Chapter 22
Montana had been in a makeshift office in the backstage area engrossed in the work in front of her, not hearing Paul come in. He had come from a hair appointment after his day with Mariah and was now dressed for that evening’s show.
He stood there silently for a few moments with his signature lopsided, goofy grin before she looked up, pushing her reading glasses on top of her head.
“May I help you…..” she began before it hit her. “Paul?”
“And hi to you too, baby. What’s happening?”
“What did you do to your hair? It’s…..gone.”
He pouted. “You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t say that. I didn’t even recognize you at first. Wow…you went pretty short, didn’t you?”
“It got kind of old having guys practically dragging me across the ring by it. That and it took a hundred years to dry when I got out of the shower. This is easier.”
“And I guess you took my suggestion of change to heart, huh?”
“Maybe,” Paul replied with a sly smile. “So, it’s okay? Brian teased me and said I looked like a cancer kid.”
“That’s a terrible thing to say. You do not.”
She came over and lightly flicked his bangs. “You know, this shorter thing really shows off your nice features and your eyes. I think I can get used to it. You have some really good cheekbones. I’m jealous!”
Paul glowed. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Now if they can get you out of those baggy pants and into something decent, you’d be the complete package.”
She tugged on his shorts, pulling the material forward and looking behind him. “Oh, yes, definitely something to show off that ass. I need to get in touch with some attire designers to get you something really hot.”
“Fucking hell,” he sighed. “Have you been trading notes with Brian or something?”
“No, but if he’s thinking along the same lines, I’m certainly not going to argue with him.”
“What is it with you women and guys’ asses?” Paul wondered.
“The same thing that is with you men and women’s boobs,” she answered, chuckling. “So have the girls seen your new hairdo?”
“Not yet. Mariah’s staying with them tonight. Spanky was with them all day while she and I hung out and then I got my hair cut. They’ll probably be asleep when I get back later.”
“Perhaps, unless Brian loaded them down with soda and sugar before he left.”
“If he did, I swear I will kill him for sure. He’s already been in deep shit with me today as it is.”
“Why?” Montana asked. “What happened?”
Paul gave her the entire story of Brian telling the girls about the birds and the bees.
“Dear God,” she groaned when he finished. “Of all people to tell the girls about that.”
“You aren’t kidding. Say, uh, not to be nosy or crude or anything like that, but how old were you when….you know….you were told?”
“About sex? When I was twelve and I’d gone on a trip with my aunt and two of my cousins. Georgia and Debby got into a discussion about one of their neighbors that was pregnant–the girl was about sixteen at the time, I think–and Debby said, ‘Well, she can’t help that God put a baby in her stomach.’ Well, Aunt Tina always shot from the hip, to say the least, and came off with, ‘God had nothing to do with it. Didn‘t you girls learn this stuff at school? The man sticks his penis in the woman’s hole and wiggles up and down.’ And then she went into all this stuff about sex in general. Daddy was about ready to kill her when I told him.”
“Holy shit. Well, at least you all weren’t three and six.”
“Yeah, you’re right there. It was difficult enough trying to digest it all at twelve, and I’d just had my first period to boot. Rest assured, though, there’s a good chance Kira won’t process any of it, so you may be safe with her. On the other hand, Mac’s a pretty smart girl for her age.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I just hope to Christ I don’t get any calls from school about her teaching sex ed to other second graders, courtesy of Brian. Then I will have to chop him into bite size pieces and feed him to his cat.”
“When does Mac start school?” Montana asked.
“About three weeks. I’ll be sending her and Kira to my pops’ about a week before that so they can be settled down before school starts. And just think,” he said, putting his arms around Montana to pick her up, “that’s more alone time for us.”
“Oh my God, Paul, put me down! I’m too heavy for that silliness!”
“What? I bench 280 and slammed down guys twice my size; you’re nothing in comparison to that.” He put her over his shoulder, her butt hanging in the air.
“Put me down, you’re going to get a hernia and you have a match tonight. I’m serious.”
He laughed, giving her a healthy whack on the ass.
“Ouch! Damn you, Paul, I’m going to get you for this! Put me down right now!”
“Okay, okay, geez. And I thought you yelled loud in bed. I think you just blew out my eardrum.”
“Serves you right.” She returned a loud slap on his ass.
“Jesus!” Paul rubbed his left butt cheek.
“Consider it retaliation,” Montana grinned.
“I’d hate to see how you’d retaliate if I ever pissed you off. God, woman, you are feisty.”
“And from both what I have heard and personal experience, you like that.”
Montana then glanced at the clock on the jerry-built desk. “It’s almost six. You have exactly thirty minutes until showtime. You better get moving before you’re in the doghouse again.”
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