“I won’t be,” I promise her.
“Dinner on Sunday?” she asks.
“Only if it’s your king crab?”
“You know it, my son,” she says, smiling up at me while patting my cheek. “Do you have a ride?”
“I thought I could borrow your car. Both of mine are being shipped.”
“How many cars does one man need?”
“I just have three, but trust me, I earned them with blood and sweat.”
“No tears?” she asks, chuckling.
“No. There’s no room for crying in sports.”
“I’m sure I’ve heard that somewhere
“Oh, it’s in the shop, but maybe… hang on,” she says, leaving the room abruptly. She comes back a few minutes later with the girl in tow.
“Mom?” I ask, wondering where this is going.
“Calvin, this is Esther. She’ll drive you to Anchorage.”
“Really? That’s so far,” I say.
“It’s no trouble; I’ve got nothing else to do right now. I’d be happy to take you where you need to go,” she says, smiling at me.
“Well, then, let’s go,” I say, looking her up and down. Her tight black scrubs show me her every curve. I follow her out of the house, grabbing my bags from the front hall as we go.
Outside, we walk to her car. In silence, she opens the trunk, and I throw my bags into it.
“Address?” she asks, opening the navigation tab on the screen in her car. I give her the address, and we are off. Her perfume fills the car and ensnares my senses. I discreetly try and fail to adjust my cock in my pants. This is going to be the longest three hours of my fucking life.
“Thank you for doing this,” I say.
“You’re welcome, but it’s no trouble, like I said. I would have been heating up leftovers and watching some Real Housewives or something.”
“You wouldn’t be spending the evening with friends or your boyfriend?” I ask, feeling like a teenager asking a popular girl out on a date.
“I don’t have either, Calvin. Not enough people in this town,” she says sadly.
“Is that so?” I ask.
“Yep, but I’m used to it.”
“That doesn’t seem very fulfilling.”
“I’ve got my classes and helping Hannah; I’m pretty fulfilled,” she says.
“Are you, though?” I ask.
“You don’t know me, Calvin. You shouldn’t presume…” she begins, but I cut her off.
“Presume what? That you are too beautiful by far to be so lonely?”
“You’re a charmer, aren’t you? Just like the supermarket tabloids say.”
“Don’t believe everything you ready, Dollface.”
“Dollface?” she asks, laughing.
“It suits you.”
“I don’t know if I should be offended or flattered,” she says.
“Definitely flattered,” I reply.
“We’ll see,” she says, pulling off of the highway to a lone gas station.
“I need something to drink, and I should fill up. It’ll be a long way back home tonight,” she says. I move to get out of the car; the least I can do is pay for gas.
“You can always stay with me,” I tell her, leaning down into the open car door.
“I don’t know you well enough for that, and I’m pretty sure you’re old enough to be my father.”
“I am the same age as your father. He has been my best friend since before we could talk.”
“How is it that we’ve never met then?”
“Football kept me from home for far too long.”
“And it won’t now?” she asks, clearly skeptical.
“No, it won’t, Dollface. It won’t,” I promise her.
“But our ages? Doesn’t that matter to you?”
“Not to me.”
“But my father,” she begins, trailing off.
“Don’t get so fixated on that. I’m not your father, but you’ll be calling me daddy before the night is over.” She giggles, but she isn’t saying no, thank fuck.
It’s late when we reach my place. Nothing is on, so it takes me a second to find the light switch, but I see it's just a nondescript apartment when I do. Sleek and efficient, it feels cold. Surprisingly, she agrees to come inside with me.
As soon as the door closes behind me, I pull her to me and press her against it. My lips crash down on hers, and I feel like a fucking god. She pulls away from me, and I can see the devilish glint in her eyes.
“We have to keep this a secret,” she says.
“A secret?”
“My father won’t understand this… whatever this is,”
“No,” I say, wanting to tell the world that this girl is mine.
“No? But don’t you think that having a secret, something that only we two know, will make this that much hotter?” she asks. I feel the shiver move through her body.
“I’ll play along for now,” I tell her, kissing her again. I want her to be mine, and if this is what it’s going to take to get her, I’ll do it. I don’t have to like it, but I’ll do it.
I’d do anything for her, so I’ll keep her my dirty little secret for now.
four
Esther
Why does he have to be so fucking hot? I’m either about to make the best decision of my life or the worst one, but I can’t… no… won’t stop myself from doing this. He’s what I want. What I didn’t know I needed. He’s huge. Bigger than anyone I’ve ever met, and yet I feel safe in his arms, even when he’s got me caged in. What am I doing? Asking him to keep it a secret was a whim because I know my father won’t understand this. He warned me about men like Calvin, who only want one thing. He’ll say all kinds of things I don’t want to hear, but he has no place here now.