Doppelbanger

by Heather M. Orgeron

  “No, Tink.” Jeff steps back, and his dick juts straight out, beckoning me.

  Sigh. Not this again. “I swear I’m good at it. It was just the boat, I was si—”

  Jeffrey reaches down, cupping my chin in his hand. His thumb rolls over my bottom lip. “Come here,” he says, guiding me to standing. When I start to speak, he shakes his head, resting a finger against my lips to silence me. Biting back a smirk, he takes me by complete surprise. “Tonight is all about you, my lady. I’m going to worship this body,” he says, as his hungry eyes drink me in like a fine wine, “the way a real man should.”

  Liquid desire swirls in my belly at the promise in his words. Suddenly I’m feeling like an inexperienced girl, despite the dozens of sexual partners I’ve had. Molten fire shoots through my veins when he brings his lips to my collarbone, kissing and flitting his expert tongue along the bend of my neck while reaching around and lowering the zipper on my dress.

  Jeff hisses his appreciation as the black fabric slips down my body, pooling at my feet. One of his hands sneaks around to my back, flicking the clasp of my strapless bra, leaving me standing in nothing but a pair of red heels and black lace panties.

  Sucking in a breath, he shakes his head as if in disbelief. “So beautiful.” His hand grips my chin, and he pulls my lips to his, sliding his mouth over mine and stealing my breath away.

  The backs of his knuckles brush over my nipples, damn near causing me to come unglued. “Jeffrey, please,” I beg.

  “Get in the bed,” he orders while removing the rest of his clothes. He climbs in over me, resting his forearms on either side of my head, his hard body pressed to mine. For a long moment he doesn’t breathe a word, just stares down at me.

  “Kiss me, Jeffrey,” I finally whisper when I can’t take it anymore. Every fiber of my being is bursting for release while we lay here still as statues. My hands reach up to brush the hair from his forehead and trace the line of his jaw. “Kiss me before I go crazy.”

  Leisurely his mouth lowers to join mine. A soft press of his lips. A light flick of his tongue. Torturously slow, he tastes every inch of my body, working his way down my neck and trailing his velvety tongue down my breastbone. He nips and sucks at my stiff nipples, all the while holding my hands by my sides. When he reaches my inner thighs, my back arches from the bed. Then his tongue trails along my slit, swirling around my clit, and I swear I can see the fucking stars. He brings me to the brink, backing off just when I’m about to explode.

  “J—Jeffrey, please. I need you. N—now!” Within seconds he’s hovering over me, pushing inside of me, making love to my mouth while he rocks in and out as if we have all the time in the world. As if he’s savoring every sacred moment.

  Finally, he releases his hold on my hands and I reach between us, massaging my clit and pulling his hair. Jeff’s thrusts become harder and faster, matching the rhythm of my frantic movements. It isn’t long before my tsunami of desire crests, and his body tenses with mine and we both cry out, finding our release together.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  GINA

  “HELLO?”

  “Hey, Tink. Can you, uh...You think you could come over?”

  What? “Right now?”

  “Please?”

  “It’s Wednesday, CEO. I’m at work...I have to work tomorrow. And anyway, aren’t the girls home?”

  We’ve been together every other weekend for the past few months, meeting up when the girls go to their grandmother’s house at either his place or mine. I have yet to see Willow or Evangeline since the cruise. They have no clue we’re seeing each other and he was adamant it stay that way. So, him begging me to come over in the middle of the week is taking me completely off guard.

  “Evangeline got her period,” he finally explains, sounding completely at a loss for what to do.

  “Oh...”

  “She’s locked in her room and won’t stop crying. It’s the second day of school and everyone saw...It was all over her pants.”

  “Oh, God, that poor baby.”

  “Gina?”

  “Yeah?” I ask, trying to figure out how the heck I’m going to leave in the middle of the work day to drive out there.

  “I don’t have anyone else. I—I didn’t know who to call.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  §

  Two hours later, I’m climbing the familiar stone steps, about to knock on Jeff’s front door. This roiling acidic feeling in my gut, however, is new. I’m not sure he’s thought this through or what he plans to tell his kids about why the woman he could barely tolerate on the cruise is suddenly showing up on their doorstep.

  Ah, well, guess I’m about to find out. Taking a deep breath, I press my finger to the doorbell and wait.

  “Oh, thank God,” Jeff says, swinging the door open and ushering me inside. “Thank you so much for coming.”

  “No problem.” I clear my throat, trying to disguise the hurt in my voice. No hug. No kiss. Not even a fucking handshake or a pat on the back. I knew not to expect the affection I’ve come to crave from this man with the girls around, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t still sting.

  “Gigi!” Willow screams, running at me from the living room. The sight of those little pig tails bouncing tugs on my heart. I’ve missed her more than I even realized. “What you doin’ here?”

  “Hey, baby girl.” Swinging her up into my arms, I hold her close, giving her a good, tight squeeze. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I misseded you too. Did you bring Tyle?”

  “No. Not this time. I’m sorry. I came to see about Vangie. Your daddy told me she’s having a rough day.”

  Willow huffs a long and drawn out breath. “Her’s in her room bein’ dratic.”

  Furrowing my brow, I look to Jeff for clarification.

  “Dramatic.”

  Ahh. “Got it...So, what exactly do you need me to do?”

  Jeff shrugs. The poor man looks so defeated. “I guess just try to calm her down and teach her how to handle all of that.”

  “You did get her feminine products, right?”

  “Of course,” he says shaking his head at me. “I did have a wife, you know.”

  “Just checking.”

  “I picked her up from school and dropped her off at home, so she could get in the tub. Then, I went to the grocery store and grabbed her literally one of everything. Probably even two of some. I just threw a bunch of things into the cart. She’s got bags of shit to choose from, Tink.”

  Pulling in my lips, I hold back a laugh. “Great. Okay, well...I’m goin’ in. Wish me luck.”

  §

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  “Leave me alone, Dad. I’m not going back there. Ever!”

  Yikes. “Hey, Evangeline, it’s me, uhh Gina. Can I come in?”

  “Gina?” she questions from right on the other side of the door. “What are you doing here?”

  “Your dad thought maybe you needed a woman to talk to...” I lean my head against the door, listening to her sniffling.

  After a long pause, the lock clicks and it slowly starts to swing open. “Oh, honey,” I say when I get a look at her red, swollen face. “Come here.”

  Evangeline falls into my arms sobbing. “It wa—was awful, Gina.” Her little body shakes and my heart twists into knots, as I smooth down the hair at the back of her head.

  After about a minute she moves to sit on the edge of her bed, patting for me to sit beside her. “One of the football players tapped me on the shoulder as I was leaving class and told me.” Huge sobs wrack her tiny frame. “A football player! My life is over.”

  “Evangeline.” I wait for her to calm down and look at me. “Today sucked,” I agree. “But I promise this is not the end of the world. Even though I know it must feel like it right now.”

  She snorts. “Maybe not for you.”

  “I’m not going to downplay your embarrassment, Vangie. It will be rough for a few days and then everyone who saw will forget, and it’ll all bl
ow over. And who knows? Maybe that boy was the only one to see and is enough of a gentleman to keep his mouth shut.”

  “Maybe,” she agrees, but doesn’t look at all convinced.

  My eyes well up as I look at this little girl becoming a woman without a mother to show her the way. Mine was a piece of work, but she had me loaded down with hygiene products in my backpack from the age of eight. As soon as my first period finished, that woman had me at the doctor’s office for birth control. Just what every eleven-year-old girl needs. “Vangie,” I say, giving her hand a little squeeze. “You’re becoming a woman.”

  She snorts, laughing through her tears. “That’s such a cliché thing to say, Gina.”

  “But it’s true, and I know it’s scary and disgusting, but it’s also a rite of passage. We all go through it, baby. You are not alone. The important thing now is to make sure you’re prepared not only to deal with the mess, but with all of the other changes that go along with it.”

  “I know.” Vangie waves me off. “I know all about how babies are made. They taught us that in like fifth grade.”

  “Good,” I say breathing a sigh of relief. “But there’s more.”

  “Yippee!”

  “First things first,” I say, slapping my hands together. “Show me the supplies your father picked up.”

  After sorting through the bags, we determine she has enough pads and tampons to last her through an apocalypse. I explain to her about trying out the different sizes and seeing which ones feel most comfortable, but also control her flow. I explain about Toxic Shock Syndrome and the importance of changing her tampon at least every eight hours.

  “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be using those anymore. I tried one earlier and it hurt so bad.”

  Well, that doesn’t sound right at all. “The tampon hurt to put in? You shouldn’t really feel it once it’s inside.”

  Evangeline laughs. “That’s what the instructions said too, but that plastic hurts. Maybe the one I wore was too big?”

  “The plastic?” Oh, God. “You mean the applicator?”

  “I guess.”

  This time I can’t help but to laugh. “You left it in?”

  “Uh...yeah. I did what the instructions said. I put it up in there and pulled the skinny piece out and threw it away...Why are you laughing? Did I do something wrong?”

  “Give me a damn tampon,” I say, snatching a box from the side of her. “Okay. Pretend my hand is the opening to a vagina, okay?” I ask, making a loose fist, so I can insert the tampon into the hole. “Okay, so you take off the wrapper and stick the fat part up inside.”

  “I did that.”

  “Okay, so this is the step you missed. Pay attention. After you stick it in, you have to push the skinny tube into the big one...Oh, but make sure you’re still holding the big one too.”

  Vangie’s eyes grow big.

  “It sounds a lot more difficult than it really is. We’ll practice a few times before you try it again. Anyway, so you push this little tube, and that will force the cotton wad, which is the part that is supposed to stay in there, up higher into your vagina. Then you pull both pieces of the plastic applicator out and are left with a string which will hang an inch or two out of your opening...When you go to the bathroom to change it, you just pull the string, and it comes right out.”

  After practicing a few times in her hand, Vangie ventures to the bathroom for another attempt. When she comes out smiling, I know she’s one step closer to being able to deal with all of this.

  “All right, let’s go.”

  “Go?” she asks looking around her sanctuary. “Where’re we going?”

  “To the store. We need face wash for pimples, Midol for cramps, and a little pocket calendar to keep track of your schedule. And ice cream, Evangeline. We’re gonna go eat our feelings. How’s that sound?”

  Evangeline’s face lights up. “Thank you, Gina.”

  “Anytime, sweetie.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  JEFFREY

  AFTER NEARLY TWO hours have gone by, Tink finally comes strolling down the stairs wearing the world’s strongest poker face. I can’t read her expression at all. “Well?” I ask, when she brushes past me to sit on the sofa. “How’d it go?”

  “Fine.” She crosses one leg over the other, looking down into her lap and fooling with her nails.

  “That’s it?”

  “I’m ready,” Vangie calls, descending the stairs before I can get anything else out of Gina. She’s in jeans and a dressy top, her hair in a bun, and ballet flats. And, she’s smiling. Thank the Lord.

  “Ready?” I look from Evangeline to Gina, who is now up from the sofa and digging her keys out of her purse. “What are we ready for?”

  “We’re,” Tink stresses, motioning from herself to Evangeline, “going to the store to pick up a few more things she’s going to need and...” She looks around the room before whispering, “Out for ice cream,” into my ear. “I’ll bring something back for you and little bit...I’d take her, but I kinda think this is a big deal for Evangeline and wanna make it all about her.”

  “Of course,” I say, impressed by her thoughtfulness. Not that she isn’t thoughtful, just well, she doesn’t have kids, and that she has the foresight to realize having Willow around might bother Evangeline is endearing me to her even more. “All right, well, you two have fun,” I say, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet. I try handing Gina some money, but she shoves it away, looking insulted.

  “I got it, Daddy big bucks.” Gina’s tongue pokes out, and she scrunches up her nose. “Let me do this for her.” Then our eyes lock in an intense stare, and she adds in a voice just above a whisper, “Let me do this for you.”

  “Bye, Dad.” Evangeline rushes over, lifting up to her toes, and plants a kiss on my cheek. “Thanks for calling Gina.”

  “No problem, sweet pea. I’m glad she was able to help.”

  “We shouldn’t be more than an hour or three,” Tink calls back, as I watch my girls head for the door.

  Evangeline walks out ahead of her and Gina pokes her head back in, blowing me a kiss.

  On instinct my hand lifts to catch it, just like I would for Willow. But instead of putting it in my pocket, I rub it on my crotch, smirking at Tink.

  “Tease.” She lurks in the doorway a moment longer, undressing me with her eyes. God, I want her so fucking bad.

  I clear my throat to break the trance. “Willow and I will cook dinner while you’re out.”

  “Oh, am I staying for dinner?”

  “Yeah.” I nod, swallowing down a lump of emotion. “I think you are.”

  Her hand flattens out, and she lifts it to her head giving me a military salute. “See you then.”

  §

  “Go count out four forks from the drawer and set one next to each plate,” I instruct my little helper, as I finish mixing the mashed potatoes.

  “I’m so cited, Daddy! Is Gigi gonna sweep here?”

  I wish. “No, baby. She just came to see about your sister. Gina has to work tomorrow morning.”

  “Dey here!” Willow screams. The forks clang on the tile as she drops them and takes off running for the foyer.

  The front door swings open and Evangeline and Gina burst through in a fit of giggles. I can’t even express what it does to my heart to see such a drastic transformation in my little girl from earlier today.

  “What you dot me?” Willow asks, tugging on the bottom of Gina’s shirt.

  “Well,” she says, pulling a bag from behind her back. “There might be something in this one for you.”

  Willow snatches it right out of her hand. “Shokins!” she shouts, jumping up and down. “Tank you, Gigi!”

  “You’re very welcome, princess. We brought you and Daddy back some ice cream too, but that’s going to go in the freezer ’til after dinner, okay?”

  Willow nods, fighting to tear open the package of rubber grocery toys. I’ll never understand their appeal, but she loves the damn things. They
’re the little girl version of Legos, only softer. You’ll find them in every nook and cranny of this house.

  Every fiber of my being is dying to give Gina a proper welcome back—to take her in my arms and taste those full, pouty lips. But I can’t do that with the girls around. I want her to the point it’s becoming almost painful. So, I remain in the kitchen, a safe distance away. “Dinner’s ready!” I shout from the doorway, and like a herd of starving buffalo, they race for the kitchen.

  Gina and I sit across from each other at our little four-seater table and I make a concerted effort not to sit here and stare at her while she eats. She lifts the first bite of steak into her mouth and moans her approval. My dick jumps to attention. It’s a sound he knows well.

  Discreetly, I sneak my hand beneath the table, shifting my dick to a more comfortable position. When I look up, Gina winks, giving me a knowing smile.

  “Did you girls find everything you needed?” I ask, trying to distract myself.

  “Mmmhmm,” Evangeline answers, while chewing her food. “And Gina gave me her number in case I need to talk to her about any girl stuff.”

  Tink’s face flushes, and she worries her lower lip between her teeth. “I hope that was okay...I guess I should have asked first.”

  “It’s perfectly fine. I appreciate everything you’ve done for Vangie today, Gina. This is so far out of my element it isn’t even funny.”

  “You know I adore your girls. It’s been my pleasure.”

  §

  By the time we’ve finished eating, it’s after bedtime. All the excitement of today put us behind schedule.

  “Will you stay until after I’ve tucked them in?” I ask, desperate for a moment alone with my lady before she leaves.

  Tink nods, plopping herself on the sofa with the remote and shoos me away. “I’ll be right here. But I can only stay a few minutes. I have a long drive back.”

  The girls both kiss Gina goodnight without even being asked, and I’m forced to look away. I knew they’d bonded on the cruise, but seeing them together again and that their connection has only intensified...It has me wishing for things I know I can’t have. Conflicting emotions war in my head and in my heart. How can this feel so right and so fucking wrong all at once?