My Best Friend's Dad

by Bella Winters

  CHAPTER 9

  Boyce

  The house was too fucking empty. I went to work an hour after Vivian drove away and stayed there late. I didn’t want to feel my big bed by myself after being with Vivian for the last few days. I wanted her in it, spread open for me so I could take her again. She was in another city now and I missed her as I stared at my computer. I had some take out pushed back and my stomach hurt from the bad quality of the quick choice.

  I glanced out at the dark sky and ran a hand through my hair. I decided to stay at the apartment tonight since I had enough clothes there to get by as well as food. I cleared the screen and powered down the computer before I bagged the Styrofoam container and tossed it into the trash.

  Had it only been two days since she left? I walked out of my office and turned off the light, noting that the dim office was empty. I strolled through it and took the elevator down to the parking garage, walking to my car as I tried to push away the thought of an empty bed. I drove to the apartment and parked before going to the fifteenth floor and unlocking the door. I was just setting my briefcase down when I heard my phone chime, frowning as I pulled it out of my jacket pocket.

  Vivian: Hey, handsome.

  I grinned and sat down on the couch as I sent back a message. She said that the apartment was halfway there and a little about the town. I was vaguely familiar with the area enough to know that she’d be safe there if she watched out for herself. The apartment was in a good complex that was gated and offered security, given its proximity to the university. I’d checked up on both apartments for the girls and while it made me nervous to have Bella in New York, I had to let her try. Her mom always told her to reach for her dreams since she knew I’d have the money to support them. Nora told her to never hold back and I wouldn’t ask that of her.

  I knew that Vivian’s parents wanted the same for her. They knew how bright she was and the future that was waiting for her. Stan would kick my ass a hundred times if he knew I was sleeping with her and I glanced up at the ceiling, wondering if they could see what she was up to.

  Vivian: Can I come back next weekend?

  Me: Yes, absolutely.

  Vivian: Good. I’ll leave Saturday morning as soon as I wake up.

  Me: Good night, Viv. Sleep well.

  I leaned back and looked around the nondescript room, decorated with random furniture that I ordered online. There was nothing homey about this place and I never intended it to be, but right now I wanted more. I wanted more with the wrong person.

  I went to bed and watched television, thinking about the upcoming weekend. She didn’t say why she was coming back in the text but the fact that she contacted me at all meant something. It meant something that I hadn’t cared about since I was married.

  Fuck me.

  I worked my ass off to kill the time until I saw her again. It wasn’t something that was uncommon with me and I spent time talking to Bella anytime that she needed me. She was the person that I needed to worry about and I gave her everything that she needed. Bella was flourishing in New York and I knew that she was going to do amazing in school.

  I talked to Vivian as well, but those conversations were different. We talked about the time we spent together and ended up spending long nights talking one another through orgasms. I knew that we were continuing with what we started and through the guilt, I knew that it was keeping me going.

  Anne still cooked for me, but she froze the meals for me to heat up when I was home. I went there if I left work early enough, but I hated the fact that every part of the house reminded me of Vivian. My sheets smelled like her until Janet washed them and I came home to a sterile room. I missed the smell of our sex and slept with the television on until the morning. I hated Janet in the morning every time that I woke up and missed the citrus scent that Vivian wore, and I found myself in her old room to see if I could find it there.

  I was being pathetic, and I accepted an invitation to a bar with some other friends that worked near me on Friday night. Vivian was coming next weekend and I needed the distraction. I left the office around dinnertime and went to meet them down the street at a popular sports bar.

  It was crowded tonight, and I looked around the room for my friends, seeing them at a table as I went to join them. “There he is. You’ve been working long hours lately, Boyce. What gives?” Mark asked as he poured a beer from the pitcher.

  “No reason to be home. Bella left.” I kept it simple as they looked at me, seeming to be confused.

  “You’re supposed to be living it up, Boyce. Not working long days at the office. Now that you’re alone at home, you can bring more women there for longer periods of time. Maybe even dating someone regular if that’s your thing. I know it isn’t mine.” Charlie smirked as he spoke, and I sipped the beer as I considered my answer.

  “I’m not twenty-five, guys. I’m forty-six and I own a company. I can’t just blow that off because my daughter went off to college.” I shook my head. “I’m paying for that as well as part of Vivian’s education. I need to keep money coming in.”

  “Bullshit. You did this when Nora passed away and you had a kid at home. What’s going on?” Nick asked as I gave him a curious look. He seemed to be noticing something that the others weren’t.

  “I guess I’m missing Bella at home. I don’t know. Work is what I do.” I thought about Vivian, but I’d never admit that. “It’s an adjustment.”

  “It’s time to live. You’ve done everything for someone else for a long time, especially as a single parent. You took on another kid on top of that. Let yourself relax now.” Nick smiled as I nodded and agreed softly.

  Charlie was looking at the crowd and rating the women as Mark joined in. It was normal, but I felt annoyed by the idea of it tonight, probably thinking about Vivian being the girl at a bar and being rated by men. She was beautiful, and I knew that she’d get a lot of attention, though I never asked her about the guys at college. I didn’t want to know anything about that and she seemed to be thinking about me just as much as I was her.

  It occurred to me that I hadn’t had sex since Vivian left. I didn’t miss it and I was normally used to getting it every few days after work. I wanted it from Vivian and looking around, I didn’t see anyone that got my attention too much here. Sure, they were closer to my age and I never had an issue getting anyone in bed, but I just wasn’t craving it tonight. We moved on to talk about the games playing on the various screens and who was going to get what at the end of their seasons.

  I went to the bathroom an hour into the night and bumped into a brunette woman as I automatically apologized. I glanced down at her to see interest in her dark eyes as she took me in, knowing what the smile on her face meant. I was used to that and at one time, I would have enjoyed it. Now I preferred the way that Vivian looked at me like I changed her entire world. “Have a drink with me at the bar.” Her voice was low and seductive, and I frowned as I glanced towards my friends.

  “I came with friends. I should get back to them,” I replied as she arched a perfect brow at me as if no man had ever turned her down before. She was a pretty girl, but I didn’t want to make the small talk and then reject her for sex later. I wasn’t in the mood for that.

  “Just one drink. I’m sure they’ll wait around for you.” She smiled, showing off white teeth and I winced inwardly as I wondered what to say to her. “You’re not married, are you?”

  “No, it isn’t that. I am just keeping it low key tonight. Maybe another time?” I offered as she shrugged and looked past me. Jesus, was I that guy when I was hitting on women over the last few years? If so, I’d think about my every action from now on. I made my way back to the table and checked the clock to see that it was approaching nine. I wondered what Vivian was doing tonight and slipped back into the booth as Nick glanced at me.

  “We thought you got lost on the way back,” Mark told me as I shook my head.

  “It’s crowded tonight. That’s all. I’m worn out from today too.” I just wanted to b
e home relaxing in front of the TV. I was through socializing for the night and sipped the last of my beer.

  “Here, stay a little longer. I’ll get us another pitcher.” Charlie said as he waved for a waitress to come over. The four of us poured fresh glasses and kept talking about life in general as I sipped the beer and listened to them talk about work. The guys were all in the accounting business and I drifted in and out of the conversation as I considered what to do with Vivian next weekend.

  CHAPTER 10

  Vivian

  I walked down the street to my apartment wearily. School had been in session for two weeks now and it picked up quickly. I had a lot of homework in all five of my classes and stayed up studying late almost every night.

  Of course, that was largely in part due to my late-night talks with Boyce. They started innocently enough, but I grew to crave hearing his voice every night, and eventually the way he groaned when he came for me. We had phone sex every night that we talked after that first time and I was aching for him every moment of the day.

  I missed Boyce and the house. I missed seeing him every day and just talking even though we still did. It was just different, and I worked so hard to hide the developing relationship between us from Bella. When she asked if I met any guys at school, I’d casually mention some fake cute guy in a class that smiled at me. I’d never share the details of what I had with Boyce as a fake man in my life. They were too intimate, and I couldn’t share them with even my best friend. I made my way to my apartment and unlocked the door, walking inside, and dropping my backpack on the couch. I followed, hitting the soft cushions of the red couch as I closed my eyes gratefully. I had a full day of classes on Tuesday and Thursday and always came home tired, but still needing to study. I considered a small nap before I hit the books and reached for my blanket as I settled against the soft material. I loved this apartment and the independence that it offered me but after the time I spent with Boyce, it felt lonely most of the time. I sighed and pulled the blanket over me more, tucking it around my neck as I let my eyes drop closed.

  I woke up to my phone ringing and blinked in the dark. I reached for the device and looked at the bright screen to see Boyce’s name flashing and answered softly as I yawned. “Hello?”

  “Vivian.” His tone was urgent, and I sat up and tried to wake up quickly, knowing that something was wrong. “Bella was in an accident in the city. One of those fucking cab drivers cut someone off and got into a wreck. She’s going to be okay, but she’s in the hospital. I’m going to go to New York to see her. I must cancel the upcoming weekend because I promised I’d stay until she recovered some. I’m sorry, but it’s Bella.”

  “Yeah, of course. She’s your daughter.” I was torn between worry for my best friend and the disappointment that was flooding me as tears stung my eyes. I was looking forward to seeing him and it hurt that I couldn’t. “Can I help in any way?”

  “I know you have another few days of classes. I don’t want you to miss them, so I’m just going to take the private jet in a few hours and stay as long as she needs me. She got a touch of whiplash and Bella is in a lot of pain. I want to make sure that she gets the proper treatment.” Boyce let out a sigh and I pictured the pain on his face as it echoed through the phone. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to see you so badly, but I have to go.”

  “We can make it another weekend. Go see Bella and give her a hug for me. I’ll call her soon.” I blinked as a tear slid down my cheek and listened as he told me good night. I ended the call and clutched the phone in my hand as I let it sink in that I wouldn’t be seeing Boyce this weekend. I would be here alone in this apartment like I was every night and I let out a ragged groan.

  I called Bella and found out that she was in the hospital being monitored for a head injury and some soreness. She hit her head on the window when the cab driver cut a bus off and ended up being hit where she was sitting. I told her that if she needed anything that I’d catch a flight there or even drive myself, but Bella assured me that her dad was coming to see her. I knew that, but I couldn’t tell her what we canceled so he could do that. I told her to call the next day and hung up as I closed my eyes again. I just wanted to go to sleep and ignore my responsibilities, but I dragged myself from the couch to make some coffee and get to reading. I played some music in the background and took notes on some of the stuff that I was having trouble with as I pushed the image of Boyce out of my mind. I thought about my classmate Miranda that mentioned a frat party that she was attending this weekend, something I’d blown off since I was supposed to be at the house. She’d invited me, though. Why shouldn’t I go and try to have a little college fun? That was what it was all about. I smiled and vowed to tell her tomorrow that I was in.

  I saw Miranda the following day in class and mentioned that I was interested in going to the party with her. She clapped her hands and declared that we were going to have so much fun. Miranda was more of a typical college student and seemed to enjoy herself, so why shouldn’t I? We made plans after lunch to meet at her apartment at seven, which was in the same complex as mine. I would drive since I wasn’t a heavy drinker and let Miranda have some drinks.

  It was a normal college girl activity and I was going to have a good time. I went to get some lunch from the cafeteria and spoke to Bella again, who assured me that her dad was still staying in the city with her. I gritted my teeth and told her that was great, asking to plan to visit her in a few weeks when she was feeling better. I ended the call and threw away my trash before I strolled across the campus to my next class, looking over the other students as they made their way to their destinations. I wasn’t supposed to be involved with Boyce when I came here, at least not to the extent that I was right now. I was supposed to be dating and having fun before I settled into a job and real life. How did I start sleeping with Boyce?

  I thought back to the times that we’d been together, and my body heated up as I bit my lip. Maybe if I went to the party, I would meet a guy closer to my own age and I could end the madness with Boyce. This wasn’t going to work, and we’d just get in deeper and find it harder to part down the line. I had to keep some kind of semblance of family with him and Bella and as much as it made me break apart inside. I walked into the building where my English class was held and took a seat in the back as I tucked some hair behind my ear.

  The next two days passed slowly, and I left school Friday night with a nervous smile on my face. I was going out tonight for the first time since arriving here on campus. I had enough time to go home and take a small nap before getting ready and I walked to my apartment through the sunny streets, hearing laughter and chatter around me. It felt good to be acting like a normal girl and I held my head higher as I crossed the street.

  I finished getting ready and glanced in the mirror just prior to seven o'clock. I was wearing some fitted, worn jeans and a long-sleeved shirt in a dark green color with dark boots and looked cute but comfortable. My hair was in loose waves and I glossed my dark lips one more time before I grabbed my purse. I drove across the lot to Miranda’s apartment that she shared with another girl and shook hands with the shy girl as we were introduced. How could someone shy live with Miranda and survive it? She was so bubbly.

  Miranda wore some shimmery leggings and a flowing gray t-shirt with boots and her makeup was flawless. I’d always been jealous of Bella’s looks and now I felt the same way about my new friend. She looked like she had it all together and I felt like I should go home and change. We left, telling Joy goodbye before I led Miranda to my car. The party was on the other side of the campus in fraternity row and I drove slowly to find a parking place, staring at the people gathered in the streets. “It’s crowded here,” I remarked as Miranda laughed.

  “I know. It’s usually easier to take a cab, but you said that you wanted to drive.” Miranda offered as I pulled carefully into a spot and checked to make sure that I was in the space straight. “Nice car, by the way.”

  Boyce bought us both the newest Range Rover bef
ore we left, and I smiled. “Thanks. My parents left me some money and my best friend’s dad insisted that we have good cars. He wanted us to be safe.”

  “My mom got me a new Accord. Want to trade?” Miranda joked as she got out and I laughed. I didn’t want something this nice, but Boyce insisted. It wasn’t a big car, so I let it go but I got a lot of looks from people. We made our way across the street to the blue house on the street and Miranda greeted the blonde at the door before she pushed past him and pulled me in.

  The music was loud and the house thick with people. The house itself wasn’t that nice but worked to house a group of guys and I frowned as I looked around. It smelled like sweat and the faint scent of smoke from outside as Miranda made her way through the living room to the kitchen. She greeted another guy and turned towards me with two red solo cups in her hand. “Here you go.” She must have seen the look in my eyes and smiled at me. “It’s just one. I know that you don’t want to drink a lot, Viv. I’m fine with that.” I reluctantly took the cup and eyed the keg that it came from as I watched Miranda take a drink from her own cup. I watched her get them both like I was supposed to, so I sighed and sipped the beer. It tasted carbonated and gross and I stuck my tongue out as I set the cup on a table and looked back into the kitchen.

  Miranda noticed that I wasn’t drinking any beer and asked me if I wanted something else. She laughed when I told her it was gross and got a soda from the fridge before we walked into the living room where a group of people were dancing. I cracked the can and looked around for anyone that I knew slowly.