by LK Collins
“Okay, then where do you want to go?”
“I don’t care.”
“What’s your favorite kind of food?” he asks me.
“I love pho.”
“What in the world is that?” he gives me a gross look, and he doesn’t even know what it is. I laugh so hard at his expression that I have to stop walking.
“It’s Vietnamese noodle soup.”
“No way, I’m not taking you out for soup.”
“Fine, but I’m telling you, don’t knock it until you try it.”
When we reach the pavilion, the class is all scattered, eating lunch everywhere, and we sit down next to the boys. The warm sun against my skin feels so good. The weather just keeps getting better and better.
“Where’s your lunch, Mommy?” Braxley asks me.
“I forgot it in my car, so Thane is going to share with me.”
“That’s nice, you can have my apple too,” he passes me the fruit, and I politely decline it, wanting him to get a full meal in his tummy.
“You eat it.”
He shrugs his shoulders, and Thane hands me half his sandwich. “Thanks,” I tell him.
I catch Thane stealing one of Jack’s Cheetos out of the corner of my eye. Thane winks at me, and I smirk at him. The kids are all talking, and Thane takes the opportunity to keep stealing more food, but Jack catches him and says, “Dad, those are mine.”
“Sorry, I won’t take any more.” Jack has his eye on him, and clearly, Thane thinks it’s funny as he takes another Cheeto and Jack jumps on him.
“I said stop,” he yells, and Thane hunches over with his son attacking him. Braxley joins in on the fun too, and Thane stands up, with Jack around his neck and Braxley gripping his waist.
The boys yell wildly, and I can’t help but laugh as I sit back and watch him run around the field holding the boys on him like a wacko. Watching Thane like this with not only his son but Braxley too, makes me realize how amazing of a man and father he really is.
“Thank you again, Jan,” I tell my mother-in-law as she pulls away from my house with Braxley in her car.
“Bye, Mommy,” he yells from the backseat.
“Bye, baby.” I wave at them as they drive off, and I’m very grateful she’s helping me out tonight. Walking back inside, I check my hair and makeup in the hallway mirror, knowing soon Thane will be here.
Then the doorbell rings and I remind myself of the promise I made to Ben. It’s what has been pushing me forward lately, and I will make sure it continues to. I turn to see Thane, my eyes locking with his right away as he stands holding a bouquet of yellow lilies. “Come in,” I tell him through the screen door, and he enters, looking mouth-wateringly sexy.
“These are for you,” he passes me the flowers and gives me a kiss on the cheek. My heart thuds as I thank him, grabbing a vase for the flowers.
“There’s beer in the fridge,” I tell him, and he takes one out, cracking it open. He hands it to me, and I happily swallow a huge gulp.
“Thanks,” I tell him, passing him back his beer.
“Of course. So your mother-in-law was cool taking Braxley?”
“Yeah, she loves her time with him.”
“What’d you tell her you were doing tonight?”
“I just said I needed a night to myself.” He nods, understanding. Thane sips his beer; his eyes are as consuming as ever, eating me alive as I take a deep breath in, reminding myself of what’s real, and that’s Thane and I, starting over.
“You ready for dinner?”
“I am,” I agree and Thane’s eyes light up from my response as he sets his half-drunk beer down. I slam the rest, getting a satisfied smirk from him when I do.
“You want one for the road too?” he asks me.
“Nah,” I grab my coat and purse as we head out together. On the drive, I ask him, “Where are we going?”
“I guess to have that crap soup you like.”
“Whatever, it’s not crap. You’re gonna love it.”
“Well, I’m just warning you that if I don’t, I’ll be stopping by a Chipotle afterward.”
“Oh come on, like a nasty oversized burrito is better.”
“Oh, it is. I’d be happy if we just went there. I could eat two.”
“No! We’re having pho, end of story! And I promise by the end of the night, you’ll be hooked.”
He glances at me, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The sun is setting as we drive and I look out the window, up to clouds, feeling Ben with me, pushing me forward.
23
Thane
“So what do you order?” I ask Faye, looking at the overly complicated menu.
“I get the meatballs.”
“Okay, now this is just getting weird.”
“What do you mean?” she questions me, setting her menu down.
“You said this was Vietnamese soup, what place do meatballs have in any of that.”
“Would you stop bitching?” she calls me out, and frankly, it turns me on. Setting my menu down I tell her, “You can order for me, ‘cause apparently, you know best.”
Just then the waitress walks up and sets our drinks down and what looks like a tray of grass. My beer looks so good that I take a swig of it, needing to get drunk to make it through this meal.
“What can I get you two to eat?” the waitress ask us.
“I’m gonna have the meatball pho, and he’s gonna have the number fifty-seven.”
What the fuck is that?
But I can’t figure it out as she takes our menus and walks off to place our order.
“So what, is that like code for something?” I ask her.
“No, it was on the menu. Didn’t you see most of the items were numbered?”
“No, I didn’t notice, I was a little preoccupied with all the meatballs and boba talk.”
“You wanna drink?” she asks me, sipping a huge blue ball into her mouth through her straw.
“No, thanks. I’d prefer to keep blue balls as far away from me as possible.”
She slurps another one through her massive clear straw, and I can’t help but cringe watching her chomp down on it.
“So be honest, you really only like this place ‘cause of all their balls, huh?”
She rolls her eyes as the waitress sets down our steaming hot soups. Looking down at the raw meat, I realize, I’ve been juked.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“No, we’re good.”
“You might be good,” I mumble under my breath and Faye giggles.
“You know how to use chopsticks, big guy?”
“Yes, I know.”
“Well, get ‘em out and stick your meat into the broth.”
“My meat’s not going anywhere near that broth.” She laughs and slams her fist on the table.
“Not your meat, that meat, silly.”
Taking my chopsticks, I push the meat down and watch the pink disappear; the broth is so hot it cooks it. Watching Faye squeeze all sorts of crap into her soup and tear blades from the grass that’s on the table, I just follow what she’s doing.
“Oh, so now you know what to do?”
I roll my eyes, and then together we both bring a bite to our lips.
Here goes nothing.
As I open my mouth and the first thing touches my tongue, my palate awakens. The flavor is incredible. Chewing the bite, I don’t think I’ve ever tasted something so good.
“You like it?” she asks me.
“I…I love it,” I tell her shoveling another chopstick load into my mouth.
She eats slowly, watching me, and as I consume mine in what I’m sure is record speed, I can tell now why this is her favorite.
“That was amazing!” I tell Faye, as we walk out of the restaurant.
“See? I told you, you’d love it.”
“Why have I never had it before?” I ask, grabbing her hand, our fingers locking together so tightly.
“I don’t know why, but trust me, it’s all you’l
l want now.”
“I could eat another bowl.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” she says rubbing over her slim stomach. “I’m stuffed.”
“Yeah, you really look like it.”
She bumps shoulders with me, and I laugh, letting go of her hand and draping my arm over her shoulder. She smells so good, unbelievably good, and being with her like this again is amazing.
As we cross the bridge to where we parked, the lights from downtown Seattle twinkle, illuminating the Puget Sound. She stops walking, and we both look out at the glassy water.
Standing in silence, I wonder what’s going through her head. For me, all I can think about is her; she consumes me. But for her, I worry if she’s starting to second-guess things again, so I ask her, “What are you thinking?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Tell me?” I plead, wanting inside her head.
“It’s about Ben.”
“Okay, I still want to know.”
She sighs, remembering something and then says, “He used to come here to fish all the time. I was thinking maybe I could show Braxley how to one day.”
“I think that would be nice. Jack and I can come too.”
“I’d like that,” she says, her eyes still concentrating on the water.
“So would I.” I turn her towards me and can now see the tears that are glazed over her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Faye.” She blinks and her mascara trails down her face.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to get upset tonight.”
“Don’t be sorry. Please just be however you feel and let me inside here,” I tell her and touch her heart. “And here,” I lay a soft, gentle kiss on her temple.
Her arms fold behind my back, and we stand together, silently enjoying one another.
“Thank you for tonight,” Faye tells me as I pull into her driveway.
“Of course.” I put my car in park, and hate that the night has to come to an end. But she said she wanted things to start over between us, so I don’t want to push her.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“No, I should get home.”
“Oh…okay,” she sounds surprised and reaches for the door handle a little hesitantly. “Will you at least walk me to my door?”
“Sure.” I turn my car off and follow her to her door. My heart is steady, but when she stops and looks into my eyes, everything inside of me awakens, and I know I should’ve left when I had the chance.
Her lips are slightly parted, her breath is warm as it hits me, and I’m aware getting out of my car was a bad idea. She can sense it too. Being this close with her has my blood running wild, and then she wraps her arms around my neck. “Thank you for dinner,” she says.
My cock growing from the closeness, I nod, losing my voice as she leans in pressing her body against mine. Obviously feeling what she does to me, we go to kiss, and I yank the keys from her hand, opening the door and hustling her inside. With her back against the door, I grind into her. Wanting to be inside of her so badly.
We both get lost in this passionate moment. She wraps her arms and legs around me, clinging to me. Our lips are a tangled mess, both of us wanting the same thing. I kiss her neck, and she moans. My hands are wound around her thighs holding her up, and the friction of my dick inside of my pants makes my balls burn. I set her down, and we both begin to undress the other in between kisses.
I push her coat to the floor, my tongue working hers. Her moans drive me wild. We pull away briefly and remove our shirts, standing only with our pants on, and as she starts to unbutton hers, I drop mine to my knees. The feeling of freeing my cock is stimulating. She steps out of her pants now stark naked, and I slide two fingers into her slit. Looking into her eyes for reassurance, to make sure she’s okay with this and before I go any further, she pulls me towards her by my shaft.
I let go of her sex, looking down as she slides me inside her. My cock feels like it’s about to explode and I prepare to fuck her. Holding on to her by the back of her thighs, her back is against the door, and together we move in sync.
She grips the door handle with one hand and holds onto my neck with the other with her head slumped down, watching me move in and out of her. My movements are swift; there’s nothing gentle about them as I give us what we both want. I know she likes it hard, she’s told me. Every slap of my balls against her ass echoes through the foyer of her house, followed by her sweet cries.
“Yes, Thane,” she chants repeatedly, and I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed hearing my name like I do when Faye says it.
Grunting with every single thrust, our bodies are sweaty, and in this moment, with our eyes locked on each other’s, I pray this is the beginning of our future, because I don’t want it any other way, and I don’t want anyone else.
24
Faye
“Good morning,” Thane says to me, lying next to me on the close confines of my couch.
“Morning,” I respond, my voice raspy and my eyes tired as we didn’t get much sleep. My mind drifts back to last night, to all that he and I did, and I find those thoughts making me damp between my legs.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he says, and my heart flutters from those words. No man has ever spoken so freely to me, not even Ben. Thane holds me tightly, and I breathe in the sweet smell of his chest, his scent so settling to me.
“Thank you,” I finally say.
“It’s the truth. You’re perfect.”
“So are you, Thane.”
“I meant what I said to you in the letter, Faye. I want you to feel comfortable speaking about Ben. You need to always remember all the great times you shared.”
His words…wow…his words are something else. A fury of emotions rolls through me, and I search within myself for the right way to respond. I worry he’s just saying that and doesn’t really feel it, deep inside of him so I ask, “Are you sure that’s how you really feel?”
“Have I ever lied to you?” I gaze up into his eyes knowing he hasn’t. Then close my eyes as the presence of Ben swarms around me. His reassurance that I’d been feeling when I first met Thane hits me full throttle, and I lose my breath. Finding comfort in knowing that he approves.
“No, you haven’t.”
“And I never will. You have my heart if you’ll accept it.” He leans down and kisses me, his strong arms holding me close and in this moment—for the first time in over a year—I feel like I’m going to be okay. With Thane by my side, how could I not be?
“I can leave,” Thane tells me, as I look out front waiting for my mother-in-law to drop Braxley off. My heart is pounding, and as much as I don’t want him to go and I don’t want to keep him from her, I feel like it might make things a whole lot worse than they need to be.
“I’m sorry, I think it might be best to give it some time.”
“For sure. I’m gonna grab Jack; then we can all do something this afternoon?”
I nod in response, as his hands clench onto the sides of my face. He kisses me tenderly, a few soft pecks that make me weak in the knees. Then he’s gone.
Bracing my weight on the edge of the countertop, my mind swirls back to last night, and I find myself biting my bottom lip recalling all that we did. Then I hear a car pull up and see Jan’s car parked on the street.
Thank God Thane left when he did.
“Hey, guys,” I call out to them from the front door.
“Mommy!” Braxley yells and runs up to me giving me a hug.
“Hey, my little man, how are you?” I hold him tightly.
“I’m good. Look what grandma got for me.” He shows me a new action figure, and I kiss the top of his hair before he runs inside. “Let me get that stuff for you, Jan,” I tell her as she’s struggling to carry all his bags.
“Thanks.”
She follows me in, and I tell her, “Thanks again for watching him.”
“No problem. Did you have a nice evening?”
“I did.”
“What did you do?”
“Just relaxed.”
“Oh good. I’m glad you got some time to yourself.”
“I did, thank you.”
And as much as I hate lying to Jan, deep down I feel it’s what’s best. I won’t keep Thane and I from her forever. But until the time is right, there is no need for her to know yet, and I would never want to hurt her, her being Ben’s mom and all. Braxley doesn’t even know we’re seeing each other yet. That needs to come first, and when it’s time, I’ll let Jan know too.
25
Thane
“Were you planning on telling me that you’re seeing someone?” Char asks me with an irritated tone to her voice.
Jack is in the room, and I don’t want him to hear us talk or see me get upset, so I tell him, “Will you make sure you got everything from your room, buddy?” He runs down the hall, and I turn to Char, knowing I don’t have much time. “How’s it any of your business?”
“Well, seeing as my son spends the majority of his time at some woman’s house, I think I deserve to know who she is.”
“Coming from you, the one who spent hours on end shopping while our son did what?” I wait for her to respond and she rolls her eyes.
“That’s different, Thane!”
“The hell it is. You know Jack is my number one priority so I’d never put him in a bad situation.”
“But maybe she would. Who is she?” Char asks, aggravating me even more.
Getting very close to her, I look her in the eye. Any feelings I ever had for her are long gone. “She’s everything you’re not and exactly what I’ve been searching my whole life for.”
“Fuck you!” she snarls and slams her fists against my chest. I turn my back on her and walk down the hall, lifting Jack with one arm, his bag in the other, and we walk out.
She has no right to question me or act like I owe her an explanation. She’s lucky I’m even letting her see Jack right now with how irresponsible she’s been. She blows through her money, well, my money I give to her, and until very recently all the woman did was shop.