This Is How We Do It

Janie came over in a panic around 4 yesterday. "Why did I do it?" She asked as she blew into my house with what I could only guess would have been the entire contents of her closet. "I knew I shouldn't accept but I did, I couldn't wait to see him again." She spun around towards me after she got halfway to my room. "You have to help me! I have nothing to wear and he's going to be here in a couple hours!"

I watched her in amusement, she had started down the hall again, dragging the very heavy bags behind her. Looking down at Alexis, who was eating a cookie, I shook my head. "Aunt Janie is losing her mind over a boy."

We made our way to where Janie had now pulled everything out of her bags and had it thrown all over my room. "I don't know what to wear," she told me as she stood staring at the pile of clothes close to tears. "I don't even know what underwear to wear!" She glanced at me. "Why did I tell Cary I'd go out with him tonight? There's a reason girl's don't say yes to dates the same day!"

"How long before he comes to pick you up?" I set Alexis down on the floor with a couple toys and went to her. "Does he know to come here? Or are you going home?"

"I told him to pick me up here, I hope you don't mind. I don't want him meeting my mother just yet." She made a face, "It's one of her 'headache' days."

I nodded, Janie told me that since her dad left, her mom has been greeting the bottom of a bottle at least a couple times a day. She told me she tried to talk to her but she just wasn't listening. "So what time is he getting here?"

She hesitated, "We agreed on 7," I gave her a look. "What? You know it takes me forever to get ready! Amber! I want to look as pretty as I can. And I stink! I need a shower!"

I never said anything, I didn't even chuckle. I told her that she better not make plans for Friday night, "because I'll be the same as you are now! Reed and I are going on a real date!"

She told me that we were crazy, that obviously we loved each other. "I don't know how you can stand to live here when he's so close. I know I'd be making any excuse to be with him, if I were you."

"This arrangement isn't permanent Janie, I do plan of being with Reed. I just need some time to stand on my own two feet." She wasn't understanding me, I could see that. "Look, I know no one gets this, I know everyone thinks it shouldn't be this difficult but this is my life and need to know I can make it without him before I can make it with him."

Janie was trying to hold her laughter, I could see it in her face. "Make it with him?" She asked as her eyes travelled over to where Alexis was playing. "Oh Amber we all know you can make it with Reed!"

I rolled my eyes, "That's so not what I meant! Go get in the shower stinky!"

While Janie showered, I went through her clothes. I picked out a couple outfits but seeing that I didn't know where they were going or what they were doing it was really difficult to choose. "Hey!" I called out to her from the bathroom door when I heard the water stop. "Where are you two going?"

"He said something about an outdoors music show. I'm not sure if that's where we are going but he seemed excited about it!" She answered before adding, that she just wanted to be ready for anything. "Cary is taking me out," she said as she emerged from the bathroom in a robe and her head wrapped in a towel. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since a guy took me out?" When I told her I didn't she chuckled sadly, "Neither do I. We couldn't go out when I was with...him."

I nodded, what else could I do? "Anyway," she smiled at me. "That's history! And Cary is so much better for me anyway!"

Janie talked me into going and jumping in the shower too. "I'll watch Alexis for you, it'll give us some time to bond. And besides, this would be so much more fun if you were getting ready with me! Do you remember when we would do that?"

I did remember, it was one of the best things about some of the dates I've been on. So I gave in and went to shower as Janie searched through my CD collection to find the perfect 'date prep' music.

Coming out a few minutes later, where a robe and towel just like Janie was. When Alexis saw me, she started to tug on her clothes, trying to get them off. "Oh!" Janie exclaimed. "Alexis wants to get ready with us!"

So as Janie started on her hair, I ran a bath for Alexis and got her in 'date prep' mode; just that she had a diaper on under her robe.

By five thirty we had all showered, did our hair and were working on what we were wearing when Alexis got into Janie's make up and was going through her nail polish. "Oh my God! Can I?" Janie asked as she grabbed up Alexis and the polish she was holding in her tiny hands. When I said why not, Janie squealed. "This is going to be like the time we made up our cabbage patch kids! Do you remember?"

I laughed, "Oh yes, I remember!" We were so proud of the job we did. We were only 8 years old so the smudged make up and nail polish that ran down the dolls arm wasn't mistakes, it was art. "But let's do it better than that? She is my daughter!"

So while I held Alexis in my arms to keep her still, Janie applied polish to her tiny nails. Alexis was in awe of the color, she didn't move once as Janie did both her hands and feet. Once we were done and she was dry enough, we let her go. She sat on the bed, staring at her nails and giggling.

"Your daughter is weird," Janie told me with a laugh.

"She takes after her father!" I blurted out and we both cracked up.

By twenty after six, Janie and I had finished our make up. And we even put 'make up' on Alexis. Well, she thinks we did, I actually only brushed a clean brush over her cheeks and she was happy.

All that was left was getting dressed. It was a painstaking process, deciding what to wear. It took us from the time we showered until the time we were finished getting 'made up' to choose an outfit. And yes, even though we weren't going anywhere, Alexis and I took forever too!

"You are so lucky kid," Janie said to Alexis as she stood back on to us while putting on the pantie/bra set that we picked out. "You know what you are always wearing under your clothes! And no one expects anything different!" She didn't appreciate when I told her she could wear a diaper too.

I had just slipped into my panties when I heard knocking over the pause in the music we were listening too. Janie gave me a helpless look and froze. Looking at the time (six forty) I smiled, "No, it's not your date." I told her, "It's probably Reed, he said something about stopping by before he went to the house tonight."

I have to admit that even though I was still wearing the robe, I felt kind of sexy as I made my way to my front door. With the naughtiest grin I could possibly give, I opened the door for Reed. "Mmm, hello sexy," I purred.

He had started to say something but my greeting threw him off. He stared at me for a moment, then I could tell he was quickly trying to figure out if we had real plans for tonight. I didn't give him time to ask, I moved into him. "You look so yummy tonight my love," I lifted myself up on my toes and nipped playfully at his neck.

"Did I...?" He groaned as I continued to kiss his neck. "Amber.." he moved me back enough from him so that he could kiss me. I surprised him, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him passionately; a kiss that we probably hadn't shared since we first met.

He whined a little when I pulled away from him, he tried to drag me back into the kiss but I held my ground. We stood in each others arms with our foreheads touching for a couple minutes as he regained his composure. "We didn't have a date tonight, did we?" I shook my head. "Then why...?" He ran his fingers down my cheek. "Are you going out?" Again I shook my head. "Then..?" He stopped what he was saying and looked down at Alexis who was tugging on his sweatpants. "Is she wearing nail polish?"

I laughed as Alexis waved her hand at him, "Yes she is and so am I," I showed him my nails. "We were help -"

"That's Janie's car!" Devon came running up the steps. "Is she here?" He asked me as he tried to see into my house.

"What is he doing here?" I asked Reed. "You have to get him out of here now!"

"I picked him up, he's helping me with the house," Reed gave me a confused look.

I pressed my hands against Reed's chest. "You two have to get out of here now! Go!"

"I want to see Janie," Devon told me as he tried to move Reed out of the way.

"No!" I grabbed my door and went to close it but it was too late.

"Amber, do you really think Cary would like this outfit?" I squeezed my eyes shut as Janie walked into the room.

"Janie!" Devon managed to moved Reed aside and was moving towards her. "Wow Baby you look..." he went to reach for her but she backed off. "Janie?"

She was shaking her head, she wasn't saying anything but I knew what she was thinking. "Devon," I grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away from her. "You have to go."

"No," Devon easily pulled his arm from my grip and went towards her again. Janie spun around and ran down the hall to my room, slamming the door behind her. "Janie!" Devon made a move to go after her but I grabbed hold of his shirt with both hands and tried to stop him, when that didn't work, I jumped on his back which knocked him off balance and we landed on the floor. "Amber! Get off me!" He glared over his shoulder, "Reed control your woman."

But one glance at Reed told me he wasn't about to do anything, he was too busy laughing. "Sorry man, I think that's just hilarious!"

Once I got Devon to promise not to go after Janie, Reed helped me up. "Where did Alexis go?" I panicked as I headed for the opened door. "Reed!"

"Amber," Reed grabbed my arm, spun me around and pointed down the hall. Alexis was at my room door kneeling up as she smacked her hand against it. Janie must have heard her because the door opened enough for Alexis to crawl inside.

"Who's Cary?" Devon asked me.

"Reed get him out of here!"

"Amber please?" Devon looked so sad as he stared down at me, "Please tell me who Cary is."

I heard footsteps on my step seconds before I heard, "Hello Amber, is Janie here?"

Devon's eyes shot up towards the door, he gave Cary the dirtiest look that I've ever seen. "I see," he said through clenched teeth. He made a move for the door and I could see Reed get ready in case something happened. But nothing did. Well, as Devon made his way pass Cary he told him if he hurt Janie, he'd kill him.

"I'm sorry darling, I didn't know." Reed mumbled as he gave me a quick kiss and told me he'd call me later.

Once I was alone with Cary, he asked me if that was Janie's ex. I sighed and nodded. "Doesn't look like he wanted to let her go," he stated.

I gave him a smile and left to get Janie.

She was playing with Alexis when I walked in the room. "Is he gone?" She asked.

"Yes but not before Cary showed up."

Janie jumped up. "Cary is here?" She ran to a mirror and nervously looked at herself. "I look like crap!"

I told her she didn't and then added, "Even the biggest jerk in the world thought you looked amazing."

"He did, didn't he?" Janie smiled, "Well I have a hot date to get too. Thank you so much for everything!" She gave me a hug and then picked Alexis up and kissed her on the cheek, "And thank you too!"

Janie told me that she would call me later to tell me how her date went.

Reed called me around 10 and spent ten minutes apologizing for bringing Devon to the house. "I didn't know Janie was going to be there," he told me for the thousandth time. "I hope you aren't mad at me."

I assured him I wasn't, it wasn't his fault. We spoke for a few minutes before he told me he had to go check on Devon, "I'm actually surprised he's this upset about Janie being with another guy, he never cared before."

"Maybe it's because she's ignoring him?"

"Maybe, he's not used to that from her either."

I had a thought suddenly, I didn't know where it came from but I felt I needed to say it. "Reed?"

"Yes Amber?"

"I wanted you to know that I have no desire to see anyone else, I know I want to be with you."

He didn't say anything at first, and I thought what I said was stupid. I was about to tell him that when I heard him let out a shaky breath. "Thank you Amber, you have no idea how happy that makes me feel. I don't want to see anyone else either, I love you Amber."

"I love you Reed."

I went to bed last night feeling happier than I ever thought I could.