Jason's Story Ch. 19

Nigha made her way back over to the playpen to check on the girls, and then took a seat on the couch on the opposite end from Michael.

"You know; if we don't want them to hear what we say, it would probably be better if we sat closer," he said while pretending that his hands were a megaphone.

She laughed and scooted a little closer to him.

"So...pretty weird huh?"

"Absolutely," she agreed and smiled when she saw the cheeky grin on his face.

"How long was Alé grilling you before we came to your rescue?"

She laughed quietly, and knew that she liked Michael immediately. "Honestly; she wasn't grilling me, it was standard Q and A. Well, I guess there isn't a standard for this particular situation..."he laughed at her statement and she couldn't help but smile, "but it was very nice to finally get to meet her, and you."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. As you can imagine; we've heard so much about you over the past few years, and we're absolutely in love with Bria. It's amazing how much you two look alike," he said while looking at her intently.

"Poor girl; she's been hearing that her entire life," she said as she tucked her hair behind her ear; exposing the scar on the side of her face. She didn't think twice about it until she noticed Michael wince ever so slightly.

She looked him in the eyes until he realized that he'd been caught, and he picked up her hand and held it in his own.

"I'm sorry for my reaction, it's just that even when you've been informed; it's still a bit of a shock to see something that looks like it must've been so painful, on a face so painfully beautiful," he said with another kiss of her hand. "You don't even think about it anymore do you?"

"No, I've gotten quite used to it and now it's just a facial feature," she answered with a tight smile. It was partly true, but she could tell that he wasn't buying it.

"Well, I think it makes you look tough and mysterious; not that you needed any help in the looks department," he replied with a smile, before releasing her hand.

She looked at him again and smiled. He'd definitely passed that charm on to both sons, along with those looks.

**********

"Everything looks and smells great Jason," Alessandra said to her son.

"Ma; I have been on my own for a little bit now," he replied with a smile. "You didn't grill Nigha too much, did you?"

"Why Jason, what would you make me ask me such a thing? I didn't grill her, I only asked her a few questions, and we talked. Am I wrong to want to get to know the mother of my grandchildren? The woman that my son is so in love with?"

Jason just shook his head as his mother looked at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, before she brought her glass of wine up to her lips. He pulled the lasagna out of the oven, and placed it on the counter.

"No Ma; there's nothing wrong with you trying to get to know her. I just wish that I could've reached her before she got here. I don't want her to think that I just sprung this on her."

"Nonsense il mio figlio caro; you'll just explain it to her the next time you're alone. She'll understand, especially when she gets your voicemail."

He smiled at her as he brought some plates down to serve dinner when Bria and Kane arrived.

*****

Although Bria had been quite surprised to see her; there weren't any more uncomfortable conversations, and dinner had been quite pleasant. She had the pleasure of sitting between Michael and her sister, and had the hardest time keeping her eyes off of Jason and his mother. The resemblance was uncanny, and the fact that Alessandra didn't look a day over forty was simply amazing.

They finished dinner and dessert without incident, and after having a cup of coffee; Nigha announced that she needed to leave. Alessandra and Michael stood, and when she went to shake Alessandra's hand; she pulled her into a hug.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, and I hope to see you again soon," she said as she hugged Nigha tight.

Nigha returned her hug, and looked at her with a smile. She offered her hand to Michael, and was unphased when he pulled her in for a hug also. He was so tall; she didn't dare try to reach his neck, so she just wrapped her arms around his waist. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead; the same way he'd done when Bria walked in.

"Don't be a stranger, alright?"

"I look forward to seeing you both before you leave, and I've thoroughly enjoyed meeting you," she replied.

She walked over and gave Bria and Kane a hug, and went into the twins bedrooms and kissed their sweet little sleeping faces. She turned around to see Jason standing in the doorway.

"You ready to go Nigha?"

"Yeah, all of this was a bit unexpected..."

"About that; I tried to call you to give you some warning, but your phone went straight to voicemail. I didn't want you to feel like I set this up to ambush you."

"Jason; I never really thought that you did this to set me up, and I meant what I said out there. I'm so glad I got to meet your parents, I like them both."

"They really like you too. Nigha; would it be okay with you if I walked you down to your car?"

She looked at him and felt her stomach flutter ever so slightly. "Sure, that'd be nice."

She said her final goodbyes, and they walked out together. When the elevator doors closed; it was too quiet, and Jason had to get something off of his chest.

"Nigh; I hope my mom didn't grill you too much."

She laughed a little before responding, "You know, your dad said almost exactly the same thing. Your mom did ask me quite a few questions, but she's entitled to try to get to know the mother of her grandchildren. She was very sweet, and she loves you very much."

The elevator dinged to let them know that they'd reached the parking garage, and they both stepped out. Jason followed her to her car, and stood patiently while she put her purse inside.

"Thanks for walking me out Jase."

"No problem," he thought for a moment; building up his nerve to ask his question. "Hey Nigh, can I get a hug?"

She looked at him, and for a moment; surveyed the features that she knew all too well. Those amazing blue eyes, the devilish mustache and goatee, that amazing mane, and the outline of his torso through his dress shirt.

"Sure," she replied as she stepped closer to him, inhaling 'Cool Water.'

He gently pulled her close; felt her tense slightly, and then relax in his arms. He put his chin on top of her head, and just enjoyed being close to her again. He looked down, and saw her eyelashes resting against the tips of her cheeks. After a few short moments passed; he leaned over just enough to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

She was unable to speak when he backed away from her. She felt her heart pounding, and felt barely able to breathe.

"Drive safe sweetheart," he said to her as she stepped closer to her car.

"I will, goodnight Jason," she replied as she brought her legs in the car.

He shut the door, and watched her as she started the car and started to drive away. She watched him in her rearview mirror until she couldn't see him anymore.

"Why does he have to be so difficult?"

*****

The week before the wedding flew by, and Bria and Kane decided that it would be best to have the bachelor and bachelorette parties Wednesday night since there may be travel involved, and the wedding was Saturday. Bria would kill Kane if he or any of his groomsmen passed out, or did some other entirely stupid thing at the ceremony.

Jason planned the bachelor party, and went all out. His parents would be keeping the babies, and he'd rented a huge suite in Vegas. He spared no expense for his big brother and best friend, and had opted for some tame adult entertainment. Jason, Kane, and all 6 groomsmen were making the trip. They were all amped to be going to Vegas for Kane's last hurrah.

Meanwhile; Nigha and the bridesmaids had also planned on surprising Bria with a Vegas party, and Nigha covered the cost of the suite. She'd made sure that Bria wouldn't have anything to hold her back from making the short trip, and she'd booked a stripper that looked quite a bit like Kane for the party. She was quite pleased with herself, and was looking forward to the trip. What she nor Jason realized was that they'd reserved suites at the Bellagio; separated by only one floor.

(up next, Ch. 19.5...What Happens in Vegas)(/I)