by Tia Wylder
“Even me?” The green-eyed boy asked nervously. Paul reached down to ruffle the boy’s hair, his expression kind.
“Of course. You’re my son’s little bro, so that means…,” he trailed off, cutting himself as Kelly approached with a cooler. She seemed to catch the tail end of the conversation, watching them with a cautious expression. “Well, anyway. Let’s get going,” Paul said quickly, diverting the conversation.
The walk to the park was a short one, and the boys enjoyed themselves much more than they might have expected. However, nothing could compare to the look of delight in Jeffrey’s eyes as James pulled him towards the biggest slide in the park.
“Come on, bro! You’re going to have so much fun,” James declared. Kelly watched them go a bit nervously, clutching the strap of the cooler tightly in her hands.
“They’ll be fine, Kelly. My boy won’t let anything happen to yours,” Paul assured her, gesturing towards a bench in a well shaded area. She hesitated briefly before nodding, marching in the direction of the bench. Her dress swished around her ankles, and a sudden gust of wind had her pressing her arms down to make sure it didn’t rise at an inopportune moment. The sound of a wolf whistle could be heard from somewhere across the park, and Paul narrowed his eyes angrily. For her part, Kelly looked embarrassed by the peep show she had nearly given.
“They’re probably looking at someone else,” she muttered under her breath, sitting on the bench and grabbing a bottle of water. Paul sat on the opposite end, giving her space as the two of them tried to cool down. Kelly closed her eyes, moaning appreciatively as she pressed the cold bottle of water against her skin. Paul tried not to openly ogle her, but it seemed as if the man currently approaching them did not have such decency. Paul tensed, watching the old and portly gentleman approach them with what he likely thought a certain swagger in his step. Kelly was entirely oblivious to his presence until the man was nearly on top of her.
“Hey, sweetheart. I know a place you can come cool off. You could, you know, get under the air conditioner… maybe take off that cute little dress,” he grinned, his yellowing teeth seeming appropriate for such a sleazy figure. Kelly looked taken aback, shifting away from the man and closer to Paul.
“No, thank you. I’m here with my son,” she deflected, obviously hoping the man would leave well enough alone. However, the intrusive stranger didn’t seem quite done with his verbal assault.
“Come on, baby. This loser can watch your dumb kid, and the two of us can have some real fun,” he purred, reaching out to rest a hand on Kelly’s shoulder. His sweaty palm caressed her skin, moving towards the front of her dress. Paul was vaguely aware of their sons watching them from the slides, and as much as he didn’t want to frighten them with a scene, he decided enough was enough.
Lurching to his feet, Paul shoved the unpleasant stranger away from Kelly. The man stumbled, cursing loudly as he righted himself. Kelly gasped, reaching out towards Paul in an attempt to soothe him.
“It’s okay, Paul, it’s not worth it,” she said urgently, trying to draw the navy seal closer as the stranger approached again, ill intent clear in the man’s gaze. Paul seemed to consider her words, and for a moment, he thought he might just let the situation slide. Then he realized the boys were still watching with fear in their eyes, their pleasant day at the park essentially ruined by some dirtbag who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. If anything else, Paul needed to teach him a lesson. The stranger seemed all too ready to learn from the school of hard knocks, after all.
“He’s not worth it. You are,” Paul muttered calmly, lurching towards the man and dodging a clumsy punch as it was thrown. He grabbed the man by the arm, overextending him before throwing the man over his shoulders in an impressive show of strength. The man hit the ground hard, groaning for a moment before trying to get back to his feet. Paul quickly pressed a foot against the man’s back, looming over him as the sleazy stranger squirmed under his boot. “Stay down,” Paul ordered, his voice harsh. The man went still as Paul applied more pressure on his back, nearly enough to crush a rib if he so desired.
“Get off of me, man. She’s just some dumb whore,” the man grunted, trying to wriggle away. Anger flared in Paul’s eyes, and he lifted his foot off of the man’s back. As the stranger lurched to his feet, Paul was quick to grab him by the shirt collar and lift him several inches off the ground. “Shit, man,” the stranger cursed, clutching Paul’s arms in his hands.
“Apologize to her. As a matter of fact, while you’re at it, apologize to our sons for ruining their day at the park. We just came here to have a good time, and we didn’t ask for some psycho to come accost my lovely friend,” Paul hissed. The stranger struggled for a moment.
“Yeah, man! Say you’re sorry!” James cried out as he rushed towards the scene. Jeffrey trailed behind him, looking simultaneously nervous and furious. He stood at his mother’s side, taking her hand in his own and squeezing it gently. He looked ready to face the sleazy old man in a fight of his own, but fortunately, it wouldn’t come to that.
“Alright! Alright! I’m… sorry, Miss. You look like a real… nice lady. I shouldn’t have been so, ah… crude,” the man stammered out, whimpering as Paul tightened his grip on his shirt.
“And…?” Paul prompted.
“I’m awful sorry for messing up your fun, kiddos. When you get older, you’ll understand, but..,” he began, cut off by a surprisingly derisive laugh from Jeffrey.
“When I get older, I want to be like Mr. Stalone. Not a jerk like you,” he spat, venomously. The man’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but Paul gave him a quick shake to bring him back to his senses.
“I’m going to put you down, now. You turn tail and get your ass out of this park while my family and I enjoy the rest of our day,” Paul hissed. The man nodded, sweat rolling down his fat neck. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he rushed in the direction of the parking lot as quickly as his feet would take him. Paul exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, caught off guard by a pair of arms wrapping around him and tightly embracing him. He tilted his head down, surprised to see Kelly with her cheek nestled against his chest.
“Thank you, Paul. For… for standing up for me. You didn’t need to do that,” she muttered.
“Of course, I had to. He was being a pig,” Paul muttered, stroking a hand through Kelly’s hair. The boys whooped and cheered, causing Kelly to startle a bit and jerk away. Her face was alight with red, but she couldn’t stop smiling in spite of the situation that had just taken place.
“Well… I’m glad Jeffrey is able to see what a real man acts like,” she paused. “He’s gotten really attached to you,” she admitted, and Jeffrey reddened at his mother’s confession.
“Mom,” he hissed, looking utterly embarrassed.
“I think that’s just fine, considering how close the four of us have grown. Like I said, Jeffrey. You’re my son’s little brother, which makes you my unofficial son, right?” Paul grinned. Jeffrey looked elated, nodding his head eagerly at the declaration. For her part, Kelly looked torn between doubt and delight.
Though he would not voice the thought, Paul couldn’t help thinking it was a shame that Jeffrey wasn’t his flesh and blood. Perhaps in another lifetime…
Chapter Five
Paul found himself growing more and more enamored with the woman he had once called his own, tempted by his own traitorous thoughts of attempting to court Kelly again. He knew it would likely end as disastrously as the first time they’d gone out, though he liked to consider himself a better person, reborn during the time he’d been away. He still couldn’t shake off the pain of knowing she had found another man in his absence, though it was clear that Jeffrey’s father was long out of the picture. As much as his heart ached for her, he still wished he could find it within himself to simply be a good friend. He knew that Kelly had found some measure of happiness on her own, that she didn’t need him anymore.
Had she ever needed him to begin with?
It wasn’t
a thought he wanted to consider too deeply. If anything, he preferred to enjoy the way her eyes had started to twinkle again in his presence. The anger that she had first turned upon him seemed to have dissipated, replaced with a feeling that he wished he could place, but just couldn’t quite bring himself to. It was easy to get his hopes up, but he was confident that if he allowed himself that privilege, he would only find himself crushed once again.
Then again, she had hugged him with all the ferocity of a lovestruck child when he’d, according to her, ‘saved her’ in the park. He hadn’t really considered it a particularly monumental task, Kelly certainly deserved someone who would stand up for her. He simply couldn’t imagine how anyone could be as callous as her heckler had been. She was beautiful, utterly enchanting, with curves so luscious it was all that he could do to keep from sinking his teeth into her.
Getting aroused at three in the afternoon, however, wasn’t going to get him any closer to the woman. If he popped a stiffy while taking his son next door, well, there was no doubt there would be some suspicion as to his intentions. Frowning to himself, he sat upright in bed and glanced towards the window. He wouldn’t spend all day brooding, not anymore. He wouldn’t allow himself to waste that much time. In spite of everything, he couldn’t shake the all-encompassing desire to win her back
If there was no chance of winning her back, and she firmly asserted as such, he would be willing to let her go. However, there were so many what ifs that hung suspended in midair. If he were to make an attempt to court her, would she allow it? He would be damned if he wasn’t even going to try and find out.
With that thought firmly in mind, he threw his legs off the side of the bed and rose to his feet. The sheet fell away from his nearly nude body, and he hummed as he stretched his arms out over his head. It was a brand new day, with brand new possibilities to explore with his new neighbors. Well, not entirely new in either case…
Slipping to the bathroom, he didn’t allow himself to get caught in the trappings of self-doubt. Turning on the water in the shower, he idly bounced on his heels as he waited for it to warm. In the meantime, he shifted to the sink and considered his reflection in the mirror. Offering himself a grin, Paul quickly moistened his face before applying ample amounts of shaving cream. He swiped the razor smoothly along his scruffy face, careful not to cut too harshly. Little nicks wouldn’t look particularly attractive in a clean-shaven paramour, and he wanted to present the image of perfection for his intended partner. Fortunately, he managed to escape with nary a cut, washing his face off.
By that time, the water in the shower stall had warmed enough for his tastes. He winked at his reflection, slipping into the shower and allowing the water to cascade down his nude form. Finding himself in a rather out of character good mood, he gripped the shower gel, singing some old rock and roll hit into the bottle before globbing a bit into his hand. Paul continued to sing as he washed his body, swinging his body from side to side as he turned his face upwards into the shower stream.
Dipping his head, he quickly shook it to rid himself of a few water droplets. He snagged the bottle of two in one shampoo and conditioner, squirting some into his hand before quickly sudsing up his hair. His scalp tingled pleasantly at the sensations, and he found a smile forming what seemed a permanent position on his face.
“She’s gonna go wild for ya,” he half mumbled, half sang as he ducked his head under the water again. It was a sort of nonsensical song, the sort that you formed when you were in a singing mood but had no real melody in your head. The words simply spilled out in a rather musical way. It had been some years since Paul had felt happy enough for such a sensation to overcome him. It must have been since…
Well, since he last saw the very woman he sought. Chuckling to himself, he rinsed himself thoroughly before shutting off the water. He grabbed his towel, yanking it into the stall with himself so he could dry off a bit before stepping out onto the bathroom floor and soaking it entirely. He had no desire to take some dramatic spill and knock his head against the toilet before he could properly venture out into the day.
Satisfactorily clean and dried, he stepped out of the stall and quickly combed his hair. He brushed back the still-moist strands, wiping his wet palm on his boxers as he shifted to pull them on. The rest of his clothes quickly followed, and he slapped on a bit of cologne before stepping out to face the day. His son was likely already out playing with the neighbor boy, which suited him just as well. It gave him reason to go next door, after all.
Slipping downstairs, he pushed open the front door and stepped out into the warm and sunny day. It seemed that even the weather itself was intent upon seeing him succeed, with the succession of beautiful days they had enjoyed. He spotted James almost immediately, riding his bike while Jeffrey watched on in his usual sense of adoration. Paul approached the younger boy, leaning in to speak to him.
“Why don’t you ride with him?” He suggested with a grin. Jeffrey fidgeted, glancing towards his house before replying.
“My mom won’t be happy if I get my bike without her knowing. She’s always scared I’ll get hurt or something…,” he trailed off, shoving his hands into his pockets. Paul hesitated before taking the young boy by the hand and leading him towards the house.
“Well, maybe if your mom knows that you have some excellent supervision…,” Paul trailed off teasingly, reaching out to tap on the front door. Jeffrey tightened his grip on the man’s hand, and the navy seal felt his heart grow warm at how obviously attached the young boy was to him. When Kelly opened the door, Paul couldn’t deny that the warmth inside him only seemed to spread. Her eyes were wide with delight, and she only belatedly seemed to realize she was still in her bath robe.
“O-oh, shit,” she blurted under her breath, wrapping the garment more tightly around herself as the blue-eyed man simply looked on. “Hello, Paul. Wasn’t expecting to see you out of bed so early. Hell, I scarcely managed to get up myself,” she said softly, her cheeks flushing a pretty shade of pink. He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders a bit at the unintended jab.
“While three doesn’t exactly qualify as early, I usually don’t have good reason to get out of bed. Jeff here wanted to know if he could ride his bike, as long as I’m keeping an eye on the two of them,” he said with a smile. Kelly hesitated, looking down at her son with a faint smile. She nodded, gesturing for him to go fetch his bike. As Jeff bolted away and Paul made to trail after him, Kelly reached out to grab the man’s wrist. He paused, glancing inquisitively towards her.
“Jeffrey, honey, I’m sure it’s fine if James keeps an eye on you. Mr. Stalone and I need to speak for a moment,” she called out, a rather strange gleam in her eye. As soon as the boy slipped away, she released Paul’s wrist so that he could turn and face her. “Something tells me there’s more on your mind than watching the boys ride their bikes. Is that cologne I smell? Does someone have a date?” She teased, or at least, half-teased. There was also a certain strange dullness in her eyes, as if something was bothering her. Paul hesitated, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt for a moment. Biting the bullet, he decided to come clean.
“I was… actually hoping to ask you. On a date, that is. A date with me,” he sputtered out, trying to gauge her expression. She looked more than slightly taken aback, but her uncertainty was soon replaced with delight as she processed what he was actually asking her.
“You’re asking me out?” She said carefully, as if afraid she had misheard him. He nervously tapped his fingers against his legs for a moment before nodding his head.
“Yes. I know we left on rather uncertain terms…” he began, only for her to interrupt.
“Yes,” she said bluntly, though he seemed not to hear nor understand her.
“Right, and I know you’re probably still upset with me,” he continued, only for her to cut in again.
“Paul, yes!” Kelly asserted, though he only seemed to grimace at how readily she agreed with his observations.
“I would be upset
too, if the tables were turned, I just think,” he paused as she gripped him by the front of his shirt, pulling him in for a chaste kiss. His eyes nearly bulged from his skull, and he stared at her with a certain sense of awe.
“I mean… yes, I’ll go out with you. While things certainly weren’t ended on the best terms, I’d be lying if I said I’m happy they ended at all. I’ve been trying to play it cool, but… I would love to go out for dinner with you, or… maybe see a movie? Can Roberta watch the boys?” She said rather haltingly. Paul was unable to stop the dopey smile that spread across his face, but he was quick to nod and acknowledge her question.
“I’m sure she’d be thrilled. Maybe a bit of an early dinner? I hate to keep her too late, but I’m sure something can be arranged,” he muttered, trying to think of the best way to pose his question to his housekeeper. She’d done double duty as a babysitter before, though it had never been with two young boys.
“Early is fine. Actually… I should be ready around six, if that’s fine? I just..,” she trailed off, looking as if she wasn’t sure if she should say the next statement. “I want to look nice for you,” she said suddenly, her cheeks reddening once again. Paul felt his own cheeks grow warm, and before he could think, he was already replying.