Tempt the Hookup (Tempt 3)

“He’s your only nephew,” I point out when we finally get to them after walking up the stairs. “Aiden, this is your uncle Nick and auntie Mona.” I look at Aiden, smiling when Nick put his hands out to fist bump him, and he smiles while fist bumping Nick. “Mona, this is Eliahn.” Mona takes her arms from around Nick and puts her hand out to Eliahn, who takes it smiling.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Mona says. “You are like a God around here,” she says, making Eliahn laugh, and I roll my eyes.

“Thank you so much for having us,” Eliahn says, and then looks at Nick. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“The last time I saw you, Romeo’s head was about to explode. I mean, it’s better than the time before that when he”—he points to me—“was about to cry at saying goodbye to you on that cruise.” He laughs.

“I was not crying,” I tell him and then turn back to Eliahn. “I didn’t cry.”

“Please, you looked like a kid when someone ate their candy,” Nick says, showing us a pouting face. Why am I friends with him?

This time, both Mona and Eliahn laugh out loud. “Are you done?” I ask Nick.

“I think we are just getting started,” Nick says and then looks at Aiden. “I bought you something.”

“A present?” Aiden says, all excited, and Nick nods. “What is it?”

“Well, come in and see,” he tells him and motions with his head.

Aiden follows him with me following Aiden, and I hear Mona tell Eliahn, “It’s good to have another girl around.”

I walk to the back of the house where the kitchen is. “Look at all this,” Nick tells Aiden, and I groan. There are so many presents it covers the entire table. “This is my favorite one.” He gives Aiden the square box to open. He takes the box and tears open the wrapping, seeing it’s an iPad.

“Who the hell gives a six-year-old an iPad?” I look at him.

“You mean who besides his father gives a six-year-old an iPad?” I look over my shoulder to see that Eliahn is leaning against the island counter, trying not to laugh.

“The guy in the store said this would get me to the top of the list for best uncle, and that I might even win the best uncle awards.” He takes the box from Aiden. “And look, I found a picture of your mommy and daddy,” he says, opening the iPad, and a picture of us taken on the cruise shows up. “That might have been the night you were conceived,” he says, and we all yell his name. “What, not many people are lucky enough to have proof?” He looks over at us, and then I look at Aiden, who doesn’t even give a shit what is on his iPad screen saver.

Eliahn comes over to see the picture of the two of us sitting on one of the blue chairs from the cruise. I was lying down with the back pulled up a bit, and she was between my legs laughing at something I just said. Her hand hung on the one leg that was up, and our right hands were intertwined. “I never saw that picture,” Eliahn says.

“We took it from the bar,” Nick says to us. “He used that picture to try to find you,” he tells Eliahn, and I groan and roll my eyes. “It was almost like have you seen my cat? Except it was you.”

She turns to look at me, asking me softly, “You tried to find me?”

“Tried to find you?” Nick laughs. “Did you not tell her that Carnival banned you and almost sued you for impersonation of a lawyer?”

Mona lets out a laugh now; the only ones who knew how bad I had it for Eliahn were the boys. “Of course, he did.” I look at Eliahn who doesn’t say anything, and I watch her try to process all of this. I was going to tell her eventually; I mean, I might have left some things out.

“You had to see him. He sulked and sulked and sulked,” Nick continues.

“Okay, we get it,” I say. “What do you want to do for lunch?”

“Oh, I want to go check out the new brunch place they have by the water,” Mona says. “It’s supposed to have the best mimosas of life.”

“You think we need reservations?” Eliahn asks, and Nick just shakes his head.

“No, if anything, we will get Luca to call Lauren and have her husband put us on the list,” he says and then looks at Aiden. “When we come back, you can open the Xbox and PlayStation that I got you?” He winks at him.

“You’re taking all that back,” I tell him, “and then you can come back with a normal gift. Like, I don’t know, Hot Wheels.”