Overwhelm Me (Callahan)

by Marchman, AC

  “Oh, I think he wanted to do Applebee’s. We can both get a mucho margarita! He has a surprise for you too, but I’m not supposed to tell you what it is.” Her eyes light up, and I know it’s killing her not to tell me.

  “He really didn’t have to do that for me. I mean, it’s not like I’m graduating for good. I still have like another three years.

  “I know, I know. But you know how daddy is. He thinks of you as one of his own.”

  I smile warmly at Livey. Yes, I think of Mr. Trent as a father figure to me, especially

  }”:since my dad passed away. He has always seen to it that I was well cared for and didn’t have to want for anything. He has bought all the food for us and taken care of the rent for years, making it easier to send some money to my family. “Yeah, I know. Your dad is really great.”

  “Now, go get dressed. Daddy is picking us up in thirty minutes.”

  I walk back to my room, and I hear my phone in my purse. I pull it out and grin because it’s Donovan texting me.

  *Meeting is canceled. Can I still come to dinner?*

  I refrain from shrieking and run out of the room to ask Livey if it’s okay. She smiles and says it‘s fine, but I’m not sure she was expecting Donovan to tag along. I mouth “I love you” to her as I call Donovan. She shakes her head and grins at me. He picks up on the first ring,

  “Hi, babe.”

  “Hi, long time, no see,” I giggle.

  I sense his smile through the phone. “Yeah, way too long. So, is it still cool if I come with you guys tonight? The medical director had some emergency come up last minute, so he called off the meeting, Good thing too because I still have a hard on from earlier.”

  “How crude! And yes, you can come to dinner with us, as long as you promise to keep your dick in your pants until we get home.“

  “Being around you makes that extremely difficult, since you always seem to want to coax it out of my pants.”

  I blush fiercely. I’m still not used to talking like this, but it seriously turns me on. I shake my head to regain my composure. “Livey’s dad is picking us up in about a half hour. Want to meet us at Applebee’s?”

  “Which one?”

  “The one on Cascade Road. Know where that is?”

  “Yep, sure do. Think I’m overdressed?” He chuckles under his breath, using my line from the other night.

  “Just take the blazer off, and you’ll be fine. Keep the tie on, though. I like it.”

  “Only for you, baby. I’ll see you in a bit.” I grin from ear to ear.

  “Bye. Be careful.”

  I hang up the phone and hurry to get changed. I figure I should wear capris instead of a dress.

  Donovan may try to fondle me under the table, which is pretty hot, but not in front of Livey and Mr. Trent. I opt for a pair of khaki capris and a black fitted tank top, paired with my Old Navy black flip flops. I brush out my hair and decide to wear it in a messy French braid. My mother taught me how to braid my own hair, which I have to say, comes in handy when my hair is frizzy from the humidity. I put some light makeup on, just some powder and blush. Then, I pack an overnight bag, just in case. I throw in some pajamas and the sexiest pair of underwear I own.

  Oh, my man will love these. The bra and panties are black lace. They make me feel sexy, so I hope Donovan thinks the same. I walk to the bathroom and brush my teeth. I grab an extra toothbrush to toss in my bag. I’m not going to be unprepared this time. I smile at myself as I turn off the light to the bathroom.

  Mr. Trent is right on time at 6:00. We all ride over to Applebee’s in Livey’s Explorer. Mr. Trent sits in the front seat, and I sit in the back. He turns his head around to look at me. “I know I said I would give you your graduation present tomorrow, but you will get it tonight.”

  “Mr. Trent, I really appreciate it…”

  He holds up his hand and says, “Not another word. I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Besides, you are really going to like it.” His hazel eyes light up.

  “I’m sure I will. By the way, Mr. Trent, I invited Donovan along. Is that okay?” I tense up, hoping he doesn’t say no.

  “Is this the guy you’ve been seeing? The one Livey told me about?”

  I blush. “Yes, that’s him.”

  “Hmmm. I need to give my seal of approval first.” His face is serious. I gulp. The meeting between these two is making me a little nervous.

  We finally pull up to Applebee’s, and I see Donovan’s BMW parked in a front spot. I hop out to meet him. He smiles as he sees me and opens his arms up. I grip him tightly as he twirls me around. I can’t suppress my laughter. Livey and Mr. Trent walk up to us. Donovan puts me down and holds out his hand to Mr. Trent. “You must be Livey’s father, Mr. Trent. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  My second dad sizes up Donovan and shakes his hand firmly. “So, what do you do for a living?

  Other than date reality stars?”

  Livey and I both gasp, and my face reddens. I can’t believe he just said that. If it bothered Donovan, he didn’t show it. “Actually, sir, I’m a doctor.”

  Mr. Trent’s eyes widen. “I see. Well, you have good taste. Allison is a gem.” He winks at me, but I still haven’t recovered from his harsh statement about Claire.

  “How right you are. Shall we go inside?” Donovan wraps his arm around my waist, probably to hold me up so I don’t pass out from embarrassment. Livey just shakes her head and glances at us. She whispers, “Sorry about my dad. He can be a prick sometimes.”

  Donovan smiles. “No worries. I deal with all kinds of people during my day. Nothing I can’t handle.”

  We walk inside, and my jaw drops to the floor. Standing in front of me is my mom and my brother Jon.

  “Surprise!” Mr. Trent exclaims. “This is your graduation present!”

  “Allie! Oh my goodness! Look at you!” My mom wraps her arms around me as I let out a sob.

  She softly pats my back and rocks me, just like she used to do when I had nightmares.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” I cry. Jon smiles at me and wraps his arms around both my mom and me.

  “Thank Mr. Trent for this. He made the arrangements for us. I am so grateful I will be able to see you graduate.” My mom has tears streaming down her face. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, sweetheart.”

  “I know, Mom, and I’m sorry. I’m just glad you’re here.” I don’t want to let her go, I feel like a child again. She looks beautiful in a light blue sleeveless dress and nude heels. My mom looks so young for her age. Her hair is in a cute pixie cut and highlighted with blonde streaks against her brown hair.

  I hear Donovan clear his throat behind me. I straighten up. “Mom, Jon, this is Donovan Callahan. Donovan, this is my mom Julie and my brother Jon.”

  My brother glares at Donovan from under his Redskins hat, and I see him shift on his feet. He wasn’t expecting to meet my family tonight. He grins and flashes my brother a warm smile.

  “Very nice to meet you, Jon. Allie has told me about you.” Donovan goes to shake his hand, and Jon reluctantly returns the gesture. “Are you Allie’s boyfriend?” I notice the contrast between my brother and my man. Jon is wearing his favorite Redskins t-shirt and a pair of worn out jeans, whereas Donovan is still in his clothes from earlier. I gulp and pray they have something in common.

  I look up at Donovan and see the smirk on his face. “Yes, I am.”

  Jon looks at me with the same blue eyes as our dad. “You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend.”

  “Sorry,” I shrug my shoulders, aware that the tension in the air is palpable.

  “Hi, Donovan. It’s very nice to meet you.” My mom is always the ice breaker. She was the referee in our house when Jon and I would fight. She has a wonderful demeanor and a warm heart. Donovan smiles shyly and holds his hand out to her. My mom ignores it and wraps her arms around him, taking him completely off guard. “A friend of Allie’s is a friend of mine.”

  Donovan grins as he hugs her
back. “It’s really wonderful to meet you too, Mrs. Marshall.”

  “Nonsense, call me Julie.” My mom playfully swats him. I smile at the interaction between them.

  I was so not expecting my family to be here, but Donovan is taking it like a champ. I walk over to Mr. Trent and give him a big hug.

  “Thank you so much,” I whisper. He smiles warmly. He’s not a man of many words, but he has a huge heart.

  The hostess has already set up our tables, and she leads the way. She needed to add a chair for Donovan. He holds out a chair for my mom, and I see her a smile. “Such a gentleman,” she gushes. Donovan smirks as he holds out my chair for me. He bends down to whisper in my ear, “How am I doing?”

  I giggle and whisper back, “Amazingly, considering this was just thrown on you at the last second.”

  We all sit and look at the menus. Donovan lets Jon have the seat next to me, so he is sitting directly across the table in front of me. I flash my eyes to him and see him looking from my mother to me. He pipes up, “I can see the resemblance in you two. It’s uncanny.”

  My mother flushes easily, just like myself. She hits my thigh under the table. I glance at her and grin. I can tell she likes him, and it makes my heart soar. I needed my mother’s approval. Jon is going to be a little tougher to win over. He is just too protective over me, especially since Matt happened.

  “Hey, Allie, do you still want one of those mucho margaritas?” Livey calls from down the table.

  The waitress has started taking drink orders from the other end of the table.

  “I think I might pass on that tonight. I’ll just have water for now.” I don’t really feel comfortable drinking in front of my mother.

  Our waitress, Kristen, is very attentive and friendly, not to mention extremely cute with her super blonde hair and blue eyes. I always liked this Applebee’s because of the service. Once she reaches Donovan though, she starts to stutter. Oh, good grief. Again? Donovan rolls his eyes at me and orders sweet tea. My mom speaks softly, “Sweetheart, if you are going to date a man like him, then you better get used to the stares. He’s gorgeous!”

  I narrow my eyes a bit at the waitress and realize my mother is right. Donovan is going to get hit on no matter where we go. My only fear is that he will reciprocate the flirtation when I’m not around. What if I wasn’t there in Bloomingdale’s with him? Would he have let Jennifer hang on him? I feel sick at the thought. My own insecurities are going to be my downfall. I just wonder if I’m not setting myself up for a heartbreak.

  I try as hard as I can to push the nasty thoughts down, but they keep coming back.We order our food after our waitress brings the drinks. I order the first thing that catches my eye, but I’m not hungry now. My stomach is in knots, and I actually feel sick. Donovan eyes me from across the table, concern and worry in his blue eyes. I flash the biggest grin I can manage to let him know everything is alright, when it isn’t.

  Our server eventually brings out our food and lingers too long around Donovan, brushing her arm against his.I stare down at the Cajun pasta I had ordered, but I can’t even think about food right now. My mind is in turmoil. I am vaguely aware of the conversations going on around me.

  Mom and Mr. Trent are chatting about her trip down here with Jon chiming in every now and then. Livey and Donovan are talking about god knows what. I stand to excuse myself to the bathroom.

  Donovan stands with me, as if to follow. I wave him off. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to the bathroom.” Donovan, looking dejected, sits back down, and I feel his eyes on me as I walk away. I just need to calm down before I vomit.

  I lock myself in a small stall, trying to hold back my emotions. I can’t go out there, my face blotchy and red from crying. Maybe it’s just all in my head. I’m sure that Donovan can be faithful. Or can he? Fuck, I’ve only met him this week. How can I be so sure he won’t put his dick in the next pretty girl he sees? I shudder at the thought. How can I possibly say he’s mine?

  Because of the things he’s done for me already, I think to myself. He has obviously shown that he cares about me. He planned the sweet night at his house. He protected me from that scary son of a bitch, Jeremy. He held and rocked me as I spilled my guts to him. He has shaken off all advances that girls have made on him when he’s with me.

  But is that enough? What if it’s just because I’m a good lay? He says it was only sex with those girls, except for Claire. But how do I know that? How do I know he didn’t do the same sweet things for them before he got in their pants and dipped out? What if I’m the best fuck he’s had in a while, and he just wants to get his kicks a few more times?

  I’m completely at war with myself. My heart is torn, and I can only blame myself. I let my guard down and allowed Donovan in. I know I should have kept my heart in check. What the fuck am I doing? Donovan is going to get bored with me and my crying fits. Though this is a lot of effort just to get a girl in the sack.

  My thoughts are all over the place. I need to pull myself together and go back out there. I cannot let my family nor Donovan see my heartache. I need some time to think about this, but I can’t do it with him around. I decide to not stay the night at Donovan’s tonight and let my mom and Jon stay at my apartment.

  I go to the sink and splash some water on my face. I stare at myself in the mirror, and I look awful. There are dark circles under my eyes, and I have to pinch my cheeks to get some color back to my pale skin. I hold my head high and walk back to the table, resolving to not let Donovan take advantage of me. I take my seat as Donovan looks up at me with his brows furrowed. “Are you okay?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” I left it short and sweet. I try not to make eye contact with him; it’s just too painful right now. I look at Mr. Trent instead. “Thank you again for flying my family in for my graduation.”

  “Think nothing of it. I’m very happy to do it.” He waves it off.

  I didn’t see much of anything through the rest of dinner. My mom takes my hand under the table and squeezes it. I hold back the tears that are threatening to come down any second. I know she’s concerned about the change in my attitude. I can’t explain it myself. I feel like my heart is pulling me in two directions. I have to figure out which direction I will take.

  Donovan has been quiet as well. He knows something is wrong, but he doesn’t want to call me out in front of my friends and family. He steals glances at me. There is a horrible, sad look to his eyes that I haven’t seen before. I look away before I can be caught in his stare.

  We finish dinner, and Mr. Trent pays for the whole thing, with much arguing from my mom and Donovan. He is a stubborn man, and Livey takes after him in that way. I grin at the thought.

  We stand to leave, and I say to mom, “You and Jon should come stay at my apartment. There’s not much room, but you are more than welcome.”

  “Honey, that’s okay. Jon and I are gonna go find a hotel close by to you.” She pats my shoulder, and I start to argue back when Donovan speaks up.

  “You two are more than welcome to stay at my place. I have more than enough room, and there‘s a bathroom in each bedroom.”

  I stand there, shocked that he has offered his house to my family. My mouth parts open, and I realize how stupid I’ve been. How can I not see how sweet and generous this man is? The nasty thoughts from before slip away, and I walk to him. He looks down at me, then back to my mom. “I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, either, Julie.” He winks at the woman that birthed me, and she blushes.

  “Okay, Donovan, you win, as long as it’s not an inconvenience for you.”

  “Absolutely not! I would love to have you two come stay at my house.” Donovan slowly puts his arm around my shoulder. I think he’s trying to gauge my mood. I lean into him, and I hear him exhale with relief. I snake my arms around his waist. Jon eyes us, and he smiles at me.

  “Okay, Donovan. I want to see what your city boy pad looks like anyway.” My brother slaps Donovan on the shoulder, surprising him. I chuckle b
ecause I know that’s Jon’s way of showing he likes you. He’s such a country boy.

  Everyone sticks around in the restaurant to say their goodbyes. Donovan takes my hand and leads me outside. The warm breeze of Georgia hits my face as he holds the door open for me. He stands there, looking at me. I feel his blue eyes searching my soul for answers to my personality change earlier. I smile shyly at him and run my fingers along his stubble. I take in a deep breath. “I’m sorry for the way I acted at dinner. I just had some stuff on my mind.”

  “What stuff?” Donovan says curtly. His tone throws me a bit.

  “Real heavy shit that I don’t want to talk about right now.” I narrow my eyes.

  “Heavy shit about me?” he says quietly. That same sad look creeps into his face, and it’s heartbreaking.

  “Well, yes. I just want to know if I’m good enough for you. You can have your pick of women.

  I just don’t want to be crushed again.” I hang my head, partly in shame and partly because I’m telling him a hard truth.

  “Damn it, Allie. I don’t know what else to say or do to get my point across!” He runs his hands through his hair. I’ve learned he does this when he’s either pissed off or anxious. He looks a little bit of both right now.

  “Look, it’s all good now, okay? I know I have some shit I have to work on, like my self esteem and the jealousy factor. I’m just scared that…” I trail off, unable to speak my biggest fear.

  “You’re scared that what?” He cocks his head to the side and narrows his eyes.

  “Scared that you will leave and find someone better, okay?” I throw my hands up in the air in frustration. “Look at you for goodness sake!”

  A smirk curls on Donovan’s lips. “You really think that I’m that great of a prize?”

  My brow furrows at his reaction to my pain. Before I can say another word, he grabs my face and kisses me, deeply. He takes my mouth as his prisoner, ravaging my tongue with his. I sigh. This is what I need, some reassurance. I let my walls down again and welcome my man back with open arms.