Long Night; Part 9

Hey!

Shaping up to be a long ass night here-- my brother in law is super grumpy!

Anywho.

Also, i'm sick :( boo, and I have to go to professional development tomorrow :(

And right now all i wanna do is curl up with sookie and go to bed (and have awesome taboo sex), but what i need to do is the dishes--grumpalump! The tension in here because of my brother in law and his GF is so thick I feel like I can't even breather! I almost feel like I need to get out of here, but wait, this is my fucking home!! yikesaroni!

Work today was super fun. I like my aftercare job. i just wish I didn't have a headcold-- it makes me a bitchasaurus rex.

K, enjoy the next segment!

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“I thought I heard the bell!  Hello handsome, how are you?”  Velvet was always very glad to see her youngest brother-in-law.  She hurried into the foyer, removing an apron as she hastened to deliver a kiss of welcome to both his cleanly shaven cheeks.  He smelled great.  “Is that the new cologne from the boutique?”

He grinned.  “You’re a goddess, you know that?  Jonah you married a goddess.”

“Don’t I know it.”  Jonah responded adoringly while he helped her with the stubborn apron string knot.

Velvet giggled.  Everything was just about ready, and to her mind Caleb had arrived not a moment too soon because all the free time to mingle was causing unprecedented amounts of tension around the house.  Her mother was being especially prickly, which she had somewhat anticipated.  But Jonah wasn’t quite himself, Grey seemed unenthusiastic, Viola was moody, Avalon was uptight, Vienna was upstairs in a tailspin with a broken heart, and even Nolan seemed less genial than usual.  What was going on with her family this evening?!

“You’re too sweet.”  She gushed at Caleb, who she really thought of as her own younger brother and not just an in-law.  He’d been young when she’d gotten together with Jonah, so she’d been a part of his growing up.  She’d been there for so many of his formative years, and she’d dedicated herself to being present and involved in his world.  He was one of her favorite friends.  Hell, he and Gideon could gossip till the wee hours of a cocktail party and never run out of juicy bits to treat her with.  “Where’s Gideon?  You took separate cars?”  She asked, with a small frown.  Dinner was ready and Ben had yet to arrive with Grace.  Now it looked like Gideon would be late as well.

“He won’t be joining us this evening, Love.”  Jonah answered when Caleb looked stumped.

Velvet blinked.  “Oh?”  She was having trouble figuring this one out.  “Is everything all right?”  She couldn’t imagine anything mundane keeping Gideon away from one of her dinner parties.  He loved socializing and he loved the family.  And Velvet was certain there was no way he would willingly pass up the opportunity to finally meet Grey’s new bride.

“We’re not together anymore.”  Caleb leveled, sounding tired and resigned.

Velvet felt her eyebrows rise to the top of her forehead and her eyes get wide.  “Oh, no, really?  Oh no.  Oh Caleb.  What happened?  Are you ok?”  She had a million more little nothings to mutter but Jonah’s hand on her shoulder reminded her to get a hold of her tongue.

“Maybe you two can have lunch tomorrow?  I’m sure Cale doesn’t want to drag all that out tonight—this is a happy occasion.”  Jonah said gently.

“But—“  Velvet felt torn.  She wanted to know everything, be there for her brother, listen to his woes and help however she could.  But she also had a house full of guests waiting for their dinner and to meet the newest member of the family. 

“No, Jones is right Vell, Let’s do lunch and I’ll give you all the sordid details when I can get good and liquored up.”

Velvet tried to smile but failed.  She crossed to him and wrapped him in a firm hug.  He was much taller than her, almost as tall as his brothers, but part of her would always see only the young boy she used to hug when he’d come to her with all his confusion and angst and trouble with his father. 

“We love you.”  She said, speaking for the whole family.

He hugged her back.  “I know.  I love you guys.”  He said quietly.  “Thank you.”  He added meaningfully.

She pulled back from the hug and looked into his deep blue eyes.  “Did he cheat on you?”  She asked in a hushed tone.

He didn’t need to say anything.  Velvet saw it flash across his expression as clearly as if he’d painted a sign.  Poor baby.  Delaney Curse.  She hugged him again, her heart bursting with empathy.

He cleared his throat and sniffed twice before patting her back with some finality.  “Forget that jerk.”  He said with a forced laugh.  “I’m dying to meet this wonderful new daughter you’ve acquired.  You’ve been talking my ear off for two weeks—don’t hold out on me, direct me to the bride!” 

She giggled weakly.  “You’ll just love her.”

“So you’ve said, about a hundred times.”  He teased.

“Sweetheart, is there anything you still need me to do?”  Jonah asked, folding her apron neatly.

Velvet flashed him a smile.  He was perfect.  She reminded herself how lucky she was to have him.  She knew he could never find out about her semi-annual indiscretions.  She loved him more than life.   She would crumble into a million pieces if he left her.

“Hey—you ok?”  He asked quietly.  Her smile had faded while she was lost in thought. 

“Just thinking.”  She lied brightly.  “Could you make sure there’s enough champagne on ice?”

“Sure thing.”  He responded, then leaned down to kiss her brow before wandering off toward the kitchen.

“No, first see if you can talk to Vee—can you?”

“Let me do the champagne first.”  He decided with a sigh.

“Oh, and be an angel and text Grace—tell her to hurry the hell up!”

She heard Jonah chuckle from somewhere within the dining room.

“Next time I see that two-timing prick I’ll cut his cheating cock off.”  She said when Jonah was out of earshot.

Caleb guffawed.  “I love you sis.”  He said when he’d caught his breath.  “Now really, fetch the blushing bride already.”

Velvet tisked and shook her head, but decided not to press the issue any further tonight.  “I think they’re in the den.  I’m not sure.  Grey’s doing his best to keep her away from my mother.”

“You raised a smart boy.”  Caleb said wryly as they started toward the living room together.  “So any more word on why they up and eloped like that?”  He asked in an intrigued whisper.  “I mean it’s all so very scandalous.”

Velvet tittered.  “My mother is downright furious about it.”  She conceded.  “’It’s the talk of the town and none of it too favorable!’”  She parroted her mother, eliciting a snort of laughter from Caleb.

“Oh my God I’ve heard it all—“  Caleb agreed with a playful smile.  “The most popular story at the radio station involves a Spanish art heist and her father being the heir to the abdicated thrown of Mexico, like before they overthrew the monarchy and established democracy or whatever—so she’s got all this wealth and prestige tied up in an ancient Mayan temple somewhere, but she can’t get to it because of the Mexican army and, oh shit, I forget the bit about the Pope and the Catholic church getting involved, but long story short, Grey rescued the penniless but regal damsel while he was spending winter break in Cabo.”

Velvet’s mouth fell open in astonishment.  “What would Grey be doing involved in a Spanish art heist?  He doesn’t know the first thing about art.”  She wondered.

Caleb laughed uproariously.  “That’s the only part that seems far-fetched?!”

The doorbell rang just as they were getting to the den.  It sounded like Zahra was in there with Genny and at least one or two of Nolan’s kids. 

“I’ve gotta get that Sweetie, Just go ahead, Grey’ll make the introductions—If you can find him!”  She gave his arm a little squeeze and spun on her heel back toward the foyer.

She could hear Caleb’s falsely buoyant entrance to the den as she hurried to answer the door.  Poor Caleb.  She’d have to put her thinking cap on and come up with a better match for the guy.  He deserved to be happy.

She swung the door open with a wide smile, happy to see her best girlfriend on the front step.  But Grace Sinclair was engrossed in the little blue screen of her cell.  She held up a finger to halt her friend’s greeting before Velvet could manage a ‘hello!’

“Did you tell me to hurry the hell up and get my sweet ass over here unless I want a spanking later?”  She asked, arching a perfect golden eyebrow and cocking her head to the side quizzically.

Velvet clucked her tongue.  Jonah.  “I delegated the texting to an associate.”  She confessed.

Grace laughed.  “Damn.  Here I thought my sex dreams were finally coming true.”

Velvet stepped aside to allow her friend to sweep into the foyer, then wrapped her in a hug.  “I’ll spank that perfect ass anytime you want, you just say when, where, and how hard.”

That was the moment Ben arrived at the door, jogging up the walk with a covered tray of some kind.  Velvet giggled at the expression on his face.

“Hi Ben.”  She said sweetly, releasing the blushing young man’s mother and reaching for the covered tray.

Ben’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he cleared his throat and managed a weak greeting as he handed off the tray. 

Grace laughed at her son’s blushing embarrassment.  “I made a cheesecake.”  She explained about the tray. 

Velvet gushed her thanks for the dessert before turning to kiss Ben’s reddened cheeks in greeting.  “Be a doll and hang up your mother’s coat too, will you Ben?  Avalon’s in the kitchen, I think.  I’ll send her your way.”

He nodded agreeably and took his mother’s coat. 

“Grace, there’s so much to tell you I don’t even know where to begin.”  She whispered as they started toward the kitchen.  She needed to figure out a way to fit the cheesecake in the refrigerator.

“Velvet, honey, focus, and prioritize.”  Grace was less tolerant of Velvet’s stream-of-consciousness babbling than Jonah was. 

“Ok.”  Said Velvet, trying hard to prioritize.  “Gideon cheated on Caleb so they’ve split, Avalon is thinking about changing the venue again, Vienna’s in her room crying her eyes out over some folk-rock college band singer and she won’t come out no matter what I say, my mother’s insulted every single one of my guests already, I burned the shortbread--so good thing you brought a cheesecake, and Grey threatened to leave if we didn’t make his grandmother leave.”  Phew.  Velvet managed to finish all that just as they reached the door to the kitchen.

“Impressive.”  Grace said with a smile.  “Breathe.”

Velvet did as she was commanded.

“I think you may have some screwy priorities, but I think I got the gist.”  She teased.  “I can’t believe it about Gideon!”  She whispered.

“I know.”  Velvet replied, commiserating.

“So did she leave?”

“What?”

“Your mother—did she leave, or did Grey?”

“Oh!”  Velvet rolled her eyes.  “Jonah fixed it—for now, but Grey’s in one of his moods, so be an angel and help me keep the peace?”

Grace smirked and she put her hand on the kitchen door, ready to swing it open.  “Isn’t that why I was invited?”

Velvet bit her lip and smiled. “I have a feeling this is going to be a long evening.”  She confessed.