Page 42 of Cocky Jerk

She’s such a free spirit, and he’s this proper package wrapped in a suit. She looks the type to break the rules, and he looks like the type to enforce them. It must make for a whole lot of fun in the bedroom.

Shit, that’s weird.

I’ve officially sunk to a new low when I start wondering about my boss’s sex life.

Shaking my head, I shrug my shoulders and look back at Marco.

“I guess it’s true opposites attract. Anyway, you and Graham are good now?”

“Yeah, we’re cool. You can stop pretending to throw darts at his head,” he teases. There’s a glint of amusement in his eyes as he leans his back against the counter and reaches for his beer. “I don’t see him all that much,” he continues, pausing. “To be fair, until a couple of weeks ago, I hadn’t seen much of Soraya either.”

I find that surprising. When he came to take her to lunch, they seemed as though they were best friends who saw each other all the time.

“What changed?”

The bottle stills at his lips, and he frowns slightly. Setting the beer on the counter, he sighs and looks back at me.

“Remember I told you about my cousin Tig?”

“The guy who owns the tattoo shop?”

“Yeah, he and his wife Delia are coming up on their tenth wedding anniversary and for the last couple of years, they’ve been trying to conceive. It has been one hurdle after another for them, and they just recently decided to throw in the towel. Not an easy decision for either of them, but I guess you gotta know when to fold.”

“Did they go to infertility a specialist?”

He nods.

“They put every dime they had into trying to have a baby and exhausted several treatments and procedures. Tig used to have to give her hormone shots. I remember one day I walked into the shop and Delia was crying because he was about to poke her with a big ass needle. Tig teased her, after all, needles and ink are their bread and butter.” He pauses to shake his head. “Anyway, when that didn’t work, they took a mortgage out on the shop for IVF. The first two times they did it, it didn’t take and they’re tapped out on cash to try for a third round. Graham offered them a loan, but Tig would rather roll over and die before he takes a handout from anyone. It’s crazy, you know? Tig is a scary motherfucker. Fearless. He isn’t the type to show weakness or break.”

“Everybody breaks,” I whisper.

He brings his eyes back to me and stares at me thoughtfully for a moment before nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, I guess they do.”

Listening to Marco talk about his cousins made me want to meet them. Hell, I wanted to hug them. Picture wanting something so badly and doing everything you can to make it happen only to be told you’re shit out of luck. Then magnify those feelings by ten. It makes you question everything, but most of all your faith.

“What about adoption?” I ask.

“They’re looking into it, but it’s not easy. There’s a lot of red tape to cut through, never mind the horror stories you hear. Like the birth mother deciding she wants to keep the kid after it’s born and stuff like that.” He sighs. “I don’t know that they’re mentally prepared for that just yet. If something went wrong, I think that would just throw them over the edge.”

I didn’t know what to say. Until you walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, I’m not sure you’re entitled to have an opinion on their life. All you can do is offer your support, and it seems like Marco is team Tig and Delia all the way. Another admirable quality for the good cop.

“Sorry, I guess I put a damper on tonight with the heavy stuff. I don’t know why I told you all that.”

“I asked you how you and Soraya started to speak,” I supply, rising from the stool. Rounding the island, I grab the dishes and utensils from the counter and start to set the little table.

“Right, well, Soraya thought it would be a good idea to throw them an anniversary party. She thinks it’ll take their minds off things and lift their spirits.” He shrugs. “I don’t know if it will work, but I’m all in. Whatever they need.”

He comes to stand behind me and touches his hands to my hips. I stop setting the table and turn around to face him.

“I told Tig about you,” he says, tucking a strand of hair behind ear.

I don’t know why that makes my stomach flutter.

“You did?”

He nods.

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