“I’m fine, Scott,” he replies, sounding somewhat flattened. Not even lifting his head from the table. Scottie finds the frozen burritos and sticks a couple in the microwave.
“So what’s eating you?” she asks, leaning against the counter, shaking her shoulder-length black hair away from her face. Although she knows damn well what’s eating Donnie. It’s Mom. And mom’s weird inability to stay with one guy. Whatever. She’s been through three different husbands in her lifetime.
“Just, Doris thinks I worship work too much. As always.” He finally looks up from the table, staring at Scottie. “I can’t make your mother stay, Scottie. I’d like to. But I can’t.” His brown eyes stare sorrowfully into hers.
“It’s not your problem,” Scottie replies. Because it isn’t. “Mom’s always been like this. With my dad, with the guy she married after that. With you. Everyone’s a sin, man.”
Donnie drops his head back onto the table, sighing deeply. The news showing earthquake footage from a far-off land. “Yea. Well. She wants to talk to you, about where you want to stay. She’s essentially moved in with your grandparents.”
Oh, she would. After continuously beating into Scottie’s head how she wasn’t always going to be there, she finds some reason to scuttle away back to her own parents. “I’ll be staying with you,” Scottie replies dryly. “I mean, if you’re okay with that.” She winks at Donnie. He has been her favorite after all. Even better than her own father. He managed to provide a nice, private apartment with his steady, hefty income from being an attorney. He was the most secure, least overbearing of all her father figures. Scottie already decided she would stay with him.
Besides, staying with her grandparents would mean curtailing her summer-vacation freedom. With how things would play out, she couldn’t afford that on her agenda. The microwave beeps, and she pulls out a steamy burrito, heated to perfection.
“I should make you a real dinner,” Donnie says, looking back up at her again.
Chapter Two
But Donnie doesn’t make Scottie a ‘real dinner.’ She’s been scarfing down frozen burritos, ramen noodles, and other microwavable foods living in the dorm room with Cassandra. She doesn’t need a ‘real dinner’ because she’s a real woman who can take care of herself. After devouring her food, she heads out to the back porch for some privacy. After being stuck in a car all day, listening to Cassy’s oddly nervous chatter, and mentally preparing herself for her homecoming, Scottie needs a minute.
She pulls a half smoked joint from her sock and lights up, inhaling deeply as she thinks about the events of the past months. She thought Mom and Donnie were going to last. But after some of the most recent events including their ‘insufferable differences,’ it’s not the case. And Scottie loves her mother, don’t get her wrong. Her mother has the best intentions in mind. But Scottie still vows to be able to take care of herself one day.
And she still vows to have the greatest summer vacation ever, regardless of the divorce.
“What cha doing, sport?” a warm, male voice says from behind. She turns around to see Donnie, standing and smiling. Busted. There’s no way she can dispose of the smell now. Scottie stares at him, mouth open, unsure of how to respond. “What are you smoking on?” His voice gets darker.
“Uh… uh… uh…” She fumbles for an answer, but no reasonable lies come to mind. “Smoking a joint?” She’s a terrible liar anyway.
Donnie shakes his head in disdain, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “And how long has this been going on?”
“Like, two years now? I don’t know. I started after I graduated high school.” And Scottie doesn’t see what the big deal is, anyway. Not like she gets into drunken fights at bars or has an STD or something like that.
“Well, may as well join you,” Donnie says, much to her surprise. He sits on a folding lawn chair next to where Scottie sits on the steps, and produces a cigar from the front pocket of his crisp, white, button-down shirt. The warm, sweet, mellow aroma billows out as he lights and puffs on it. One thing she’s always enjoyed about her stepdad is his affinity for cigars. Scottie is in love with the way they smell, the way the smoke clings to his clothes and mingles with his cologne. His peculiar, but pleasant scent.
Scottie can’t figure out why Mom wants to forgo a life without Donnie. She studies him as she takes another drag before putting the joint out. He’s a catch – younger than her mother by about eight or nine years. His dark, brown hair gleams red beneath the light, and he has endless brown eyes. Generally, Scottie prefers lighter colored eyes, but something about the depth in her stepdad’s makes her stare for an inappropriate amount of time.
Then, there’s his physique – broad shoulders, a little taller than six feet. A solid, deep-bodied build. Essentially, a real man. Unlike her dad that dropped off of the fucking planet after she was born. Unlike the guy before Donnie, who was thin, scrappy, and kind of dorky. Scottie often taunted him, calling him ‘Turtle Man’ because of his preference to withdraw into himself when confronted. Plus, his upper lip that came to a point in the center.
No, Donnie is handsome, well-mannered, hard-working, and focused. Nothing passes by him. As a lawyer, her stepdad knows how to put every detail of a situation together. “How’s work?” Scottie asks, now that she’s thinking about it.
“Work’s fine. Got a couple of new cases to look at. You know, if you want a job for the summer, you could come work in my office.” He leans back, relaxing his muscles. Scottie has always loved watching this, watching his body unfold from it’s authoritative, professional posture to an at-ease release.
“Gross,” she replies, giggling. “Do I look like the type that should be in an office atmosphere? I’d be like a bull in a china shop.”
“That’s probably true, Scott,” he replies, joining in with her laughter.
That’s when it hits her. Scottie finds herself staring intently at her stepfather. She finds herself enjoying the fact that he’s a single man, now. Their conversation is more lighthearted and easy. Because he’s no longer her mother’s husband, and he doesn’t have to treat her like his kid anymore. This pleases Scottie, because the main issues they had before were because he wasn’t her daddy.
He’s not her daddy, so why should he attempt to tell her what to do? What gives him the right to overtake her life or make up rules for her to follow? It’s not his place. And while Scottie would normally enjoy this attractive man, she’s always had to fight him. She enjoys the all-American, hardworking men with their brief cases and freshly shaved faces as much as her rugged, band boys. She watches her male professors leaving class, the civilized exterior hiding the rugged, masculinity that boils within.
And now, Donnie can’t tell her not to smoke weed. Donnie can’t tell her to ‘get a real job’ or give her a curfew. She’s only living with him now for her freedom. And he probably understands that. But there are the other perks, too. The sexy ones. Donnie’s a flirt, unlike Turtle Man. She’s noticed him swinging compliments and sending dashing smiles to some of her female friends. Even Cassy, usually oblivious to male attention, noticed this. She gushed when she told Scottie, a blush flowering across her cheeks.
Scottie’s excited to experience this side of her stepfather. Hey, it’s something new, right? She loves her men, always has. Donnie doesn’t have to be an exception, now that he’s out of the Daddy Zone.
Chapter Three
Scottie’s bedroom still reflects the hotbed of Bohemian and gothic styles that she loved during high school. She hadn’t done much to it ever since she started college two years ago. The twin-sized mattress sits directly on the floor, because for some reason, she thought that was cool. The collection of saint candles she bought at the old convenience store down the street; those are still cool. She takes her lighter out, and begins lighting each candle. She also lights some incense, making the room smoky.
Her vanity sits in the far corner in front of the window. She painted it black in ninth grade, and put stickers fro
m different bands all over it. Scottie wishes she could move it to her dorm room, but there’s definitely not enough room for that. Maybe when she and Cassy move into an apartment next semester, she can finally cop it.
Speaking of Cassy, Scottie needs to call her. She digs the beat-up flip phone out of her purse. It glitters with multi-colored, sparkly nail polish. After dialing Cassy’s number, she waits for an answer, the phone held up to her ears.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Cassy Sass. How’s the fam?”
“Pretty good, actually. The ‘rents are finally being supportive of my English major. What about you? Was your mom there?” A hint of concern in Cassy’s voice shows her understanding.
“No. She’s at my grandparents. Probably wants me to stay there with her. Not happening.”
“Well, look, if you need a place to stay to chill out or whatever, hit me up. My room’s always open to you. Any day. Any night.”
“Thanks, Cass. Say, why don’t you tell me about your new girlfriend?” Scottie says, quickly changing the subject. She doesn’t want to talk about the divorce too much.
“What girlfriend?”
“You were saying something about liking girls on the drive over here? Hello?”
“Oh, yeah. I don’t have a girlfriend. I just…” Her voice trails off. “I just… I don’t know. I guess I have a girl crush on someone. Nothing serious.”
“Shut the fuck up, really? Who? I want details.” An excitement wells up inside of Scottie. Sure, Cassy has always been awkward around boys. She’s been infatuated, had awkward first kisses, but was more interested in her books and nursing her coffee addiction than anything else. And, if there’s a girl in the picture, it would explain a lot about her best friend.
“I’m not telling you who it is,” she replies curtly.
“Oh, okay. So I know her then,” Scottie snickers.
“Maybe not! But, maybe.”
“Do you have wet dreams about her?” Scottie asks, partly from interest and partly from wanting to rib at her friend. Cassy gets unnecessarily embarrassed about some things, and Scottie finds it amusing.
“Scottie, shut up!” Cassy whines.
“I’m just playing, boo,” Scottie says, letting up a bit. It’s one thing to have a little fun, and another to get Cassy upset. That’s where she draws the line. “Anyway, cool thing about Mom and Donnie divorcing – I get to be the center of ultimate flirtation.”
“Yea. Donnie’s a charmer, for sure. I bet he broke lots of hearts at our age.”
“Oh, how the tables have turned,” Scottie says, thinking back to Donnie with his head in his hands as she came home that day. “Well, I gotta get some unpacking done. I have work at the Corner tomorrow, and then derby practice later in the day.”
“Okay. Are we still going to the show this weekend?”
“You bet. Bye, Cassy.”
“Bye, Scott.” The heavy silence that lingers on the other end lets Scottie know that Cass has hung up. Scottie proceeds to unpack her clothes; leather pants, skin-tight jeans with holes, fishnet stockings. All the things that make up Scottie’s brash fashion selections. Some heavy footsteps on the stairs alert her that she’s not alone. But then, it’s only Donnie and she, now. So who else could it be?
Donnie knocks on the door. “Can I come in, kiddo?”
“Yea!” Scottie calls back. The door opens, and Donnie steps inside, drink in hand.
“So this is what your bedroom looks like?”
“You mean you’ve never ventured in here the whole time I’ve lived here?” she asks, surprised.
“Nope. Never had a reason to. Your mom snooped around enough for the both of us.” Scottie giggles at the truth in this statement as she tucks away her t-shirts. “You doing that skating thing this summer?”
“You mean roller derby? Of course. Want to see my uniform?” She loves talking about roller derby. She’d worked hard to get on the team. Her mother lamented on how dangerous the sport is, always trying to forbid her from joining a team. But Scottie, as always, was relentless in her pursuit. She stopped at nothing to earn a spot.
“Sure. What do you guys do? Is it like speed skating?”
“Um, no. Not at all.” Scottie lays out the purple and blue plaid miniskirt, the black fishnet stockings, fingerless gloves, and t-shirt that hangs off of one shoulder. It’s the same shade of blue as on the skirt, with a graphic that screams ‘The Savage Sallies’ in purple. Their team name. “Basically, it’s like racing around a rink, but with varsity football moves. You get to tackle people to get them out of the way.”
“Please tell me there is some sort of protection included with this… outfit,” Donnie says, swallowing.
“Yea, we have a helmet, knee and elbow pads, and mouth guards. The whole nine yards.”
“Oh, good,” Donnie replies, looking relieved. “I have to say, I’d rather see this outfit on you more than laying across your bed.”
“That can be arranged,” Scottie replies, flashing a quick, flirtatious grin at him. She gathers the uniform pieces and makes her way to the bathroom to change. “It’s a uniform, by the way. Not an outfit,” she calls.
“If you say so, Scott,” he calls back.
Although, Scottie has to admit, it’s one sexy uniform. And that is one of the best things about roller derby; you get to be badass and look hot while you do it.
Chapter Four
Scottie laces up her prized roller skates. If she’s going to show him, she may as well go all the way. She opens the bathroom door and whizzes into her bedroom, gliding easily across the hardwood floors.
“Didn’t your mother tell you not to skate in the house?” he chuckles, arms folded across his chest.
“Mommy’s not here anymore,” Scottie replies. “It’s just Daddy and me, now.”
“Oh, so now you start calling me Daddy. Now that your mom and I are getting divorced,” he says playfully.
“Maybe we can play mommy and daddy,” Scottie says, without thinking. Shit. Too soon. Too much. Too fast. Donnie’s eyes bug out of his head. “Sorry,” she says quickly. “I have a gutter mind. You know. College and stuff. I have no social filter. Even more of a reason for me to stay working at Corner Café instead of an office space.”
“You’ve successfully proven your point, young lady,” Donnie replies, voice quivering slightly. But she can see the way he’s looking at her, the confusion written across her face. And she likes it. It reminds her of the expressions that her rock band boyfriends have whenever she says something perverted. Surprised, interested, and confused. Donnie takes another sip of his drink, probably scotch or something elegant and manly.
“By the way, speaking of mommy and daddy, you’re not telling Mom I toke on weed, right?” Scottie quickly changes the subject.
“No. But look, it’s against the law. And if you’re breaking the law and get caught, then you will have to deal with the consequences.” His voice is stern and strong. Authoritative. She loves it, eats it up.
“At least I have a damn good defense lawyer on my side, right?” she asks, leaning over so their faces line up. Donnie grimaces, a slightly disappointed look in his eyes.
“Just don’t get into trouble, Scottie. I’m serious.”
“I love when you’re serious.” She playfully tousles his hair as she skates back into the bathroom to change. Hell, maybe she’ll go for a skate around the neighborhood this afternoon. Enjoy the summer weather before it starts getting too hot to exist outside of the house. Although, she does love the summer heat almost as much as she loves men. The thick, oppressiveness of it that clings to her skin and makes her sweat. Scottie changes her clothes, re-laces her skates, and comes back out of the bathroom. “I’m going for a skate, Donnie. I’ll be home later.”
“Take your phone with you!” he calls, as she carefully makes her way down the steps. One day, she may bust her ass doing this. That day is not today.
* * *
After making a few rounds, dodging children on the
ir bikes, boys on their skateboards, and random dogs that stare dumbly at her, Scottie finally screeches to a stop at Cassy’s house. Her friend sits on a porch swing, slowly moving back and forth as she reads. “Hey, Cass,” she says.
“Thought you were unpacking,” Cassy replies, closing her book and looking up.
“Yea, I already finished, though.” Scottie skates over to her friend to tell her about the little moment that she and Donnie shared. She decides against it, thinking it best to keep things on the down low. “What are you doing?”
“Doing some summer reading for next semester.”
Scottie laughs heartily. “Cassandra Tipton, come on! School doesn’t start for another, what, three months?”
“Never too early to have your shit together. That’s what I always say.” Cassy looks up warmly at Scottie.
“Are you wearing lip gloss?” she asks, noticing the pink sheen of color on her friend’s lips.
“Yea, I found a new brand. You like it?”
“Cassy, you already have, like, fifty million different glosses.” Scottie knows her friend is a goo-hoarder. This is no secret. “Anyway, I need a shower. I’ll catch ya later.” Scottie dashes back toward the house without giving her friend a chance to say goodbye.
As she opens the front door, she sees Donnie sitting in front of the television, watching some sports game. “How was your skating?” he asks, eyes not moving from the screen.
“Great. Hey, do you have any towels and wash cloths I could use? I need a shower.”
Donnie turns to look at her. “Wow. You certainly worked up a sweat out there. Good job. Come with me to the master bedroom. We’ll look in there.”
Scottie follows her stepfather, once again careful not to bust it on the stairs while wearing skates. As she glides into the bedroom, she can’t stop herself soon enough, and bumps into Donnie from behind. “Whoops. Gonna have some bumping and grinding here, soon,” she mumbles.
Man of the House: An Older Man Younger Woman Romance Page 24