Page 30 of Claiming Becca

“Julian and Connor’s parents will be here soon. Do you want to be in that when they get here?” I ask Bailey.

Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head. “I’ve met his parents, but I’d rather them not associate me with this costume.”

I help her get out of the costume, and she admires the decorations. “This is awesome, Bec. Aren’t you nervous about what their parents will say?” she asks. I smile at her. She hasn’t been around long enough to know how great Karla and Mark are.

“No. Karla will act horrified, but secretly love it. And Mark will love it. He’s just as funny as Connor. I’m about 95% sure Mark knows what BDSM stands for.” She chuckles and shakes her head.

There’s another knock on the door, so Bailey and I go to answer it. It’s Caroline, Bass, Lincoln, and Ansley. Bailey hugs Caroline as I look behind them.

“Where’s Liv?” I ask. I hug Ansley, then Caroline, and usher them inside.

“She’s on the way. She texted me and said she’s running a little late,” Ansley tells me. I close the door, following them all inside. They all stand in the living room for several seconds, looking around.

Caroline points to the garland hanging on the wall. “Are those penises?”

Bailey and I erupt into laughter. Ansley looks at us and then examines the room again before she joins in with our laughter.

“What is going on?” Lincoln asks. Caroline starts to laugh, then Bass joins in.

When I finally catch my breath, I answer Lincoln’s question. “We’re having a BDSM party.” The look on his face is priceless. It causes Ansley to snort; she’s laughing so hard.

He pulls her into his side. “What kind of friends do you have, Ans?” She pats his chest and wipes at her eyes.

“The best kind of friends, and they’re your friends, too. Today is going to be fun.” She winks at him. “Later, we can go home and have even more fun.” He smirks at her and shakes his head. A pang of jealousy hits me as I watch how they interact.

The doorbell rings again. It’s a welcome escape, so I answer it. Liv is there with Karla and Mark. Before I can greet Liv, though, Karla hugs me.

“Hi, honey! How’s it going living with my son?” she asks. I return her hug, closing the door as they all walk in. I give Liv a quick hug.

“He’s a bear, isn’t he?” Mark says. “He broke his leg once in high school. By the end of the six weeks, I wanted to strangle him.”

“He hasn’t been so bad. He’s getting cabin fever, but now that he’s been released to drive, he feels better.”

We walk into the living room, and I wait for their reaction, but they don’t react. They greet everyone else, and then Mark heads outside to say hi to Connor and Julian.

Bailey comes to stand next to me. “That was anti-climatic,” she tells me.

I nod. “They’ll notice, eventually.”

“Did you decorate?” Karla asks. A bark of laughter escapes Ansley. Liv sidles up next to me, eyeing the decorations.

“Are they penises?” she asks. I nod, and her mouth drops open. “Why?” She asks, but Connor, Julian, and Mark come inside with the food before I answer.

We all sit around to eat, and I pass out everyone’s drinks with their penis straws. Everyone digs in, but I watch Karla and Mark closely because they will notice, eventually. I hear Julian grumble, so I turn my attention to him and Bailey.

“Stop being such a dud. Use that straw!” she exclaims.

He glares at her, bringing it to his lips, and sucks up his drink. Bass starts laughing as he brings his straw to his lips and begins to suck. Karla’s eyes flit around the group as she brings her hamburger to her mouth. But it stops halfway there as her eyes land on Julian, then Bass.

“What is that you’re drinking out of?” she asks. I share a look with Connor as he rolls his lips between his teeth. She gasps when the realization hits her, and her head snaps to Connor. “Connor McMillian!” she exclaims.

Mark brings his drink to his lips and glances between his wife and son. “What?” Karla looks on in horror as he brings the penis straw to his lips.

“Look at what you’re drinking out of,” she tells him. He holds the cup up and glances between it and her.

“What are you talking about, woman?” he asks. Everyone erupts in laughter, even Julian.

“We decided to have a BDSM party, Dad,” Connor tells him. Mark’s eyes narrow in confusion.

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