Erik Nolan Ch. 02

II

Victor started the next day by checking on his parents. He told them of the plan to go into town and indulge in some brunch. They were jovial and light-hearted, a total different vibe than yesterday.

As he walked away to get ready himself, he thought that Erik had his parents wrong and overstated their apparent problems. Victor was right: the travel had gotten to them. Time and sleep heals all; that's all they needed.

Victor waited in the main foyer for everyone. Erik came over a minute later and Victor went over his ideas for the day. They would brunch at La Petite Dejeuner, an acclaimed weekend eatery, and then walk along Elm and Stevens for some window shopping -- or real shopping should his parents want. Rather expected of Erik, he wasn't very invested in his housemate's plans. Nonetheless, he gave him a nonchalant 'go ahead'.

Victor's mom appeared next at the top of the steps. Much like the previous day, she wore jean jacket atop a long earthy brown skirt that hid a pair of simple flats.

"Ready to go?" he asked when she reached the landing. Then, curiously noting that his father was not with her, he quizzed, "Where's Dad?"

Amie shrugged. "He changed his mind. He wasn't feeling too well." Despite the news that her husband was unwell, she seemed oddly unbothered.

"Oh." Victor was disappointed his father wouldn't join them, but tried to shrug it off as best he could.

They took Erik's car, a tall SUV. It was an entertaining sight watching Amie, petite as she was, trying to climb into the tank-like vehicle. Erik helped her into the back seat and Victor swore he heard a giggle as she thanked him.

"So, is Dad sick or something?" he quizzed again as they took off, hoping for more info.

"Yeah, he thinks he got something from dinner or something..."

Victor prepared dinner perfectly. There wasn't much to screw up with frozen chicken and boiled pasta. He voiced it to her.

Amie was wishy-washy in her response. "Yeah, well, I'm not sure..."

Erik was silent in this, bringing them to their destination. He drove with one hand directing the wheel. The other hung out the widow, casually and occasionally coming to his mouth to puff his cigarette. Victor wished he wouldn't smoke around his mom, but again she seemed fixed on him.

Reaching the restaurant, Amie filed into the booth first and her son sat down next to her. Erik occupied the other side to himself but sat directly across the older woman. Amie and Erik spent the beginning of the meal in conversation with each other. Amie once again asked about his job. Erik told her about the nature of clients his firm carried and a couple in particular that he took care of. "CEOs, execs, you name it."

Amie's hazel eyes lit up when hearing about these high rollers -- financial district 'hustlers' as Erik called them. The stories of living in penthouses and driving fancy cars -- it was all another world to her. Victor counted about six 'wow's in his mom's responses.

When it came time to reciprocate with information about herself, the stay-at-home woman was a bit less inclined to converse.

"You try to pick up things to do -- hobbies and whatever -- but it gets kind of boring," she laughed off.

Erik stirred his coffee, "That's not a life."

Amie didn't say anything to that.

Victor did. "But you have Vicki and Helen, don't you?" he said, recalling the neighbours that used to come over for coffee when he was growing up.

"Oh gosh," she laughed. "They haven't come over for years!" That was a revelation to Victor. He didn't know his mom was that bored, as she said it.

The waitress came in with their food and asked if they needed anything. They didn't. While she was stepping away, Erik made no attempts to hide his ogling. Her skirt fluttered and her hips wagged. This was typical Erik Nolan behaviour as Victor knew it. He turned his head to catch his mother looking at Erik's behaviour. He expected her to show dismay at this blatant rudeness.

But then she went about enjoyably sampling her food. "Mmm, this is delicious," she said, cutting into her eggs. "Thanks, Erik."

Thanks Erik? Thanks Erik?! It was Victor's idea! Victor had the idea to go out, Victor thought up the plans the night before! Erik didn't even care. Victor looked to his housemate. The arrogant guy just tipped his head at him.

When it came time to pay, the guys jostled a bit on who would cover the bill. Erik was quicker on the draw when the waitress came by, flashing his credit card. Even as she configured the machine for him, Erik was still checking out her lower body. Victor shot him mental daggers. She passed it to him and he grinned, returning to her face.

"You have great set of eyes...and legs, by the way," he said to the server while punching in his card.

The waitress gave him a polite smile and quietly thanked him. He handed it back to her. Desperate to get out of here, Victor rose up first to entice the others up. Before they got going, Amie excused herself to the little girl's room.

While they watched her walk away, Erik nudged him. "Man, what a piece of ass your mom is."

"Don't talk about her like that."

Erik laughed at him. "Or what?"

Victor didn't say anything.

"See, she's desperate. Tired of dad."

"What are you talking about?" he said under his breath.

"He won't show her nothing and doesn't accompany her out. That's a loser," Erik said.

"He's sick," Victor defended, although even he was starting to doubt that.

"Yeah, you tell yourself that."

Fortunately, Erik didn't say anything more. Victor was already bothered; he didn't want to listen to more of his friend, who wasn't being much a friend right now. Amie came back and flashed a smile mostly to Erik, informing them she was ready to go.

They commenced to the promenade. As it should have been, Stevens was busy on this weekend afternoon. Couples and families and friends were all out enjoying the sun. Last out the door, Victor walked behind the other two on the busy and crammed sidewalk. He couldn't shake the feeling of being the odd person out -- a pathetic third wheel, of sorts.

Occasionally his mom stopped in front of a shop and looked inside the window. Victor asked if she wanted to go inside and have a look, but each time the older woman shook her head and said to keep walking. Victor didn't know her to be a huge shopper. She more looked and wished than actually pull out her cash.

Finally, she stopped in front of another boutique. There was some jewelry in the window and a trio of mannequins with stylish clothing. Her brown eyes looked very intrigued. They darted around and sparkled at the fine display. Victor wasn't going to say anything because she would just tell him she was just looking.

Erik did, however.

"Just go inside, Amie," the tall man assertively instructed.

Amie laughed. "Alright, alright, I'm going in...I'm going to do it this time."

Victor didn't get it. She was deaf to his repeated urging. A couple of words from Erik Nolan, however, and she obeyed. What was that?

While Amie and Victor went in, Erik hung back outside to smoke a cigarette. The female sales attendant welcomed them and told them about the store's 'holdings'. Amie rushed between the racks of clothing. Victor joined in with his mom to start. Whatever dress she pulled off the rack, her son asked if she wanted to buy it. He thought he was being helpful and hospitable, but she brushed off every question while continuing to awe at the beautiful fabric. Eventually, he felt out of place trying to shop with his mother and hung out at the front of the store near the door.

Just as he stood, the ringer above the door sounded and Erik stepped in. "I wouldn't bother with her," he warned. "She's just browsing around." He didn't think Erik would've been interested to look at clothes with her anyways, but to Victor's surprise, he moved past him and towards Amie.

Erik shook off his sunglasses and hooked them onto his shirt. As he came to Amie, she showed him a white and black polka dotted dress she had been eyeing.

"What do you think of this?"

"I think it'll look pretty damn sexy on you."

Amie sighed. "Yeah, it would."

"Your husband wouldn't appreciate you in that."

"You're telling me," she laughed. "The first thing he would say is 'How much did that thing cost?' and 'Why do you need that?'"

"What an idiot," Erik boldly called. "It's called looking nice."

"Yeah, and it's been such a long time since I got something nice for myself. I mean, there's just no reason to. Not anymore, anyways."

"You need to treat yourself, Amie,"

Amie pressed the dress to her body and gauged how it looked on her. It did look really good -- maybe even sexy like Erik said. Gosh, it had been a while since she had been described like that. Actually, never. She sighed again. She hooked it back onto the spinning rack. "Yeah, but I couldn't do that.

The older woman made her way over to the jewelry counter. She scanned the shiny trinkets inside before letting out a cry, "Oh my..." She peered in and fixed in on a good necklace with a blue heart shaped pendant. It captivated her.

Erik brushed his hand on her skirt, running it down her hip.

"Oh Erik...I can't..."

"Can't what?" he smiled behind her.

"Can't get that necklace..."

Erik gave the attendant a beckoning look and she came over. "The lady would like to try this necklace on."

As the jewelry piece was taken out of the case and Erik rubbed her side, Amie meekly protested. "Please...I can't..." Truthfully, she was fixated on the blue shine and the sweet caresses on her body.

Erik momentarily took his hands off her to fit it around her neck. Amie lifted her hair and unzipped her jacket, unable to hide her amusement. He leaned in close to connect the clasp. Then, with it set, she dropped her hair. It was naturally centred on her chest.

Amie turned her body to face the mirror on the counter. She briefly touched the pendant. She loved it. Really loved it. Erik's imposing body was behind her. He continued to feel her. She let him.

"The earrings," he then prompted.

They came out of the case. Matching blue stoned studs. Amie didn't say anything. No protest this time. Amie admired them in her palm for a moment; they glimmered in the overhead lights. Amie held them up to the side of her head. She wisped her neck around and emulated the possibility of those jewels dangling and twinkling sexily.

"They look hot on you," the stud behind her commented. He rubbed her lower back.

In an uncharacteristic fit of confidence, she said, "I know."

While she continued her self-admiration, Erik patted her back. "She'll take them," he announced to the clerk.

There were no words about it from Amie. She watched as he pulled out his credit card and handed it to the woman. Her eyes went between his hand and his face -- his confident, stern face.

As the payment wrapped up, Amie went to take them off so they could be placed in their cases. Erik told her to leave the necklace and put on the earrings. The mom complied. "You're the boss," she smirked.

Outside, Victor was loitering around the street, waiting for them to emerge from the shop. He couldn't watch Erik and his mom. He couldn't support it. How could he? Erik was stalking and hunting prey. He hung behind her, said a few things; she was so...receptive! Then came his rich housemate's active hands. He was stroking and feeling his mom! It was highly inappropriate -- this older, married woman and this much younger, much taller womanizer -- in a public place no less! Even the woman patrolling behind the counter looked like she knew something was wrong. Like Victor, she didn't want to say anything.

He had to get out of there. So he hung out on the sidewalk. He was a pacer. He walked up the length of the shop, turned around and did it again. He peered in the window. It looked like they were wrapping up. His mom reached behind her head but then looked to Erik and stopped what she was doing. She was smiling. Then she laughed. Victor shook his head and turned away.

His mom came out first. A bag hung around her wrist. Erik was behind her -- close behind her. The gems around her neck and at the side of her head really shone in the sun. She looked really happy. Victor grimaced at the sight of his friend's hands bracing her back as they stepped on to the street. Without a word to him, they continued on while he tagged behind.

Reaching a large public park, the trio planned to fill out the rest of the afternoon amongst the other revellers of the square. Or at least, Erik planned to do so with Amie.

Victor was about to take a spot beside his mom in some shaded area when an arm pressed into his chest, preventing him from sitting. He looked up at Erik who was holding a folded twenty dollar at him.

"I think your mother would like some ice cream from Ed's. How's about you go fetch us some, eh?"

Victor shook his head. "There's a line out the door, dude. I wouldn't be back for twenty minutes at least."

Erik just shrugged and nonchalantly said, "Alright. If you don't wanna go, that's fine..."

Victor hated that tone. The guilt tone. Yes, his mom was here and his guest so he should do this for her. But it was ridiculous. Frustrated, he grunted and swiped the money out his fingers. "Fine, I'll go. What do you want mom? Cone, bowl, ice cream, gelato, flavours?"

Amie was piqued at the idea of gelato. "Anything chocolate or banana please!"

"Gelato for me too. Mango. And get something for yourself," Erik ordered. Yes, ordered was a good word. Victor was apparently their servant.

Get something for yourself, Victor repeated to himself. That was real nice of him. He silently walked past him on the way to the little ice cream shop. It was good stuff, but very expensive and with a long wait. He sighed again.

Erik waited until he was away and then returned to Amie. She sat back on her hands and eyed the lines of trees and people between. Some were picnicking and leisurely consuming adult beverages.

She turned to the younger man. "Victor went to get the gelato?"

Erik nodded.

"I'm really glad to be here."

"You don't get out much, do you? Not with that asshole of a husband."

Amie laughed, strangely foregoing the comment about Kurt and answering his question with a question of her own. "What gave you that impression?"

"I had a hunch," he nonchalantly mentioned.

"You know, I had to actually convince him to do this visit. Imagine that, seeing your own son needed convincing."

"I know. He's fuckin' awful."

"It wasn't even that he didn't want to see Vic. He just won't go anywhere. Doesn't like the travel, doesn't like the hassle...I don't know."

Amie eyed a quartet of young twenty-somethings passing around a flying disk as she spoke. The girls were pretty; the boys were handsome.

"It never used be like this, you know." She paused to straighten her body. Her face lit up with memories. "You know, in the old days we used to go to and see the big lights of the big city. We used to go to all the discotheques -- that's what they still called them, even though it was 1987 and disco was long over. It was a different time then. They cleaned it up now, but then it was seedy. I mean, we never got into any trouble and weren't big partiers, but wow, that was a great time. Now we're lucky to even get out for a coffee."

"You know what happened, don't ya."

"Yeah, getting old did," she bluntly assessed, attempting a laugh.

"No, he just got lazy and stupid and can't be bothered to take his great wife out for a coffee ," he revised.

Amie didn't say anything to that. "It really started when Vic went away. Which is stupid because you'd think THAT would be the start of our time. Instead things got boring and quiet. More quiet."

She stopped herself and pondered.

"But I mean, we raised a good kid. He went to school, got a job...that's all you want as a parent. We must've done something right."

"Are things really OK or do you tell yourself that?"

That caught Amie off guard. "I...I don't know. What are you saying?"

"You know what I think when I look at you?"

Amie shook her head.

"You're fucking hot, Amie."

"Oh..." Amie nervously laughed. She had never been told that before! She shifted in place. Her legs rubbed up against each other. Erik rubbed her thigh.

"...And you make me hot just looking at you now."

She legs twitched again. "I do...?"

"Yeah. You haven't ever been told that, have you?" he asked, as if reading her mind.

"No...I haven't..."

"I'm going to let you decide, but I think -- no, I know you've wasted your life 'til now."

"I have...?"

"You could be so much more than a boring housewife and you know it."

Erik pulled on her skirt. She watched the fabric run up her leg and expose her calf muscle. Amie was silent, but her mind was getting flustered. Her pussy itched. She was trying hard to keep her hormones down.

"You don't need to be this covered up. A sexy woman like you should be on display."

Amie giggled at that. Her voice then tempered as she teased him, "So what do I do now, Mr. Know-It-All?"

Erik tugged on her skirt more. He leaned into her body. It looked like he was about to kiss her, but he bypassed her face and put his lips to her ear. "Whatever you feel like doing." The younger man pulled out with a grin. Amie saw it and met it with a smile of her own. In that moment, she was getting very excited. The tickle of his words and his voice on her ear made her tingle. He was so confident, so bold. They were sitting so near. If she didn't know any better, she was taking a shameful liking to this younger man. She was nervous too; there was no doubt about that. But something felt so right about it now.

Her focus was broken by the sudden dimming of the sun. She looked ahead and saw a figure -- Victor -- standing before them. He held three white paper bowls. If she looked hard enough, she could've seen his hairy legs quiver a bit. She also could have seen his eyes darting between his hand on her thigh and their close positioning.

"Oh, you're back, eh there Vicky?" Erik announced in his deprecating way. Amie shifted away from him.

Victor stepped in and handed each their gelato and keeping one for himself. Amie scooped a bit of the chocolatey frozen treat into her mouth and down her throat. She licked her lips, tasting the residue. "Mmmmm..." As she watched a foursome throw around a Frisbee, her stomach wasn't the only place that housed her pleasure.

Amie continued the afternoon in the most jovial of moods. The weather was nice, and she liked being around Erik. When they drove back, Erik made sure that she rode in the passenger seat up front with him. She would look over and see the dirty blonde haired man with one arm out the window, casually commanding the steering wheel behind his sunglasses.

Then she would crane her neck up to the rear view mirror and see Victor strapped in the backseat. It had been a while since she saw such a sight. It reminded her that even though he was adult now, Victor was still her son, riding in the backseat during a road trip. That oddly amused her.

Arriving home, dinner was set out to be a barbeque. Erik did the grilling. Shirtless again. He had a beer next to him at all times as well as a cigarette. Victor was quiet. As was his dad, even after a morning and afternoon by himself.

When the Schafer parents retired to their room, only then did Kurt open up to his wife.

"So how'd it go today?" the older man asked.

Despite her good mood, Amie had taken note of her husband's silence. He was a quiet man by nature -- too quiet. And his decision to not take part in the afternoon's activities bothered her. She had not shown it to Victor because she didn't feel up to talking about Kurt's stupidity. It was a silly question to ask how her day was; if he had gone with them, he'd know!