by Alex Wolf
Abigail sits there, thinking over what she wants to say. “Okay that’s true, just…” She motions with her head like can we please speak out of earshot of everyone?
I follow her over by the bar.
“Seriously, what are we doing? I work with most of the people at that table.”
“Oh stop. It’ll be fine. This isn’t work. You already know everyone except for Mr. Richards. He’s good people. It’s not like they don’t already know about us.”
“You told them?”
I shrug. “Well yeah, they’re my family. I tell them everything. Especially Deacon.”
She finally sighs. “Okay. I just wish you would’ve warned me.”
“Come on, it’ll be great.” I squeeze her hand and she doesn’t protest as I pull her along to join the group.
Tate smiles, trying to lighten the mood a little, and latches onto Abigail. She hands her a Bud Light from one of the buckets in the center of the table.
“I see you stopped being a bitch.” Quinn hands me a bottle.
I glance down and Mr. Richards gives me a thumbs up. When nobody is looking, he holds his hands out from his chest, suggesting Abigail has a nice rack and he winks. I shake my head. I did the same thing to him when I had Abigail help out getting him to the Bears game after Deacon royally fucked up and had to win Quinn back, and then again during our little counseling session on the couch.
I excuse myself while Abigail chats winter work outfits with Quinn and Tate.
I walk down and have a seat next to Mr. Richards.
“Don’t worry, son. She’s a great date. I should know.” His gaze moves over to my girl.
I laugh. “Yeah, you would, you old shit.”
He dies laughing. “I’m happy for you, kid.”
Decker smacks me on the back, a little too hard, and speaks through his teeth. “So, this is happening.” To his credit he doesn’t reach for his temples like he’s about to have an aneurysm.
“Yeah. Get used to it. I like her a lot.”
Decker sighs. “All we need are some cameras in the office and for Donavan to start nailing interns and we can film the fucking Jerry Springer show.”
“He’s already fucked like three interns.” I turn to Deacon. “Or is it four?”
“Might be four,” says Deacon.
“And we already have the cameras ready. Just have to go in the supply—”
“I fucking hate all of you.” Decker bites back a grin.
A waitress brings out our food. It’s chilaquiles and some bean dip.
I turn to Decker and lower my voice. “Donavan not coming?”
Decker takes a long drink of a beer and glares at me. “Fuck, man. Please don’t start. I’m actually enjoying this, and Jenny is off with her friends right now. I’m trying not to worry about that. I know they’re talking to boys and shit.”
“Will you just talk to him? Fuck man, it’s brutal not having the whole family together. The holidays are coming up.”
“I know, okay. I fucking know. It’s just…” His jaw clenches. “Look, I’ve been trying, the timing just hasn’t been right. It’s not my job to kiss his ass and be his mother. He’s acting like a baby, because he is a goddamn baby.”
“I know you’re marrying Tate, and I expect you to have her back a hundred percent, Decker.” I shake my head. “It’s a tough spot but it’s family too. So, apologize or whatever you have to do, even if you don’t mean it. If Mom and Dad still lived here, this shit wouldn’t be happening, and you know it. So work it out as if they’re here. Find a compromise. Does he even spend time with Jenny anymore?”
“He calls. They talk on the phone and he’s picked her up a few Fridays but doesn’t speak to me much. Just the bare minimum. From what I can gather from Jenny, he doesn’t say anything about me, but I don’t press her about it. I don’t want her caught in the middle of anything. It’s just me he’s freezing out.”
“Well, good.” I nod. All of us are close with Jenny. We all helped raise her.
“You happy now? I want to enjoy my Sunday.”
I grip his shoulder. “It’ll work out. Don’t worry, we’re pressing him as hard as we’re pressing you. It doesn’t all fall on your shoulders.”
Decker looks over at me. “At the risk of sounding like a total bitch, thanks. That means a lot.”
“And don’t worry about Jenny. She might be dealing with teenager shit, but she’s a great kid. The attitude is normal.”
“How the hell would you know?” Decker laughs.
I shrug. “I don’t but I thought it’d make your anxious ass feel better. Eat a goddamn Xanax like an adult, fuck.”
“There he is. You were acting too mature there for a moment.”
We clink our bottles together and I look down the table.
Abigail blends in perfectly with the group just like I knew she would. Tate and Quinn are doing their best to make her feel welcome. She glances at me and smiles. Fuck, I can get lost in that smile.
Decker turns to me and Deacon. “So hey, I meant to tell you two. Mom and Dad are flying up for Thanksgiving. We’re doing it at my place.”
“Awesome.” Man, I can’t wait. It sounds corny as fuck, but I love everyone getting together at the holidays, especially when Mom and Dad come into town. All of us do. It gutted me moving Mom to Florida. I miss her constantly.
I grin over at Abigail and can’t take my eyes off her.
“You two getting serious?” Cole nudges me with his elbow.
I do my best impression of Kip from Napoleon Dynamite. “Yeah, man. She accepted my friend request on Facebook, so I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious.”
He dies laughing. “She have any single friends?”
“A roommate from hell.”
“Crazy, huh?”
“From what I hear.”
“I don’t know, I like ‘em a little nuts. Psychos are good between the sheets.”
“Not this kind of crazy. You don’t wanna go there, man.”
“Go where?” Abigail asks as she walks to our end of the table.
“Nothing,” we both say at the same time.
“Mmhmm.” Abigail stares.
We finally finish off our food and drinks, then everyone files out the front door.
There’s a charter bus parked in front.
“What’s that?” asks Abigail.
I nudge her. “To take us to the game.”
She shakes her head. “I should’ve known.”
“Yeah, you should’ve.” I lean down in her ear. “Don’t worry, we’ve already made out in front of the team once, so it won’t be a big deal when we do it again.”
She pinches my arm.
“Ow, woman!”
“You deserved that.” She walks in front of me, swaying her ass. “You coming or what, clown?”
I run up behind her. “You’re the Christmas clown, not me.”
“Mmhmm, let’s go, clownboy.”
After the game, the charter bus takes us back to Harry Caray’s, and I drive Abigail home. I don’t want to, but the weekend is almost over, and we have to work tomorrow. It was awesome spending the last two days with her. I’m a little behind on some work I need to do, even after going in on Saturday, but nothing major.
As I walk her to her door, that Kyle prick leaves his apartment. Abigail tenses up immediately. I swear to God that smarmy bastard probably sat there and watched out his window like a loser and timed it so he’d leave right when we walked up. I know how dipshits like him operate.
He stares at the ground and ignores us as he power-walks by.
Good. I want that son of a bitch to be afraid to even talk to Abigail.
She stays tense until he’s in the elevator and the door closes.
I grab each of her shoulders. “You okay?” I glance around at her dilapidated building. She really does need to move out of this shit hole. That would solve all my problems. I know Abby, though. She’d never let me pay for it or accept any kind of hel
p. I’ll think of something to get her out of here.
She shakes her head. “No. Yeah. Totally fine. I was just worried he might say something to piss you off.”
“He pisses me off by existing, but you don’t have to worry about anything happening. I promised you.”
“Dex?” She stares at me like I’m full of shit.
“I would never do anything.” I hold up both hands and mumble, “In front of you.”
She pushes at my shoulder. “Stop, you’re terrible.”
“I’m fine, okay. I don’t get pissed off very often. That was a fluke deal. Bad timing and his friend said the wrong thing. That’s all.” I push her up against the wall next to her door. “I meant what I said about my promise. Though I do feel like Johnny Lawrence, not allowed to touch Daniel Larusso until the tournament.”
“That makes you sound like the villain.”
I scoff. “Uhh, Johnny was the hero. Daniel was an arrogant dickhead.”
She laughs, then her eyes lock onto mine. “I had a really great time this weekend.” She strokes my jaw with her petite fingers.
“You could have a great time with me tomorrow night at dinner too?”
She grins. “I’ll think about it. I can’t always let you get your way, though, you know? Have to keep you on your toes.”
“Yeah you can.” I move in for what is supposed to be a quick kiss, but it turns intense in a hurry. “You drive me crazy.”
Abigail grins against my lips then bites the lower one. “Ditto.”
The moment is nice, and it’s hot as hell. If she keeps looking at me like that, I may have to kick the door down and haul her to her room, because who has time to use a key?
Out of nowhere, the door to her apartment flies open.
“There you are.” This chick’s voice is as nasal as a voice can get.
What the hell? Just be nice. “You must be Barbie.” I hold out my hand. “Dexter.”
Her nose goes up in the air. “Funny. Abigail’s never mentioned you.”
I can’t help but snicker. Jesus fuck, Abby wasn’t kidding at all.
I flash her a smile. “No worries, you’ll be seeing a lot of me.”
Abigail shakes her head, and I lean in for one more kiss, right in front of Barbie.
I squeeze Abigail’s hip. “Call me later before you go to bed.”
“Okay.”
“Barbie.” I give her a weird salute. “Say hi to Ken for me. Night ladies.”
As I walk toward the elevator, I hear Barbie pissing and moaning about a guy named Nick.
I wonder if it was her boyfriend I headbutted in the face? Interesting.
I glance around on my way down the elevator. Yeah, I have to get Abigail the fuck out of this place. She deserves way better.
On the way to my car outside, Kyle creeps out of the shadows and saunters up the sidewalk. He’s such an idiot in his little Pokémon t-shirt. It looks like something one of Jenny’s friends from school would wear.
He starts toward me but abruptly stops and scowls when he sees me.
I sigh. Fucking perfect, just what I need. I know he’s been out here waiting on me. Guys like him never learn and they don’t handle rejection. They’re dangerous for women. I’ve seen it a million times.
Stay calm.
The last thing I need is this twerp mouthing off and me sticking my foot up his ass. Shoving his hands in his pockets he shuffles awkwardly.
I can’t believe how pathetic he is. Who raised him? If he wasn’t such a conniving little asshole, I’d feel sorry for him.
I try to ghost him, just walk right past.
But, he turns around the second I walk by. “Hey!”
I stop and exhale a large breath. Silence would’ve been too easy it seems. “What?”
He shakes his head in the most condescending fashion possible and snorts. “Women are all the same.”
I laugh at that one and eye him up and down, knowing exactly what he means by it. “It’s not the women who are the problem.”
I turn and walk off.
“The hell is that supposed to mean?”
I toss up a middle finger without turning back. “That means you’re the problem, Kyle. And don’t go near Abigail or I’ll rip your legs off and kick your ass with them.”
I glance back in time to see his eyes get big, then he power-walks all the way back to his apartment.
I get in my car and rev the engine then pull out onto the road. The entire drive to my place I try to think about Abigail but can’t get that smarmy asshole out of my head. I have to get Abigail away from her roommate and that guy. What did she get herself caught up in? The people in her life give me anxiety, and I rarely have to be around them.
At my apartment, I go through the motions of getting everything ready for the week. I check my calendar and get my schedule up to date. Brenda’s always on top of things but I like to double check. I hate being caught off guard with last-minute changes. Nothing irks Decker more than incompetence, and I don’t need to give him any more petty reasons to fuck with me over the Wells Covington situation.
After a quick shower, I crawl into bed just in time to get a text from Abigail.
Abigail: I had a great time today.
Me: Me too, miss you though.
Abigail: Wow, did you just say something sweet?
Me: I have a problem over here.
Abigail: What’s that?
Me: Cold bed and my dick is lonely.
Abigail: There’s Dexter, I was wondering who was texting me. And poor little guy, hope he’ll be okay without me.
Me: Nothing poor or little about my dick.
Abigail: SMH. I wasn’t being literal.
Me: Sounded literal. Afraid I’ll need to prove myself again. Come on over.
Abigail: Some of us have to be at work on time.
Me: All right, then. No more pudding and a spanking is in order.
Abigail: Hmm, I may need to misbehave more often.
Me: Careful, Abby. You’re making my poor little dick hard.
Abigail: I’m sure he misses me. What are you going to do to him?
I stare at the message. Shit, is she really going there? Fuck it. I’m not passing this up.
Me: It’s not so much what I’ll do to him as what I’m going to think about while I do it.
I can’t get the image out of my mind of her squirming on her bed, touching herself as she reads my messages. I need to perform at my best here.
Abigail: What are you going to think about?
Me: Bending you over the bed, and spanking your ass just to see the outline of my hand.
Abigail: Then what?
Me: Tease all around your pussy with my tongue, until you beg me to touch you.
Abigail: Maybe I’m already touching myself.
Fuck. She has me so wound up I might explode. I stare down at my lap and my dick is pointing up at the sky, the only thing on my mind is feeling Abigail’s tight pussy wrapped around it.
Me: You’re definitely getting spanked for that.
Abigail: That a promise or a threat?
Me: Both.
Abigail: While you figure it out, I’ll be here all alone with my vibrator, dreaming of being punished for my insubordination.
A close-up photo comes through of her slender hand shoved down the front of her white lace panties.
Fuck texting. I try to Facetime her, but she rejects the call.
Me: Pick up the damn phone, woman!
I’m so hard it aches as I stare at the picture.
Fuck it.
Two can play at this game. I send her a picture of me fisting my dick. Obviously, I angle the camera just right so it looks gigantic. Minutes go by and there’s no response. I try to call three times and it just rings and goes to voicemail.
You dirty little girl, Abigail. I can’t believe this.
I’m going to think up some way to get revenge, as soon as I finish jerking off to her picture.
Abigail
; “Oh hey! What’s up?” I stare at Mary as she hovers near the edge of my desk. We don’t usually talk much, even though I’ve worked with her longer than anyone here.
She transferred from Dallas at the same time I did. From what little I could gather, it was to do some work for her church up here.
She has on a terrible brown sweater that completely washes out her complexion. It’s paired with navy blue dress pants and black leather flats. She could be so cute and adorable if she’d let me dress her or take her shopping, but I don’t want to be rude and suggest it.
She fidgets, reaching up and fumbling with the rosary beads around her neck. I don’t know how she survived the interview process because she’s incredibly shy. She knows the law like nobody’s business, though, and is always putting together presentations for partners. We call her the Power Point wizard.
“I was just over near the partners’ offices and Dexter needs you. Said it’s urgent. I hope you’re not in trouble. He seemed really mad.”
“Did he now?”
She grimaces. “I don’t think he’s had any coffee. He was grumpy.” Her voice drops down low and she glances around to see if anyone is listening. She makes a twisted-up face and does her best Dexter impersonation and reenacts the whole scene for me.
I bite back a laugh. I can picture it all playing out in my mind perfectly. “Thanks for letting me know. I’ll go see what he wants.”
“No problem.” She smiles and goes to her little cubicle. “Good luck,” she whispers as I shove my chair back to go see what Dexter is up to.
This better be work related.
I walk over to his office and stop in front of Brenda. “Hi. Mary said Mr. Collins needed to see me.”
“Yeah, go on in. He’s waiting.” She waves me forward.
I smooth my hand over my skirt before knocking on the door. I don’t want to just barge in even though she said to.
“Come in.” His voice is smooth and deep, and I feel it reverberate through my body. I blink a few times. Things are different now. We’ve spent the night together more than once. We’ve been intimate.
I take a deep breath and walk in.
“Close the door.” He says it like it’s a request, but we both know it’s an order.