by Lulu Pratt
Carefully, I laid Jasper in his bed before leaving him for his nap, knowing I would have an hour or so to myself to prepare for my night with Jake. We’d planned to go out to the movies and dinner after I told him that was my ideal date. It was so cliché, but still something I wished to do with him.
Before I could make it to our bedroom, a knock at the front door caught my attention. I didn’t have plans for any deliveries, but still I rushed to the door, hoping to prevent whoever was dropping by from ringing the doorbell. The last thing I wanted was for Jasper to be woken from his nap.
“Hey, stranger!” Catharine said.
“What are you doing here?” I blurted out.
“Well, that’s some way to greet your best friend,” Catharine snapped jokingly as she stepped into the house before I could invite her.
I hadn’t spoken to her in a few days, because I’d been spending too much time with Jake and Jasper to hang out. Catharine and I never did much talking on the phone. We just stopped by each other’s houses. That was nearly impossible since I rarely even saw my place. In the past two weeks, I’d spent maybe one night at my house, and that was mostly to do some laundry.
“Where’s the baby?” Catharine asked, turning to face me as I locked the front door.
“He’s having a nap, so please don’t be loud,” I asked.
“That’s perfect,” she grinned. “Because I have some serious shit to talk about. Let’s get into it!”
She plopped down on Jake’s sofa like she owned the place. I could feel a bit of territorial pride getting the best of me. I didn’t like the way she just bombarded her way into my life. And to make matters worse, she seemed to lack respect when it came to Jake.
I would never show up at her boyfriend’s house, and I would not lounge like it was my place. I tried to push the thoughts to the back of my mind. Catharine had been my closest friend for years and she would never do anything to upset me, that much I was certain of.
“What’s going on?” I settled into the love seat across from her, curious as to what had motivated her to make the long drive.
Jake lived far from our neighborhood and even farther from Catharine’s college campus. The drive must have been about twenty minutes, so whatever she wanted to share must have been good. I was beginning to get excited, hoping she had some good news, when she brought down my spirits.
“Nathan is all but busted!”
I’d completely forgotten about her little revenge plot. It had been weeks since she brought it up, so I figured she taken the hint and left it alone. It wasn’t that I didn’t want Nathan to get what he deserved, but I didn’t care much anymore.
Things were better than perfect with Jake. He took good care of me, and from the way he had been consistently asking me about college, I knew he supported me returning. I was making more working for him than I had at any other job. If things kept up, I planned to take a few night classes while Jake was home with Jasper. It wouldn’t be like it was before, but I didn’t care.
I only had a few more classes to take before graduating, and I knew I could make it happen without Nathan involved. It may have cost me the last of my inheritance and the heartache of being scammed by someone I thought loved me, but I was happy to be rid of him. Nothing about our relationship was worth rehashing, and ever since I had caught wind of his scam and confronted him, he had left me alone.
No calls, texts or visits. I was completely free of him, which in some ways was worth more than the twenty-five grand he stole. If he hadn’t have left my life, I would have never had to drop out of school. If I didn’t drop out of school, I wouldn’t have needed the nanny gig, and would never have met Jasper or Jake.
As far as I was concerned, Nathan didn’t owe me anything but my privacy. If he wasn’t bothering me, I was fine to go on about my life. But Catharine saw things differently.
I knew she felt partly responsible, because I had asked her about lending the money to Nathan. She told me she thought he was trustworthy. After all, neither of us thought he would steal from me. But Nathan apparently did not know any limits. He stole my money without thinking about how it would affect me. He’d proven to be more low down than I ever expected he could be.
“I have him right where I want him!” She excitedly scrolled through her phone before handing it to me.
It was a racy text conversation between the two of them. It turned my stomach reading the illicit messages, so I was grateful for the sound of my oven timer.
“I have to get that,” I explained, handing the phone back before heading to the kitchen.
She followed closely behind as I opened the oven to remove the casserole muffins I’d made for Jasper to take to his grandma’s house. They had come out perfectly, so I sat them on a cooling rack before removing the oven mitts.
“Aren’t you listening?” Catharine snapped.
“Not really,” I admitted, tired of pretending to care about her plot. “Catharine, I don’t care about Nathan. He’s going to get what’s coming to him. I have a good thing going for me here. Me and Jake are very happy, and I love our little family we’re building together. I don’t want to jeopardize any of that with this mess with Nathan.”
“Ashley, you didn’t know this man existed six months ago. I don’t know if you’ve forgotten about back then, but you were a bit down and out. And I gave you my day’s tips more than once.”
“I remember.”
“You loved college,” she added, her tone softer now.
No one ever loved school as much as me. Since elementary school, I always enjoyed waking up and going to class. I always had plenty of friends and participated in all the extra activities. In college, everything was magnified because I got to do what I loved – act. I would spend more hours in theater practice than necessary, choosing to rehearse or help behind the scenes instead of clubbing like my classmates.
“Well, just answer me this – do you want to go back to college?” she asked.
“Yes. But–” I tried to explain that I wanted to return to school with another plan, one that included Jake and Jasper, but she wasn’t having it.
“Then it’s settled,” she interrupted. “We’re going to make him pay.”
Chapter 38
JAKE
A LONG DAY at work was always easy to brush off as I exited the highway to my house. It was the end of a long countdown, when I could be reunited with my family. Usually, Ashley had dinner ready, but I had asked her not to cook tonight because we were going out.
I’d been trying to make a point to give us more time out of the house, though it was a challenge. I always wanted her to myself, but I knew she deserved to be shown off.
An unfamiliar car sat on the road in front of my house, but I didn’t think much of it. It could be a visitor to the neighbor or someone on delivery. Ashley had told me they were continuing work on the jungle gym in the back yard, so I figured it could be even them as I pulled into the driveway.
Walking into the house, I was taken back by the delicious aroma in the kitchen. A part of me hoped Ashley had decided she didn’t want to go out, but to stay in. I still wanted to take Jasper to my mom’s so we could have alone time, but I would love to skip to the main event of the night.
“Hey, babe! I’m in here,” Ashley called from the living room.
“I thought you weren’t cooking tonight,” I replied as I took off my shoes in the hallway.
“I’m not. I just baked some muffins for Jasper. Your mom called and asked me to send him with something,” she explained as I walked into the living room.
She was there with a friend. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company. Hi, I’m Jake,” I extended my hand. The woman flashed a nervous smile.
“This is my friend Catharine. We’ve been besties since grade school,” Ashley explained. “She’s just leaving.”
The woman didn’t make extended eye contact with me, and I didn’t want to make Ashley’s time with her awkward. “It’s nice to meet you, Cat
harine. I’ll leave you two to it. I have a date to get ready for.”
Ashley blushed, kissing me on the cheek as she watched me leave. I was happy she was having friends over. I wanted her to treat the house as though it was hers. Besides, she was the one responsible for turning it into a home. Her touches were everywhere you looked, so it was great that she felt comfortable here.
As I removed my work uniform, I couldn’t help but to think about what Ashley had mentioned about my mom. The two of them had become fast friends, which was important to me. My mom had been the most important woman in my life, and now Ashley wore the crown. My mom was happy to pass on the title, claiming it was all she’d ever wanted. And Ashley was very welcoming to my mom, helping to bridge the gap to her being a grandmother.
Stepping into the shower, I let the steam fill my nostrils as the hot water poured over my body. It was a nice start to a relaxing evening. I had the next two days off – a rarity. It would give me some much-needed time with Ashley. And thankfully my mom had volunteered to watch Jasper for us.
Everything in my life seemed to remind me of Ashley now, even the wide array of body wash and shampoo options lining the shower. I took my time using one after the other like she did whenever we showered together. It was one of my favorite things to do.
Just the thought of Ashley’s naked body hardened my rod. Slowly, I stroked myself thinking about her and everything I planned to do to her when we were finally alone. I was close to an explosion, but stopped myself. I wanted everything for her.
Relieving myself used to be a normal part of showering, much like washing my hair. But ever since I met Ashley, I never wanted to waste a drop of my pleasure. Quickly, I finished washing myself, lowering the water temperature to help me cool off.
After my shower, I quickly styled my hair and decided to wear something nice. The walk-in closet was huge, much more than I could ever fill. An entire side was left mostly empty. I glanced over to the bare side and sighed, wanting it to be filled with Ashley’s clothes.
I wasn’t sure how to talk to her about it, because the last thing I wanted was to pressure her. Rick had told me not to rush things. But I hated how she kept her things packed in the overnight bag, returning home every week for an evening. She didn’t even do her laundry here, which I thought was ridiculous.
Tired of pretending, I wanted the whole package. I needed Ashley with me full time. We could work out the details of her work. Hell, she could have my whole damn paycheck – the money didn’t mean a thing to me. I just wanted her.
I’d just decided on an outfit, which was pretty much my uniform when I wasn’t at work – a pair of cargo shorts with a shirt. Today, I chose a red polo shirt to match my sneakers. I’d just finished getting dressed when Jasper ran into the room full of energy.
I was amazed by how he never seemed to tire. My mother said I was a ball of energy just like him when I was younger. Lifting him into my arms, I tickled his belly while he twisted and turned in my arms, his laughter bringing a smile to my face.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, nuzzling his small neck with my nose.
“Daddy!”
My heart swelled whenever he called me Daddy. In the time that had passed since I learned the truth about his paternity, everything I hoped for had proven true. Our bond had not lessened. In fact it continued to grow every day. Jasper didn’t know or care anything about biology. He knew who read to him every night, and who was there every morning.
I was his father by all accounts, and he treated me as such. It was the best feeling in the world. Carrying him through the house, I asked about his day as he gave me one answer after another. Just as we passed the living room, I saw Ashley picking up empty glasses and straightening the cushions.
Pausing in my tracks, I was blown away once again by how beautiful she looked. I’d taken for granted her casual look I saw most around the house. Now, dressed in a long dress with a flower print, she looked even more stunning than usual. Her hair flowed down her back, and dark make-up accentuated her bright blue eyes.
“You look amazing,” I noted when she turned to face me.
“Oh, stop,” she waved me off.
“I’m serious,” I knelt to put Jasper down. He was kicking his legs, demanding his freedom. “When did you even change?”
When I’d left her to shower, she was in the living room with her friend wearing a tank top and shorts. I’d assumed she was wearing that out on our date. She was seriously beautiful in everything she wore.
I kissed her softly, tasting the sweetness of her lip gloss. My heart melted whenever we kissed, a weakness I doubted I would ever get used to.
“I changed while you were showering,” she explained, her eyes shining with desire. “I almost hopped in to join you, but then we would’ve never made it out of the house.”
I hardened, pulling her body flush so she could feel the effect she had on me. Her carefree smile only intensified the feeling as I racked my brain for ways to get her alone before we were out for hours.
“There’s still time, you know?” I said, hoping she would give me a sneak peek.
“Oh no,” she whispered against my lips. “I want you thinking about what you’re going to do to me all night.”
Her hand glided over my chest before she massaged her fingers over the bulge in my pants. I was so aroused I could’ve come right there. She drove me crazy with her antics, but I loved it.
“Let’s go, Jasper!” she called to my son. “It’s time to go to Grandma’s so I can play with Daddy.” She winked as she said it, knowing exactly what she was doing. I followed behind her closely as Jasper ran around our legs. Together, we piled in the truck to take him to my mom’s. I was already counting down until date night was over, and it had yet to begin.
Chapter 39
ASHLEY
JAKE’S CHILDHOOD home always made me feel comfortable, since it was much like the home I had grown up in. But his mother was most welcoming, always baking special things for me and gifting me with plants and books depending on what we’d talked about last.
“Mrs. Williams, you don’t have to do this,” I said as she pressed a stack of handwritten family recipes into my hands. I felt bad leaving with something every time we visited when she was the one who deserved the gifts.
No matter the time of day, she was always available for questions. And ever since I began planning Jasper’s birthday, we were communicating daily for ways she could help. She made it very clear that she wanted to play a role in the birthday, so we decided she would be responsible for preparing the cake.
“I’ve told you enough times now, Ashley. Call me Donna,” she gently reminded me.
It didn’t feel right to call her by her first name. I didn’t look to her as a peer, though she was becoming one of my closest friends. We talked all the time, and she kept me laughing.
“I’ve told you I’m too Southern for that. How about ‘Ms. Donna’? Is that okay?” I asked.
“Okay, honey. ‘Ms. Donna’ it is,” she teased, turning to her son. “Where did you find this sweetheart?”
It was clear that Jake had been demoted as her favorite visitor. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, a rarity for him. Silently, I wondered if he disliked how close I was with his mother, because it was clear they had a close bond.
After making sure she had everything she needed and Jasper understood he was to be on his best behavior, we set out for our date night. Ms. Donna made us promise not to worry, and I was ready to let my hair down. It had been over a week since Jake and I had some alone time, and I planned to make the most of it.
In the car, he seemed distant, like something was bothering him. We had started off so hot and heavy in the house, but everything had simmered the longer we were together. And after the visit with his mom, the energy between us was cooler than ever.
Sliding my hand across the center console, I touched his knee. Without hesitating, he lifted my hand in his, bringing it to his mouth before kissing my knu
ckles. My confidence was re-enforced, though I was still curious what could be bothering him.
“Does it bother you that I talk to your mom on the phone?” I finally asked, wanting to get to the root of the problem.
“What? Are you serious?”
“You can tell me if it does. I know that’s kind of weird.”
“Of course it doesn’t bother me. I want you to be close to my mom.” He glanced over with amusement in his eyes.
I relaxed a little. So I knew it wasn’t that, but I still had an inkling that there was a problem. I just hoped it wouldn’t be something we couldn’t squash quickly. The last thing I wanted was to ruin our date night.
The movies were packed with teenagers, but we still managed to find good seats in the middle of the row. Jake draped his arm over my shoulder, and I leaned into the curve of his side. I’d gotten a large tub of popcorn and a pack of Sour Patch Kids. I fed him popcorn throughout the movie, just as I had at my house.
It was a nice break from our regular routine, one that we had fallen into so naturally. From the quick breakfast Jake typically rushed through in the morning, to the daily lunches I packed for him, to the dinners we ate as a family – everything was so normal, it was difficult to remember when my daily schedule didn’t include Jake and Jasper.
As the movie let out, I was reminded of the strange energy brewing. He led us back to his truck with his hand gripping tightly around mine, but there was little tenderness in the embrace. His jaw was clenched with tension. It was clear something was eating him.
Had I overstepped my boundaries by developing a relationship with his mother behind his back? I never meant to upset him.
By the time we arrived at the restaurant, I had worked myself into a frenzy trying to make sense of the obvious shift in Jake’s mood. There was usually a burning fire between us, but he’d closed off, and I feared I was the reason why.