by Lea Coll
“She is. I don’t want to be there right now.”
“Why don’t I take you to Gabe’s until you feel comfortable going back to your mom’s tonight. Would that be okay?” My question was directed at both of them.
Zach looked relieved but I wasn’t sure how Gabe would take my suggestion.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. You can’t hang out at a bar. If social services were to get involved I don’t want that coming up,” Gabe said.
I loved that. That he was thinking ahead. That he wanted to step in for Zach. He was prepared to offer his guardianship if it came to that.
“Zach, go grab a burger from the kitchen to go,” Gabe said.
Zach stood and when he opened the door, Gabe added, “No hanging out by the bar.”
“Sure,” Zach said before closing the door behind him.
When he was gone, Gabe pulled me to him.
“Hey.” I braced my hands on his shoulders as he pulled me in.
“Thank you.” He buried his face in my hair, his arms around my waist as he hugged me.
“You’re welcome. Thank you for letting me be there for you and Zach.”
“I was scared to tell you about Zach—worried that you wouldn’t understand, but you’ve been amazing. I’m so glad I have your support in this.”
“Of course. I can’t believe you would think otherwise.”
“Your job. You’re a mandatory reporter.” Gabe’s face was pinched as he stared into my eyes.
“Of sexual abuse. You don’t think he’s being sexually abused, do you?” I panicked remembering all of the awful pictures I’d seen today. If so, I’d have to step in and do something. Not only was I a mandatory report of children who’d been sexually assaulted, but I’d want to help.
“No. God. No. Hopefully, it’s just the neglect we’ve seen.”
“His mother isn’t an attentive parent. Hopefully, all she needs is guidance. I think we’re doing the right thing. This isn’t something I have to report. She’s neglecting him but I don’t think it rises to the level of an emergency. He gets meals at school, you help out, and hopefully we can convince his mom to do more.”
His brow wrinkled. “I don’t want him to quit school. That would be the worst thing that could come from this.”
“I agree.” I’d been raised to believe education was one of the most important things. I wanted the best for Zach and I’d only just met him.
“I can’t believe I ever doubted you.”
I smiled. “Me either. It took you awhile to come around—to trust me. Hopefully, all of your doubts are in the past.” I pushed away the nagging feeling that they were simmering below the surface. “Let me take Zach home. I don’t want him here any longer than necessary.”
“It’s too soon.” Gabe cupped my face tilting me to look at him.
Did he mean it was too soon for me to get involved with Zach? “What is?”
“For the feelings I’m having.”
He was having feelings? It was nice knowing I wasn’t alone in this even though his initial mistrust caused me to pump the breaks on mine. “It’s not. I’m feeling it too.”
“Yeah?” his thumb rubbed my cheek before he placed a chaste kiss on my lips. “Take our boy home, okay? I’ll talk to Anna.”
I flushed. I liked the idea of us having a child together too much. “See you tonight. No flirting with all the hot young co-eds.”
“I only have eyes for you.” He smacked my ass lightly as I walked away.
“Hey!” I shot him a flirty look over my shoulder as I left. I’d hoped he’d touch me tonight—that we’d make out in his office, but including me in his conversation with Zach was so much more. Gabe was like a puzzle with each piece more intriguing than the last. What would he be like when I discovered every last piece and put him together? I had an idea of what it would feel like and I couldn’t wait. With a huge smile on my face, I stopped in the kitchen and asked Zach if he was ready.
I’d run from Maryland, seeking freedom, wanting to do things on my own, but within weeks I’d found ties to New Orleans that I didn’t mind in the least.
Chapter Twenty
GABE
Taylor texted that Zach finally went back to his place once he’d calmed down. She said she’d wait for me to come home. I liked having someone to come home to, kissing someone goodbye. I’d never even considered the possibility before, but I liked the idea of getting married, having a child. Taylor had opened up my mind to all of the possibilities—things I’d never allowed myself to hope for. If Zach deserved an amazing future, didn’t I?
Yeah, I’d made mistakes when I was younger, but I didn’t have anyone to guide me on the right path. Maybe I’d ask Taylor to get my record expunged. If that happened, I could apply for a business loan to open my own business. In the meantime, I could ask Isaac for more responsibility. Maybe he’d allow me to take over the bar so he could retire. It was a long shot, but it didn’t hurt to ask.
Taylor pushed me to do better—to be better—and I’d always be grateful to her even if we didn’t work out. I’d been burned when I was young, but I wasn’t a kid anymore. The reality was this might not work out no matter how much I wanted it to. And I did. I’d never wanted anything more in my entire life. I was hopeful for the future for the first time—a future with Taylor.
I couldn’t forget that she wasn’t from here. Her family was in Maryland and she had a brother who needed her. She didn’t talk about it a lot, but I remembered the conversation we’d had when Caleb left his parents’ home unsupervised—how upset she’d been not being able to be there. There was a chance she’d decide she couldn’t be away from Caleb anymore and I couldn’t compete with that. She had a life halfway across the country. I’d hold onto her as long as I could.
I unlocked my door and opened it to find the kitchen and living room empty. I walked as quietly as I could to my bedroom in case Taylor was asleep. I placed my wallet on my dresser when I heard her whisper, “Hey. You’re home.” There was some rustling and then her arms wrapped around my middle, her head between my shoulder blades.
“You’re still here.”
“Of course. Where else would I be?”
How could I ever explain what it meant to me for her to be here when no one had ever been there for me—not my mother, my father, or anyone else really. Isaac was the closest thing I had to family and he was my boss. That’s what made this thing with Taylor was dangerous. I was falling for this woman—no matter how much I prepared for the possibility she might leave me. I loved her. The feeling was so strong and the words were on the tip of my tongue but I couldn’t tell her. Not yet. It was way too soon. I’d laid the framework earlier today when I’d mentioned I was having feelings and I saw the surprise in her eyes. She wasn’t ready yet, but I was patient. I’d wait until she was.
I turned in her arms. “Thank you for staying. I love having you in my bed—waiting for me after work.”
“Me too.” When her head tilted up, I kissed her, telling her with my touch, my lips, my tongue that I loved her. I gently laid her back on the bed and stripped her of her T-shirt and panties. “Are you wearing my T-shirt?”
“Yes.” Her fingers tangled in my hair as I kissed down her now-bare stomach, her hips instinctively arching toward me, as I lowered myself between her legs.
The idea that she was wearing nothing but my T-shirt and panties had me impossibly hard. I parted her, breathing in her sweet scent, as I kissed the soft skin of her inner thighs, blew on her, teasing her. This woman deserved everything—so much more than I had to offer her.
“Gabe.” Her legs were trembling before I finally licked her.
“You taste amazing, baby.”
Between my fingers and tongue she was writhing against me, so I placed my hand over her middle to keep her in place. I wanted to drive her as crazy as she was driving me.
“Turn over.”
Her eyes widened but she scrambled to comply with my quiet command. When she was on her knees i
n front of me, she lowered herself onto her forearms so her ass was in the air.
“Is this okay?” she asked turning her head a little to see me.
Taylor on her knees, her face buried in a pillow, and her ass in the air. “Fuck, yes.” Never seen anything hotter. I palmed the perfect globes of her ass, spreading her cheeks, so I could watch my cock enter her inch by inch. I tilted my head back to erase the image from my mind so I could last.
Once I was in all the way, she groaned. “You feel so much deeper this way.”
“If you’re able to talk I’m not doing something right.” My voice was gruff and she whimpered. I think she liked dirty talk. I reached around to finger her clit as I picked up the pace. My need to show her she was mine was primal.
“Touch yourself.” When she complied, I gripped her hips tightly. “Get there, babe. Can’t hold out much longer.”
But she was lost, whimpering as she fingered herself. When she clamped around me, she collapsed fully on the bed and I lowered myself over her, my thighs outside of hers, letting her feel some of my weight. She turned her head to the side seeking my lips. She was so tight like this, my legs effectively trapping hers, I moved slowly, savoring the feeling of my oncoming orgasm. Only a few more strokes and my balls tightened as I thrust deeply one more time, emptying myself into her.
Coming home to Taylor was perfection.
Chapter Twenty-One
GABE
Later that week, I’d finally gotten the nerve to approach Isaac about increasing my responsibility. Right now, I worked long hours and covered when Isaac needed to leave but I wasn’t officially his manager. I didn’t order supplies, do inventory, or paperwork. I’d assumed he didn’t want a thief paying the bills.
As I approached the bar I was having second thoughts. That Isaac would laugh at me, that he’d tell me I wasn’t smart enough or trustworthy enough for more responsibility. And I knew the reason I felt this way. When I’d mentioned going to vocational school in high school, Mom laughed at me—said I wasn’t smart enough to go to school.
When no one thought you were worth anything it was hard to believe in yourself. But I wasn’t that guy anymore. I’d done my time, gotten my GED, paid my bills on time, and showed up to work. I was reliable and responsible. I was unsure if I was capable of more but how would I ever know if I didn’t try? If I continued to let other people’s expectations of me keep me down? No more. I opened the door to find Isaac stocking liquor behind the bar.
“Hey. What are you doing here so early?”
Taking a deep breath, I said, “I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”
He stopped then, putting the box on the counter, and faced me fully as I sat on the bar stool. “Is Zach okay?”
“His mom pressured him to quit school again last night. She found out that he’s trying to get a job at Omar’s and wants his paychecks.”
“What a piece of work.”
“Exactly, but that’s not what I wanted to talk about.” I drew in a shaky breath. If he said no, I didn’t know what I’d do. I hated putting myself out there to be judged.
“No?”
I know he was surprised because other than Zach I didn’t come to him for much. “I’d like to see about taking on more responsibility around here.”
“Really?” He studied me carefully and it was hard not to fidget under his perusal.
“Yeah, it’s past time I stepped up.” I thought so, but would Isaac agree? He’d never pushed me to do more.
“Are you sure you’re ready for it?”
His question could mean several things. That he didn’t believe in me. That he didn’t think I could handle it. But I took his question as a challenge. “I’m ready for more responsibility. I work my hours and then some. I come in early. I stay late. I’m responsible. I’m hardworking.”
He studied my face and then smiled. “I’ve been waiting a long time to hear you say that.”
“If you can’t appreciate that, then—wait, what did you say?” I was so sure he was going to say no that I hadn’t even processed what he’d said.
He chuckled. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you to realize that you’re worth more than the life of a bartender.”
That was it. I hadn’t thought I deserved more. I felt lucky that I had this job. “Why haven’t you said anything before now?”
“You needed to realize it for yourself.” He got to work breaking down one of the empty boxes. “You’ve been doing the work of a manager.”
Not really. I always deferred decision-making things to him as the owner. “Not the billing, ordering, and stocking. I don’t make any decisions.”
“No, but I trust you to do it. You make suggestions all of the time, but you don’t follow through.”
Was he being difficult on purpose? “I make the suggestions to the owner who makes the decisions.”
“I was hoping you’d take it upon yourself to do more.”
My stomach sank. Had this been some test that I didn’t know I was taking? I was supposed to naturally take on more responsibility? “I didn’t think you trusted me. Did you forget?” I cringed as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Why was I reminding him?
“Forget what?” he asked, opening another box.
“I have a theft conviction on my record. I spent time in jail.” I hated saying it out loud but I couldn’t believe he’d forgotten.
He gave me a pointed look. “The only person who cares about that is you.”
I was afraid to trust what he was saying. I couldn’t fill out an application without marking the box “yes” next to convictions.
Isaac stood, leaning back against the counter. “It’s about time. I wanted to work less, travel more, and I can’t do that if I’m tied to this bar.”
“So, you want me to be a manager?” In all the time I’d wanted to ask for a promotion at my job, I never imagined Isaac would say yes so quickly. That he’d been waiting for me to ask for one.
“Yes, but I want more than that. I want you to take over the bar so I can sit on a beach somewhere drinking out of glasses with umbrellas.”
A thrill shot through me at his words. He trusted me to run this place on my own? “You’re not serious.” I couldn’t believe it because when it came down to it, I didn’t trust myself.
“I’m dead serious. I’ve been waiting for you to grow some balls for years now. I almost had to hire someone else.”
“Watch it,” I growled.
He slapped me on my shoulder ignoring my warning. “I’m proud of you. I’m proud of how you handle Zach too. I wish you could see that you deserve all of the things you want for him.”
I was almost afraid to believe him. My natural inclination was to argue, to deny it, but then I remembered that Taylor had been saying similar things. “I do now.”
“And why is that?” His lips tilted up in a smile.
A weird feeling washed over me. “Taylor.”
“I like her for you.”
“She’s different.” I hoped. In the back of my mind, I still worried that she’d go back to her real life and leave me behind.
“I hope so because if she got your hard head to believe in yourself then you need to keep her around.”
I was dead set against moving forward in my life, I’d placed useless limits on myself. I held myself back because of people who’d said things to me when I was a teen. “Why didn’t you just talk to me years ago?”
“You don’t talk about it. You don’t talk about anything but Zach. When you started hanging out with him I thought you’d realize that you’re no different than him. You deserve an education, a better job, a better apartment. I know that shit hole you live in. You can afford to leave.”
“I can’t now that Zach’s there.”
“And that’s a good reason but you still need to do something for yourself. It’s like you’ve been stuck in high school, in jail. Like you were nothing and that’s all you could be. Don’t let other people define your life
for you.”
If Taylor thought I was better and Isaac did too, why was I holding myself back? “I’m getting it now, man. I’m learning.”
“Good. And yes, you’re my new manager which comes with a higher salary. I’ll show you everything you need to know and then I’m scheduling my first trip.” A rare smile came over his face.
It felt good to be relied on—to be trusted.
“You’re going to be alright. Keep that girl around too. I like her. She has spunk.”
I laughed. I thought of how I’d treated her when I met her. She hadn’t backed down. She called me on my shit. She lifted me up. She supported me. She understood what I was doing with Zach and didn’t think I was wasting my time. She was amazing. What was I going to do about it? I couldn’t drift along like I had for so long and assume she’d stick around. I needed to be the man she deserved.
Isaac was almost in the storage room when I yelled, “Hey, man, wait up.”
He turned. “I thought we were done talking. That was enough heart-to-heart than I need for the next ten years.”
“Me too but I wanted to tell you that I’d like to take over the bar.”
“I offered you the manager position.” His expression was carefully blank.
I swallowed. I’d never asked for something this big. What if he said no? “I want to own a bar one day. Co-own this one or if you don’t want a partner, I’ll open my own. Taylor said she’d get my criminal record expunged and I have a lot of money saved. Between the money I’ve saved and a business loan, I can open my own.”
“You got a deal.”
“What?” I asked, but Isaac had already picked up a couple boxes. “I said you have a deal. I’ll get an attorney and we’ll draw up papers.”
“Really?”
“Christ, kid. When a man says yes, believe him, would you?”
“Sorry, I’m just—no one’s ever—” Taken a chance on me. Believed in me. And I didn’t know how to react. How to feel.
“I get it. Just get used to it, okay? You’ve got me, Zach, and now Taylor. We all want the best for you.”