Nick rolled the shopping cart down the one aisle he didn't really want to....the dreaded cookie aisle. Brayden sat in the cart, looking hungrily at the variety of cookies as they passed him. "Daddy? Those?"
Nick sighed, "Brayden, I bought candy already.."
"But these are cookies daddy..."
"Maybe one day we'll try to cook some..," He said continuing down the aisle. 'Yea right..I can barely cook Campbell's soup in the microwave without burning it.,' He thought wryly.
Brayden crossed his arms in front of him and pouted, "Daddddyyyy.."
"No, Brayden..."
Nick parked the cart in front of the cereal section and had to pass one or two people before he could get to the cereal that Brayden would eat, Honeycombs. He picked up a box, wincing slightly at the price, and walked back to the cart. "What the...," He trailed off..Brayden wasn't in the cart.
Nick pushed the cart and turned it around, going back towards the cookie aisle, knowing that's where he went. And oh would that child be in trouble when his father finally caught up with him.
Sure enough, there was Brayden in the cookie section pondering what box to grab. And next to him stood a very pretty woman, whom Nick thought looked slightly familar. "Brayden!"
The little boy turned and his blue eyes grew wide, "Uh oh..," he muttered.
The woman smiled, "I take it he belongs to you?"
Nick reached the two and nodded, "Yes...I'm sorry he bothered you."
"Oh, he didn't bother me at all..I was just tellin' him that Cookie Crisps are SO much better than Oreos."
Brayden put his hands on his hips and looked at the woman as if she were crazy, "They are not...daddy, tell her!"
Nick rolled his eyes, "Whatever, cookies are cookies Brayden..and didn't I tell you no cookies this time?"
Brayden sighed, "But daaaaad"
Nick picked him up and set him in the cart, "Nope..especially not now. We'll see about Grandma cookin' some this weekend, k?"
Brayden sighed, "Fine."
Nick turned to the woman, "Again, I'm really sorry."
The woman shook her head, some of her hair coming to rest over her shoulders gently, "Not a problem..I kinda saw him wanderin' around and didn't want some strange person grabbin' him or something.."
"Thanks..he kinda had me freaked...he usually doesn't do that."
"But, cookies call, huh?"
Nick smiled, "Pretty much...but thank you again.."
She nodded, "Not a problem.."
Nick turned back to the cart and began to push it, Brayden waved to the woman, "Bye! And Oreo's are better!"
Nick heard the woman laugh; it was deep yet very feminine...very sexy. He frowned slightly..he hadn't thought like that...well..in awhile. "Am I in trouble when I get home?"
Nick looked down at his son, he already knew it'd be too hard to punish the kid, "No..you're bein' good for right now..just don't run off like that again, alright? You scared me."
"Ok..I sorry."
Nick ruffled his hair slightly, "It's okay..just don't do it again."
They stood in the checkout line a little while later behind some guy and in front of him was some old woman who had about a billion things and was taking forever. Brayden was beginning to get antsy to leave, and was beginning to wear on Nick's nerves.
"Hello again."
He turned to see the woman from earlier behind him with a basket full of things as well, "Hello..do much grocery shopping?"
"I should be asking you the same thing..do you have an army livin' at your house or what?," She said motioning to the cart where his son sat.
Nick smiled, "With my friends, pretty much."
"Well, I get that. But, I just bulk up on stuff so I don't have to go out as much.."
"Sounds like a good plan."
"Usually..you know....you look really familar..."
Nick panicked a tad bit on the inside...she recognized him? Oh great...bet she wants an autograph or a picture. "Were you at Club Chaos a couple nights ago?"
Nick felt himself relax and he nodded, "Yea.."
"That's where I recognize you from...you were there with some guy with funky hair and tattoos?"
Panic momentarily filled him again, Oh good God! That was the woman who caught him staring at her! 'Just let the floor open up and swallow me, please!,' he thought.
He nodded, weakly, "Yea..that was me.."
"I'm Jordyn."
"Nick, nice to meet you."
She smiled, "You too."
"I'm Brayden!"
She laughed, "Well, it's very nice to meet you Brayden..did you help your dad with shopping??"
Brayden nodded, "Yep..still didn't get no cookies though.."
"Oh darn, well, maybe next time?"
"Maybe!"
She smiled, "How old is he?"
"Four."
"Wow, you're a big boy.."
"I know."
"Are you from around here?," Nick asked as he began to place his items on the scanner.
She shook her head, "I actually just relocated here about six months ago..I lived in Miami and Indiana before that..you?"
"I've lived here practically my entire life.."
"It's a great town..I'm usually not a partier or anything like that...but those girls I was with the other night, they're some of my co-workers and dragged me out...claiming I was anti-social.."
"Sounds like my friends. That was the first time I'd been to a club in ages.."
"Well, I suspect having a kid kinda dampers the club-hopping.."
Nick smiled, "Yea...that's true.."
Brayden decided to speak up again, "You're pretty Jordyn."
She smiled as Nick rolled his eyes, "Well thank you..least some guy thinks so."
Nick paid with his debit card and waited for the cashier to hand him his reciept, "It was nice talking with you Jordyn."
"You too, it was nice to meet you."
He nodded, "Yea, you too. Say bye Brayden."
Brayden waved, "Bye Jordyn!"
She laughed as Brayden continued to wave, "bye Brayden."
Nick walked out into the parking lot, finding his car quickly. He put Brayden in the backseat in his car seat and began to load the groceries into the back. Brayden started to talk as soon as Nick started the Durango and backed out, "She was pretty, huh dad?"
"Yea..she was."
"She was nice too.."
"Yea...she was.."
"Daaaadd..don't tell me you don't think she was pretty."
"Brayden, she's very pretty...but I think a little out of my league...plus, I doubt we'll see her again.."
"She was still nice."
Nick smiled as he concentrated on the road, "Yea..she was."
"You met her before."
"Yea..when I went out with AJ and Brian and Howie and Kevin over the weekend.."
"Ohhhh.."
"We still on for Disney?"
"DUH!"
Nick chuckled, "I figured as much."
AJ and Brian held tightly to each of Brayden's hands as he swung from them every few steps or so with a loud "WHHEEEEEEE!" which caused both men to chuckle. Finally, the weekend had arrived and the two older men had joined Nick and Brayden at Disney. Nick had gone to get them something to drink and the two others had the responsibility of keeping the four year old entertained for a few minutes.
"AJ?"
"Yea, little man?"
Brayden looked up at AJ, "Where's daddy?"
"Went to go get us something to drink..let's go sit over there and wait, ok?"
Brayden nodded and Brian swung him up on his back and they walked over to a bench nearby. Brayden laughed as Brian told a funny story about something that had happened to his father when he was younger.
Nick came back carrying bottles of water for everyone and handed them out before taking his seat right before Brayden crawled into his lap. "So, what's next?"
"Tower of Terror!," Brayden exclaimed.
All three men groaned and Nick shook his head, "We've been on that twice Brayden.."
"But daaaadd..."
"Braaaayden, no...come on, we can get across the park just in time for the parade?"
"Ok!"
Nick let out a sigh of relief as he deterred Brayden from the Tower of Terror ride again. Once was way too many for him. Brayden just had to have a piggyback ride and climbed on his father's back, wrapping his arms around his neck.
They reached the parade route right after it started and got a prime spot near the street. Brayden climbed down and stood in front of his father so he could see. Nick rested his hands on his son's shoulders, watching the familar Disney characters as they waltzed by.
Brian nudged AJ and motioned towards the two and leaned over to him, "He's done good.."
AJ nodded, "Yea...look at them, they look like twins!"
Brian chuckled quietly, "Yea..they do.."
AJ crossed his arms in front of him, "Glad the kid looks like Nick and not like her..."
Brian looked at AJ, "J...don't be like that..Kate was okay."
"Yea..till she decided she couldn't take care of the kid and left him with a 21 year old that could barely take care of himself.."
"Nick's doin' fine, man.."
"Yea..but he didn't know shit about babies except from what he learned with his brother and sisters.."
Brian nodded, "Yea..he learned quick."
"Look! It's Kevin!"
All three men looked up to see a man dressed as Aladdin rolling by on a 'magic carpet'. They exchanged a look before laughing. Nick looked at Brian, "You told my son about Kevin being Aladdin??"
Brian shrugged, "Yea...you gotta admit, it's funny!"
Brayden giggled and wrapped his arms around his fathers legs, "Kevin was Aladdin!"
Nick laughed before helping Brayden onto his back, "Yea..he was...we'll have to find some pictures when we get home."
"Tower of Terror!"
All three men groaned...not again.
Nick packed a sleepy Brayden into his car that he had left at Brian's house. He closed the door and turned to his friends, "Thanks for comin' guys..it was fun..even though we did have to put up with the Tower of Terror one too many times."
AJ groaned, "Yea..I'm never goin' on that thing EVER again."
Brian laughed, "Yea..it's a little rough after two or three times, Nick."
"I know..I'm gonna get goin' I guess.."
AJ nodded, "Yea..me too..I'm apparently cookin' dinner for Sarah tonight."
"oooo..scary thought there man."
AJ rolled his eyes, "Y'all just don't know good cooking when you taste it."
Nick smiled, "Maybe cause you never cook anything good."
"Whatever..I'll talk to you all later."
"Bye man."
"Yea, bye J."
AJ left, leaving Brian and Nick alone. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yea Bri..I'm fine, really. We still on for basketball Monday?"
"Yea..Monday morning."
Nick rolled his eyes, "Yea, uh huh..we'll see about that...but ok."
"Alright..I better get in, be careful goin' home."
Nick nodded, "I will."
Give the kid a hug for me later."
"I will..talk to you later."
"Bye Nick."
It took Nick a minute or two to get from the car into the house and up the stairs into Brayden's room with Brayden in his arms. But he managed to do it, all the while locking the car door and setting the alarm and locking the front door behind him once he actually got inside.
Brayden woke up, a little bit, and sat up a bit, "We home?"
"Yea..here's your pj's, need some help?"
Brayden nodded, yawning and Nick laughed, "Alright..feet first."
Brayden held out his feet and Nick un-did the shoelaces and pulled them off along with his socks, tossing them behind him. "Stand up."
Brayden stood up, yawning again, and Nick pulled off his shirt and shorts before helping him into his Blues Clues pajamas and tucking him in. "Have fun today, buddy?"
Brayden nodded, "Yea..daddy, thanks.."
Nick kissed his forehead, "No problem, I had fun too..sleep tight, ok?"
"K..night, night daddy.."
"Night Brayden."
Nick made sure his nightlight was on before turning off the light on his nighttable and closing the door behind him gently.
He wandered into his own room, throwing his clothes towards the hamper that was beginning to overflow with dirty clothes itself. He yawned loudly, rubbing his hand messily though his hair.
Nick did his thing before crawling under the covers and turning off the light. He was so tired, he barely hit the pillow before he was asleep.
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