by J. L. Leslie
“I didn’t think you were coming,” I tell her. “You want ice cream?”
“Ice cweam!” Willow squeals. “An’ Elsa!”
“Ice cream sounds delicious,” Jenna says to me and then goes to sit beside Willow. “Are we watching Frozen because that’s one of my favorite movies ever? Let it go! Let it go!”
She sings and Willow starts to sing with her, the two of them apparently knowing the theme song from the movie. I go into the kitchen and fix Jenna a bowl of ice cream, exactly the same as mine and Willow’s. I hand it to her and join the two of them on the couch.
I start the movie and help Willow with her ice cream. I’ll have to give her another bath. She already has a chocolate ice cream mustache. She finishes her bowl and is completely entranced in the movie, doing her best to act out certain scenes and sing along.
I take Jenna’s hand and urge her over to me so that she can get comfortable and lean against my chest. She kicks her sandals off and tucks her feet beneath her, smiling at Willow dancing and singing in front of us.
This feels so normal. So right. It’s easy to forget the complications of our relationship when we’re like this.
I let Willow watch most of the movie before I tell her it’s time for another bath. She does have school tomorrow, after all. She doesn’t fuss too much. I give her a quick bath and get her settled in for bed. Sometimes she goes right to sleep and other times I have to rock her. Luckily, tonight she goes right to sleep.
When I join Jenna back in the living room, she’s already put our ice cream bowls away and washed them. The little bit of ice cream Willow spilled on the coffee table has been cleaned up as well.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell her.
“It’s okay. You do a lot on your own, so it’s okay for you to have some help every once in a while.”
Damn, she gets it. She gets me.
“Come here and I’ll show you how grateful I am,” I smile, and she steps into my arms.
Jenna
Kaler trails his fingers over my bare shoulders and goosebumps rise over my skin. We’re on his couch, a throw blanket covering our naked bodies. His television is on, but the volume is turned down.
Willow has been in bed for quite a while. She didn’t argue when Kaler told her it was bedtime. I think the movie wore her out.
“It’s late,” I whisper, not really wanting this intimate moment between us to end.
I don’t really want to go, but I probably need to. I walked here, so my vehicle is not parked outside, but that also means I either have to get up early to get back home or Kaler has to drive me home in the morning and run the risk of someone seeing us together.
“That all depends on whether or not you’re a night owl or an early bird,” he tells me.
I giggle. “We both know I am not an early bird.”
“That’s going to be my goal. To make an early bird out of you.”
He kisses my shoulder and hugs me to him, the warmth from his body feeling good against my skin. He sighs and I admit to myself that I love that sound.
“I had a date tonight,” I finally admit. “That’s why it took me so long to get over here.”
Kaler doesn’t loosen his grip on me but I can still feel his body tighten at my words. “With Alex? Did you tell him?”
I shake my head. “No, but things were different between us. Something was off and I don’t know if it was me or him, but it wasn’t right. I didn’t feel right being there with him and wishing I was with you.”
“That’s because you’re a good person, Jenna.”
“I also know that if I keep seeing him, people won’t be so damn nosy about my love life,” I tell him. “Don’t get me wrong, they will still be nosy, but it’s a different kind of nosy when you’re seeing someone than when you’re single.”
He shifts and props himself up on his elbow so I lie on my back so that I can look up at him. God, I don’t know how anyone could leave this man. It’s not about how gorgeous he is, but it’s in the way he looks at me that makes me feel gorgeous.
“You want to use him as a decoy?” he cocks an eyebrow at me.
“Now I really feel like shit when you put it like that,” I roll my eyes and swat his shoulder.
He laughs but then his expression grows serious. “I get what you’re talking about, Jenna. If you’re seen out on a date with him then people won’t take notice to you sneaking over here to see me.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean, but that’s cruel and mean and I’m not that person. I don’t know if I can do that to someone.”
“If it makes you feel any better, Alex wasn’t out of town with the construction crew last week,” he informs me.
I frown. “Where was he then?”
“Don’t ask me. He’s your boyfriend,” he grins.
“What a douche!”
“I tried to tell you he was,” he jokes. “You didn’t want to listen to me.”
“Well, you were jealous and trying to get in my panties,” I tease.
Kaler’s smile is full of mischief as he climbs over until he’s settled on top of me, the hardness of his cock pressed against my inner thigh.
“Looks like it worked.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kaler
It’s definitely a perk that Jenna lives only a few blocks away from me. Small town life has advantages. We’ve been sneaking around for a couple of weeks now, leaving our vehicles at our own houses and walking to see each other. This draws less attention to what we’re doing. Sure, the neighbors are nosy but they’re less likely to look out their windows if they don’t hear a vehicle approaching.
She’s with me now at my house, and although I want so badly to strip her of her clothes and fuck her, I’ll wait until Willow goes to sleep. Jenna seems to know how badly I want her because she keeps letting the strap on her dress slide off her shoulder. When she fixes it, she gives me a shy smile.
Yes, she knows what she’s doing to me and what I want to do to her.
It’s not just about the sex though. I wanted to spend time with Jenna before that happened between us. Wanted to be around her. Hear her talk and laugh. See her smile. The sex is an added bonus.
The last time I had her was yesterday after church. It was our second time fucking on the back of my truck. I’ve fucked her under the sun twice now and now I want to fuck her under the moon.
Jenna shifts and leans forward, grabbing her phone off the table and I see that she has a message. She opens it, not caring that I’m able to read it. I tell myself to look away but when I see that it’s from Alex, I can’t help myself.
I know she still sees him. It’s what we agreed she would do. She never questioned him about his outright lie about working out of town for Wade’s Construction and I know it helps her with her guilt about cheating on him.
I also know that the only sexual satisfaction she gives him is the occasional lip lock, which still pisses me the fuck off. I do know that she can’t suddenly stop kissing the guy when they’ve already kissed though. He would get suspicious, but she promises me she keeps those kisses to a minimum and I trust her about that.
“What does loverboy want?” I ask her, watching Willow run through the living room and back out, carrying her purple pot in one hand and my iPad in the other.
“For me to have dinner at his place tomorrow night,” she explains.
“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” I answer immediately. “He only wants you to come to his place so he can get you alone.”
“We’ve been alone together before,” she replies.
“Not completely alone.”
“I’ve been honest with him,” she explains. “I’ve already told him I’m not looking for anything serious and we can just be friends and hang out sometimes.”
I frown, but only because she admitted she isn’t looking for anything serious. I’m not certain why that bothers me, but it does. Sure, what we’re doing is temporary and we both know that, but there are times that
it feels pretty fucking serious.
“If you think you can hang out with the guy, kissing him sometimes, and he’s not going to want more, then you’re wrong.”
“He can want in one hand and shit in the other. See which one fills up first,” she quips, and I burst out laughing.
“That sounds like something Tauren would say.”
“Actually, got that one from my grandpa,” she smiles. “Look, if you don’t want me to go to his place, I can suggest we do something else.”
I shrug. “It’s up to you. I trust you.”
She texts him back, agreeing to meet him at his place. I remind myself that I do trust her. It’s that asshole I don’t trust.
“On a completely different subject, I’m hoping to get some iPads for my classroom. Right now we only have three and that’s not enough,” she tells me, putting her phone back on the table and resting her head against my shoulder.
Willow runs back into the living room and climbs onto the couch, worn out and ready to settle down for a few minutes of video-watching on the iPad. Right now, she’s watching kids play at an indoor playground, but in a few minutes it’ll be bedtime.
“I know Willow would love it.”
“She really takes to it well. The things she can do on it is amazing. The kids simply don’t understand that they have to limit their time on it and share with others. It’s always a hassle getting them to turn it back over to me.”
“I know Willow gets a death grip on mine,” I laugh, the tension about Alex and the fact that she’s having dinner at his place tomorrow night completely gone. “I may as well say it’s hers now. She’s pretty much taken it over.”
“I don’t see you as an iPad type of guy anyway,” she grins. “You’re much more outdoorsy and hands-on.”
“Advantages of being a mechanic,” I tell her, inching my hand up her thigh. “I’m good with my hands and I have the right tools for the job.”
“Oh my gosh,” she laughs, pushing my hand away. “I guess you don’t mind getting down and dirty either?”
“Not at all,” I smile. “And I work well in tight places.”
“That’s awful,” she laughs again. “So awful.”
“Willow, time for bed,” I say without taking my eyes off of her. Willow fusses for a minute but she puts the iPad down and comes over to me. She’s definitely ready for bed like I knew she would be.
I carry her down the hall and to her room. I tuck her in, just like I always do, although I know she’ll be uncovered in the morning. I turn her nightlight on and give her a kiss on the forehead.
“I love you, Princess,” I say to her.
“No,” she giggles.
“Love you,” I repeat.
“No,” she giggles even harder, shaking her head.
“Please?”
“I love you, Da-yee,” she replies, sleepily.
I slip out quietly, her eyes already closing, and make my way back to the living room. Jenna’s eyes go wide as I drop to my knees and lift her dress. I proceed to show her just how good I am with my hands and my mouth too.
Jenna
I agreed to have dinner at Alex’s place mainly to see how Kaler would react. He didn’t get upset or demand that I not go. I didn’t really expect that of him, but I was happy that he didn’t behave that way.
Instead of going to Alex’s place, I opted to meet him at a Chinese restaurant in Westmont. He didn’t seem too disappointed, but he did seem distracted the majority of our date. He didn’t kiss me when he walked me to my car, which I was relieved about, but also a little confused too.
His mixed signals are making my head spin. Maybe he senses that I’m not that into him. I don’t know and I can’t bring myself to care. I don’t want to feel like shit for basically cheating on him and the further he distances himself from me, the less guilty I feel.
The fact that I also know he lied about where he was last week also helps me with my guilt. I don’t think twice about going straight to Kaler after I get home from Westmon. I could tell he was jealous and I liked the fact that he didn’t tell me that. He showed me.
Kaler makes me happy. Is this what a good relationship feels like? I can’t say that any other man I’ve dated has ever made me feel like this. I’m happy, excited, and comfortable all at the same time.
I didn’t have that feeling with Alex in the slightest. I could’ve tried to force it, but I would probably resent him in the long run. We’re both keeping something from each other and regardless of what it is that he’s keeping from me, I don’t lose any sleep when I don’t hear from Alex the next few days either.
I watch Kaler now, knowing what’s underneath his tight jeans and t-shirt. Knowing how his mouth feels on me. What his hands can do. It’s hard not to think of those things when I see him.
It doesn’t matter how nice Alex might be or how easy it’s been to convince everyone we’re dating, I know who my mind was on the entire night. I know where I wanted to be. Thinking about Kaler the way I do is dangerous, but I can’t help myself.
Today is about Willow though, so I can keep my libido in check. Well, until later, when I won’t have to.
“One, two, three,” Kaler counts off and Willow goes down the slide, squealing the entire way.
After seeing how interested she was in the videos of the kids playing at the indoor playground, I looked one up online. Turns out, Kids Korner was only a forty-five minute drive from Chapelwood. Far enough away from Chapelwood that we aren’t worried about being seen together and close enough that we can make a day of it without tiring Willow out too much.
Now that she’s finished with the slide, she makes her way over to the ball pit. I take a seat at an empty chair close by and Kaler joins me, his eyes constantly on Willow.
“She loves it,” he tells me, reaching over and taking my hand. “Thank you for finding this place.”
This is nice. We’re not worried about being caught. Neither of us care about these strangers seeing us. There’s nothing wrong about what we’re doing right now. We can be an “us” here.
“I don’t mind letting you take the credit if you want,” I smile. “You did let me tag along.”
“I figured it would be good to bring you so you can take her to the potty,” he jokes. “She does not like going on urinals.”
“You are so full of it.”
As we’re talking, a little boy runs up to us, his tiny face peeking through the safety fence. I tell him hello and he smiles.
“What’s wrong with her?” he asks, pointing back at Willow.
Kaler shifts in his seat. “What do you mean, what’s wrong with her?”
“She’s smaller than me,” he explains and Kaler’s expression softens.
“She’s just tiny.”
The little boy accepts that explanation and runs back off to play with Willow. The two of them are throwing balls at each other, laughing and giggling.
“Calm down there, daddy,” I joke. “You acted like you were going to beat up a five-year-old.”
“If he deserves it,” he teases. “Nobody messes with my princess.”
Willow plays a good hour longer and we practically have to drag her away kicking and screaming. Kaler promises to bring her back and asks her if she wants pizza, which brightens her mood.
After a quick stop at a pizza parlor, we’re headed back to Chapelwood. We go to his place, the three of us all exhausted. I give Willow a bath while Kaler tidies up her room. She’s settled in shortly after getting her pajamas on.
Kaler and I lay down on his couch, neither of us willing to get up and go to his room. I’m dozing when I hear a knock on his door. Shit. I ease up and nudge him awake, not even realizing that he’d fallen asleep.
“Someone is at your door,” I whisper and he groans.
“What time is it?”
I shrug and nudge him again, making sure he’s awake. I stand up with him and as he goes to open the door, I stand behind it, hidden from view.
“Hey, Kaler,�
�� I hear his neighbor, Mr. Donaldson, say. “I’m looking for Mr. Scruffies. You seen him?”
“No, um, I haven’t seen your cat,” he replies, his voice a little gruff. “We’re asleep already, so good luck finding her.”
“Him,” Mr. Donaldson corrects. “Do you have company? You said ‘we’ as though you have company.”
“Me and my daughter,” Kaler explains. “You know, the little girl who lives with me.”
“Oh, yes, the little girl. That’s right. Have a good night.”
Kaler shuts the door, mumbling about his nosy neighbor and tells me he was trying to stick his head in the door to see if someone was in here. I can relate. My neighbors are just as nosy.
“He’s probably listening at the door right now,” Kaler says loudly and I shake my head, giggling.
He scoops me into his arms and carries me over to his couch. If his neighbor is standing at his door, we definitely make enough noise to make him blush.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kaler
I take in my surroundings, adjusting my tie as I walk with the general manager for Thompson Ford in Westmont, Alabama. The city is much larger than the small town of Chapelwood and is only about an hour drive from my house. Thompson Ford is a major dealership and the mechanic position they’re hiring for is one I’ve been considering accepting.
“Mr. Holt, I’m sure you’re aware of the benefits that come with accepting this position,” Mr. Franke says. “The pay is the best in the city, along with insurance and 401K. Not to mention all the overtime you can handle.”
“Overtime?”
“Of course,” he smiles. “You can rack up the overtime working nights and weekends. We close at five o’clock but most of the mechanics don’t get out of here until well past seven.”
If I didn’t leave here until after seven o’clock, I wouldn’t get home until after eight. I wouldn’t be able to fix Willow’s dinner or do her homework with her. I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to pick her up from school. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but if I didn’t pick her up from school, I was at least expecting to be home in time to make dinner for her.