26. Family

**Doug**

Seeing Jodie asleep in my bed, with her arms across my chest makes my heart clenches. And when she stirs, I can't help but kiss the top of her head. "Morning,"

"Mmhmm...morning,"

"Stay in bed, I'll make us coffee."

"Bathroom, morning stuff," she mutters and blushes beautifully. I smirk telling the extra toothbrush from her last stay is still on the bathroom counter.

"Go, I'll use the guest bathroom." With that, I leave her to her business while I go to mine, then make our coffee.

"So, anything you want to do today?" I ask when she saunters out of the master bedroom and joins me in the kitchen.

"Not really, what do you want to do?"

"Do you want to go out have brunch and maybe just enjoy a day on the town?"

"Um...you mean like a date?" She grins, tipping her toes to kiss me with her minty fresh breath, making me glad that I brushed my teeth earlier also.

"Mhmm...like a date, if you like. Then, we can get back here for another sexy time before we have to go to work." Honestly, if it's up to my dick we'll never leave the house. But I want to get to know her, and I know I need to date her properly. It is bad enough that she has to conceal her true self when she's around me at work.

"I've never been on an actual date. The last time I dated was back in high school when our moms dropped us off at the cinema."

"See...now, I know something about you that I didn't know before." I give her my best smile, pulling her closer for another kiss that turns heated in seconds.

"Doug...you need to take the hotness down a notch or we will never get out of the house." She giggles but stays in my embrace.

"Yeah, it's difficult with you only wearing that short shorts and tank top."

"What? This old thing?" She teases and I growl grabbing her butt cheeks, squeezing them, showing her just how alluring I truly think they are.

"Jodie, drink your coffee, we're taking a shower together before we go. I really don't want to walk around town with a hard-on around you."

"Aww...I thought you never ask." She finishes her coffee before taking my hand. We get naked before lathering each other under the shower. Another orgasm later, we are dressed and ready to have our first official date.

The weather is perfect, the brunch is delicious. We talk and laugh while having our meals. And when we stop in front of a shop displaying phones and accessories, I see her look but quickly turn away when she notices that I am paying attention to her.

"Will you let your date buy you a new phone?"

"Pfft...never."

"Even when yours is cracked and taped in several different places?"

"It still runs Doug, and I will buy myself a new one after Miley and now my car. The additional shifts I got because of Kirk is helping, I'm not going to complain. People have it worse than me."

"True. But will you let me buy you a new one? I really don't like to worry that your phone might break and there's no way I can get in touch with you. What if you're stranded and your phone died on you?"

"Okay, Doug, *first*, you need to stop scaring me with stories. This phone has been working just fine. It's just cracked because I carelessly dropped it. Now, what's to say that I won't drop my new phone again?"

"We'll get you a better one, with one of those shock-resistant casing front and back."

"Hmm...I'll tell you what, I'll let you persuade me, and let's see what will it take for me to cave and let you buy me one." She winks before telling me that she's not an unreasonable person. There's a playful tone in her voice and I like this side of her.

We're having our late afternoon coffee and people-watching when I see them. "Dammit, is there a back exit in this place? Come on Jodie, we need to go. Now." I thought I was quick but turns out my sister is quicker.

"Oh my god! Jodie, Doug! Mom, it's them!" She frantically waves her hand.

"Eh...Doug, I think your sister saw us." She tugs her lips, her smile shows how amused she is with my predicament. "It's too late, babe." She's grinning as if silently saying that I'm in trouble.

"Ames, Mom, what a pleasant surprise." I greet my sister who looks like she couldn't wait to introduce Jodie to Mom.

"Son, is this the lady I've been hearing about from Ames and Shawn?"

I want to roll my eyes knowing Shawn is still a baby and there's no way he's been telling her anything about Jodie. "Mom this is Jodie, Jodie our Mom, Maggie.

"Mrs. Easton, a pleasure to meet you." She smiles holding out her hand, only to be pulled into a hug by Mom.

"Please call me Maggie."

Jodie blushes, making Ames giggle at her as she passes me baby Shawn before she takes a seat and invades our date.

"Oh, Doug. She's adorable, beautiful, I hope you won't scare her away too soon."

"Mom..." I huff but kiss her cheek and greet her.

"Look, why don't you beautiful ladies take a seat while Shawn and I order your coffee." Jodie looks comfortable, so I leave her with Mom's inquisitive nature. Oh...also Ames. I am sure Jodie will have a hard time crafting her lies. That should teach her to move faster than my sister.

When Shawn and I head back to our table, the women are laughing. I squint my eyes, telling baby Shawn that they look suspicious enough that I wonder what's so funny that makes all of them laugh.

"There's my two handsome boys. Sit, and let Shawn get to know more about Jodie."

"Seriously, Mom?" I sigh, but let Shawn rest on Jodie's lap. She was sitting beside Ames anyway while Mom was sitting on my side of the booth. My next words are paused when the waiter arrives with Mom's and Ames's coffee order and also their cakes. At least presenting them with cakes will give their questions a few breaks here and there as they consume the chocolaty goodness.

"So, what's so funny?" I asked Mom, trying to stir her from probing more questions to Jodie.

"What? Nothing, why are you always so suspicious."

"Yes, brother, Mom was just showing Jodie your baby picture that I scanned earlier this week. It turned out great. I'm getting our family picture. I have this new scarp booking project that..." Ames carries on with her conversation while my eyes darted to Jodie who is trying to hide her amused smile as she plays with baby Shawn.

*She's beautiful.*

Mom is currently busy with her coffee and cake though I know that it's not going to be for long. So I decided to enjoy the story that Ames is telling me about when baby Shawn poses for the camera and how she's going to hire a professional for Shawn's baby pictures.

I am glad that since Kirk was gone, Ames has been taking charge of her life. With the rent money for her apartment, she is trying a couple of new projects. And now Ames is telling me that she is looking into some side hustle to earn money. Mom is telling me how she might be going back to modeling.

"Did you know that there's a whole new market out there for young single moms to make money? Oh my God, Doug...I could be making money all this time! But I'm doing it now...you will see me succeed." Ames nods in determination that it making me smile proudly at her.

We talk for another hour before Mom and Ames have to go back since baby Shawn is getting fussy. Ames tells me about the importance of keeping to the schedule for raising a kid and I just nod wanting to get back to my date with Jodie. She laughs when Mom, Ames, and baby Shawn are gone.

"Damn...they're like a hurricane. I can't believe we survived that." I complain, and Jodie just lets out another laugh.

"They're family, they're supposed to do that. I like them." She shrugs and continues to finish her coffee.

"Like them enough to let me buy you a new phone?" I tease and her smile brightens as the soft giggling sound slips out of her lips.

"Nice try...come on, let's go back to your place and get ready for work."

"Ugh...and they say that dating is fun."

Jodie takes my hand and kisses my cheek while she lets me lead her to the parking lot. Okay, she knows that I lied. I liked our date. It's perfect, even with my family invading our space.