The Deal

by Sarah J. Brooks

  I wasn’t sure if it was a threat, but it damn well felt like it.

  “I will be,” I promised her.

  She gave me a nod and that was that. She closed the door, and the cab took off.

  I waved her off before heading back to the car.

  “Is she gone already?”

  “Yes.”

  Aron sounded disappointed. “Oh. Well, I guess we’ve got a little time before heading to the airport. Do you want to stop and grab your bags?”

  “Yes.” I nodded and fell into step with Aron, and we made our way back to the car. I couldn’t help thinking about what his mother had said. I didn’t want to hurt Aron, but was I being careful with him? We hadn’t even had any major talks. I wasn’t stupid; I knew we had to get on the same page about this.

  But isn’t it too soon?

  I wanted to agree with myself. I wanted to say that it was too soon, but we were moving so fast as it was. I wasn’t sure if it was too soon.

  I slid into the car and stared out the window.

  “So, did you have a good time?” He sounded nervous.

  “Your mom is really nice.”

  “So she has you fooled.” Aron teased.

  “Do you think she liked me?”

  “I do.”

  Those two words thrilled me. I couldn’t even put into words how happy it made me that his mother liked me. I’d always been able to win people over pretty easily, but that didn’t mean I didn’t get nervous about doing it. After all, the woman I had just met could potentially be my mother in law; I wanted to make sure she liked me. And if she hadn’t? I wasn’t sure. I might have even considered breaking things off with Aron.

  “She got into the cab alright, right?” Aron’s voice brought me back to reality. “I mean, you made sure she was alright. Right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright.”

  I smiled, it was really nice to see how much his mom meant to him. I reached out and took his hand in mine.

  “You never told me your dad passed away.”

  Aron shrugged. “Not a big deal.”

  I opened my mouth to disagree with him but closed it before I said anything. It wasn’t my place to tell him what he should and shouldn’t tell me.

  My fingers tightened around his hand lightly as we turned onto my street and came to a stop at my building.

  He left the car running as I unbuckled myself and stepped out of the car, giving him a quick smile before closing the door behind me and heading for the building as fast as I could without running.

  I made my way up to my apartment and froze. My jaw dropped as I saw Sarah standing there.

  “Oh hey!” she exclaimed. “I was hoping I’d catch you. I know you said you were busy, but I thought that was probably just so Becca’s couldn’t join us.” She looked so excited.

  “I … I’m sorry; I really did mean that I’m not going to be free this weekend.” I stepped past her into my apartment.

  “You did?” She sounded so disappointed. My stomach turned. She only wants to hang out with you because of Aron, I reminded myself as I padded into the bedroom and grabbed my overstuffed backpack.

  This was going to be my first time flying, and I was beyond nervous that I’d packed something that wouldn’t be allowed, despite the fact that I’d checked a couple dozen times.

  “Yea, I’m sorry. But maybe some other time,” I said grabbing the bag.

  “Oh, you’re going away for the weekend?”

  “Yup.”

  “With your new boyfriend?” She raised an eyebrow. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as I nodded, not giving up anything else but that.

  “Anyways, I’ve got to get going. He’s waiting for me downstairs.” I headed for the door without another word.

  “Oh, right! Of course.” She beamed as she followed me.

  “We’re actually running a little late; I’m sure you understand,” I lied because I didn’t want her to try and meet him. Actually, to be honest, I didn’t want her anywhere near my boyfriend. Anyways, someone like that wouldn’t be his type, I told myself, and I hate to admit it but it made me feel better.

  Sarah talked the entire time we made our way out of the building, and then she said goodbye, pulling me into a hug that I did not return.

  I pulled away as soon as I was able and hurried for the car as fast as I could. Opening the door, I tossed my backpack into the back seat and slid in.

  “Who was that?”

  “Sarah. And no, she’s not my friend. But she wants to be now that I’m dating you.”

  “Oh.” He honestly sounded disgusted as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  “She’s Rebecca’s roommate; she’s always hated me … I’m not really sure why, but now all of a sudden she wants to hang out and be, like, besties or something.” I shivered at the idea.

  “Sounds like a crappy person to consider a best friend.”

  I bit my lip. It did, but I always thought Rebecca would be a wonderful friend, forever and always. Turns out that wasn’t what it was like. Maybe I should give Sarah a shot. I mean, I don’t know what she’s like until I get to know her.

  My brow furrowed. I knew it was a stupid idea. I knew that I didn’t need to get to know her any more than I already had to know that she wouldn’t be a good friend. She’d use me in any way she could and then she’d be done with me, probably the second Aron and I ended our relationship.

  “How much do you spend on rent?”

  “What? Um, like $900 a month. Why?”

  “I just wondered … I was thinking … it might save you money if you got a roommate, or well … I guess I’d be the one getting the roommate.”

  I stared at Aron with wide eyes. Had he just asked me to move in with him?

  I opened my mouth to ask, but I couldn’t bring myself to. If he hadn’t meant that, I’d just look stupid.

  “I mean,” he said quickly. “I just thought … it would save a little. And you …”

  “It would,” I agreed.

  “I get it; it’s too soon.”

  I didn’t dare look at him; he sounded so hurt.

  “It’s just … we haven’t even had any of the ‘important’ conversations. We don’t even know what the other person is like. We … we don’t know if there is any point in this relationship.” There was no point in beating around the bush, that was the truth.

  “So, what do you want to know?”

  My mind raced. I didn’t think we were going to do this right now.

  “Kids,” I said, quickly.

  “No,” he answered just as quickly. One word, but it was final.

  I paused, thinking about that. No, but was that a deal breaker for me? I hadn’t thought about if I wanted kids, not really. I mean, I wouldn’t hate it but …

  “What about you?”

  “Not for the next few years at least, maybe in my 30s. But I want to get my career going. I … I don’t have any interest in having a family right now.”

  “And marriage?”

  “Doesn’t matter to me.” I shrugged. “I know it does for a lot of people, but I don’t need a piece of paper to say I love someone. Where do you stand on it?”

  Aron shrugged. “I haven’t thought about that in a long time.”

  I hadn’t thought about it since Becky and I were together, which had been years ago. We thought we were going to get married and have a family, turns out she wasn’t a huge fan of the long hours that I worked. She was, however, a fan of the money I made her. She wanted to get a joint account. When I refused, she left me, after a long rant about how I was a dreadful man, and of course, after stealing my credit card and racking it up in less than a day.

  I chewed the inside of my cheek as I mulled it over. “But if I met the right person, I’d want to marry her.”

  I hadn’t met many men who didn’t want to have a family; kids were a no go for me, but the idea of having a wife, someone with my la
st name who I’d spend the rest of my life with, was appealing to me.

  “Debt?” she asked. I shook my head.

  “You?”

  “A lot,” she admitted. “Student loans. No other debt.”

  At least it was good debt, but still the idea of potentially taking on her debt wasn’t comforting. We turned onto the road that led to the airport and fell silent. I wasn’t sure what else we were supposed to talk about.

  Had it been crazy of me to suggest that she move in with me? Yes. But that didn’t mean it was a bad thing, did it?

  The idea of her living with me was more than exciting to me. It made me want to go home right then and there and redecorate to her taste. I loved the idea of us picking out furniture together.

  What’s Mom going to think? I wondered. Did it really matter? What would her parents think?

  Here I was, this older man, and she’d be living with me—not just dating me.

  As much as I hated admitting it, even to myself, it was beginning to look like I needed to meet her parents sooner rather than later.

  The sooner they meet me, the sooner they can decide if they hate me or not. And the sooner they got to know me, the more likely it would be that they’d be okay with her moving in with me.

  When it came down to it, it wasn’t their choice, but having them support her choice was never a bad thing.

  We pulled into the airport, and I parked at the back before shutting the engine off and slipping the keys into my pocket.

  He acted like he’d done this billions of times. And maybe he had, I wasn’t sure. I was nervous, but he didn’t seem to show any signs of nervousness.

  Aron led the way around the airport, making sure we had everything we needed. I took a deep breath and tried not to let my nervousness get the better of me. I caught him looking at me from the corner of his eye.

  “First time?”

  I nodded. “Was it that obvious?”

  “Yea,” he confirmed. He reached out and took my hand. “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure you get through this just fine.”

  His promise made me feel better, and in no time we were past security and waiting to board our flight.

  Chapter Eight

  The flight wasn’t anything special, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I was expecting something exciting, but that wasn’t the case. Aron and I both packed a carry-on. We agreed ahead of time that would be all we took, so we could get off the plane and just head over to the hotel before we did some sightseeing.

  “You know ...” he took my hand as we headed out of the airport, “... we can’t do new work without a little shopping.”

  I laughed. I’d just paid $100 for lunch; I was past my shopping limit for the year.

  “Yea, with what money?”

  “Mine.” His eyes sparkled, and he pulled me closer to him as he flagged down a cab and we got inside.

  He gave the address to the driver, and we were on our way.

  My heart raced as I thought about his words. If we used his money, wouldn’t he feel like I was taking advantage of him?

  What happened to that? I wasn’t supposed to be having … all these feelings. When he asked me to move in with him, I’d wanted nothing more than to scream yes. I’d wanted to tell him that right away, but … we both knew it was a bad idea. This whole relationship. He was older than me, much older, and we both knew that relationships like this didn’t end well for those in them.

  Either Aron would find a newer, younger model, or I would take advantage of him and his money. I didn’t want to make him think that’s what I was doing.

  I bit my lip, mulling it over. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. Of course, I wanted the chance to do some.

  I let Aron pay for the cab as I climbed out and looked around. It’s not that I was used to a small town, it’s that New York was everything the movies made it out to be. Busy, fast-paced, jam-packed.

  I stared at the road in shock as I tried to take it all in.

  “Are you coming?” Aron teased. “Or did you just plan on sitting out here the entire time?”

  “Right.” I grinned. “I got caught up all in the views.”

  He laughed softly, wrapping his arms around me. “We’ll have a blast looking around later.” It sounded like a promise, and I couldn’t wait.

  It didn’t take us long for Aron to get us checked in, and for us to head to our room.

  “Wow.” I looked around, taking everything in. It was amazing.

  The room itself wasn’t huge, but we weren’t paying for space, we were paying for location. The bedroom was high up and looked out at dozens of other buildings, and even some rooftop gardens. I padded over to the window and looked down, my jaw dropping. It looked gorgeous out there. It was ... I shook my head. I can’t believe I’m actually here, I thought as I turned to see Aron grinning at me, his cell phone out.

  “Did you just take a picture of me?”

  “ Yes.” His grin widened. I opened my mouth to protest but didn’t bother.

  The room itself didn’t have much. A bed, a desk, a couch, and a 60” TV. But I caught sight of the bathroom, with a jetted tub and a separate shower.

  This must have cost him an arm and a leg for these nights. I bit my lip looking around. Was it really worth it? Am I worth it to him?

  He wasn’t coming here because he wanted to, it had been because I wanted to. But would that get held against me? I took a deep breath, unsure of what to think or feel.

  “So, what do you want to do?” he asked as I turned back to look at him.

  “I ... I don’t know, did you have anything in mind?’

  “Well, I figured we’d have pizza tonight, and do some shopping.”

  “Right. I did a little budgeting, and I think, if I can stick to my new budget, I’ll be able to spend at least a little money while we’re here.”

  His eyes sparkled. “Or ...” he closed the distance between us, “ we could use this.” He pulled out a credit card and showed it to me.

  I opened my mouth to protest, but his lips crashed against mine. A soft moan escaped me. He pulled away before I could reach for him; Aron’s eyes were sparkling as he looked me up and down.

  “I bet we could find you a cute little outfit for tonight.”

  “What are we doing tonight?”

  “I’m doing you.” His eyes shone as he turned on his heel and headed for the bathroom, and my heart skipped a beat as I thought about his words. Desire pooled in the pit of my stomach, and suddenly I didn’t care about going out and seeing the sights. All I cared about was him.

  Aron came out of the bathroom and glanced at me.

  “Well, are you coming?”

  “Um, yea.” I dropped my backpack on the bed and slipped my wallet into my pocket. Together, Aron and I headed out of the hotel room and to the elevator.

  It didn’t take long for the elevator to stop, and we stepped on, giving a middle-aged couple a smile.

  “Here on a father-daughter trip?” the woman asked.

  My cheeks flushed, but it was nothing compared to the blush on Aron’s face. I stared at her speechlessly. Quick! Say something, I thought. I just had to figure out what the hell I was supposed to say.

  “No,” I said, reaching out and taking Aron’s hand in mine, our fingers tangling together.

  Just one simple word. The woman’s mouth fell open, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.

  “Oh, I see. Well ...” Thankful for her, the elevator came to a stop with a soft ding and the doors opened. “Good day.” She refused to meet our gaze as she stepped off the elevator. The man, who I assumed was her husband, grinned widely, giving us a nod before following her out into the lobby.

  Aron and I made our way out to the street, neither of us saying a word. Aron’s cheeks were still red when we got outside.

  “Is that always going to happen?”

  “I’m guessing so.”

  “I hate it.”
He groaned. “It ... It’s just not ...” He paused, looking away from me. “Do I really look old enough to be your father?”

  I bit my lip, not willing to give him the honest answer. “I think you look damn good, no matter how old you look. But you do have gray hair.”

  “Should I dye it?”

  “What? No! I like it. Screw if everyone thinks you’re my dad.”

  “But ...”

  I held my hand up to silence him. “Screw them,” I said. It didn’t matter to me what everyone else thought.

  If that old lady thought he was my dad, that was good for her. I didn’t give two shits what she thought or how she spent her day.

  “You know, there is nothing wrong with ... us.”

  “I know, I just ... don’t always think other people feel that way.” Aron sighed as we headed down the street. It was hard to take everything in and still listen to Aron. “I just wish ... I wish we could go somewhere without people thinking I was your dad.”

  “Well, you might get your wish,” I muttered as I caught sight of someone staring at us, their camera aimed at us.

  Although I could have been wrong; maybe they weren’t actually taking pictures of us.

  “Did you tell your family you were going traveling?”

  “I made sure to, so they wouldn’t be surprised again.”

  “Good, because I think you’re right.” Instead of pulling away from me, Aron wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. He placed a quick kiss on the top of my head.

  I grinned.

  “So, you still want to do some shopping?”

  “Are you going to let me pay for everything?”

  “Maybe.”

  I grinned as I let him guide me along. I wasn’t sure if it was that he knew where he was going or that he was just pretending to know where he was going, but either way, I was okay with it. Alter all, I didn’t care about where we went, I cared about being with Aron here. In New York.

  Her words did make me feel a little better, but not much. I couldn’t help thinking about the woman’s comment. She wasn’t much older than me, to be honest, and it wasn’t crazy that she’d assume I was with my daughter, I mean Melina was young enough to be my daughter. I knew that.