Home Alone

"I apologize for my mother," Beck stated as he opened the door to his house.

"No, she was lovely," Cherokee retorted as she walked in behind him.

"Right," Beck rolled his eyes as he loosened his tie and began to take off his black dress shoes. "Well, as I told you earlier, I would give you a room but my mother loves to come here without warning and snoop,"

"Good evening, Mr. Petersen, Chef Baldone has offered baked chicken for dinner," An older woman said as she walked into the living room.

"Ahh yes, Mrs. Sands, thank you that's fine," Beck uttered as he took off his suit jacket and handed it to his head maid. "Oh, and this is my fiance Cherokee Rains,"

"Yes of course, good to meet you, Ms. Rains," Mrs. Sands stated as she nodded her head toward Cherokee.

"You can call me Cherry," Cherokee smiled at the older woman as she slipped off her floral dress jacket.

"Come, Cherry, let's get you settled," Beck uttered as he walked toward his room. "I've had some things removed and made room, you can settle in how you see fit,"

"Mr. Petersen," Mrs. Sands knocked on the door lightly. "Mr. Williams and Ms. Johnson are here to see you,"

"What?" Becket muttered as he turned around with a confused look on his face. "Oh, alright,"

"Hello, old sport, you know I had to come and see for myself, I can't always believe the rumors," Ryan held out his hand as he moved from his fiance.

"Ryan, what the hell are you talking about?" Beck asked as he shook hands with his friend of ten years. 

"The rumor of you and Cherokee Rains, proposing and having her move in with you out of nowhere," Ryan leaned closer to Becket. "Ahh, and there she is now, the girl of the hour. How are you Cherokee Rains?" 

"Hello, Ryan," Cherokee answered as she slowly walked into the living room. "Abigale, I like your shoes,"

"So, it's true?" Ryan questioned as he moved toward Cherokee and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, dragging her toward Becket.

"Yes, it's true," Beck spoke up as he grabbed onto Cherokee and placed her on the side of him.

"Why?" Ryan scoffed as he turned toward his fiance who was busy on her phone.

"What do you mean why?" Becket knitted his eyebrows together as he shook his head slightly.

"I mean why, you barely know Cherry, and you rushed to propose, I see no ring," Ryan got louder as he pushed Abigale to sit on the white sofa.

"We are getting a ring tomorrow, I didn't want to get the wrong cut," Beck stuttered as he pushed Cherokee behind him.

"Oh, the wrong cut," Ryan laughed as he wiped his nose. "I asked your brother, Kaleb and he said you were genuinely in love with Cherry here. Your cousins, Nicholas and Marcus weren't so forthcoming, they told me to talk to you," He began pacing the tan marble floor rubbing the blonde stubble on his chin.

"You asked and I told, what is going on with you Ryan?" Beck inquired with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Becket," Cherokee touched Beck's back as she began to get anxious.

"It's alright Sweetheart, make your way to the kitchen with Mrs. Sands, and do not come out, no matter what you hear," He lightly kissed her hand as he kept his eyes on his friend.

"Sweetheart, awe how sweet, why am I always the man out?" Ryan started to pull at his blonde locks as he continued pacing.

"No one is leaving you out Ryan, I am making an announcement Friday night of our engagement, I was going to tell you tomorrow so that you could throw us an engagement party," Beck walked closer to Ryan as he grabbed onto his shoulders speaking calmly.

"A party?" Ryan smiled as he brought his arms down. "I do love a good party,"

"Exactly, at the club, Friday night, I fell in love man that's all," Becket assured him smiling as he sat him down next to his fiance who was still busy on her phone.

"See, you got upset over nothing, now let's go. I'm hungry, and that restaurant I like closes in like two hours," Abigale popped her gum getting up from the sofa and heading toward the door.

"Look at what you have to look forward to," Ryan chuckled as he grabbed onto Abigale's hips walking out the door. "You better not marry before me, or I'll assume you knocked her up,"

"I've never seen Ryan like this," Cherokee mumbled as she sat on the bar stool watching Mrs. Sands pick up the last few groceries.

"Mr. Williams has come here several times this way, but Mr. Peterson knows just what to say to calm him down and send him away," Mrs. Sands assured Cherokee as she patted her hand.

"Do you need help with anything?" Cherokee asked as she stood up from the wooden bar stool. "I should have asked earlier, my Agilisi would be furious,"

"Your who?" Mrs. Sands questioned as she turned around raising an eyebrow.

"Ah-gey-lee-see means grandmother in Cherokee," Cherokee giggled as she grabbed an orange from the fruit basket in front of her. 

"I see, so you're Native American," Mrs. Sands inquired as she grabbed a rag from the drawer and started to wipe down the counter. "The Petersons must have had a field day with you," She laughed.

"I'm sorry about Ryan, he just took too much cocaine and fuck knows what else," Becket sighed as he made his way to the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water, handing one to Cherokee.

"What was the matter with him?" Cherokee asked worriedly opening the bottle.

"He thought we were excluding him, he just wanted to party," Becket scoffed as he helped Cherokee up and walked back to their room.

"I don't understand," Cherokee scrunched her eyebrows together as she began to open her suitcase.

"Mr. Peterson, your..." Mrs. Sands began but she was quickly cut off.

"Oh, no need to announce me, you old hag, Becket your mother is here," Sonya announced as she made her way to their room.