Kace and Jax insisted they get a chance to spoil Laynie and I before our families heard of our engagement. They also insisted we split up for the night. Laynie and Jax stayed at their place while Kace and I retreated to mine. I was still high on the joyous emotions from Laynie agreeing to marry me. After what I put her though, I didn't expect her to give me another chance. When she walked out that country club, I thought for sure that would be the end of us.
"I wonder what our other halves are up to," I said.
"Honestly, they're probably discussing your bedroom skills." Kace laughed.
"I hope not." Chuckling, I took a swig from a bottle of whiskey.
"Eh... They do as they please. So are we just going to sit here and chill? Or did you want to go to a strip club?" Kace asked, looking a tad uncomfortable.
"No strip clubs. I'll save my money... I have enough women throwing themselves at me for my cash." I took another drink, then, passed the bottle to my friend. After the liquor went back and forth for a while, watching Dumb and Dumber, Kace started getting pretty chatty.
"My big sister hated this movie." Though he was grinning, it didn't have the happiness to match. It was hard to miss the part where he said 'hated'.
"Oh, yeah? Why is that?"
"Maddy insisted it lacked a good message. She said all movies and books were nothing without a hidden inspiration." Kace looked down at the half-emptied bottle before taking half of what was left.
"She sounds like Laynie." I chuckled.
"You have no idea. It helps to be around Laynie. They share a similar spirit."
"What happened to her?" I asked, wishing I hadn't when he clamped his lips together. I nervously lifted from the couch and walked to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and pulled out another bottle of whiskey and two beers. It seemed we were going to need them. It had become an awkward situation, but it was nice to hear about someone else's struggles. Jax and Kace knew every dirty detail of mine and Laynie's yet we knew nothing about them. When I walked back into the living room, I saw Kace standing on the balcony through the window. Joining him I held out the beers in one hand and the whiskey in the other. His mouth slightly lifted on one side as he took the whiskey.
"Sorry man. I need it more." He chuckled.
"No worries. If needed, I'll send Todd for more." We scanned over the city in silence while he took a few chugs.
" I grew up in Queens. My dad left when we were young. Mom stayed busy, working to take care of me and Maddy. You know the typical story."
I didn't know. I hardly knew a world outside of Turtle Bay. My parents own an entire high rise. I might as well have grown up in a diamond-coated padded room. When we hit teenage years we got an entire floor to ourselves. I couldn't fathom the world Laynie and Kace grew up in.
Hearing about the lower and middle class was almost as interesting as a good bedtime story. Not sure how to respond without making myself sound like an entitled ass, I chug my entire beer. When I finished he handed me the whiskey and kept talking.
"Maddy took care of me. Don't get me wrong, my mother was and still is a damn good mom. But I hardly saw her. Maddy cooked and cleaned. Even took me once a week to an arcade down the road. It was our thing."
"How old was she when she died?"
"You just drink... Let me tell my story!" He ordered, pushing me inside and pointing to the couch.
YOU ARE READING
In the Life of Laynie
Romance*Mature* Laynie is your everyday assistant, waiting for her dreary days to pass her by. She had no interest in any kind of social life until one man takes it upon himself to change her outlook. Regardless of Laynie's best efforts to keep him at arm'...
