Few people loved strippers more than Leah, so Kate sat back and watched as Leah turned on the charm. Travis responded right away, like they all did, and Kate wished she had some popcorn to eat as she took them in.
‘What’s your story, Travis? What I really want to know is, can you move your body like a cyclone?’ Leah asked with a smile.
‘I totally can. Wanna see?’
‘Dear, sweet Travis, with your washboard abs, of course we want to see. That’s why we’re here.’ Kate winked at him.
‘Good point, Katherine.’ Leah’s voice was dry and the other women with them all leant in and eyed him. ‘We’d all love to see.’
Sweet baby Travis had not lied. No, he leant back and rolled himself, rippling his abs and his nice, albeit hairless, thighs. Then he did some move where he whipped his body around, artfully sending his hair around his face all coy like.
When he finished, the entire table clapped and cooed over him. Leah grinned over at Kate, who laughed out loud.
Baby Travis became their own personal stripper for the rest of the evening, flirting with everyone, giving a few up close and personal dances, flattering, making sure drinks were ordered and sucking up all the attention and tips.
There weren’t too many other ways Kate wanted to celebrate her upcoming wedding than to hang out with Leah and pretty boys as they drank margaritas.
Kate wagged her finger at him as they prepared to leave. ‘Good evening, sweet baby Travis. Don’t let me hear you’ve blown off school for another quarter. Just go back, even if it’s part time.’
He grinned, very fetching and sort of naughty if she went for men young enough to not understand a single cultural reference she made.
‘I know, I know. You two should come back in again so you’ll know for sure. I’ll be your arm candy any old time you need it.’ He kissed her cheek. ‘Congratulations again on the upcoming wedding. Make sure he behaves.’
Kate laughed. ‘Ha. He’s not one for behaving. It’s part of his charm really. Don’t tell him I said that, he gets away with enough as it is.’
Travis laughed as he kissed Leah’s cheek and she told him something that made him blush.
‘Dude, you can make a stripper blush,’ Kate told her as they got into the limo outside.
Leah buffed her fingernails on her blouse front. ‘I still got it.’
‘You sure do.’ Kate hugged her briefly. ‘Thanks again. For tonight and for being my maid of honour and stuff.’
‘Enough thanks to get some sherbet in my punch?’
‘Pfft, we’ll see if you deserve it by then.’
They got into the limo, laughing.
‘One thing, on the wedding day, you have to be on Pickles watch.’
Leah looked up from her iPhone where she’d most likely been texting Brandon something dirty, and raised an eyebrow. ‘Am I gonna have to bring brass knuckles?’
‘If you do, I’ll give you twenty dollars to use them on her. After I do of course.’ She shook her head as they glided back towards Kate and Dix’s house. ‘She’s just being her usual self, which seems to be a one-woman wrecking crew on her family. It upsets Dix and that upsets me.’
Kate stewed over that statement she made in the limo for a week until the latest incident came up. As Kate had guessed, making Eve go through her to get to Dix had frustrated her ability to yank him around. This pleased Kate mightily. Until Eve simply began to use the girls to do her bidding instead.
‘Hi, Kate,’ Kendall greeted her when she came through the front door. The girls lived with them in the new house on weekends and, true to Kate’s promise to Dix, they all lived in his old house every other Wednesday and Thursday so the girls could stay there and go to school. It hadn’t been perfect, but it was how things worked best and it was Kendall’s last year of high school anyway.
‘Hey there. Hope you guys are up for Chinese for dinner. Your dad just called to say he’s bringing some home.’ Kate looked up and smiled. ‘Yes, you can invite Jimmy.’
Kendall grinned at the mention of her boyfriend. Jimmy and Dix had come to an uneasy truce. Kate liked the boy, but Kendall wasn’t her daughter so it was easier for her than Dix. It had been pretty wonderful when Dix had listened to her and took her advice about the Jimmy situation and invited him around. Kendall would have boyfriends and Dix had to accept it. Keeping his daughter close gave him a far better chance of keeping a good relationship with her.
‘I’ll call him in a minute.’ Kendall sat on the couch next to Kate, tucking a foot beneath her and snagging a sip from Kate’s diet soda.
Kate rolled her eyes. ‘Get your own, girl. You’re way younger than me and your joints are in shape enough to take the rest of you into the kitchen to land your very own diet soda. By the way, where’s Adrienne?’
‘Doesn’t taste as good if it’s not yours.’ Kendall snorted and then a serious look replaced the levity. ‘Kate, listen I have to tell you something before Dad gets here.’
‘That sounds like I’m going to hate it.’ Kate turned to face her fully. ‘Go on.’
‘You are going to hate it. I’m sorry. Adrienne isn’t coming this weekend. She doesn’t want to be in the wedding.’
Kate knew Dix’s younger daughter didn’t like her. It hurt more than she wanted it to, even if she understood it. But this, this was on a whole different level. This would really hurt Dix.
‘She what? Why? What’s going on? I take it that since you’ve told me this before he got home she hasn’t told your father about it.’
‘She hasn’t talked to Dad. I’m trying to talk her out of it. But …’
But Eve. Eve, that fucking bitch, was written all over this.
‘Your mother,’ Kate said flatly.
‘I’m sorry. I know
