Married to my Dad’s Best Friend

I can do this.

Mr. Sapline walks in. He’s no more than five-foot-six, yet his presence fills the room. His features are sharp, pointed, just like his gaze. He wears an expensive suit, tailored in a way that makes him seem taller than he is.

He shakes my hand. His hands are as soft as a woman’s. I don’t think he’s experienced manual labor a day in his life.

Lonnie is still in his office so it’s up to me to make the introduction. “I’m Savanna, Lonnie’s wife.”

I love the way those words roll off my tongue. They sound so natural, so perfect.

“Very nice to meet you Savanna.”

“Can I give you the tour?” I ask.

“I’ve been to the office before. No need.” He’s very blunt, but not rude.

Luckily Lonnie comes out of his office and I’m relieved. Mr. Sapline looks between me and Lonnie with his sharp stare.

“How old are you, Savanna?” he asks.

I lift my eyebrows, taken aback a moment. Most women might take offence to such a personal question, a question that we’re notoriously known to lie about. But I don’t mind. I appreciate Mr. Sapline’s blunt nature.

“I’m twenty-five.”

He looks at Lonnie, a look I’m struggling to translate. Is that disapproval? I just don’t know. It’s obvious Lonnie and I have a wide age difference—he’s as old as my dad, after all. But I didn’t think that would be a problem. It never crossed my mind, and it’s not something we planned for. I can’t tell if Lonnie is concerned or not. They’re both so poised and neutral. I guess you have to have a great poker face to be a lawyer. That’s something I’m going to have to work on myself.

I don’t think I can take this stand-off any longer. Then Mr. Sapline starts to laugh, a hearty sound, breaking the tension. He shakes Lonnie’s hand. “Age is but a number, right?” he says.

Lonnie nods with a hint of a smile. All the muscles in my body that had turned to stone, slowly start to relax. We sit down for the meeting. Mr. Sapline and Lonnie throw around numbers, and files, and client names. I take notes. There’s a lot but it all seems to go well. By the end of the meeting, we’re laughing and shaking hands. Papers are exchanged and a deal is made. The conversation veers away from business. Mr. Sapline seems more interested in our personal lives. We discuss everything we studied. Not so much about the past that is all made up lies, but more about the current state of our relationship. That part we don’t have to rehearse. It all comes out truthfully because it’s about feelings. My laughter and adoration are all real. The fake marriage starts to blur into something that also feels real. I start to wonder if we could actually become a real couple.

“It’s late,” Mr. Sapline says at the end of the meeting. “I think I’ll head back to my motel now.”

We stand and shake hands.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Savanna. I’m happy to have you part of this team.”

“I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Once he’s gone, Lonnie sweeps me into a hug and spins me around the room and kisses me.

“This calls for a celebration,” Lonnie says.

“It absolutely does.”

“I’m making a reservation for us. Someplace special.”

“I’ll meet you in the car. I just need to grab my stuff,” I say.

Lonnie goes to the car and I head to my office to grab my purse and sweater. I get a text on my way. Unlocking my phone screen I see it’s from my dad. He tells me that he’s going to invite Lonnie onto his boat for a fishing trip this weekend and that he’s happy they have reconnected after all these years. He also says he’s surprised that Lonnie has accepted their friendship back so willingly.

I close my phone, confused. My stomach feels like it’s in knots. I’d been starving just moments ago and now I don’t think I can eat a thing. What does he mean that he’s surprised that Lonnie accepted their friendship back so willingly? I always thought maybe Lonnie did something to anger my parents. It never occurred to me that maybe it was my parents who were the ones behind him leaving. Now I’m really curious. I know my parents won’t talk about it and I wonder why Lonnie hasn’t told me. I’ve had a feeling he’s been keeping something from me, I just didn’t know what. I noticed from the moment we reconnected, and he offered me the job. I wonder if it has something to do with the secret between them.

I try to push it from my mind. Tonight is a night to celebrate and that’s what I’m going to do. But I’m determined to find out what happened, and what Lonnie and my parents are hiding from me.