My Father's Best Friend

by Ali Parker

  “How is Raven?” I asked, genuinely interested.

  Andrew’s lips pursed. “She’s been hanging out with friends. I haven’t seen her that much.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. It’s good.”

  “Very.”

  I looked down at my hands, noticing they were twisting nonstop. There was still the issue of Raven’s beef with me, but we’d cross that bridge when we came to it. And, who knew? It could be that once I told my dad the truth, Raven would get over her animosity.

  “Go out with me tomorrow night.”

  The demand made me smile. “Okay,” I whispered.

  “Good,” Andrew murmured back, cheeks flushed and dark eyes sparkling.

  My phone erupted in song, my calendar reminding me it was time to get to the theater.

  “Sorry.” I swiped the dismiss button on the phone. “I need to go.”

  Andrew stood. “It’s okay. I’m glad we were able to meet tonight.”

  “Yeah.” I stood as well, tilting my chin up to look him in the eye. “Me too.”

  The table blocked us from each other, but we were still just a couple of feet apart. My lips tingled, and my heart raced. I’d almost lost Andrew, but now here he was, suddenly back in my life. I ached to fall into his arms and never leave.

  “Can I walk you to your car?” he asked.

  “I’m right there.” I pointed at my car, which we could see from the window, and wished I hadn’t scored such a good spot.

  Andrew’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. Taking my hand, he brought it up and kissed the top of it. The unexpected act wasn’t cheesy, though. Every bit of it was genuine. A shiver danced its way down my arm, making me melt.

  “See you tomorrow,” Andrew softly said, eyes on mine.

  “Tomorrow,” I croaked.

  His gaze stayed connected with mine as he stepped away from the table. With a wave, he turned, leaving the coffee shop. I closed my eyes, tingling with excitement.

  My phone’s alarm sounded again, a second reminder about the play.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, unlocking the screen and pulling up my texting thread with Erica.

  I knew I had somewhere to be, but first, I had a best friend to share good news with.

  Chapter 28

  Andrew

  The kitchen sang with life as Karen flipped, stirred, and blended. With the morning sun’s rays coming through the windows, the day rang with a familiarity I hadn’t felt in a long time. Or maybe that I hadn’t noticed.

  “Here you are, Mr. Marx.” My housekeeper set the green smoothie down in front of me with a flourish. I inspected it warily. “Yes, I know it’s a new recipe. But don’t worry. You won’t even taste the greens.”

  “All right.” I shrugged and took a sip, nothing but pineapple and banana on my tongue.

  “Now if we can get Raven to drink one of these,” Karen muttered, going back to the counter.

  “Did you see her last night?” I asked.

  “No.” She turned the dishwasher on, frowning. “She wasn’t back when I left around six.”

  “Oh.” I looked away. It seemed Raven had taken my encouragement that she spend more time with her peers to heart. I’d barely seen her since the fundraiser the weekend before.

  Or maybe she was avoiding me.

  “Karen, has Raven talked to you at all?”

  Drying her hands on a dishtowel, she turned to face me. “About what?”

  I ran my palm along my freshly-shaved jaw. “About anything. Life. Me.”

  I had to stop there. I’d always been very private. Even my housekeeper who had been with me for years knew very little about my personal life.

  “No, she’s just been doing her thing. I tried to talk to her the other day about school, but she wouldn’t say much.”

  “Ah. Thanks.”

  Karen smiled, and there was a hint of sympathy there. “I suppose I’ll go get that grocery shopping done.”

  “Thanks.” I pulled my phone out and lowered my face to it, too embarrassed to look her in the eye. Within a few minutes, I was alone in the kitchen, the ticking of the wall clock acting as a calming metronome while I answered the morning’s emails.

  With work taken care of for at least the next few hours, I clicked on Lanie’s name and sent her a message. Hope it goes well today. Can’t wait to see you later.

  Grinning to myself, I set the phone face-down on the table. Tonight was the night I would finally get Lanie all to myself. It had been too long, each moment we’d been apart stricken by the prospect of never seeing each other again.

  But all the aching would soon be over. I’d made Lanie mine before, but tonight I’d claim her in a way no man ever had. She’d be shaking with ecstasy by the time I finished with her.

  A thump sounded above my head, and I looked up at the ceiling. Raven was up, and in a bad mood, judging by the loud stomping around.

  I took a long inhale, bracing myself for whatever attitude she would bring downstairs with her. A few minutes later, she entered the kitchen, still dressed in her pajamas and hair spilling out of a messy bun.

  “Where’s Karen?” she immediately asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “She went to the grocery store. I think she left you some smoothie in the blender.”

  Raven peered into the blender and made a face before pulling a box of waffles from the freezer. I watched her from the corner of my eye, wondering how best to broach the topic I needed to.

  Dropping two waffles into the toaster, she turned, leaned her back against the counter, and stifled a yawn. As she caught me watching her, her eyes narrowed. “What?”

  “I want to talk to you about Lanie.”

  Raven gave me a long, expressionless look. “Uh-huh?” she slowly slurred.

  “I think you know about everything that’s been going on, about her father being my good friend.”

  Raven kept staring at me, and I fought the need to squirm in my seat. I might have been tough and unforgiving at work, but when it came to my home life, one teenager could make me sweat bullets with nothing more than a look.

  Behind Raven, her waffles popped up, but she ignored them.

  “And I suppose you’ve noticed I haven’t been seeing her this last week,” I continued. “Well, we’ve talked, and we’re going to be spending time together again.”

  Raven’s lips parted, and her stiff shoulders loosened. “You are?”

  “Yes. How do you feel about that?”

  “That’s good.” She turned around, busying herself with grabbing a plate.

  I sat frozen, her response too good to be true. “Are you sure?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” She poured syrup over her waffles.

  “Watch the syrup,” I instructed.

  Raven scowled.

  “Karen thinks you’ve been eating too much sugar. She’s most likely right.”

  With an eye roll, she sat down across from me. “Fine.”

  Raven directed her attention to her breakfast. On and on she cut her waffles, tearing them into little pieces without putting any in her mouth.

  “Are you sure you’re all right with this?” I asked.

  Her hands froze. “I like her.”

  “Good.”

  She peeked up at me, briefly making eye contact before looking away again. “Are you going to marry her?”

  The question was a punch knocking all the air out of my lungs. “It’s too early to think about that.”

  “Okay.” She nodded.

  I approached the next question carefully, knowing I could be putting my foot in my mouth. “Do you want me to remarry?”

  Raven shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Before I could tell her it was perfectly fine not to know, she spoke again.

  “Maybe. I mean, I like her. It’s just ...”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know, Dad,” she mumbled, looking at the floor. “Maybe I’m not meant to have a mother figure.”

  “Raven,” I gasped
. “Don’t say that.”

  “Why not?” she countered with a steely look. “It’s how I feel.”

  “Okay,” I nodded, wanting to diffuse the situation before it escalated into a fight. “That’s understandable. I don’t think anyone is ‘not meant’ to have something that’s supposed to be good, though. We’re not cursed or anything.”

  The dubious look on her face said otherwise.

  “Really,” I pushed. “What happened to Mom was an accident. Nothing more. She didn’t deserve it, and we didn’t deserve it.”

  My heart tightened, and I looked down at my lap. We didn’t speak about Danica much. Raven had some therapy after her passing a decade before, but as for me, maybe I’d moved on too fast. I hadn’t predicted the ways Danica’s absence would affect Raven in the years to come. I’d focused on what the little girl Raven had lost, not what the teenager and young woman Raven would need.

  “Yeah,” she said. “I know it wasn’t our fault.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry, Dad.” Raven smiled. “I’m just being gloomy.”

  “Okay.”

  She finally started eating her waffles, but I couldn’t help but run everything we’d just said through my head for analysis. Did Raven believe life was hell-bent on taking things from her?

  If that was the case, I wanted nothing more than to prove otherwise. Life could be really good, extraordinary even. I needed my smart, talented, spirited daughter to see that.

  “You can talk to me anytime you need to, Raven. All right?”

  She nodded, pulling her phone out.

  “No phones at the table.”

  “Seriously? Yours is right there.”

  I quickly set my phone on the chair next to me. “Now it’s not.”

  Raven guffawed but put her phone down as well.

  “How is your bedroom going? Did you finish all the flowers yet?”

  She shrugged. “It’s okay. I have to mix a couple of the pinks to get some shading for the roses.”

  “Do you want any help?”

  Her eyes lit up. “Really? You have time?”

  “Certainly.”

  “Yeah, sure.” She twirled her fork around her plate, stealing a look at her phone.

  “I saw that.”

  “Whatever.” She grinned. “Like you’re not addicted to yours. You were probably sending Miss Jacobs heart emojis before I came in here.”

  “I’m offended you would even think I’d ever use a heart emoji.”

  Raven laughed, and with that beautiful sound, my spirits finally lifted. “Have you been thinking any more about college?”

  “Some,” she cautiously answered. “But I don’t know.”

  “Where to go?”

  She nibbled on her lip. “What to study.”

  “I thought you’d already decided on art.”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, but is that what you want me to study?”

  I felt my jaw drop. “Raven, it’s not about me. You need to pick whatever major is right for you.”

  “Yeah, but art is so, like, the opposite of what you do.”

  “So?”

  “So you wouldn’t be, you know, disappointed in me if I did that?”

  “No. Raven, no.” I didn’t know what else to say other than that. I’d never known that what I thought mattered so much to her. For years, the attitude she’d presented said otherwise.

  “What about business? Don’t you want me to go into that?”

  “No.” I laughed out of shock.

  “Okay.” She relaxed back in her chair.

  “I just want you to be happy. I can’t say that enough.”

  “What about making money? What if I can’t make it as an artist?”

  “Lots of people do.”

  “And lots don’t.”

  I folded my arms. “Isn’t this supposed to be the other way around? Aren’t you the one who is supposed to be arguing that you need to follow your heart?”

  “Maybe.” She grinned.

  “Look, does it seem like we need any more money? I’ve worked for years to get here. Half of the point of being rich is that your kids get to do whatever they want.”

  Luckily, the joke hit, making Raven laugh and shake her head.

  “Whatever,” she muttered, setting her plate in the sink. “I’m going to take a shower.”

  I listened to her footsteps retreat, staying where I sat and looking out the window. The last, brown leaves rattled on the trees in the backyard. Fall was almost over. Winter would be gone before I knew it as well.

  Raven’s words on having a mother in her life had shaken me. I’d never realized she craved a female figure so much. Apparently, I’d erroneously believed that Karen had filled that place.

  Though she was nearing adulthood, perhaps the time to start thinking about settling down again was more important than ever. Raven was finally getting serious about her life, pulling her grades up in school and planning a future. I would be there for her as much as I could, but there were some areas in which a father fell short.

  A mom. A wife.

  For the first time in ten years, the idea didn’t bring any negative feelings along with it. In fact, all it brought me was hope.

  I imagined having a stepmother at home to greet Raven on her breaks from school. Someone to have girl talks with. Someone she could rely on.

  Someone I could rely on. Someone I could take care of and love.

  My phone buzzed in the chair next to me, and I snatched it up in the blink of an eye.

  Thanks, Lanie had written. I can’t wait to see you either.

  The innocent response heated my blood, and an animalistic growl rumbled in my throat. I’d be counting down the hours until Lanie was in my arms.

  My thumbs hovered over the keys, and I shot a quick glance over my shoulder to make sure I was still alone.

  The rows of emojis taunted me, insisting they needed to be used. Despite what I’d told Raven, the draw was strong, too powerful to be ignored.

  “Screw it,” I muttered, selecting a heart emoji and hitting send.

  Chapter 29

  Lanie

  The cold crept into my car as I sat in my parents’ driveway and stared at their house. I used to think the place was too big, but that was before I had seen Andrew’s home. Now Mom and Dad’s two-story looked modest in comparison.

  I pushed my hands between my thighs to keep them warm as I continued to look at the house. The automatic lights in the front had come on, sensing that nighttime was no more than an hour away.

  I’d spent half the day trying to forget what I was about to do and the other half walking around the park and talking about it with Erica. Still, the answer remained the same. Honesty was the best policy.

  I could just leave. All I have to do is turn my car on and back out of the parking lot. Consequences be screwed.

  I knew that was silly, though. Plus, the house’s front door was opening. My mom popped her head out and, seeing me, waved me in.

  Plastering a smile on my face, I climbed from the car.

  “What are you doing out here?” Mom asked, arms wrapped around herself for warmth.

  “I was talking on the phone,” I lied.

  Her gaze fell to my oversized sweatshirt. “That’s far too big for you.”

  “It’s the style now,” I explained. “It’s supposed to be a little big.”

  “Hm,” she sniffed. “Well, come on in. Your father should be back any minute.”

  She ushered me inside and to the kitchen, the place that had always been her retreat. Whether she was cooking, baking, or just cleaning and organizing, my mother could often be found in the kitchen. As a kid, I’d spent countless hours sitting at the kitchen table, doing my homework or drawing while she flitted around, and we talked about our days.

  This conversation would have none of the warmth and easiness those other ones had. Keeping my purse slung over my shoulder, I took a chair by the window.

  “Where is Dad
?” I asked.

  “He had to run out and meet a client really quick.” She turned the oven on and looked at me. “You’re staying for dinner?”

  “No, I have plans.”

  “With Erica?” she hopefully asked.

  “No, it’s a date.”

  “With the older man.” The frown was immediate.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, Lanie, Lanie.” Mom shook her head as she pulled peppers from the fridge and lined them up on the big, wooden cutting board.

  I straightened my back. I’d come ready for this. “Mom, what’s the worst that could happen?”

  “You could get taken advantage of.”

  “How?”

  “Twenty years is a big difference, Lanie.”

  “It’s seventeen,” I corrected.

  “That’s almost twenty.”

  Okay. No use in arguing there. “I still don’t understand what you’re talking about. In what way could I be taken advantage of?”

  Mom gripped the edges of the counter, her shoulders rising in annoyance. “An older man knows more about the ways of life. He’ll use his experience to get what he wants out of someone younger, and then, once he’s had his fill, he’ll leave.”

  “I know you’re concerned, Mom, and I appreciate that, but you’re still pretty vague. This guy isn’t taking anything from me. It’s a mutual relationship. We both benefit from it.”

  Her lips drew tight, and she was probably preparing her next argument, but the front door opened. “That’s your father.”

  There was a warning tone in the statement, but I couldn’t heed it. I’d come to the house with an exclusive purpose in mind. It had taken ten minutes to get out of the car. I wasn’t backing down now.

  “Both my girls are here!” Dad boomed as he strode into the kitchen. Taking his jacket off, he draped it over one of the island’s stools and pulled a water bottle from the fridge. Mom used the opportunity to shoot me another look.

  “Are you here for dinner, Lanie?” Dad asked.

  “Uh, no. I’m just stopping by for a little bit.” I twisted my sweater’s sleeves. “I wanted to talk to you both about something.”

  Dad’s eyebrows pinched together. I didn’t look to see what was happening with Mom, but I swear I could hear the steam whistling out of her ears.