Cream & Coco Ch. 14

All characters are at least 18 years old.

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Sex with your son was not conducive to a good night's rest. Don't get me wrong, the sleep itself was very restful, I just wasn't getting much of it. I woke up with Drew's arm draped over my midriff, the boy himself sleeping soundly beside me. The toys were nowhere in sight, and I assumed he'd cleaned them after I passed out. I was dying to lie in bed with him, but unfortunately I still had work. Tonight was the night of the Christmas party, and Leon had emailed us the venue, a small banquet hall booked by the company. Carefully extricating myself from Drew, I groaned as I sat forward, but quickly cheered up when I remembered today was only a half day. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, after all.

I got ready with the lights off, then kissed Drew on the forehead before having some buttered toast and driving to work. My phone rang and I checked the caller. Helen Thomas. Hoo boy, this was going to be a spectacle.

"Helen? How are you?"

"Hi Coco. I just wanted to say thank you for the advice you gave me the other day." She seemed much more steady today, less flustered and panicked.

"Can I assume everything went well?" I asked.

"I think 'well' is open to interpretation," she chuckled half-heartedly. "But my kids have come home, so I can't complain. It seems they're going ahead with their relationship."

"And how does that make you feel?" I sounded so much like a therapist that I almost laughed. That would've been poor timing.

"I still have my reservations of course, but I kinda-sorta gave them my blessing, if you can call it that. They're, um... going to the local community college next year."

"Oh. Interesting." The news took me a bit by surprise. Had they coordinated with Drew? "I always thought they were smart enough to go to better schools. Though I suppose it's much more affordable, which should be a relief. It's only been a few months since you got your current job, right?"

"I'd say I'm back on my feet now, but there's no way they can even go to state schools without financial aid, with the way my current savings are looking. The alimony that scumbag father of theirs sends is a pittance. Bastard must be paying it all to his lawyers," she groused, before sighing. "I'm sorry for getting into this. The point is, I suspect that the main reason the twins decided this was so they could stay together. If they'd gone to different schools, that would've helped this whole situation."

"Like I said, very smart kids," I chuckled, and she grumbled in response. "But that also means they stay with you. You should count your blessings, most kids these days would rather have nothing to do with their parents, trying to get out of dodge ASAP. Yet yours are staying."

"I suppose. That is quite a nice feeling."

"Y'know, I don't get gut feelings often. But I feel like things will turn out alright, Helen." I smiled genially, though she couldn't see it.

"I just can't help but worry, you know?"

"I understand completely. It's inherent with being a mom, especially with the current circumstances. But they have great friends to help them out. They'll be fine."

"Right. Right." I heard her take a deep breath. "Okay. Gosh, so much damn drama. What a crazy year it's been. How have you and Drew been doing?"

The question caught me off guard. "Oh, you know. I think we've gotten a bit closer."

"Oh? How so?"

I grit my teeth. Why didn't I just say "fine" like a nice boring person? I really needed somebody to teach me how to lie properly. "Well, talk of college apps and all that. Prospective empty nest syndrome, I suppose."

"Mm. Absolutely. You're gonna need a new guy in the house, huh? What about that man Valentine?"

My heart hopped into my throat. "Leon Valentine? Helen, he's my neighbor *and* boss! That would be so awkward!"

"True, true. And I doubt Drew would like somebody so close to home dating his mother, huh?" she reasoned, laughing. If only she knew. I was so glad this conversation wasn't in person, because I had to dab sweat off my forehead. "Anyway, again, just wanted to say thank you. I hope you're right, and things all work out. Say hi to Drew for me."

"Of course. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Coco."

We ended the call, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Another minefield navigated. But the worst was yet to come tonight. I dialed Sasha's number, keenly aware I had to prepare for the party. She picked up on the first ring.

"*Privet*."

"Hi Sasha, it's Coco. Listen, I have something going on tonight, so could we meet a bit earlier today? I'm sorry for the short notice."

"*Konechno*. You have date with Drew?" she inquired gleefully.

"Sort of. We're going to a party with some of my friends."

"*Ura*! You take next step, go public. Sasha is impressed."

I floundered in a rush to correct her. "Going public is putting it strongly. It's not all that. I'll explain over coffee later, it'll make more sense then."

"*Da*. Four o'clock then."

"Sounds good. Thanks. See you then."

--

Jazz was gossipy about the holidays, making it slightly difficult to focus on work. Just before it was time to leave, Leon came out to the bullpen and addressed everybody.

"Well folks, I know it's not quite the end of the year, but I wanted to say something before we all went off to enjoy the holidays," he said, beaming. "The bigwigs upstairs are pretty happy with our performance this year, so I wanted to give a shoutout to all you guys for a job well done. Bonuses look pretty padded this time, by the way," he added with a grin. "Go home and have a merry Christmas, and I'll see you guys on Thursday! Or at the party tonight, for those joining us."

There was the drone of chatter as everybody began leaving, and Jazz attached herself to me as we walked out together. "So I'll be seeing you tonight?" she asked, and I nodded with a smile. "You and Drew heading to your parents' place?"

"Snowstorm's coming in," I sighed, and Jazz grunted dejectedly. "Don't wanna risk it."

"Yeah, that sucks. Ey yo, did you ever get that titty milk situation checked out?" She asked it so nonchalantly, one would think from her tone of voice that she was talking about a flyer in the mail.

"Jesus Christ, Jazz," I hissed. "There are still people nearby."

"Think they'll know what I'm talking about, even if they heard?" she snorted.

I grumbled a bit before answering. "I haven't really found the cause, but I've found a solution."

"Cool, cool." I said a silent prayer of thanks that she didn't ask me to elaborate. "Aight, later, Coco." She waved and headed for her car, and I let out a sigh. Constantly dodging questions, constantly lying to friends. Was all this worth it? *Drew*... Yes. It absolutely was.

I passed the Taboo night club again, reminded that I'd forgotten to ask Sasha about it. Parking in front of the cafe and sitting down across from my Russian friend, she smiled and sipped her mocha.

"*Privet*, Coco," she greeted me.

"Privet," I replied, drinking some of my latte.

"You are comfortable with yesterday?" she asked, somewhat cautiously. As she was right to; what we'd done was frankly outrageous. I still couldn't get over the simple fact that a sex shop had a changing room. What had transpired inside didn't bear mentioning.

"Saying I was comfortable with it would be inaccurate," I said slowly. Already, any apprehension she felt melted away, as she smugly awaited my irresolute answer. I swear this girl could read minds. "But I'm sure you could tell that I... gleaned some enjoyment from it." She gave herself one of her tiny applauses before I asserted, "It's not happening again, though."

"*Net*, of course not. Door is already open, no point to reopen," she said with a maddening grin. I sighed in vexation before moving on.

"Hey, something I wanted to ask you," I began, and she perked up. "You spend a bit of time in this area, right?" She peered around at our surroundings, unsure where I was going with this. "Do you know anything about that club Taboo?"

Realization dawned on her face, and for two seconds it seemed she had a look of joy. "You are interested?"

"I was just wondering about it. It has to be underground, right? And it's not exactly in a prime location. How does it operate? I'd think all the major clubs are in the big city."

She leaned in, prompting me to follow suit as she spoke in a lowered voice. "Sasha hear things about Taboo. Do not let random person inside. Only special customer."

"Have you ever been?"

Sasha shook her head. "I am not even allowed past front door." She looked me up and down before growing the hint of a playful smirk. "You and Drew could get in."

"I thought you said only special customers are allowed in," I pointed out, confused. "I've never even heard of it before. What's so special about me and Drew?"

"Alone, neither of you are special. It is what you are together."

"What does *that* mean?"

She grinned, sitting back with a cocksure smirk. "What are you and Drew?"

I frowned quizzically. "Lovers?" She shook her head. "Neighbors?" At this, she raised an unamused eyebrow. I decided to venture a more daring guess. She knew by now anyway. She was just short of hearing it from the horse's mouth. "Mother and son?"

Then it hit me. *Taboo*. Instead of nodding, Sasha simply maintained her smile as I figured out Taboo's exclusive clientele. Impossible. An entire night club that catered to...

"There can't be that many people out there," I said hesitantly.

"You would be surprised," Sasha chuckled. Just the answer I was afraid of. "And they let other special people in. Different interests." She didn't expound on the subject.

"I... see." I sipped my coffee, head spinning.

"So you are going to party tonight," she prompted, chewing on her pinkie nail.

"It's a company party," I clarified. "And honestly, it won't be that weird to have Drew there. My boss is bringing his daughter too, so y'know."

"Ah. Still very exciting, yes?"

I nodded with a smile just as her phone pinged. She read something on it and in a flash her expression turned grave. After a long moment of deep thought, she began typing furiously, her grey eyes stormy and razor-focused.

"Sasha will be leaving country soon," she announced suddenly, looking sullen.

"Wait, what?" I set my cup down, already missing her. "You have to go home?"

"Is time. I am needed elsewhere." She looked at her phone again, then nodded as if affirming something to herself.

"But..." I felt an inexplicable sorrow for losing my friend so suddenly. I was indebted to her in a way I could never explain to anybody else, and all she'd asked for in return was... "I haven't even told you my story that I promised."

She smiled warmly, placing her hand on mine. "Do not worry. Save it. Tell me when you see me again." She stood, and I actually swallowed to hold back a sob. "Do not worry about anything. Focus on Drew, and everything will be okay. Good luck." She could see my sadness and gave me a melancholy smile. "*Do svidaniya*, Coco."

With that she strode off, climbing into a white sporty Mercedes-Benz and driving away. I was left alone at the cafe, feeling miserable and wondering if I'd ever see her again. I looked at the contents of my cup. The last coffee she bought me. As I finished it, I tried to taste the sugar she always added for me, but all there was was bitterness.

--

"Oh. Oh my."

Drew smiled nervously, patting himself down as I admired his form.

"I'm glad you got my text," I murmured.

"Hey, I remembered it was today," he retorted. "Smart casual, right?"

He was in a button-down shirt and open sports jacket, and it made me regret not asking him to dress up more often. He chuckled at my starstruck expression before ushering me to get changed. I came back out in a cream-colored cocktail dress, my blonde hair in a French twist. Now it was Drew's turn to become speechless, apparently stunned by my appearance. I gave him a little twirl to show myself off, and he held me by the waist. His hands felt good on me, and I decided to take Sasha's parting advice and focus on him. I was determined to end tonight on a high note.

"Are you sure we need to go anywhere?" Drew growled hungrily with a smirk. "I mean, we could just stay in and I'll rip this off you."

"Drew Hammond, don't you dare," I laughed. "There'll be plenty of time for that afterwards. Now c'mon, we need to get going."

I drove us to the venue, and we walked in together, arm in arm. My heart was fluttering as I imagined how we looked together, thinking about paying Taboo a visit. *Good lord, Coco, get it together! You have to interact with people now!* I greeted a few of my colleagues before we helped ourselves to some hors d'oeuvres and glasses of eggnog.

"This has alcohol in it, mom," Drew noted.

"Damn it, there's no virgin?" I sighed.

"It should be fine, right? Adult supervision right here," he pointed out.

I deliberated a moment before relenting. "You're only allowed two, alright? I'm taking it easy too, since I need to drive later."

"Got it. Mm, this is good."

"It better be," Leon laughed from behind us. "I'd be mighty annoyed if I didn't get a decent glass of 'nog this year."

He was dressed in a suit, looking quite handsome in all honesty. "Hi Leon," I said with a smile, before turning to his daughter next to him. She was the very definition of petite, standing at under five feet tall. She was a full foot and a half shorter than Drew, but her red hair paired with the verdant dress she'd chosen left her looking breathtaking, easily the most stunning girl present. "Good to see you, Cherish."

"Hello, Ms. Hammond," she replied sweetly, yet her emerald eyes held thinly-veiled hostility. Had I done something wrong?

"Hey, Squirt," Drew quipped, causing Cherish to turn her ire on him.

"Stilts," she returned sardonically. The height difference was almost comical.

Leon, sensing a bit of tension, intervened. "Drew, it's been a while. You still playing basketball?" Drew nodded. "What position again?"

"Small forward," Drew supplied.

"Ah, a versatile man."

"Yeah, my friends like to say I'm a jack of all trades, meaning I suck at everything," Drew joked.

"Nonsense. What you need to do is lean into that versatility, keep the man on you guessing. Fake that sucker out every so often, give him a run for his position." Leon took Drew by the shoulder and began leading him away. "Sorry, ladies, this is guy talk. See you in a bit." With a wink, he and Drew went off to talk about basketball, leaving me with Cherish, who was staring stiffly at the eggnog.

"Did you want a glass too?" I asked tentatively.

"I do, but I'm a lightweight," she replied shortly. No kidding.

"Did your dad say you could have any?" She nodded. "Well... I don't mean to be an enabler, but... I think you could probably do to loosen up a bit," I said with a hesitant smile.

She looked at me with wide eyes, then sighed before taking a glass and downing half of it before stopping. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I'm being rude and you didn't do anything wrong."

"That's alright," I answered sympathetically. "Something on your mind?"

"Do you like my dad?" she asked suddenly. It was safe to say I was completely unprepared for that.

"I... Well. He's a great boss, and a very decent guy. But I assume you're asking from a romantic standpoint?" She nodded vigorously. "Then no, not in that way." Her body language seemed to relax. "Not keen on getting a stepmother? I know they're not portrayed fondly in movies," I chuckled.

"Heh. It's not really that, it's just..." She glanced at me, then her remaining eggnog, and then finished the rest of it. "I don't really have anybody to talk about boys with," she admitted.

That was one hell of a segue. "What about your friends?"

She shook her head. "I don't think they'd get it. They're always just going on about how hot each guy is. It's kinda annoying. And so many boys my age are boneheads anyway." She looked at me, a bit abashed. "Uh, no offense to Drew."

"Of course not."

"My... My mom died when I was little," she continued. She couldn't be drunk so quickly. She must have been under some strain to be pouring her heart out to me right now, and her thoughts seemed to be a mess. "And even if she were here, I don't know what she'd say."

"Are you asking for my input?" I asked gently.

"I--" She considered for a bit before shaking her head. "Sorry, Ms. Hammond, it's kinda private."

"I understand. But you don't have anybody you can trust? Somebody who won't break confidence? Who's your best friend?"

"Well, Brie, but she's been hanging out with Stef, Drew, and Lexi a lot more, and it's kinda hard to really get her alone." I bit my lip, fully aware of why Cherish could never get ahold of Sabrina. "And whenever I do get a chance, I chicken out."

"Hm. Well if you ask me, whatever's eating you up inside would be better discussed with somebody. It sounds like Brie will be your best bet." She gulped, looking nervous. "Y'know, I recently had a friend help me grow bolder, learn to focus more on what I want than the fear of what might happen. Of course, this doesn't mean you throw caution to the wind."

"Of course."

"But you can't let yourself be paralyzed by fear. Nobody is going to fulfill your dreams for you, Cherish." I gave her a gentle look, hopefully laced with a measure of determination.

"Right. Yeah. Um... Thank you, Ms. Hammond." She hesitated, then appeared to approach me for a hug, but seemed to catch herself and think better of it. I pitied her, being deprived of a mother, and empathized even more with Leon's plight.

"Anyway. I remember you dance, right?"

"And figure skate. Not competitively though, but every now and then dad encourages me to give it a shot. Still trying to clean up my double axel, it gets sloppy sometimes." I smiled as she went on, glad she felt more comfortable around me now. I could understand her fear of me stealing her father away from her. It must have been like how Drew felt... On second thought, maybe they were altogether different. Everything with him felt so natural that I actually had to remind myself we were not the norm.

Drew and Leon returned, grinning like madmen, and after a short exchange Leon and Cherish excused themselves and went to greet other attendees. Drew was about to say something when somebody behind me tapped my shoulder. I turned to see Jazz, looking absolutely fantastic in a white off-shoulder dress, her frizzy hair tamed into a beautiful ponytail.

"Damn, Jazz! Now who's gussied up?" I laughed, and we hugged.

"Hey girl. Looking pretty dope yourself. And who's this fine ass fella you have here? 'Cause he looking like a snack." She wiggled her eyebrows flirtatiously at Drew. I blushed instantly, and Drew stifled a laugh.

"That's my son, Drew," I managed, and Jazz recoiled.

"Oh, fuck. My bad. Damn, you cute though. You must knock 'em dead, huh killer?"

"Jazz!"

Drew chuckled. "Just the one. Suits me just fine." He glanced at me, and I flushed even deeper.

Jazz raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Ah, got it. Hush hush in front of mom, eh? Aight, respect. You guys enjoy yourselves now, I'mma get a drink. Ain't no way I'm spending the night sober."

She headed off to look for alcohol, and finally Drew and I were alone.

"So," he said. "We're at a party together, but not together."

He smirked, and I bit my lip. He'd definitely inherited his father's charm, though he didn't use it to take advantage of people. And Jazz was right, I could eat him right up.

"But definitely together," I finished, and his voice rumbled in approval. He put an arm around me, and I leaned against him and rested my head on his shoulder. The evening passed... blissfully, I would say. At some point Drew tried talking me onto the dance floor. I shook my head adamantly before he pointed at a particularly energetic couple dancing to Christmas songs. Leon and Cherish, looking freer than I'd ever imagine. And suddenly we were next to them, laughing as we did silly dances to holiday jingles. It was a magical night.