by Liv Morris
“Good afternoon darling,” I start to say. “I’m here to pick up Mila Greene.”
The older, dark, red haired secretary goes to her computer, “Are you Jacob Greene?”
I lean on the desk a little closer to her, “I am,” I look at her.
She blushes and turns back to her computer, “You can have a seat. I’ll get her for you right away sir.”
“Why thank you darling.” I give her a wink and sit down on the chair in the office. Mila comes through the doors with her teacher. She gives Mila a hug and tells her to have a good weekend.
“You too Mrs. Dawson,” she squeaks.
When she sees me, she runs into my arms and throws her little arms around my neck. “Uncle Jacob! Uncle Jacob! You’re here! Daddy said you were going to pick me up today. I missed you.”
I hold her tighter and close my eyes. “I missed you too Mila. How are you?”
“Better now that you’re here.”
I put her down as we walk side by side. Her little hand grabs mine and it warms my heart. As we walk to my car, she tells me about her day. Apparently her best friend, Isabelle, broke up with her boyfriend James since he stole her chocolate milk. “Do you have a boyfriend Mila?” I hope she says no because I feel bad for any guy who tries to date Mila.
“No Uncle Jacob. Boys are icky! Gross!”
I smile to myself. “Good answer honey.” I open my door for her as she climbs into her car seat. My tiny four year old niece looks at me with excitement in her eyes as I buckle her in. “Alright baby girl, are you ready for today?”
She raises her hands in the air and yells. “Yes! I want to see the monkeys!”
We get to the zoo and Mila drags me around to every exhibit. She explains each animal to me and my heart starts to lighten as I listen to her little voice. When I’m with her, I forget about the anger I have inside of me and I allow myself to be happy. Mila’s hand is holding mine as we walk around the zoo for almost two hours before she tells me she’s hungry. I take her to the café area and we order pizza, sodas and fries.
“Mila make sure you don’t tell anyone I got this for you okay?” Hayden and Logan strive on making sure that Mila eats healthy foods. Hayden will kill me if she finds out I feed Mila pizza and fries.
“Uncle Jacob, you know I can keep a secret,” she laughs.
I take the trays over to the table and cut her pizza in little pieces. We eat our lunch and she tells me what she wants to do next. There’s a tiger feeding show coming up in an hour and Mila bounces in her seat. She tells me she wants to watch the tigers eat and then feed the animals. I can’t figure out why a little girl would want to see that but I go with it. Today is her day and I want to make her happy. We finish up our lunch and I take her to the bathroom so she can wash her hands. I stand between the men and women’s restroom and can’t figure out which one to use. Not being able to figure it out, I walk over to a vending machine and buy a bottle of water.
“Uncle Jacob, I have to use the potty.”
Shit.
“Um okay honey. Hold on.” I look around but there doesn’t seem to be anyone around. I pick Mila up and take her to the women’s bathroom. “Okay go ahead. I’ll be here waiting for you.”
Mila runs to the stall while I stand by the sinks feeling weird being in here. I turn around and wash my hands in the sink but then a woman and her daughter come in the bathroom and stare at me.
“Sir this is the ladies room!” The woman pulls her daughter closer to her side.
“Oh I’m sorry. My niece had to use the bathroom and I wasn’t sure where to take her.”
The woman starts laughing, “Well, have a good day.”
The toilet flushes and Mila comes out of the stall. I help her up to the sink so she can wash her hands. We walk out of the bathroom, hand in hand. As we are walking to the tiger exhibit, I see a couple and their daughter walking near us. I can’t help but stare. They’re happy and I freeze. My mind goes back to when Katherine and I use to talk about having a family.
Katherine.
My heart starts breaking again but I shake my head as I take in a deep breath. “Pull yourself together Jacob,” I whisper to myself.
We sit close to the exhibit on a bench. There are families with their children all over. I look down and can’t shake off this feeling of loneliness. I’m twenty-eight years old and what do I have to show for it? I have a great and successful company. My family is supportive and my health is good, but I want more in this life.
The show starts and the crowd claps when the zookeeper comes out and explains the life of a tiger. I can’t believe she’s in a field with a wild tiger. My eyes don’t look away and I’m fascinated to see what happens next. Mila sits on my lap and watches the show in silence.
Afterwards, we walk to the other exhibits and look at the animals. We feed the zebras and elephants. Mila’s laughs make me smile. The cool afternoon air feels nice. The sun is starting to go down as I look at my watch, four thirty. Mila and I sit on the bench looking at the monkeys. I sit down and put my arm around her. “Having fun Mila?”
She looks up with a smile on her face. “Oh yes Uncle Jacob. This is one of the best days ever, but don’t tell Mommy and Daddy.”
I start laughing and give her a kiss on her head. We sit on the bench for a few more minutes before getting up to look at the other exhibits.
After another hour, I carry Mila out of the zoo as she rests her sleepy head on my shoulder. “Tired Princess?”
Mila starts yawning and shakes her head. “No, I’m not tired.”
We make it back to my car and as I get her in her car seat, she’s passed out and lightly snoring. I brush her hair from her eyes and make sure she’s safely in. I get in the car and start driving to her house. It’s a little after eight in the evening when I make it to their house. Hayden comes out smiling. She takes me into her arms, squeezing me tight. “Hey handsome. Have fun today?”
I hold her tighter and nod my head. Hayden always knows when I’m sad and hearing her voice helps me out of my funk.
“Alright, let go of my hot wife big brother.” Logan comes out of the house laughing as he gets Mila out of the car.
“Logan! Be nice. Go take our daughter inside and tuck her in.”
“Sure thing, boss.” Logan takes her in still laughing.
I let go of Hayden and we walk inside to their kitchen. I sit down at the kitchen table and she brings me a beer. “Do you think Katherine would want me to move on and be happy?”
“Oh Jacob, of course. Katherine will always be in our thoughts and memories. I miss her just like you honey.” Hayden pauses, wiping a tear from her eye. “Listen, I know you were in a dark place when she died, hell you still are, but you need to move on. You’re twenty-eight years old and have so much to share. You’ll always miss her, but you should think about moving on with your life. I know it’s hard and it wouldn’t be a bad thing to start looking. You don’t have to start anything serious but you should think about dating someone. Oh! What about Madison? You two already have a certain rhythm. She’s cute and loves to take care of you.”
“Argh, I don’t know. It’s hard okay, Hayden! All the women want one thing and I can’t give it to them. Then I buy them shit and they’re happy so do they want to be with me or the name and money?” I shake my head and drink my beer. “Today I saw a couple and their child. They looked happy. I thought about Katherine and what we used to talk about.” I lean back in my chair and close my eyes. “How do I know it’s time to move on?”
“You have to listen to your heart Jacob. You’re not getting any younger. I know it’s hard to hear, but Katherine isn’t coming back. She would want you to be happy.” I start crying thinking about how hard it is for me to move on. I don’t want to do wrong by her memory. “Why don’t you go on a date with Madison? Just go out for drinks tonight or something.”
I’m speechless. I have no idea what to say. It’s Madison. I’ve never thought of her in that manner. She’s a friend
and that’s it. “I mean its Madison. She’s a good friend, but that’s all I see her as, I don’t have feelings for her.”
Hayden takes my hand and gently strokes it. “Jacob is it because you don’t want to have feelings for her?”
I put my head down and think carefully about Madison. Hayden’s words stick to me. Madison’s a great person and I wouldn’t have gotten through all of this without her. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course I am.” Hayden kisses me on the cheek before walking away to say good night to Mila.
*****
I sit down on my sofa alone in my apartment. Still thinking about what Hayden said, I wonder how things would be with Madison. I take out my phone and twirl it in my hand. Madison is amazing and she’s hot but I don’t think I feel that way for her. She’s my best friend.
“Damn it. I should just try.” I dial her number and put the phone to my ear. She answers after the first ring.
“Hey Jacob! What’s up?” Her cheery voice startles me. Well here goes nothing.
“Hey Madison. I was wondering if you wanted to meet for drinks tonight at Tavern Seven?” I wait for her to respond and think about telling her to forget about it. I don’t want to give her the wrong idea. I don’t think this is what I want now, but Hayden’s right; I should try.
“Yeah of course. Let me get ready and I’ll meet you there in twenty minutes.”
“Well I can have Gary pick you up so you don’t have to walk.”
“Sounds good, Jacob. I can’t wait to see you. I need a few drinks after the day I’ve had.”
“Alright well you can tell me all about it soon. I’ll text you when I’m outside your apartment.” I hang up the phone without saying bye.
I send a text to Gary to get the car ready for us. I walk into the bathroom and splash cold water on my face before changing into jeans and a black slim fit polo. I take one last look at myself in the mirror and turn around to see if Katherine will show up but she doesn’t. I let out a heavy sigh and make my way out of my apartment. When I step on the concrete, Gary comes out and opens the car door for me. “Evening, sir.”
“Hi Gary, thank you.” I get in and make myself comfortable. Gary comes around to the driver’s side, buckles his seat belt and starts driving. “Where to, sir?”
“Madison’s apartment. You remember where it is right?” I ask, playing with my phone.
“Sure do,” his voice sounds off and I wonder what he’s thinking.
“Gary what do you think of Madison?”
There’s a pause before he answers. “She’s a nice girl Mr. Greene. Why do you ask?”
Gary’s been driving for me for the past two years. I trust him and take his advice to heart. I look at the mirror and see him looking at me. “Do you think I should move on?”
“Mr. Greene, I think you should do what you feel is right.”
I laugh and look out the window. “Thanks Gary you’re always helpful.”
Before he gets out of the car he says, “Anytime.”
I hope I’m doing the right thing. I think about Katherine and hope this is what she would want for me.
We get to Madison’s apartment and I send her a text message letting her know I’m here. Within a few moments, she comes walking through the door and is smiling. When the door opens, I look over my shoulder and see Madison getting in. She’s wearing a black dress with a blue cardigan. Her hair is curly and her makeup looks flawless. She gets herself comfortable next to me before giving me a kiss on the cheek. Her soft lips touch my cheek, “I’m glad you asked me out tonight,” she seductively says while tenderly touching my arm.
I see her looking at me with a smile on her face. “Thanks Madison. I thought it would be good for us to get some drinks together as friends. I know you said you had a bad day. What’s going on?” I look at her and see her smile disappear. “Hey what’s wrong?”
“Nothing Jacob. Let’s just go get some drinks.”
We get to Tavern Seven and when we get out of the car, she loops her arm in mine. I don’t resist her or push her away. I open the door for her as we walk in. It’s dimly lit with music playing. There are people on the small dance floor but several are at the bar. The environment seems intimate which makes me nervous. I don’t want Madison to get the wrong idea. I’m not sure how I want this night to go. Madison does look sexy as hell tonight. The way her black dress hugs and shows her body makes my jeans tighten. I place my hand on the small of her back and lead her to the hostess. I look down and see her round ass. I quickly look up and shake some sense back into myself.
We’re greeted by the hostess and taken to our table. “I love it here. It’s so nice.” Madison moves closer to me so we share a menu. I start feeling uneasy. I don’t feel anything for her but I can’t stop thinking about things I want to do to her or how she tastes.
Our waitress comes over and we put in our drink orders. Madison orders a dirty martini and I stick with a scotch on the rocks. “So are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?” I move a piece of hair from her face. Her face is so soft. There’s something in those hazel eyes of hers and I’m drawn in. She takes my hand and brings it to her heavenly lips.
Madison looks at me but I can’t read what she’s thinking. She starts smiling, “Nothing important. Everything is better now. I just needed to get out of my apartment and get some drinks.” She slowly licks her lips. “You know Jacob, I’ve been thinking about us lately.”
I gulp. “What do you mean?”
She strokes my arm and places her hand on the collar of my polo, “I want you Jacob.”
I’m taken aback to what she just said. I don’t know how to respond. Before I can say anything, our drinks make it to our table. Madison takes her martini glass and brings it to her lips. She slowly closes her eyes and she tips the glass. She lets out a soft moan as she brings the glass down. Watching her take a drink makes me think about all the things I want to do to her. I take my glass of scotch and throw it back with one swallow. I notice that she doesn’t take her eyes off me. “Madison. I don’t want a relationship.” I drink my scotch and watch her expression.
She moves her hand on my thigh and starts lightly massaging me. Her face is closer to mine and she kisses my neck. “You smell good Jacob.” I close my eyes and lean my head back. My dick starts twitching. Fuck. I don’t want this to happen. I don’t want to use her. “Who says anything about a relationship? I want you to hurt me Jacob. Take me away.”
“Finish your drink and let’s go.” I send a text to Gary as Madison finishes her drink. I leave a hundred dollar bill on the table before grabbing Madison and pulling her outside. Gary opens the car door for us as I help her inside. Right as I get in and Gary closes the door, Madison pushes me against the seat and straddles me. My dick gets hard immediately and all I want is to feel myself inside her. Her hands trail down my cheek to my stomach. She pushes her breasts in my face as I wrap my arms around her tiny waist. It feels good having her touch me. I grab her ass and she throws her head back giving me easy access. I bring my lips to her neck, “I want to make you feel so good Madison.”
“Yes Jacob,” she whispers with her eyes closed. “I want you so bad.”
I kiss her neck and trail my kiss down to her succulent breasts. “Soon.”
Gary drops us off at the Hilton and we make our way to the desk.
“Good evening, how can I help you?” The older lady asks while looking at Madison and me.
“Presidential suite. Jacob Greene.”
Her eyes grow wide as she types my name into the computer. She quickly grabs a key card and smiles. “Here you are, sir. Have a nice evening.”
I nod my head, take Madison’s hand and we make our way to the elevator. When the doors open, we step in and I press the button for the top floor. As the doors close, Madison leans against my body. Her firm ass grinds against me while she holds onto my thighs. She slowly turns around and starts kissing my neck. I close my eyes and place my hand on the lower part of her
back.
When the elevator makes it to our destination, I take Madison’s hand and we walk to the room. As soon as I shut the door, Madison starts undressing. She slowly takes off her black dress and I can see her black lace bra and black thong. She looks unbelievably sexy as she undresses. I go towards her and lift her up. She wraps her long legs around me as she takes off her bra, releasing those beautiful breasts. I place her on my bed and suck on each nipple. She starts moaning and her breathing becomes faster. My hand rips off her thong as I feel her waxed pussy against my hand. I moan into her nipple when I feel how wet she is. “You’re so wet.”
“Just for you.” She says in between moans.
I slip a finger in her and start playing with her clit with my thumb. I start slow but then increase my speed.
She throws her head back with pleasure and loudly screams. “Oh Jacob. Jacob. Oh my god!”
I love hearing her scream my name. I insert another finger in her and feel that she’s about to come. “Come for me Madison. Now!”
“Jacob!” She explodes all over my hand. I take my fingers out and bring them to my lips. I slowly lick my fingers and bring them to Madison’s mouth. “Open your mouth,” she does as I order and I slide my fingers in her mouth as she twirls her tongue around my fingers, never breaking our eye contact. “You taste wonderful, don’t you ?” She nods her head and closes her eyes. Madison smiles and gets up to take off my clothes. When she gets me naked, she throws me on the bed and gets on top of me. “Wait, let me get a condom.”
“Shhhh it’s okay Jacob. I’m on the pill.” She kisses my neck down all the way to my chest.
I push her off of me and look down at her. “Do not tell me it’s okay Madison.” I get my wallet and pull out a condom. I rip open the package and slide it on. Madison watches me and licks her lips.
“Jacob, come to me please? I want to feel you inside of me.” I go to her and lie back down on the plush hotel bed. Before I know it, she slides right down on my shaft. She places her hands on my knees and rocks up and down on me. “Oh my god Jacob this feels so good.”