in quite a bit of trouble for this. ” Bruno’s sister answered.
”Again it’s fine…” she answered turning around to get away from the situation she only felt as awkward. ”Sean…are you ready?” Evie asked watching her ex walk out carrying his daughter in his arms.
”Yeah. We’re ready…” he answered walking her out of the room.
”Jamio..that’s not what you were supposed to do. You were supposed to give her the note!” Jamie told her son in a low tone.
”But mom! She has it…” he said raising his hands up in the air. ”It’s in her pocket…” he said pointing to a piece of white paper sticking out of Lucy’s pocket that was about to fall. Shit. It’s going to get lost…Jaime ran up to Sean picking up the paper.
”She dropped this.” she said frantically trying to help her brother.
”Oh..thanks.” Sean answered wrinkling it up in a ball to forget about it. Damnit. Jamie thought to herself. She’ll never get it.
**
Three hours later Evie and Sean sat in a small waiting room watching Lucy sleep. The doctor had given her a small amount of pain killers to help her stop crying.
”Oh…his mom said this was falling out of her pocket..” Sean said pulling out the piece of notebook paper. ”I read it and I don’t know what the hell it is. This kid is like in love with her and his dad or someone wrote it for her…but…” Evie took the paper from her ex’s hand unfolding it.
Once again you’re home alone
Tears running from your eyes
And I’m on the outside
Knowing that you’re all I want
But I can’t do anything I’m so helpless baby
So helpless that no matter what we do, what you do, nothing seems to be right.
But baby, how do you heal a heart that can’t feel, that’s been broken?
I’m taking roads that lead me nowhere running into the same mistakes as yesterday.
When I awake it’s you that makes me strong
so many times I begin to close my eyes and listen to my heart, with you life is so easy why do I make it hard.
‘Cause I know we can work it out
Talk it out, stick it out
I’m not giving up. No, I’m not giving up.
”You can put it in the trash..” Evie answered after reading it over again handing it to Sean.
”But, Eve..it’s Lucy’s letter. You should let her figure out what to do with it.” Sean answered.
”She’ll be okay without it. She can’t even read it.” Evie said throwing it in the trash.
**
”I will come and get her tomorrow so you can go to school…” Sean said watching Lucy run into Evie’s house now wide awake. Sean followed Lucy into her bedroom taking the note Evie had thrown out from his pocket.
”Lu-boo…come here for a second…” he held out his arms for her. ”hold on to this.” he said handing her the note not knowing it was from the one person he wanted his daughter around the least.
”Okay…” she said putting it on her bed.
He walked out of the room hugging Evie saying good bye. ”Today wasn’t that bad, Eve.” he smiled.
”No..it really wasn’t.” she answered him walking toward the door.
”We should do more family stuff. You know..we are cute together.” he said leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.
”I don’t think that would be the best of ideas right now. She doesn’t know that I broke up with him yet. She really liked him.” Evie answered.
”When you figure that out, I’m here, Eve.” he answered closing the door behind him. Eww. It doesn’t sound right when he says that…she thought to herself walking back into the room. She heard her phone buzz through her full purse. She dug through it trying to get to it before it went to voicemail. As she dug deeper she started to hear Bruno’s ringtone.
”Mom! I want to talk to Bruno!” she came running out of her room holding out her good hand.
”I think it’s better you don’t, Lucy..go back to your room, please.” she said rejecting the call. It rang again. Shit. He just doesn’t get it. It’s been two weeks. She picked up the phone before Lucy could hear the ringtone. ”Bruno..stop.” she answered the phone.
”I just wanted to see if Lucy was okay, Eve. I know you don’t care about me anymore.” he said flatly.
”She’s fine. ” Evie answered ending the call.
”Eve? Geneva?” he asked hearing the silence. ”Damnit.” he said throwing the phone toward his sister. ”It didn’t work.”
Chapter 22
Evie sat next to Dana in her Family Law class listening to another classmate read over the brief case study notes. She jotted down some notes taking mental note of the mental state of the client who said she had forgiven her husband for beating her so badly that she could now only hear out of one ear. She wrote down the Bible verse that the client had referred to – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. She closed her notebook returning to her lap top to look up the quote.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
After class and the drive to pick up Lucy from Sean’s house she drove quietly listening to the highway noise as Lucy slept in the back of the car. She drove to McKenzie and Caleb’s apartment planning for a short quiet meal to catch up with her friends. If they even approached the subject of Bruno she was going to leave. She hadn’t told them that, but McKenzie knew better. They hugged and caught up briefly with Lucy planting herself in front of the wii playing with her one good arm.
”We didn’t get dinner…we need to go pick something up…” McKenzie told her friend.
”Alright…but let’s just hope Caleb can handle my 4 year old…” Evie answered grabbing her sweater going to the car with McKenzie. ”And we’re not talking about him.” she slipped into the conversation as they walked out the door heading to the nearest sandwich shop to get dinner for the four of them.
”I wasn’t going to ask about him, but you brought it up.” McKenzie told her putting on the cd player. ”He’s having this huge blow out thing for his album. I think it would be good for you to go out. And there’s going to be so many people there you won’t even have a chance to run into him. We’re going,” she told Evie.
”The best place to not run into him is somewhere where he isn’t going to be.” Evie answered listening to the song McKenzie had put on. ”What is this?” she asked.
”It’s old. It’s one of Caleb’s favorites.” McKenzie answered. Evie didn’t answer holding in the tears that were welling up in her eyes as she listened to that same verse again.
Love is patient love is kind. It does not envy it does not boast it is not proud. It is not rude it is not self-seeking it is not easily angered it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects always trusts always hopes it always perseveres.
Love never fails. Love is everlasting its eternal it goes on and on it goes beyond time love is the only thing that will last when you die but ask the question why? Do you have love?
”Shit.” Evie responded taking out her phone. ”I’m such an idiot.”
”Geneva? Are you sure you want to do that?” McKenzie asked her reaching over to take the phone from her friend.
”Yeah..I’m sure…” she answered waiting for him to answer the phone. It picked up with a strange voice answering. ”Hello?” she heard a girl answer. ”Nevermind. I got the wrong number.” Evie said defeated hanging up the phone starting to cry.
”Geneva…I told you….” McKenzie answered reaching over to take her friend’s hand.
”But the letter…he said he wasn’t going to give up…and he’s there..with another girl! I was going to forgive him! I was going to tell him I was being a bitch. But no. Not now. Ugh. Whatever.”
**
”Who was that?” Bruno asked Dani who was sitting next to him in the studio going over papers with him. She handed him the phone so he could see. ”You answered it? What did she say?”
”She said she had the wrong number…I didn’t get a chance to tell her who I was…” she responded giving him a sad face.
”I need to call her…” he said taking the phone in one hand holding his pen in another signing the papers that she held out for him. ”Geneva….please answer the phone…please….” he pleaded with himself. ”Eve?”
”Bruno…I was going to tell you that I forgive you. That I’m sorry for being a bitch and realizing that you’re not my past but my present…but then a girl answered your phone…Bruno…I don’t know what to do. I miss you. I miss you a lot. I’ve needed you…”
”Evie..I need you too. I need you to listen to me…please.” he told her. ”But I can’t tell you on the phone, Eve. ”
”Bru..I’m with McKenzie and Caleb…it’s a Tuesday night…I can’t leave her…”
”I’ll be waiting for you at your house.” he told her deciding how he was going to say he was sorry.
”Umm…okay…” she answered him.
”I guess we’re going home…” Evie told McKenzie after hanging up the phone.
”What did he say?” McKenzie asked.
”He didn’t want to tell me over the phone. He said he had to see me.”
”Oh…okay. Call me after? I want to hear everything.” McKenzie answered.
Evie grabbed Lucy telling her they needed to go home to make sure she had turned off the oven and the coffee maker.
”Mom! Look! Bruno’s car!” Lucy screamed almost jumping into the front seat when they pulled up to the apartment.
”I know!” Evie returned the same excited tone getting her out of the car watching her run toward Bruno completely unaware of what was going on.
He grabbed her twirling her around in a circle. ”Lucy! What happened to your arm? Did someone hurt you? Do I need to beat him up?” he asked her following Evie into the house.
”No, Bruno. You don’t.” Lucy answered. ”Come here, Bruno! I want to show you my dance! You haven’t seen it yet!” she said dragging him into her bedroom ignoring her mother. Bruno stopped halfway through the hallway waiting to see what Evie was going to do. She continued to put away all the things she had carried in. A few minutes later Evie heard Bruno laughing at her daughter bringing her out into the living room wearing her pajamas.
”Is it okay if I read her Good Night, Moon?” he asked Evie. She shrugged her head returning to a book she was highlighting. Shit. He’s good with her. Bruno walked Lucy back into her bedroom covering her up sitting next to her with the book. He read her the story in the voice that made her laugh. Evie stopped to see exactly what he did to make her daughter so happy. She pretended to walk into the bathroom near Lucy’s room closing the door standing by the door. Why am I eavesdropping in my own house? She thought to herself as she continued to lean up against the door.
”Bruno…” Lucy stopped him near the end of the story.
”Yeah, Luc?” he asked.
*”Why didn’t you come to the hospital?” she asked him. ”Blake did that when I got hurt last time…” she told him.
”Well…” he tried to figure out how to answer the question. ”I wasn’t home, Lucy. I wanted to give you a big hug and a kiss to make it better, but I was in Texas.” he answered, all of which was true.
”Oh. But you’re not leaving again are you? My mom misses you a lot. She listened to that new song all the time.” she told him.
”Oh she does?” Bruno asked.
”The one about the train. And she cries.” Lucy told her honestly what was going on.
”No, Lucy..I’m not going to leave again.” he answered her.
”Good, because I miss you more.” she told him reaching over to kiss him.
”Good night, Lucy.” he returned the kiss kissing her on the cheek rubbing her head watching her eyes close. Evie decided to flush the toilet and wash her hands to at least pretend like she was in the bathroom.
”You were listening to us…”Bruno told her taking her hand leading her to the couch.
”I’m in my own house…” she told him sarcastically. ”Bru…” she started to say his name turning to face him. ”I’m sorry….”
”No…Eve…” she started to get chills down her spine the way he was saying her name. ”I’m sorry. I did the one thing that you told me hurt you the most. And I….”
”No…Bruno…you aren’t my mother, you aren’t my father. You aren’t my crazy fucking brother…you’re you…and you made a mistake. And I have a hard time separating that…I don’t even care if you tried it. I don’t. I don’t care if you were so high…”
”Evie…I held it in my hands for a total of 5 minutes. 5 minutes…and those were the longest…no…I take that back. This has been the longest month of my life…without you.” he watched tears fall from her cheeks touching each one as they rolled down her cheek.
”It just made me feel like you were the same. Same as everyone else…” she told him. ”Everyone does something that eventually blows up…Sean…he…” she pointed to a long red mark on her shoulder. ”And there’s one on my back…he wasn’t even allowed near Lucy for the past two years…and here…” she pointed to the top of her right hand. ”My brother did that as he was being taken to jail…”
”Evie…” Bruno stopped her from making him feel even worse. ”I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything that has happened…but especially this. I don’t ever want to hurt you again.”
”Bruno…if I had just listened to you first none of this would have happened. I was so dumb. So dumb.” she shook her head disgusted by the way she was acting.
”No, Eve…you weren’t…” he responded leaning in toward her. ”You were right. And I was wrong. And I’m going to have to live with it.”
”Bruno…you’re going to get a plea deal though right?” she asked him suddenly remembering exactly why she was mad at him.
”Yeah…I think so… mean..I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen…but…” he started to stumble still trying to figure everything out. ”I’m not going to be OJ or Wesley Snipes…” he told her making her laugh.
”I would not be dating a murderer, Bruno.” she said wiping the tears off her cheek.
”I wouldn’t either. You haven’t killed anyone, have you?” he asked her.
”I killed a goldfish once…” she replied.
”We’re done. Over. I cannot be with a murderer.” he answered leaning to toward her lips kissing her. She felt his smile against her lips making her body weak returning the kiss. He pulled away from her before he could tangle his fingers in her hair or he could take off his hat.
”What?” she asked him.
”Nothing. It’s late…” he told her pointing to the clock that said 11:30. It’s Tuesday, you know?” he asked her.
”You’re right.” she answered him watching him stand up. He took her hand leading her toward the door.
”Good night, Geneva.” he told her putting his hand on the door lingering on her lips as long as he could before the door opened.
”Good night, Bruno.” she responded closing the door behind him. She waited a few minutes before reacting to the night screaming, ”Oh my god!”
Chapter 23
”Evie..what are you doing this weekend?” Sean’s mother, Michelle, asked taking a hold of Lucy’s bright pink backpack.
”There’s this thing for Caleb’s cousin that I’m going to. It should be lots of fun. And it will leave me with just enough time to finish my homework.” she said.
”Well make sure you sleep. You need that to keep up with this little monster!” Michelle answered.
”Nana…little monsters are for Lady Gaga. I’m a Hooligan.” Lucy answered her grandmother. Shit.Evie thought. I thought I’d get out of here without a mention of him.
”Luc..you can be both you know.” Evie answered.
”But…Bru…” Evie ran over to her daughter trying to diffuse the potentially dangerous situation. She tickled her making her laugh. ”Okay mom. I’m both. I’m both! Now let me go!” she screamed watching Sean walk into the room.
”Hi Eve.” he said hugging her. Eww. No. It’s still not right.
”I have to go…” Evie said getting out of his arms heading toward the door.
”Wait..I want to talk to you…” Sean said following her out the door.
”What do you need?” she asked him walking toward her car.
”Geneva…why does she keep talking about him? You said you weren’t going to see him anymore.” Sean asked.
”I changed my mind.” she said opening her car door.
”I don’t want him around her, Eve. Ever.” Sean told her taking her wrist holding it tightly.
”He made a mistake. I figured out of all the people in the world you would understand that.” Evie answered trying to get out of his grip.
”Geneva…I don’t care if he was Kobe Bryant and he said he was sorry to you for sleeping with 50 chicks…my daughter will not be associated with that type of guy. Of all the things I’ve done to you Inever did that to you.”
”Did I forgive you for what you did, Sean? Did I?” she asked him finally out of his tight grip.
”Eve…that’s different. I was in a rough spot. This guy is just a typical rock star who thinks he can get away with anything.” he answered.
”I sincerely doubt that, Sean. I doubt that the situations were different and I doubt that he thinks he can get away with anything just because of who he is.” she snapped. ”Well, at least with me he’s not getting away with anything.”
”He can fuck your brains out for all I care, Geneva Wilson. I just don’t want him near my daughter or the guy will be dead.” Sean answered her almost yelling.
”We’ll talk about this when your head is in its right place, Sean.” she told him opening the car door.
He shook his head still angry. ”It’s non-negotiable. I’ll call Christina and tell her what you’re doing. You won’t even know what’s coming.” he told her referring to their caseworker.
”She’ll run a background check. He’ll get references. The end.” Evie answered turning on the car driving away.
**
Bruno sat across from Evie at his glass kitchen table watching her eat thai noodles.
”Bruno…” she slurped up the last noodle starting to talk with her mouth full.
”That’s really attractive, Eve.” he smiled.
”I try…but B…Sean was a complete ass this afternoon.” she told him.
”He didn’t hurt you did he? I’ll kick his ass.” he told her in a serious tone.
”No..not that bad.” she told him starting the next statement before he could respond. ”But he said that he doesn’t want Lucy around you…and that he’ll call our caseworker if he sees you near her.” she told him.
”Evie..what did he do to you?” he asked forgetting about the second part of her statement.
”He just left a bruise on my arm. That’s not new.” she answered him. ”But what’s more important is that he’s going to call Christina. And even if she’s this little 4’11 white girl she holds all the cards. Lucy would be taken away from me if he calls her.”
”What are you talking about, Geneva? You said the case was closed. He’s doing that to scare you. You know that right?”
”No…he did it with Blake too. Because he thought Blake had a temper.” she answered. Bruno scoffed at what she was telling him. ”He had to get a background check and then 5 people had to be interviewed to vouche for his character. It took….6 months, Bruno. Six months. And in between that time he couldn’t be around Lucy…and this was when Sean couldn’t see her. He’s doing everything he can in the known world to make my life miserable. Just because I left him 3 years ago…and if Blake didn’t have anything on his record e and you have this…how long will that take?” she looked at him trying not to cry. ”I don’t know what I would do.”
Bruno took her phone from the table. ”Tell her what he did to you today.”
”What difference does that make? They all know he does that to me.” she responded. ”And it’s almost 5…on a Friday…those girls leave at 4…”
”Geneva if you don’t do it I will.” Bruno answered.
”Ugh….fine…” she said taking the phone sitting on the couch. ”Christina….it’s Geneva Wilson.”
”Oh…from the Greene case?” she asked.
”Yes ma’am…I know you aren’t scheduled to come see us until March…but I just want you to know that Sean has been quite a pain lately.”
”Do you need to report it?” she asked.
”I don’t know if I need to. Can I tell you what happened first?” Evie asked.
”Sure..let me get a pen first…” Christina responded.
”I’m sorry I’m calling you this late on a Friday too…I know y’all leave early and all.” Evie told her caseworker
”It’s okay Ms. Wilson. Go ahead and tell me what happened.” she answered.
”It’s his weekend with her, right? So I was leaving and he confronted me about something that’s going on in my love life…”
”Like he always does, right?” Christina asked.
”Yeah…how do you remember that?” Evie asked.
”Your case was memorable.” Christina answered.
”So he got all up in my business because my current boyfriend isn’t an angel.” Evie answered.
”What did he do to you?” she asked.
”He left this mark on my arm and my waist.” she told Christina.
”And what do you mean by my boyfriend isn’t an angel?” she inquired.
”He was…he was…he was arrest for drug possession.”
”And this happened when? How long have you been dating? I’m surprised he hasn’t called me yet.” Christina asked.
”It was about a month ago..he’s doing everything he has to do…” Evie said almost starting to cry. I forgot how big of a deal this can be. Shit. Shit. Shit.
”Ms. Wilson. You know I can’t take sides….your boyfriend needs to come in and do a background check as soon as he can.” Christina answered in a business like tone. Evie covered up the phone so she couldn’t hear.
”B…you have to do a background check.” Evie told him.
”When am I going to do that?” he asked her. ”I’m leaving on Tuesday…”
”On Monday then.” she answered him.
”I guess I have to don’t I. Can’t we give her all the information and she does it on her own?” he asked.
”No..because they have to fingerprint you and everything.” she answered him.
”Ms. Wilson…” Christina interrupted the conversation. ”You will have to schedule an appointment.”
”Monday.” Evie answered. ”Anytime.”
”Ms. Wilson..I have lots of things on my plate. I hope you can understand that.” she answered.
”He’s traveling after that…he won’t be home until….November 3rd…” Evie answered.
”I’m sorry, Ms. Wilson. It will have to wait until then. You will be my first appointment on the 3rd if you can both be there…” Christina answered.
”Can you do that, B?” Evie asked. Bruno shook his head. ”I don’t think so…” he answered. She shot him a dirty look.
”Christina…I…he’s a musician. He’s on tour…it would mean so much to me if you could squeeze him in on Monday. I mean..can you have another worker do it for you? Please?” Evie started to beg. ”It’s for the safety of my daughter. I don’t want Sean to get any angrier than he already is. I’m trying to beat him to the punch.”
”Ms. Wilson…I can see him at 8 in the morning on Monday. It will take 3 hours.” Christina answered. ”We will also be checking up on Sean this weekend. Please make sure you have your phone on at all times.” she answered.
”Thank you so much…” Evie replied. ”You have no idea how much this means to me…”
”Yes ma’am.” Christina answered. ”Have a good weekend.”
”Thank you. You as well.” Evie answered hanging up the phone.
Bruno sat down next to Evie as she buried her head in her hands.
”I’m the biggest fuck up ever, Bruno.” she told him.
”Eve…look at me…please…” he asked moving his hands bending down to look at her trying to make her smile at the same time. ”You are not….you are beautiful, smart, amazing…Geneva…you can’t beat yourself up over this.”
”Yes I can, Bruno. It’s all my fault. I said something. Had I just shut up none of this would have happened. Lucy wouldn’t have been taken away and I wouldn’t have to worry about it…”
”Eve…look at your hand…touch your shoulder…run your fingers along your back…baby…you’re doing everything right. You’re here…with me…and I’ll make sure nothing ever happens to you again…even if it means doing this.”
”Bruno…how do you do this?” she asked him.
”Do what?” he asked.
”Make everything better…just…it’s like nothing in the world is bad…”
”I don’t know, baby…but it works doesn’t it?” he asked her touching her cheek.
”Yeah…it does…” she laughed at him.
Chapter 24
DIRTY AND HORNY HOOLIGANS YOUR TIME HAS COME. OTHERWISE SKIP THE CHAPTER.
Bruno walked out into his living room late in the morning seeing Evie stretched out on his couch bobbing her head to her ipod reading a book. Hmmm…he thought to himself walking behind her quietly taking her head phones out making her jump kissing her on the cheek.
”Holy crap!” she screamed watching him come to sit next to her.
”When did you get up?” he asked her.
”Like 8…” she shrugged her shoulders.
”Babyyyy…” he whined taking her book from her hand. ”Why did you get up so early? It’s the weekend..” he said throwing the book on the ground.
”Brunooo…I have a four year old and I’m going to law scho…” he interrupted her by kissing her gently. She stopped him pulling away opening her eyes. ”Did you brush your teeth, Bruno Mars?”
”Of course I did…” he said leaning back towards her feeling her start to blush. He opened his mouth smiling as she leaned back toward him. Oh my..she knows her way..Bruno thought touching her hair as she wrapped her arms around his neck moving toward his ear.
”Do me, now…” she whispered as she moved down toward his neck. He didn’t answer her he just continued to kiss her running his fingers along her waist making her tingle on the inside. He pulled her toward him so they were sitting in the middle of the couch. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with that move. She let him move his hands up her back unhooking her bra. She felt it fall his hands wander to her chest touching her gently. She sighed moving her hands to his pants touching him to make sure she was doing everything right. She ran her fingers along the waistband of the Nike shorts he had slept in feeling him raise her arms up to take her shirt off. As her shirt came off falling on top of her textbooks he laid her down gently on the couch kissing her collar bone moving down to her stomach. He could feel her breathing more heavily as he moved down to her jeans. He unzipped her denim jeans sliding them down to her ankles. She wiggled them off as he leaned in between her legs continuing to kiss her. His fingers gracefully moved her panties off her legs. She wiggled those off through the heavy breathing. She ran her fingers through his hair as he touched the inside of her thighs all while continuing to kiss her. She wrapped her legs around his waist feeling his tongue lingering near her waist line. Oh fuck. I haven’t felt this in forever…she thought feeling him move his tongue circling in between her hips. ”Oh my…Brunooooo…..” she repeated as he moved up to kiss her on the lips deeply. She felt his tongue move in and out of her mouth. She returned the kisses kissing him intensely running her fingers along the back of his t-shirt lifting it over his head. It was her turn to push him to the other end of the couch. She pushed his small body toward the end of the couch watching his eyes pop at her demanding nature. She continued kissing him the same way moving along his chest as his arms ran along her back playing with her long deep brown hair. She played with the waistband of his shorts again feeling his hard body with her fingers. She pushed his shorts off his legs realizing he didn’t have boxers on underneath. ”Really Bruno?” she looked up at him.
”It was all planned to happen this way, Eve…” he told her grabbing her tightly kissing the top of her head. She laughed against his chest making him even more excited about what was going to come as she touched and rubbed all the most sensitive parts of his body. ”Ohhh….Genevvvvvaaaa…go, go go…” he called out continuing to play with her hair. This is still so gross…she thought to herself as she felt his body tense up the way hers did. I don’t know if I’m ready for this…she thought to herself. She moved her body back up to his face kissing him. Between the kisses she started to tell him exactly what she wanted.
”I want you….all of you, Bruno Mars…just get inside me and make me scream so loud that you won’t be able to hear anything tonight….” she felt him grab her butt tightly flipping her into the place he was in making her laugh. ”But don’t kill me please. I don’t date….oh my goddddd….Bruno…..” he took her breath away with every single movement. She took deep breaths between his thrusts into her. She heard his heavy breathes against her ear.
”I love you, Geneva..I love you…Genevvvaaaa…” he whispered sucking on her earlob almost biting it through his movements.
”Oh myyyyy……fuck…Bruno…I love you, too. Holy shit…” she let out one last heavy sigh as he fell on top of her. Before she could open her eyes she felt him jump up putting on his clothes. She opened her eyes flipping onto her stomach so he couldn’t see her.
”Why be shy now, Evie?” he asked her throwing her clothes toward her.
”And I’m not done yet with you, Ms. Wilson.” he told her walking back into the kitchen.
Chapter 25
”What in the world do you mean by that, Bruno?” she asked him turning around from her spot on the couch.
”It means get dressed. You need a dress for tonight.” he answered her.
”I have a dress..” she told him going to his bedroom pulling out the same silver dress that she wore to the rehearsal dinner.
”I already saw that one. I need a new one. And there will be people there that have seen it.” he told her.
”So?”
”You obviously haven’t been reading Vogue.” he told her. ”A girl should never be seen in the same outfit more than once.” he said taking a sip of his coffee lifting up his pinkie finger.
”And I’ll see Anna Wintour at your party. Who cares?” she answered him.
”I just wanted to buy my girlfriend a sexy dress. But the thing is…she keeps telling me no.” he said with a sad face. ”She’s the only girl I’ve ever met that has said no to shopping.”
”Do I know this girlfriend of yours? Because this girlfriend never said no to shopping.” she responded.
”Oh…that’s not the way it sounded.” he gave her a confused look.
”Take a shower and get dressed. Then we can get me a sexy dress and you a skinny tie.” she said wrapping her arms around him.
”Why a skinny tie?” he wondered.
”Because they’re sexy…” she answered him.
”Ahh..well then I will always wear skinny ties.” he laughed at her walking back toward the bedroom taking her dress with him starting to close the door to the bathroom. ”I’m gonna burn this dress while I’m in here.”
”Noooo! Don’t do that! I like that dress…Brunoooo…” she cried running into the bathroom seeing him without his shirt on turning around to look at her.
”Hey! A little privacy, huh?”
”Give me my dress, damnit.” she whined.
”You’ll have to come get it.” he said holding it up high.
”Bruno…that only works if you’re tall.” she said grabbing it from his hand kissing him quickly leaving the bathroom.
”Damn.” he started laughing at her as she closed the door.
”Hurry up, too.” she yelled at him hearing the water start.
Evie returned to the couch opening her book to try to read some more before he got out of the shower. She put on her ipod to continue where she left off. Forty five minutes later she heard him singing to himself walking out of the bedroom playing with a pair of shoes. ”It’s my mic.” he said holding it up singing Biggie Smalls.
”He’s east coast. You’re westside now, Bruno.” she told him putting her homework in her bag.
”I’m bicoastal, didn’t you know that?” he asked her holding onto her shoulder to put on his shoe.
**
”Bruno…come zip this up…it fits but I need you to zip it…” she called out in the store they were in. She popped her head out smiling at him. ”Come hereeeee….” he stood up walking into the room.
”I’m better at taking these off then helping girls put them on.” he said kissing the back of her neck pulling away taking her hand twirling her around in a circle in the small dressing room.
”I don’t like it…” she said looking at the bright yellow dress.
He shook his head at it. ”I don’t either. Try another one.”
”Okay…but you have to leave.” she said opening the door.
”Fine.” he replied giving her the same sad look he gave her earlier in the day. She pushed him out of the dressing room taking the next dress off the hanger. She looked at the off the shoulder blue and white dress that hit just below one of her mid thigh. Hmm. This isn’t too bad. ”Lemme see itttt…” he begged. She opened the door lifting in arms up in victory.
”I want this one.” she told him.
”Take it off, then. You need shoes, too.” he told her. She put the dress on the velvet hanger grabbing her purse feeling her phone start to vibrate. Shit. What the hell. She heard Halo start dreading what the oncoming conversation.
”Sean?” she asked opening the door handing him the dress.
”You’re such a bitch. This girl Desiree is at the house interviewing my mother. What the hell, Eve?” she cringed at his angry tone.
”I did what I had to do, Sean. Like I said before, I will talk to you when your head is in the right place.”she answered hanging up the phone.
”Can we go home?” she asked Bruno as she put her phone in her purse. He wasn’t standing next to her anymore but was off to the side in the shoe section pointing to a pair of deep black high heels. ”Bruno..those of Christian Louboutin shoes…”
”You like ‘em?” he asked her.
”A size 7 please…” she smiled at him sitting down on the cushy couch where the man in a 3 piece suite brought out her shoes.
”Try those sexy things on, Eve!” he told her.
”Okay..okay…but I’m not promising that I won’t fall…” she answered holding onto his shoulder standing up in the shoes. She’s such a liar. He said watching her walk around the carpeted area. ”This is like sex…” she told him making him laugh. ”But better…” He raised his eye brows at the last part of her statement.
”You wouldn’t be the first girl to say that.” the salesman told her.
”I’m sure I’m not. They’re perfect, Bruno.” she told him turning around to see a group of girls staring at him. She moved her eyes in the direction of the girls. He turned around to see them almost about to scream.
”Ladiesss…” he said walking over to them.
”Oh my god..it is you. We went to your thing at the Grove..you are soooo good.” one of the girls told him.
”Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it.” he answered.
”Can you take a picture with us? Please?” the second girl asked almost shaking taking her phone handing it toward Evie.
”Absolutely girls…” he told them smiling as she snapped the picture.
”It’s a good one..” Evie smiled.
””Are you his girlfriend?” the third girl asked.
”She’s beautiful ain’t she?” Bruno asked.
”Damn.” the first girl sighed walking away.
”That’s so weird…” Evie told him holding the box of shoes in one hand and dress in another.
Chapter 26
I JUST BROUGHT SEXY BACK. IF IT CREEPS YOU OUT SKIP THE LAST BIT
Evie looked down at her phone while they were driving to Bruno’s house. What an asshole. She shook her head throwing her phone by one of the bags.
”Was that Sean?” he asked her.
”Yeah…Christina called one of the on call workers to go over there. I don’t know what happened though. If something had happened I’m sure someone would have called me….but he’s not happy at all. I knew this was going to happen. As long as he takes it out on me and not Lucy…”
”I was serious, Geneva..I’ll kick his ass.” Bruno told her.
”Like anyone kicking anyone’s ass would make this any better. There are days when he can be civil, but the second it doesn’t go his way he gets like this.” she told him.
”Just don’t think about it tonight, Evie. It’s not about him…” he told her.
”I know..but it’s hard not to think about it…” she sighed looking out the window. ”It’s so pretty here…like you’d have no idea a block away that it was so beautiful…” she said pointing to a giant palm tree.
”I know..right?” he asked her pulling up to his driveway hearing his phone right. ”Phil smeezeeeeee….” he answered the phone. ”Yeah..we’re going out for dinner before…” he told him. ”Yeah…yeahhh….we’ll be there.”
”Where are we going for dinner?” she asked him.
”You’ll see…just put on that sexy dress so I can take it off.” he winked at her opening the door to the house.
**
After their dinner at a snazzy sushi restaurant, Bruno, Evie and a huge group of his friends piled into a limo to go to his album debut party. McKenzie, Caleb, Allison, Ruben and a few others were going to meet them there. Of course his sister would be with him..Evie thought watching her out of the corner of her eye as they all started talking.
”Geneva…” Kalani started to talk to her from across the car.
”Yeah?” she asked,
”I’m really sorry about Lucy…I can’t believe he did that. He was just trying to get her that letter.”
Evie looked at his sister not sure how to answer. ”If she doesn’t hurt herself one way it’s another..honestly. If it wasn’t him she would have broken her own arm.”
”I was so embarrassed. I’m blaming Bruno…” she shot her brother a dirty look who was laughing at something someone had said.
”No…really. Lucy is fine. She loves the red cast. She said she wants to keep it on forever.”
”I’m sure Jamio would say the same thing. She gets a lot of attention with it one hu2h? his sister laughed.
”Well..she’s getting attention because Bruno signed it…” Evie answered. ”I swear…my 4 year old likes him more than I do.”
”Eve! You have a daughter?” Ari asked in shock,
”Yeah. He didn’t tell you?”
”Well I just figured you were like an angel or something..you’re going to be a lawyer.”
”Would I be with y’all tonight if I was an angel?” she asked him.
”Well…”
”That’s what I thought!” Evie answered.
”That’s my girlfriend, Ari!” Bruno exclaimed.
Bruno held onto her hand walking through the crowd. She felt eyes on her every move she made. What did I get myself into? Oh my god. She thought being pulled away from Bruno.
”Eve! Holy shit’! You look hot!” Allison said grabbing her from the crowd.
”Oh my god..I was about to cry..there are so many people here…” she said leaning down to talk to Allison. ”Let’s go dance! I might even find myself a boyfriend tonight…” Evie said grabbing her friend’s hand finding her way in the middle of the large party blending in to the crowd. She glanced over to the front of the room seeing Bruno and Phil popping a bottle. She lost herself in her friends almost forgetting what they were celebrating until she felt a hand touch her back then his voice in her ear.
”Follow me…” he whispered.
”I couldn’t hear you…” she said turning around to look at him. He moved his eyes toward the bathroom.
”Bruno!” she answered.
”I said I wasn’t done with you yet…” he told her. Oh my god she thought to herself watching him walk away from her.
”He’s so trashed.” McKenzie said leaning over to talk to Evie.
”Good thing I am too..” she told her friend walking away following him around the corner. He grabbed her arm pulling her into the empty quiet bathroom with him. ”Bruno…this is….” he interrupted her again closing the stall door pushing her against the concrete wall. Ouch. He moved his head to her collar bone kissing her lightly. She grabbed his waist trying to keep herself from falling in her shoes. She slid them off coming back down below his eyes.
”That’s better…” he said running his fingers along the one bare shoulder. She grabbed his ankles with her feet bringing him in toward her feeling his breathing getting heavier. She could taste the champagne on his breath mixed with a little smoke. But, just like the night of Caleb and McKenzie’s wedding she didn’t care. She unzipped his pants as he grabbed her legs wrapping them around his waist. ”But you have to be quiet, Eve…” he told her.
”I can’t…” she lost her breath feeling his body inside her. ”Oh my…” she whispered in his ear.
”Don’t it feel good babbbyyyyy…” he sang into her ear.
”If you keep doing that every single person here is going to know how good it is, Bru…” she told him through his kisses.
”Let’s keep it between us…” he pulled away from her face with little beads of sweat coming down his hair.
”Oh my gooodddddd….” she started to let out feeling his fingers come up to her mouth.
”Shhh, baby girl…shhhh…” he said pulling his finger away from her mouth kissing her letting her legs fall down from his waist.
”Shit…” she whispered hearing the bathroom door open. He picked up her shoes quickly leaning into her to keep her quiet.
”Shhh….” they heard someone pee for what seemed to be five minutes.
”Bru…hurry up they’re waiting for you.” they heard someone say.
”Damn.” Bruno said handing her the shoes leaning down so she could use his shoulder to keep herself stable. He ran his fingers through her hair fixing it for her. ”There…” he said watching her walk out of the bathroom fixing the back of her dress wiggling to get it in the right place.
”Slut…what a hoe….oh my god…” she heard the comments as she walked to the front of the room where she found her friends.
Chapter 27
Evie started dancing with her friends near the front of the crowd watching him from the corner of her eye as he started to sing a few of his more well known songs. He looks so happy. Like the best thing in the world…she thought to herself looking him up and down as she spun around the crowded dance floor with her friends. Holy sweat…she gasped looking at his sweaty face toward the end of the third song he sang. He finished the small set telling everyone to get completely drunk and to have fun. He looked right at her pointing at her. ”Come up here!” he said as the mic was taken away from him. He held out his hand grabbing her to dance with him. ”You smell good.” he whispered in her ear.
”You smell like sweat.” she answered him.
”Don’t hate. It’s sexy sweat.” he told her spinning her around in a circle trying his best not to do anything he would regret in front of all the people at the party. Just as he brought her close to his body a camera came by them to take a picture. She hesitated as he grabbed Phil and another girl to take a picture with them. He made an obnoxious kissy face near her making her laugh as the flash went off.
”One more…” he told them. She made a disgusted face as he leaned in toward her. Thanks. We’ll be back for more of you, Bruno.” the photographer said.
”He had to get a new lens. Your beauty was too much for it to handle.” he told her handing her anther drink.
”Shut up!” she answered him taking the glass walking back to her friends. ”Have fun..I’ll be over here…you have people to see.” he hugged her tightly walking back toward someone from Elektra. ”Wait..I want you to meet them…” he told her taking her hand back. ”Come onnnn…” he drug her across the floor congratulated by several people on the way over there. She could feel several girls giving her dirty looks knowing exactly what they did earlier. She cringed upset at herself for what she did. Bruno introduced her to Aaron, Brandon and a few other people that she could tell were very important to him.
”And Evie..how did you two meet?” Brandon asked.
”At one of my best friend’s weddings.” she answered.
”Oh..I thought that was a movie…” he laughed.
”I liked this one better.” she answered with a laugh. ”Excuse me…” she said putting her hand on his waist walking away seeing Chris behind her trying to get her attention.
Closer to the end of the night, after people could actually walk without spilling drinks Bruno came up to her laying his head on her lap making his hat fall. She put it on her head. ”What’s going on, sleepy?”
”Eve…why did you leave me?” he asked.
”I didn’t leave you..I’m right here…” she told him.
”No..you left when we were talking…I didn’t get it.” he explained.
”It’s your night, Brunz. I didn’t want you to have a girl hanging all over you.” she answered.
”Oh…but…” he started to talk obviously hurt by her actions.
”I’m sorry, Bruno. I won’t leave your side next time. How about that?” she tried to diffuse the situation.
”You won’t leave me for the rest of the night?” he asked her.
”Nope.” she said laying her head on his curls. She heard her phone vibrate while they sat there not saying anything. Shit. It’s late. She looked at the phone seeing Sean’s number pop up.
”Hello?” she said over the music.
”Mommmaaa..I can’t sleep.” she heard Lucy’s voice.
”I’ll be right back…” she told him.
”But you saaaiidddd…”
”Come with me then.” she told him taking his hand. ”Give me a second Luc…”
”Mommmaaaa…”
”What’s wrong Lucy?” she asked her.
”I had a bad dream and yaya and daddy were asleep. He put you as number 3…so I pressed it…” Oh god, she’s so smart. Evie thought to herself listening to her daughter.
”What happened in your dream?” she asked her feeling Bruno falling on her side. Well this is pleasant…she thought to herself trying to push him away.
”There was a dog..and he was chasing me…and then I saw you and Bruno running to save me…and then…..momma…the dog ate Bruno…he just swallowed him. I want Bruno to be okay. Is he okay?” she asked her mother.
”He’s fine sweet heart. Do you want to talk to him?” she asked her.
”I want to make sure he’s okay.” she told her mother again.
”Tell her your okay…get her to go back to sleep…” Evie asked him with pleading eyes.
”Lucy…what’s the matter my love?” he asked her.
”Bruno! The dog ate you! He just swallowed you right up!” she told him the dream again.
”Well, Lucy…I’m going to tell you what my mom tells me when I have a bad dream…” he started to calm her down.
”What does your mom say?” she asked him.
”She says to sing this song…” he sang her a soft lullaby that Evie had never heard before. ”Can you sing that and go back to sleep?” he asked.
”Yeah…Bruno…I love youuuuu…” she told him.
”I love you too, Lucy.” Evie motioned for him to hand her the phone.
”Are you better now, Lu-lu?” she asked.
”I can sleep now, mommaaa.”
”I love you, Lucy. I will see you tomorrow, okay?” she said sweetly ending the call.
”Are you ready to go home?” he asked her as she turned to look at him.
”Thank you…I didn’t know what to do.” she told him kissing him on the cheek. She pulled away from him seeing a group of girls walk past them.
”There’s that slut he was with…” one of the girls told her friends.
”Hi Carrie.” he said under his breath.
”Had a great time, Bru!” she yelled back at him.
”Who is that?” she asked.
”Ignore her.” Bruno replied standing up holding out his hand helping her up from the side walk.
Chapter 28
”Mommmmm…where’s Bruno?” Lucy asked when Sean opened the door to his mother’s house where he was currently living.
”Oh…sweetie..he’s at home.” Evie answered taking the bag from Michelle. ”Thank you.”
”Eve….please be careful.” Michelle told her. ”Can I talk to you about this?”
”Luc…go back and play with Minnie for a bit…” Evie asked Lucy to play with her grandmother’s dog.
”I am a firm believer in being innocent until proven guilty, Geneva..but my son has some very strong feelings about Bruno.” Michelle told her.
”I would like them to meet each other if Sean could cool it.” Evie stated.
”Yes..and I know you know when to get out of troublesome situations…and I do not hold any grudges for the status of your relationship with my son. We all know full well that he can be a handful. But I will stand by his decision not to allow Lucy near him if that’s what he believes. Because he is my son.”
”Michelle…I’m going to do everything right so we don’t repeat the past. He is going to go through the same background check that Blake went through…it may take some time, but he will be able to be around her.” Evie said firmly.
”I realize you are doing the right thing, Geneva. I know you are. And I know Christina hasn’t said anything about him not being able to see her. But, again…there have been no indications that he is a very trustworthy guy….”
”Are you saying that you’re going to try to keep him from her, too? Why?” Evie asked.
”No Eve…but if anything happens between the time that background check is being completed…I will stand by anything that my son does. ” Michelle answered.
”Well, I think we’re done here…” Evie answered. ”Luc…let’s gooooo…”
**
”Mom…I want you to meet him. I want you to tell me what you think of him…” Evie said at the family dinner table.
”I would like to meet him. Would you like to meet him, Albert?” her mother asked.
”I would like to see him, yes. Lucy speaks very highly of him.” Albert answered.
”Yes…my daughter seems to be in love with him. The first thing she asked when she saw me this morning was if he was there.”
”Shoot…I’d be in love with him, too.” Carly said under her breath.
”Oh, but you can’t have him.” Evie told her sister.
”Yeah…I think now that’d be gross. But it doesn’t mean I can’t still think your boyfriend is cute…” Carly told her sister.
”Okay..that’s enough… I still have some homework to finish…” Evie said standing up.
”Bring him over for dinner tomorrow before he leaves…we’ll make him feel extra special…” Albert told her.
”Oh my god, daaaadddddd…come on. Don’t scare him.” she rolled her eyes at her father as she walked out the door with her daughter.
**
Bruno put on his sunglasses walking next to Evie into the big state run building. She signed in their name and took the visitor sticker from the security guard. She handed Bruno his pointing to the place where he needed to put his phone and keys. He cringed walking through the metal detector not making it go off. ”It wasn’t that scary, was it?” she asked him.
”Naw…not that bad…” he said sitting down next to her in the uncomfortable plastic chair glancing at the morning news they were showing in the tv. She turned to see what he was watching seeing that it was the entertainment part of the news where they were talking about Bruno canceling his court appearance rescheduling it for February. He looked away quickly upset at the news.
”It’s okay….” she told him.
”I just don’t like seeing it..I know I messed up…like a lot…but when other people talk…” he was interrupted by Christina walking down the aisle.
”Ms. Wilson?” she asked.
”Hi…this is…” Evie wasn’t sure how to introduce him.
”I’m Bruno. Nice to meet you, Miss Yates.” he said very politely.
”Oh…h…okay..well let’s go…” Christina said pointing toward the back of the building. She welcomed them to her small cubicle trying hard not to be affected by Bruno. She pulled out a manila folder explaining exactly what they needed to do. ”You’ll need three references….the quicker you get them the quicker this will go…”
”Who can be his references?” Evie asked.
”Bosses…acquaintances…no family…so like a manager or something…your lawyer would be a good option…” Christina offered a suggestion.
”Okay…and when you get that done…” Bruno started to wonder.
”We need a clean ua and finger prints…you do both of those here.” she told him.
”Well..let’s do this…” he told her.
”Okay…finish that paperwork and we’ll finish up…” Christina told them.
After Bruno finished Christina had a male caseworker lead him through the rest of the process leaving Christina and Evie by themselves. Evie pulled out her phone to distract herself.
”Ms. Wilson…the visit we had this weekend…Mr. Greene said some not so flattering things about you. I just wanted to ask you a few questions about the things that were reported to us…”
”Oh my goodness…what did he say?” Evie asked.
”He stated that you had left Lucy unattended at your apartment on several occasions…”
”Did he give you dates?” Evie asked.
Christina ran through the days letting Evie mentally go back and forth to figure out where she was. ”The first one she was with him…I was on vacation in Hawaii…the second I left her with my parents and the third she was with Laura…”
”And these can be confirmed?” Christina asked.
”Yes ma’am.” she answered diplomatically. ”Can I ask you a question, Christina?” Christina nodded her head. ”Are y’all going to hold him to higher standards because of who he is? He knew he fucked up.”
”We’ve had several high profile people come through these doors. I will guarantee you that he will be held to the same standards as the others.”
”And we’re doing everything right, right?” Evie asked starting to be concerned.
”Yes, Geneva. You are doing everything right. He can continue to be with Lucy until anything of suspect that hasn’t been reported comes up.”
”Okay…” Evie said taking her phone out again. She played with her phone while Christina went back to her work.
”Geneva?” Christina asked. ”I know this isn’t professional or anything…”
Evie looked up. ”If it’s about him I’ll probably say no…”
”Is he really as good live as the cd is?” Christina asked.
”He’s way better live.” Evie answered. Phew she thought catching him walk ing near them humming something to himself.
”I’m done.” he told them.
”I will you call you, Ms. Wilson. Mr. Hernandez we have everything we need. Thank you, again.” she held her hand out to shake their hands touching Bruno’s first. Evie saw her hand slightly shaking as she pulled away from Bruno touching Evie’s hand all sweaty.
They walked out to his car without talking. ”Shit…they know how to scare you…” Bruno told her.
”It’s the scariest place I’ve ever been and I’ve been to some pretty scary places.” Evie agreed with him.
Chapter 29
Evie looked down at her book pointing to a paragraph to show one of her classmates where a case was falling apart. In between the conversation she heard her phone vibrating. I’m going to ignore it. She thought to herself.
”What time is it?” her friend asked.
”Oh..umm…oh shit. That’s why my phone was buzzing. I need to go…it’s 5:30.” Evie answered picking up her books. ”Same time tomorrow?” she asked.
”Yes ma’am! Tell Lucy I said hi!” her classmate answered.
Evie ran out of the library to her car turning it on. Looking at the clock. ”Damnit..I’m going to be late and they’re going to charge me…” as she backed her car out her gas light went on. ”Nooo…..not nowwwww….who is close enough to get her?” she thought to herself….Bruno…he’s close…but he doesn’t have a car seat…no…he can’t…she stopped at the closest gas station calling Lucy’s daycare. ”Heather…I’m going to be late…I know it’s not something y’all usually do and he hasn’t signed the paper yet…but if I sent my boyfriend to get her..and I had him call me when I get there…”
”Yes…” Heather answered her.
”Oh my god..thank you so much…” Evie said hanging up to call Bruno. ”Brunoooo….” she called out to him.
”Hey baby…I’m waiting for you…”
”Bruno…the key is under the mat…I need you to go pick up Lucy…there’s an extra booster in the closet….”
”But how to do buckle it, Eve? I can’t even get Liam in his car seat…”
”It’s just across. It’s a booster not a car seat. You can do it…” Evie reassured him. ”Please…I’m going to be late and they charge me like 150 dollars if you’re late three times in a month…this is my fourth time..Bruno…pleaseeee…” she started to almost cry.
”You don’t need to explain it Evie…I already have it in the car. I’ll be there in like five minutes.” he told her.
”Oh my gosh. Thank you. You have to call me when you get there…and they’ll give you a sheet to fill out too…”
”Eve…calm down. Be safe. I’ve got it, sweet heart. ” he told her again.
”Okay…okay…thank you again.” she answered hanging up the phone throwing it over to the side by a book. She continued driving stuck in traffic. Thank God. She thought to herself turning down the neighborhood street as the clock struck 6 o’clock. The phone rang right at that moment.
”Ms. Wilson…we have a Mr. Hernandez here for Lucy…” the phone paused. ”Eve…I have everything here.”
”Okay…thank you. I’m almost home…you better get her home safe.”
”I will, Eve. Don’t worry.” he answered handing the phone back to Heather.
”Oh my…gosh…” Heather tried to catch her breath. ”Really?” she asked. ”He has permission to pick up your daughter?”
”Yes, Heather.” she answered.
**
Evie ran up the stairs to her apartment seeing Bruno’s car parked near the front of her building.Phew. He made it. She opened the door dropping her bags as Lucy ran toward her. ”Mommmm…Bruno was too late. Heather was the only one to meet him. I want him to meet everyone!” Lucy told her mother.
”You’ll have to wait until later, Luc- he’s going to be gone for a while.” she told her daughter looking up at him. ”But we’re going to Mimi and Papa’s for dinner. So you get to show him to them….and Cici..”
”And CiCi?” she asked.
”Yes..your aunt CiCi will meet him too…go get your shoes…why are they off already?” she asked.
”Bruno took them off. He said he had cooler ones for me..” she said pulling up a pair of pink converse.
”Bruno!” Evie shouted. ”What else did you get her?”
”This rad shirt..” he said pointing to a Bruno Mars shirt.
”Oh my god.” Evie laughed watching her daughter run to her room to get some socks for her shoes.
”Eve..you look really tired. Are you okay?” he asked her.
She nodded her head. ”I’m fine. I’ll sleep this weekend.” she told him. ”It’s normal. I have homework to do when we’re done too.” He sat down next to her throwing his arms over her shoulder rubbing her back. ”Don’t do that..I’ll fall asleep…and my parents want to meet you.”
**
Bruno sat next to Evie at the small kitchen table talking to her parents making everyone laugh. Albert asked him about Hawaii and where they should go when they take their retirement trip. He told them exactly where to go and where not to go making Albert very happy. ”But what places did you take my daughter?” he asked changing the topic of conversation.
”Nowhere sir…” Bruno answered feeling Evie’s hand on his knee making him feel a little bit more comfortable. Carly shot Evie a dirty look knowing that he was lying. Albert didn’t question him anymore.
”And you two had a good weekend last weekend?” Katie asked him. ”Bruno..we’re so excited about the cd. Evie gave us a copy and I love it. It reminds me of something I would have listened to when the kids were young. It’s something that will remain timeless.”
”Thank you so much. That means a lot, Ms. Wilson.” Bruno answered.
”Oh, dear. No. Please call me Katie.” she told him. ”What did you two do this weekend?”
”We went to his album release party, mom. That was it.” Evie answered.
”And has he met Sean yet? I’m sure he’s very jealous.” Katie asked them.
”I’ll tell you about that later.” Evie answered pointing her eyes towards Lucy who was playing with her macaroni.
”Look! It’s a smiley face!” she said.
”Luc…go take that to the sink and go play with Fred…” Evie told her daughter who gave her the same sad face Bruno gave her. Get her away from him…she thought to herself. ”Now, missy…” she repeated.
”He’s being an asshole mom. He called Christina and they did an unannounced visit. He even said that left Lucy by herself the day I went to the Grove..”
”Oh my god. He’s going to act that way again?” Carly asked.
”Yeah..apperantly it’s the only way he’s ever happy or feels accomplished.
”Eve…you know she can always stay with us…” Katie answered.
”I know..I just hate doing it to her.” Evie told her mother.
”Eve..you’re only 24…you need to be a kid still. I know you had to grow up fast..but that’s why we’re here…” Laura told her sister. Bruno returned the squeeze on her knee to let her know she was okay.
”Thank you. But it’s kind of a moot point now that Bruno’s going to be gone until February…” she told them.
”Where in the world are you going for four months?” Laura asked.
”Everywhere. I leave for London tomorrow..” he told them.
”Wow..send us post cards or something…” Katie told him.
”I’ll try to remember!” Bruno laughed. They continued to talk for another hour realizing that Lucy had fallen asleep on top of the dog.
”I think we need to go…” Evie told her parents.
”Bruno..it was fabulous meeting you. You are a cool dude.” Albert told him.
”Well thank you so much. You have a really great daughter.”
”I’m glad she picked us.” Albert told him.
”I’m glad she picked me, too, sir.” Bruno answered quietly.
”Be good to her, okay?” Albert asked him.
”Only the best.” Bruno told him watching Evie walk past him holding Lucy. She got the door open with her free hand placing her in the seat without any trouble. Woah..she’s like super mom…he thought to himself walking toward the car.
”It wasn’t that bad was it?” she asked him.
”It wasn’t the worst thing I did today.” he answered her.
”Well..I can guess the worst.” she told him.
”2 guesses..first doesn’t count.” he told her.
”Oh…umm..gosh this is so hard…” she told him. ”Could it have been meeting with Christina?”
”Nope. That wasn’t it.” he told her.
”Then what the hell was it?” she asked shocked that the visit to CPS wasn’t the worst part of the day.
”It was the 8 hours I wasn’t with you.” he told her keeping his eyes on the road.
”Shut up! You’re so cheesy.” she told him.
”It was true!” he laughed at her as they pulled up to her apartment. She picked Lucy up with Bruno following behind her. He held the door for her following them into her bedroom.
”Thank you…” she told him as he helped her put her pajamas on.
”Mom…” Lucy said opening her eyes. ”Is Bruno still here?” she asked.
”He’s right here…” Evie answered.
”I want you to marry my mom.” she told him turning around to fall asleep.
”Oh god…” Evie laughed sitting on the couch next to Bruno. She laid her head on his closing her eyes. ”Just a few minutes…then I have to do my homework..” she told him.
Chapter 30
Bruno was traveling through Europe and the eastern United States throughout the later part of the year. They had spoken on the phone quite a bit and even skyped a few times. Evie thought it was not nearly as stressful to be dating someone who was never around. It made her feel like she was in a relationship without the trouble of actually working at it. She was able to do her work and take care of Lucy without Sean worrying about her being around him. The background check was still waiting to be approved. Of all the things that could stress her out that was the one thing that was on her mind. She told him all the time that she worried about it. He continued to tell her that it would be okay and that Sean would not be getting to her. The day before Bruno was to come home for a few days to do Los Angeles shows Sean called her.
”Eve..I don’t want him around her.” Sean left a voicemail on her phone. I didn’t get that message. I don’t know what you’re talking about..she thought to herself not deleting the message.
”Mommm…mommm…mommmmm…Bruno’s coming tonight, right?” Lucy sat down next to her mother in the kitchen. ”Stop doing your homework…there are more important things to do…” she told her.
”What do we need to do, Lu-lu?” Evie asked her daughter.
”We have to get dressed up.” Lucy got up pulling her mother into the closet. ”You have to be extra pretty…because he has all those girls with him…”
”Okay, Lucy…what do I need to wear?” Evie asked.
”You need to wear this…” Lucy pulled at a deep red dress. ”Put it on, momma..” Evie slipped on the dress over her jeans. ”And this hat…” Lucy picked up a black fedora Bruno had bought her. ”It’s perfect…” Lucy told her mother stepping back. ”Let me show Bruno…” she grabbed her mother’s phone pressing the buttons to take a picture of her mother making a face. ”You have to send it…” Lucy handed her the phone.
”No, Luc..he doesn’t need to see it….” she answered walking to the door hearing a knock. I didn’t put in a maintenance request…she opened the door to see Bruno standing there. ”Oh…oh god…” she said taking off her hat trying not to blush. He started laughing at her. ”Come in…” she grabbed his hand leading him toward the couch. ”Let me change…” she said. He took her hand away from her side as she turned around.
”Keep it on…” he said seductively running his finger along her waist touching the button of her jeans between the fabrics. She reached across his arms to get him away from her.
”Stop it!” she moved her eyes to the back of the house. ”Not now.”
”Brunnnoooooooooooooo….” Lucy screamed running into the room jumping on him.
”Hey there, cute girl. Did you dress your mom up?” he asked her.
”She’s so pretty, Bruno.” Lucy told him.
”She is very pretty, Lucy…” he answered hugging Evie.
**
Bruno sat across from Evie at the small restaurant looking at her tired eyes. ”Eve..why are you so tired?” he asked her.
”The same reason I always am…” she told him.
”Eve…you need a break…” he told her touching her hand from underneath the table.
”You need a break too.” she answered him.
”Oh…I see what you did there…” he told her.
”Mommmm…look I finished the maze!” Lucy exclaimed.
”Lucy..you’re so smart!” Evie answered her.
”Mom…I want to count the chips…” she grabbed the basket of tortilla chips sitting on the table picking up one and handing it to Bruno.
”Thank you…” he answered taking a bite of the chips. She looked at him almost about to cry.
”Noooo..don’t eat them yet!” she yelled at him. ”Nooo!”
”You count them then eat them.” Evie told him.
”Oh…I’m sorry..I’m sorry.” Bruno told her.
Lucy continued to put a chip at each person’s napkin until their food came. Bruno looked down at the pile of chips starting to laugh with Evie.
”It’s a mountain!” Lucy told them.
”Luc…what are we going to do with these?” Evie asked.
”You’re going to eat them!” she told them taking a bite of her chips.
”Oh…” Bruno took a piece of the chips starting to eat them as Evie cringed at the fact that they weren’t on a plate. ”Live a little, Eve. Geez.”
After dinner and Lucy was asleep Evie looked down at her un-open backpack full of books. ”Eve..I don’t even know how you do that..I can’t even read over a script for an hour without giving up…” he told her.
”I don’t know how you get in front of thousands of people night after night and perform.” he answered him.
”Evie…when you get up and talk in court…what are you doing?” he asked her.
”Talking…” she answered him.
”But…what if you didn’t pause and didn’t use the right tone? That’s performing baby..” he winked at her.
”Do you get nervous when you do what you do, Bru?” she asked him.
”Of course…” he answered her. ”But that’s when I remember why I’m up there..because that’s what I’m good at and it’s fun and people are there to see me blow their socks off.””I bet you’re really good at interrogating people, Eve.” finished. ”I wouldn’t want you to be questioning me….I wouldn’t be able to answer.” he smiled at her.
”What in the world are you talking about?” she asked him.
”You’re a hot lawyer.” he told her seductively smirking at her confused face. He leaned toward her neck starting to kiss it. ”I’m only here for three days…” he whispered.