16 comments/ 39564 views/ 35 favorites By the Horns By: creepyrj Heya kids! miss me? I hope so, cuz man do I have a tale for you! I know it's been a while and so many questions may be floating around, so here's an answer to a few of em. Yes I took time off, yes I am gonna finish up a tale or two I have out. Iron Heart and Fighter are the two I will get done soon. Now why did I run off? Well reason is I just got done writing my first novel! It's being edited now and should be out soon. I'll keep ya posted on that. Now on to this tale. I know you may say how is this what it is? Answer is simple, it's a slow burn kinda deal, but when it gets going that's when the fun kicks in! Read it, love it, and tell me how ya think about it! As always kids, ENJOY THE SHOW! Nadine smoothed the skirt down across her legs. Her full hips and thick thighs made her stand out as she always did. She looked in the mirror at the sight of the cute pleat skirt on her hips and smiled at the mirror a happy smile. It had taken a while for her to get to the point in time she was happily in. It took a while, and a lot of confusing twists along the way, but in the end she found it was worth it. As she dabbed the deep red lipstick to her lips she looked back on the way life had taken her on a serious roller coaster ride and dropped her where she would never had dreamed possible. Nadine was an anomaly at times thanks to her genes. Her dark cinnamon skin was a credit to her mother and father. Her father, Tyresse Benjamin, was a black man from Georgia. Her mother was a dark skinned Dominican woman named Esmeralda Gomez. They met young in New York and after a while they married, then had Nadine and her siblings. The family lived well for what they had and Nadine was always a good girl. Her mother and father worked hard for all they had and that mentality washed off on Nadine and her two brothers and baby sister. As per her upbringing she strove everyday to make herself better in school and at home. She took a job early on delivering newspapers and though her parents at first said no, they couldn't deny that she was happy being a hard worker. The time went by and Nadine went from a paper route to a restaurant job at sixteen. She finished high school and went to college shortly after she turned eighteen. Her time in college was fun and she made a lot of friends in the process. Her life was fun for many reasons, but she never strayed from her schooling. Her time in college was also one of trying times as she seemed to attract one loser after another that always just wanted to get in her pants. At five foot four she was a bit small, but her body had curves to spare. A full bust line graced her luscious frame. Her hips were very full and thick as was the rest of her. While not fat by any stretch of the means, her voluptuousness did make people take notice of her. Her face was also something that people could lose themselves in. Her large round eyes were a dark brown. Her full thick lips were pouty and always in a sweet smile. Her dazzling smile could light up a room and did as often as she went to parties and social gatherings. Her only real mistake in life was she didn't complete her college education. She did two years and was ready to get her bachelors, but then she met the man in her life. They met at a party and soon it blossomed into full on love. In a short time span they married and she put off school to help him go further. Her husband, Trevor Mills, was a safety for his college, and nearly made it to the pros. The tragic end to his career came in the form of a near crippling injury that almost cost him his ability to walk. His left knee was shattered during a stupid play by an opponent. As Trevor was going for the ball he was blind sided. Instead of going high and tackling him the opponent went right at his knee with full force. The awkward angle snapped his leg in two and flung him end over end. As he went to the ground he went at a bad angle and felt the rip and pop in his knee. The whole stadium went silent and Trevor was on the floor unable to move as the pain took him under. Quickly he was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery to save his leg. The fracture bone was easy to set and the knee was damaged, but fixable. The only downside was he would never be able to run like he could so it ended his career. He spent the next nine months in therapy and when he found out he was done with football his world was forever changed. His normally hard mind softened and his mood changed dramatically. Trevor went from a happy go lucky guy to a burned, angry person almost over night. In the time he did his therapy he found out he couldn't play any more he became very bitter towards life and people. The only thing that kept his head above water at times was Nadine. As time drug on after he was cut from the school he began to let himself go a bit at a time. It started with drinking, then went into a little pot on the side. Over time he was smoking a bit more every month. He claimed it was to help him get over his pain, but when Nadine would ask him to stop he would get angry and lash out at her. While he was never violent with her, his mouth got the better of him at times. Nadine never held it against him knowing what happened to him, but at times she just wished he would be a bit nicer. Seeing how nasty he was getting Trevor actually changed his ways a bit, but only a bit. After a particularly nasty session when Nadine almost left him he promised to get it together. He found a job and put himself to the grindstone. Soon he advanced at the warehouse he worked at and it allowed Nadine to quit her two jobs and focus on her work at the bank. Combined their income was enough that they could afford a house in the nicer part of Burbank, California. They worked hard and together after almost six years they found a happiness that belied any other notions. Their love life was pleasant as well. The only thing they lacked was children. It wasn't for a lack of trying, but Nadine only got pregnant one time and it was a sad day when she was taken to the hospital after complications arose. Nadine was rushed to the hospital and the doctor had to remove the fetus from her and she was almost given a hysterectomy. It was only good fortune that she had no real damage or life threatening problems. She was spared the agony of the procedure and after a week in the hospital Nadine was released. She settled back in the house and noted that as the days went on Trevor got more glum. He would often go to work for long periods of time and not come home til very late. While he was making good money and it allowed Nadine time to recover, she missed him at times. The days went on and Nadine was able to get back to working. She went to work with a big smile on her face and a bounce in her step to get the past behind her. She buried herself in her work and soon she was advanced to a assistant branch manager position. With an excited energy flowing through her Nadine went home and made a good dinner for Trevor and even got his favorite wine. The fine meal was on the table for five hours when Trevor finally came home. The smile on Nadine's face to see him was a beautiful one, but the look on Trevor's face was not a happy one. The look was more of a "I'm tired, leave me be" look. "Hi honey," Nadine said softly seeing his mood. Trevor glanced at her and he smiled a bit. He didn't want to be rude so he hugged her to him. Nadine sighed as he did and felt his arms around her, which was all she really wanted. As she relaxed in his arms she continued. "I made your favorite," she said cutely. "That's great, but I ate at work. Can we save it for later?" he said calmly. "Um, sure," she said softly, "I have some good news though." she continued. "What's that?" he asked. "I'm getting a promotion. I'll be an assistant branch manager now," Nadine said cheerfully, "Better money and some good benefits," she concluded. "That's great honey, how about I take you to diner tomorrow night to celebrate?" he asked. "I suppose, but can't we....you know...celebrate tonight?" she asked sweetly kissing his lips. Trevor looked at his wife and nodded his head. They went to the bedroom and Nadine undressed. She waited for him to leave the bathroom and it was not ten minutes later he was panting and sweating all over the bed. He had climaxed in her, but she hadn't. The whole affair was him shoving her head to his crotch, then after a long time of her giving him fellatio, he stuck in and humped her for a minute then got his jollies. He was happy and turned over to sleep leaving Nadine awake and bewildered. He didn't even kiss her but three times then did his thing. Nadine wanted to curl into him, but he was already asleep and ignoring her. Nadine curled to her side and her eyes showed their hurt. Why didn't he want her to love him? Why didn't he want her to be pleased? What had she done wrong? The long night was spent awake and hurting. The next day was filled with broken promises as he called her and left her high and dry at her favorite restaurant. Nadine went to work and threw herself into it over the next weeks as she didn't know what else to do. As the weeks went by Trevor became more and more distant. He was either working or out with his new friends and not coming home til late in the night. Nadine was left more and more alone as he went out and did his thing without her. Some nights she cried herself to sleep, others she didn't sleep in the bed as she slept on the couch waiting for him. The time drug on for her as it always does, but little did she know the next day would dawn with a new surprise for her. Saturday found Nadine alone as Trevor got called into work and left early. He didn't even thank her for breakfast when he got into his car and left without a word. As Nadine was washing the dishes she saw a moving van pull into the large cul de sac at the end of the block. Looking out the door she saw a man get out and he immediately stood out to her. He was taller than Trevor by a few inches and his body was massive. What she could see was he was wearing a black muscle shirt with a strange logo on the back and green cargo shorts. His left arm was covered in a large tattoo and his legs were similarly covered as well. He lifted large boxes from the back of the truck and trudged them inside. The thing she noted was he was limping slightly as he did. Her good nature got the best of her and she got into a pair of jeans and a loose shirt. Slipping on her sandals she ventured out to the new neighbor to help if he needed it. As she ventured up to the man and got closer she couldn't help but see he was indeed enormous! He was at least six three and his arms were huge. His legs were well defined and as she got closer it became easier to see his body was filled with tattoos. His hair was cut in a short pro cut that looked nearly military in stature. Effortlessly he hoisted large boxes into his arms, but as he walked she saw his limp and it made her tilt her head curiously. She got closer and finally to the driveway. She walked up and made her presence known as he hoisted a large load into his arms that was very precariously balanced. "Hi," she said in a chipper tone. The man heard the noise and he turned, but as he did his balance was thrown off and the boxes began to teeter. "Oh shit!" he exclaimed and Nadine saw the boxes tipping. "I'm sorry!" she yelped and ran forwards catching the boxes and pinning them between them. Between their bodies they had the boxes pinned and stable, but if she moved the boxes would tumble to the floor. The man laughed incredulously and suddenly she heard his voice. "Umm...hi...well now, this is a....interesting way to introduce oneself," he said in an amused tone. "I'm so sorry," she pleaded. "No harm no foul. But can you uh... can you just...move to your right," he said and Nadine went the wrong way. "No,No...your other right!" he exclaimed. "Sorry!" she exclaimed and went the right way. "OK...OK, now move a bit..." he said and Nadine started walking the way he needed her to go, "Yes! That way! OK, slowly now," he said to keep them in balance. The walk was painfully slow as they ambled into the house the man kept up his instructions for a bit, then the counter came into view. The walk to it was a funny one, but they soon succeeded in getting everything on the counter. After it was done Nadine looked at the man and she was taken back. It took her a second to see up to his face, but when she did his eyes took her by surprise. His eyes were ice blue like a Husky. They had an albino quality to them that was intimidating at first, but his warm smile made her feel at ease. "Like I said, what a way to say hi," the man said with a friendly grin and extended his hand to her. "I'm Mike. Mike Redmonte," he said formally. "Nadine Mills, nice to meet you Mike," she said politely. Mike took her hand and shook it gently. He wasn't dainty with her, but he treated her like a lady with his hand shake. That alone caught Nadine off guard. As soon as he let go he looked at the pile of boxes and the door. "Well now, it seems I have a lot to go and need to get back at it. Nice to meet you Nadine," he said and went to the door. As he walked Nadine noticed the way he limped and her eyes narrowed in curiosity. "Need help?" she asked. Mike turned back to her and shrugged. "If you want, though I'd have to pay you back you know," he said smiling Nadine waved her hands and shook her head. "No, no, you don't need to pay me back Mike, I don't want any money," she protested. "Oh, well then how about I pay you back with my world famous iced tea?" he asked. "World famous?" she asked and chuckled. "Oh yeah," he said making a serious face, "Recognized as such by at least a few cool people," he joked back. Nadine laughed at that and nodded her head. Mike smiled and went back to the truck. The move was cut in half as they got everything out and in it's place. The truck was stocked full of stuff that showed it was more than just his. Nadine saw on the boxes several names and her eyes grew curious. "So are you married Mike?" she asked as they got the last boxes in place. "Me, no. I live with my kids and their mother," he said simply. "Wait, your kids and their mom?" she asked confused. Mike grinned and nodded his head. "It's...uh....a little complicated. Lets just leave it at that if you don't mind," he asked in a cordial tone. "OK," Nadine replied thinking she touched on a touchy subject. "And what about you Nadine, you married?" he asked back setting a box on the counter. "Yes I am," she replied setting a box labeled electronics in the living room. Mike nodded his head and went to the living room. He saw the boxes labeled as such in the correct room and nodded his head. Seeing a good chance for a quick breather he smiled as he went to the fridge and opened it. He pulled out a pitcher of tea and poured two glasses. Once they were filled he walked to the living room and handed Nadine a glass. Nadine looked at the tea and sipped it softly. It was amazingly refreshing and before she could contain herself she was sipping it rapidly. The tea was half gone and Mike was chuckling softly at that. "Good stuff huh?" he asked and she looked at him sheepishly. "Yes!" she replied eagerly and sipped at it some more. Mike smiled and sipped his tea. He regarded the younger lady and smiled. She was a cutie, but he shook it off. The bigger things he had to do was to go over the house and set everything in it's proper place for unloading. He waited for her to finish her tea, which didn't take long, and walked with her to the end of the house where they began to stage the boxes. It took a few minutes, but when done they found themselves sipping tea and enjoying a pleasant small talk. "So you're here from where Mike?" she asked. "LA, but I had to move from there for the sake of my business," he said simply. "Business?" she asked. "I'm in productions and investments," he explained. "Productions?" she asked confused. "Yes, I produce things," he said jokingly to her. Nadine giggled at the joke and looked at her feet. She decided to change angles of the conversation, "I'm in banking," she said after a moment. "Very respectable," he complimented by raising his eyebrows and his glass to her. "Respectable?" she asked in a confused manner. "Yup, means you have a good head on your shoulders," he replied with a smile and filled her glass with more of the tea. Nadine looked at his arm and saw the tattoo a bit more fully and it was amazing. It was a full sleeve that went from his shoulder to his wrist. The designs were of what looked like frogmen coming from a sea of fire and a large warship sailing in the flames. The rest was of various navy like things and a few words she couldn't make out. Up his arm closer to his shoulder was what looked like a pair of dog tags, but the names on them were different. As she gazed at it Mike saw her and decided to help her. He raised his arm on the counter and showed her the full extent of it. "Wow," she said in an impressed tone. "It took some time, but I dig the results," he said as he rolled his arm for her to see it all. The entire work looked like it had taken several trips, but in the end result of it that it was impressive. She ventured a look at his face and saw he was looking down at it and his eyes showed some remorse. "Were you in the army?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound silly. Mike heard the question and a bemused grin came to his face. He tilted his head and tapped the warship on his arm. Nadine saw that gesture and she bit her lips. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "No biggie Nadine. I get asked that a lot," he replied, "Besides, I'm used to it." Nadine felt kind of silly for asking him that even though she saw the ship and it showed in her eyes. Mike saw her plight and changed topics for her sake. "So when I get moved in me and my friends and family are gonna have a big cookout," he began and Nadine picked her head up. "I plan to invite the block and have a real block party kinda deal. You can come if you feel so inclined," he said. "Can I bring my husband too?" she asked. "Of course," Mike said sincerely. "Hell, bring a friend or two if you'd like," he offered. "OK," Nadine replied smiling. Mike upended his tea swallowing the last of it down. He shook the jug to Nadine, but she had her fill. Getting up Mike walked back to the fridge and Nadine again saw his limp. It made her finally ask him the big question. "Mike, I don't mean to be rude, but are you OK?" she asked in genuine concern. "I'm fine, why do you ask?" Mike asked back seeing her concern. "Because you're limping. You didn't hurt yourself did you?" she asked. Mike's head dropped so he was looking at the floor with an exhaling chuckle. He knew of his limp and the reasoning for it. He saw a serious woman so he decided to let her in on his ugly past. "I was hurt a long time ago," he explained. Nadine looked at him curiously and Mike felt her eyes on him. "I wasn't just in the navy, I was in the SEALs," he explained. "The SEALs?" she asked in shock. "Yup," he said proudly, "SEAL Team Two," Mike said back. He bent over at the waist and lifted his cargo pants so she could see his knee. The sight that greeted her was one that made her eyes bulge. A large, jagged scar covered the front of it giving it a weird angle. The rest of his leg looked fine, but the knee was just terrifying. "I can't go into the specifics, but I took a round to the back of my leg and it tore my knee to hell," he said and she put her hands to her mouth. "Oh my god Mike, I'm so sorry," she said and meant it. "It's all good. I can still walk, so I guess it could be worse," he said back with a grin. By the Horns Nadine felt Melina had wandered off as she wasn't laughing with her. She looked around one more time and suddenly she saw the dog that was at Mike's leg was joined by a third. The dog that joined him was another German Shepard, but it was very different than the others as it was an albino. The white hair contrasted so much from the two tan and black ones. Mike seemed to know where it was and as he spoke he absently took a cut of meat from his plate and tossed it to the pretty dog. It caught it in mid air and chomped it down quickly. Once it was done with it's snack it licked it's chops and turned to Nadine. Nadine stood still as the dog sized her up while it licked it's lips. It's brown eyes bore into hers and it looked like the dog was analyzing her. After a long minute of the treatment the dog walked right up to Nadine and sat in front of her. It looked up at her expectingly and raised a paw at her. Nadine saw the look and giggled at the dog. It pawed at her a few times and on the third pawing she put her hand on it's head and pet him. As she pet the dog it raised it's head and nuzzled her arm making her laugh. Mike saw the display and excused himself from the table. He walked up as his dog began to lick Nadine's hand and get playful with her. "Thor, kommen!" Mike commanded and the dog rushed to his side. As the dog came up Mike knelt down and roughed it's face and ears up. The dog took the playful roughing and wagged it's tail happily. Nadine watched as Mike began to speak to it in a language she didn't comprehend. "Ja, das ist ein guter Junge!" he said and the dog licked his face a few times. "Geh spielen!" he said patting the dog on the side of it's chest and the dog trotted off to play with a few of the guests who knew him. Mike chuckled as Nadine had a bright smile on her face. "What kid of dog is he?" she asked. "He's a White Shepard. I got him from a breeder about seven years ago," Mike said as he watched the dog run up to the youngest of Mike's kids and begin to play with him. "He's pretty," she said. "Yup, he's a good one Thor," he said. "His name is Thor?" she asked. "Yeah, he was the biggest one of the litter, and the most rambunctious," he said thinking back to when he got him. "So what were you saying to him?" she asked. "Oh, all my dogs are trained in German as they are pure breed from Germany. I learned to speak it in high school," Mike explained. "Wow, you speak German?" she asked impressed. "That and a few other languages," Mike grinned. As he turned to face her Nadine saw his chest and abdomen had tattoos as well. Over the left side of his chest was a eagle holding a flintlock pistol and a trident. On the other side was a group of names and dates. On his abs was a large gaping wound that had a great white shark tearing it's way through his skin. "So glad you made it though," he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," Nadine said happily. "So is your husband here?" he asked. "Yeah he's..." Nadine said as she looked through the crowd and saw her husband talking to Terrance. "There he is," she said and walked to her husband's side. As they got to the group Terrance saw Nadine and smiled at her. "Hey cutie," Terrance said remembering her from the other day. "Umm hi," Nadine blushed as he said that. Terrance saw Mike and he pointed to Trevor, "Mike you know this is Trevor Mills from UCLA," he said. "Yup, number 34," Mike said as he looked Trevor up and down. "I remember the game you picked off three passes and returned them for good gains," Mike said grinning, "Won a bundle on that one! Thank you very much." Trevor was taken back by what he said. He looked at the big man and his eyes narrowed. "You won a bundle?" he asked. "Yeah the over was thirty six, I took the under and when you guys shut them down seventeen to three I made out like a bandit," Mike said and patted his back. "How much you win?" Trevor asked with a grin. "Six hundred as it was a four game spread," Mike said tapping his chin to remember the sum. "Well I think as it was my hard work I should get a cut thereof," Trevor said laughing. Mike laughed at that as did Terrance. Mike chuckled and spoke as he laughed. "Can't, it went to the IRS," he said laughing. "What?" Trevor exclaimed. "I owed that year. It and a few other wins I had went to those greedy bastards," Mike laughed. "Damn, playa can't even get paid no more," Trevor said theatrically. "Tell me about it. Make the money, they take the money, and who really wins?" Mike said and they all nodded their heads in agreement. "So I have to get back to my investors, feel free to enjoy the party," Mike said in an upbeat manner. "Fo sho," Trevor said and kissed Nadine on the cheek. Nadine tilted her head to the kiss and as soon as Mike left he went back to talking to Terrance. Nadine stood by him for a few minutes, but he and Terrance were locked in a debate on football and basketball. She sighed and went back to the poolside. For a while she looked at the pool and wished she would have brought a swim suit. As she looked at the water she heard music start to play and as she looked over she saw a DJ had his table up and going. The song he played was a catchy song that had a middle eastern and Spanish flare to it. She felt the music hit her in the hips and she swayed to the song. She wasn't alone as a dance floor suddenly began to form and before she knew it Melina had walked up to her and made her case known. "Come on mami! Show me how Dominican girls get down," Melina joked. Nadine never danced with a girl before, but with Melina three songs later she was laughing and having a blast. Melina danced with pure passion and a grace Nadine had never seen before. The pop songs played and the people drank as the time went by. The time Nadine had was one of the best she had ever had before. As she took a break from dancing she got a call from her girlfriend Stephanie. "Hey girl!" Stephanie said. "Hey chick," Nadine replied having to shout as the music was a louder rock song. "What's goin on baby girl?" Stephanie asked. "I'm at a block party the new neighbor is throwing, wanna come?" she asked. "Can I bring Devon?" she asked. "Sure," Nadine replied. "Just get here, this place is bumping!" "Will do baby girl. Any dress codes?" she asked. "Um.. pool party," Nadine said laughing. "OK baby girl, see ya soon," Stephanie said and hung up. Nadine laughed as another rock song kicked on as she looked to the dance floor and saw Mike dancing with the investor lady she had seen. The two of them danced in a close friendly manner. The woman laughed as Mike tried his best to keep up with her, and succeeded. Nadine saw Trevor and she was still in a dancing mood still. She walked to him and patted his arm. Trevor looked back to Nadine and she grabbed his arm and drug him to the floor. "Come on Nadine, I was talking to that guy about something," he complained. "Trevor come on," she pleaded. Trevor looked into her eyes and she mouthed "please" to him again. Trevor nodded his head in an annoyed manner and went to dance with her. Nadine tried to get close to him, but Trevor wasn't really feeling it. The dance was less than warm. What she didn't see as she walked from the floor was Mike had watched them. He and the woman danced far enough that it wasn't obvious, but he had seen how Trevor was being cold to her. Mike ended the dance after another song with the investor and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. The woman smiled and hugged him, then went back to the table. Trevor had ended the dance after a song and left Nadine on the dance floor. When he walked away his phone rang. He answered it and after a brief conversation he walked back to Nadine. "I gotta go. They need me tonight," he said firmly. "But it's Saturday?" Nadine asked in a confused manner. "The Saturday guy called out. It's overtime, I have to go," he said and kissed her cheek. Nadine was about to stop him when he turned and left. He didn't even say goodbye. She walked up to him and spun him around. Trevor turned in a confused manner. "Are you at least going to be home tonight so I can sleep in the same bed with you?" she asked loudly. "Well see," he said and shoved away from her and left without a look back. Nadine's face scrunched up and she looked like she was about to cry when a hand touched her arm. She got it under control as she turned to see Melina standing there with a concerned look on her face. "Our good time too much for him?" she asked in a tone that Nadine never heard before. It sounded harsh, almost scathing. Nadine felt the power of her voice and it sounded very matronly. She decided to change gears before Melina got angry. "He had to work, by the way I have a girlfriend coming, is that OK?" she asked. Almost as if a switch had flipped in her head Melina smiled at Nadine. "Of course mami," she said smiling pleasantly, "But now we need you to get in the pool," Melina joked. Nadine's eyes got big and she shook her head no. "I don't have a swim suit," she pleaded. "Please, I have plenty. Now come on," Melina said leaving no room for refusal. Nadine tried to protest at first, but deep down she said why not. If Trevor wanted to run off to work and leave her with nothing to do, then she would simply make something to do. Nadine followed Melina upstairs to the master bedroom. Once inside her eyes got wide at the size of the bed. It was a massive California king size bed that took up the center of the room. On the sides were dressers and a nightstand by each end of the bed. The closet was a large walk in type that Melina took Nadine to. Inside they began the search for the holy grail. The few Nadine saw were way too short for her, but after about ten minutes she found one that would suit her. It was yellow with black dots in the center of the top that hid her breasts and the bottom had a smiley face on it. She looked in the mirror and laughed at the smiling face that met her. "It's cute mami," Melina said laughing with Nadine. "It is," she said and blushed. While it covered her goodies, she realized she needed a waxing to really wear it. Melina handed her a sarong and Nadine wrapped herself up. Once proper they went back downstairs and back to the party. Nadine was handed another Mai Thai and the party began to jump some more. Nadine and Melina had a good time on the dance floor as well as the pool. Nadine and her splashed around with the kids and the good time was not lost on all around her. Mike and his caterer had come out with the main course of the cook out and the crowd was treated to a very nice grilled chicken with healthy sides dish. The crowd got plates and drinks from the table as fast as it was laid down, then meandered to tables and chairs to enjoy the host's generosity. Nadine and Melina waited for the herd to go by and after the rush was over they went to the table. The good smell got to Nadine's nose and her tummy grumbled for food. Melina heard the grumble and laughed with Nadine as they piled food on their plates. Once they were satisfied they went to the table Mike was sitting at. Melina had a second plate and set it down in front of Mike. "Thanks sweetie," he said and kissed her lips. "No problem papi. Your investors happy?" she asked and sat down next to him. "Yup. In fact next quarter we are upping the commissions for a three percent hike. Should bring in a few extra contracts to make the production team grow," Mike said and Melina's eyes brightened. Nadine was at a loss and sat away from them, but Melina would have none of that. "No, no,no, mami. You sit over here with us," she exclaimed and walked to Nadine and began shoving her across the bench. Nadine laughed as she was scooted along the bench to the better spot in the shade. Nadine's food was put in front of her and before she realized it she was sitting across from Mike and Melina. The two seemed so at ease around each other and it really put her mind in a bad spot. She looked down and absently picked at her food for a few minutes when she heard Mike's voice suddenly. "Earth to Nadine! Earth to Nadine.....come in Nadine," Mike said covering his mouth to make it sound like a radio broadcast. Nadine blinked her eyes a few times and she saw Melina was staring at her blinking rapidly like she was being ignored. "Gonna answer us or what mami?" she asked playfully. "Oh...I'm sorry, just thinking," Nadine said softly. "We can tell, there was smoke and it didn't look like it was from the grill," Melina said laughing. "Hey!" Nadine squeaked and Mike chuckled. "Now, now Meli, be nice," Mike chastised. Melina put her head on Mike and batted her eyelashes at him. "I'm sorry papi," she said in a mock good girl voice and stuck her bottom lip out at him. Mike snorted a laugh and tickled her side making her jump. Melina slapped him on the arm and got to her feet. "Baboso!" she exclaimed and Mike grinned at her. "See if she gets to picking on you too badly, then just put two fingers here and..." Mike said as he extended two fingers to her ribs making Melina squeak and run from him. Nadine laughed hard at the display. She was still laughing when Melina walked up to Mike and dumped a cup of ice water on him. That made her almost fall from the chair. Mike took the ice that was in his lap and got up to chase her. Melina screamed and shouted at Mike to stay away, but he snatched her up then stuffed the ice cubes down the back of her swim suit making her scream. As if the cold wasn't bad enough she was launched into the pool. Melina came up and her normally curly hair was stuck to her face making her look like a drowned cat. "Oh your dead!" she hissed and got out of the pool. Mike laughed as she came up to him and began to hit him repeatedly on the shoulder and mid section. He curled his arms to block them, but she was fast and got a few good shots in past his defenses. The people who knew the couple got into a groove of cheering on Mike or Melina, whomever they were friends with really. The crowd was hooting and laughing at the display as were the kids. After a few minutes of Melina cursing at him in Spanish and the dogs jumping around them thinking they were playing with them the fun ended. The rest of the party goers had a good laugh as did the kids who came to their mom's aid. The fun ended as Mike pulled himself out of the water and hugged his kids to him soaking them in the process. Nadine laughed at the squeals of the two young boys trying to get away from the soaking wet monster that was their dad. Mike and company went back to enjoying their time as they sat back down and this time Nadine and them had a good conversation. Mike listened to Nadine talk about her life and her job. She was angry about her being passed over, but Mike shook his head. She gave him a curious look at the head shake and he explained how to make things better for her. "See in this life you have to out think anyone. It doesn't matter what life does because you can't avoid the inevitable," he started off. Nadine looked at him as he went on and her mind found something of clarity by his next words. "If life was fucking peachy we all would have a million bucks, a huge house, and three cars in the garage with our kids college paid for. But it sucks ass from the time you wake up til they toss you in the grave. It's all a matter of finding a way to kick it in the ass back that makes life manageable," he said and Melina leaned on his arm. Nadine listened as he went on, "Take me for instance. I had my knee shot off. It was a pile of broken bones and shredded cartilage. If I let that get me down I wouldn't be where I am now. My whole life I've made life suffer for how it made me suffer," Mike said with a grin. "Besides, every day I'm still kicking and rolling is a fart in the face of life and how shitty it can be." Nadine heard that and let out an uncomfortable laugh. She had never heard that analogy of things before. Melina rolled her eyes and looked to her to make better sense of it all. "What he's trying to say is that you'll get yours, just make sure you grab it and take total control of it," she said and left a huge hint in the wording. Nadine understood all at once what she was referring to. A moment of thought passed her face when suddenly she saw Stephanie walk out on the patio. Her eyes got big as she saw her walk out and she couldn't believe what she was wearing. Stephanie Washington was what one would call the girl next door. She was a shorter white girl who had freckles and an always chipper expression on her face. While she wasn't a drop dead beauty she still had it where it counted. The girls had met in college at a party and became inseparable ever since. Nadine excused herself from the table and ran up to her friend. When Stephanie looked back and saw what Nadine was wearing her eyes bulged. They were wearing the exact same thing! Both had the exact same yellow bikini with the happy face on the front and a sarong on their hips. "When did you become all daring?" Stephanie asked looking at her friend. Nadine blushed and was thankful for her dark complexion. She shuffled on her feet cutely and looked to her friend seeing her boyfriend Devon walk in. Devon was a interesting figure to many people. His father was a black man who met his white mother and raised a happy family in San Diego. He had come to Burbank to go to school and while there he met Stephanie and they became a quick item. His skin was pale like his mother, but his face and body tone was more like his father. The thing that made him stand out was he had thick hair like his father that was red naturally. At six foot and one hundred sixty pounds he was attractive, but he had a great personality that made him easy going. "Hey Nadine," he said charmingly as he walked up, but then his mouth dropped open seeing sweet Nadine in a naughty bikini. Again it was a blush that crept up on Nadine's face. She turned away before her friends could see it. "Um...here's the host," she blurted out seeing Mike walk up. Mike walked up and extended his hand to the happy couple. "Hey I'm Mike. Welcome to the party," he said politely. Stephanie saw the man walk up to her and her eyes widened at what she saw. Her eyes were still wide as she shook his hand and then greeted Devon. The way he dwarfed Devon was amazing. He was only three inches taller than him, but Mike's massive bulk just made him seem tiny. Devon shook his hand and looked at Mike and all he could say was. "That's a sick tat!" Devon exclaimed as he saw the sleeve tattoo. "Which one?" Mike asked looking at his arms and chest. Nadine chuckled at that remark as did Stephanie. Devon pointed at his left arm and Mike turned his arm so that he could see it all. "Thanks man. It took seven trips to get it all done," he said. "Did it hurt?' Devon asked. "After a while you ignore it," Mike said with a grin, "Sides, this one hurt far more," he concluded as he patted his stomach. Devon and Mike began a conversation on tattoos and left the girls to talk. Nadine took Stephanie to the table and they got her a plate of food and a drink. The two went back to the shaded table and sat down. Stephanie looked around the event and her eyes were filled with the people around. One thing she noted was all of them were very attractive people, and a few she could swear she had seen before somewhere. She put it away as she ate the chicken and rice on her plate. "So Trevor's a no show this time?" she asked. "No, he was here, but he left for work," Nadine said sighing. "I swear all he does is make excuses. Shit what happened to him since college? Did he die and come back a stick in the mud?" Stephanie asked as she got a spoon full of the rice. By the Horns Nadine didn't answer her. She sipped her Mai Thai and said nothing. Stephanie saw it and wasn't about to let it go. "I mean Jesus Nadine, is he still whining about his leg?" she accused. "No. Stef, how can you say that? You know he was ready for the pros. It wasn't his fault..." Nadine said and stopped as Stefanie cut her off. "I know sweetie. I was there! I watched him carted off the field and saw him put in the ambulance," Stephanie replied. She went on after sipping her tea to clear her mouth, "Wow this is good!" she exclaimed as she hadn't expected it to be so good. Nadine popped her head up and laughed, "Yeah it is isn't it." "Wow! It's not too sweet, but very refreshing," Stephanie said then turned back to her friend. "Baby girl I care about you. I see you're miserable at times and it seems like he is just taking advantage of you to make himself feel better," Stephanie said plainly. "He just needs some time to get over it then he'll be better. Besides he has been working hard and doing well at his job, that may help him out," Nadine said optimistically. "I don't know baby, I just worry about you. You're my friend and I don't want to see you hurt," she said softly taking Nadine's hand. Nadine appreciated the gesture and laid her head down on her friends hand. If it wasn't for the people around she may have even had tears come from her eyes, but Mike and Devon approached and she got it together before they sat down. As Mike sat down Stephanie had a look pass through her eyes of recognition, but she couldn't put her finger on it. As Mike sat down next to Nadine he looked at the sun and saw it was going down. He blew out a sigh and stood back up. "Sorry, got to feed the dogs," he said as he walked to the side of the house. Nadine and Stephanie watched him go to the side and get the bowls for the dogs. As he did they noticed that one of the kids ran to him. Together they loaded the bowls with a mix of kibble and wet food. As they did they heard the dogs run by the group of people and start whimpering excitedly by them. The dogs sat and their forepaws began to pad in nervous fashion as their meal was prepared for them. Not once did they bark, only let out some pleading whimpers and groans. Mike turned to them and had a huge grin on his face seeing the dogs sitting before him. He set the bowls down as did the boy. The dogs didn't rush the bowls, instead sat perfectly still until Mike snapped his fingers and the dogs rushed forwards to their bowls to ravage their meal. Mike pat each one on the head eliciting a playful lick by the dogs who promptly went back to it's bowl. Stefanie and Nadine watched the show and were impressed. Mike talked to the young man who looked to be about fourteen or so and the boy nodded his head as Mike talked to him. Mike patted the young man on the neck and the boy ran off to do something in the house. As he walked back "Stereo Love" began playing from the DJ stand. As if on cue the people began to dance on the floor and it got a little more risque. The remaining women were down to just their bikini bottoms for the most part and they got their freak on the floor. Mike was corralled by Melina who had also shed her jean shorts and was dancing with him, if one could call swaying and rubbing her body along his dancing. Nadine watched just how raw and passionate Melina was as she ground and swayed her hips to the upbeat song. Stephanie had her eyes wide as they watched the show and seeing him put his hands on her waist made something in her mind go ninety miles an hour. She had seen him somewhere, but for the life of her she couldn't place it. The song came to an end and the crowd continued on. The good times had by all soon came to a winding close. It was dark and a lot of the people had cleared out. Mike and Melina had made a decent impression on the block for the most part and as the crowds began to die down the task of cleaning up came about. The party goers had left a lot of clutter and Mike and his kids got out trash bags to begin the clean up. Melina had taken the younger kids inside and it was when she did that Nadine had noticed something about the children. While the younger two looked like her and Mike, the older ones didn't look like her at all. The boy looked like Mike, and the girl had some similar features, but they were not Hispanic. She was at a loss when Mike saw her still sitting at the table and a smirk came to his face. "Hey now, you made the mess," he said chuckling and handed her a bag. Nadine pointed at herself and Mike crossed his arms. "Yes, you! Now help out and I'll make you another drink," he offered. Nadine got to her feet and helped out. Between the four of them, the caterers, and DJ the mess was cleaned up and soon the backyard was cleared except for Mike and the family. Nadine had looked across the street to see Trevor's car was still gone. She pondered going home, but she saw that the couple was still awake and Mike promised her another drink so she decided to stay. Nadine saw Mike walk into the house and take the kids upstairs. He was up there for a long time, then he came back down alone. Melina had gone upstairs as well and she looked tired. When Mike came back down to the patio Nadine had just walked Stephanie and Devon to their cars. She had sat down at the bench he had used at the get together. Sitting on the bench Thor walked up to Nadine and sat in front of her. He looked her in the eyes with his own and pawed at her with his fore paw. She smiled and began to pet him making him duck his head and pant happily. "Looks like you made a friend," Mike said as he saw the spectacle before him. Nadine looked up, but continued to pat the big dog. "He's a sweetie," she replied as the dog had a happy look on his face. "He is something. Though he normally doesn't take to people so quickly. I think he's a softy though sometimes," Mike grinned as he said that. "I dunno," Nadine said happily as Thor put his head on her lap and looked up at her. The big dog seemed content as he looked at Nadine while she scratched behind his ear. Mike chuckled as he filled two cups with tea. Walking back to the table he sat down and set a cup before Nadine. She went to get it, but Thor wasn't done getting his affection yet. She lifted her hand from his head and he sat up and put his paws in her lap and moaned dejectedly. She laughed as he put his head on her and whimpered. Mike laughed at the spectacle. Nadine was laughing happily at the cute thing the dog was doing, but Mike knew he was misbehaving. "Thor, Kommen!" he commanded. Thor got from her lap and trotted back to Mike's side. He sat down and Mike patted him on the head a few times. "He gets playful at times and..." Mike started to say as he looked to Nadine. When his eyes met Nadine what they hadn't foreseen was that Thor's big paw would have gotten her top. Her left nipple was showing for all the world to see. Mike shook his head then turned it as he pointed at her. Nadine saw the way he pointed at her and looked down. When she saw she was showing she shrunk under the table almost. Mike kept his head turned while she adjusted her top back to right. "Just met you and you're already showin' off the goods," Mike teased as he looked back. "No!" Nadine squeaked and blushed. Mike chuckled at that but dropped the issue. He sat back and sent Thor off to go play. Thor trotted off and into the yard. He found a comfortable spot and collapsed on the grass. He laid his head between his paws and sighed in content. Mike and Nadine looked at Thor and grinned. "He's a good boy," Nadine said as she picked up her tea. "He is that. Loyal, friendly, smart, hell even Melina loves him," Mike said chuckling. "She doesn't like dogs?" Nadine asked. "No, not at first, but it was living with them that got her used to them. She was the one who picked out the smaller one Fenris," Mike said. "Fenris, Thor, let me guess the last one is named Loki?" Nadine jokingly guessed. "No, his name is Geri," Mike said. "Odin's wolf?" she asked. "The one and the same. I got him from a good breeder in Germany five years ago. Thor is seven, and Fenris is six. We got Fenris because she was excited about how the dogs began to like her and she responded to them. We're thinking of getting another one, but not right now," Mike said as he sipped his tea. "So how long have you and Melina been together?" Nadine asked. "Seven years," Mike said and smiled. "So those other kids are not hers?" Nadine asked. "No, they are from my second wife," he said. "You were married?" she asked. "Yeah, twice," Mike said and looked at his cup. "The first time was when I was very young. We got married and she couldn't handle my life in the navy. I got married to number two when I was twenty two. We had five years of happiness and was discharged shortly after the incident. We had our kids while I was in, then she turned to drugs and got really weird." Nadine heard that and her eyes questioned him. "I tried to help her, but in the end she chose the drugs over her family. To me she's dead, to her kids, well...." Mike said and looked at the window. "They feel like she didn't love them," Mike said somberly. "That's terrible," Nadine said and put her hand on his. Mike felt the gesture and smiled at her. "We don't talk about her anymore. They moved on. Besides, you know kids," Mike said and grinned. "They're tough," she ended the saying for him. Mike raised his glass to the remark to toast it and sipped it. Nadine sipped hers and they sat quietly for a while. She looked up after some time and studied his face. He was handsome in a rugged way she noted. His body showed he was a hard worker in the gym, but there was something under the surface she noted. Something dangerous lurked behind his eyes. It was like she was seeing a hard person that was utterly wild beneath the calm exterior. It was hard for her to explain the feeling she got as she studied his face, but she put it away. "So you're from here?" Mike asked. "No, I was born in Brooklyn. My mom and dad left to come here because they got good jobs. I was raised in Modesto," Nadine explained. "Wow, a New Yorker in So Cal," Mike said chuckling. "Yeah, so where are you from?" she asked. "Not here," Mike said chuckling. "I'm from Montana, born and raised." Nadine looked at him incredulously. Her eyes twinkled as she decided to pick on him a little. "So a bumpkin in So Cal huh?" she laughed. Mike grinned at her and chuckled softly. "Touche," he chuckled back and got up from the table. He went to the fridge and got his jug of tea. He walked back over and poured them another glass. As he sat down Nadine sipped hers and after she sipped it she looked at him puzzled. "Where did you learn to make this tea?" she asked. "My great grandfather's recipe. See the one side of my family is from there, but my great grandfather is from Copenhagen. He emigrated to the US after the First World War and settled in Montana. He met my great grandmother and the rest is history," Mike said. "So he made it for you growing up?" she asked. "Yeah, I had a good time growing up. I got to know hi ma bit growing up, but he died when I was a kid. We lived in a small town outside of Billings. My dad was a Forest Ranger and a Deputy of the town we lived in. My mom worked at the hardware store in town," he said softly reminiscing on his childhood. Nadine saw the look on his face and tilted her head, "So you had a good childhood?" she asked. "Oh yeah," Mike said in an upbeat tone, "I grew up in every boy's dream. Mountains, lakes, rivers, trees, lots of great places to play in. We had everything that boy scouts dream of being in," Mike said chuckling. "You were one?" she guessed and he nodded his head. "Yup. Good times too, but in high school I decided to do something crazy," he said thinking back. "That's when you wanted to join the navy?" she asked. Mike nodded his head. He went on to explain that he joined the navy because he saw the movie Navy SEALs and thought they were cool. He devoted the rest of his time in high school to getting himself ready for it and went on to explain he scared his parents by how single minded he was about it. Nadine listened as he told her that his dad and him had a long talk about it, and though his dad was fine with him doing what he wanted he just hoped he was sure about it. Mike sighed as he told her when he went to the recruiter and signed up. His dad signed the papers with him and that was that. Nadine listened to him tell her about his time in the navy and it was not what he expected. He was assigned to an intelligence unit while he waited for his chance to be accepted into BUDS. "What's BUDS?" she asked. "Basic Underwater Demolitions School," he explained. "Was it hard?" she asked. "They have an attrition rate of about sixty to sixty five percent. My class had a higher rate as we got the hardest instructors. We started with forty nine and only six made it. I was the third in the class behind two others," Mike said. "So what did they teach you to do?" she asked. "Everything. We did a lot of underwater work, and that was the hardest part I thought," Mike said and he chuckled as he sipped down his tea. He poured another and went on. "They teach you how to be a combat diver and it's not easy. You go through weeks of training and it's very harsh and demanding. One of the hardest things was drown proofing," he said, "What's that?" she asked. "You go into the water in your shorts and are bound hand and foot in Velcro restraints. You can't break the restraints at any time or you fail automatically. You have to bob in the water for five minutes, then go to the bottom and retrieve a mask on the bottom of the pool with your teeth. After that you have to swim one hundred meters still bound then you pass," Mike said and her eyes got big. "Let's just say all my kids can swim, I made sure of that," he said chuckling. "I bet, that sounds insane," she said looking at him in a new light. "It gets worse before it gets better. After I was all done with my training I was assigned to a unit and well, I can't tell you much else," Mike said. "Why?" she asked. "It's classified and I signed waivers when I got in and out forbidding me of talking about my time in," he explained. "Oh, well that's amazing Mike," Nadine said and sipped her tea. Mike leaned back ad blew out a breath. He looked up to the window and saw that the lights went out in his room. He knew Melina would likely be asleep, so he decided to call it a night. "Well Nadine, I gotta get to bed. We got some stuff to get done tomorrow," he said as he gulped his tea and got up. "OK, well thanks Mike! I had a great time," she said happily. "No problem sweetie. Tell you what, if you feel up to it or are just bored go ahead and swing by if we are here," Mike offered. "OK, thanks," Nadine said and smiled at him. They got up from the table and Mike walked her to the door. As they went out front Mike walked with her to the front of her lawn to make sure she got home safely. Nadine was thankful for the gesture and as she walked to her house she saw he was still there until she entered the front door. Once she shut her door and peeked out the eye hole she saw him walking back to his house. Nadine giggled a bit at the simple gesture, but inside it made her feel odd. She shook it off and went to her bedroom to get ready for bed. Tonight she was going to sleep in her own bed and if Trevor wanted to be out late then so be it. As she got into her pj's Nadine looked across the way to his house one more time. She saw the light in his bedroom was on, but it went out after a minute and she suspected he had gone to bed with Melina. Nadine curled into her bed and pulled the blankets over her. Her new neighbors seemed like really nice people, and for some reason she actually wanted to hang out with them more. As she curled into slumber she made a mental note to wash the bikini and take it back to Melina the next day. Her eyes close and the dreams she had were filled with good times and friendly faces.