Last Hookup

by Luke Steel

  Sara giggles and nods her head yes, but she’s blinking a lot suddenly.

  “And I’ll take you. Any way I can get you. Agreed?”

  We’re about to turn into a sopping wet mess in Sara’s office lobby.

  “Agreed.”

  “Ok. Now kiss me.”

  She does. Long minutes later, Sara pulls back and looks up at me.

  “You talk a big game, mister. All this no strings, out-of-town stuff. And here you are.”

  I cup her cheek. “You’re right. None of it went the way I promised.”

  She presses into my palm and her smile is gold. “Some fling you’re turning out to be.”

  7

  Two months later we’re slow dancing at her sister’s wedding reception. The bride was beautiful, of course, but I only had eyes for the maid-of-honor. She’s in a sparkly dress, a color I’m told is called “champaign” but looks almost the exact shade of her skin. I like it because to my eye she’s nude.

  I agreed to be Sara’s date to Lacy’s wedding on the condition that she move in with me.

  “Deal,” she beamed. She was about to kiss me when she pulled back. “I think I’m getting the better end of this, though. You know I’m bringing my whole studio with me, right.”

  “Not worried,” I told her. I held back the news that I just bought the buildings that are part of her art installation. I like the idea of her livening up the house I’m buying in the Quarter, but I’m also surprising her with a newly renovated studio for her there.

  It can be an engagement present. If she says yes. I didn’t want to ask before her sister’s wedding so as not to steal Lacey’s thunder, but it’s in the cards very soon.

  I spin Sara in a slow circle. She’s light and sweet in my arms.

  “Have we scared you off yet?” Sara asks.

  “Who?”

  “My family?”

  “Made me feel right at home.” The wedding is as lighthearted and raucous as the city, with food and a New Orleans jazz band playing the reception. I met Sara’s parents about a month after I moved here, but the wedding has been a great opportunity to meet the rest of Sara’s clan.

  “It was fun goosing Lacey’s bridesmaids when we showed up.” They recognized me from the bachelorette party. A couple of nervous side-eyes in the direction of their own wedding dates and boyfriends, but I just winked and put my arm around my girl.

  “They don’t remember all the details from the end there, but enough. They almost crushed me with questions.”

  “And what did you tell them?”

  “I’m not telling you. You’ll get a big head.”

  I put my hand on the small of her back and pull her close. “I’ll get a big something else, you mean.”

  “When is that not true?”

  “With you?” I lean in and lick the whorl of her ear. She shivers and snuggles closer. “Never.”

  The music draws down and picks up a faster tune. We step off the floor and make way for more dancers.

  “Can I get you something from the bar, babe?”

  Sara presses her lips together for a brief second then says, “No, I’m good.”

  I stop. She hasn’t had anything at the reception and it’s an open bar. “You’re not drinking tonight.”

  “You are correct,” is all she says. And then she trips a little on her high heels.

  I steady her and pull her back to me. Now I’m suspicious. My girl knows her way around a pair of heels. “You ok?”

  “Y-yes.” Her smile is super bright, her eyebrows raised.

  I stop and think back. We’ve spent almost every single night together for the last two months, only one short week away and then a short weekend when I had to get back to New York to finalize moving plans. I’ve made love to her almost every single one of them, without a break. I’ve had my mouth on every single part of her body, loved every minute.

  “Sara, are you … ?” I look at her stomach, her face, back to her stomach.

  Sara looks around us, bites her lip, then blurts out in a rush, “I don’t know. I think so. Yes. I don’t know.”

  I put my hand on her stomach, still flat. I realize Sara’s studying me, watching for my reaction, holding her breath.

  I grin at her, my hand still pressed to her. “Are you?” I feel like my heart has stopped but the blood is racing in my chest and brain at the same time.

  “Yes,” she breathes. “I think I am. Yes.”

  I lift her high up in my arms and spin her around. She slides back down on her toes, her arms around my neck, holding tight. I hold her to me, just as tight, so happy I almost can’t breathe.

  I break away a little to look her in the eyes, very serious. “I want you to know something. I love you. I’m going to ask you to marry me.”

  Sara is smiling and wiping under her eyes, trying to keep her mascara from running. She’s a beautiful drippy mess and I love her.

  “Ok,” she says.

  I take her face in my hands. “I was going to ask in a few weeks, once all this wedding stuff was done. I was going to ask before I even knew about the baby. Ok?”

  “Ok,” she says again. And presses her forehead to mine.

  “Ok,” I say, and kiss her hands, then her lips. I can’t believe this is happening. I’m the luckiest man alive. “Do you think you’ll say yes?”

  Sara laughs and pulls me down to her. “I guess you’ll just have to find out.”

  The end.

  If you want to read what happens one year later, sign up here to receive bonus pages.

  Single Dad Boss

  Here is a first chapter of my other book, Single Dad Boss which is available on Amazon now.

  Chapter 1

  Cedric

  The phone dug into my ear, causing an already tense conversation to become almost unbearable. Thirty minutes into the conference call and I’d begun regretting skipping lunch. My stomach was tied up in knots and the churning sensation, followed by loud grumbles, was putting me into an irritable mood.

  My eyes were glued outside, the office’s wall to ceiling windows affording me an impressive view of New York City. The afternoon sun filtered into the office, turning everything a soft gold. The picture was obscured suddenly by a billowing of rainbow colored bubbles, and my eyes crossed as one came dangerously close to my nose. It popped before contact, causing me to sneeze right into the receiver, interrupting my business partner and our potential client’s conversation.

  “Excuse me,” I said, in way of apology. My daughter giggled and my attention shifted to her, her rosy cheeks dimpled in a smile. I couldn’t help but smile back at her as she turned in dizzying circles in the middle of my office, her arms outstretched, purple tutu and dinosaur slippers flashing by in a blur of swirling colors. At three years old, she still stole my breath. Her rampant curiosity for life and optimistic joy was the light of my life these days.

  The conversation continued to drone on in my ear and I made noncommittal responses as my business partner, Ted, in full sales pitch swing, dominated the discussion. I’d done my part, piqued our prospective client’s curiosity, afforded him a glimpse of future earnings, and now it was Ted’s turn. The fact that I even had to be on this call was tiresome, but as I’d formed the first tenuous strings of a relationship, it was best I attempted to see it through to the end. There was a contract just waiting to be signed.

  Tobi giggled again, her musical laughter filling the office as she reached out with a pointed finger, one hand popping moving clouds of bubbles while the other held a princess wand, end dripping with soapy water.

  “Is that a child laughing?” my client asked, curiosity evident. I cleared my throat as I turned away from Tobi, my hand coming up to cup around the receiver, hoping to block Tobi’s self-imposed hilarity.

  I was getting ready to respond when Ted broke in, making an offhand comment about a TV commercial and taking charge of the conversation once again. I exhaled and closed my eyes. I didn’t have the heart to quiet Tobi. Anytime she
was happy and occupied was a plus in my book. Besides, I’d just picked her up from pre-school and an hour earlier she’d been crying from lack of a nap. Laughter over tears was definitely preferred.

  Not long after, the conference call ended and success swelled inside my chest. Another deal closed, and this one happened to be big. Over six figures big. All the hard work, long hours, and lack of sleep meant something. It may be hard juggling Tobi’s care with my business responsibilities, but I was still hitting it out of the park.

  And I was doing it for Tobi. Everything I did was for her.

  I threw a smile and a thumbs up her way, causing her to giggle more.

  The door to my office suddenly crashed open and Tobi squealed, running across the tiled floor and to my side, her plump little arms outstretched to me. I reached over and rubbed her back as Ted, eyes flashing fire, came storming into my office.

  “You have got to be kidding me, Cedric,” he barked, his neck and cheeks flushed in anger. Tobi whimpered and an answering emotion fisted in my chest. I tamped it down. “This is the third time this week you’ve had to bring Tobi into the office. She’s a distraction, Cedric, time and time again.” Ted was beginning to yell, and I could feel Tobi, still beside me, frowning anxiously. Normally she ran up to Ted, charming him with her quick smile and sing-song voice. But not today, that was apparent.

  I stood, my body tense from holding back a biting retort. Instead of lashing out, I pointed towards the door, gesturing for us to speak outside. Tobi didn’t need to hear this.

  “In the hall,” I said to Ted, my voice leaving no room for argument. Ted grumbled under his breath but thankfully walked out. I looked down at Tobi, her eyes wide, all traces of previous fun wiped from her expression. That, above all things, pissed me off. No one upset my little girl.

  “Wait here sweetheart,” I told her, leaning down and kissing her forehead. She still smelled of Johnson’s & Johnson’s baby shampoo from last night’s bath, and I closed my eyes, savoring for just a moment.

  “Daddy–” I shushed her with a squeeze and walked out of the office, closing the door behind me quietly. The anger I was holding onto tightly unleashed and it was directed one hundred percent at Ted.

  “Don’t you ever raise your voice like that in front of my daughter,” I said, dangerously quiet. I watched Ted’s face stiffen and he took a step back from me.

  “Dammit, Cedric, it pisses me off how sidetracked you’ve been lately. We could have lost that deal because of Tobi–” I cut him off with a glare.

  “That deal wouldn’t have been on the table if not for me, and you damn well know it,” I spat out. Ted shook his head.

  “You can’t deny that you’ve been preoccupied lately. I understand you’re on your own with Tobi since your nanny retired, but this has gone on long enough.” I narrowed my eyes but Ted steamrolled right over me. “We’ve been over this. There’s too much on the line for you to play business partner and babysitter.” I clenched my fists, every nerve ending screaming to lash out and punch Ted in the face.

  But I didn’t because Ted was right. I had been unfocused. It had been me and Tobi since day one, ever since my ex-wife Carla had decided, without my permission, to try to put her up for adoption directly after Tobi was born. When I’d found out, it had been the end of my marriage. Carla up and left us and it had been just the two of us ever since.

  I was there for her first words, when she took her first step, when she’d fallen and needed her first Band-Aid. And every time something monumental happened, I’d wanted to share that moment with someone but I couldn’t. Carla never looked back at us and I hadn’t heard from her since.

  It still stunned me that she was able to leave our perfect daughter. It wasn’t surprising Carla had been able to wash her hands of me, though. We’d married young and our connection was superficial. I was attracted to her beauty and charisma. It was that infinite grace and ease around people that I valued in her, and as a prominent businessman, her ability to charm and entertain even the stodgiest client was an asset.

  It wasn’t until later in our marriage that I realized beneath her pretty veneer there wasn’t much heart or conversation. I thought having a baby would bring us closer together, that somehow we’d blossom into the picture of familial love and warmth I’d always imagined. That fantasy quickly evaporated the day Tobi was born. My world had changed for the better. Carla felt trapped and ran.

  “This is not the proper setting for your daughter’s daycare needs,” Ted finally said after a few moments of silence, breaking into my thoughts. I agreed. Fuck, I knew it. But what was I supposed to do? It’d been two months since Tobi’s nanny had retired. She’d been with us since the beginning. How was I supposed to find someone new in the limited amount of time I had now? And it couldn’t just be anyone. This was my baby girl after all.

  Which was why I was currently father, driver, nanny, nurse and businessman. Shit, just thinking about it made my head spin.

  “I know it, Ted. You don’t think I fucking know that?” I hissed under my breath. My assistant was discreetly typing at her computer, a mere ten feet away, pretending not to listen. I closed my eyes briefly, resisting the urge to press my thumb and forefinger against the bridge of my nose to relieve a headache that had been brewing since yesterday morning.

  “Look. It was a lucky break you hooked our latest client. If you were on your A-game you’d have two more prospects lined up,” Ted said, driving his point home.

  “We’re doing more than fine,” I snapped back. Ted was talking as if I were bringing the company down. And that was, most importantly, far from the truth. We’d formed this business arrangement when I was straight out of grad school. I’d gone directly to the top producer in business finance, Ted Cooper, and pitched him a proposal only a fool would have declined.

  Ten years later and we had a multi-million dollar company. I sure as hell did my part. Screw anyone who said or thought otherwise. I was about to say as much before Ted opened his mouth and kept on going.

  “We could do better. The last few months your performance levels have decreased. We’ve talked about it, you haven’t done anything about it, so I’m fixing it,” Ted stated, a ring of finality in his voice. “Your daughter needs structure and this business needs you focused.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, unease skittering up my spine. I didn’t like where this was going. I recognized that note of finality in Ted’s voice. I’d heard it plenty of times when negotiating contracts with clients or subcontractors. I wasn’t an idiot, I knew what Ted was trying to do. Manage me.

  I wasn’t one to be boxed in, dammit. Ted knew that.

  “I’ve taken care of your nanny arrangements,” Ted said, clearly pleased with himself. I gaped at him. Out of everything I expected him to say, it wasn’t that.

  “Like hell you have,” I sputtered out. Who the hell did Ted think he was? Yes, we were business partners, friends (in a sense). But I could very well handle finding my own fucking nanny for my daughter.

  “I have two children, Cedric. Take it from one single father to another, you need this. And frankly, so does your daughter.” Ted left me there fuming, walking away rigidly, his earlier frustration still present. At that moment, I didn’t give a shit if Ted had kids or that he’d also been a single parent. Hell, Ted rarely talked about them and only when he was exerting his overbearing protectiveness of ‘his girls.’

  That was something I could relate to, sure, but that didn’t matter. That didn’t give Ted the right to rearrange my life to suit his business agenda.

  The only thing I cared about was Tobi, and understanding that she did, in fact, need a nanny, only angered me more. Who cares if Ted was right? I could handle getting my own damn nanny.

  I reached for the door handle of my office and gave it a swift turn. Except, it didn’t budge. I frowned. Trying again did nothing.

  “Shit,” I said under my breath. “Tobi?” I called out. A few seconds ticked by before she ans
wered.

  “Yes daddy?” she said sweetly.

  Too sweetly.

  “Unlock the door honey,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. Silence greeted me. “Tobi, unlock the door,” I said more urgently. I looked over at my assistant, who was preoccupied on the phone, her fingers flying over the keyboard. I sent a silent ‘thank you’ to whomever was listening. The last thing I needed was office gossip that I was going soft and allowing my daughter to lock me out of rooms. That was not the image I was going for at the office, that was for sure.

  Yet, I couldn’t stop the rise of panic inside my chest. I’d seen Tobi’s face when I left the office. Ted had scared her. I should have soothed her or reassured her or something before leaving the room. Dammit, I did not have time for this.

  “Tobi?”

  “No thank you, daddy,” she said softly. I thought I detected tears in her voice, which only made me more frantic.

  Son-of-a-bitch, was it really only Wednesday? I ran an agitated hand through my hair, thinking quickly. Out of nowhere, a woman’s voice, like hot caramel, flowed over me, warming my insides.

  “Care if I try?” she asked. I turned my gaze to the right and every ounce of blood in my body suddenly drained from my head, straight into my crotch.

  Fuck.

  She was standing there, a golden goddess, eyes wide in question. She was the whole fucking package. Baby blue eyes, blonde hair and plump berry lips. Pert, tight tits that showed just enough through her loose shirt to tell me that I wanted to see more. Not to mention those curves, or the luscious way her hips rolled when she shifted her weight from one side to the other…

  I shook my head, trying to clear the haze of lust suddenly clouding my vision. Not to mention control the hard-on threatening to spring up in my pants. Shit. For a brief moment, I’d forgotten where or who I was, or that Tobi was waiting on the other side of a locked door, probably crying or worse, secretly getting a kick out of the idea of locking me out of my office in the first place.