Desire Ch. 89 - Atomic Bombs & Baby Shower

[itztigress3]

Chapter 89 – Atomic bombs & baby showers

POV: Zac

Word Count:  3457
Authors note: This is a crossover chapter with koolies20's story, Not Alone. The chapter link is here and her chapter crosses both 89 and 90 of Desire.

September 14, 2010; Friday

Video conferencing only did so much, so we were going to the studio today. I would be working on laying down vocals with them and she was going to check on the paper work and make sure things were being entered correctly. We were meeting Maddi and Max today as well. Maddi had agreed to take the pictures for us and since she was also coming to the baby shower tomorrow, we made them for Sunday. They were going to stay with Casey for the weekend.

I parked in the lot at 10 and we went inside, our office was spotless but I noticed the hallway hadn’t been vacuumed recently. She didn’t seem to notice and went right to the office.

“I’ll be here for a bit, if you need me just send me a text.”

“Ok.” I kissed her forehead and headed down to the studio. I ran all over boxes at the foot of the steps, it was t-shirts and drum sticks and other stuff. Shouldn’t this stuff be put up? I paused and looked across the warehouse and oh my god, I prayed Emily stayed up-stairs. I made my way carefully through boxes to the studio and I was looking at a message from Alex when I came into the room.

“Dude, what the hell is up with…” I trailed off as I laid eyes on the recording room.

Holy hell, it looked absolutely horrible.  Loose wires and smaller instruments were laying everywhere, the single trash can was overflowing, and bottles and cans were everywhere. It was disorganized, cluttered, and dirty.

“Um, you guys know if Emily sees this and the warehouse, she’s going to blow a fucking gasket, right?”

“But she won’t see either of it Zac, bed rest remember?” Ike said.

Oh...right…they didn’t know she came with me today. I began to tidy up as best I could while talking to them, maybe I could make it presentable at best in case she came down. We just sat down to discuss the plans when I heard a loud crashing noise in the warehouse and the voice I heard screaming was Emily’s. I think I jumped over Isaac to find out what happen. Emily was standing in the middle of broken glasses and this year’s Christmas ornaments, ordered very early because we ran out so quick the year before. She couldn’t move because she didn’t have her shoes on.

“Ems, don’t move.” I said.

“I’m not planning too.” She said.

I started clearing boxes so I could have a clear path and I heard the gasp from Stephanie and Velma, and my brothers and Casey.

“Casey can you go get her shoes, there in the office.”

He ran up and was back before I cleared my path, I finally reached her.

“Are you ok?”

“I know something got the back of my leg, I can feel the blood, but honestly I’m afraid to move.”

I picked her up and she seemed a little shocked as I carried her toward the steps and Casey checked to make sure there was no glass on her feet before I sat her down, there was a cut on the back of her leg which I bandaged up, but as I was cleaning I could feel her shaking.

“How come you didn’t tell me about this? You had to have seen it.” She said.

“Well, I was hoping to have words with them before you and have it fixed.”

The way she was looking at me, meant I wouldn’t have to say shit, she was about to herself and by the look on her face and the shaking it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

I put her shoes back on when I was done and helped her back up. I stood in her view and rubbed her arms.

“Ems, I can handle this. Just go back up-stairs.”

She nodded and walked up the steps and I turned to look at them.

“You all realize that she could have fallen and gotten seriously hurt or worse, hurt the baby? I know damn well that our absences haven’t been that long and that none of you forgot what the fuck to do.”

All of the employees were there. “We’ve been working on putting it up.” Velma said.

“These boxes are dated a month ago; they should have been put up then!”

“Zac…” Taylor said.

“No Taylor, what if it was Penny? That is fucking glass sitting stacked seven high! What if it were one of the kids walking through when they fell? There is no fucking excuse for this; YOU should have been handling this.”

“Zac, that wasn’t…behind you.” He said.

I turned and saw Emily standing there with a clip board and pink sheets of paper, fucking hell those were separation notices!

“I think I am going to safely assume that the studio is filthy considering your offices look like tornadoes went through them.” She said.

“The studio is spotless.” Casey said.

Isaac actually slapped him in the back of the head. “You need to read the book on how not to piss off women.”

“Your assumption is correct.” Taylor said.

“Why?”

It was such a simple question really but when no one said a word I got worried, I mean really what had occurred that was so important they couldn’t keep up with basic cleaning? Does it really take that long to take the trash out?

“So, not one of you can answer that question?”

“We’ve been busy writing and recording what we can.” Taylor said.

“But you can’t be that busy Taylor, Zac’s your drummer and you need him as well. So, why would the studio be a pig sty?”

“We’ve been busy! I mean damn we can’t lie down all day.” Casey snapped.

Taylor and Isaac both slapped him. “Shut up.” They said.

She stood there a moment before looking at Stephanie. “What about the warehouse? You’ve done well with the paperwork or I wouldn’t have come down. So, what’s the reason for this bullshit?”

Again, they had no answer which meant there was no reason and it was just laziness, but looking at Emily with the pink slips on her board wasn’t good. I turned and started to say something and she just laid her finger on my lips and shook her head. Fuck!

I just sat down on the stairs and looked at the floor; this was going to be bad.

“So, I’m just going to assume there is no reason for why the studio is dirty and why the warehouse looks like a truck arrived ten minutes ago and delivered enough stuff to last a year. I mean really is there anything, any of you can say?”

I had seen and been part of the last explosion she had and sure enough it had started the same way this had, the warehouse was filthy and she’d been calm for a bit. I was honestly afraid though because I am sure the same thoughts occurred to her, what if she’d fallen and hurt her or the baby? What if the box had fallen on one of the little ones? Casey’s snarky little comments were pissing me off and I was wondering if I needed to remind him of who his bosses were, but it turns out I didn’t have too. When no one answered the question and no one said a word she’d calmly nodded and stood there a moment and then erupted.  I sat beside her quietly feeling kind of sorry for them. She was just getting started when I got up and went to let Maddi and Max inside the building. They were here for a tour but given her current mood they may not get it today. I was waiting outside when Max pulled up and parked, I watched him help Maddi out of the car and I smiled.

“Hey you two!”

“Hey!” Max said.

Maddi smiled. “Hello Zac. May I please use your bathroom? Riley is using my bladder as a seat right now.”

Shit. I was going to wait for her to end but I couldn’t deny her a bathroom. “Sure.”

I unlocked the door and the screaming assaulted us all and I saw shock on their faces.

“Who is that screaming?” Max asked.

“Unfortunately that’s my wife, right this way Maddi. The bathroom is the second door.”

Her eyes got big and she grinned. “Girls got some lungs on her, don’t ever wanna be the one to piss her off.”

She laughed a little and so did I.

“No shit, this isn’t our first rodeo with her temper, we do try to limit them though but this is worse than anything I’ve seen. I think it was the falling boxes with glass, because she got cut and if it were one of the babies…”

We all went inside and she went down to the door and went inside, Max and I waited in the hallway while she did her business.

“Wow, she’s laying into someone.” Max said.

“That would be Casey, my brothers, and our employees. I apparently escape this lynching because I have been home with her.”

“Consider yourself lucky then.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you excited for the baby?”

“I am. What about you?”

He seemed nervous and uncomfortable. “I know I’m not the father, but I am really excited to meet Riley. My friend having a baby is probably as close as I will get to ever having a child.”

I smiled. “Not totally Max. I mean, you can adopt or do surrogates when you find Mr. Right.”

He smiled weakly and I decided that was probably something stupid to say, so I stayed quite as we waited on Maddi. I wouldn’t take them to the warehouse but we did go to the end of the hallway. It was even louder here and she was standing above them all.

“I don’t give a fuck! You are all fucking responsible for this disaster zone! Someone could get fucking killed with the way these boxes are stacked and I am fucking sure inventory is fucked again and there is no fucking excuse for it!” She screamed.

Stephanie tried to say something but stopped.

“Shut it! There is nothing you can say that fixed this mess beyond getting off your asses and doing it!”

“You should take your own advice.” Casey snapped.

I started to go down there and slap him myself or better drag him to the office and use the paddle I was sure was still there but she literally pulled him to her.

“You need to go to my office and sit your ass there. Because if you fucking think I should have been in this place while I couldn’t even sit up then maybe you need to know what it feels like to sit there all fucking day.”

She then pointed up the stairs, she literally fucking meant it? Holy hell! When he didn’t move she leaned in and said something no one heard but I am sure I know what it was, his eyes got wide and when she let go, he came up the steps.

“Hey guys, I’m sorry.” He said.

Maddi and Max both gave him sympathetic looks. “It’s ok.” They said.

“GO!” She snapped. Casey jumped and went down to our office; I would definitely need to speak to her, because she was far too angry to do what I think she was planning.

We stood there and waited for her to be done and when she was done screaming at the top of her lungs at them, she’d literally threatened to fire every single one of them at least twice and Isaac and Taylor were smart not to point out she worked for us, not the other way around. They just stood there and listened. When she was done screaming and yelling everyone dispersed when she told them too, most going for cleaning supplies and putting up stuff. I surely hope in the future, I never am on the receiving end of one of those bombs. It was Hiroshima size and made her previous explosions pale in comparison. She walked over to us calmly though and smiled.

“Hey Max, Maddi. It’s good to see you guys again.” She said.

My jaw dropped, she sounded so pleasant and nice. What just happened? Maddi and Max looked a little shocked as well but Maddi went in for a hug, but being as they were both very pregnant ended with a side hug after a good laugh.

“Hey!” Maddi said.

Max stuck with the side hug, he must have been a little afraid and they said hello too.

“Zac, you can show them around but please be careful as there currently working on removing death traps. I need to take care of Casey I’m sure you won’t mind.”

“Um, can I speak to you first alone. Maddi, Max if you’ll please wait here she is right our employees slacked a bit and I would rather you not be down there without one of us.”

“Not a problem.” Maddi said and Max agreed.

I lead Emily to the small room we used for storage and closed the door.

“What are you going to do to Casey?”

“Well, your belt is still there right?” She asked.

“Yes, but really Emily don’t you think you’re a little too pissed off to do that?”

“Do you really want to be testing that theory? You escaped this time Zac, you haven’t been here but don’t make it worse for you.”

“I’m just saying, you aren’t normally this mad or this upset. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret later today.”

She looked at me for a few moments. “Fine, I’ll calm down first.”

I kissed her forehead. “Well, his remarks deserve your attention but he wasn’t the only one and they need him to help clean.”

She smiled. “I told him a hundred just to scare the hell out of him, but I believe I am going for twenty to thirty, I mean he’s stressed and tired and I know that. He has sat there for a while pondering and wondering and thinking, so maybe just our usual twenty.”

I giggled some at that. “Damn Emily, no wonder he looked white as a sheet. Ok, I’ll show them around.

We walked out and I went to Max and Maddi and she went to the office.

“Um, is Casey going to be ok?” Max asked.

“Well, aside from the employees slacking he made some rather snippy comments about her laying down the last few weeks. It didn’t set well and instead of calling him out in front of everyone, she wanted to talk to him alone. He should be fine.”

Max grinned some and we helped Maddi down the steps to the warehouse.

“I sincerely apologize; our warehouse is usually much cleaner and much more organized. Maddi, please be careful.

“I will.” She replied.

We quickly went through the main warehouse; there really isn’t much to see in there beyond our employees getting stuff done for a change. The lobby was also pretty bare as far as excitement went.

“Who took these photos?” Maddi asked.

“Um, the one of me there Emily took when I asked her to marry me. She also took the group picture there but the other’s Taylor took.”

“Taylor has a good eye for detail, Emily does as well.”

Max and I waited as she went to each one and looked at them.

“She’s a photograph nut.” Max said.

“Emily mentioned it.”

When she was done admiring I took them to the studio, where there were more pictures but Max got all excited seeing the drums, keyboards, and guitars. It was clear he liked music and she liked photos. I split my time between them, Maddi was interested in who or where photos were taken and I eventually had to call Taylor out because I didn’t know. But Max and I had a good conversation on music and its related aspects.

Emily and Casey returned and he didn’t look like he’d enjoyed his punishment at all, he went straight to the studio and she came to me.

“Ems?” I asked.

“I found something better.”

I smiled and knew she’d found the paddle, which explained Casey’s look. She took Maddi and Max up to the office to show them more of Taylor’s pictures and hers. I walked to the recording room and sat down, watched Casey clean.

“Dude, did you really think she’d ignore those comments, or that I would?”

He smiled faintly. “It was a dick move Zac and I’m sorry about that.”

“I know you have company and we can discuss this later if you want.”

He looked at me and the door. “There’s nothing to discuss, I was just tired and stressed and I said things I didn’t mean.”

“Why say them? I mean seriously, were you trying to piss her off?”

He put some more empty cans in a bag and looked at me. “No. I know her being that upset is bad for her and the baby. I was trying to piss YOU off.”

“Me? Why the hell would you want to piss me off Casey? You know my temper doesn’t consist of yelling.”

He just looked at me but neither of us seen Emily at the door but we both looked when she closed it.

“He was trying to piss you off so you’d be the one to come to my office bend him over the desk and spank him.”

She walked over to us. “Maddi and Max are ready to go to your house now. She said she needs to change before dinner and she wants to rest a while too. I agree. If you wish go ahead and take them to the house.”

“But you told me I couldn’t leave until this was cleaned.”

She smiled at him. “Oh you’re cleaning this room alone. I’ve sent Taylor and Isaac to their offices to catch up. But, Maddi and Max are here and you need to be a good host. So, I’ll forgive this until Monday. However, I will come in Monday afternoon and is this room is not spotless …” she trailed off.

Casey looked up at her. “Do I really want to know the rest of that sentence?”

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Let’s just say you wouldn’t be able to sit down at all when Zac got done.”

He swallowed hard and nodded. “It’ll be clean.”

She smiled and we all got up, we agreed to come up at 5:30 for dinner, but we needed to finish stuff here so Casey took them up to the house. Emily went to the office and I went to paint something, she was sideways sitting and I know it was to watch them.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m ok. We do have ginger ale right?”

“Yes and crackers.”

She bit her lips and looked at me. “Seriously Emily? You cannot be thinking that now.”

“I can close the blinds, there is a sofa.”

I looked at her and fuck I couldn’t say no, so I got up and locked the door, closed the blinds and let her do whatever she wanted. Afterwards, we went to dinner with Casey, Maddi, and Max. Dinner was pleasant and nothing strange happened, we crashed early because the baby shower was scheduled for 12. We’d also given Maddi the huge basket of stuff Emily had picked out.

The baby shower went well. Natalie had come over and decorated and Taylor, Zac, and Ace grilled out and it was more like a family reunion because there were men here but people had fun. Max and Zac had a bottle drinking competition which Max won by 4 ounces, when it came to changing diapers though Walker was a beast and beat everyone by a long shot. Tasting baby food went to Zander and he said it was because he’d been spit up on at hospital enough to know the difference between peas and green beans. We did get a lot of what we would need, but we would need more than what we got, which was fine we would plan a trip and do it at once.

The biggest gift was a toy box from my dad, they’d had it custom built and designed it with animals, apparently they’d asked Zac what he was doing. They would add his name once we had it chosen.

Maddi had taken pictures and people asked when she was due as well, she was fast approaching and looked stunning as normal. Between her and Taylor I am sure we got a billion photos.