Chapter Fifteen

Spending the morning working at Grayson Global and surprisingly missing Cindy's presence in his office, Peter left the building, got into his car and drove off down the streets heading with every intention to a coffee shop but instead found himself crossing the Iron gates and pulling up in the parking lot of Redwater Cemetery before making his way over to the grave of his best friend, Hollie Hart.

"Hey, Hols, it's been a while," Peter said as he looked at the gravestone. "Sorry about that," Peter shook his head. "I got busy. Life's been busy. Work, Phoebe, and Cindy, it's all been..." Peter sighed. "You don't really want to hear about that. But you should see them. Phoebe and Cindy. They're amazing. Beautiful. Phoebe, she's as stubborn as I am and Cindy, your daughter," Peter smiled. "You'd be proud of her, so proud." Peter paused. "To be honest, I'm worried about Phoebe. Naomi's in town and I dunno, she's an adult now and she can make her own choices but Naomi, I don't want her to disappoint Phoebe again. Leave her feeling more alone than she already does..."

Peter was about to continue but heard the sound of footsteps and saw the sight of a familiar blonde, holding flowers and upon seeing her, Peter felt as though all of his worries were fading away.

"Peter... I wasn't expecting you..." Asa said in surprise. "Sorry, I'll give you two a moment..." Asa said before turning to walk away.

"No, wait," Peter called out, causing Asa to stop and turn back to look at Peter. "There's no reason for you to go, I mean I don't know what I'm doing here, expecting some sort of answer to drop from the sky and besides," Peter said while looking at Hollie's gravestone before looking back at Asa. "She's your wife."

"And your best friend," Asa responded. "You know I was always jealous of that?"

"You were?" Peter said in surprise as he watched Asa place the flowers at the gravestone.

"You, me, Sara, and Hollie," Asa told Peter. "It was the four of us since day one. Running around Redstone, Evergreen Woods, and the city."

"All because our parents were friends," Peter recalled his oldest friendships with said women.

"But you were close to Sara and Hollie more," Asa said. "Sara, you two had that lifetime bond immediately, it was a miracle you two didn't start dating even earlier than high school. You two were made for each other..."

"And yet life didn't work out that way this time," Peter said as he thought about his old crush and the happy family she now had.

"And Hollie. You two were inseparable. The best of friends. You told each other everything. You both had no secrets between you." Asa said with a smile.

"I remember the first time she told me she was in love with you," Peter said with a smile as he recalled the happiness and excitement on Hollie's face back then.

"You had a bond with both of them but you and I... We didn't have that." Asa sighed.

"We didn't need that besides we're there now." Peter reminded Asa.

"Are we?" Asa responded. "I mean, you couldn't tell me that you were planning to leave and I couldn't tell you I wanted to be more than just being friends."

"Well, we still have a chance to change that. I mean, I'm not leaving just yet," Peter said. "And I haven't got any big meetings later on. How about we go get a drink and talk, properly? For the first time in a long while."

"I would love that." Asa smiled.

Making their way from one store to another, Phoebe found herself growing more and more impatient with her mother as Naomi took them to nearly every store in Oasis Mall and being something at nearly every one that they went to. It didn't help that Cindy had left them at the last store, after running into some friends from school and so, Naomi and Phoebe made their way into Sugar & Spice, a lingerie store.

"Oh my God, the quality on this one. I swear, I've been around the world at so many brands and nothing beats the quality at Sugar & Spice." Naomi said as looked at a a dress. "What do you think?"

"It's a bit daring for a woman of your age." Phoebe coldly said as she took it the shortness of the dress, they clearly would cause Naomi to show off her legs as well as her cleavage.

"Well, I've still got it and you know what they say, if you've still got it, flaunt it." Naomi shrugged.

"Yeah until you're a certain age." Phoebe sarcastically spoke.

"Whatever," Naomi said as she looked at more dresses. "So, you seeing anyone? Any cute boys? Or maybe some men? You can tell your Mom. I don't judge."

Probably cos you've slept with anyone and everyone. Phoebe thought. "Nope."

"I bet you're fucking someone though," Naomi commented. "Pretty girl like you with your father and mine's sex drive. I'm sure you've got your fuck buddies."

"Even if I did, that's none of your business," Phoebe said as Naomi dragged her over to some underwear and lingerie.

"I'm your mother, everything's my business," Naomi commented. "So, what do they like, something cute, maybe a babydoll or a teddy? You certainly have the figure for it. Maybe something in pink?"

"Why are you doing this? Why are you here?" Phoebe questioned her mother.

"To spend time with you," Naomi responded. "Look, I know I haven't been much of a presence in your life and that's my fault. I put my relationships with other people first rather than my relationship with you but I want to change that and I know no amount of apologies will change that but I want to have some sort of relationship with my daughter, so can you at least give me a chance?"

Phoebe stared at her mother coldly for a few seconds, letting her mind process what Naomi had just said and taking in the needful, almost desperate look on her face, something she had never seen before on Naomi's face that made Phoebe think that perhaps maybe for once her mother was being genuine.

"Fine," Phoebe sighed in agreement, giving Naomi a smile on her face as Phoebe looked at the lingerie on the rack. "And white's more my colour."

"I can see that," Naomi agreed before taking the lingerie that she had and making her way over to a teenager of roughly twenty years of age with blonde hair and green eyes, and an athletic build. "Hi there cutie,"

"Um... H-Hi.." The young adult said awkwardly while Phoebe could tell he was trying hard not to ogle her mother and her cleavage.

"You don't happen to have this particular one in blue do you?" Naomi teasingly asked.

"I-I'll have to check..." The young adult responded before taking the lingerie and stepping, leaving Naomi to turn back and face Phoebe.

"Seriously? That guy's like twenty?" Phoebe commented.

"So?" Naomi shrugged. "He cute. A little tongue-tied but cute. Sometimes the young ones know what they're doing sweetie," Naomi responded. "Your Dad would know all about that. He could show a few MILFs quite a good time when we were in college..."

"That's not the point." Phoebe responded.

"Relax, I was only teasing him, not like I'd actually fuck him or anything," Naomi said. "Besides I'm only here to spend time with you. I can get laid whenever I want. So, where do you want to go after this?"