MMF BISEXUAL ROMANCE: Phoenix Running (16 page)

C
ee-Cee stared
at her phone and saw it was Phoenix calling, but she couldn’t get to it at the moment. Her legs pumped as she thundered down the stairs to the foyer where her parents and sister were waiting for her at the front door. Josey’s distressed eyes flew to the bag in Cee-Cee’s hand. They were ready to leave now. “Hang in there, Josey!” she encouraged. She squeezed her little sister’s hand and ran with her to the car while her mom bounced Baby Joe on her hip and her dad jogged to the driver’s side.

“I can’t have this baby tonight!” Josey wheezed. She sucked in a breath and forced it out in panting huffs while Cee-Cee coached her on breathing properly. She scowled in pain as another roll of contractions rippled across her belly. “Cee-Cee, I can’t do this without Brett.”

“Yes, you can. I’m with you, baby. We’ll get through this together, and we’re going to tell Brett what a magnificent job you did. So, you soldier up, girl! Dad, drive!” Cee-Cee’s cellphone wouldn’t stop ringing, but she ignored it.

The engine roared to life and they sped across town, seeming to hit every damn red light on the way to the hospital. Cee-Cee’s heart was in her throat the whole drive, but she tried not to panic. She wasn’t the one having a baby. All she had to do was keep calm and keep Josey calm. “You’re doing good, Josey. Hang in there.”

The phone buzzed again, and Josey growled, “Answer the fucking phone! It’s driving me crazy!”

“Shhh, that’s just hormones. Take it easy. We’ll get there soon.” Cee-Cee swiped the screen to answer the phone and hissed, “What is it? I’m kind of in the middle of something.” Josey groaned and squeezed her hand hard enough for her to feel like every bone in it was broken, and Cee-Cee whimpered.

“Get over here. My place. I need you.”

“What?” She shook her hand free and flexed her fingers.

“Cee-Cee,” he whispered her name plaintively. “I’m in trouble. Please.”

“Phoenix, my sister is having her baby right now, and she needs me more. Whatever it is you need me for, it can wait!”

“No, I’m not having this baby!” Josey howled.

Phoenix muttered in consternation. “She’s having the baby? Shit! This is bad timing.”

“Tell me about it. I feel completely out of my element, and her fiancé’s flight doesn’t come in until tomorrow, but this little bun can’t wait to get out of the oven. Josey’s not taking it so well, either,” she stated the obvious.

Marty swerved through the emergency entrance and skidded to a halt in front of the shining glass doors to the hospital. “I have to go, Phoenix. We just made it to the hospital.”

“Wait a minute. Which hospital? I’m coming to you.”

Cee-Cee experienced a surge of surprise and pleasure at the offer, but this was a family affair. If Phoenix showed up, there’d be no way to convince her parents that there wasn’t something serious going on between them. “No, you don’t have to drop everything for this. I can take care of it.”

Phoenix firmly repeated himself. “Name of the hospital, Cee-Cee. Stop trying to shoulder the world. I want to be there for you.”

She was so used to doing things on her own that it hadn’t even occurred to her that she could use a shoulder to lean on, too. She stammered out the name of the hospital and hurriedly hung up the phone to help Josey out of the car and into the wheelchair a nurse swiftly rolled out for her.

Beside her, Marty had a smile on his face and his blue eyes were wide with excitement. “This reminds me of the night you were born. I was so nervous I thought I would puke, and Winny kept saying the same thing. ‘I can’t have this baby tonight.’ Only, she was trying to stall because it was our honeymoon night.”

Cee-Cee raced with him in pursuit of the nurse pushing Josey. “I know she wanted to be here. I could’ve stayed with Joe.”

“Josey wanted you here, but your mother texted to tell me she’s on her way in just a few. As soon as the babysitter gets there.”

It was true, Josey had specifically requested that Cee-Cee be present. As they were taken to a room to wait for a bed in the maternity ward to be made ready for her, Cee-Cee sat next to her younger sister and fed her ice chips and pushed her sandy blond hair back from her beautiful face. Josey was hooked up to monitors. Everything was looking great for a baby to be born.

“I was hoping it was Braxton Hicks contractions,” Josey grimaced.

Their dad was in the waiting room. It was just the two girls. “Are you scared?” Cee-Cee whispered. She couldn’t picture pushing out a baby. The sight of her sister in discomfort and everything she knew about childbirth had Cee-Cee’s heart racing in panic at the thought she might have to go into the delivery room with her.

Josey replied, “I’m not scared about having the baby. I’m scared about doing this by myself. It’s exactly like when Baby Joe was born. I couldn’t find Josh anywhere, and I was really looking forward to this pregnancy being different. I didn’t want to be alone, Cee-Cee.”

“Shh, shh…I’m here, honey.”

“And that’s what you don’t understand about relationships,” Josey hiccupped. “When someone loves you, they’re there for you. They stick around for your bad days and the good. Josh never understood that, but Brett does. He’s literally waiting at an airport a few hundred miles away. He’s on American soil, and he can’t even get here on time.”

Cee-Cee anxiously wiped the tears from Josey’s face and tried to reassure her. “He’ll be here soon enough to rock his little baby girl in his arms, and he’s going to be so proud of you for being so strong without him. You’re doing such a great job.”

In her head, Cee-Cee heard Phoenix saying he was on his way and that he wanted to be there for her. She couldn’t completely relate to Josey’s situation of being a mother in labor alone, but she did understand that part about relationships. The unexpected simple pleasure of knowing that someone would be there just to be there, just because she needed him, without her even having to ask. It sent a giddy whirl of happiness through her. Was this love?

A nurse came in with forms for Josey to sign. Cee-Cee helped her out as much as possible. She kept an eye on the door for her mother, but apparently the parents were taking to heart Josey’s request to have her sister at her side.

Probably it was because Josey and Cee-Cee had been inseparable lately. It was so easy it was to confide in her little sister. She was surprisingly understanding for someone so young, and Cee-Cee knew that was as a result of having to mature quickly to handle being a mom and student, soon to be married.

Lord, Cee-Cee had thought highly of her own accomplishments! Looking at Josey, she realized her little sis was “winning,” too. “You are such an inspiration to me,” Cee-Cee said with a grin. Josey glanced up at her in surprise, but the expression turned to another wince.

“Thank you so much, but these contractions are getting closer together, and it’s not time for a sisterly heart to heart! Gah!”

“Breathe, breathe!”

There was a tap on the door, and Josey weakly called for whomever it was to come in. A doctor stepped into the small room with a benevolent smile on his face. There was a tech right behind him with a tray of instruments. “Hi, I’m Dr. Vermont, the anesthesiologist, and I’ll be doing your epidural.”

“Oh, thank god,” Josey said with a laugh. “I need drugs.”

“That’s what they all say.” Chuckling, the anesthesiologist murmured to Cee-Cee, “I’ll have to ask you to step out for a moment, ma’am. This’ll only take a moment, and you can come back in as soon as we’re done.”

“No problem.” Cee-Cee nodded and squeezed Josey’s hands before scurrying from the room. She made her way to the waiting room, thinking of what was going on with her sister. In a little while, the pain would be gone, but the real work would be just beginning. Likely within a few hours, she’d be meeting her new niece. When she stepped out of the hallway and entered the small waiting area, she found her mom and dad sitting together near a rack of magazines.

Cee-Cee eased down on the sofa next to Winny and flashed her a look of appreciation. “You women are amazing. There is no way I could’ve survived those contractions. I was watching the monitors and saw the spikes every time. It looked like a dang mountain range.”

“How’s she doing?” asked Marty.

“She’s holding up. She just wishes Brett were here, which is understandable. I’m sorry he’s missing the birth, but I’m so glad he’ll be home soon. Hey, have you guys seen Phoenix? He told me he was on his way.” Cee-Cee tried not to sound as excited about the prospect of the mayor showing up as she really felt. But when her parents murmured that they hadn’t seen him, she deflated. “Oh. Well, I guess he got tied up with something. He’s a pretty busy guy.”

“I’m sure he’ll get here when he can. My girls and their boys. Just be patient with them. Sometimes it takes fellas a little longer to come around,” Winny said with a smile. She patted Cee-Cee’s knee lovingly.

P
hoenix briskly strolled
into the hospital and headed straight for the information desk. He glanced at his phone where Ashley had finally texted him back:

He answered quickly that he hadn’t seen her yet. Then Phoenix stepped up to the desk, only to be pushed aside by another man in a hurry. They said at the same time, “I’m here for Josey Carson.” Phoenix pulled back in surprise, and the other guy stared at him suspiciously as the clerk gave the information.

“I’m sorry. Who’d you say you’re here for?”

Phoenix smoothed a hand down the front of his blazer. “Josey Carson. She’s in labor.”

“And exactly what reason would you have for being here for my fiancé?” The wiry soldier crossed his arms and glared at Phoenix in inquiry, but Phoenix chuckled and lifted his hands in submission.

“You must be Brett. I’ve heard much about you. Pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

“Can’t say I’ve heard of you,” the soldier replied warily.

Phoenix stuck out a hand for a handshake. “That’s because you likely don’t talk to Cee-Cee much. I’m Phoenix Briton…Cee-Cee’s boyfriend.” Phoenix didn’t know why he said it. The words fell out of his mouth, and he couldn’t take them back, but it felt right to say. At least Brett looked much more comfortable as he clasped his hand in a firm shake.

“Get out of here! Cee-Cee finally got off the Internet long enough to join the land of the living. You’re shitting me,” Brett teased. “Just kidding. She’s a really driven girl. Just surprised she’s dating. Nice to meet you, Phoenix.”

“Nice to meet you, too. Now, we’ve got some women waiting on us upstairs. We better hurry.” Phoenix patted him on the back and they both rushed to the elevators.

When Phoenix stepped into the waiting room, Cee-Cee’s eyes turned to him and her face lit up. She let out a stunned shout when she saw Brett. “Where did you find him?” She hurried to Phoenix, and he half-hugged her as she pulled him over to where her parents were waiting.

“Oh my goodness!” Winny gushed. “Hurry, Brett! They’re about to wheel her to the delivery room now. Come with me. Phoenix Briton, how you managed to pull this off, I don’t know, but I greatly appreciate it.” She nodded at Cee-Cee and gestured with her head back to him.

Phoenix laughed at the obvious hint that Cee-Cee better snatch him up while she could. Cee-Cee covered her face dramatically. “It wasn’t my doing. We just happened to arrive downstairs at the same time,” he replied.

“It seems fortuitous, either way. Like a sign,” said Winny, ushering Brett to the delivery room.

Since Brett—and Phoenix—had arrived, Cee-Cee decided to hang back and wait until after the hard work was done. She laid her head on his shoulder. “You and Ashley are going to confuse my poor dear mother,” she whispered. He chuckled.

They sat together next to her father, who drew him into a conversation about politics and budget cuts. Cee-Cee chimed into the conversation, forgetting that Phoenix had initially called her because he needed something. All that mattered was that he was there when she needed him before she had even realized she had that need.

“
H
ailey Breanna Carson
,” Josey announced with a tired but jubilant smile.

“Carson-Redford,” Brett corrected, grinning. “Look at my baby girl.” He held the beautiful pink cuddly baby up for everyone in the room to see, and Cee-Cee covered her mouth with wonder as little Hailey blinked inquisitive blue eyes at the world. Winny rushed forward to hold her new grandbaby. Photographs were taken with cellphones and Marty’s camera. All the while, Phoenix hung back.

It wasn’t really his place to be here. He wasn’t sure why he had come. All he knew was when Cee-Cee had told him her sister was having the baby, he heard fear and uncertainty in her voice. That was his impetus. He had flown from his apartment and met her at the hospital, but his work here was winding down.

He pulled Cee-Cee out of the room, giving her another hug. “You okay now?” She nodded, teary-eyed. “Don’t cry on me,” he chuckled. “What’s the matter?”

“She’s so happy! I can’t believe how fulfilled she looks. I’m amazed Brett made it here on time. He said one of his flights came in early but the other was delayed, which is why he rented a car instead. It’s like fate. Like a sign.” She looked at him curiously. Phoenix ducked his head, shifting nervously. He felt it, too. A sign that everything had come together exactly as it should. A sign he was where he was supposed to be.

“Baby Joe is going to have a time of it. She’s a real doll, cute as a button,” he changed the subject. Phoenix glanced surreptitiously at his watch out of habit, but Cee-Cee caught him doing it.

“Oh, I don’t want to hold you up. I know you’ve got a lot of stuff on your agenda. I can’t believe you dropped everything to come here. I’m glad you came.”

“When we get the time, there is something very important that I need to talk to you about,” Phoenix murmured. “It’s about my campaign.”

Josey’s hospital room door opened and Winny hurried out, bumping into Cee-Cee. Cee-Cee steadied her. “There you are,” said her mom. “Honey, is there any chance you can get over to the house? Baby Joe is anxious, and Pauline said none of the usual tactics are working.”

“Let me say goodbye to Hailey, and I’m on top of it.”

“You can take my car,” said Winny. She turned to Phoenix and expressed, again, how happy she was to see him. “I can’t wait until this campaign is over so we can see you more often.” She bussed his cheek and breezed back into the hotel room.

Phoenix stared at the door. They expected him to keep coming around. He wanted to. There was no turning off how he felt about Cee-Cee and Ashley. But what would Cee-Cee’s family think if they knew the real nature of their three-way relationship? In such a relationship, could the three of them ever expect a day like this? Having babies. Getting married. That was for normal couples.

Cee-Cee exited the room and snapped him out of reverie. She looped her arm in his, heading to the parking garage. “Walk me down to my car?”

“Yeah. I’m with you all the way. As long as you’ll have me.” He smiled. Her eyes locked with his, and she grinned, shaking her head.

“So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

“Not now. I want you to stay in this zen place where you are now. You’re glowing. Being an aunty looks good on you.” She preened. When they got to the parking garage, Phoenix wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a languid kiss. “I wish we didn’t both have to hurry off,” he whispered.

“Call me tonight. I’ll be free. We can talk about whatever you needed me for earlier.”

“Will do. Drive safely on your way home, alright?”

“Hey, now. Enough with the sweet stuff. Talk to you later.”

She climbed into her mother’s car and drove off. Phoenix stood in the parking garage watching the red brake lights fade as she turned a corner. He heard the engine sounds get further away, and then he was alone with his thoughts and these feelings that he had no control over. He loped to his car and drove himself home. Until he could talk to Cee-Cee, he’d have to keep his anxiety at bay concerning the pictures Wallace had dropped off. There was nothing else he could do.

C
ee-Cee cued
up Phoenix’s home address on her GPS, remembering how desperate Phoenix had sounded on the phone before finding out Josey was in labor. He had put aside his issues to help her deal with hers, but she had never heard that from him before, and it worried her. What was going on?

Her six-speed zipped along the highway to the condominium complex where the reclusive mayor spent his nights. She pulled up to the unassuming condominiums and parked in the visitor’s lot, jogging along the sidewalk and peering at numbers on each door until she came to his. Cee-Cee knocked, and he threw it open immediately. “About earlier today? Are you okay?”

He took her face in hand and brought her lips to his. His nose brushed hers as he kissed her harder. His eyes were red-rimmed with stress and worry. “I fucked up,” he whispered against her mouth. “I don’t know if we can fix this.” He pulled her into his condo.

When the door closed behind her, she was folded into his smell, his home. There was patchouli incense burning and a thin grey haze hovered near the ceiling like fog. A streetlight streaming through the window was the only light. Jazz played quietly in the background.

She stayed silent as he hugged her without speaking. It scared her that he was trembling. He rested his face on the top of her head and took a deep breath. “My father is trying to ruin everything I’m trying to build,” he said bitterly. He pressed the photographs he was still holding into Cee-Cee’s hands, and she held them up to the light to see.

Cee-Cee pulled away with a gasp. “What the hell?”

He nodded and crossed his arms. “I think you better have a seat for this.” They both sat on the white suede sofa. Cee-Cee kicked off her flats and tucked a foot beneath her, studying Phoenix with nervous eyes. The one thing he hadn’t wanted to happen was happening.

“Phoenix, your father brought you these photos? How did he get them? Why would he try to use them against you?”

“I don’t know how he got them, but I know why he’s using them. Wallace Briton used to be councilman. I know you read that in my files. What you probably weren’t made aware of was the fact that he and Buddy, my opponent on this campaign trail, used to be good friends. Buddy helped my father cover up an embezzlement scam.”

“What does that have to do with you?” she asked, confused. She didn’t need backstory. She needed answers.

“Since he has dirt on my father, he asked Wallace to tell me to step down. Buddy knows I’m the only man standing between him and this town. Well, you can imagine what I told my dad when he brought me that fine bit of news, right? I told him to kiss my ass. And then he told me if I wasn’t with him, I was against him, and he’d treat me like an enemy. He’s willing to resort to blackmail to get me to step down. He’ll leak this to the press. This is campaign death, Cee-Cee!”

“Okay, calm down,” she murmured. Cee-Cee needed to think. It wasn’t the crisis Phoenix made it out to be. Yes, this town might be full of a heterosexual, religious, white male majority, but that didn’t mean they were all one-dimensional and bigoted. He could still win this election if he controlled how these pictures came out. She was sure of it. But how to convince him?

Cee-Cee rose and faced him with her hands on her hips. “Phoenix, you’re not going to like what I have to say.” She smiled nervously.

“Try me.”

She tossed him her cellphone. “You need to use NowIn. You need to come out of the closet and take away your father’s chances of using this against you. You don’t have to announce anything about your sexuality, but you can make it clear that you’re friends with all kinds of people because you’re a genuinely good person who doesn’t discriminate. That way, if these pictures are released, your ass is covered. These pics aren’t that bad.”

“He says there are more where those came from. That’s a long-distance camera, Cee-Cee. I don’t know a photographer worth his salt who’d stop taking pictures when the fireworks started,” he growled in frustration. “And I’m not announcing a goddamned thing about my personal life!”

“Here’s what I know. If you don’t give people some answers, they’ll make up their own. This is your chance to give a little and keep the rumor mill from churning overtime!”

He pushed to his feet angrily, snapping at her, “You just want to get famous off of me. You’re just like everyone else! You don’t have my best interests at heart!”

Her hand connected with his cheek in a loud smack. He grabbed his face, staring.

She stepped back, horrified at having hit him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But you need to realize I slept with you, which means I care about you…as a friend. This has nothing to do with getting famous. There are millions of important people in this state who’d jump at the chance to use NowIn, even if it doesn’t appeal to you. This isn’t about furthering my own interests. It’s for you.”

He sat back down and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. After a minute, his head came up and he squinted at her. “Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I react badly to blackmail, you know?”

She just looked at him. He sighed. “Listen, I know you’re my friend. You’re the real deal, Cee-Cee. I have an idea. How about we date? Seriously. Let’s be seen together on the regular. That’s a solid compromise. People can see me out with you, and they’ll dismiss any whispers about me being with Ashley. You can make it common knowledge that he’s your best bud. That’ll throw them off. But if Wallace releases those pictures…”

She held up a hand to halt his scheming. “I object to this notion of seriously dating. You know how complicated that’s going to get? We slept together. Proximity will increase the odds of us actually liking each other, which is something I don’t need. Not to mention, I don’t have time to play girlfriend. I have a life!”

“What is your aversion to relationships? You act like an automaton—work, school, work. It’ll be fun for you! Didn’t you have a good time out with us this past weekend?” he tried to convince her. She shook her head.

“Just sex.”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his lap. “Great sex.” She shrugged away from the kiss he pressed to the side of her neck, but her libido held her prisoner.

“Great sex doesn’t elevate it above just sex, Phoenix. I admit, your girlfriend idea will probably work. You just need to pick another girlfriend.”

“Maybe Gina Lafitte?” He nibbled her earlobe as he said it, and Cee-Cee jerked away, shoving at his chest. She tumbled out of his lap and her bottom hit the floor with a thump.

“Ow!” She frowned up at him. “Fine,” she said, clipped. “Gina seems like your type.”

He erupted with laughter and literally wiped the frown off her face by smoothing his thumbs over her forehead and lips. “She does not. She’s nothing like you. You’re my type. You’re smart, ambitious, focused. Sexy. Brilliant in bed. That mouth…” He curved a finger along her lower lip, and she blushed at the reference to her bedroom prowess.

“Stop it,” she muttered. “We’ve got to figure this out.”

“Gina stopped by my office earlier this week. I forgot to mention that to you. She had an email from someone named Five Parker who wants to interview me for some quilt network.”

“QUILTBAG?”

“Yeah, that’s the acronym. This talk show host saw the three of us at the Yellow Lounge that night we met Ashley. You know what I’m thinking? What if instead of using your app, I use that interview?”

“I’m not following you.” Cee-Cee was more than a little irritated at the fact that Gina had snuck over to the mayor’s office in the middle of the week without her knowing. The woman was trying to make good on her promise to sleep with him. She knew it. Cee-Cee didn’t want to feel the streak of possessiveness that shot through her at the thought of someone else going after Phoenix, but it was there anyway.

“Gina said Five Parker wants to discuss ways I plan to make our town more LGBT-inclusive. I’ll give him that interview, but we’ll shoot for it to happen sometime right before the election. That gives me some time to stall my father. So, first you and me date to lay the foundation. Then, during the interview I make it clear that I have friends from every walk of life and that I don’t judge a man based on his sexuality. Let’s face it. Saying that alone will make some people think I’m gay, so Wallace wouldn’t have a need to release those pictures.”

“How do you know he won’t release them ahead of the interview?”

“Wallace is waiting for me to give him the day I plan to step down from the running, but I’ll give him the date the interview is scheduled to air instead, which should keep him from releasing those pictures early.”

“Ah! I see where this is going! By the time he realizes you duped him, you’ll already have won over the voting populace. It’s ballsy, and I wouldn’t have expected it of you, but I bet it could work.”

“Now about being my girlfriend.”

“No.” She held up a hand. He pushed it aside and brought her fingers to his lips.

“Cee-Cee.” He gave her a sultry look she felt in her groin.

“No, Phoenix! I’m not girlfriend material. I told you that!”

“You don’t think I can change your mind?” He slipped from the sofa to the floor with her. Cee-Cee scooted away with a laugh, but he grabbed the hem of her skirt and stopped her retreat.

“You’re not going to change my mind,” she said as he leaned forward to drop a kiss to the inner curve of her knee. “Phoenix!”

“Mmm, I like it when you say my name like that. Say it again, girlfriend.”

She gasped when he kissed higher up the inside of her leg, closer to her suddenly slick vagina. His kisses had instant effect. His fingers hooked into her panties and pulled them down, and Cee-Cee fell back. She held herself up on her elbows to stare at him. “A contract agreed to under duress is null and void,” she reminded him breathlessly.

“All you have to do is tell me no.” He nosed his way to her silky flower petals and flicked his tongue over her slit, causing Cee-Cee to suck in a breath in pleasure. “Tell me stop.”