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Chapter Text

August is always one of the busiest times of year for me. It never fails to be high stress. I work in the marketing division of an up and coming magazine in Brooklyn. Our biggest issues run during the fall months, just in time for consumers to be thinking about holiday purchases. My work load tends to double during this time of year. Later hours, multiple coffee runs, and grumpy bosses just about sums it all up for me. And that isn't even taking in to account my personal life...

Tensions are running high between me and my boyfriend Aiden. My relationship with Aiden is hard to describe. At first, I started dating him because it's what I thought I should be doing. He fit my plan. Well, not my plan per say. He was exactly the kind of man that my intrusive, meddling mother would approve of. He came from a good family, had a great job, and he was definitely pretty on the surface. Aiden looks good on paper... But I've recently come to the realization that being good on paper may not be enough for me. To be honest, he bores me. He doesn't challenge me at all. Well, at least not in a good way. He definitely challenges my patience. Ever since I got this promotion at work he has been acting like a whining, petulant child. I'm not home as often as I used to be so things aren't getting done. The laundry piles up. He eats take out all the time or goes to his parents' for dinner. And heaven forbid he clean a dish! But what really gets under my skin is his attitude towards our finances. Before I got this job we shared everything. He liked that he was able to take care of me. That was actually a quality that I really enjoyed about him. Now that I'm making more money than him the words yours and mine have been getting tossed around quite a bit. It's seeping into a lot of different areas of our relationship. Even in the bedroom it's like he needs to prove that he's head honcho. Insecurity is not an attractive quality. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to stay in this relationship and still be able to walk away with my sanity. I'm hoping I can stick it out for one more month. This may sound awful, but my mother's family reunion is coming up and I need him to be my date. There is no way in hell I am showing up to that thing sans escort. My mother would never let me hear the end of it. Not to mention all the probing questions I'll get from distant relatives that I haven't seen in 10 years. Having Aiden with me would serve as a buffer. And like I said, he looks good on paper. It would be enough to keep the wolves at bay.

As I sat in my office contemplating my agonizing future with Aiden, my boss walked around the corner. "Wheeler?! You have those new concepts for the Web design finished yet?"

I patted the stack of folders in front of me on my desk. "Yes sir. I finished up about an hour ago."

He gave me a proud smile. "Good girl!" I hated when he talked to me like that but he was harmless so I didn't say anything. "You've worked your ass off this week Brooke. That hasn't gone unnoticed. Why don't you pack it up early today. Start your weekend a little early."

"Thank you sir. I think I'll take you up on that."  I had never heard a better idea in my life.

When he turned to leave my office I started to gather my things. I was shoving the last few items into my bag when I heard my phone buzzing against the desk. Anxiety crept into my chest. It was probably Aiden calling to hassle me about God knows what. As I read the name flashing across the screen, the anxiety faded and was replaced with a warm smile. It was my best friend Nicole.We met in college and have been thick as thieves ever since.

I answered with enthusiasm. "Hey Nic! What's up?"

She sounded relieved to hear my voice. "Oh thank goodness! I didn't expect you to answer. I know you are probably swamped at work, but is there any way that you could pick Jaxsen up from preschool today? Milo is on set and they just rescheduled the meeting with my editor for 4:00."

The thought of spending the afternoon with Jaxsen brightened by day substantially. I may be biased considering he's my godson, but he was the cutest damn kid I'd ever seen. "Actually, I'd love that Nicole. I've got the afternoon off so it works out perfect."

"Thank you so much Brooke. You're a lifesaver! Meet you at the house around 6:00? Milo and I should both be home by then. You could stay for dinner. Maybe invite Aiden over for a home cooked meal so he'll stop his bitching?"

I had to laugh at her comment. I wasn't the only one who had noticed Aiden's attitude. "Yeah, sounds good. See you then."

I called Aiden from the car on my way to pick up Jaxsen. He didn't sound overly enthused about dinner but he agreed to come. Sometimes there was just no pleasing him...

I pulled up in front of the school and made my way up to where all the other parents were waiting. The schoolyard was alive with squeals and laughter. I was getting increasingly more uncomfortable as more and more kids filed out of the building. Kids are not my thing. I've never been a kid person and I have no intention of being a mother. I was more suited for the role of cool aunt. Nothing pushed my buttons more than trying to deal with children. Well, except maybe Aiden and of course my mother. Jaxsen was the exception to the rule. Jaxsen was my little man. There was just something speacial about that kid. The only time I ever second guessed my No Kids Policy was when I was with Jaxsen. If I could guarantee that my kid would turn out as cool as him, I might actually consider it.

I had been waiting about 10 minutes when I spotted him. Jaxsen Milo Ventimiglia, 40lbs of pure adorable. The teacher had the kids in a line holding hands as she walked them out to their parents. When he saw me he broke his hold and made a beeline straight for me. The smile on his face as he came running towards me made my heart swell. He was so happy. 

"Aunt Brooke!" He smacked straight into me as I opened my arms to catch him.

I giggled and hugged him tight. "Hey there little man! You ready to go?" 

He cut right to the chase. Grabbing my hand, he started pulling me towards the parking lot. "Come on! Come on! I need to show you my new T-Rex dad gave me!"

Aahhh, that's right. Nicole had mentioned he had gotten really in to dinosaurs after the new Jurassic Park movie came out.

"A new T-Rex! That's awesome! I'll tell you what, why don't we stop at the toy store on the way home. You can help me pick out a dinosaur so I can play too."

Jaxsen was in love with that idea. We spent the next hour browsing through the toy store. He advised me wisely on which dinosaurs were the best. We finally decided on something called an Indominus Rex. Apparently it was some sort of hybrid. Whatever it was, Jaxsen was really excited about it. He couldn't wait to get home so we could play. He almost passed up on my offer for ice cream. Almost...

We got back to the house around 5:00. Nicole said that she and Milo would be home by 6:00. That time would fly by with Jaxsen.

We went on a full out dinosaur adventure. Running, hunting, climbing, we did it all. His imitation of a rawr was the cutest thing I've ever heard. He insisted that I rawr too.

"Come on Aunt Brooke! You can do it! Just like me. Listen... RAWR!!!!"

I filled my lungs and did my best dinosaur impersonation. "RAWWWRŔR!"

He squealed and clapped his hands. "You did it!"

We both noticed the chuckle from the doorway. I turned to see Milo leaning against the door frame. Jaxsen dropped his toy and leaped for his father. "Daddy!"

"Oh!" Milo caught him mid jump. "Hey buddy. Did you have fun today?"

Jaxsen couldn't wait to tell his dad all about our afternoon. "Yeah! We went to the store and I helped Aunt Brooke pick out a dinosaur so she could play too. She got Indominus Rex AND she knows how to RAWR!"

Seriously, this kid was the best. I was highly impressed that he remembered to leave out the part about the ice cream.

Milo looked down at me sprawled out on the floor and smirked. "I heard. Aunt Brooke is a rawring machine. You taught her well son."

Before he had time to make anymore smart jokes we heard Nicole open up the front door. "Jaxsen! Mommy's home!"

Jaxsen wiggled free from Milo's arms and ran down the hallway towards his mother. "Mommy!"

Milo laughed and came over to help me up off the floor. "Come on Dino. Let's go help Niki carry in the groceries for dinner." 

We went to join Nicole and Jaxsen. She had already carried in all of the food and was starting to unpack it all on the counter. She looked up when she heard us come in and pretended to scold me. "Jaxsen tells me that you two had quite the afternoon. There was even ice cream involved."

Damn, busted. The kid broke our cone of trust. "In my defense, it was frozen yogurt and it was organic."

She laughed at my admission and asked for my help with dinner. Milo joined Jaxsen in the living room for his nightly viewing of The Land Before Time.

Nicole and I got to work. "So is Aiden coming for dinner?"

My mood dropped about 5 levels at the reminder of Aiden. "Yeah, he'll be here. He'll probably be an ass, but he'll be here."

Her brow furrowed when she saw my reaction. "What the hell is his problem anyway? Is he really that threatened by your success?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "That's what it feels like to me. He hasn't come right out and said it but I'm pretty sure that's it. It's like he thinks now that I'm making more money than him, that he needs to knock me down a few pegs when it comes to other things."

Nicole had never really been a huge of Aiden and his recent attitude problem was not helping the situation. "Well he needs to get the fuck over it. You earned that promotion and you deserve to enjoy the benefits. And that should include your boyfriend being supportive and happy for you! He's such a dickhead. I don't know why you're still putting up with his shit."

We cooked in silence for a while. I knew she was right. I needed to be done with Aiden but with where I'm at right now, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't.

Milo walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Nicole from behind. When she felt his lips on her neck she sighed and turned in his arms. She dipped her finger into the sauce pan and then offered him a taste. He took her finger between his lips and devoured every drop she offered. "Mmm. Tastes good baby, but it could use one thing." He dipped his finger in the sauce, traced it across her lips, and then kissed her. She didn't protest when he deepened the kiss. His hands slid down her back and cupped  both of her ass cheeks in his palms. When he squeezed she gave a little yelp.

"Mi, cut it out! Not in front of the children." She gestured her head in my direction. She giggled when I flipped her off and then went back to making dinner.

Sometimes watching them together was hard for me. I'm so happy that they found each other because I love them both, and I love that little boy. I guess it just makes me a little sad. Aiden and I never had that. Not even remotely. We've only been dating a year and the novelty was already wearing off. Nicole and Milo have been married for 5 years, have a 4 year old son, and are still pawing at each other like newlyweds. Envy does not even begin to describe how I feel. Maybe that just isn't in the cards for me. I don't want kids and I have a job that takes up a lot of my time. Maybe I wasn't built for that kind of relationship. If I'm being honest, I have no idea how to be in a relationship like that. I would probably fail miserably at it.

About a half an hour later Aiden showed up. We all sat down around the dinner table and started in on the delicious meal. The conversation was light and kid friendly considering Jaxsen was at the table with us. Aiden and I didn't say one word to each other the whole night. Milo kept him occupied in meaningless conversation about sports and his upcoming role on the show Gotham. I was more than okay with that. It left me free to giggle with Jaxsen and talk girl with Nicole.

When Milo cleared his plate he expressed his satisfaction. "That was some meal ladies."

Aiden found his manners and followed suit. "Yeah, it was delicious Nicole. Thank you."

"Actually Aiden, Brooke made the chicken..." She was annoyed with him.

But Aiden being Aiden, was too much of a dumb ass to notice. When he opened his mouth again he only made it worse. "Figures as much. It was really dry. Maybe she needs to take some lessons from you." He directed his next sentence towards Milo. "Must be nice to come home to a home cooked meal like this every night. You've got it made, man!"

One look at Nicole's face told me that she was about to speak up in my defense and it probably wasn't going to be very civil. I squeezed her hand under the table and shook my head. I didn't want to do this now. Not here and in front of Jaxsen. 

I managed to reel in Nicole but I forgot about Milo. "Maybe you need to learn when to keep your mouth shut and show a little respect..." Milo was seething in his seat next to Aiden. I could tell by his clenched jaw that he was struggling to keep his temper in check.

I was extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed.Jaxsen gave me the perfect exscuse to leave when he spilled his chocolate milk all over my dress. I scooted my chair out and stood up from the table. "Exscuse me..." I needed to get out of there. I didn't want to cry and make an even bigger scene. I walked down the hall and into the bathroom.

The quiet was nice but I wasn't alone for long. The door handle jiggled open and Jaxsen's little face peeked through the crack. "Aunt Brooke?" His voice was cautious.

"Hey little man. What's up?"

He walked the rest of the way into the bathroom and gestured for me to pick him up. "I'm sorry I spilled on your dress. Don't be mad..."

His little voice broke my heart. Of course it would look that way to him. "It's okay little man, I'm not mad. I didn't like this dress anyway. I think you may have even improved it.

Nicole walked into the bathroom a few seconds later. "Everything alright?"

"It's okay mommy. She's not mad at me. I said I was sorry and everything."

She smiled sweetly at her son."Thank you for being such a sweet boy Jaxsen. I love you." She pulled him from my arms and gave him a kiss. "Run and tell daddy it's time to get ready for bed."

He looked at me with concern. "I'll come say goodnight before you fall asleep little man."

He seemed content with my promise and went off in search of his dad. Nicole turned and looked at me in frustration. "Well, Milo basically just told him to get the fuck out. He's making up the guest room and you're going to stay here tonight."

 I sighed in relief. I really didn't want to go home and deal with Aiden. "Thanks Nic."

She closed the distance between us and hugged me. "You're welcome B."

After I had said my goodnights to Jaxsen I was ready for bed. Milo put the extra comfy sheets on the bed and Nicole had laid out some sleep clothes for me. These two were truly unbelievable.

I finished my bedtime routine and slipped comfortably into the queen sized bed. It was a matter of minutes before I was fast asleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~

*Nicole*

When I saw Brooke's bedroom light go off I made my way upstairs to Milo. Seeing the way Aiden treated her tonight made me feel like the luckiest woman on the planet. I wanted to find my husband, tell him how much he's appreciated, and then make love for the rest of the night.

I found Milo in our bathroom. I hugged him from behind, resting my head on his shoulder as I watched him brush his teeth in the mirror. "What are you thinking about Mi?"

He spit the toothpaste out in the sink. "I'm thinking that Brooke is way too good for that asshole."

"No arguments here. I've been trying to tell her that for months."

We stood in contemplative silence for a moment. He was subconsciously twirling my wedding ring around my finger. "I love you Nicole."

"I love you too Milo." I kissed his shoulder. "Come on... take me to bed."

 We climbed in our comfy king sized bed and wrapped around each other. I nuzzled my cheek against his chest. "Mmmm. I'm not moving from this spot until you leave for work in the morning."

"Good because I wouldn't let you if you tried." He squeezed me in his arms. "Work is going to be so awesome tomorrow. I've got a couple big scenes with Ben. Maybe you and Jaxsen could stop by?"

I smiled at the thought. Jaxsen loved to see his daddy work. "I'm sure he'd love that. We'll make sure Brooke gets home alright and then we'll meet you for lunch."

"Actually, don't take Brooke home. Bring her with you. I can't believe I didn't think of this before..."

I wasn't following him. "What didn't you think of?"

"Ben... I'm going to introduce Brooke and Ben."

The second I heard the words leave his lips I knew it was a good idea. I leaned in and kissed him lovingly. "How sweet... My husband the match maker."

He grinned and continued our kiss. Eventually the light kisses turned to passion and the passion to fire. We were lost in each other for the rest of the night....

Chapter Text

I woke up the next morning with two bright, round eyes staring at me. Jaxsen was laying next to me, waiting patiently for me to get up and play. The sun was barely in the sky so I knew it had to be early. The clock on the bedside table read 6:15 a.m.... This exact  scenario is pretty high up on my list of reasons for not wanting kids. They get up so early and are always interrupting sleep. I am nowhere close to being a morning person. In fact, according to my mother, I could be down right unpleasant in the mornings. My brain was gearing up for annoyance but like he always does, Jaxsen disarmed me. When his little hand reached out to touch the side of my cheek and that happy smile spread across his face, my heart melted and warmness filled my chest. His tiny voice whispered me a good morning. "Good morning to you too, little man."

He was excited that I was finally awake and his energy shot up a few levels. "Daddy says you're gonna stay with me all day!"

This was news to me. I figured I would go home after Nicole was up and running for the day, but there really wasn't any reason for me to rush home. It was Saturday so I didn't have to go in to work and hanging out with Jaxsen was way more appealing than going home to argue with Aiden. "That's right buddy. I'm yours for the whole day. What do you wanna do first?"

The kid had a smile that could light up a room. "I want waffles!" He stood up and started bouncing up and down on the bed. "Waffles! Waffles! Waffles!" He giggled the word every time he launched himself into the air.

I definitely shared Jaxsen's affinity for waffles. "Mmm, waffles do sound good. Come on, let's go make some." I extended my hand to him and he took off towards the kitchen, dragging me behind him.  

We walked into the kitchen to find Milo tinkering with the coffee maker. He was jiggling it around and hitting random buttons in frustration. I startled him a little when I spoke. "Having trouble there Mi?" I couldn't hide the amusement in my voice. This was definitely karma for him making fun of my awesome dinosaur roaring skills.

"I can't get the stupid thing to give me coffee! I put the pot in, the water, the coffee, and still nothing." Awe, poor Milo. He sounded so tired.

I walked over to inspect the situation. I immediately identified the problem. Trying to hold back my laughter, I picked up the chord and plugged it into the wall. When I handed him his cup of coffee he shook his head in embarrasment. "Don't even think about making fun of me."

"I wouldn't dream of it. You picked a fight with your Keurig and the Keurig won. Happens to the best of us..." I took a sip of coffee in an attempt to hide my smile.

"Har, har... You're hilarious." He sat down at the kitchen island and started in on his breakfast. "Sorry he woke you up. Niki usually gets up with him but she was up pretty late last night." He smirked at me as he plopped a bite of oatmeal into his mouth.

Of course she was. What woman in their right mind would go a single night untouched if they had a husband like that? I decided to change the subject before jealousy made an appearance. It was too early for self pity. "So apparently I'm hanging out with Jaxsen all day?" 

Milo looked over his shoulder to make sure that Jaxsen wasn't in hearing distance. Jax was submerged in his Saturday morning cartoons. He wouldn't hear a word we said.

"Yeah. I think it's a good idea if you take a beat from Aiden for a while. The guy's a real asshole, Brooke..." He was looking at me with concern but it also felt a bit like I was getting scolded. "You can go home if you want but I thought a day away from him might do you some good. Plus, Nicole and Jaxsen have been missing you lately."

"Well when you put it that way, how can I say no?" I grinned at him as Jaxsen came running into the kitchen.

"Waffles! Waffles!" 

"Alright little man. Sit down next to your dad and I'll get you some waffles. You want blueberry, strawberry, or cinnamon?"

My question stumped him and he looked to Milo for the answer. Milo beamed down at his son and then whispered a suggestion in his ear. Jaxsen turned back to me with determination. "Cin-men."

I went to work on Jaxsen's waffles while he spent a little quality time with his father. When I was finished, I sat them down in front of Jaxsen along with a cold glass of milk. His eyes lit up and he started shoving pieces into his mouth.

Milo laughed and prompted his son for manners. "What do you say buddy?"

Jaxsen looked up at me and spoke with a full mouth. "Tank you Aunt Bwooke."

 Milo stood up to take his dirty dishes to the sink. He stopped to kiss both of us on the forehead. "Alright, I gotta get to work. You kids stay out of trouble today. If you're well behaved, Nicole has a surprise for both of you." He winked at me before snatching a piece of waffle from Jaxsen's plate.

"Dad!!!!! Those are mine!" Jaxsen didn't seem to notice the comment about the surprise but I sure did. The grin Milo was wearing made me a little nervous. He and Nicole were down right diabolical when they started scheming. God only knows what they had in mind for today. Before I had a chance to ask him he was on his way out the door.

I hate surprises. The unknown makes me uncomfortable. If I couldn't get it out of Milo, I'd get Nicole to tell me. I started to form a plan in my head. Jaxsen and I need to turn on the charm...

"Hey Jaxsen... Do you want to make your mom some waffles and take her breakfast in bed?"

"Yeah! Mama loves waffles!" He was so excited he was practically jumping up and down.

"Okay, what does your mom like on her waffles?"

"Everything!" He squealed. 

That's exactly what we made her. Cinnamon waffles with both blueberries and strawberries. It was a breakfast fit for a queen. We put it all together on a pretty tray with a glass of orange juice. We even borrowed a couple of flowers from the neighbors garden. Nicole would love this...

We crept up the stairs to her bedroom. When we opened the door she was still fast asleep. Milo must have really worn her out! Good for her...

Jaxsen made our presense known. "Mama! Mama! It's time to get up now. We made you waffles!"

Nicole sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Awe, thank you Jax. But first things first, mommy needs a kiss." She opened her arms and he jumped into them. 

I carried the tray to her and climbed in on the other side beside Jaxsen. He was snuggled perfectly between me and Nicole. The three of us spent a lazy morning in bed while Nicole enjoyed her breakfast.

"These are delicious Brooke. Thank you."

"No problem. I figured I owed you one after last night's dinner disaster." Also, I really wanted her to spill the beans about what was going on today.

"Don't mention it. You would have done the same for me." She took another bite of her waffle. "Oh, and Brooke... You can shmooze me all you want but I'm still not going to tell you what we're doing today."

Her smile was one of victory. Damn, she was on to me...

~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on Nic, you're killing me! Just tell me where we're going..." We were in the car, enroute, and I still had no idea what to expect.

I can only describe her look as smug, as she stared at me from the driver's seat. I was just about to put up a fight when I heard Jaxsen squeal from the back seat. 

"Daddy's work!!!" 

Wait, what?! Daddy's work? Then that means...

Nicole guessed what was running through my mind when she saw the expression on my face. "Milo wanted us to meet him on set for lunch today and he said to bring you with us."

She said that so matter of fact, like it was no big deal. I was instantly nervous. I hope I don't embarrass myself in front of someone too dreamy. Aside from Milo, I'd never met any other actors.

We walked into the building and were issued passes that allowed us on to the set. This place was huge! There were so many scenes set up but my favorite was the police station. It was all so surreal. I felt like I had been dropped into the pages of a comic book.

A few minutes later we finally found Milo. He was in costume and boy did he look slick. I heard Nicole let out a low whistle as we watched him run his lines. "Damn, my man is fine."

They finished the scene and Milo came striding up to us. He waved to me, gave Jaxsen a high five, and kissed Nicole. He whispered something in her ear before taking off towards his trailer. When Nicole turned back to me her cheeks were a little red.

"Hey Brooke..." She looked down at her son and then back to me. "Would you mind watching Jax for a bit while Mi and I... um... take 5?" She put air quotes around the words and wiggled her eyebrows to accentuate her point.

I shook my head in amusement. These two were insatiable! "Make it quick." She shot me a wink and ran off after Milo.

I could only handle standing around for so long. I didn't know anyone else here and I felt really out of place. My fight or flight instincts were starting to kick in. I decided on flight. "Come on little man. Let's go get one of those giant pretzels from the cart outside."

He took my hand and followed me out. There was a line at the pretzel cart. We were standing there long enough that Jaxsen noticed the sign for the Italian ice. He started tugging on my shirt and pointing. "Can I have an ice? Pleeeaaassse?"

Nicole probably wouldn't want to load him up on sugar before he even had lunch but she left me with a 4 year old, in an unfamiliar place, so that she could go enjoy some afternoon delight. I think we had earned the right to a delicious treat. Especially since it was so hot outside.

The man in front of us got his food and moved away. I was just about to order when I noticed that he had left his cellphone sitting on the counter. I scooped it up and ran after him with Jaxsen in tow. "Sir! Exscuse me, sir!" When he turned to look I almost stopped dead in my tracks. He was unnecessarily good looking. By the time I caught up with him I was out of breath. I handed him the phone and tried to catch some air. Before I could say anything, he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, snapped a picture of us, and handed the phone back to me. What the hell? He must be an actor. I thought he looked vaguely familiar. 

He looked a little confused when I tried to hand him the phone again. "Thanks for the picture but this isn't my phone, it's yours... You left it sitting on the counter at the pretzel stand."

He looked down at the phone in my outstretched hand and then back to my face, before he busted out in laughter. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I was in a hurry to get back to work. I'm kinda on autopilot today."

When he took the phone from my hand his fingers brushed against mine. The contact sent tingles up my arm. I chose to ignore that... 

I chuckled at him a little. "Yeah, I noticed. You might want to hold on to that a little better. That could have been bad news bears if someone else had found it." Seriously?! Did I just say bad news bears? I fought the urge to die of embarrasment. "Anyway... We won't keep you any longer. Have a nice day." 

I heard him yell out a thank you as Jaxsen and I made our way back over to the pretzels...

~~~~~~~~~~

Nicole and Milo reappeared about 20 minutes later. Niki scooped Jax up in her arms. "You guys up for grabbing a bite to eat?" Her smile faded a little when she saw the evidence on Jaxsen's face. "Although, it looks like someone has already had something sticky and sweet." She looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's hot out and he wanted an Italian ice. I would have asked you but you were a little busy at the moment."

She rolled her eyes comically. "I forgot you don't know how to say the word no."

I laughed and pointed to the button she had missed after her lunchtime rendezvous with Milo. "I could say the same for you Nic."

 She laughed and handed Jaxsen off to Milo while she fixed her shirt. "Can you blame me?" She smiled at Milo and he winked back at her.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah... I get it. You dig each other. Can we get some lunch now, please?"

Milo found my annoyance amusing. "Not so fast B. I've got somebody that I want you to meet." 

We followed Milo as he made his way across the set. He stopped behind a crowd of people and waited his turn. When the people cleared, standing at the center of attention was none other than the handsome cellphone stranger.

When he saw Milo he smiled and gave him a quick hug. "What's up man? You leaving for the day?"

"Nah, I've got a couple more scenes to shoot. We're just about to grab some lunch. You remember my wife Nicole?"

"Of course. It's good to see you again Nicole."

She smiled and Milo moved on to Jaxsen. "And this is my son, Jaxsen." I saw the recognition flicker across his face when he looked at Jaxsen.

"And last but not least, this is our friend Brooke." His face turned a thousand different shades of red when his eyes landed on my face. "Brooke Wheeler, this is Ben McKenzie."

I couldn't help but smile at his embarrasment. I stuck my hand out for him to shake. "Hi Ben. It's nice to meet you again."

He took my proffered hand and flashed a heart stopping grin.

"Likewise..."