by Alex Wolf
Jenny glances up at me and smiles. “I know you’d be here if you could. And I’m glad you met someone. You deserve to have fun and be happy. I worry about you being lonely.”
I nod, trying to keep my emotions in check. “I’m fine, slugger. That’s why this merger is so important, though. It’ll give me more time with you.”
“You need a life too. When I’m at college I don’t want you sitting here all alone and pathetic.”
I laugh. “Don’t worry about your old man. I’ll be okay as long as you’re happy. That’s all that matters to me.”
“And impressing this Tate girl.” She grins. “Is she pretty?”
“Yeah, sweetie. She’s pretty. You’ll see.” I shake my head and suck in a breath. Tate is a little fireball. The woman is something else. I can’t remember ever feeling this way.
“How old is she?”
“Go set the table.”
I glance at the clock on the stove. Damn, it’s 6:45. She’ll be here before everything is ready.
“Fine.” Jenny rolls her eyes but smiles.
While she puts the plates out, she looks over. “Maybe you’ll have time for me and to have a life, once the merger is done.”
“That’s the plan, but you always come first. You know that, right?” I turn on some water in the sink and scrub what I can of the dirty dishes so I don’t have to deal with them later. Something my mother used to do while she was cooking. She said no one wants to go to bed with a dirty kitchen or wake up to one either.
I think she’d like Tate. My parents retired to Florida a few years ago.
I drain the water off the potatoes and Jenny gets out the mixer. She’s always loved helping me in the kitchen, ever since she was a little girl.
“This is nice, Dad. I’ve missed your cooking. Molly is great and all, but nothing compares to yours.”
I smile at her, but the guilt eats at me again.
In a few years she’ll be off to college and I don’t want her high school years to pass me by. I already feel like I blinked, and she went from baby to a young woman overnight. I absolutely cannot fuck up this merger.
I find myself thinking about something else too.
I want Jenny to like Tate. I’m not sure what I’ll do if the two of them don’t hit it off.
A knock sounds at the front door right as the corn is about to boil over.
“I’ll get it.” Jenny grins and grabs me by both shoulders like she’s giving me a pep talk. “Don’t be so nervous, slugger.”
I laugh. That’s what I always called her when she was a toddler and it stuck. I look around the room and pray this goes well. If it doesn’t, I don’t know if I can handle it.
Tate
The whole cab ride to Decker’s, my leg won’t stop bouncing up and down. He stayed true to his promise and gave me space to think about things. I still don’t know what to expect tonight. I’m a wreck. Will his kid be there? I’ve never been involved with a single dad before.
It’s not a deal breaker for me, him having a kid, I’m just not experienced with this sort of thing. I clutch the wine bottle in my hand as the cab rolls to a stop outside a modern two-story home with sand-colored brick. It has beautiful curb appeal.
I pay the driver and start up the stone-lined walkway. I let out a breath and smooth my hand down the front of my black wrap dress, hoping I didn’t overdo it. I have no idea how casual or formal this is supposed to be. I knock softly and think about chickening out for a minute when the door swings open. A tall, teenage girl stands before me wearing a grin that matches her father’s. It has to be her.
“Hi. You must be Tate. I’m Jenny. Dad’s in the kitchen.” She holds her hand out to mine.
“Oh. Hi. Yes. Tate. That’s me.” I roll my eyes at myself for being a bumbling idiot.
“Here.” She reaches for the wine. “I can take that.”
“Err. Okay.”
Did I just hand booze to his minor daughter?
“Follow me.” She motions me inside, and I take in my surroundings. The foyer holds a small table housed under an oval mirror. There’s a picture frame with a collage of Jenny’s school photos in it. A delicious smell hits my nose. I recognize sautéed onions and garlic. We pass an open floor living and dining room area. There’s a double staircase that goes up to the second level with a balcony that overlooks the downstairs. Beyond that is a home office, and I assume a bathroom.
We walk into the kitchen, and I giggle at Decker’s apron. He scurries around the kitchen in a frenzy. God, he looks so—different. So domesticated. Cooking dinner, rushing around like everything has to be perfect; he’s even more attractive than he already was, if that’s possible.
“You came.” The surprise is evident in his tone.
“You cook.” I walk over to greet him and tug on the strings of his apron. “Do you clean too?”
“Dad cooks all the time,” Jenny states eagerly. “He’s a great cook.” She smiles at me then looks up at Decker.
He gives her a look I could only classify as the dad stare.
Jenny takes the hint and starts for one of the bedrooms. “I’m going to go check my, umm, homework.” She walks up another staircase off the side of the kitchen. Either she’s being sweet and giving us a moment alone, or Decker used some coded message to tell her to get lost.
I take a step toward the island and inspect the meal he’s preparing. “Didn’t think I’d come?”
Decker leans over with his elbows on the counter. “There were doubts, but I’m glad you did. I just wanted you to get a look at the real me. I’m not always the person you see around the office.”
I nod. “So this is the real you?”
“Yeah. My life’s not as glamorous as you’d think.”
I don’t know if I’m ready to have a serious conversation with him yet, so I change the subject. “So, what are you cooking for me?”
He backs away from the counter a tad. “Best meatloaf in the world.”
I scrunch up my nose. “I hate meatloaf.”
“Seriously?”
“No. Actually I’ve never had it.”
“You’ve never had meatloaf?” Jenny comes from behind me and appears at my side. She’s returned wearing a sundress and her hair is swept back in a low-hanging ponytail. She’s tall and lean like her father.
“Nope. What’s in it?”
“Meat,” they both say at the same time.
Decker stares at me for a few long moments, then cocks up an eyebrow. “You’ve really never had it?”
“Of course I’ve had meatloaf. I’m a southern girl. Don’t be ridiculous.”
We all laugh.
The three of us sit at the table. Decker is at the head; Jenny is to his right and I sit to his left.
They both stare at me, anxiously waiting for me to take a bite of this world’s best meatloaf. It smells fantastic, but they’ve adorned it with a lofty title. I’ll hate to crush their spirits if it doesn’t live up to the hype. I’m nervous as all hell, the way they’re both leaning in before I’m about to take a bite. It’s not the greatest situation in the world, having two people stare at your mouth. Shit, what if I hate it? What if it’s so bad I spit it out or gag?
Well, here goes nothing.
The meat is juicy and flavored with onions. I finally finish chewing and swallow.
Jenny nods like she’s willing me to enjoy it.
“My mother’s recipe,” says Decker.
I look back and forth at both of them, doing my best to maintain a poker face. For some reason, teasing out my reaction is a lot of fun. They both look like they might come out of their chairs at the same time and shake me, demanding my opinion.
Finally, I smile really big. “My God, that’s good.”
They both turn and grin big cheesy smiles at each other. “Told you,” says Decker.
“You mean I told you,” says Jenny.
I can’t help but grin. This really is—nice. Jenny is a total sweetheart and Decker looks happier th
an I’ve ever seen him. We eat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.
Before it turns awkward, I look up at Jenny. “So, what grade are you in?”
“Eighth.”
“Favorite subject?”
“Math.”
“Mine too.”
We talk a little more about her grades for a few minutes. When we all finish, Jenny helps her dad clear the table. I try to help but they both insist I’m a guest and not to touch anything.
“I have dessert.” Jenny brings a box of cupcakes out from a place called Sugar Bliss.
I peel back the wrapper and bite into the vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. “Wow. These are good.”
Decker gives his daughter a glass of milk and offers me coffee.
“I know, right? Dad prefers pie, but I told him cupcakes are the way to a girl’s heart.”
The fact she wants her dad to impress me with cupcakes warms my heart. We sit around and talk a little while longer over dessert. After a few minutes, Jenny gives Decker a hug and a wink she doesn’t think I see, then excuses herself to the bedroom. Decker and I move out onto the deck to talk about things.
It’s the conversation I’ve been dreading. I have a suspicion our situation is about to get real, and fast.
Decker refills my coffee with a carafe he brought out from the kitchen.
I tease him, trying to lighten the mood a little. “Who knew the dirty-talking suit from the office was a good little housewife in disguise?”
He laughs as he sits, and we take in the view of Lake Michigan from his backyard. Not going to lie, it’s absolutely gorgeous. The weather is perfect. It’s hard to believe we went from such an awkward, intense moment in his office to this, all within a few days.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. When it comes to Jenny, I do everything I can to keep her out of the public eye. I want her to grow up as normal as possible, and my past and my connections at the firm, well...” He trails off for a moment. “It complicates things.”
I look over at him, glad I came tonight. Jenny’s a sweet kid. I’m still conflicted inside, though. It’s just too much information all at once, and I need to take things slow. I have a job to do, and so does Decker. He has two important jobs to do.
I glance around to make sure Jenny isn’t eavesdropping on us somehow. “The woman at your office… Monica? Where does she fit into your life?”
Decker winces at the sound of her name, and his face sours like he just sniffed a bottle of vinegar. “That was just bad timing all around. She’s been out of the picture a long time. Jenny doesn’t know her, and Monica doesn’t really want to know her, she just… it’s complicated.”
I set my coffee down. “I’m here, Decker. You asked me here to lay all this stuff out. Tell me what’s so complicated about it.”
He sighs. “I met Monica in college, at the height of my baseball career. We weren’t even dating seriously. It wasn’t a one-night stand, but it wasn’t a relationship either. We just had a fling. Things progressed and she told me she was pregnant. I wasn’t even sure if the baby was mine, but she swore there was no one else. She can be manipulative sometimes, but she’s not a liar.
“Monica wasn’t ready for a baby, and I could tell it was tough for her to break the news. I wasn’t ready to have a baby either, but I don’t know…”
I move my arm forward like go on.
“The idea of this baby, this tiny human that was half me… Monica was talking about terminating the pregnancy. She wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready. And she knew how important my baseball career was. I mean, everyone did. I was going to be drafted in the first round and offered millions of dollars. It should’ve been a no-brainer for both of us, but I just had this voice in my head, this feeling. I knew it would be hard being a young parent, but I asked Monica to keep the baby. She was shocked, and gave me the whole ‘my body, my decision’ speech, which was fine. I told her it wasn’t about some political or spiritual belief. I just had a feeling. I told Monica if she would do this for me, if she would have the baby, I’d make sure she was taken care of until the child turned 18, even though she wouldn’t have to be a part of the child’s life. In fact, that was part of the deal. Monica wasn’t allowed to see or come near the kid. When Jenny was born, Monica signed over her parental rights, and we made it all legal. I ended my baseball dreams to be a single father. No matter how good you are, you always spend a few years in the minor leagues, and travel around by bus and plane. There was no way I would put an infant through that. I changed course and went into law. Those years were hard but rewarding. My family helped out a lot while I made it through law school.”
The whole thing sounded so crazy. I couldn’t imagine basically selling my child off for an annuity, which is what it sounded like. “So, she just gave you Jenny? In exchange for a monthly paycheck?”
“I promised to help her financially if she stayed out of the way. She agreed.”
“Wow.” I’m speechless. I never really considered having a family, but I could never just walk away from my child. I’m not really in a position to judge. I’ve never been through anything like that. If both parties were upfront and honest about their needs and wants, it almost sounded like a healthy transaction.
“Yeah.” He rubs his jaw. “I wouldn’t change my decision for anything in the world. That girl is my life.” Decker fidgets with his cup for a second, then sets it down. His smoldering stare lands on me. “Look, I like you, Tate. I want to see where this goes, but at the same time, Jenny is the most important thing to me and will be until she’s old enough to go out in the world as an adult.”
I nod. “I understand. Honestly, I do. I think it’s great you’re so involved and take care of your child. Not many people would do what you did. Has dating been an issue for you in the past? I mean with Jenny.”
“Nope.” He answers the question immediately, without a hint of any doubt.
“Really? Never?”
Decker pauses for a moment, seemingly thinking through what he’s about to say next. “I have a confession.”
“Okay. Let’s have it.”
“You’re the only woman I’ve dated that has ever met Jenny. Or been in our home, for that matter.”
My heart skips a beat. My eyes feel like they might bug out of my head. Jenny is what, fourteen? And he’s never dated another woman or brought her in the house to meet Jenny?
I don’t think it’s possible for Decker to look more serious than he does now. “I’m extremely guarded and protective when it comes to my daughter. Monica has never met her. I still get attention in the media because of what I do, and because of my past with baseball. I want Jenny to grow up as normal as possible, and I don’t want another woman coming in here, getting to know her, then walking out and breaking her heart. You’re the first, and to be quite honest, it scares me.”
At his confession, I move from my chair and step over him to straddle his lap. My arms cradle his neck and our mouths fuse together.
He pulls me back for a second, his eyes still on mine. “This merger has to happen. It has to work, Tate, I’m serious.”
“It will,” I whisper, as I kiss along his neck.
He pulls me back away from him, so that we’re eye to eye. “No, you don’t understand. I have four years left with my daughter before she goes to college. If the merger happens, I’ll be able to leave the office at five every day. I’ll be able to make her dinner, go to her school functions, be a normal father. If it falls through, I’ll be cleaning up the mess forever, and we have new clients that keep signing on, so many we can’t keep up with them. I’m already working seventy-hour weeks. This merger is my ticket to a normal life with her. I’ll never get these years back.”
I put a hand out on his cheek. I don’t know if it’s too intimate already, but it just feels like the right thing to do. His love for his daughter reminds me of my own dad. The two of them are so different and yet so alike. My dad taught me to shoot guns, and fish, and ride horses, but the
universal fatherly sentiment is the same. I remember how special that bond was for me, and I want him to have that with Jenny. It’s priceless. “Decker, the merger will happen. We’ll both see to it. Nobody can screw it up but us.”
“That’s what scares me.”
I know he’s baring his soul to me right now when he doesn’t have to. The stakes are at an all-time high for him, and he’s still pursuing me. “We won’t mess it up. We can’t.”
Decker holds me close to him and then kisses me so hard it makes me dizzy. I pull back a little, gazing deeply into his eyes, wondering if this is all real or if he’s too good to be true. He’s smart, successful, talented… and he brought me to his house to cook for me and meet his daughter.
I regard him for a moment and quirk up an eyebrow. “You don’t have any other secrets, do you?”
“I have a third nipple.” He smirks.
I smack him playfully on the chest and laugh.
“No. I don’t.” He squeezes my butt and I rock against him, grinding over his erection that popped up during our kiss.
“I’ve seen your kitchen and eaten your food.” I gesture with my head back toward the house. “Now would be a good time to show me your bedroom.”
Decker grips my ass with both hands and stands up, carrying me in the process. His eyes turn dark and mischievous. “Oh, I have plenty more to show you.”
Decker
With Tate’s legs around my waist and her arms around my neck, I carry her through the back door and down the hall to my bedroom. I’m not worried about Jenny. She’s upstairs and sleeps with her TV on. We’re downstairs at the opposite end of the house. The only thing on my mind is getting Tate naked, tasting every inch of her, and making her come so many times she passes out.
When we reach my bedroom, she slides down my body and lands on her feet. The complicated straps of her black dress won’t deter me from taking what I want. I’ve been craving her the entire fucking week leading up to this dinner.