FATHER-AND-DAUGHTER CORNBREAD
Take 1 adoring father
Add 1 precocious daughter
Add corniness, love, and delight
Mix with electric beater
Serves two, possibly three, or even four or more.
Enjoy.
* * *
“Another weekend?” Jasmine rolled her eyes and laughed. “I really have to give you two props for bein’ able to keep this a secret for so long.” Candy nodded as Jasmine completed the finishing touches to her hair.
“What are you two doin’ this weekend?” Jasmine asked, smiling slyly.
“I don’t know. He won’t tell me. He said it’s a surprise,” Candy giggled.
“Must be flavored condoms,” Jasmine teased.
“I just feel so good with him. I’ve never experienced a romance like this before. It’s like he can read my mind and knows what I want before I even ask. He’s attentive, kind, loving, good looking, and…”
“Rich – don’t forget rich as hell,” Jasmine added.
Candy laughed, “Yes, he’s doing well financially, but I told you, that isn’t what this is about.”
“It sure doesn’t hurt!” Jasmine laughed. “I’m happy for you. I want to meet him though.”
“Funny you should mention that. I asked him if you both could come to the holiday party even though you aren’t technically family. He agreed. Please come and…”
“Hell yeah I’ll be there! I saw what you’re planning. I’m gonna get my drink and swerve on! Any cute guys gonna be there? I mean cute Black guys.”
Candy rolled her eyes. “Yes, Jasmine.” Candy stood up and shook her hair. “Thanks, Girl. You did a good job.”
“You’re welcome,” Jasmine said, walking Candy to her front door. “And Candy?” Candy turned around and faced Jasmine. “Be careful. Guard your heart.” The sadness in Jasmine’s tone seeped through the air like a fog. Candy knew that statement was more for Jasmine than herself, but she nodded and smiled.
“I will.” Once in her car on her way to Gabriel’s, Candy picked up her cell phone and dialed Dallas.
“Come on, come on! Pick up!”
“You’ve reached Dallas Handes. Please leave a brief message at the tone. Toodles!”
“Damn it! Hey, Dallas, it’s me. Call me right back, please. Jasmine seems to be a bit down in the dumps, and I didn’t wanna ask her and open Pandora’s box, but let me know what the deal is please.” Candy hung up the phone and thought heavily about Jasmine until she reached Gabriel’s house. Her phone rang just as she was being let inside.
“Hey, I just got to Gabriel’s house. What’s up with her?” Candy said, not giving Dallas a chance to answer.
“Jasmine and the cop aren’t doing so hot. Come to find out, he’s married still, at least legally. He didn’t bother to tell her, then his estranged wife called her. Jasmine was fallin’ in love and feels like a fool now,” Dallas sighed.
“Oh, damn. I’m so sorry. I’ll have to call her when I get a second tonight,” Candy said.
“Look, just enjoy your time with ‘Mr. Lover Man,’” Dallas teased.
“Yeah,” Candy smiled. “Oh, Dallas, my company’s holiday party’s comin’ up in about three weeks or so, and I wanted to let you know that you and Jasmine are invited.”
“I’ll be there. I love company holiday parties. I know any party you’re planning will be a blast.”
“Wonderful. I’ll talk to you soon,” Candy said with a smile as she watched Gabriel look out the window and make silly faces at her. She grabbed her bag and walked towards the door. Gabriel swung it open before she could knock.
“Did you bring a swimsuit?” he asked as he pushed himself out the door, carrying a black bag.
“Well, no. I didn’t think we were going swimming in the dead of winter unless it was in your indoor pool,” Candy laughed.
“I sent you a text message a couple of days ago about it. That’s OK, we can skinny dip.”
“What? What’s going on?”
“You’ll see.” Gabriel took her by the arm and immediately ushered her to his car. They drove fifteen minutes to his private plane. An appointed pilot waited. “Hey, Henry,” Gabriel said as he grabbed their bags. “Thanks for being here on such short notice. Rick had to cancel at the last minute.”
“No problem, Chief.” Henry nodded as he rubbed his thick stubble. He glared at Candy, looking at her up and down. Candy stared back at him, placing her hand on her hip in irritation. Henry quickly turned away. She took a seat by the window. The plush, dark-sapphire seats felt like butter against her skin. Gabriel took a seat by her, handing her a glass of champagne before taking her free hand into his.
Candy smiled at him as he lowered his lips to hers. Henry looked at them through his mirror, his eyebrows furrowing.
“So you still aren’t gonna tell me where we’re going, huh?”
“Nope,” Gabriel grinned. Candy pinched his shoulder and laughed. Two hours later, Candy woke up with a gentle shake. Gabriel looked down at her. “Sweetheart, we’re here.” He caressed her cheek slowly with his index finger. Candy stretched her legs, extended her arms, and yawned with a faint smile upon her face. She rubbed her eyes and looked out into the starlit sky. The private landing strip was adjacent to the ocean, no more than a few hundred feet away.
“Where are we?” she asked sleepily.
“Delray Beach.” Gabriel grinned as he grabbed their bags and exited the plane. “Come on, Sweetheart. Thanks again, Henry.”
“No problem, Chief. Enjoy your stay. I’ll return tomorrow afternoon to get you and your…friend,” Henry frowned.
“My woman, she’s my girlfriend,” Gabriel corrected as he grabbed Candy’s hand once setting the bags down. Henry nodded and prepared for take-off.
“I don’t like him,” Candy mumbled as they walked towards the sparkling sand. The moon’s reflection radiated across the ocean, causing the waves to glisten in their steady motion.
“Yes, I saw how he looked at you when we got on the plane.” Gabriel kissed her forehead. “No worries, Dear. His opinion doesn’t matter,” he assured as he bent down and removed Candy’s four-inch heels. “Now that we’re in Florida, let’s enjoy ourselves and forget about him. First, we’ll get our bags in the villa. Then we can get a nice bite to eat and take a stroll on the beach before bed if you’d like.”
Candy grinned and looked around. “It’s gorgeous out here.” Her eyes filled with tears. Gabriel placed her shoes in his open duffle bag and hugged her. “No tears. You’re supposed to be happy,” he smiled.
“I am! It’s just so overwhelming. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”
“Well, you weren’t with me. Now you are, so get used to it.” They continued to walk for a few minutes until they reached the villa.
“Do you like tapas?” Gabriel asked from the open door of the bathroom as Candy unpacked.
“I love ’em. What kind?” she asked as she wiped another tear from her eye and looked around the beautifully decorated room. The villa windows were draped in layers of white, sheer curtains. There were golden and white accent pieces all along the room in the form of vases, frames, and oversized sea shells. The beach-scented breeze meandered through the windows, providing a feeling of relaxation.
“Nuevo Latino’s the name of the restaurant. They have some really good sushi too,” he added as he finished washing his face.
“OK. Sounds interesting.”
“I think you’ll like them,” Gabriel said as he came out of the bathroom in his underwear. Candy stood and watched as he slid into a pair of light tan cargo shorts, sandals, and a white tank top. He then ran his fingers through his hair before putting on his baseball cap.
“Why are you staring at me instead of getting into something more comfortable?” he questioned while still adjusting his shorts.
“Well, I don’t have anything really. I wasn’t prepared. All of my more casual stuff is for colder weather.”
<
br /> “OK. No problem.” Gabriel picked up the phone in the room. “Hola. Necesito un tamaño de siete trajes de baño y vestido. Sí. Gracias.”
Candy’s eyes grew in size. “What the? Who did you just call?” she laughed. “I know a little Spanish. You said something about a dress.”
“You’ll have a swimsuit and a dress in a few minutes. The dress will more than likely be a sarong, but you can wear it as a skirt, a dress, or with the swimsuit. It’s up to you. As far as shoes, there’s a little gift shop next door. We can get you some flip flops.” Gabriel disappeared in the bathroom once more, this time closing the door behind him.
Candy looked at the closed bathroom door, quickly picked up her cell phone, and stood in the closet.
“Girl! You won’t believe where I’m at! Florida! I’m in a gorgeous private villa on Delray Beach!” Candy told Dallas. After a brief conversation, Candy emerged from the closet to see Gabriel standing there with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. She looked into his eyes, dumbfounded. They both burst out laughing.
“Now that you’re finished rubbing this little adventure into your friend’s face, do you want to spend a little time with me?” he asked, grinning.
“Yes,” Candy laughed as she leaped into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her lips quickly to his. He returned the affection, embracing her tighter, rubbing his lips gently against hers. Pressing her breasts harder into his chest, she parted his lips slowly with her moist tongue. He returned the favor as they tongue danced with one another. Several minutes passed until finally Gabriel pulled away, laughing.
“We’ll never get out of this room if this continues,” he chuckled. “I’m easily distracted. Don’t do that again if you want to eat,” he laughed.
“Well, maybe we should have a quickie first,” Candy grinned as she slid her pants and shirt off, leaving only her lace navy bra and panties in view. He looked her up and down listlessly, then removed his clothing without any further hesitation. She took hold of the sides of her panties and slowly stripteased them down past her thighs and knees before letting them hit the floor. She reached behind and unhooked her bra. It soon joined the panties on the floor, allowing her full breasts to come into perfect view. Gabriel raced to her, picking her up and tossing her on the bed. Candy erupted in laughter as he tickled her stomach with his fingertips. Positioning his hips in between hers, he slowly grinded on her, stirring her nature into a frenzy.
[KNOCK! KNOCK!]
“Senor, I have what you requested,” came the male voice with a thick Latin accent.
“Sólo un minuto,” Gabriel responded.
Gabriel immediately rolled off of Candy. She sat up, eyes glossed over and disoriented. She watched as Gabriel quickly slid his shorts back on. Gathering the sheets from the bed, she quickly covered herself as Gabriel went to the door and partially opened it.
“Muchas gracias,” Gabriel said as he took the bag the man had brought and handed him a tip. “Honey, here are the clothes,” he sighed. “Let’s just go ahead and get some dinner. We can pick up where we left off later. Trust me, I’d prefer to continue, but the mood has kinda been shot,” he laughed.
“You can say that again!” Candy agreed as she took the shopping bag from Gabriel’s hands. Gabriel finished dressing and watched as Candy played with the fabric wrap in different ways until she had it just as she wanted. “I left the bra off so it can be strapless. Do you think my breasts are moving too much?” she asked as she jogged in place for a test run.
Gabriel put his head in his hands and laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
“Please stop jiggling your tits. You’re killing me,” he said, turning red with laughter. “You look fine. Let’s just go before I change my mind.”
Candy burst out laughing. “What?”
“You look silly but sexy at the same time when you do that. Let’s just go.” Gabriel stood up and took her hand as they exited the villa.
* * *
“Oh, these are too cute!” Candy said as she picked up the little red sandals with white floral design.
Gabriel rolled his eyes and laughed. “They close in ten minutes, Candy! Any day now. You’re gonna turn this into some sort of event, aren’t you? I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” He leaned up against the gift shop wall and crossed his ankles watching Candy flitter around with an armful of knick-knacks, costume jewelry, and sandals. She waved him off and continued to look around before picking up a small box of chocolates, then headed to the register. As she pulled out her money, Gabriel quickly stood up and handed the cashier his card.
“I can pay for it myself,” she said in a serious tone.
“I know you can. Have you forgotten that I know exactly how much you make?” he said before thanking the cashier and taking the bag.
“Then why did you do that? You don’t have to.”
“It’s not about what I have to do; it’s what I want to do. Why can’t you just enjoy yourself? Why do you have to find something to oppose?” Gabriel asked as they left the store.
“I’m not opposing it, I just didn’t understand! I’ve been taking care of myself for…”
“Yes, years upon years, Ms. Independent. I get it. Yadda yadda yadda. Look, chivalry isn’t dead. This is who I am. I can’t believe I have to explain why I want to be this way. Don’t make this hard. Just say ‘thank you,’ kiss me, and let’s move forward.”
“Well, OK. Thank you,” she responded quietly as he took her hand.
“Where’s my kiss?” he asked as he leaned in close to her. She smiled, parted her lips, and melted into him as his tongue entered her mouth. The world seemed to disappear as they stood there. She felt her bare feet sink deeper into the sand as Gabriel embraced her tighter and tighter. Finally, they pulled away from one another, looking into each other’s eyes.
“I love you,” Candy said.
Gabriel smiled slightly. He looked at her intensely and kissed her nose, allowing his lips to once again brush against hers. “I love you too, Sweet Pea,” he whispered in her ear.
He took the sandals out of the bag and handed them to Candy. Leaning on his shoulder, she slid them on. They reached a small, crowded restaurant. Beach bodies, tanned skin, and drunken laughter filled the area. Gabriel pulled out a chair for Candy at the Tiki-style bar. “This is adorable,” she said as she sat up on the barstool and swung her crossed leg.
“No. You’re adorable,” Gabriel flirted. Candy smiled and twisted her lip. “You’re really laying it on thick,” she laughed. Gabriel stood behind her and gently massaged her shoulder blades.
“Hey, it’s part of foreplay,” he joked. “OK, I’m gonna go over here and order us some food.” He handed her a small menu printed on lime green paper. “What’s your pleasure?”
“Uh, I’ll let you choose the tapas since you’ve had them before. I’d like a Corona as well.” Candy smiled and put the menu down.
“Lime or no lime?” he asked.
“Lime please!” Candy called out as he approached a waitress. She turned away, looking back at the dark ocean. The waves rolled in and out, their majestic beauty seducing her. She was brought out of her daydreaming by a cold bottle against her shoulder. She smiled and looked over. Her smile quickly faded. A short, bald man wearing Panama Jack shorts stood there glaring at her. She immediately grimaced.
“Hello, pretty lady,” the man said, with a thick Australian accent. “Would you like some company?”
“I’m here with…my man.” Candy smiled inside, realizing she was saying it for the first time.
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him!” The man laughed, exposing yellowed teeth. Candy quickly turned away.
“You’re sittin’ here peckish while he’s nowhere to be found. Where is this bloke of yours anyway?”
Candy looked in Gabriel’s direction, urging him with her eyes to hurry up.
“Hey, I’m talkin’ to you!” he shouted, his words slightly slurring as he tugge
d her shoulder. “I’m rich. Women throw themselves at me.”
“Are you sure they aren’t just throwing up?” Candy mumbled.
“Ahhh, a smart ass I see. You’re a real bitch, you know that?” Candy turned towards the tiny man and balled up her fist. Gabriel raced over, hearing the commotion.
“Get out of here!” he yelled at the man. “She’s with me.”
“Gettin' you some chocolate pussy, eh?” the man chuckled. Gabriel lunged towards him, grabbing his collar and lifting him slightly from the ground.
“Gabriel, No!” Candy stepped in between them. “He isn’t gonna ruin our trip, and I won’t have you goin’ to jail.”
“Get the fuck out of here!” Gabriel yelled at him as he threw him down onto the sand. “Call her a bitch again and I’ll knock your little Keebler Elf teeth down your fucking throat! Don’t you have a treehouse to climb?” Candy heard people laughing nearby. She looked around nervously and grabbed Gabriel’s arm. The man turned red, stood up, and dusted himself off. Before storming off, he yelled, “Fuck both of you!” as he stumbled back onto the beach, disappearing into the night. Candy looked at Gabriel, whose facial expression was still intensely angry. They looked at each other. Both suddenly burst out laughing.
“Gabe, you’re hilarious. A bit of a hot head at times I see, but hilarious none the less. I could’ve handled him!” she said as she waved her fist in the air.
“I doubt it. He’s been drinking, heavily. He has beer muscles. I could almost smell him across the way.” Gabriel went back up to the waitress and retrieved the beers and the food. They sat together closely, talking and laughing.
“Honey, you know, you don’t talk about your family much. I know that you and your dad aren’t really close. Do you want that to change?” Candy asked.
Gabriel took another swig of his beer and looked down at his feet. “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “To tell you the truth, I really don’t think about it. He was verbally and emotionally abusive. I wanted to be the exact opposite of him when I had kids, and I even may have gone too far to the left, but I always wanted my daughter to be able to talk to me about anything, and she can. I could never talk to him. He’s a very angry person. My mom’s a really good person, but she’s weak when it comes to him and won’t stand up to him, even when he’s wrong. My two brothers and I weren’t treated well, and that’s just life, I suppose. I was the middle son, so I felt even more lost in the mix.
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