Inlayed Romance

The guitarist finished the song and I watched Alicia's eyes open. She blushed once she realized how many people had gathered. She smiled at the musician and said something to him as she laid some cash in his open guitar case. He tipped his hat at her and began strumming his guitar.

I heard Lydia laughing with Alicia as they approached.

"Hunter!" Alicia exclaimed when she saw me. She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad you made it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." I smiled as she took my hand in hers and started walking inside the restaurant. I nodded to Lydia and she beamed at us. It felt really nice that Alicia was comfortable enough to be affectionate towards me. I admired her confidence as much as I admired her ass as she led me into a private dining area that was already crowded. It appeared both Alicia and Lydia had large families.

Alicia never once let go of my hand as she greeted her family and everyone else, and introduced me. Balloons and streamers decorated the room.

"Lydia, you and our moms did the decorations, didn't they?" Alicia asked.

"Yes, we did. It was so much fun." Lydia settled into her chair next to Dan.

I felt a tug from Alicia and followed her to where her parents sat. She introduced me as her boyfriend and I wondered for a split second if I heard wrong.

"No, you didn't," she looked at me as I realized I had voiced my thoughts aloud. "But it helps calm my dad down. He worries I'll be alone forever and always wonders when I bring a strange guy to events," she said as she sat down. I helped push the chair in and took a seat next to her.

"I don't mind if you wanna be my girlfriend." I winked at her and she smiled. "You're a helluva good singer, Alicia."

"Thank you!" She beamed at me. "I almost went to college for music, but decided on the other thing instead."

I laughed. "I do want to hear about all these strange men you bring to places. I'm most intrigued. Then you can tell me about your music hobby."

She grinned. "Family reunions can be such a pain, so I always asked a guy friend if he wanted to come with me for some free food. That's all."

"Free food is always a bonus." I sipped my water.

"As you can see, I have a large family. We are pretty close and use birthdays and anniversaries to bring everyone together. I never thought I'd admit it, but I'm really glad my family and Lyd's are like this. As a kid, it was always embarrassing to have such large get togethers at places because we all tend to be loud and boisterous, but compared to those whose families are like dandelion seeds, I'll take it."

Alicia placed her order for that fruity cocktail she had mentioned at Lydia's and I stuck with my usual beer order, only I had to settle for Yuengling rather than Warsteiner.

The birthday party got under way as people placed their orders and began drinking. I was pleased that Alicia's family was so well rounded. I considered myself lucky to be here tonight. They were all a tight family as mine used to be. I missed the feeling of closeness. Lydia's family was quirky while Alicia's was more traditionally Southern. I can't remember the last time I had such a fun time in a crowded room.

Throughout the evening, Alicia would reach over and squeeze my knee or grab my hand. I enjoyed the affection she showed me. I've never been with a woman who was so warm like that.

She graciously received a few gifts from Lydia and Dan, and some of her family members. I smiled as her mother handed her an obviously homemade tote bag that was full of tissue paper.

"Now, honey," her mother leaned in closer and she glanced at me, "don't open this until you're at home. It's breakable." She smiled and I saw where Alicia got her gorgeous lips and smile from. Her mother kissed her forehead and then said to me, "Hunter, make sure she gets home safely." She patted my shoulder as she pecked my cheek.

"Absolutely, Mrs. Browning."

Before I knew it, the evening wound down. As we enjoyed our creme brulee, I leaned over and whispered in Alicia's ear, "I'd love to eat you for dessert."

I straightened back up and had another spoonful of my custard.

Alicia sputtered and blushed. Then she began laughing very loudly. Lydia looked over at us and started laughing, too. "Happy birthday to you, my dear friend!" Holding up her cocktail, Lydia saluted and finished her drink. She winked at Alicia over the rim.

Everyone began laughing and lifted their glasses. It was a wonderful crowd to be a part of.

I loved that she laughed at my innuendo knowing full well it was true. I was looking forward to having fun with her.

I hung in the background as Alicia said her goodbyes. We all helped bring her presents outside since we agreed I would bring her home since she rode in with Lydia and Dan, and we had to wait for the valet to bring my truck around. Music Row was still busy and I think the amount of street musicians had doubled.

"Alicia," I said as I looked at her.

"Yes?" She was putting lip balm on.

"I really like your family. Both of them, yours and Lydia's."

"They're all crazy, aren't they?" She laughed. "I'm glad you came, Hunter."

I thought to myself that I planned to make her come later on.

"I'm glad Lydia invited me." I snaked an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple.

The valet brought my truck around and Alicia grinned at me soon as she saw the truck. "You're such a southern guy."

"You know it!" I opened the door for her and admired her rolls, large ass, and her nice full breasts straining against her shirt as she climbed into my truck. I handed the valet another tip before getting in and driving off.

"Where to, my lady?" I asked as I adjusted the heat settings.

"Just straight home. Jammie has a cousin I'm looking after and I may end up keeping it."

"A cousin?"

"Yeah. Another cat showed up outside my door and I couldn't help myself. It was either ignore the crying or bring it inside. So, I brought it inside. I've got them separated right now to make sure the new one doesn't have any problems."

"You have a lot of stray cats by your apartment."

"Yeah, we do." Alicia adjusted the seatbelt and fiddled with an earring.

I swallowed as I noticed the seatbelt cut a really nice line between her large breasts and kept my eyes on the road. Alicia had given me her address, so I let the GPS guide me.

"You know apartment living. People come and go. Often they decide to leave their pets, mostly cats, behind because it's easier to up and leave. I feel so bad for them that I can't help myself. Now, Jammie, he was a kitten when he showed up. This cat, I think, is a year or two old. I didn't even look to see if it was male or female. Can I have a sip of your water?" Alicia gestured to my water bottle in the cup holder.

"There is a brand new one in the console. Just hit the tab on the side and it'll pop open."

She got it out and took a healthy swig of it. "Restaurant food is good, but so salty. I need to remember what I had so I can jot it down."

I looked over at her since we were at a red light. "What do you mean?"

"I calorie count. I know I'm a big girl and all, but I've done it since college. It helps me keep track of the foods I eat, so I can adjust my habits. I'll never be skinny, but it helps me think I'm being proactive in my health. Enough to always be mobile."

"I get it."

"So, anyway," Alicia screwed the cap back on as I took off from the green light. "The cat cried outside my patio doors for three days. I decided today to go ahead and let it inside. It shot in and started eating food and drinking water. I felt bad, so I figure I'll give it a couple days and see how it acts. If it is nice to me, I'll introduce it to Jammie and then take it to the vet. It looks healthy, at least."

"That's awfully sweet of you. Not many people care about stray cats." I cracked my window open. I still had carnal thoughts of Alicia on my mind and needed to cool myself down.

"The breeze feels good." Alicia turned towards me and closed her eyes. "I love fall, but the up and down temps are bothersome."

"Want me to put it down more?" My finger moved to the button.

"No, it feels good where it is. But do what you want to be comfortable."

I smiled. "I'm good. Is visitor parking marked here?" I pulled the truck into her lot. There was a normal parking lot and an adjacent parking ramp. She wasn't quite downtown, but there were a lot of condominiums and apartments being built all around this complex and the parking lot looked like a five year old designed it.

"It is marked. You can pull in over there. I'm surprised there is a spot open this time of night." She pointed and I drove down the row then backed in.

I killed the engine and hopped out. I walked around to open the door for Alicia. I held my hand out and her smile as she looked at me stopped my heart. It was so beautiful. She slid out and when both feet were on the ground I kissed her.

She melted into me and I loved the feeling of her breasts pressed against my torso. My raging hard on was pushed into her soft belly and I let my tongue swirl in her mouth. I felt her hands gripping my hair as she ground herself against me. We both moaned and I had to force myself to break away.

"Alicia," I was panting her name, "we need to take this inside."

"Mmmm," was her response as she took my hand and draped it over her shoulders. I smiled as I tugged her close and her hand snaked around my waist. "It's just over here. You got to park closer than I do. I have to park in the ramp. Oh, the presents."

I carried the bulk of her presents for her as we walked down a sidewalk that was flanked by some sort of purple flower whose petals looked papery. I looked around and didn't notice anyone else outside, but I was thankful for how well lit this place was. It was almost like a football stadium and it made me feel better for Alicia's safety. Not that she couldn't handle herself. I'm sure she was the type of woman who carried a pistol in her purse.

Alicia moved her arm as we stood in front of her garden apartment door and reached in her purse for her keys. I spied the grip of a pistol in her purse and silently laughed to myself. Sure enough, she had a concealed firearm. God bless the South, I thought to myself.

She opened the door and I heard her sharp intake of breath. Her apartment was damn near trashed. Her living room lamp was tipped over, a candle was broken on the kitchen floor, and it looks like someone, or something, had shredded her living room pillows.

Chapter 7

Alicia

"Goddammit!" I exclaimed. "What the ever-loving-fuck?!"

I set my purse and my mom's present down on the dining table and stepped further into the room. I took in the damage and looked at my patio doors which were still secured. The deadbolt had still been thrown. I wondered what the hell happened. Then it dawned on me.

Hunter was moving ahead of me and was assessing my apartment. "Hunter, uhm, hang on."

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at me with an eyebrow raised.

"I think it was the new cat. The door to my bathroom is cracked open." I started walking over to it and then heard the most pitiful mewling sound.

Over in the living room, I saw Jammie's little grey body sitting in front of the entertainment center looking at me with his tail moving. I noticed the new cat curled up on the couch amongst the fluff of the pillow stuffing. I rolled my eyes as I made eye contact with the new cat. Its mouth opened slightly and a cackling sound emitted from it.

"I have no idea how the hell that cat got out unless I didn't have the door latched before I left. Dammit!"

The new cat kept cackling the way cats do when they're watching birds. Jammie simply stared at it with his tail twitching and then looked at me as if to say, "What is this shit, Mom?"

I let out an exasperated laugh. "The cats have been introduced."

"I'll say." Hunter ran a hand through his hair after he deposited the presents on the dining table.

I walked to the couch and the new cat blinked up at me, but didn't move. "So," I said to the cat, "welcome to my apartment. Make yourself at home." I picked up a couple pillows and pushed the stuffing back in. I shook my head as I sat next to the cat. It never moved, but Jammie jumped up on the arm of the couch. I watched as Hunter reached out and Jammie pushed his head up into his hand.

"At least Jammie likes you." I smiled at them. "But this one, gah..." I made a sound then moved to pet the new cat. It rolled over and let me rub its tummy. The cat finally stopped making those pitiful sounds and had begun to purr.

I moved its long fur and found it was a female.

"Well, she's a girl. I need to see if she is spayed when we go to the vet."

Hunter kept petting Jammie and I heard Jammie begin to purr. Loudly. "You're still going to keep it after all this?"

"Yeah, well, yes. Yes, I am." I stood up and took the damaged pillows and remaining stuffing with me. The new cat stretched and yawned. The inside of her mouth was multi-colored. I heard the familiar click of her teeth as her jaws came back together.

"I told you, I'm a sucker sometimes." I took a trash bag out and shoved the pillows into it. I noticed Hunter had started to straighten things up for me including the floor lamp that was laying on the ground. I brought out my broom and dust pan, and cleaned up the broken glass.

"Now, I need to buy a new candle. That was one of my favorite scents."

Hunter leaned against the door frame as I finished emptying the dust pan into the trash bag with the pillows and tied it. He took it from me and set it by the front door.

"Thank you," I said to him. "Sorry you had to walk in and see my place trashed. Goddamn cats."

"It's okay. Shit happens. I do like Jammie." Hunter leaned down and picked the cat up who had started to wind around his legs.

"He really likes you. It's rare for him to take to a person so quickly. Normally, he's the shy kitty that will run and hide under the bed. Do you want some water or something to drink?"

I opened the cupboard and pulled out two glasses as Hunter said, "Water sounds great, thanks."

I filled them with ice and fresh water from the fridge dispenser, then handed him a glass. "Let's go sit in the living room. I want to see if the new cat is worth all this trouble."

We walked in and sat on the couch. He was on the far left and I was in the middle with the new cat on the far right cushion. My wide hips filled my cushion and overflowed onto Hunter's making my hip brush up against his leg. I was aware of his movements and warmth. I made little sounds and tapped my fingers on my leg for the new cat to move closer. She did and I heard the faint stirrings of her purr beginning. Hunter had set Jammie down and he was now looking up at the new cat from the floor.

"Can you tell me about what happened with you, Hunter? The felon story. Lydia said not to judge you until I had heard the whole thing and I'm willing to do that." I asked as I continued to play with the new cat. I prayed that whatever Hunter would tell me wouldn't make me see him as a lesser man.

"Yes, I will." I looked over as he leaned to set his water glass on the coffee table. Jammie had jumped up on the couch and was sniffing the new cat. Both appeared to be calm and I hoped it would remain this way.

"I'm three years older than you," Hunter began. "About a year after we met I began dating a woman who had moved to Nashville from Indiana. I moved to Nashville about six months after meeting you for work."

I cut in, "I remember you giving me a weird look when I said I was interning at the Mikkelson Firm."

"Yeah, it was weird you had mentioned it because I had a friend, who was good with trading, talking about cryptocurrencies and had convinced me to invest a little into bitcoin. He started at Mikkelson, so it was just one of those weird coincidences."

I watched as Hunter leaned forward and took a sip of water before setting the glass back down. He leaned back into the couch and rubbed his hands up and down on his legs. Jammie had tired of the new cat and was working his way towards Hunter. I kept petting the new cat who had curled up and gone to sleep.

"I don't know if I believe in coincidences. I think things happen for a reason."

Hunter nodded. "I think you're probably right."

"So you moved from Franklin to Nashville, met a girl, and continued investing. What then?"

"Well, I started working in plumbing and she was an office girl there. You know how one thing leads to another." I nodded and he continued. "We dated for about a year and I thought I loved her enough to marry her, so I proposed one day. She quit her job saying she wanted to stay home and work on her small business. I agreed since I made enough for both of us and I also did woodworking on the side.

"Sometimes I'd work long hours and sometimes short ones. It was really dependent on the number of calls we received. I did residential plumbing," Hunter explained. "I decided I wanted better hours, so I switched to the commercial side of the business to give myself steadier hours. It worked great for a while."

I watched Jammie settle on Hunter's lap and he stroked his hand down Jammie's back. I smiled softly to myself then turned back to the new cat who really needed a name, but was sleeping soundly.

"I lived with Brianna, uh, that's her name." Hunter cleared his throat and winced as though the memories were putting a bad taste in his mouth. I kept quiet and continued to listen. "After I proposed, we moved in together. She did the wedding planning and started her small business doing cake decorating. And cupcakes, too.

"Eventually, the commercial side of plumbing picked up with new construction and I was working from Murfreesboro to Franklin, both Kentucky and Tennessee, and as far over as Clarksville. I began having to stay at hotels to finish up jobs. I couldn't complain too much as I was making a ton of money.

"At this time, I started to invest more into crypto and really saw money rolling in. I had decided to quit plumbing and focus on investing and my woodwork. One day after finishing a job early I decided to surprise Brianna. I stopped and got us steaks, wine, and I got her some roses. Something nice, y'know, to surprise her since I had been gone awhile on this job. It was almost 2 weeks in Hopkinsville which was simply too far for me and too long to be away.

"So," Hunter paused to take another sip. Jammie continued to sit on his lap with his eyes closed. Hunter had his hand resting on Jammie's haunches. "I came home around dinnertime and saw a strange car in the driveway where I usually park. I had to park on the street."

"You look really tense, Hunter. Do you want to take a break and talk about something else for a bit?" I frowned at him as I saw his free hand clenching and unclenching.

"No, no, I'm fine, Alicia. I just...hate myself sometimes for what I did and, well, you should hear the whole thing in one sitting. I pray you don't hate me after hearing it." Hunter took another swallow of water. Jammie didn't move from his lap.

"Okay, I'm listening." I placed my hand on his leg and smiled when he covered it with his. I felt him squeeze my hand.

"I'm nervous that you won't like me much after hearing this."

"Lydia and Dan trust you. Jammie trusts you, even. Trust me to make a sound decision." I looked at him and noticed his hazel eyes were bright, almost a true green. His mouth was turned down and he looked really sad.

He managed a small smile at me and continued to keep his hand over mine. I decided to call the new cat Kimmie-Pie, but kept this to myself as Hunter told me what happened in all seriousness.

"I went inside and I was pretty high strung back then. Like quick to anger. I was immediately pissed and thought she was going out on me. Irrational, really, when she had never behaved in a way that would ever make me think this. But, there ya go. So, I go inside and heard the sound we never want to hear."