the eggs in the frying pan and start chopping the ham and grating the cheese when I feel Zack enter the kitchen area. It’s a tight fit with all three of us in here and I swear the temperature raises an extra ten degrees. And I know it’s not from the small stove top burner I’m using.
“Your woman is cooking me breakfast, man.” Jake playfully says to Zack. I freeze, slightly, at the phrase ‘your woman.’
“My woman, huh?” I feel him walking closer to me and jump when one hand touches my waist. He gently pulls me back so my entire back is aligned with his chest. His head lowers to my ear and I feel his warm breath by my ear. His voice is just a whisper. “I like the sound of that.”
He nibbles softly on my ear and I think my eyes roll back into my head. He laughs softly as my body physically responds to his touch. I have to have more of him.
Just as quickly as he moved up behind me, he’s gone and a cool breeze comes through the room. He is gone as fast as he came leaving me completely dumbfounded. I have no idea what just happened.
“Your eggs are burning,” Jake says and laughs as he follows Zack to the dining area.
I’m still dumbfounded minutes later when I join them at the table carrying all of our plates, balancing them on my arms and in my hands like I did when I waitressed at Jack’s Bar.
I sit and listen while they talk about the concert tonight and the arena in Philly. It’s one of their biggest venues yet and completely sold out. I listen half-heartedly, but my thoughts drift back to what Mark said in my dream. It felt so real.
“Are you okay?” Zack squeezes my thigh gently and brings me back to the conversation at the table. I look over at him and then at Jake who eyes me warily.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” I sound unbelievable, even to my own ears. I sigh a little bit and look from Jake to Zack. And then at Chase as he joins us at the table, too.
I’m not sure I want to talk about it around all of them yet, but I also feel completely comfortable with these two guys, that maybe now is the right time. At least for some of it.
“Another dream about Mark and I haven’t been able to shake it, I guess.” I frown when I see his worried expression. I wonder what he’s thinking and if he’s upset I even bring Mark up. “Sorry.”
I turn back to my breakfast, that’s now cold, but Zack’s hand lightly grabs my chin and pulls it back to him.
“Don’t,” he says softly. I’m vaguely aware of Chase and Jake sitting with us, but I pay them no attention. I’m completely lost in Zack’s eyes that focus solely on me. “Don’t ever apologize to me for missing them, Nic.”
I nod and take a bite of my food; not sure what to say or how to respond.
“Who’s Mark?” Jake asks cautiously. Chase just looks down at his food and I suspect he may know something, either from Mia or Zack, but I’m not upset. Or surprised, really. I know he and Mia have talked some and I wouldn’t be surprised if she gave him a heads up about some details.
“Mark is my late husband, and Andrew was my son.” Jake’s eyes widen in utter shock. Chase freezes for just a second, but then goes back to eating without ever looking at me; answering my question. He knows something – if not everything.
Zack’s arm falls gently around my shoulders and he pulls me towards him gently. “Want to tell me about it?” he asks.
It only takes me a few seconds to know I can tell him, and one more second to realize I want to tell him. I want him to know everything about me and my life before meeting him. I look briefly at Chase and Jake who are watching me, interested.
“We were at a park near our old house and I was watching Mark play baseball with Andrew.” I bite my lip to hold the tears back and then take a sip of coffee. “It just felt so real; like we were really there. It wasn’t so much the dream though; it was what Mark said…” I trail off and look up at Zack.
He’s patiently waiting for me to continue, giving me time and space to