“Sure does.” I laugh, too.
“You better stop or I’m going to punch you in the balls,” he warns. Just before I move to extend my body out of his reach, he swings his hand and hits me right in the family jewels. We both fall to the ground as I clutch my nuts, groaning in pain. We’re both huffing, our age rearing its ugly head. The young men we used to be would’ve popped right up off of the floor and gone at each other again. But now, wrestling feels like a full cardio workout. Marcus is able to stand before me, but he uses the armrest to pull himself up.
A soft giggle makes our heads snap in its direction. Neena is standing in the hallway with her camera, filming us. Clara stands behind her, smirking, as if she thinks we’re ridiculous. Which we are. Flicking my gaze to Marcus, his hair seems to be standing straight up like he just got out of bed from a night of rough sex. I’m still on the floor, cradling my manhood. This doesn’t look good.
“Neena,” I gasp. “Would you mind turning that off, princess?”
She quirks a warning brow, something she definitely learned from her mother. I called her princess. I’m not supposed to do that. At least not in front of other people.
“I mean, please.”
She flips the screen closed and clutches it to her chest. “You guys are funny.”
“They’re something, all right,” Clara murmurs. “You guys are taking her home and cooking dinner, yes?”
“We will have it ready by the time you get home,” Marcus assures. “Mei-ling is coming over too. We have big plans for tonight.”
Clara eyes him inquisitively. “Please elaborate.”
“I can’t.” Marcus winks at Neena. “Paul and Mei-ling have been working on this for a few days.”
Clara’s dark eyes dart over to mine, a look of uncertainty and excitement mixed in them.
“You’ll like this,” I assure her. “But Neena will like it more.”
She bobs her head once in compliance before she kisses the top of Neena’s head. “Good luck with these two knuckleheads.”
As Clara leaves to be interrogated by Ashley and crew, Neena smiles, and it’s sincere, but something is off. Her usual smile that lights up her whole face isn’t quite there. And now that I’m really looking at her, she’s paler.
“You okay, hon?” I ask as I roll on my stomach preparing to stand.
“Just a little tired,” she answers, and I center in on the small dark circles forming under her eyes. No matter how much she sleeps, her skin has paled considerably, making her appear as if she’s hardly sleeping.
“We don’t have to do what we have planned tonight if you’re not feeling well,” I tell her. Entertainment be damned if my little girl isn’t feeling up to it.
“I’m fine, Dad,” she replies, raising her voice an octave as if by doing so she will sound peppier.
“Okay,” I answer uneasily. “Why don’t you sit down for a bit?”
“The guys should be back any second now. It’s an early day. We’ll be leaving in twenty,” Marcus tells her. She nods and flops down on the couch, sitting cross-legged, flipping her camera lens open again, and watching what she’s just recorded.
“Get up,” Marcus grunts as he passes by, giving me a hard kick in the ass.
“Asshole!” I groan after him, earning a little chuckle from Neena.
“Paul told us about the first time he saw your house,” Ashley chuckles, pushing some of her dark hair behind her ear as she folds her legs beneath her, sitting cross-legged.
I huff out a little laugh at the thought. “Did he tell you he accidentally fired the gun, too? At a poor cat.”
She grins. “Yeah, he did. That night seems to have been a pivotal point in the dynamic between you two, at least as far as he’s concerned.”
I tilt my head in thought. “I think . . . it was the first time we really ever laughed together. Laughter is like the old grandmother in every family,” I note, “it brings everyone together. Even people that hate each other.”
“Did you really hate Paul?”
I wince with her question. “Hate is a strong word,” I surmise. “I hated him as a business partner, I guess. As a person . . . he was okay.”
“Were you attracted to him? I mean, I know physically you were, but . . . otherwise?”
I exhale loudly, widening my eyes. “Truthfully . . . I was a mess at that time. Thinking about Paul or anyone else that way seemed impossible. I was still very hurt with the loss of my marriage.”
Her brows perk up. “You still wanted Kurt back?”