A Fight For Love

Chapter 6

“Okay let me get this straight. You practically sprinted out of here baying for Taylor’s blood because of cage fighting and now you are telling me that you are all for the idea? Seriously?” Rochelle asked as she looked at her sister in disbelief. Desiree had just told them that she had talked out the whole issue and that there was no more misunderstanding. After her talk with Taylor, she had decided to stay indoors just to make sure that they were making up for lost time. It was not until two days later, when she came back home, and, even then, she had no chance to talk to her sister and cousin, as Rochelle was having her own sleepover with Tony, and Cynthia was far too busy at the café. Actually, all three had not had a proper sit down in well over a week. Today, a Thursday, Desiree had just walked into the house after a long shift and Rochelle was packing up to go for yet another sleepover at Tony’s.

“Well, I may have been a bit too hasty in making the decision to go bite his head off,” Desiree said uncomfortably as she pushed a stray strand of her hair off her face.

“And so you just went there and kissed and made up?” Rochelle asked as she zipped up her night bag.

“Well, in a manner of speaking. But there was a lot of talking and explanation to be done before the making up, really,” Desiree said blushing.

“Really, sister. Spare me the details,” Rochelle said frowning. Desiree laughed and shrugged.

“What? Sometimes, it feels nice knowing that the good guys won in the end,” she said as she walked to the kitchen.

“Good guys?” Rochelle asked as she looked at Desiree. “So, does that make Taylor the Hannibal Lecter in this relationship?” she asked as her sister looked into the fridge.

“Not literally…actually not at all. It’s just word play,” Desiree said as she took out a slice of leftover pizza. She looked over her shoulder and smiled before she put the slice in the microwave. “Kind of how you sometimes call Tony your own Napoleon,” she said. Rochelle looked up.

“How did you know about that name?” she asked as her cheeks flushed a bright crimson.

“Well, you and Tony have a lot of sleepovers and the walls are not as thick as you might think,” Desiree said, with a knowing grin. “So, what does that even mean anyway? Is he like a small man or something? No pun intended of course,” she said trying hard no to smile.

“First of all, Tony is larger than average and secondly, I do not call him my Napoleon I say I want to make him my Napoleon, you know, do what I want in the bedroom and we shall never talk of this again,” Rochelle said. Desiree laughed as she took the slice out of the microwave. She put it in the counter and then took two glasses from the dish rack before she went back to the fridge and took out some orange juice.

“So, I have to ask,” Desiree said as she poured the juice into the glasses.

“What?” Rochelle said as she walked towards her.

“Larger than average?” Desiree asked. Rochelle rolled her eyes as she took one of the glasses and took a long sip.

“Well, yeah, like a policeman’s night-stick and, I have to say, that I feel really strange talking about this with you,” she said before taking another sip. Desiree smiled and took a bite of her pizza before taking a long sip of the cold juice.

“What? I have to know my little sister is happy,” she said in- #between bites. Rochelle smiled at her and shrugged.

“If the walls are indeed as thin as you say, then I am pretty sure you know quite well just how happy Tony makes me,” she said as she lifted her glass. Desiree smiled and raised her own glass.

“Here’s to you,” she said before taking a long sip. Just then they heard the front door. A tired Cynthia walked to the kitchen and gave them a sad smile. “You look awful,” Desiree said as she gave her own juice to her cousin.

“Try running a café, doing the books and still waiting tables and you will know exactly what awful feels like,” Cynthia said before she downed the contents of the glass in big gulps. Desiree raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“Awful, and thirsty,” she said.

“Don’t get me started,” Cynthia said as her eyes dropped to the half-eaten pizza slice. “Are you going to eat that?” she asked. Desiree pushed the plate towards her cousin who devoured it almost immediately.

“You would think that a person who owns and runs a diner would come home fed,” Rochelle said.

“Well, things are different when you are on your toes all day,” Cynthia said before she took one last bite. “So, I haven’t seen any of you in a while. Sometimes I wonder if I have roommates at all,” she added.

“Well, I have been having some quality time with my boyfriend, while my sister here has been playing house with her boyfriend,” Rochelle said. Cynthia looked at her and then at Desiree.

“Wait, last time I saw you, I think a week ago, you were so pissed off with Taylor over the fighting thing,” she said. Desiree shrugged and nodded.

“Yes, but everything is fine now,” she said. “We talked it through,” she added.

“And what did you guys decide about the whole situation?” Cynthia asked. Rochelle turned and looked at her sister.

“Yes, you never really told me if this twisted fairy tale has any kind of happy ending,” she said.

“Well, he assured me that the entire thing is safe and that he is going to be okay. What with his karate and all. So, secure in the knowledge of his physical prowess, I can sleep better now,” Desiree said.

“Wait, Taylor’s a secret Steven Seagal??” Cynthia asked surprised.

“Yeah, it was a surprise to me too. He has a black belt, you know,” Desiree said.

“Wow, that guy is just full of surprises. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on him, and something else comes up,” Cynthia said.

“Yeah, I know right? But I’m okay so long as he is fine. And that is partly why I chose to stay over this week. To make sure he was fine and he has been okay every single day, even though he is now doing one fight a day,” Desiree said.

“Such is the high price you must pay when in a committed relationship, eh?” Rochelle said.

“So, that is what has been going on with me, I’ve now updated you as much as I can, but what about you, Cynthia? Last time I saw you, you were still swooning over Pete,” Desiree said. Cynthia’s cheeks flushed a bright crimson when Desiree said that.

“What do you mean?” Cynthia asked trying hard to avoid eye contact by looking down on the already empty plate.

“Oh come on, cuz. We all noticed you and Pete whispering sweet nothings to you in that strange accent of his during my birthday dinner,” Rochelle said.

“You may have read too much into all that,” Cynthia said. A smile played on Desiree’s lips.

“Why are you so scared to tell us the truth? Or is it that you are lying to yourself?” Desiree asked.

“Yeah, cuz. You are acting really weird, but, to be honest, I have seen you in love and I can tell that you are on your way there. And fast,” Rochelle said. Cynthia smiled and shrugged.

“I just don’t want to put a big wager on it,” she said.

“What is this? A football game? Come on Cynthia. This is your life,” Rochelle said.

“Yeah and Pete seems like a decent guy too,” Desiree said.