Toes painted and eyebrows arched Quinn was once again sitting next to Nick on the couch as he flipped through the television five times. Just as he settled on an old episode of Leave It To Beaver it went to a commercial and a lawyer was giving his spiel. It made her think of the lawsuits the group was going to go through because of some nutcase.
�Have you heard anything about the lawsuit and that crazy lady?� She was still shocked that someone would actually have the nerve to suit because a celebrity chose to be with their sick child instead of at a meaningless music concert.
�They�ve already been in contact with our lawyers. They say these people are really going to do it.� She lowered her head in shock. He lifted her head by grasping her chin,
�Hey none of this has anything to do with you or MacKenzie. It�s not your fault. This is a group thing and its nothing to worry about. She doesn�t have a shot. The show wasn�t cancelled, our obligation was filled.� She appreciated his sentiment but not everyone was going to think logically like that. If he hadn�t gotten her pregnant and had a child there wouldn�t have been a need for him to take off. It will most definitely put questions in the minds of not just the fans but the management and record label as well. Teen pop stars with kids just couldn�t work out could it? Was he going to bail every time his daughter had a doctor�s appointment? What about kindergarten, school recitals and field trips? Would he not want to travel as much, work as hard?
�That thing she said about punishment for us being together�� He snorted,
�Oh I know you don�t believe that for one minute.� No, she truly didn�t believe that was why her daughter was sick but she knew the woman, and many more like her, believed it.
�I know that�s not why this is happening but I believe she truly believes it.� She looked him in the eyes,
�And she�s not the only one.� He frowned and she watched the expressions on his face change before questioning her,
�Quinn, come on. Brian isn�t like that. He doesn�t have anything against black people.� She had yet to apologize to Brain for her insulting accusation and it was the first thing she was going to so when she saw him.
�I know that Nick.�
�I really do.� She added when he didn�t seem convinced.
�But you do know that there are people out there who think like that. And Mac will come across some of them and have to deal with them.� She could see the looks of doubt and confusion on his face,
�Nick, you�ll never understand. What I go through and what Mac will go through.� She took a deep breath and let it out slowly,
�Look, life as a black person is hard to explain. We�ve come far, that�s the line I hear all the time and it�s true but black people haven�t come so far that white people don�t automatically think we�re all from the ghetto and expect us to be a certain way unless they already know us.�
She licked her lips,
�Whatever, I don�t want to even talk about this anymore. I just hope you guys don�t have to deal with that situation much longer.� She didn�t say much but she knew she gave him a lot to think about at that moment. Their daughter�s life wasn�t going to be the same as her father�s. She would have money but she would have additional headaches that he would never begin to understand.
�Hey, how�s that Carter Family Foundation going?� He looked over at her and she smiled,
�Seriously. I want to know. It�s a good idea.� Regardless of the publicity Jane and the rest of the family were sure to get she respected the big picture. And the picture was that many kids were going to get the treatment they deserved and needed to make their lives better.
�I�m not sure. I haven�t really talked to her about it since that day.� Jane was another she needed to apologize to but part of her didn�t want to do it. Brian surely deserved her apology and even Ashley but there was something holding her back from being apologetic to Jane Carter. Deep down, she had a feeling she was dead on when it came to that woman.
�I�m thinking about getting a place here in Miami.� She heard him but she didn�t know what to say.
�Did you hear me?� She nodded her head,
�Yeah, that�s great. It�ll be good for Mac.� She sighed and stood,
�She�ll have three parents to raise her.� As she walked into the kitchen he called out,
�Three?� She emerged with two bottles of water,
�Yeah. When James and I get married that�s two parents and you make three.� She sat down
and handed him his bottle and he jumped up and went over to the TV.
�What are you looking for?� He shrugged his shoulders,
�I don�t know just something to watch.� Three parents. She was getting married soon and not to her daughter�s father. But she couldn�t. He wasn�t ready. James was. Nick wasn�t responsible. James was. Nick didn�t have the time to be an involved parent. James did.
�Oh, you have White Oleander. I love this movie.� She stared at him as he put the movie in the DVD player. He always did that. Just as she was about to cast him off he went and said something or did something that made her change her opinion. It was almost as if he knew. James hated that movie and any other movie with a semblance of sentiment. It wasn�t manly enough for him. Not only did Nick like the movie, he didn�t hesitate to voice it. There was no embarrassment. He does it every time. Shows a part of himself that makes her want him in her life.
He placed the movie in the DVD player and sat down on the couch. She watched as he waited for the movie to start almost with a certain amount of anticipation. She couldn�t take her eyes off him. She leaned closer to him until her head was resting on his shoulder. He looked down at her briefly and smiled before giving his attention back to the TV. Her hand slowly moved over and up, landing on his chest. When he didn�t respond in the way she was hoping after she rubbed her hand up and down she finally straddled his lap. She grabbed his face and kissed him, feeling his mouth give way as she forced her tongue inside. His hands ran up and down her legs as he mumbled against her mouth,
�Your legs are so soft.� She was grateful she took all that time to shave when she stepped in the shower that morning. His hands ran underneath her T-shirt and cupped her breasts through her bra then slid behind her and he expertly undid the clasp releasing her breasts. She took off her T-shirt and he removed her bra quickly until she was in nothing more than her underwear. He sat back in the couch and ran his hands over her breasts as he admired them. She knew he was a breast man. He always paid a lot of attention to them whenever they were intimate.
He pulled her bandana off and gripped her hair,
�Just like old times.� She wasn�t so sure she was keen on the idea of things being like old times. Old times were random sex that really didn�t mean anything. Come to think of it, isn�t this what it was now? She didn�t want to think about it at the moment. At the moment she wanted to feel good and he could make that possible.
Chapter 86 cont'd