Daddy Next Door

by Tina Lee

  He chuckled, then his smile went away. “Look, I know we have been avoiding this topic for obvious reasons. I get that. But I just wanted to say; I pray this baby is mine. Then we could finally put all this confusion behind us. It would be me, you and the baby. That’s the dream I’m fighting for.”

  I fell so deeply for both Dante and Leo. I was still confused about who I loved the more. I hated to think about picking one. Which universal law said I had to love one more than the other? It was one of the hardest decision someone could ever make. They both filled my spirit, but in different ways. They both completed me.

  For a long time I grappled with my conscience as I went back and forth between brothers. I asked myself how could I do such a thing, yet, I couldn’t stop, and for a long time it puzzled me. I gave up trying to decide between the two. Instead, I would let time decide. When the horns blow of their return, I will run out into the streets, and whose face I am searching for out of the crowd, would be the man I want to spend my life with.

  Dante thought my decision rested upon the color of my baby’s hair or the color of his eyes. One thing I had decided recently; I would not let my baby decide my fate.

  “I’ve asked Ben to keep an eye on you while we are gone. Ask Ben for anything you want, and I mean anything. I gave him special access and also some gold. I want my boy to be healthy.”

  “You don’t know if it’s a boy, and you don’t know if its yours.”

  “Do you want to ruin my mood?”

  “I just don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t go your way.”

  “Too late for that, Elizabeth. Don’t try to control everything. Whether it’s Leo or me, one of us will to be disappointed. And you know, disappointment isn’t such a bad thing. It means we care.”

  I smiled. “Disappointment isn’t such a bad thing? What world are you from, Dante?”

  He smiled and held my hand, kissing my fingers one by one. “I don’t know, but I know the world I want to be in.”

  “And which world is that?”

  “The world where you and I are together,” he said.

  And I wonder, do we share the same world, Dante?

  He wanted me to say something that would let him know that I felt the same way. At some point, the ambiguity becomes disheartening, and at that point, people are better off with the truth, no matter how bitter. He wanted answers, as he should, but I didn’t have the answers. Not yet.

  We laid flat on the earth, looking up at the billion of twinkling lights. I wondered what he was thinking. Was it about the war? Me? The baby? I would have given anything to know.

  I felt sorry for him. And I felt a sudden weight on myself. I was the only woman he ever loved, and if I were to break his heart, then I would be forever remembered that way.

  He grew quiet as the night went on, and I was glad he did. I didn’t want to be pushed in a corner and be forced to answer questions that I had no answer for. I wanted to spend time with him before he leaves me for months, possibly forever.

  We watched the sky together, my hand in his, trying to find the different constellations, and at some point when I was trying to connect the dots in the sky, I fell asleep.

  Chapter Forty

  Elizabeth

  They kept telling me to push, and I pushed, with sweating dripping off my face and my mouth dry. Time was no more. Hours went by without me noticing. I was lost in the suffering and the pain, like a hand was inside of me, twisting and pulling. I looked down, to see if my assistant was lighting a fire between my thighs. She was not.

  There was one point where I imagined I left my body, floating in the room, looking down at myself. It was time to face it. I squeezed Ben’s and Sia’s hand, and I welcomed the burning fire.

  It had been three months since Leo and Dante left for war. Three month since I last saw their faces. I remembered them standing beside each other, with their heads shaved, smiling at my reaction. All of their hair gone. Leo, without his long, beautiful, blond hair, looked tougher. He also grew his beard out, which turned his gentle face into something menacing. They were ready for war. To spill blood. To revel in glory.

  I missed them, and it hurt me that they weren’t here. Maybe it was for the best. This way, I wouldn’t have to watch one of the brothers smile while the other hang his head in disappointment. We all knew this day would come, when only one could be the father.

  I thought about a lot in their absence. Without their charm to distract me, things became clearer. I waited and prayed, like all good women should. I would often talk to the night sky, hoping the wind would carry my words.

  All this time, I was trying to decide between two men that completed me, which now, I realized it made no sense. I had been looking at the picture all wrong. My thoughts were all about myself, and that wasn’t love. Love wasn’t selfish. It was the opposite.

  It wasn’t about who completed me better, but rather, which brother did i complete? The lost one. The imperfect. The one who needed the most help. And it wasn’t who I first thought it was.

  When the horns blow of their return, I already knew whose face I would search for first from the crowd. It would be Leo’s.

  All along, I thought Dante was the misguided one, and how wrong was I. Dante understood this world. The rawness and the ugliness of it. He understood that this life was what we made of it, and I thanked him for teaching me that.

  Behind every one of Leo’s faults, was Dante picking up after him. Like a child and his father. It was with Leo where I was most needed, and it took me so long to find that out. Everything made sense now, and I knew I made the right decision.

  Tears filled my eyes as I heard my baby for the first time. Never had crying sound so beautiful.

  “It’s a boy,” my assistant told me, then she handed him to me. I was so weak that I feared he might slip from my arms. My tear drops fell on his forehead and I quickly wiped it with my cheek.

  “Hello,” I whispered to him, and I swore he understood me, even if I couldn’t explain it. He stopped crying, and he looked up at me with his blue eyes, and he calmed me, just like his father. “I’ve waiting for you,” I said to him. He wrapped his hand in a fist and rubbed his face.

  Sia broke down in tears beside me. “He’s so cute.”

  Ben had his hand on his head, smiling. “Do you know what this means?” he asked.

  I did. My baby would be next in line to be King of the North.

  “What will you name him?” Sia asked.

  “I was hoping you guys could help me out.” I smiled.

  Sia wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at him. “Olin. I think it fits him.”

  Ben came closer, studying the boy’s head. “Name him Cory. That’s a strong name.”

  I laughed. “I like Olin better.”

  “Yes!” Sia said.

  I turn to my assistant. “What do you think I should name him?” I asked her.

  She dried her hands in a towel, then came closer, and stared into the boy’s eyes. Then, my baby smiled at her, and she smiled back at him. “Name him Alric.”

  “What?” I said immediately. “Where did you hear that name?”

  “That name has been around for ages. It means ‘noble ruler.’ I just thought it would be fitting, since he will one day be king.”

  “King Alric,” I said, then i immediately burst into tears. The Wise one answers finally made sense.

  “Is Alric here, in the South?”

  “Yes, he is here.”

  “Will I get to meet Alric here?”

  “No. You will not meet Alric here.”

  “Why won’t Alric meet with me?”

  “He is not ready. When the time is right, he will reveal himself to you.”

  “Are you alright?” Ben asked.

  “I’m fine. I’ve decided.” I looked at them. “His name is Alric Benjamin Lukas.”

  Ben blushed.

  “I love it,” Sia held his tiny fingers.

  “Could you get me a pen and a paper
?” I told my assistant. “I want you to write a letter for me, and address to Kronus. The King of the West.”

  Sia turned to Ben. “I want a baby, too.”

  “We’ll work on it tonight.” Ben smiled.

  Alric looked around the room, wondering where he was. He was so precious that I wanted to squeeze him and shower him with kisses. Every time I looked at him I wanted to cry. Never had I seen someone more beautiful in my life. I kissed his little fingers, and I thought about Leo and Dante, fighting in that war. “Stay alive,” I whispered.

  Kronus said Alric would be a great leader, and that was all I could ever had asked for. He stared at me, as if he knew me from somewhere. In his eyes, you could see some hint of recognition. He smiled, revealing his tender gums.

  Eyes blue like the ocean. My son, Alric Lukas, who will unite all the lands.

  The Mystery Man

  Late Night Rides

  He always ordered a Jack Daniels and coke. Jenna had worked at the bar Rock and Country for over three years, and she had never seen the man until two weeks ago. He came in every day for two weeks, but he never talked to anybody except to order his drink. He simply ordered his drink and kept to himself.

  He couldn't have been more than a couple of years older than Jenna. Jenna could always hear him pulling up on his motorcycle, and she never saw him outside of his worn leather jacket and jeans. He had a beard, and Jenna never saw him smile. She had to admit that he was very attractive in a rugged way. He had a great body, and she could only imagine how great he'd look if he smiled. His mysterious nature only added to his appeal. She wanted to talk to him more, but he only ordered his drink and drank by himself.

  Rock and Country was in a small town in Southern Illinois that only had about three thousand people in it. People knew each other in the area, but neither Jenna nor anyone else had ever seen this man before. They didn't know where he lived, and they didn't know anything about him. The entire bar whispered about the man, but Jenna was the only one who had heard him speak. It was only to order his drink.

  Jenna tried to make small talk. She tried to ask him simple things like if he was hungry, or if he thought it would rain. He always answered sternly, politely, and definitively, making it very clear that he wasn't in the mood for chitchat. Jenna even tried to flirt a bit, showing off her breasts or making a dirty joke. The man would smile slightly but do back to his drink. Jenna was about to give up, but she couldn't stop wondering who he was. He always paid in cash, too, so she couldn't even get a name from his debit card.

  “Jenna, this guy wants to lick your asshole!” Eli screamed at the bartender while pointing to his friend. Eli was your typical jerk and a regular at the bar. He thought that he was hot shit, but he had a snaggle-tooth, and he couldn't drive since he got caught driving home drunk too many times. He was always around when Jenna was working, and he was always loud and obnoxious. As much as Jenna wanted to make time to learn about the new guy she still had to make time for her other customers. It didn't matter how annoying the other customers were.

  “Thanks, Eli,” Jenna muttered. “I don't think I needed to know that.”

  “Come on. You don't wear those little shorts behind the bar and not expect people to say anything,” said Eli. Jenna thought that she saw her mystery man perking up a bit when he heard that.

  It was partially true, though. Jenna did usually wear something to show off either her ass or her boobs to help get the best tips possible. She was still young and vibrant, and she was going to flaunt it while she had it. She was just under thirty, and she knew that her time would be up before she knew it. She had bleach blonde hair, fake nails, a Harley Davidson tee shirt, and shorts that did indeed show off her ass. She also had a great body, and her tits were large for her small frame. She was small, with big boobs, cool, and she had something badass in her style as well. Basically, she was hot. There weren't that many young girls in town, either, which only made her hotter.

  “Well, just know that you and your friend are never going to get to lick anything of mine!” Jenna said.

  “Get me a beer you dirty tease!” Eli said.

  Jenna smiled while she got Eli the beer, but she secretly hated the annoying man.

  After her annoying experience with Eli, she notice that the mysterious man didn't put his glass at the end of the bar with his typical $5 tip. He was waiting to get a second drink. He had never done this before. Jenna immediately got him his second drink.

  “Is there anything else I can ask you?” she asked.

  He shook his head and looked down at his glass like normal. The second Eli and his friend left, Jenna noticed that the mysterious man finished his drink and left, too. Was he staying to make sure that Eli wasn't around to harass her?

  The next day, Jenna was disappointed when the man didn't come in. She was actually enjoying having him come into the bar. At the very least, it gave her something to wonder about while at work.

  Jenna went about her day, and she served the same jerks as always. Eli was there again with the same jerk as before. Eli seemed to have Jenna's schedule memorized, and he was there almost every day she worked. She would have much rather had the mysterious man there than Eli making inappropriate comments and playing music that he thought was funny but was just bad.

  “Jenna, a beer and a Cherry Bomb! Stat, toots!”

  “Sure, Eli.”

  “Why don't you get yourself a shot too? On me?” asked Eli. He was moving a little close to the bar. He had just gotten there, and Jenna was already getting sick of him.

  “I'm good, and you might wanna back up before the boss yells at you again,” said Jenna.

  Jenna got Eli his drinks, and she smiled when she noticed that the mysterious man had walked in the bar. She didn't know why he was later today than every other day, but it only added to the appeal.

  Eli apparently noticed that she was smiling when he walked in, too.

  “What?” he asked. “Are you into that guy? Buddy, I think Jenna over here wants the D!”

  “You can shut up now,” Jenna said coldly. “Bye.”

  “I think you do have a thing for him,” Eli said. “Don't worry. I'll leave you to your weird, creepy interaction.”

  Jenna had the man's drink ready for him by the time that he sat down. He nodded and went to his drink, and Jenna gave a friendly smile that she only reserved for the people she liked.

  Eli kept coming up to the bar ordering drinks regularly. As Jenna got him his drinks, he was becoming more and more daring with his unrequited flirtations. Jenna walked to the bathroom, and on her way back to the bar Eli was quick to talk to her.

  “Jenna, you know you want to come home with me tonight,” he said.

  “No, Eli. I actually don't. I'm getting back to the bar.”

  “Yeah. Get back there and make me more drinks, woman,” said Eli. And as Jenna passed him he smacked her ass.

  Jenna was livid. She was sick of this asshole coming into the bar doing this. She didn't have to apologize for what she was wearing, and she was definitely not giving anyone invitations to touch her. After all of his inappropriate behavior, she had enough. She turned around to give Eli a piece of her mind, but she was surprised to see that in the few seconds that had passed since Eli smacked her ass, the mysterious man was up and in Eli's face.

  “I think it's time for you to leave,” the man said.

  “Who the hell are you? I think I'm staying,” Eli laughed. His voice cracked, though. The man was very clearly taller and more muscular and standing an inch away from Eli.

  “I said that I think it's time for you to fucking leave,” the man said again.

  “And what are you going to do about it?” Eli asked. With that, the man picked up Eli by his shirt, forcing him to knock over the beer on the table. He dragged Eli out of the bar and threw him out the front door.

  The man then quietly walked over to the spilled beer and cleaned it up. He sat down at the bar and he proceeded to enjoy his drink without saying anothe
r word.

  A Lingering Kiss

  “Thank you,” Jenna said. “Can I get you another drink on the house?”

  The man nodded, but he didn't say anything else. Jenna couldn't take it anymore. She had to talk to this guy.

  “Do you have a name?” Jenna asked, putting his drink down on the table in front of him.

  “James,” he said.

  “You know, I can't stand that jerk. That was really cool.”

  “No problem at all,” he said.

  “No one has ever seen you before. Are you new in town? Are you staying?”

  “I rarely know how long I'm going to stay somewhere. I'm here now. That's all that matters,” James said.

  “Well, where are you staying?”

  “I'm in a hotel down the road. It's a quiet place, and it's all I need right now.”

  “What do you do for a living?” Jenna asked.

  “I take to the road,” he said.

  “I've noticed your bike. I've always loved motorcycles.”

  “I don't think I've ever loved anything as much as my baby out there,” James replied. His eyes finally lit up a bit. “She's been my old reliable for years.”

  “You must not have many friends in the area,” Jenna said.

  “I don't particularly care about that. If I met one, that would be nice, though.”

  “I can always be your friend.” Jenna laughed.

  “That's good to know.”

  Jenna had to get back to work, but she tried to make more and more conversation with James throughout the night. Despite her efforts, Jenna never really got a good answer on how he made a living, what he was doing in town, or anything else. The only thing that he was really open to talking about was his bike. Jenna learned that her name was “Quinn”, and that James had her for almost five years. He also described his maintenance and cleaning routine which was quite impressive. There was only one other tidbit that Jenna was able to get out of James. He vaguely mentioned that he was looking for a place where people wouldn't find him anymore. Jenna wanted to get more information, but he wasn't open to discussing the topic. Jenna was able to keep him talking long enough to get him to stay to the end of her shift. He was the only one in the bar, and he helped her put up the tables and clean. Whatever he did to make people come after him, it certainly wasn't due to a lack of manners.