Ride (Reposted)

Present Day
Jamie could smell the spices the second he went into the garage, putting his golf clubs away and Jordie placing his in Jessica's SUV.

Leading his brother and Tyler into the house it was like being hit by a wall of aromas, finding the girls getting food prepped for their preseason barbecue and house warming party. His mouth started watering instantly, finding her making a hummus dip.

"There you three are. Jamie can you put that freezer bag in the fridge in the garage. The steaks need to marinate." Emily asked as he pressed his lips against the back of her head.

"Yes ma'am. Your not ready yet?" He asked.

"No I've been prepping all morning. Once you do that I need you three to carry out the plastic tables in the back of my truck and set them up by the barbecue. Brenden and Cody didn't join you guys?"

"Yes honey. And they were busy getting things ready for the party. What time are we expecting everyone to start showing up?"

"Innnn. Oh shit like two hours." He could see it in her eyes that she was going to go into panic mode.

"Em, we got most of this done. Do I need to wine you?" Jess assured her.

"Yes wine her!" Tyler yelled as Jordie snorted.

Emily gave him a dirty look as she reached for her glass of wine, and Jamie decided to save his brother and Tyler from the hurl of chirps he was about to get, yanking them back out through the garage and opening the tail gate to her pick up.

Several hours later he was standing duty at the grill, making sure the last batch of her kabobs of Persian and Greek variety were done to perfection as he watched her move around the yard, making sure everyone was comfortable and had food on their plates. She still knocked the wind out of him, dressed in a white sundress and her cowboy boots. It made her look even more tanned then what she already was, her brown hair shiny and straight down to the middle of her back.

"This is a great house you have." He heard Ali's friend Kaitlyn come up beside him.

"Thanks, it made for a long summer with the renovations but I'm glad it's done." He smiled at her, she was tall.

She started to twirl her blonde hair around her finger, "Who did it? I'd love to have them design my apartment."

"My girlfriend, Emily, the one in the white dress, designed the whole thing. Top to bottom. There are still some things missing but it's done other wise." Jamie couldn't hide the pride in his voice, despite the frown that came across Kaitlyn's face.

"Is she an interior designer?"

"Kind of I guess, she's designing the new Michael Kors store in New York and she's head of Merchandising for Fossil too." Jamie shrugged.

"She sounds like she's always away a lot."

He felt Emily wrap her arms around his waist before piping up, "he's away just as much so it works itself out."

"And these smell amazing. Did you make them Jamie?" Kaitlyn changed the subject.

"Only grilled them. She prepped them, an old Persian family recipe she has." Jamie kissed the top of Emily's forehead.

"Wow. I'm going to go get an refill excuse me." Kaitlyn excused herself, holding up her glass.

"I think those are done." Emily smiled up at him.

"That they are." Jamie went back to the grill as she handed him a plate so he could load it up.

He heard her mutter "She was flirting with you."

"No she wasn't." He leaned down to assure her with a kiss.

"Yes she was, she was undressing you with her eyes."

"And you undress me with your hands every night. Are you a little jealous?" He turned to face her.

She bit her lip, "Maybe a little bit."

"It's kinda hot when your jealous." He grazed his lips against hers again.

"Let's not make it a regular thing. Do you want a drink?"

"A rye and ginger would be nice. If you don't mind?"

"Not at all. Single or double?" He watched her hands make the signal for double.

"Single please."

It was going to be a double anyways, closer too maybe a triple the way she made her drinks.
"Double coming right up." She winked, standing on her tip toes to give him a kiss on the cheek before taking off for the house.

"Babe! Just a single!" He called after her.

"Can't tell a country girl to make 'em weak! Or else your man card will be revoked!" She called back.

That earned a few chirps from some of their guests as Jamie laughed.

***

Emily darted quickly to the garage to pull a can of ginger ale out of the fridge, finding her box of cigarettes Jamie hid on her in the back of it.

He could wait for his rye and ginger. She pulled the carton of Marlboro Reds out of the fridge, pulling one out of the carton and exiting out the side door.

Her coffee can was emptied too, Jamie must have found it and emptied it at some point as well.
They both tried to quit their nicotine habits moving into the house and they were both failing. Emily only smoked when she was stressed or drinking so she had a leg up on Jamie, who constantly had a dip in after going a month without it.

Lighting her cigarette she enjoyed the relaxation it brought to her.

That Kaitlyn girl had more intensions and she felt the need to make sure Kaitlyn knew he was hands off.

Finishing her cigarette she put the butt in the coffee can and retreated back inside, locking the barely used door. Grabbing the can of ginger ale again she looked at the elaborate hookah her grandparents had sent as a gift, debating on pulling it out or not. It was something to ask Jamie.

Making her way back into the kitchen she mixed his drink, hearing voices around the corner in the wine room.

"No one said she was, you know. One of those." She heard Kaitlyn say.

She knew what she was referring too.

She heard Ali respond with "What do you mean one of those?"

"You know. A Paki. Where's her head wrap?"

Oomph there it is. Emily felt her blood boil. She was used to being called things like that, she's heard every name in the book, but under her own roof was a different story.

"She's Persian. And Greek, and Scottish. She has no need to wear a hijab." Tyler corrected her.

Tyler was such a sweetheart. A fuckboy, but a sweetheart. She often referred to him as her adopted son, just to get him wound up.

Helping herself to a tallboy of Johnny Appleseed cider she headed outside to deliver Jamie his drink, finding him talking to Jason and Jennifer Spezza.

"You made such delicious food. I think it put everyone to shame." Jennifer smiled at her as she embraced her in a quick hug.

"Oh no I didn't, your pulled pork sliders are amazing!" Emily assured her as she felt Jamie's hand on her back, "sorry we couldn't do lunch or supper this week, I've been super busy with work."

"That's fine. Your house is beautiful."

"Thanks." Jamie smiled as Emily leaned into his side.

"Is that beef on the kabobs? They're delicious." Jason asked.

Emily grinned, "Nope. It's deer meat. It was a beef recipe but I alternated it out for deer. It's a little healthier I find, wild game is."

"And you got it from a meat market?" Jennifer asked as Jason choked on a piece of the meat.

"Nope. Shot it myself with my bow last weekend."

Jennifer's eyes widened as Jamie explained that Emily was an avid hunter.

Once the party died down a bit and everyone who wasn't crashing at their place had left safely Jamie and Emily had finally retreated to bed.

As she pulled the blankets back and took the throw pillows off the bed she could feel Jamie's eyes on her as he leaned against the doorframe to their washroom. Sans shirt.

"What's on your mind?" He asked.

She shrugged, "Nothing's on my mind. I'm tired."

"Something's buggin you."

"Unzip me?" She smiled, walking over to him and turning so her back was to him, so he could fulfill her request.

"Is it to do with Kaitlyn hitting on me?" He slid her dress off her shoulders, massaging them.
She relaxed instantly under his touch.

"No. I'm used to girls wanting to jump your bones."

"Then what is it?" She felt him press his lips to the back of her head, something he loved doing.

"It's getting called the P word under my own roof, followed by being asked where my hijab was." She confessed.

Jamie stopped massaging. He pulled the rest of her dress off before leading her to their bed.
His brow was furrowed as he sat down positioning her so she was standing between his legs, "Who said it?"

"Kaitlyn. To be honest, She doesn't seem that bright. And Tyler and Ali corrected her. It wasn't to my face or else it would have been a bigger issue." Emily crossed her arms.

"Still. I don't appreciate it when my girlfriend gets called derogatory terms under our roof."

"It's fine. It's something that I'm used too. Have you seen the Instagram comments lately?"

"And that's why I block every single one of those people. It's something I'm not used to and it's not fair."

He grabbed her hips and pulled her closer.

"You could just change your profile to private like your brother and that way you don't have to block anyone."

"I could. But I want the world to see how beautiful my girlfriend is." He kissed her stomach.
That made her smile. He always knew how to make her smile even when she was in a crumby mood.

She ran her fingers through the unkept mess of his hair before placing her hand on his cheek as he smiled up at her.

"Have I ever told you how sweet you are?"

He pretended to think for a minute, before wrapping his arms around her waist, "Nope."

"I'm pretty sure I have."

"Umm, I don't think so."

"Sweeter then sweet tea." She laughed as his scruff tickled her stomach.

She always preferred him unshaven, she loved how his three or four day beard looked and felt against her skin.

He pulled her onto his lap, kissing her deeply.

"Good. I love you."

"I love you too." She kissed him again.

Notes