Read Online Almost Ordinary (The Song Wreckers Book 2) by Crystal Firsdon - Free Book Online
Authors: Crystal Firsdon
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look. I shrugged and mouthed, PMS.
“Thanks, Katie,” Caleb said.
She allowed Caleb to pat her back until she was comforted. Or hungry, since she hurried to her chair and resumed stuffing her face.
We kept the conversation light for the rest of dinner. Caleb and I listened to Katie tell us about Bob-See—pronounced Bobsy—her half-brother by her father. His real name was Robert Seeten, Jr. I had met him once when Katie and I visited Mama in Mississippi. His girlfriend, Deena, aspired to be a famous singer and actress. We found out during the visit that she couldn’t sing her way out of a paper bag. She was horrible. They say love is blind. In Bob-See’s case, love was deaf too.
In our respite from all things Adam and Cooper, we learned that Deena just couldn’t catch a break. She wasn’t landing any acting gigs beyond the local community theatre, and singing karaoke in bars led nowhere.
Katie finished scarfing and storytelling, claiming she had to lay out clothes for work tomorrow and finalize song choices for the varsity choir’s graduation program. She was the choir director at Riverwood High School.
She said good-bye and hugged Caleb again. It wouldn’t have been so awkward if he hadn’t been mid-bite. I rolled my eyes, but it was sweet. I smiled. Until she threw out, “Oh, by the way, Mama told Deena all about your songwriting for Gina Swinger and how you know people at Crystal Records. Bye!” She ran out the front door all the way to her car, hopped in, and burned rubber down the driveway.
No. No, no, no, no! I pinched the bridge of my nose like Caleb often did, and closed my eyes tight while I counted to ten. Deena was not only tone deaf, but she turned nasty when she felt she’d been bested. Katie and I found that out the hard way one night during karaoke when more people told me and Katie “good job” than her. She had the nerve to shoulder check Katie, and I almost punched her stupid face in. Okay, my emotions were still raw only several months after I’d been attacked, and I was in the push-my-buttons-and-I’ll-get-irate-on-your-ass frame of mind, but still.
I let it go. In the grand scheme of things this was no big deal. I shook my head to clear it and sat down while Caleb finished eating.
Besides, now that we were alone I wanted to gauge how mad I’d made Caleb when I visited Cooper. I freed the boys from their high chairs and set them on blankets in the family room, then joined Caleb in the kitchen.
“So,” I started, “how was work today?”
Scooping himself seconds, he said, “Well, fine until I caught wind from Taylor that you went to see Cooper.”
I didn’t defend my actions, just let him voice his anger. “I chewed his ass out good,” he continued.
I cringed. If Caleb cursed with the boys in earshot, he was not as calm as he sounded.
“Called him a bunch of names he didn’t deserve. Threatened to fire him. It wasn’t until you informed me that you pushed him—oh excuse me, gently nudged him—and I pressed him for details that he told me what I’m assuming really happened.”
I leaned against the counter to watch Caleb eat. There were new creases on his forehead. His posture was off; shoulders tensed, the veins in his neck bulging. And, it was hard to tell because he was so blond, but was that a gray streak on the right side? Behind him, I set my hands on his shoulders. When he finished his last couple of bites I worked my thumbs in circles up and down his neck. His muscles relaxed under my hands. He leaned his head onto my chest so I switched to massaging his shoulders. We didn’t talk. A few moans escaped him. I alternated between his neck and shoulders, placing kisses to his temples.
“Go lay down on the couch and wait for me,” I directed, and grabbed the bottle of hand lotion from the bathroom. Caleb covered the entire couch lying on his stomach. I straddled his butt and worked his shirt up and over his head. Then I squirted a big glob of lotion on, and
“Thanks, Katie,” Caleb said.
She allowed Caleb to pat her back until she was comforted. Or hungry, since she hurried to her chair and resumed stuffing her face.
We kept the conversation light for the rest of dinner. Caleb and I listened to Katie tell us about Bob-See—pronounced Bobsy—her half-brother by her father. His real name was Robert Seeten, Jr. I had met him once when Katie and I visited Mama in Mississippi. His girlfriend, Deena, aspired to be a famous singer and actress. We found out during the visit that she couldn’t sing her way out of a paper bag. She was horrible. They say love is blind. In Bob-See’s case, love was deaf too.
In our respite from all things Adam and Cooper, we learned that Deena just couldn’t catch a break. She wasn’t landing any acting gigs beyond the local community theatre, and singing karaoke in bars led nowhere.
Katie finished scarfing and storytelling, claiming she had to lay out clothes for work tomorrow and finalize song choices for the varsity choir’s graduation program. She was the choir director at Riverwood High School.
She said good-bye and hugged Caleb again. It wouldn’t have been so awkward if he hadn’t been mid-bite. I rolled my eyes, but it was sweet. I smiled. Until she threw out, “Oh, by the way, Mama told Deena all about your songwriting for Gina Swinger and how you know people at Crystal Records. Bye!” She ran out the front door all the way to her car, hopped in, and burned rubber down the driveway.
No. No, no, no, no! I pinched the bridge of my nose like Caleb often did, and closed my eyes tight while I counted to ten. Deena was not only tone deaf, but she turned nasty when she felt she’d been bested. Katie and I found that out the hard way one night during karaoke when more people told me and Katie “good job” than her. She had the nerve to shoulder check Katie, and I almost punched her stupid face in. Okay, my emotions were still raw only several months after I’d been attacked, and I was in the push-my-buttons-and-I’ll-get-irate-on-your-ass frame of mind, but still.
I let it go. In the grand scheme of things this was no big deal. I shook my head to clear it and sat down while Caleb finished eating.
Besides, now that we were alone I wanted to gauge how mad I’d made Caleb when I visited Cooper. I freed the boys from their high chairs and set them on blankets in the family room, then joined Caleb in the kitchen.
“So,” I started, “how was work today?”
Scooping himself seconds, he said, “Well, fine until I caught wind from Taylor that you went to see Cooper.”
I didn’t defend my actions, just let him voice his anger. “I chewed his ass out good,” he continued.
I cringed. If Caleb cursed with the boys in earshot, he was not as calm as he sounded.
“Called him a bunch of names he didn’t deserve. Threatened to fire him. It wasn’t until you informed me that you pushed him—oh excuse me, gently nudged him—and I pressed him for details that he told me what I’m assuming really happened.”
I leaned against the counter to watch Caleb eat. There were new creases on his forehead. His posture was off; shoulders tensed, the veins in his neck bulging. And, it was hard to tell because he was so blond, but was that a gray streak on the right side? Behind him, I set my hands on his shoulders. When he finished his last couple of bites I worked my thumbs in circles up and down his neck. His muscles relaxed under my hands. He leaned his head onto my chest so I switched to massaging his shoulders. We didn’t talk. A few moans escaped him. I alternated between his neck and shoulders, placing kisses to his temples.
“Go lay down on the couch and wait for me,” I directed, and grabbed the bottle of hand lotion from the bathroom. Caleb covered the entire couch lying on his stomach. I straddled his butt and worked his shirt up and over his head. Then I squirted a big glob of lotion on, and
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