The Daddy Dilemma

by Tia Siren

  He stomped toward the door, throwing a glare at Mitchel as he passed, and slammed it behind him.

  “You’ve changed,” Mitchel said. “You are not the same woman I married.”

  There was a sinister sound. I turned to verify it was coming from Lara. It was eerie, a little spooky, but strangely intriguing.

  “Yes, I’ve changed, Mitchel. What did you think would happen when I caught you in bed with another woman? Did you honestly think I would pretend it had never happened and let you come back into my bed? You’re a bigger fool than I was.”

  Mitchel shook his head, his arms spread wide as he encompassed the area. “This isn’t you. You’re having some kind of breakdown.”

  She laughed. “No. I’m having a breakthrough. Big difference. The best thing that has happened to me in a very long time was catching you in bed with that floozy.”

  “Don’t be crass,” he said.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I am. This is me, Mitchel. This is the woman I was supposed to be. You kept me in that box for too long. I don’t want to be the perfect hostess or the perfect wife. I want to be free to live my life as I see fit. You turned into a man I never want to see or talk to again. Thankfully, we didn’t have children together. There is nothing for us to talk about. We share nothing.”

  “You’re still my wife.”

  I turned to look at her response and puffed up with pride as she squared her shoulders. “No, I’m not. We have nothing to say to each other. If you need something, talk to my lawyer. But, do remember, you are paying for that lawyer. I’d make sure you’re succinct. Now go. Get out of my house.”

  “You haven’t heard the last of me,” he spat before finally leaving the house.

  I stared at the closed door and watched as Lara walked toward the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of wine from the cupboard and poured herself a glass. She drank it in several long swallows. I watched as her throat worked. My mind drifted back to the kiss and the way she had tasted. I imagined how sweet she would taste with the wine flavoring her breath.

  “Mason,” she said, refilling her glass.

  “Yes?” I answered, stepping toward her, hoping she would offer me a glass. It was a little early in the day, but I was game.

  She sighed. “What a day. All I had planned was a little painting.”

  I smiled. “Lara, that kiss,” I started.

  She took another long drink from her wine glass.

  “It was a kiss. It isn’t like we haven’t kissed before.”

  She was lying. It was a lot more than just a kiss. “Lara, we’ve kissed before as kids. You know that was different.”

  “No, Mason, I don’t. It was one of those things. You were in the right place at the right time. I mean, look around. See how quickly I cleared the room?” she said with a grin.

  I laughed. She was right. Her little stunt had certainly shut Brian up. Mitchel was a different story. The guy was a dick. I was pleased she had managed to get away from him. It was a good thing she had caught him cheating. Sometimes fate had a funny way of working things out for people, whether they liked the method or not.

  “Lara, can we talk about it? I think there is something to talk about.”

  “Nope. I would like to be alone now. I still have a gallon of paint to splash on the walls. And then, if I am feeling particularly crazy, I may just start painting the nursery.”

  I flinched. It was hard to imagine her as a mother. A single mother.

  “Okay. I’ll go. I’m sorry for barging in here.”

  She started laughing. “I’m not. If it weren’t for you being here, I couldn’t have shut Brian and Mitchel up with one kiss. Brian got the point, and Mitchel—well, maybe he will leave me alone.”

  I nodded. “Take care, Lara. Stay home.”

  She set the glass down a little harder than necessary and rolled her eyes. “Thanks. I’ll see you later. But really, thank you for being here. And thank you for clearing the air. I appreciate you telling me. It does make me feel a little better, but I guess it’s a little too late for all that now.”

  “It’s never too late for anything, Lara.”

  Our eyes met. Neither of us said anything. I didn’t want to push her. Today had been a little much. Maybe I could ask her for coffee later.

  I walked to the door and let myself out. The visit did not go as I had anticipated. As I rode the elevator down to the ground floor, I thought about what Lara’s life had been like. Mitchel was a piece of shit, a control freak who had kept her under his thumb for a long time. I thought her condo looked great. It was a little bold for my taste, but I was glad it made her happy.

  She could paint every room in my condo neon green if it made her happy. I liked to see her happy. Hell, I would help her if it meant I could get some more of those kisses.

  Chapter 11

  Lara

  Would I ever learn? I knew more than a few glasses of wine would leave me with a horrendous headache in the morning, but it didn’t always stop me. Now I was suffering from a world-class hangover. It sucked. Day drinking was not my thing. My brain felt like a dehydrated sponge. Even my eyes hurt. My mouth felt like I had been sucking on cotton balls.

  Water. I needed water and lots of it. I knew from experience I couldn’t down three glasses of ice-cold water or I would end up puking. I prayed there was some juice in the fridge. Juice and something greasy. No. That could end up being very bad.

  I groaned and threw my arm across my head. Yesterday had been crazy. I had kissed Mason. It was unlike me to be so bold. It was even more unlike me to kiss a man in front of my ex-husband and brother—the same brother that forbade me from seeing the man I had kissed. Thinking about it made my head spin. Well, that and the effects of the wine.

  “Shower, Lara,” I mumbled to myself. A shower would help. It would wash away the remnants of the wine and hopefully make me feel a little more human.

  I stumbled into the bathroom and smiled when I took in all the blue. I loved the color, and it instantly made me happier. I turned on the hot water and stepped into the shower. I stood there, letting the jets hit me. The gentle massage of my skin helped to liven me up. I could feel my blood circulating a bit more and felt better. Now I needed coffee and food.

  I stepped out of the shower, threw on a pair of yoga pants I had purchased and a long shirt, and made my way into the kitchen.

  “Please let there be food,” I moaned.

  I pulled open the refrigerator and saw the leftover pizza box.

  “Oh yeah,” I said with a giggle. I’d forgotten I had ordered pizza yesterday. There were a few pieces left. Cold pizza was exactly what I wanted.

  I grabbed a slice, stuck it in my mouth, and then started the coffee maker. I would have to give up coffee if and when I got pregnant. Wine, too. Technically, I should have already cut them out of my diet, but yesterday had been a hell of a day. I needed both. I would worry about clean eating tomorrow.

  I grabbed my phone, checked for messages, and found none. Not surprising. I knew Brian was pissed. Good. He should be. I was still a little upset as well. He had intervened when he shouldn’t have. Mason wasn’t the dick I’d thought he was. It had all been a colossal mistake.

  I thought back to the moments before Mason and I had been rudely interrupted by Brian and then Mitchel. We had been in the middle of a crucial conversation. He’d told me he had loved me. Those were words I had longed to hear for so long, and yesterday he had dropped them on me out of the wild blue. It had been like fusing my broken heart back together after twenty years, but there was a lot of scar tissue. He may have mended my heart, but there were still deep scars that I would carry for the rest of my life.

  I swiped my finger over my phone and pulled up Kali’s number.

  “Hello,” she answered, a little groggy.

  “Hey,” I said with as much cheer as I could muster. The wine was still rearing its ugly head.

  “Hi,” she replied, a little more enthusiasm in her voice.

  “W
hat are you doing today? Want to grab lunch later? I have to get out of this place or I’m going to paint the walls, again,” I joked.

  “Oh, uh, I can’t today,” she said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

  “Why? What’s wrong?” I asked, suddenly worried she was sick.

  “I have company.”

  I giggled. “Oh, got it. It’s going to be a lazy day in bed. I hate you. Have fun, and you’ll have to tell me all about it tomorrow!”

  “Bye,” she said, laughing.

  That sucked. It looked like I was on my own today. It wasn’t the first time, and with my life plan, it was not going to be the last. I had no problem going to lunch by myself. It was kind of nice in a way. I could sit as long as I wanted or leave as soon as I was finished. I didn’t have to make polite conversation or make sure there wasn’t food in my teeth.

  I pulled up an app that showed me all the restaurants in the area. I had heard about a new place but couldn’t remember where it was. I found it and quickly bookmarked it. Eating at a brand-new restaurant seemed like the perfect thing to do today. It was all a part of the new me.

  I finished the pizza and coffee and headed for my closet. I spent a few minutes picking out an outfit and settled on a pretty white top and a pink skirt that floated just above my knees. I pulled out a pair of my new sandals that had lots of bling. Once dressed, I checked the time and realized it was close to eleven. I had really slept in.

  I checked my app to see how far the restaurant was and decided I would walk. The weather was beautiful, and I wanted the exercise. A little fresh air would help get the rest of that wine out of my system.

  When I walked into the restaurant and checked the tables, my gaze landed on the last person I had expected to see today.

  Mason was sitting there looking at me. I gave a small smile and waved a few fingers, feeling completely self-conscious.

  “Is that who you’re meeting?” the young hostess asked.

  “No, no. Just a friend. I’ll need a table for one,” I told her.

  Mason arrived at that exact moment. “Please, join me. Then neither of us has to eat alone.”

  That bitch Fate better run if I ever run into her in a dark alley.

  “I’m fine. Don’t let me intrude on your Sunday lunch,” I said with all the elegance I could muster.

  “Please, it would be my pleasure. Join me, Lara,” he said with a big smile.

  The hostess looked at me, raised her eyebrows as if to wonder what the hell was wrong with me for trying to turn the man down, and then gave a slight nod of her head.

  “That would be lovely. Thank you, Mason.”

  “Great. I’ll send the waiter over to take your drink order,” she said, walking to Mason’s table and handing me a menu.

  When she walked away, I looked up to see Mason staring at me. “You look beautiful,” he said with a genuine smile. “Radiant, really.”

  “Thank you. I don’t mind eating alone if you were expecting someone.”

  “I wasn’t. Junie kept telling me this place had the best clam chowder, and I figured I had some time today, so thought I would give it a try,” he said, staring into my eyes with those piercing green eyes that always made me feel as if I were naked.

  “Oh.” I couldn’t seem to form words when he looked at me like that. “I, uh, I—fish.”

  “What?” He looked baffled.

  I felt like an idiot, like a fish floundering in the air. “The fish and chips. A customer was raving about them the other day, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”

  “Oh, that sounds like a better choice. It’s a little warm today. Not sure I want hot soup,” he said, looking back at the menu.

  The waiter came by, and I ordered orange juice, water, and a diet coke. We both ordered the fish and chips.

  Mason was grinning when I looked back at him. “Thirsty?” he asked.

  “A little.”

  The waiter delivered my drinks, and I immediately started guzzling the juice. I was in desperate need of rehydration.

  “So, what do you do for a living?” he asked.

  “I own a baby boutique. We sell unique baby items, mostly natural, organic stuff.”

  He nodded his head. “I think I know the one you’re talking about. I have had several patients tell me about it. I didn’t realize it was yours. What a small world.”

  “What about you?” I asked. “I mean I know you’re a doctor, but what have you been doing the past twenty years? Married? Divorced? Kids?”

  He chuckled. “None of the above.”

  “Really? Why not?”

  He shrugged. “I guess I never found the right girl for me.”

  I sighed. “I wish I had never married. I mean, in the beginning it was all right, but the past five years…” I didn’t say the words. I shook my head. “I love my job, and I am glad to have it. I love where I live, and I guess I can thank Mitchel for pushing so hard to get us out here all those years ago.”

  “How long were you married?” he asked.

  “Ten years. Twelve years together. Twelve years of my life I’ll never get back,” I said quietly.

  “You’re still young and have lots of life to live.”

  “I hope so. I feel like I wasted so much time trying to make Mitchel happy and forgot about my own happiness. Now that I look back, I don’t know that I ever truly loved him. I was lonely and wanted to fill the void. He came along and seemed like a good substitute.”

  “Substitute for what?” he asked in a low voice.

  I looked at him, wanting to tell him Mitchel had been a substitute for him.

  I opened my mouth to offer up a lie, but fortunately, I didn’t have to say it. Our food was delivered, and we dug in. It was as good as my customer had said. We both ate with gusto, barely keeping up our idle conversation.

  When we finished, he asked if I wanted to take a walk. I quickly agreed.

  “Do you live in the area?” I asked him.

  “I do. Not far from you.”

  We shared a laugh. It was crazy to think we had been so close this whole time. So close, yet so far away from each other.

  As we walked down the sidewalk, our hands occasionally brushed one another’s. I imagined strolling down the streets with him, hand in hand, talking about our future and our family.

  “Watch out!” he shouted, bodily shoving me off the path and into an alley we were passing.

  I looked up to see a man on a bicycle whizzing by.

  “Oh my god,” I said, breathing hard. “He almost hit us!”

  Mason turned his head to look at me. “Are you okay?”

  I met his eyes and saw the concern in them. It was sweet and made me feel protected.

  I leaned up the inch or so that was separating us and kissed him. His hand dropped to my waist, and his other went to my cheek, gently pressing his palm against my face. His mouth moved over mine, and he quickly took control of the kiss. His body pressed against mine. I took a step back and found myself pushed against the brick wall of a building.

  His tongue swooped into my mouth. I moaned into him, loving the feel of his body against my own and the taste of him. My hands moved to his waist. I pulled him in closer, needing to feel him closer, as if it were physically possible.

  “Lara,” he breathed against my mouth.

  My eyes opened, and I found him staring at me.

  Chapter 12

  Mason

  My heart felt as if it was going to pound right out of my chest. I leaned my forehead against hers and licked my lips. I could taste her. She was staring up at me, and I was barely able to keep my hormones under control. I wanted her. I wanted her pushed up against the wall in the very public alley.

  She closed her eyes and then looked at my lips. I waited to see if she would kiss me again. When she didn’t, I moved closer, just a fraction, and softly pressed my lips to hers. I gently bit her bottom lip and then sucked it into my mouth. I heard her gasp and used the pressure of my mouth to
open hers. My tongue swept in and did a slow dance with hers.

  Her hand moved to my chest and pushed me away.

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t sorry in the least. She was the one who had kissed me—again.

  “We’re on the street,” she whispered.

  I chuckled. “Technically, we’re in the alley.”

  “We should go,” she said.

  “I live very close. We can go there.”

  “No,” she said firmly.

  “Okay. Sorry,” I said, feeling like a complete fool. Of course she didn’t want to go back to my place. That had been stupid.

  I was standing very close to her. Her hand was still on my chest. I reached up and covered her hand with mine.

  “Mason?”

  I looked her into the eyes, waiting for her to ask her question. She licked her lips and then gave a slow, nearly imperceptible nod of her head. I gulped and fought back the urge to ask her if she was serious.

  I kissed her instead. It didn’t take long for things to heat up once again in the alley.

  “Lara, do you want to go to my place?” I asked, despite dreading what she might respond, but I couldn’t push her.