Still in Texas

We bought two new cars yesterday and three big beds today. 

His dad got a huge SUV so they turned in the rental SUV. His brother got a nice compact sedan with tons of tech in it and a crazy good sound system. We were blasting it behind the dealership. I don't think he will be allowed to have it that loud ever again. 

Everyone here drives a giant SUV or a Truck. It's weird!! LA is a sea of corollas, civics, and prius mixed with luxury sedans. His looks like this one and has the softest leather seats. 

My husband's family decided to stay in an apartment because the house they decided on is like 80% finished and they get to choose the final touches they want on it. The beds are getting delivered tonight along with some rental furniture. 

The apartment is huge and has its own garage under it with a stairway up to the unit. It's three big bedrooms and really nice! It has a lake to look at and it's close to shops and not too far from the school where his brother will take English classes. 

We are heading home in a few days. We'll have a little party tomorrow night for New Year's. I don't know if we will get to see fireworks. We have a lot to do tomorrow and his mom wants to buy things. They are out right now getting stuff and food. 

It's funny but I can tell my husband is ready to head home. He has projects to work on and a lot of people waiting for him to get back to California. I am happy here with his family. His brother says I keep his parents occupied so they leave him alone. 

I talked to my dad this morning for a long time. I think this is the longest we have been apart. I forget how much I talk to him on a daily basis. Even when we lived separately he would facetime me or come over for dinner. I miss him, but I also like being with my husband's family. 

Arguments.

Last night we argued. My husband would not say we argued, but I would. To him it was a little disagreement.

The last few days with his parents here he has been treating me really weird, like some special toddler with no sense. I was trying to just ignore it and be patient with him since I know he has a lot going on and is stressed out trying to get his parents settled. 

The last straw was at a BBQ restaurant where they ordered meat and sides for the family to share and then he got me a kid's meal with a little plastic cup of juice with a lid on it and cartoon characters. 

I was going to just let it go because I do like chicken strips with bbq sauce, but then he kept on with it saying "I got you the drink with lid so you don't spill." Then later he said: "You like your meal? It does not come with a toy, but I buy you one later if you finish eating, ok, baby?" He said these things so his parents could hear and made comments in their language which I'm sure were even more patronizing since I wouldn't understand them. I didn't say anything, just fumed quietly not wanting to argue with him in front of his family. 

When we got back to the room. We were supposed to rest a little then go out to drive around the neighborhoods with the two houses his parents are deciding between so we could see them at night and also look at Christmas lights and get hot chocolate. 

I told him I was just going to stay in the room instead of going with them and he said no I need to go and his parents enjoy me being there. 

I told him "I'm mad at you and I don't want to fight in front of them! I'm staying here." 

He said, "You are mad at me? Ok then I will stay here with you and be mad at me too. If my boy is upset then I cannot leave." Like it was a joke. 

Then his dad knocked on the door between the rooms and opened it to ask if we were ready to go. 

Husband told him "No, we are mad at me for being mean to Emi so we stay here and be mad at me together." 

His dad said, "He is annoyed because you are acting strange with him and treating him like a baby! You are not paying attention to his feelings! You are being an ass."  [His dad totally got it.]

Husband looked surprised like he hadn't realized it at all. I told them to just go without me and I wanted to rest. Husband said "I am not leaving while you are upset." 

His dad gave us some time to talk it out. Husband said he hadn't realized I was upset and he was treating me like that so I wouldn't feel left out and ignored since they are mostly speaking in Farsi. He also said that his brothers' wives don't get along well with his parents but both his parents love me a lot so he was showing them he takes good care of me. 

I guess in his twisted thinking it was his way of showing affection and attention. 

Christmas thoughts.

Next chapter of Lukas is 40% finished. I think it will be the final one. I decided to give Mr. Khorasani some fun. After 20 chapters, he deserves it. What else do I need to tie up in this series? I feel like they are reaching some finality on things. 

I had an interesting Christmas. We only brought a few of the gifts for each other since we'll have to take them home to LA when we go so I chose presents for him that are appropriate to open in front of his parents. I gave him a sturdy new leather portfolio thing since he is pretty hard on his work stuff. 

For his parents and his brother who came, we got them new iPhones with USA phone numbers. He added them to his cell plan, but his father will probably take it over since he doesn't like the thought of his son paying the bills. It is a constant fight between my husband and his dad when the check comes. My husband wants to prove he can be a provider like his father.

One of the presents he got me was this stuffed pikachu that lights up when you hug it. When I was a kid, I was really in to pokemon. I opened it in front of his parents and brother and my husband said something in Farsi to them and they laughed and looked at me like I was some little child. It was a really baby gift. It was sweet and a childhood memory, but strange that he would give me that as the gift to open in front of his parents. I don't get it... 

My husband's brother said something in their language and my husband translated to me that he said he is glad to no longer be the baby of the family anymore. SO I guess I'm the baby? I am not the baby. I'm older than his little brother but he is taller than me and built more like my husband. I am the smallest and the "light" boy. 

Today they went off with the realtor and I stayed here in our room and his brother stayed in their room. He came over and told me we should go for coffee. He doesn't speak much English so we used the google translate thing that talks. It was so cool! I had to decode what the English meant, but it was pretty good overall. 

He wanted to find girls. He asked me, "Do you know the girls here?" I said no. Then he wanted to go to the little shopping area by the hotel. I told him we should tell my husband, but he said no, they wouldn't approve. So off we went! 

He was so funny. He is an absolutely adorable guy with those eyes like my husband's that just draw you in and strong arms with cute European style. He is like a younger version of my husband, just as outgoing and strong-willed. He seems totally cool with me even though we don't speak a shared language. We got french fries and drinks at a place but he didn't see any girls he liked so we just talked through the translator. 

He said in his country they think American girls are very easy and will go with anyone. I had to explain that no they are not easy, they are just more outgoing, but you have to put in just as much work as over in his country. 

We walked around the shops and we did talk to some girls. They thought he was cute, but then the language barrier kind of turned them off. I told them they need to convince him that American girls aren't easy. They liked the challenge! He ended up exchanging phone numbers with one so they could text using the translator software. I showed him how to copy and paste to translate then type and then copy and paste to respond. 

We bonded, but I forgot my husband has the tracking app on our phones so we can see where each other is so he called me and then had me pass the phone to his brother to yell at him. Then it started raining and we had to run back in the rain. Husband was not happy at all. We are staying in tonight since it's raining. We have a delivery order coming with fajitas and stuff. Fun fun. 

I think we will be here for another week. I am having fun. I missed his dad like I miss my own. 

Family and new Lukas

I finished chapter 19 of Lukas. It Posted! You read it here

I did the chapter from Ari's perspective again. It just seemed right rather than from Lukas. Ari gets the insights Lukas doesn't know about. 

I'm thinking that Chapter 20 should be a close out. Put a cap on things. I love the series, but I feel like it's time to end it. 20 chapters is a lot. My chapters are about 10k words each so that is 200k words for the series! That is equal to 3 full size romance novels which average 60-80k words per book. 

We picked up my husband's parents at the airport in Houston. They had SO MUCH stuff with them! We parked the car in a garage and went in to help them. They kept grabbing bags off of the luggage thingy. We totally loaded the back of the giant SUV he got. I thought it was nonsense for him to get such a big car, but it was totally needed! 

His youngest brother came with them to go to school here. He is like a younger, taller, skinnier version of my husband but he is very serious. He hugged me when his dad did. He doesn't speak a lot of English. It was funny watching my husband with him. He still thinks of him as a little kid since he hasn't seen him in a few years. The little brother seems annoyed at being treated like that. 

I dont have any siblings so it's fun to watch them together and how similar their mannerisms are. 

They are all napping now since the crazy flight has their time schedules turned all around. My husband is playing a game on his computer with friends from back home in LA. We will probably just be here around the hotel today and go see houses tomorrow. tomorrow is Christmas Eve, but the realtor will show them the houses that are empty. I can't wait to see which ones they like. 

oh!! I also wanted to plug a series I have been reading on nifty called Ash & Ember. It is very well done! 

I am debating doing chapter 20 from Lukas' perspective again. I kind of see it as important with what I want to happen in there with trouble and jealousy between Lukas and the new person you will learn more about in chapter 19. If you read it! Please read it! 

Holiday prep!

What a day! Yesterday we flew in to Houston and got the hotel room and then today we went and scouted some of the properties to help his parents narrow down their list. There are some seriously beautiful places here! It's so green and lush. I spent most of the day in the backseat of a lexus while my husband and the realtor talked in Farsi. It is cold here. The houses here have so much land around them. They aren't all squeezed together like LA. 

I am halfway through the next chapter of Lukas. It's going pretty well! I am so happy that people are responding to it. It feels like things are going in a good direction. 

When my parents-in-law come in, they are also bringing my husband's youngest brother so he can go to school here. He's a few years younger than me, and I've only talked to him on facetime. He doesn't say much. His English isn't very strong. He looks like a smaller, younger version of my husband. I hope he likes me. 

I finally got my husband to take a nap. He is snoring away beside me right now. It's nice to see him so relaxed and not obsessive over work stuff. We did a hard workout at the nice gym they have here and then took a shower and snuggled and then he passed out. 

They have these crazy giant metal rings and poles over the roads here! I keep thinking they are going to fall and crush someone. 

New Lukas is posted

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Finishing Ari's Day

It was so nice to just be home the last two days without having final projects and things to work on! Everything is done and the tutor checked over things before we uploaded them so I feel good about it. 

My husband has been wrapping up his deals for the end of the year and setting his calendar for January so we can have a nice trip with his parents in Texas. 

Chapter 18 of Lukas & The Shah is 2/3 finished and I'm doing things a little differently with this chapter. I wanted to show things from Ari's perspective and a different side of things. It's tough writing from the alpha's brain. I don't know how it works. I've been with my husband for 3.5 years and he still surprises me sometimes with how he thinks or what he wants. 

Sometimes when we are out with his friends I kind of disappear quietly at his side tucked into a booth at a restaurant. I see him in a different light. Even though I don't know what they are saying, I can tell he jokes and talks about things he would think are inappropriate for me to hear. I imagine Ari like that when he is with men and away from Lukas. A man on his own. 

It's been fun learning who Ari is and where his boundaries are. Obviously these guys have different expectations for their boys than they do for themselves. Ari can be in situations where he would never allow Lukas. We'll see where that leads him. 

Houston & Lukas

In one week we will be packing for Texas. I’m so excited to see his parents. We are getting there a day before them so we can get a hotel and pick them up at the airport when they fly in from Iran. They have to take like three flights and travel for about 24 hours. It’s crazy.

My husband says we can shop for cowboy boots. He says there are a lot of Persians in Houston and stores and restaurants that will make them feel at home. He’s befriended a Persian realtor online who lives there and will be their personal concierge.

Lukas chapter 18 is halfway finished. I’m excited about it. I’m doing it from Ari’s perspective. It’s kind of taken on a life of its own. I ditched Lukas early on so we can see the dirtier side of Ari. Also I put in mostly Arabic and Farsi speakers so Ari won’t have much of his accent or cute way of saying things in English.

It’s been fun exploring his head and thinking about what he thinks about. That’s harder to do with my own husband. I know my husband has a hard job and his brain goes a mile a minute with all he has going on. He’s a guy like Ari who is very much always on and appreciates coming home to a quiet and simple boy. He gets this look on his face when I tell him about my day doing housework and online classes and the gym. He says he likes things very simple for his boy.

Chapter 17 didn’t go over too well. I got one comment. It was nice but it was about an earlier chapter so… lol.

I know it’s getting to that point in the series where I need to wrap things up and close it out. People need new stuff. Maybe for chapter 20 I’ll jump ahead to Lukas 18th birthday when he finally becomes entirely property of Ari.

tasty treat

Well the old guy I married (He is 30) was too tired to take me out tonight. We were supposed to go to dinner with his friends in Beverly Hills. There is a really cool place where they bring you meat on a sword and cut off whatever you want. I'm not big on meat, but their salad bar is so cool! They have weird flavors and pairings that are so good. 

He promises to take me out tomorrow, but that will likely be the park and Target. haha. We are turning into a boring married couple, but if I have to do it, he is my dream to do it with. 

SO anyways since he is playing video games and drinking beer with my dad tonight, I finished chapter 17 of Lukas!! I sent it in so hopefully it posts soon. 

One of my long-time readers sent me an email asking if I could do a chapter from Ari's perspective. I really want to try it. I have some good ideas for it. It will be a challenge, but I am finally starting to understand Ari. I'm preparing for it by asking my husband his thoughts on things. He is really good at explaining to me why I need to follow his ridiculously overprotective rules. He makes it sound like a good thing and not like I am a total idiot who can't fend for himself without running to daddy. 

He says things like "You are my tasty treat and there are many who can smell how trusting you are. I need protect you from them. I am hard shell and my baby is the pretty pearl. I have to snap at anyone who come by to try and sample him." 

That's a lot nicer than saying, "You're a dumbass who can't fend for himself." 

On another note. His parents are finally going to come!!! We are going to Texas over the Christmas break and we will help them find a place to live. He has been researching things and has found homes to look at in their price range. Some of them are HUGE! One has this little river that runs in a meandering loop around the backyard! I can't wait to see it. He says if we moved there we could build a mansion in a gated area with armed guards. That is pretty much his dream. I am not moving to Texas! 

Anyways! Happy Friday!! 

Long week!

It's been a long week and it's only Tuesday! 

Lukas Chapter 17 is coming along. It's 3/4 of the way finished. Someone reminded me that it is in the authoritarian section of nifty and should be a little more... authoritarian. I do think I can start to show more of Ari's dominance. He has his boy on the hook and can start to turn him into being a proper boy. They also need some trouble brewing. 

I have tons of final projects to work on so my mind goes crazy inventing story lines for Lukas as a distraction. It's a calming thing I do when I get overwhelmed with projects. 

The husband is having a good week. He has been busy and is trying to finish up big projects so they can all get signed and settled before the holidays begin. 

We got a tree Sunday! It is so pretty. He insists on a real one. He wants that pine scent and fresh pokey needles. He isn't concerned with me spending all that time cleaning up needles and other things that come with having a live tree in the apartment. 

It is getting cold and rainy! It is going to rain again this week. It doesn't feel like LA when it rains. LA just doesn't know what to do with it. 

Big things are happening with the husband's parents!!! I am so excited. I Can't really say much because I don't want to mess anything up for them. With how immigration is going these days, everything is just weird. But hopefully we will be spending the holidays with them and helping them get a house and furniture and everything!