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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

EIGHTIES HAIR

ELLE

Now

“What is so funny in here?” Rhodes asks.

Levi and I are on the floor playing with his trains and look up. Rhodes only has a towel around his waist.

Whoa.

His dimples are out, as well as his exposed chest, complete with droplets of water still dripping down his skin. Damn, he looks good.

And oh, the way he knows how to use his body. Kept me up again all night proving it. I don’t have a single regret over the sleep I’ve missed.

His dimples become sinful when he sees me checking him out.

“Don’t you be looking at me like that when I’ve got this towel situation goin’ on?—”

I bite the inside of my lip to keep from laughing and turn on innocent eyes, but it’s so hard to maintain eye contact when that massive bulge is right there at eye level.

“Mm-hmm. I see what you’re doing there with those doe eyes,” he says.

I snort and Levi mimics the sound, making us laugh.

“Elle, say his name,” Levi says, his little face popping in front of mine.

I hold a train up so Rhodes can see. “Boo Boo.” And then another. “Fluff.”

Levi throws his head back and cackles. He thinks it is hilarious that I named two of his trains Boo Boo and Fluff. He called the one he was playing with Toot and I just went with it.

“Fitting,” Rhodes says, chuckling. “I have an idea I want to run past you.”

I point to my chest. “Me?”

“Yes, you.” He grins. He motions over his shoulder.

I stand up. “I’ll be back in a sec,” I tell Levi and follow Rhodes into the hall.

Rhodes’ hands land on my waist and he leans in to kiss me .

I’m dazed when he pulls away.

“If you pulled me away from your little boy as an excuse to kiss me…”

“What are you gonna do about it?” His eyes are dancing.

The second I start to worry about what we’re doing, the lines we’ve crossed, I look at him and it disappears. He looks happier than I’ve ever seen him. Ever.

“I’m just kidding,” he says, shaking his head. “No, I have an idea. Roll with me here.”

“Okay?”

“So yesterday, early, I got this idea and went online and bought a few things. See what you think.” He motions for me to follow him and we go through his room and walk into his closet, where he pulls out a bag of clothes and holds them up. There’s an outdated sweater and pleated corduroy pants that he holds up to himself and then he hands me bell bottoms and a daisy sweater that are my size.

“This is actually cute.” I wave the bell bottoms and sweater. “Okay, you've got me really curious here.”

“There’s more,” he says.

He picks up another bag and pulls out two wigs. He puts one over his head and I laugh so hard.

“Oh my goodness, you look like your dad .”

“Have you always jonesed on my dad, Elle?” he says it in his dad’s British accent and sounds just like him.

“Don't be ridiculous, but you do look like him with that hair. He would never wear that outfit though.” I make a face. “The outfit is eighties comedy and the hair is surfer movie star. What was that movie your dad played where he surfed?”

“Maybe this won't work,” he says, yanking it off. “ No, wait. I almost forgot—I have glasses too.” He pulls them out and I laugh until I cry.

They’re huge and brown and hideous.

“I could also do these sunglasses if the glasses show too much of my eyes.” He holds them up and they’re from the same timeframe.

“What is this about?” I manage to get out.

He holds up a wig with long blonde hair and hands it to me.

“I thought we could wear these disguises and take Levi out to see Santa like we do every year.”

I sober and my lips poke out. “Aww.” I clutch the wig to my chest and look up at him, about to cry now. “I love that you're trying to figure out a way for me to still do that with you guys. I've been so sad about it this year. We’ve normally gone by now.”

“I know,” he says. “Honestly, Levi couldn’t care less about seeing Santa, but he loves everything else about the day, and?—”

“It's tradition,” I finish for him.

“Exactly. What do you think? Can we pull it off?”

“I want to try.”

I take the wig and run to the bathroom, trying to fit my hair under the cap as much as I can before sliding the wig on.

Rhodes follows me and watches.

“What do you think?” I ask in the mirror.

“You’re still hot as hell, even with huge eighties hair.”

“Have you always wanted to be with a blonde?” I move into a sultry pose and then hold up a finger. “Have you always wanted to fake date a blonde?”

He gives me a sideways look and I lift a shoulder .

“No, I have never wanted to fake date a blonde. I love your hair just like it is, but if you ever chose to go blonde, I’d probably love it too because it’d still be you in there.”

He walks back into the closet, leaving me staring after him with my mouth open.

“Let's try on these clothes and see if they work,” he calls. “Maybe we should tell Levi before he sees us this way though.”

“We should definitely tell him, or when he sees you, he's gonna think Pop Pop is here for a visit,” I say and laugh when he groans.

I know this is one of the crazier things we’ve done, but I’m having too much fun to not go all in. Rhodes has thought of everything. To cover Levi’s curls, Rhodes got him a knitted Christmas elf hat. It has ears and everything. I have to pin up the curls hanging below the hat, but that just makes Levi happier. He dances around the living room pretending to grant wishes.

An hour later, we’re pulling onto Jupiter Lane in a truck that Bowie only uses occasionally. Rhodes called to ask if we could borrow it and he came right over. We opened the door and he didn’t recognize us until we started talking, so maybe our disguises will work.

Before we left, we told Levi that we were dressing in costumes for the day, all three of us. And he didn't hesitate, he was all in. Now, when we get him out of his car seat and Rhodes sets him on the sidewalk, he is ready for it. He moves between the two of us and takes our hands.

“Swing?” he says, and my heart tumbles over itself.

It's been so long since I’ve gotten to do this with my boys and I’ve missed it so much. Rhodes and I take Levi by the hand and swing him out between us. He loves it, wanting us to go higher and higher. The elf ears are hilarious, but he still looks so adorable, I can hardly take it. When it starts getting more crowded as we walk toward the area where Santa is set up, Rhodes tells Levi that we've got to stop swinging. He picks him up and puts his arm around me, holding me close.

I feel like part of a couple…a family…and it feels so real. I can't even let my mind fully dwell on how much I want this. Rhodes smiles down at me and we maneuver our way through the crowd.

Silver Hills is my favorite place to be during the holiday season. It’s such a fun combination of whimsical and mystical, with a little bit of the traditional thrown in. Flocked trees are covered in lights and decked with moons and stars, fairies and elves and angels.

We buy hot chocolate from Greer in front of Serendipity and she doesn’t recognize us, but she’s also swamped with customers.

As we move into the line to see Santa, I get a little nervous. If anyone recognizes us, it will be here. Rhodes is impossible to miss. Whether he’s a hot football player or a surfer movie star making poor clothing choices, his height and muscular build demand to be noticed…especially when we are inching forward slowly.

But we make it to the front of the line without anyone saying anything and as we walk up to Santa, I relax. It’s a different Santa this year. It’s usually Mr. Salvador, but I don’t recognize this Santa, and that’s probably for the best.

When we walk up, Santa calls out, “Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas! What a beautiful family!”

Levi isn’t sure what he thinks of Santa. He doesn’t want to sit in his lap, but he doesn’t mind smiling next to Santa while Rhodes holds him .

We pose and then move around to see how we like the pictures. We end up buying a big package and then go shop for a few presents at the Pixie Pop-Up Market. I can't believe Christmas is not even a week away. It hasn’t felt like it this year, but today has definitely helped.

Levi starts getting sleepy, ready for his nap, so we start walking back to the truck. I wouldn’t mind a nap myself, before I have to get ready for tonight. But I pause and clutch Rhodes’ chest. Lisa Harper is walking toward us with her niece.

“Lisa,” I whisper.

“Where?” He shifts us so we’re turned away from the sidewalk and we wait until she’s passed us.

I can only hope that she didn't recognize us, but it would serve me right if she did.

The red gown I’m wearing to the Winter Ball is classy, but it’s what all of the cheerleaders are wearing tonight, so it’s also showing some skin. I’ve never been to this event before, but I’ve heard great things about it. Each year a different charity is selected to receive all the proceeds.

Rhodes is just waking up as I step out of the bathroom. He sits up, sliding his hand over his face.

“You look like a dream,” he says, his voice raspy. “Come here, let me see you.” He takes my hand and I turn around, while he checks me out. “So beautiful.” He looks down at my shoes and whistles. “We can have some fun with those.” His eyes are light when he meets my eyes again.

“Not right now, we can’t.” I laugh, skirting out of his reach .

We came home and put Levi to bed and then crawled into bed ourselves. He gave me two orgasms before we fell asleep, driving into me and saying, “Who looks like Pop Pop now?” And then, “Wait, don’t answer that. That was weird.”

I love that it’s as playful with us in bed as it’s always been…and I love everything else about us in bed too. My body has never felt so worshipped.

“Are you sure I can’t change your mind about driving you into the city?”

“You’re sweet for offering. It’s too risky though. Enjoy your night with Levi. I’d much rather be spending my night with you guys instead of cheesing it all night with a bunch of strangers.”

I lean down and kiss him and back away before his hands convince me to stay a little longer.

I try to stay out of Lisa’s way at the event and am relieved when she doesn’t single me out at any point in the evening. After we do our performance, the other cheerleaders working the event with me spread out and take pictures with anyone who wants to. Security steps in any time people try to touch us, and it’s good because some of these old men are handsy. By the time I’ve taken my last picture, I’m exhausted.

My friends and I huddle together, wishing each other Merry Christmas, and I tell them I’ll see them at practice on Monday. Since there’s a home game a week from Sunday, we don’t have the full week off, just Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We will be back at it the day after Christmas and the rest of the week .

The weather is gross so it takes me a while to get home. When I walk in the door, there are candles going in the living room and a roaring fire in the fireplace. Rhodes is there, waiting up for me.

He strips me down to nothing but the red heels, and I ride him on the rug in front of the fire.