The Deal

16- The Other Sister

Andre whistled as he walked into the kitchen. He saw his wife leaning against the counter as she drank her second cup of tea that day, which he knew wouldn't be the last. Ever since she stopped drinking coffee, she had doubled the intake of tea. Glancing over at the island, he saw Charlie giggling in JJ's arms, loving the attention from her and Neil.

"Who wants to see pictures of baby Neil?"

"No, Papa!" Neil exclaimed as he snapped his head to his dad. Tucked under his arm, he had a photo album. "I told you not to." Neil let his arms drop from JJ and walked towards his dad. "Give me that."

"What are you gonna do? Wrestle your poor old father? An old man who is close to retirement?"

"Don't play that game, Dad. Now gimme the-"

"Leave your father alone, boy," Audrey said as she opened the cupboards.

"Mama! He's gonna show her all the embarrassing stuff."

JJ laughed, moving Charlie to her right side. He giggled excitedly slapping his hands on her shoulder. "It's okay, Neil. I promise I'll only make fun of you a little."

"Ah sweety, you're gonna fit right into this family," Andre said with a deep chuckle.

"JJ, you will not look at the photos." Neil looked back at her with a frown. When he saw her smirk, he took a step closer to her. "Judith," he said slowly. "They used to dress me up like a girl. I am begging you, do not look at the photos."

Andre opened up the album and lifted it in the air. As Neil walked closer to JJ, she looked up and gasped.

"You look beautiful there, Neil!"

Neil groaned as he slowly turned around. He glanced at the photo she was talking about and closed his eyes tightly, remembering how his sisters had forced him into the tight white dress before handing him a bunch of flowers. In the picture he has tears running down his face and smudged lipstick around his mouth.

When Neil opened his eyes, he felt JJ hold onto his hand. He looked down with a frown before letting go and folding his hands into his chest.

"If it makes you so upset then I won't look. For now."

"It's not that," he mumbled. "They used to dress me up as a girl."

"Okay," she said with a laugh. "Wasn't every brother forced into wearing makeup and dresses?"

"It's not that either..." He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I used to have a 6 pack."

"6 packs of beer more like," Lauran muttered. Neil glared at her before looking down at the floor.

"And I don't anymore. You're gonna see that and you're so out my league and-"

"Neil." She stood in front of him. "Look at me." She waited till she saw his eyes. "Have I ever made you feel bad about your body?"

"No."

"Then why do you think I would do that now? You're perfectly fine with the way you are. If you want to change then you do it for yourself not because you feel like you have to."

Audrey wrapped her arm around her husband with a smile. Andre looked down at her before giving her a kiss. "Do you want me to cook today? You can relax and get some writing done."

"Don't be silly. I've got enough writing done. You go and embarrass your son like you're dying to."

"You don't mind?" he said with a smile. "I can always put it on hold." Audrey rolled her eyes, looking back at her son.

"I think at this rate, with the way she's talking to him, he will voluntarily show her himself."

"Well she has a way with words doesn't she? In a good way." Audrey smiled softly. "I had a way with words with you didn't I?"

"Yes you did. Key word here is you did as in past tense." Andre rolled his eyes before leaning down for a kiss. "But I still love you."

"I'm glad," he said with a laugh before meeting her lips. "I'll be back once I torture our son." He kissed his wife once more before walking over to Neil. "So is everyone ready to see baby Neil."

"I sure am," JJ said with a smirk. Neil kissed the top of her head before walking over to Audrey.

* * *

The doorbell ringing made Neil snap his head to his mother. She gave an apologetic smile before rushing up to her feet. He looked to his dad.

"Please tell me that isn't who I think it is." Andre sighed, watching his daughter walk into the kitchen. "Ma you promised!"

"She was on the phone and heard Lara and I couldn't lie. I am so sorry, I invited her before I realised what I said."

Neil forced a smile at his sister when she walked into view. Her eyes automatically went to JJ who was standing with a mug in her hands. "Hi, I'm JJ." She looked at the hand held in front of her and scoffed. "Okay," JJ mumbled as she pulled her arm back to her side.

"Matteo, go and play with the kids honey." Her son ran to the garden and she focused back to the couple in front of her. "I'm Stephanie. His oldest sister."

"Ah man, Ma, why did you invite her?" Lauran said as she came in from the garden. "She's gonna spoil everything."

"Nice to see you too Lauran."

Neil gently placed a hand on JJ's back and she looked up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile before leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "Don't worry about her, Cara."

"You do know I can hear you right?" Neil bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at her.

"I do know. Which is why I'm telling my girlfriend not to worry about you because you're a massive control freak." She pulled a face at her brother before looked back at JJ.

"What do you do for work?"

"Urm...I own a bakery. The one near Lara's school." JJ straightened up. "What about you?"

"I work at a bank. Manager. So did you guys come together then?" Lauran saw the hesitation in JJ's eyes and the way she nervously glanced up at Neil.

"Why would they come separately, dumbass?" Lauran said as she put a few grapes in her mouth. "I was speaking to Neil in the morning after seeing his snap and this poor girl has an ear infection so please do her a favour and shut your whiny little voice because I guarantee you're making her worse."

"What's on his snap?" They watched as Stephanie tapped through his story and Neil winced once he saw the look on her face. "You stayed the night? You let her in your home and stay the night with Lara?"

"And what on earth is the problem with that? She's my girlfriend. Lara and her have met countless times over the last two weeks."

Neil glanced down at JJ who had a frown on her face. Gently, he kissed the side of her head and sighed. Stephanie glared at them both and once Neil saw the look his sister had, he knew this was just the beginning.