Overlooked

by Lulu Pratt

  I smirk. “That’s a sound I want to hear more of. Because seriously, you’ve got the sexiest voice I’ve ever heard. That day,” she grimaces at my reminder, “when you screamed out the window…”

  “Oh God, was it that loud?” she says, looking at the ground.

  “That noise made me want to break down your door and help you out. I’m just saying this is a two-way thing. There’s no point in us having to do what you were doing at the window.”

  “It wasn’t about you, you know?”

  “Then why watch me out the window while you’re doing it? You were ten feet away. Obviously you wanted me to see.”

  “I most definitely did not want you to see,” she says, raising her voice in protest.

  “But I did, so here we are. No point in prolonging your suffering,” I say, smirking.

  “My suffering? What about your suffering? Because it seems to me like you’re the one that wants me,” she says, looking at me with her brow furrowed.

  “Let’s be clear, this is just about an itch. Nothing, and I mean nothing, more.”

  “Good, because nothing more would ever happen.”

  “Exactly. I don’t like you. You don’t like me. We just happen to have needs.”

  “You don’t like me?”

  “So what, you don’t like me.” Shit, what a stupid thing to say to a woman. “I like your body. And your voice. I really like your voice.”

  “You said that already.”

  “I meant I don’t want a relationship with you. Because I have Piper, and she’s my priority. But I absolutely want to scratch your itches.”

  Avery laughs, the sound makes the blood race in my veins. I step closer to her, and run my hand over the bare skin of her shoulder.

  “I’ve never really done the whole casual,” she pauses, “sex thing.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ve probably never even had a man please you.”

  “Of course I have.”

  “Not really. Not the way I can make you feel.”

  “Is that so?”

  Her eyes wander over my shirtless torso. They get stuck on my six pack for a minute, before zeroing in on my crotch. My cock stiffens under the heat of her gaze, and she grins.

  “See, we can help each other out. No strings attached.”

  I run a calloused finger over her silky hair and down her cheek, stiffening my cock further.

  “No strings?”

  “We’d have to agree on that from the start. This is purely itch scratching. It’s not even the hint of a relationship.”

  “I can agree to that.” Avery smiles and bites her bottom lip.

  Unable to resist, I run my thumb over her full lips. The full lips I’ve been watching and visualizing on my cock all those nights with my iPad. She doesn’t stop me, instead her tongue darts out between them and connects with my thumb.

  Jesus, why did she take so long to come out of her house? I’ve waited all fucking day, and now Piper’s about to get home.

  I close the rest of the distance between us. The swell of her breasts graze against my exposed chest. My cock strains against my shorts.

  “But above all else, Piper must never even suspect anything. Ever,” I say.

  “Fine.”

  “I’m fucking serious. Not even a whiff. Don’t come knocking on my door at night because you want some. Don’t hint to her that you’ve had so much as a conversation with me. Nothing.”

  “You’re right, of course she can never know. She’s a kid. She doesn’t need, or want, to think about her father’s love life.”

  I shake my head, “Not love life, sex life.”

  “Whatever, that’s even worse. What would she think if she found out I was sleeping with her father?”

  “Good, we agree. Any terms you want to add?”

  I lean over, our lips an inch apart.

  “You really don’t like me?” she asks.

  “Do you like me?”

  Avery doesn’t say anything.

  “Didn’t think so,” I say, and press my lips against hers.

  Jesus. My cock surges. They’re every bit as amazing as I’ve imagined. Soft and full, my lips get lost in them the way they’ll get lost in her pussy lips.

  The noise of a car rounding the corner hits my ears, and I spring back from Avery.

  “Why’d you take so fucking long to come out of the house?” I bark.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Tomorrow morning, do us both a favor, and answer your goddamn door.”

  “Dad! Avery!” Piper shouts, slamming the car door behind her.

  My cock deflates at record speed, and I turn to wave to her. She’s running at full tilt towards us.

  “Are you feeling better, Avery?”

  “Yes, I’m just about to go grocery shopping,” Avery says, “I have to hurry if I want to make it to the bank.” Smooth, real smooth Avery.

  “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go home. Avery’s in a hurry.”

  Avery

  I get in my car, but forget what I was going to the store to buy. Did that really just happen?

  My body is buzzing all over. The super hot guy from next door kissed me and is coming over tomorrow morning for more.

  Knox and I just agreed to be fuck buddies.

  Daytime ones, apparently. That suits me just fine, I’m into some afternoon delight.

  Sure, this way I don’t get to be held by a man in bed at night, but it certainly solves me dishing out sex tips to the masses even though I live a nun-like lifestyle. There’s still no relationship in my immediate future — and I most certainly do not want a relationship with Knox anyway.

  His terms were perfect for me. It’s like he read my mind.

  And damn, going by the way he kisses, he knows what he’s doing. Dear God, the way he tasted, I thought my knees would buckle. What else can he do with those lips?

  No more overpowered vibrators for this woman.

  I can barely wait until tomorrow. The first thing I’m going to do is run my hands all over those tattoo-covered muscles of his, the ones I’ve been staring at out the window. The second thing is to see if that bulge in his pants really is as big as it seemed today — because there’s no denying the raging hard-on he had just now, but damn, Nathan sure never had anything so big in his pants.

  I want my body pressed against his right this minute. Why did I hide in my house all week?

  That’s fine. It’s been over six months since I had sex. One more night isn’t going to make a difference. Besides, I need time to cool down and collect myself. The way my mind is racing now, like a horny teenager, I’d just embarrass myself all over again.

  Thinking of which, Darla is going to die when I tell her.

  No, she’s probably going to thank him for making the arrangement so she didn’t have to.

  Sitting in the car, I close my eyes and try to remember whatever it is I needed so badly that I risked leaving my house for. It’s probably milk, but I’ve lost interest.

  I get out of the car and go back in the house.

  The first thing I do is shave my legs.

  Next, I go through my large lingerie collection given to me free and added to weekly by different lingerie designers for me to showcase in my videos.

  Do I go full naughty straight away, or stick with something tamer like simple blue satin panties?

  I have all night to think about it, I’ll decide in the morning.

  Instead, I spend the evening trying to think of other things. I check my fan mail, and answer some questions on social media.

  In the end, I’m still buzzing and wind up editing videos until after midnight.

  Somehow I manage to resist the urge to FaceTime Darla and tell her the news. I figure we have to act on this arrangement at least once before it’s actually official. At least in her eyes.

  Though an hour later, still hyper with the idea, I send her a text:

  I don’t want to talk about this now but Knox and I are apparently now neighbors wit
h benefits. Do not call, I won’t answer, xoxo

  She’ll want too many details, and ask all sorts of questions I don’t have the answer to right now. Like how big and straight is his cock. It’s better I avoid the conversation altogether, or she’ll end up killing my buzz.

  In bed, I toss and turn. Every time I close my eyes, my memory is flooded with his manly smell, the feel of his lips are on mine and I’m just about to reach out and touch his powerful biceps.

  My body begs me to reach for the Xtreme Buzz, but I won’t. I can’t. I want to carry this tension through to our morning rendezvous.

  I dream about him all night and wake up wet. Forget the blue panties, I’m going with the black lace thong and matching black lace bra.

  After showering, I put them on and wonder what to throw on overtop. Would wearing only a housecoat be too forward? Probably. What happens if it’s someone else at the door like a delivery person? I wind up wearing a navy maxi dress with a halter top that shows off my cleavage. I bought it for Nathan’s sister’s wedding last September.

  It was the night before we broke up for good, and the last time I had sex. I figured it was fitting, and that I’d be putting a nice bookend on this dry spell.

  At eight, before I am completely ready, my doorbell rings. Knox is on my doorstep, in track pants and an old t-shirt and unshaven. He’s underdressed and earlier than I’d expected, but I’m not complaining.

  “Hey,” I say, trying to sound cool and collected and not like the desperate, horny woman who hasn’t-been-touched-by-a-man-in-six-months I am.

  “Avery,” Knox says, sounding far too serious.

  Was it all a joke? Is he backing out on his own idea?

  “Yeah?” I say tentatively.

  “I need your help. With Piper.”

  “With Piper? What’s up?” I ask, my brow furrowed.

  “This morning she got her first. Her first… you know.”

  “Period?”

  Knox’s eyes slowly shut and open again.

  “Yes. But it hurts, real bad. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Cramps?”

  “She’s scared,” he says, his eyes pleading.

  “Did you give her a hot water bottle?”

  “No,” he says, confused. “I don’t have a hot water bottle.”

  “How do you have a girl that age and not have a hot water bottle? You need to be prepared,” I snap.

  Knox’s face falls, “I’ll go buy one.”

  “I’ll bring mine first. I’m coming right over to calm her down. I’ll give you a shopping list of things to buy. You have tampons and stuff, right?” I say.

  “Some. How many do you need each month?”

  “It depends,” I say. I feel bad now. He’s in way over his head and I should’ve been more helpful instead of snapping about the water bottle.

  Running upstairs, I grab the hot water bottle from the bathroom before running back downstairs again and handing it to him. I follow Knox across the lawn and into his house. Piper is in her pajamas, lying on the couch.

  “Hey, Piper,” I say, walking over and perching myself on the edge of the couch.

  “Avery,” she says, a weak smile on her face.

  “Your dad told me what’s going on. I brought you a hot water bottle, your dad’s filling it up now. It’ll help a lot with your cramps.”

  “It hurts so bad,” she says.

  “Down low?” I ask, pointing on my own body.

  “Yes, right here.”

  “That’s normal, sweetie, don’t worry at all. The hot water bottle will help, plus you can take some Tylenol. And you don’t have to move from this couch all day. But don’t worry, it’s only temporary.”

  I turn my head to the side, and realize Knox is standing there listening to us. He looks both helpless and mortified.

  “Thanks, Avery,” Piper says as I take the bottle from Knox and pass it to her.

  “It’s your dad who got it,” I say. “I’m just going to get something from the kitchen.”

  Knox follows me into the kitchen and I grab a pen and pad of paper from the table to write out the list of what she’ll need.

  “Thank you,” he says.

  “No problem. You’re obviously in over your head.” He winces, and I add, “Like any man would be. I’m going to write out a shopping list. You go get it. I’ll stay here and keep Piper company.”

  “Can she go to school today?” he asks.

  “As much as I really want her to, that would be cruel to the poor girl.”

  “I’ll phone the school, then go get the shit on your list.”

  He acts like he doesn’t even remember what we were supposed to be doing this morning.

  Knox quickly makes me a coffee and leaves for the store. I sit back down with Piper and she asks me a million questions about periods. I answer in my best YouTuber voice.

  Knox

  I’m standing in the female aisle of the drug store, trying to decipher Avery’s list. How are there so many different types of things? Things I know nothing about, and don’t fucking want to know anything about.

  I chuck five of everything on her list in the cart. The more I buy now, the less often I have to come to this aisle. It’s the mystery aisle as far as I’m concerned. I don’t belong here. Next time I’m going to shop online.

  On the way home, I pull my prized possession, my ’62 Thunderbird that I restored myself, into the best diner in town. I order a stack of pancakes and two stacks of waffles along with a mountain of bacon to go.

  I wonder what else Piper would want. It’s hard to keep up with her likes these days. Or Avery. I should get her some fruit salad or something. Fuck it.

  When I get home, I enter the house through the back door, straight into the kitchen.

  Dropping all the drug store bags on the floor, I set the two bags of food on the counter. Piper wants waffles, bacon and lots of syrup. I load up her plate and take it to her in the living room.

  Avery appears by my side, and says, “Something smells good.”

  “Waffles and pancakes. Want some?”

  “Hell, yeah. But I smell bacon, is there some for me?”

  I point to the bag with the bacon in it. “Help yourself.”

  While I lay out a plate for Piper, Avery rips open the bacon bag. Her nose turns up at the contents. What was she expecting?

  “Is this all?”

  “All what?”

  “All the bacon you got?” she asks, snarling.

  “There’s tons there.”

  “It’s for three people.”

  Avery picks up a crispy piece and takes a bite. I watch motionless as she eats the whole damn thing in the most erotic way a piece of bacon has ever been eaten. When she finishes, she slowly sucks the grease off her fingertips, her lips pucker around each finger. I cannot drag my eyes off her and I think she knows it.

  All night long I’ve been dreaming of those lips and what I was planning on putting between them today. I can’t help but notice her cleavage today. She must be wearing some sort of cleavage-enhancing bra or I hadn’t paid enough attention to that part of her body, given that I was focused on her other assets. I curse myself for doing it, but let my mind wonder about what she’s wearing underneath that dress.

  I’m hit with the urge to drop to my knees and climb under that big, long skirt to find out. It’s no secret it’s hiding a luscious pair of legs that need to be explored with my mouth, but what else is it covering?

  “Have another,” I say, motioning my head to the bag.

  A coy smile forms on her lips, and she repeats the process with another crispy piece of bacon.

  Is she intentionally toying with me? I can’t decide. But whether she is or isn’t, we’re already risking my biggest rule. I said no whiff of this anywhere near Piper. And I have to walk in there and hand Piper her food, and I can’t do that right now because I’ve got a massive tent pole in my sweat pants.

  Shaking my head, I look away to keep my focus on Piper. I cle
ar my throat and think of anything except Avery. When that doesn’t work, I think of the way Avery told me I was a shitty dad for not being prepared for Piper’s stuff this morning.

  When I’m finished piling food on Piper’s plate, I carry it into the living room.

  “Wow, thanks, Dad,” Piper says, bolting up into a seated position.

  “Anything for you, sweetheart.”

  On my way back to the kitchen to fix my plate, I pass Avery. Her plate is piled high with more food than I think can physically fit in her tight body. You can’t even see the top of her waffles because she’s covered them in bacon. She wasn’t kidding about the bacon. I hope she left lots for me.

  Two pieces. Two fucking flimsy, non-crispy pieces of bacon. Did she really think that was going to be enough for me?

  I pile the rest of the food on my plate, still grumbling about the lack of meat, and join them in the living room.

  Piper is sitting beside Avery on the couch, both enjoying their bacon. I sit in the armchair.

  Avery looks at me, grinning, as she says, “Payback for the veggie pizza,” before stuffing a piece of bacon in her mouth in the same erotic way.

  I ignore her and start stuffing my face with breakfast.

  Should I ask Piper how she’s feeling? What am I supposed to say to her? Or should I be pretending everything’s normal?

  This is the new normal. Just another sign my baby girl is gone.

  I just wish I knew what to say to her. It was bad enough I didn’t know what to do for her this morning. Now I don’t even know how to act.

  They yammer on about God knows what while I try to chime in once in awhile. Otherwise, I stare at the TV. Law & Order. Of course. That’s okay, Piper deserves it today.

  Whatever this episode is about is a mystery to me. My brain is stuck on the memory of Avery licking the bacon grease from her fingers. And of her cleavage. I keep taking quick looks at it, her round tits jiggle with each movement.

  I can’t sit here any longer. Things would get awkward.

  “Sorry, sweetheart, I’ve really got to get some work done. Are you all right if I go out to the garage and work?”

  “Sure, Dad. Avery’s here so go ahead.”

  Forcing a half smile at her, I stand and flee the house.

  Under the hood of the blue Corvette, I finally start to relax. This is something I can understand. Not thirteen-year-old girls.