For Our Son: A BWWM Parenting Romance For Adults

by Nia Anderson

  "What?" Griffin asked as he towel dried his hair. He, too, had just taken a shower.

  "Oh I think you know good and well what I’m talking about. You snapped at me for no reason. Why? I mean…we had such a wonderful day, and you just…you ruined it."

  Erica didn’t look at Griffin as she spoke. Instead she concentrated on the comforter that covered her. Admitting she was miffed was humiliating but necessary.

  "Look, Erica, I’m sorry, okay? Lets just forget about it. I really don’t want to fight with you on vacation,” Griffin said as he moved to stand at the foot of her bed.

  Erica sighed. Shaking her head, she muttered a quiet ‘whatever’ under her breath and shifted downwards in bed. She then proceeded to turn off her lamp and close her eyes. As far as she was concerned, that was no apology. She and Griffin had come so far in such a short amount of time. Thus, his little outburst had really hurt her feelings.

  Fighting the tears that sprung to her eyes, Erica willed them not to fall and discretely went to grab a tissue from her nightstand under the guise of having to blow her nose.

  Griffin, however, had not moved from his spot at the end of Erica’s bed. Feeling suddenly guilty, he walked over to the side she was lying on and knelt down in front of her.

  "Get away from me,” Erica said as she swiped at her tears. The last thing she wanted was for him to witness her crying over something so trivial.

  "I’m sorry,” Griffin whispered. “Please don't cry."

  "I’ll be fine once you get away from me."

  "Er...don’t…”

  Looking up at him sharply, Erica sat up again. "Don’t what, Griffin? Don’t be human and show emotion? I have feelings too you know." Shaking her head, she looked away from him and let out a dry laugh. "You know what? Just forget it. It doesn’t matter. None of this matters. I’m just overreacting."

  Just as she was about to lie back down, Erica heard Griffin whisper her name. Looking over at him again, she saw that his expression was full of remorse.

  "I’m sorry. I…" Griffin was about to say that he loved her, but he caught himself just in time. Instead, acting on impulse, he dragged a finger down her cheek to wipe away a stray tear there before it could dry. "I want you," was all Erica heard before Griffin’s warm lips neared in on hers and she was pulled into an impassioned kiss.

  Upon pulling back for air, Griffin looked deep into Erica’s eyes for any sign of revulsion, but what he saw instead warmed his heart. Quite the contrary, her expression was full of yearning as she reached out to him.

  "Kiss me again,” she demanded in a dream-like state. “Please.”

  That was all Griffin needed to hear. Just like that, an entire six months’ worth of pent up sexual tension came roaring to a head as he ravaged Erica’s mouth with his own. Without breaking the kiss, he climbed onto her bed and straddled her. It was a series of actions that caused Erica to have a moment of clarity as she realized what they were about to do.

  Pushing Griffin off of her, Erica breathed out, "Griffin, wait. Griffin!” Erica had to repeat his name twice, as his hearing seemed to be temporarily impaired.

  "What?" Griffin panted.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?” Erica asked him, concern heavy in her voice. “Because the last thing I want is to complicate things between us…"

  "It won't,” Griffin said rather desperately. “Don't even worry about that."

  At this, Erica nodded and silently ordered herself to stop over-thinking the situation.

  Hopping out of bed, Griffin searched the ground for his pants and extracted his wallet from the back pocket once he located them. Letting out a breath of relief, he triumphantly held up a condom for Erica to see.

  Smiling, Erica outstretched her hands to him. Climbing back on top of her, Griffin let all his inhibitions fall to the wayside as he proceeded to make love to her in a way he hadn't since the last time they were together.

  Yanking Erica’s nightgown over her head, Griffin marveled over her body and started to kiss his way down her neck. When he finally moved upwards again, Erica wrapped her legs around his hips and allowed him to enter her fully. Afterwards, they fell asleep in each others arms with satisfied smiles on their faces.

  When Griffin awoke the following morning, he was greeted by a familiar set of hazel eyes that seemed to be surveying him in his sleep.

  "Morning," Erica whispered.

  "Morning,” Griffin said in return.

  "How’d you sleep?"

  "Wonderful. You?"

  "Good."

  Unsure of what to do next, Erica looked past Griffin and out the window. "It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day. We’d better get up. We said we’d meet everyone at nine for breakfast."

  Hoping out bed, Erica tugged back on her nightgown with haste and started rummaging through her luggage.

  "Okay.” Griffin sighed regretfully as he stretched. "I would have liked to spend the day with you in here though."

  "Me too, but we can’t,” Erica said as she started for the bathroom. “Come on, lazy bones. Up and at ‘em. I’ll hit the shower first.

  "Er?" Griffin called out. "We’re okay right?" His voice was full of worry as he watched her stop and straighten her back. In his opinion, she was acting way too cavalier given what had transpired between them last night.

  Refusing to turn around and look at him, Erica stood stock-still and bowed her head. "I hope so. I mean…last night was great, but…where does that leave us?"

  Erica listened as Griffin rose from bed. She felt his warm hands rest on her shoulders as he came up behind her, and she held her breath in preparation of his response.

  "I love you," Griffin whispered.

  At that, Erica spun around to look him in the eyes. "What?"

  "I said I love you,” Griffin repeated. “I always have.”

  A wide smile broke out across Erica’s face then. “I love you too," she said as happy tears filled her eyes.

  Smiling, the couple embraced each other with desperation and longing. After a while, Griffin pulled back slightly and placed a soft kiss on Erica’s lips.

  "I’m so relieved,” Erica said once they finally released each other long enough to talk. "I’ve wanted to say that for so long. It was killing me."

  "Killing you? How do you think I felt? This whole friendship thing has been excruciating."

  After more kissing and hugging, the pair got ready to meet with their friends. An hour later, after a short but satisfying quickie, they walked into the dining room hand in hand.

  "Looks like you two have finally come to your senses,” Evan exclaimed as Griffin and Erica took their seats at the table.

  "Yeah, are you guys, like…official now?" Lori asked with a huge grin on her face.

  "Yes,” Erica and Griffin said at the same time. Looking at each other, they burst out laughing.

  It was a long time coming.

  Chapter nine

  Griffin looked over at Erica as the car veered down the highway. She looked exceptionally beautiful in her gorgeous red party dress, and he loved the way her hair looked when she wore it down. The pair were on their way to the Christmas party her company was throwing. It was a huge event that was being held at the posh Four Seasons hotel downtown.

  Erica looked over at Griffin when she felt him staring at her and smiled. Admiration shone in her eyes as she gazed at the man she so loved.

  Upon returning from the Palm Springs getaway, Griffin and Erica’s relationship had grown by leaps and bounds. Now that they had nothing to fear, the couple relished in each other’s company and were closer than ever as a result. They’d even went as far as reintroducing each other to their parents, and all were accepting.

  Erica thought her parents would resist Griffin given what had transpired between them in high school, but it was obvious that they had come to the realization that he made their daughter happy. To them, that was all that mattered. In time, they even grew to love Avery, so much so that it was safe to say they look
ed at her like a grandchild.

  Erica’s parents were even happier when Griffin spoke to them privately about his intentions to marry Erica. He had bought a ring a few weeks after the trip and was planning on purposing over the holidays.

  "Are you excited about the party?" Griffin asked Erica. He was trying hard to sound unfazed, but she could tell that he was unsure of how he would be received by her colleagues. He had complained more than once about feeling uncomfortable amongst such wealthy people, but Erica told him he was just being paranoid.

  "Griffin, relax. I don’t work with snobs, and yes, to answer your question – I am excited. I think we’ll have a great time." Wanting to comfort him, she leaned over and kissed his cheek just as they pulled into the hotel’s underground parking lot.

  Once inside the banquet hall, the couple took a seat at a table with a few of Erica’s co-workers. After dinner was served, conversation amongst the workers started in earnest. They mainly spoke about work, but when that grew stale the topics ranged from luxury cars, to upscale homes, to the hottest international vacations spots.

  To Griffin, everyone but Erica seemed fake and pretentious. He had no idea how his girlfriend could stand working with such snooty people.

  Erica, on the other hand, was right in her element. Even so, it bothered her that Griffin didn’t seem to be enjoying himself. Wanting to make him feel more like a part of the group, she tried to include him in the conversation, but her tactics to get him to open up all failed. No matter what she said or did, Griffin just didn't seem the least bit interested in contributing.

  The evening went from bad to worse when one of Erica’s co-workers, Tom, inquired about Griffin’s job. Erica had to knock Griffin lightly in the ribs with her elbow to get his attention, and even that did little to jolt him from his daydream.

  "Huh?" Griffin asked as he looked over at Erica.

  Trying to mask her embarrassment, Erica smiled and told him that Tom was inquiring about his work.

  "Oh, I’m a television producer. I’m one of the production managers behind the soap ‘Red Street’."

  "Sounds interesting," Tom replied, but it was clear from his expression that he had no idea what Griffin was talking about.

  Feeling defensive and confrontational for seemingly no reason, Griffin pursued the topic. "Do you watch the show?"

  "I don’t, but I’ve heard great things about it. It’s pretty impressive that you’re in the entertainment industry. Good for you,” Tom said as if at a loss for words.

  Tom sounded condescending even to Erica, and she immediately grabbed hold of Griffin’s hand beneath the table. "Griffin’s show is great. It won three daytime Emmy’s in its first year alone.”

  Feeling good about defending her man, Erica smiled at Griffin only to discover that he looked quietly furious.

  Much to Erica’s relief, the conversation quickly turned to other things after that. Trying to act as normal as possible, she asked Griffin if he was okay. He only nodded then looked away from her. Deciding that she would deal with him later, Erica continued conversing with her co-workers as dessert was served. After the meal, everyone started to abandon the table to hit the dance floor, and she tried her best to get Griffin to do the same.

  "Come on, let’s dance,” Erica urged. The music was loud and throbbing, and she wanted nothing more than to put the whole dinner disaster behind them.

  Unfortunately for her, Griffin had other plans.

  "Nah, I’m not in the mood," he said without looking at her.

  Erica sighed heavily. "Okay, what gives?" she demanded. “I can tell something's bothering you, Griff. Just save me the guessing work and tell me what it is.”

  Shaking his head, Griffin turned his eyes on her and stared at her for a moment before getting up and walking toward the nearest exit without answering her.

  Confused, Erica got up to follow him, but she quickly became distracted by the sight of her boss talking to Tom and an attractive blond woman she didn't recognize.

  "Erica, come over here a minute. I want to introduce you to my wife."

  Seeing no tactful way out of the situation, Erica changed direction and walked over to her superior. Plastering a smile on her face, she engaged him in a bit of small talk until he finally took his wife off to dance. Once alone again, Erica attempted to leave to find Griffin, but she was once again stopped – this time by Tom.

  "Erica, can I talk to you for a sec?"

  "Sure,” Erica said as she swallowed a sigh. She needed to find Griffin. The last thing she wanted was to waste more time talking to Tom.

  "I hope I didn’t offend your boyfriend at dinner,” Tom said in a guarded tone. “I think I may have come off a bit pompous. I want you to know that wasn't my intention."

  "It’s fine. Don't even worry about it,” Erica said with the hope that her lackluster response would end the conversation before it even began.

  Looking down at his drink, Tom shrugged, but he refused to let off that easily. "I hope I didn’t cause any problems between you two..."

  Not wanting to deal with any more hurt feelings, Erica rushed to respond, “No, Tom, you didn’t cause anything. Just…forget about it, okay? I have to run. I’ll see you Monday.”

  At that, Erica quickly walked to the door in search of Griffin. She found him sitting on a bench in the lobby with a scowl on his face.

  "There you are. Why’d you take off like that?" Erica asked as she sat down beside him.

  "Are you serious?" Griffin asked as he looked at her. "I felt like an idiot in there. Half the time I had no idea what you guys were even talking about. It’s a party. Who the hell talks about financial stuff at a party?" he inquired.

  "Griff, come on. I tried to keep you in the loop, but every time I looked over at you it was like you weren’t even paying attention. You didn’t even make an effort!"

  "Yeah, maybe because I didn't feel like it. It was like Thanksgiving all over again."

  "Griff, what do you want from me? At your company party you guys were talking about stuff I couldn't relate to, but what did I do? I made the best of it and I had a good time,” Erica said as she struggled to remain calm.

  "Well sorry I can’t relate to you and your high-roller friends,” Griffin muttered. "Maybe you’d be better off with that guy Tom."

  "What?" Erica asked in a near shout.

  "Oh don't play dumb. I saw you and Tom in there all chummy-like. He’s an intellectual. He’s high society. Maybe you should be with someone like him."

  Tears sprang to Erica’s eyes as she listened to Griffin rant, but she refused to let them fall. “Tom was asking about you, Griff. He wanted to make sure there wasn’t any misunderstanding from dinner." Erica’s voiced cracked as she spoke. "I don't get it. How could you say something like that to me?"

  Rising, Griffin looked down at Erica and shook his head. "Look, Erica…all tonight did was make me aware that I can’t give you what you deserve. I can’t give you fancy cars or a seven figure beach house in Malibu. I can’t provide any of the things a guy like Tom could."

  Standing abruptly, Erica neared in on Griffin as he tried to leave. “I could care less about money, Griff. You should know that. But if that's really what you think of me, then…maybe you're right. Maybe we shouldn't be together.”

  With that, Erica stormed off and headed for the coat check.

  "Erica, hold on!” Griffin called out as he ran after her and grabbed hold of her arm. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

  "Don’t,” Erica warned with finality. “You've already said enough.”

  Recognizing that tone, Griffin immediately removed his hand from her arm. Dismally, he watched as she stalked outside and rushed to hail a taxi. Feeling powerless to stop her, he watched as she disappeared.

  Shit, was all Griffin could think. What have I done?

  After getting home, Erica changed out of her party dress, prepared for sleep, and climbed into bed. Only after snuggling under the covers and turning off the light did she allow h
er tears to finally fall. She was so disappointed in Griffin. Never once had she asked him to be anything other than himself, and yet here he was punishing her for his own insecurities. She loved him, she really did, but tonight had proven that he didn't recuperate those feelings. Burying her face in her pillow, Erica sobbed until sleep finally overcame her.

  Chapter ten

  "So how’s your man doing?" Jade jokingly asked Erica during their weekly long-distance Skype session. Jade didn’t know that Griffin and Erica were on the ousts. As far as she knew, they were still a happy couple.