Wilson James Taylor

The only bad thing about sleeping with Sydney is waking up in the morning. Because she looks ugly. No, I'm kidding, the girl's a real life doll in any light. I meant because we get so comfortable and then that goddamn alarm goes off, taking me back to reality.

I didn't have any cars to work on on the side and figured I could skip the gym this morning, probably pick up a session after work 'cause I had no other plans.

I looked over at the clock.

5:08am

It felt weird not having my alarm go off; before, it would've awaken me at four. Although, my body's used to it by now and naturally wakes me up without the clock.

It's funny, I didn't really know what to do with myself since I now had to wake up in a couple hours to be at work at eight-thirty.

"What time is it?" Sydney asked, waking up.

She sat up and looked out of the window, then at her phone.

Wiping her eyes, she started to panic.

"Will," she said in her little voice, shaking my body. "you're late."

I blinked my eyes back open.

"No, I'm not; I don't have to be up for a few hours. Lay back down."

"You don't have to tell me twice," she made me laugh, throwing her body back onto the mattress.

My business iPhone went 'DING' with a text. It was from Delaney and read:

thx 4 all the hard work again, the yard looks amazing! my art exhibit shin-dig is this Thursday at 6:30, bring yourself, some champagne & ur parents (:

I couldn't wait to see what Sydney had to say about her aunt's upcoming party. I would've texted her but she didn't text me all day so I left her alone. Hell, I'd probably call her actually to listen to her talk. She has the cutest voice - just sounds bubbly and girlish, I don't know.

Packing up the truck at the end of the day, I stood in the door and saw Damian in the passenger seat on the phone.

When I flailed my arms wondering why he wasn't helping, he gave me the 'wait a minute' pointer finger.

I tapped my finger to my watch, telling him to hurry the fuck up and end the call.

"--how you gonna do me like that, Chy- Hello? Chyna? Chyna!" he yelled. I think she hung up on him.

"She hung up on me," he said with his head low.

I laughed. "That's what you get for taking personal calls on the clock."

He lifted his head and looked at me with this disheartened look on his dark face. "She been fuckin' around on him," he said. Translation: she's been seeing other guys.

I climbed in the truck and cracked open my orange Gatorade. "So, it's not like y'all were serious."

Damian wasn't amused. The straight look on his face said different.

"Oh, you were? I didn't know. Sorry, man," I consoled my brother.

"I was ready fly her back out here and everything, spend a week with her in Vegas," he told me.

"When were you gonna tell me you requested off?"

Damian cut his eyes to me and then scoffed, shaking his head.

"There's something wrong with you," he grumbled, hopping out the Ford.

When he slammed the door, I heard him yell and stop the next person's truck.

"Yo, O," he called at Omar, "take me home, man."

"Come on, D, I was jokin', man," I laugh-yelled after Dame.

Omar waved and then just sped off.

Finishing my drink, I was ready to pull off after everyone else.

"BOO!" Wes tried to scare me, standing outside my window.

"What do you want, man?" I was bored with him already.

"Come on, we can't hang out like the old days? I miss you, brother," he clicked, jumping in the tailgate of the pick-up.

Wes smacked his palm against the truck and I just pulled off, turning up the music.

***

"Wilson, hi," Kelly let me inside of my parent's house. It was family dinner night.

"Sup, Kelly? Still single?" Wes played with her. I chuckled and walked through the foyer.

"Where's Ralph and Diane?" I asked for my parents.

"Your mother's out for the evening, she's sorry she had to cancel," Kelly let me know, following us towards the kitchen.

My face curled. That's not like my mother, she normally took family dinner seriously.

"Out where, doing what?" I asked.

Kelly looked at me. "She's been leaving around this time every night for a few weeks now. Perhaps it's business, but what do I know?"

When I was in my head about my mother's absence, Kelly spoke again.

"Oh, I got an email from your client: Delaney. We'll make it to the exhibit, Ralph and I. Make sure your mother knows, will you? Should we bring a gift, make a donation?"

"I have no clue, I'm just going, so," I said, looking around.

Kelly nodded her head and went to fetch her boss from his home office.

"Is this one of those Fabreeze eggs?" Wes ogled the Faberge eggs.

"Yes, put it down," I gritted at him. "And get your shoes off the carpet, bro."

He put his pale arms up in innocence, "Sorry, dude. I didn't know, it's been a while."

"Wilson," my father exhaled, coming out of his study.

"Hey, Dad. You remember Wes," I talked, standing in between them in the kitchen.

Wes tasted some of the baked chicken and shook my father's hand.

"Nice seeing you," Wes said.

"Likewise. What have you boys been up to?" asked my father, leading us to the dining room.

"Kelly's joining us?" I questioned when she sat down in my mother's chair.

Dad sighed. "Yes, Wilson. I don't see why not, it's not like your mother's here." I could hear the hurt in his voice but it wasn't until he and Kelly shared this look that I knew something was going on. . .

*

After dinner, Dad and I went to his boat. Wes kept Kelly company. By that I mean he was most likely annoying her, I don't think they did anything. I may not like Kelly, the assistant, but she's smarter than that.

"So, son, how's work?" my father made conversation.

I sat back with a beer in my hand. "Work is work, Dad. How're things with Mom?"

He threw his head back and laughed like I told a joke.

"I wouldn't know," he said, "we barely talk."

"What happened?"

"You need to ask her that," he said, walking around.

"I'm asking you," I growled, getting up to follow him. "Is it Kelly?"

"What?" he hissed, facing me.

"I know she doesn't like her for a reason. If you're cheating-"

"Watch your mouth, Wilson. How dare you even think up something like that?" he was outraged.

I was instantly sorry for assuming that, he's right, but it made sense. Unavailable wife, busy husband, and the assistant. I'm not stupid, but neither is my father.

Under the moonlight, I looked at my feet and put the drink down, ready to go.

"Sorry," I said in short, walking away.

***

Later that night, I was on the phone with Sydney.

"Where's Finn-y, I wanna see him!" she squealed.

I switched the camera and let her see the puppy playing on the floor with some chew toys.

"Oh my gosh, he's so cute!" Sydney bubbled.

I switched the camera back and made a face. "And stop calling him Finn-y."

Sydney giggled. "Oh my gosh, you're so jealous all the time."

"Right. Hey, what's up with your girl?"

"Who, Chyna?" she guessed.

I nodded, looking at her sit in bed.

"Oh, you mean the Damian thing? It's not like they were dating," she excused.

"That's what I said. Dame's takin' it hard, though; said he was ready to fly her out."

"Yeah, she told me. I mean, she said she'll still come see him, but."

"That's fucked up."

"I mean, is it, though?" she asked, raking her fingers through her waved hair.

"Stop trying to defend your friend, you know it's wrong."

"They went on a couple dates, it's not like they were gonna be serious. She lives in LA, he's here... it wouldn't work out."

"But still, it's the principle."

"Okay," she said in a frumpy voice to mock me, making faces, too.

I laughed, switching positions on the sofa.

"Subject change," she voiced.

I nodded in agreement. "Tom still getting on you?"

Her eyeballs flickered. "Fucking Tom, bleh. I haven't seen him today, thank God."

"And your aunt?"

"You really have to stop calling her that, but Delaney's fine today. We got some things from the craft store, splatter-painted a wall in the garage... oh, and she even asked me to be in her art show!"

"Sounds like you're getting along," I noted.

"We need to, I can't stand the back-and-forth. I'm telling you, it's Tom; when she's not with him, we're great."

"Don't start," I said.

"Start what, Will?"

"The 'men are trash' speech."

Sydney pressed him lips together and blinked at me. "That's me not starting. Not tonight, but it's still true."

"But if I asked you to come over right now, you would," I joked.

"I would," she squeaked. "I love your bed. And I wanna see Finn-y!"

"That's not his name!" I roared, scaring the pup.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Someone knocked at the door something serious.

"It's the cops," she laughed, being hypothetical.

I said, "I'll call you back, hold on," and got up to see who was there.

I looked through the window and saw Anna and she had Hunter, that's the only reason I opened the door.

"Will!" he exclaimed. I could see how tired he was. It was past ten and he had on pajamas.

"What's up, kid?" I roughed up his blonde hair.

Anna pushed him inside and herself.

"Oh, a dog," she snarled.

She looked like herself, only more desperate and pathetic each time I saw her.

In my olive green and navy plaid pajama pants myself, I stood against the wall, waiting for the catch.

"Go to the guest room and go to sleep," she demanded.

"Yes ma'am," Hunter mumbled, walking down the hall.

"And you better not miss school tomorrow, I won't pick your ass up!"

"I won't, I have a meet tomorrow," he said from the back of the hall.

Anna looked up at me. "You look good," she talked.

I clenched my jaw. "What happened to stay away from you two, why're you dropping him off with me in the middle of the night?"

"Wilson, don't. I'm in a bind, okay, and I need some help with the boy for a little bit," Anna told me.

"Well I can't help you," I tried to say. But that's a lie, I'd do anything for Hunter.

"You can and you will. I know you, Will, you're a good guy," she said softly, inching towards my body.

With her hand on my cheek, she added, "That's why I like you. That's why I've always liked you."

*

I locked myself in the bathroom, mad at what I'd just done.

So much for self-control.

"Dammit," I hissed under my breath, slapping the counter.

"Will," Anna called from the master bedroom.

I spit in the sink, rinsed it out, and flicked the lights off as I made my exit.

Back in the room, I saw Anna still lying there, naked.

"Don't smoke in here, you crazy?" I said about her cigarette.

With a sigh, she put it out on the dresser beside the bed.

"Oh, Will, don't be such a Scrooge. We just had fun, don't ruin it by talking," she spoke lowly and with a smirk.

I picked her clothes off of the floor and threw them at her.

"I got Hunter, you can go now," I grumbled, looking away as she stepped onto the carpet.

Anna waltzed over to me and put her body against mine. She took my arms and wrapped them around her torso.

"Do you miss me, Will? Sometimes I think I want us to be a big, happy family again," she said softly.

When I just looked at her, she started to laugh.

"You should've seen your face," Anna cackled, dropping my arms.

Getting dressed, she said, "It's just for a few days, I took a job in LA."

If I hear about LA one more damn time. . .

Anna slipped into her furry Ugg slides and lit the cigarette again. At the door, she took a puff.

"You know, I was kidding when I said that," she drawled, "but you'd make one good Daddy."