My sister's voice drifted through the bar, making me glance at the front door. She strolled in, all high and mighty. Hand-in-hand with a guy I'd never seen before. It was obvious to assume he was the new boyfriend. He admired at her like she was a pretty painting. First good sign.
I lifted my arm and waved until they spotted me. Karen's face burst out into this wide grin she’d had almost since birth before she full on sprinted to me, passing by people who eyed her. I stood from the booth, bracing myself for her to jump in my arms, which she did. She had to keep up with the dramatics in her greetings and all that.
"I missed you," I breathed as I hugged her tight. We usually saw each other every other day so going a week without the only two people left in my family was torturous.
"Missed you too, Steve," she mumbled before pulling away. She gestured to the guy standing behind her. "This is my boyfriend Zach." She wrapped her arm in his and put on that charming smile she always had with a new boyfriend.
I offered my hand. "Nice to meet you, man."
He threw his hand into mine. Clean shaven. Alright style. Very different than the douchebag guys she usually dated. Karen had a thing for motorcycles and tattoos along with a bad attitude and zero life goals. Zach didn’t fit into that category.
"Nice to meet you. Karen doesn't shut up about her big brother. She had me nervous on the drive over." He beamed down at her, and she blushed.
"You should be nervous," I joked. They laughed awkwardly before we sat back down in the booth. "How long you two been dating?"
He answered right away, another good sign. Last guy refused to 'put a label on it.' "Couple of months. We met at a Halloween party."
I tried to think back on Karen mentioning anything about it, but she hadn't. She didn’t mention him until she announced she'd be going to Ireland and leaving me all alone. Was that a good or bad sign? Usually, she couldn't shut up about new boyfriends, yet she'd kept this guy under wraps. Did that mean they were serious?
A woman around Karen's age came up to the table. She stood at the edge for a second until we noticed her. Karen screamed before springing out of the booth and pulling her into a tight hug. My eyebrows rose as I looked at Zach. He shrugged. Karen's reaction didn't seem to bother him which was another good sign. He mentioned something about grabbing a few beers before sliding out.
I tried to follow him before Karen put her hand on my arm to stop me. "Stephen," she started, grinning like a crazy person and not my adorable sister, "this is my friend Amy. We work at the middle school together." I blinked at her then looked at her friend.
Amy was all dolled up with caked on makeup. She had on a revealing v-neck with tight black jeans. She was pretty, and she blushed. Shit. My eyes narrowed at Karen as I realized what she was doing, but she avoided looking right at me.
She squeezed Amy's shoulder instead. "Well, I'd better go help Zach grab those beers. Be right back." She gestured to the empty half of my side of the booth. "Go ahead. Take a seat next to my brother." Then she was off.
Amy slid in next to me, and I squished against the wall, avoiding her touch at all costs. "Nice to meet you," she said with a sweet voice. She seemed sweet and much closer to my age than Emilia. I knew Karen's heart was in the right place, but I did not come out tonight to play-date with one of her friends.
"You too," I said, void of all emotion. She squirmed in her seat as we sat in silence for a second. I could throw the poor girl a damn bone. "What do you teach?"
Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I teach art. Kids are very creative at that age…” then she started going on and on about teaching, and I let her, staring at my now empty glass. My eyes wandered to hers a few times, and she'd give me one of those pretty smiles. "Karen told me you have a daughter. How old is she?"
Thrown off for a second, I had to backtrack to make sure I'd heard her question. Growing up with Karen made me an expert at pretending to listen. "Six. Almost seven."
She smiled again. This woman was full of them. "That's a great age. I have a niece, but she's already all grown up." She pouted. "I miss when she was that young. We'd stay up watching Disney movies and fall asleep in the living room. She'd refuse to eat vegetables. She'd beg me to take her to the dog park, so she could make friends with all the dogs. Now she's in college and dating… it's odd for me."
"Hmm," was all I could think to respond. This conversation was conjuring images of Layla all grown up, and I didn't like that. I hardly saw her as it was, and I knew it'd only get harder as she grew. She'd start joining clubs and getting slammed with homework. She'd make friends, eventually get a boyfriend. The image of her college aged and no longer my cute little girl was painful.
Karen and Zach returned with a pitcher before I could say anything else. Amy immediately poured herself a full glass then downed it quickly. Good idea. I followed her lead.
"You two have a nice talk?" Karen asked, fluttering her eyelashes at both of us. Could she be any less subtle? Zach elbowed her with a look, so she changed gears. "We should play pool! Us against you two."
"What about guys against girls?" I asked, trying my best not to be a dick. Amy's shoulders slumped which made me definitely feel like a dick. I let out a sigh. "Alright. Us against you." I downed another full glass before following everyone out of the booth.
Karen took Zach's hand as we walked to the tables. I'd think it was cute if I wasn't already pissed at her. Amy batted her eyelashes at me with this cute expression that reminded me of Emilia.
God, I really missed her, especially with this fiasco unraveling. I loved my sister, but I'd much rather have Emilia in my arms right now than be on this shitty forced double date. Plus, my sister wouldn't have tried to fix me up if she knew I was interested in someone else.
I racked the balls and tried my best to stay away from Amy, but she kept asking for my help. Karen grinned at us with sparkling eyes every time I'd lean near Amy to help with her aim. I was lucky she didn't try anything else. Toward the end of the game, it seemed she could tell this wasn't going anywhere. Zach and Karen won, not surprising, and I decided to buy us another pitcher as a victory.
Amy met me at the bar a few seconds later. Suppressing a sigh, I gave a quick glance in her direction. She perched on the edge of her stool, looking all determined. She was beautiful. Very beautiful, but I couldn't get my mind off Emilia. I needed to see where things would go. "Look," I started, "I don't know what Karen's told you about me-"
She cut me off, "Just that you're divorced with a child you see every other weekend. You haven't dated anyone in a long time." She gave me a weak smile. "I haven't dated anyone in a long time either. I've pretty much given up because of my last relationship, so I wouldn't mind taking things slow. Every other weekend would be fine with me. Nothing complicated. No expectations."
The sigh I was holding back finally came through. My eyes closed for a second as I tried coming up with the best way to let her down easy. When I opened them again, she was leaning over the bar stools, her face inches from mine. I jumped back, almost falling out of my seat. She blinked then realized what almost happened and looked horrified. "I'm seeing someone," I blurted.
Hurt crossed her face. "You don't have to lie. I'm a big girl. I can handle rejection." The way she looked down as she said that made me think that was a lie.
"I'm not lying. It's just new. I haven't told Karen about her yet, but we're pretty much exclusive." I forced a thin-lipped smile, running my fingers through my hair. "Don't tell her, please. She needs to hear it from me. I love my sister to death, but I'd rather she not stick her nose in and ruin things."
My rejected date bit her lip before looking away. She let out a long exasperated sigh (dramatic, if you asked me) then shifted her eyes on me again. "Alright. I won't say anything." She grabbed her purse. "There's no point in me staying now, though. It was nice to meet you. Text me if things don't work out."
I nodded. "Good luck, Amy. You're very beautiful. I'm sure you'll meet someone."
She nodded once more before getting up from her seat and heading for the door. The bartender finally came over, and I ordered my pitcher. Karen was by my side a second later, fuming. "What'd you say to Amy? Why'd she leave?"
"Don't worry about it, Ms. Controlling," I hissed before grabbing my pitcher and walking past her.
Zach still sat in the booth and gave me the peace sign as I walked up. I took my seat across from him and said, "Let's get fucked up." He grinned and nodded before pouring himself a glass. Alright, it was official. I liked this dude.
Chapter Thirteen
Emilia
My parents didn't suspect a thing Friday night. Sure, it was immature to sneak around, but I didn't want the judgment, and I didn't want the push-back. They could stick their noses in someone else’s business for once. I wanted the freedom to embrace what I felt about Stephen.
Sure, he was twice my age. So what? His lips felt right against mine, and all my problems melted away when I looked into his beautiful eyes. It could have just been very deep lust, but that was okay. I wanted to continue to feel it, even if that meant heartbreak in the future.
He hadn't texted me much over the last few days. I was a little disappointed, but I knew he couldn’t help it. I'd gotten to see him for a few minutes last night. He let me in to 'talk' where we made out and dry humped on his couch before he stopped himself and said he needed to get back to work. I could have felt used, but he texted me a few minutes later, thanking me for stopping by. He wasn't neglecting or avoiding me by any means. I just wanted more.
My backpack was filled with a pretty dress from my aunt and my new boots. Also, some pajamas, just in case he asked me to spend the night, you know, like adults do. It’d be easy to check on Jasper once or twice through the night since it was only next door. Still, I felt guilty, but I could at least reason with myself. I deserved to have fun during the break.
Getting ready took longer than I thought. The goal was to look presentable, but also not like I was trying too hard. Stephen had seen me without makeup lots of times, but tonight, I needed to wow him. Why was it so important? Not sure. I just knew tonight would be my only chance to show him how mature I could be. I could be the woman he’d want to show off. I could go with him to fancy banquets and talk about politics and the economy. Looking in the mirror one last time had me fooling myself. Mission accomplished.
I ran downstairs at seven-thirty. Stephen would meet me in the parking lot per my request, avoiding being seen by my parents. He was reluctant but finally agreed after some begging. He didn't like sneaking around, but I just wasn't ready for a lecture. I didn't want a reminder of the consequences. I wanted to dive right in, and if it ended by blowing up in my face, that was fine. He was worth it.
The elevator doors opened to the lobby. Stephen stood at the entrance, talking to a woman whose back was to me. His dark suit made me feel better about my classic black dress. The quick grin he gave me before his attention returned to the woman in front of him made my heart flutter. I followed his gaze then froze when I realized who it was. My aunt Amy knew Stephen?
They stopped talking as I approached, and Amy turned her attention to me. She gasped. "Oh. My god. Mia. You. Look. Stunning." She grabbed me into a tight hug.
After squeezing me against her a little too hard, she pulled away. Her eyes assessed me and she kept her hands on my shoulders. Stephen's eyes filled with confusion as she turned her attention back to him. "Isn't my niece gorgeous?" She ran her fingers through my hair.
Stephen's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before his face softened. "Yes, she's very beautiful."
Amy's eyes fell back on me. "She gets it from her aunt," she joked then winked at me. I laughed, but it came out strained and awkward. Stephen shifted his weight and scratched the back of his head. "Please let me meet the boy who's taking you out tonight. You look so fabulous in this dress. I want to see his face when he sees you in it."
I shook my head, feeling my cheeks flush. "Um, no, not tonight. We're meeting at the restaurant-"
"Well, let me drive you! I stopped by to drop off that CD your dad lent me. I could drop you off wherever."
Sighing, I avoided Stephen's eyes and tried to not sound like a teenager. "Please don't. You're being pushy again."
She blinked. That offended her. "Oh."
"Well, I guess I better get going," Stephen announced, now officially uncomfortable. "It was good seeing you, Amy. Nice to meet you, Mia."
Amy shook her head, looking flustered. "Oh, my god. I'm so sorry. I was being rude. Let's go out for drinks soon."
He forced a thin-lipped smile. "Sure. Sounds great." He waved at both of us then walked out the front doors and towards the parking lot.
Amy watched him go. “Fucking beautiful, huh?" she asked, not looking at me at all.
"Sure."
She glanced over then laughed. "He seems like he's a million years old to you, huh?"
My head shook. "Not really, but I gotta go. Please don't mention anything to my parents." I pushed my palms together. "They don't know I'm going out tonight."
Her eyes widened as she nodded. She pretended to zip her lips. "Sealed. Have fun, and please call me once you're safe back at home, okay? I'll keep my ringer on high and won't take a single sip of alcohol."
I nodded, not sure if I believed her about staying sober all night. "Yes, ma'am. Thanks." We hugged again before she finally let me free.
The wind was blowing particularly hard, so my dress rose up. I had to hold it in my hands as I walked. My hair ripped all around my head, ruining it. All my hard work for nothing.
As I got closer to the center of the lot, I spotted Stephen standing by a black SUV. He leaned against the driver's side door with his arms crossed, staring out at the sunset. The front tails of his suit flew up from the wind, but the rest of him stayed in place. So spellbinding. It looked like the front cover of a magazine. I gazed at the distinct wrinkles at the edges of those soft eyes. Those kissable lips curled up in the edges at the view.
I was swooning as he made eye contact with me and his face lit up. "Hey, beautiful," he said as I got closer. His eyes skated down my body. “Nice boots.”
I couldn't stop the stupid grin that spread across my lips. He stared down into my eyes as I came to a stop right in front of him. I loved his broad shoulders and strong arms. I loved the way he towered over me. I almost forgot to ask, "How do you know my aunt?"
His face scrunched up as he laughed. "She's friends with my sister. We met at a surprise double date Wednesday night." He shook his head. "Trust me, it was super awkward, and she thought I was lying when I told her I was seeing somebody."
I suppressed a smile, crossing my arms as I tried to play it cool. "Oh. You told her that?"
"Of course." He grabbed my hips, pulling my body to his. "I only have eyes for one girl."
My arms wrapped around his neck as he leaned down and kissed me. Was I dreaming? Stephen was almost too good to be true. Everything about him was amazing. Even the way his lips collapsed over mine made my knees weak.
"I missed you," I whispered out loud then regretted it the instant those words left my lips.
My eyes widened as I looked up at him, but he had this gentle expression as he brushed my hair behind my ear. "I missed you too." I definitely had to be dreaming.
❣❣❣
The drive to the restaurant was a little uncomfortable. We talked about living near the beach and our favorite spots to eat in our neighborhood. He described the bar where he met my aunt and told me more about how the date went. I felt bad for her after taking such a big hit from Stephen's rejection. I wanted to root for her, but I couldn't. I wanted him all to myself for as long as he'd have me.
I talked about school and majoring in Biology. Stephen dropped out of college when his parents died. He invested heavily in his furniture company to become a partner. From there, he was self-taught. He hired professional managers to help him make most
financial decisions. I was lost in all the business talk. He was passionate as he spoke. It made him more intimidating. If we became something real, would I ever be able to follow along?
Luckily, we arrived at the restaurant before I could come up with a thoughtful response. He rushed around the car to help me step out. His arms were on my hips again as he closed the door for me, grinning like I'd never seen before. He pushed me up against the door and covered my mouth with his.
Our tongues danced between our mouths for a few minutes. His hands were on my cheeks, in my hair, down around my ass. I gripped his arms and pulled at his hair. I would never have done something like this before in the parking lot with the wind blowing against us. Stephen somehow brought that passion out of me.
We pulled away and he looked so serious as he gazed into my eyes. "I'm sorry about boring you with work."
I shrugged. "I wasn't bored. I didn't know what to say."
His fingers skated through my hair as he cupped my cheek. "Say anything. You could tell me to shut up if you wanted."
I laughed. "I wouldn't do that. I love hearing your voice."
He pushed his face to mine and kissed me again. I could get used to all this kissing and attention. Tony had only ever kissed me if it led to sex. It seemed like Stephen wanted to kiss me all the time. He made me feel irresistible.
We were seated in the back corner. I loved the privacy. Stephen looked so adult as he leaned back in his chair, staring at the menu. I had a moment to take in how fancy the place was. Everyone dressed in nice clothing, the room beautifully decorated. My family usually ate at sports bars or stayed at home. The nicest place Tony had ever taken me was Olive Garden on our first anniversary. I've never been somewhere this fancy before.
"Are you okay?" Stephen asked, pulling me from my thoughts. My eyes locked on his. He leaned forward. Concern spread across his features, revealing those slight wrinkles again. His intense gaze accompanied those eyes, hypnotizing me. "Worried?"
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