by Storm, Sloan
My body went limp in his embrace.
AVA
I gasped for breath, shooting into a seated position. Snapping my head from left to right, I blinked, not recognizing my surroundings for a few seconds.
“What’s wrong?”
I turned my head, looking down at Dyson. My sudden movement startled him to awareness. I reached up, rubbed my eyes with my fingers and then ran my fingers through my hair, trying to reorient myself.
“It’s nothing,” I replied. “I’m sorry about that.”
I looked at him again and he closed his eyes, dropping his head back down on top of the pillow.
“It’s okay,” he grunted.
Still in my clothes from the night before, I slid off of the bed and looked at the nightstand to check the time. It was just after ten thirty in the morning. Surely the attorney would be in by now, even though they were a couple of hours behind us.
I walked around the end of the bed and reached for my cell phone. Picking it up, I looked at the piece of paper where I’d scribbled the attorney’s number and dialed it. After I navigated through the automated phone system, his extension rang.
After the fourth one, a man answered.
“This is Edward Marshall.”
Unplugging my phone from the charger, I turned and walked in the direction of the hotel room window.
“Yes, um, Mr. Marshall, my name is Ava Walters, and I am the legal guardian for Simon Walters. I was told you have some information for me about his father, Gene Philo.”
“Oh yes,” the attorney replied.
Turning my back towards the window, I glanced in the direction of the bed. Dyson lifted his head.
“Gene?” he began, frowning at me. “What’s he…?”
Before he could say another word, I waved him off, silencing him. Just then, Mr. Marshall spoke once again.
“Let me grab that file,” he began. In the background, I heard the sound of paper being moved around. “And please, you can call me Ed.”
“All right.”
I turned and looked out the window.
Down below, people sat at an outdoor restaurant. For some reason, I became fixated on a family. The mother, father and two little kids – a boy and a girl.
I reached up and slipped my thumbnail between my lips, tapping against my tooth while I waited for the attorney. Just then, Dyson grabbed my waist from behind, startling me out of my trance-like state. I turned and swatted him across the upper arm. Dyson chuckled, leaned in and kissed me on the cheek before walking away in the direction of the bathroom.
Soon after, Ed returned.
“Ms. Walters,” he began. “Do you know Mr. Philo?”
“Yes, I do. He’s my nephew’s biological father. Oh and you can call me Ava, by the way.”
“Oh, all right then, Ava.”
Before he could say anything else, I asked, “I received a message from my roommate last night. Something about a DUI arrest and deadbeat dad laws?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
Before long, I realized I’d already begun to pace back and forth.
“Of course.”
Ed cleared his throat. “Yes, well, it seems that during Mr. Philo’s arrest and booking, it was discovered that he owed several years’ worth of unpaid child support.”
I frowned, shaking my head in confusion.
“Unpaid child support? I wasn’t aware of that.”
“Okay, is Bella Walters a relative of yours?”
I nodded, “Yes, she is… was, my sister.”
The attorney paused for a moment. “I see. Is she deceased?”
“Yes she died several years ago. I’m sorry, but what does this have to do with my sister?”
“Um, according to state records, Mr. Philo was ordered to pay child support to your sister after she won a judgment in her favor. There are no records of any payments ever being made.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Knowing Gene, that doesn’t surprise me.”
“Well, be that as it may, as the legal guardian, you are entitled to receive these funds from Mr. Philo.”
Nothing would have given me more pleasure than to take Gene’s money from him and give it to his son, but there were people sleeping under bridges who had more cash than he did. I did my best to explain that to Ed so that he would understand what a useless exercise it would be.
“Sadly, that’s a very common outcome in situations like this,” he said.
Just out of sheer curiosity, I asked, “What’s going to happen to Gene? I’m assuming he’s still in jail.”
“Well, I’d venture a guess he’s looking at three to five years, especially considering his numerous prior offenses.”
I sighed into the receiver.
Just then, Dyson appeared in my peripheral vision and walked in my direction. He leaned against the dresser across from me while the attorney spoke once again.
“I’m sorry this wasn’t a more helpful call,” he began. “These kinds of situations can be frustrating.”
I looked up at Dyson. He stared down at me with a concerned expression on his face.
“It’s just that, nothing ever seems to happen to Gene. He got my sister pregnant and then disappeared. Meanwhile, because of the state’s stupid adoption laws, I can’t be anything other than a temporary guardian for my nephew. It’s just frustrating to no end and frankly, completely unfair.”
Ed remained silent for a few seconds.
“Yes, I’m sure it is. If you don’t mind, I’m assuming, based on the temporary custody in place, that Mr. Philo hasn’t waived his parental rights. Is that correct?”
I closed my eyes, rubbing my forehead with my free hand. “Yes.”
“Mmm hmm,” the attorney muttered. “Would you mind if I placed you on hold for a few minutes? I have something I need to discuss with one of my colleagues.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
After he placed me on hold. I looked up at Dyson once more. Nodding with his chin in the direction of the phone, he asked, “What’s going on?”
He’d managed to hear bits and pieces of the conversation, so while I waited for Ed to return, I filled in the gaps for him.
“What’s he doing? The attorney?”
I shrugged. “He said he was going to talk to someone else. I don’t know about what.”
Dyson eased himself off the dresser and sat down next to me on the bed. Without saying a word, he leaned in towards me and kissed me on the cheek. Smiling, I glanced at him.
Just then, the attorney came back on the line.
AVA
“Ava?” he said. “Are you still there?”
“Yes, I’m still here.”
Ed exhaled into the receiver. It was the kind of sound you’d associate with bad news. Truthfully, I didn’t know how much worse it could possibly get. Before he spoke, I reached towards Dyson. He took my hand in his and squeezed it.
“I apologize for the short delay,” he began, once again shuffling paper in the background while he spoke. “As I mentioned, I consulted with one of my associates here who’s a bit more informed than I am with regard to some of these issues. In any case, he was able to confirm my suspicion.”
Ed paused for a moment. I jumped in to fill the silence.
“Suspicion about what?”
“I think there may be a way to force Mr. Philo to waive his parental rights in this case.”
I wrinkled my brow, thinking I must’ve misunderstood what he meant.
“What do you mean? Force him? How?”
“Well, as it relates to his DUI offense, what I’m proposing wouldn’t affect the outcome there, but unless he’s able to find a way to repay all of his back child support, the state would be willing to reduce its portion of his jail sentence mandated by deadbeat dad laws. That is, of course, assuming he would do what we asked of him.”
Ed paused once more. I squeezed Dyson’s hand hard.
“What is that?”
&
nbsp; “Well, it’s quite simple. All he has to do is waive his parental rights, and this office would skip enforcement.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I shook my head.
“Wait, are you telling me that you think Gene will give up his rights and clear the way for me to adopt Simon?”
“Oh yes, quite. In fact, I don’t see what alternative he has.”
I looked at Dyson. He’d heard enough of the conversation to know what was going on. I had to take a breath to keep myself from getting too excited. The last thing I needed right now was another huge letdown.
“I-I don’t understand why the state would do that?”
“That’s a matter of simple economics, Ava. By going this route, we can save considerable expenses in terms of prosecuting Mr. Philo and then putting an administrative framework in place to make sure he repays his back child support, which we both know is highly unlikely. And, from Mr. Philo’s perspective, giving up rights for a child he’s scarcely seen in exchange for having his prison time reduced by, oh, eighty percent or so? I don’t see how even someone of Mr. Philo’s questionable character would pass on a deal like that.”
While he spoke, I released my grip from Dyson’s hand and placed it over my mouth.
Could it be?
“And so,” I began, swallowing hard. “What about my nephew?”
“What do you mean?”
My insides fluttered with nervous energy. I shot to my feet.
“I mean, assuming Gene does this, what does that mean for the state of my temporary custody?”
No sooner had I finished speaking than I heard the familiar rattle of paper through the receiver.
“Well,” Ed began. “I’ve had a chance to examine the paperwork concerning your guardianship. You’ve done an exceptional job in caring for your nephew. Frankly, I see no reason why you wouldn’t be awarded full custody of him as soon as Mr. Philo executes the required signatures. Further, I…”
Without thinking, I shrieked, screaming at the top of my lungs. Dyson jumped up and looked at me like I’d lost my mind. I snapped myself back into reality, apologizing to the attorney.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry I just did that.”
By the time I said those words, Ed was already laughing.
“Very well then,” he began, his chuckle starting to fade away. “I’ll take it by your reaction that you’d like me to proceed with things on my end?”
I nodded, caught between sheer joy and disbelief.
“Yes, absolutely yes!”
“Okay, I’ll get to work on this right away. It will probably take a day or two to put everything into motion. But unless I’ve severely misjudged Mr. Philo, which I don’t think that I have, I’d expect him to accept this offer very soon.”
Shaking, I did my best to piece together a coherent response, “I don’t know how to thank you, Ed. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Ava,” he replied. “I know exactly how important it is, not only for you but also for your nephew. I’m just glad we were able to help.”
A few seconds later, we said our goodbyes.
Ed told me that as soon as he got word, he’d call me and let me know. I hung up, looking in Dyson’s direction, my mouth drifting open. My hand fell away from the side of my head.
The next thing I knew, I’d dropped the phone.
Dyson stood there with his arms out in front of his body, his palms skyward.
“Well, what the hell happened?”
I just stood there. My entire body felt like it was made of rubber. It couldn’t be.
It just couldn’t be real.
“Ava!” Dyson yelled. “Talk to me!”
The sound of his voice riveted my attention on his face. Without thinking, I took off in his direction, jumping at him. We collided, and I hooked my arms and legs around his torso, sending him reeling backwards.
“Ava!” he exclaimed, tumbling down to the ground. I landed on top of him, and he groaned from the impact. “Aaahhhh...”
Lying on top of him, I reached up and wrapped my hands around Dyson’s face.
“Do you have any idea what this means? Any?”
Still trying to catch his breath, Dyson wheezed a reply, “Yeah, it means when you fall… on a guy… you need to be careful where you put your knee.”
I let go of his cheeks.
“Oh my God! Oh no! Dyson, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”
Dyson leaned his head back resting it against the floor, moaning.
“Ohhh, the pain. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life.”
I rolled off of him. “Where does it hurt? Tell me!”
Dyson remained still for a moment or two. At last, he lifted his head and looked at me.
“Ava, it’s serious. I’m afraid I’m going to need medical attention immediately.”
When he finished speaking, a wry smile curled to the corner of his mouth. Soon after, his straight white teeth appeared.
“Medical attention, huh?” I said, arching a brow at him.
Dyson sat up, bracing himself on his elbows. “Oh yeah, it’s bad, Doc.”
“Oh, I’m a doctor now, am I?”
“Doctor… nurse,” he began, reaching towards me and wrapping his hand around my wrist.
He tugged me in his direction.
“Whatever.”
DYSON
Ava straddled me, locking her arms straight and placing her palms flat on the floor next to my head. Smiling, she tilted her face down, moving it in the direction of mine.
Her long, soft hair closed in around me.
I reached down towards her waist, tracing the curve of the arch in her back until at last I cupped her ass in my hands. While I did, she continued to move towards me. The shadow from her hair darkened the distance between our faces when she stopped.
“I like your bedside manner, Doc.”
Ava nodded a bit, and the smile she had on her face moments earlier widened.
“You do, huh?”
I squeezed her ass cheeks, curling my fingertips inward.
“Yeah.”
Over the next moment or so, the expression of happiness on Ava’s face changed. Her eyes softened and her lips parted. Sitting on top of me, she lifted one of her arms off the floor and moved it towards my head. Reaching down, she slid the tips of her fingers through my hair, stroking it and looking into my eyes while she did.
After the fourth or fifth pass, she slid her nails along the side of my face, touching my lower lip with her thumb. Ava’s eyes left mine and instead focused on my mouth. For several seconds, she brushed across my lip with light strokes, finally dropping her finger away.
Looking up at her, I watched her mouth move towards mine. I folded my lips inward for a fraction of a second, moistening them. Just after I did, our mouths locked. She lowered her upper body, resting it against mine.
The feel of her curves and ample tits pressing into me caused my dick to engorge. The change didn’t go unnoticed by her. Ava swept her mouth across mine, moaning while she kissed me.
I felt the small of her back arch, giving me an opportunity to slide my fingers inside of her jeans. Reaching in that direction, I inched my fingers beneath the denim, groping at the flesh of her ass while I did. At the same time, Ava increased the intensity of her kisses.
Her lips felt fucking incredible, gliding and suctioning against me. Our tongues twisted and turned in each other’s mouths, increasing the excitement with each passing second.
When my hands couldn’t go any further, I closed my fingers, pulling her hips hard against my cock. As if on command, Ava started to grind against me, moaning and grunting into my mouth at the same time.
Not long after, Ava’s mouth broke free and a heated breath spilled from her lips. She leaned away from me, tossing her head backward and arching her torso away from me. I looked up at her, my vision filling with the magnificence of her tits.
Now in a semi-seated positi
on, Ava’s head fell forward a fraction. Looking down at me, she reached towards the bottom of my shirt and ran her fingers underneath it. Seconds later, she tugged at it, pulling it up and exposing my abs. Wordless, she dropped her head towards my stomach and began to lick and kiss and suck her way up and down. I pulled my hands out of her pants and instead slid them into her hair, twisting them around and between my fingers while she lavished my abdomen with kisses.
After a few seconds, I felt the hardness of her fingernails while they dragged along the edge of my jeans. In the next instant, she reached for the top of them with aggression, unfastening them like she couldn’t do it soon enough.
I felt the vibration of the zipper against my pelvis while she pulled it down. At the same time, Ava peppered me with kisses down the center of my torso, stopping just above my waist. She tugged at my jeans with a firm yank. I shifted my ass from one side to the other and then, before the cool air of the hotel room even brushed against my skin, Ava took my cock into her mouth. I looked up at her for a half a second before slamming my head down on the hotel room floor.
“Ahhhh, fuuuuck,” I groaned. “Jesus.”
With one hand pumping up and down on my shaft, Ava reached up with her other one and rubbed my midsection, squeezing my abs and chest while she sucked me. The sound of her doing it and the slick feel of her talented tongue along the length of my dick almost made me cum immediately.
Instead, I laid back for an instant, easing into her affection. With every second that passed, my cock got harder and grew fuller, raging to get inside of her pussy. I lifted my head up again, delighting in the sight of her mouth traveling up and down my shaft. Streaks of sunlight passed through her hair, causing it to glisten with each pass of her mouth.
Before long, I’d had about all I could stand. I reached down, touched her cheek. She stopped and looked up at me. After a slow withdrawal, she pulled her lips away from the tip of my cock, never stopping her gentle stroking of it.
“Take off your clothes, Ava.”
Without a word, Ava looked at me and nodded. She released my dick, laying it flat against my torso just as she began to strip away her clothing.
“Go slow,” I said, interlocking my fingers behind my head while I looked up at her.