by Magan Vernon
Cleaning the house was a rough term to use. Dad’s hoarding was getting to be extreme, and I had to dodge a lot of furniture or grandfather clocks to get to the front door. Our townhouse was only 1100 square feet, but between the three couches, two grandfather clocks in the living room, and everything stuffed into the kitchen and our two bedrooms, we could have probably filled a house twice that size.
I opened the front door, and my face must have said, “I was hoping you’d be a hot swimmer I had sex with last night,” because Lia curled her upper lip when she looked at me as I opened the door. “Geez, Sofie, way to look happy to see your best friend.”
“You know I’m totally happy to see you,” I said as Lia and her boyfriend, Jay, sauntered in, giving me a whiff of cologne, chlorine, and Mama Conti’s meatballs.
“And if those butter containers Jay’s holding have pasta in them, I’ll love you even more,” I sang as I closed the door.
Jay set the containers on the counter island that separated our tiny kitchen from the living room. “It’s either five giant containers of butter or Lia’s mom doesn’t believe in Tupperware.”
I opened the lid of one of the containers and took in the smell of fresh oregano and basil. Mama Conti’s pasta and sauce were the greatest things my taste buds had ever encountered. “Definitely food,” I said, helping myself to a big meatball that sat on top of a mound of pasta.
The doorbell rang, and before I could say anything, Jay took a few steps and opened the front door to a smiling Johnny holding a bag of Chinese food.
I would have smiled back, but my mouth was stuffed with meatball, and I was sure I had sauce on my face. I tried to swallow it down, but I must not have chewed it all the way, so I started coughing and sputtering.
“Whoa, wrong pipe?” Lia asked as I ran to the kitchen and quickly grabbed a napkin, spitting half the meatball in it and trying not to cry at the wasted tender meat.
“I didn’t know you guys would already have food, but I guess I should have figured that, knowing Lia’s parents,” Johnny said, setting the bag on the counter and giving me a panty-dropping smile.
“It’s weird to see you both in clothes.” The word vomit just spilled out of me as I stared back and forth between Jay and Johnny.
“I mean, you know. I just always pictured y’all in a Speedo just coming out of the pool, and every time I actually see you, you’re bundled up,” I sputtered, trying to save myself even though I saw Johnny half-naked last night. If I were more sober, I would have had him take off his shirt. I’d seen the pictures of him in the pool. That man had an eight pack that a girl could lick the water off.
Lia laughed, putting her arm around Jay’s waist. “If he wasn’t here or at my parents’ house, he probably would be just in his Speedo. The boy has no shame. Neither does Johnny, from what the goat tells me.”
Jay and Lia both turned toward Johnny and me with their eyebrows raised.
“Is the goat asking for child support now?” Johnny asked with a laugh.
Jay hit Johnny’s stomach, and Johnny barely even flinched. “Not yet, man. But maybe you need to take on another sponsor. I don’t think goat feed is cheap.”
“How about we eat then watch a movie?” Lia said, grabbing the stack of paper plates from the top of one bag her mom sent.
Her mom seemed to think I had nothing living with my single dad and always sent everything from food to silverware with Lia. But I was actually glad for the interruption and plates, for once. I knew Lia and I would talk about the goat pen escapade at some point, since I had drilled her for every little detail about losing her virginity to Jay. But that would not happen with the two swimmers standing in my kitchen.
When Lia handed Jay a plate, he immediately opened one of the butter containers and scooped a big heaping serving of pasta on his plate. Then he opened one of the takeout containers and put another huge helping of rice on top.
Johnny did the same and added sesame chicken plus meatballs. By the time they were finished and Lia and I got around to our plates, I was afraid one of us would have a paper plate explosion of food on the hardwood floor.
“So what movies did y’all bring?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch. Johnny sat next to me near the corner, and I could feel the heat radiating off his body. God, the guy was hot. Why didn’t I talk to him in the last two years again?
Johnny smiled between mouthfuls of chicken then set his plate on the table. “Only the greatest movie of all time. It has action, adventure, and even ... romance.” His words trailed as he leaned over and pulled a jump drive out of his pocket. The Princess Bride.
Jay and Lia sat on the other couch, and Jay shook his head, laughing. “You seriously own a digital copy of that?”
“And Blu-ray,” Johnny said, wiggling the flash drive.
Jay looked over at Lia with wide eyes. “Please tell me you brought something else.”
“Hey! I like The Princess Bride,” I said, trying to keep my tone even. When I protested something, it got whiny.
Johnny grinned. “The homeowner speaks. The Princess Bride it is.”
Jay and Lia groaned, leaning back on the couch.
“Where can I plug this in?” Johnny asked.
***
Before I could even finish my pasta and the Dread Pirate Roberts appeared on the screen, Lia and Jay had already wrapped themselves in a blanket on the other couch and were sucking each other’s faces.
“I can’t even hear the action scenes over their makeout-age.” Johnny groaned, setting his empty plate on the coffee table.
“I have a TV in my room if you want to watch it in there,” I said, trying to be coy just thinking about the six-foot-two swimmer sprawled out across my bed.
Johnny grabbed the remote and paused the TV before he slowly stood up, giving me a very nice view of the way his butt fit in his jeans while he strode over to the TV and pulled out his flash drive. “Let’s continue this in your room.”
I didn’t think Jay and Lia even noticed we were leaving the room or came up for air. I guess there was a lot of pent-up sexual frustration from being stuck at her parents’ and having Jay sleep in Nicky’s old room. I just hoped that if they wanted to get it on, they didn’t get Jay batter all over the leather couch.
I was glad I shoved most of my stuff in my closet because the room somehow looked even smaller with Johnny in it. And I felt small. Like he would scrutinize every part of my lime green and pink décor.
“You wanna stick this in?” he asked, closing the distance between us and holding up the flash drive.
“Are you talking about the movie ... or ...?” I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to appear coy, but I was sure I tasted blood. Damn my vampire-like teeth.
Johnny flashed a smile that showed all of his white teeth before he put his hands on my hips and leaned over, his lips lightly brushing against mine.
His kiss was sweet and tender, but if we were going to do this, I didn’t want the sweet and tender. I wanted it all. So I deepened the kiss, walking him toward my bed. His arms wrapped tightly around me as he sat down, pulling me on top of him.
I straddled his hips, only breaking our kiss to pull my shirt off. Thank God, I found the time to put on a cute bra and shave my armpits.
The grin broadened on Johnny’s face as he set the flash drive on my desk and put both hands on my waist as he leaned back on my bed. “So I guess we aren’t watching the movie?”
“I mean if that’s what you want, I can put my shirt back on, and we can do that,” I said, stammering and hoping he wasn’t serious.
Johnny sat up slightly, and I thought for sure he would give me the “you’re sweet and all but last night was a mistake, and I do want to watch this movie,” but instead, he slowly tugged off his sweater then tossed it on the ground next to us.
My eyes immediately went to his toned broad chest and tan stomach. My fingers trailed down his smooth skin, and I didn’t think anything had ever felt better than the man’s stomach muscles. “We can
watch the movie if you’d rather do that,” Johnny whispered before kissing from my jawline down to my neck.
I moaned slightly, loving the feel of his slight stubble against my skin. His hands made quick work of getting me out of my bra before his mouth covered my nipples and I arched my back. Holy hell, no guy had ever spent any time there, and now, I finally understood why the girls on Tumblr liked these sorts of things. He sucked and nibbled each one until they were hardened buds that he lightly blew on before glancing up at me.
“If you keep up those noises, Jay and Lia are going to wonder what’s going on in here,” Johnny whispered, kissing back up to my neck.
“They’re probably not even paying attention,” I muttered, hoping he wasn’t going to stop.
His hands trailed down to my stomach then unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans. I sat up slightly to make the work easier for him and pulled off my jeans and underwear while he did the same. I finally got to see him in all of his magnificent glory.
I never thought of a man as pretty. I’d seen Johnny plenty of times in a Speedo on TV, but nothing prepared me for the hard lines of his body when he was naked in my bed.
He guided me back down to his hips, and I straddled him. His length pressed into my core, and the friction of that alone had me on the verge of bursting.
“Um, do you want on top?” I asked. I didn’t want to give it away that I’d never actually been on top before and the only thing I’d done up until the night before was missionary.
Johnny smirked before putting his hands on my waist and then slowly guided himself inside me. “I’m a backstroke guy. This is my best position.”
I was about to say something about a condom then holy mother of all things holy. Something was different about this position. The way Johnny’s muscles clenched as he rocked inside me meant it didn’t take long for an orgasm to take hold.
Johnny kept his hands firmly on my waist, rocking us to the same rhythm as I put my hands on his chest, trying to keep myself steady.
“Damn, you’re beautiful when you come,” he whispered, picking up the pace as he slid one hand from my waist to my clit, slowly circling the sensitive flesh with his thumb.
My body quaked as I threw my head back, and he held my butt, keeping me steady while rocking inside me. I was ready to go for orgasm number three when I heard the front door slam and felt Johnny shudder, which I assumed was from hearing the door.
Shit.
“Hi, Mr. White,” Lia yelled.
“Shit, shit,” I muttered, rolling off Johnny while my body still felt like Jello-O. I picked up Johnny’s clothes and threw them toward the open door of my bathroom.
“Go in there, quick,” I hissed, scrambling to get my clothes on.
Luckily, Johnny did as he was told, and I barely got on my jeans and a t-shirt, kicking my underwear and bra under the bed before I went to the hallway and came face to face with the old man.
“Hey, Dad.”
Chapter 3
I didn’t even bother to introduce Johnny to Dad. Johnny, Jay, and Lia made their awkward exit as quickly as they could. I’d have to text Lia with details later, but first, I had to deal with my dad and why he came home way too early.
“So...things slow today at work?” I asked awkwardly as I sat down at the table across from him. I needed to grab my underwear and bra because nothing was more uncomfortable than skin against denim, but I had to find the right time to excuse myself.
Dad sighed, his eyes trained on the table. He was pushing his late fifties, but he was still an attractive guy; as much as I could say that about my own dad. I remembered a time in high school when some random girls were talking about a hot dad in the office, and my hormonal self got excited until I saw my dad in his leather jacket and fresh off his motorcycle. He was always cooler than I ever was.
“I came home because I thought we could spend some time together. Things were slow after brunch, and I figured I could take a little break, and we could catch up on our lives. I can’t believe I didn’t know you had a boyfriend...” Dad’s words trailed as he shook his head and ran his hands through his thick, tousled gray hair.
I shook my head and waved my hands. “Whoa, whoa. No. Johnny’s not my boyfriend. He’s a friend of Jay’s. Another swimmer.”
“Jay?” Dad asked, cocking an eyebrow, his dark green eyes finally looking to mine.
“Jay, you know, Lia’s boyfriend. The Olympic swimmer she lives with in California?” I asked, annoyed. I thought he knew this, and if he didn’t, he could have easily Googled it.
“Yeah. Right. Right,” Dad said, nodding, even though he had a far-off look in his eyes like he had no idea what I was talking about.
“So...um...I think there is some leftover pasta from Conti’s if you want me to make you a plate,” I said, getting up from the table and rushing toward the containers I had yet to put up. They were mostly empty after the two swimmers, but at least, it gave me something to do.
“No, I actually made dinner plans for us tonight.”
I didn’t even look up from the containers and kept scooping. “Dinner? On Christmas? Don’t tell me Mom’s crazy cousin, Kassi, invited us over again. She’s nice and all, but she lives like two hours away, and her kids kept sniffing me the last time we were there. Kassi told me I had a robust musk that people were attracted to.”
“It’s not Cousin Kassi. It’s not a relative at all.” Dad sighed. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to bring this up, but I guess there’s no time like the present. I’ve been seeing someone, Sofie.”
I dropped the wooden spoon, letting it fall to the ground with a big wad of pasta. But I didn’t bother to clean it up or look if I had sauce on my pants. Instead, I turned around wide-eyed to the man sitting at the table. My father. The one who I thought was mourning my mother all these years by working more hours. Was he working more hours? Or was he out with a new girlfriend? A new girlfriend he was spending the holidays with.
I said nothing. I just sort of blinked as Dad got up and grabbed a paper towel, cleaning up the mess on the floor. “Sorry, sweetie, I really should have told you sooner and not like this, but ever since your mom passed, I’ve been in this rut, and I haven’t been able to shake it. I mean we both have. But I kept up a good front for you, and we both stayed positive; as positive as we could in this situation.”
That was an understatement. I didn’t go away for school because my dad had turned into a hoarder of furniture. We had so much in our tiny house I could barely walk without hitting a sofa or a grandfather clock. I thought if I left, he would bury himself alive.
“I...I...I don’t even know what to say,” I said, plopping down on one of the kitchen chairs. I thought my Christmas was going well with multiple orgasms, but my dad telling me he had a girlfriend was giving me a spike of vertigo.
Dad threw away the pasta he’d cleaned up then took the seat across from me. “Tell you what, Sofie; we don’t have to see her tonight. She invited me to go to that annual New Year’s Eve party at the Q Ranch. Her daughter was in your high school class and will be there too. It could be a nice way for us all to get to know each other.”
I scrunched my face. “You’re dating a mom? A mom of someone I went to school with?”
“Don’t make that face, Sofie. This town isn’t big enough for me to find someone who we don’t know. I actually met her at work. One of the senior partners at her law firm was retiring, so she was planning his retirement party last May and decided to have it at the hotel. We started talking and found out we were both from Friendship, and things blossomed from there. She’s telling her daughter, Abbey, tonight as well. We thought maybe we could all have dinner together at their house.”
“Abbey? Abbey Dillinger?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Dad nodded. “Yes. That’s her. I’ve never heard you talk about her. Then again, the only friend I’ve ever seen you with is Lia, and now that she’s moved, well, maybe this would be an opportunity for you and Abbey to hang out. Have some
girl time.”
The last thing I wanted to do was hang out with the awkward and very tall Abbey Dillinger. She did nothing mean, but she hung out with Christy Quinn, who was the spawn of Satan and made my school years a living hell. Anyone who breathed the same air as her wasn’t someone I wanted to hang out with.
“Yeah. I might have to take a pass on that one,” I mumbled.
Dad ran his hand over his face. “Sofie, I know this must be hard, especially with everything you seem to have going on. I guess that maybe I’ve been distant too. Maybe we could just have dinner one night during the new year. Me, Stephanie, you, and that boy who was in your room with his zipper down...”
“His zipper was totally not down, and why were you looking anyway?” I scoffed but felt my face heat.
Dad and I didn’t talk about our friendships or relationships. We actually didn’t talk much at all. We were like roommates and not the good kind with late-night slumber parties. We each did our own thing, and this was the first time he wanted to make our own things something together. Well, the first time in as long as I could remember.
“Can we not fight about this right now? It’s Christmas. Maybe we can revisit this another night,” Dad said, his voice heavy.
I wanted to say something smart back, but I couldn’t think of anything. I could blame it on the orgasms or the way my dad looked defeated.
“Yeah. That sounds good. Want to watch a movie? I think Lia’s mom also sent some cannoli.”
Dad smiled. “That sounds great, Sofie.”
I got up from the table and turned toward the food from Conti’s when I felt a buzz in my pocket. I looked back to see that my dad was typing furiously on his phone. He had been doing that a lot lately. I thought it was work stuff, or he was looking at ESPN, but maybe he was texting his new girlfriend.
Or sexting.
Ew.
I had to mentally shake that thought from my head before I pulled my phone out of my pocket with one hand and opened the refrigerator door with the other.
Johnny: Sorry about leaving in a hurry. Maybe I should have introduced myself to your dad. Or would that have been more awkward?