by A. Valentine
“Okay! Great then, can I have your number so that we’ll plan something out in the morning,” I said. This was my way of asking for her number so that Daddy could use it. We exchanged numbers and then the three of us picked up our stuff, and made our way out of the bar.
On our way out, my dad commented, “Smooth move,” and I smirked back at him.
Dad hailed a cab for her and Samantha got in. “You sure that you will get home, okay?” he asked her.
“Yes, I will be perfectly fine. I hope to see you tomorrow as well,” she replied and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“I will see you then. Goodbye,” Dad replied and the cab began to move away; she waved goodbye from the window and smiled. My father hailed another cab and we got in to go to my apartment.
“She seems like a swell lady,” I said, trying to be cheeky with him.
“She sure is. I love the chirpy kind, and all this time, my heart skipped a beat whenever she smiled,” he replied.
“So you’re into her, now?” I asked.
“I do not know. It was a first encounter by fate. We cannot make suppositions just on first encounter, love,” he replied.
“But all the great poets did,” I replied.
“And I am no poet but just a common man,” he said, which provided me with the answers that I needed. Dad was not going to rush things with her, and in fact, for the first time in ages, I had seen him so happy, so there was going to be planned moves. He did not want to screw this over by being impulsive at all, which was written all over his face.
We went inside and I fixed his bed in the other room. “You can crash here. If you need anything, I will be in the other room,” I said, and then heard him say from behind, “Do you think this will work?”
“Will what work?” I asked.
“You think this whole deal with Samantha? I just cannot stop thinking about how amazing she is. It has been years that some woman actually did a number on me so well,” he replied.
“I really do not know but you should sleep for now. I don’t know if it is the booze talking or the real sanity. Sleep it off and we can talk about it later,” I replied and went out. Men are like babies, I swear. Once they want something then it becomes a chase till the end of time. I went to my room and changed into comfortable clothes. Graduation party was over and it was time to sleep it off. My head was thudding more loudly so I popped two sleeping pills and knocked myself out.
Chapter 2
I woke up to another call. It was almost afternoon and my head felt like it was bearing the weight of mother earth. I was nauseated, but my eyelids refused to open up and my legs did not feel like getting out of bed. I tossed in bed for a while but then checked my cell phone. It was Samantha. I went to the bathroom in an attempt to freshen up a bit and come to my senses enough to have an actual conversation with the woman. I heard Dad in the living room watching television.
I ended up puking and then took a hot shower to calm my nerves down. My back and legs were killing me and I regretted having invited Samantha to lunch, but if I backed out now then that would break my father’s heart and likely hers as well.
I decided to not go but send dad on a lunch date with her instead. I dialed her number and sat on the bed naked with water drenching the sheets.
“Hello, Samantha? This is Karen,” I said in a hurry as soon as she picked up.
“Hi, I was calling you to ask about the lunch plan,” she said. “Yes! I’m sorry the alcohol got me for a little while. Anyways, I will not be able to make it,” I said trying to sound as apologetic as possible.
“I’m just a bit under the weather that is all, but Dad would surely love to join you for lunch,” I replied and Samantha’s excitedly squeaky voice was back on the line.
“Sure! It would be really good. You can rest and I will show David around the city a bit as well,” she replied, and this clearly implied that as much as my father was into her, she was proportionally into him as well.
“Sounds like an awesome plan. He’ll meet you at ‘The Dine’ in about two hours,” I said. ‘The Dine’ was a fancy little restaurant in the heart of the city. It was perfect for conversational intimacy. I put on another set of pajamas and went to the living room.
“Get up, old chap! You’ve got a single date,” I said, fixing myself some coffee.
“What do you mean?” he asked in a puzzled manner.
“What I mean is that you have a date with that Samantha lady. I’m not going and you are.” I was smiling now.
“Well, now! Look at you trying to be cupid. Why are you not coming along?” he asked.
“I’m a bit hung-over and have errands to run. We will have dinner together. You came all the way from Florida for my graduation so it is time that you deserved a little treat as well,” I said and sipped on my coffee. It energized me and my nerves loosened up. I could feel my brain becoming active again.
“Okay. So what time do I have to leave?” he asked.
“Well, I told her you will meet her at ‘The Dine’ in about two hours so if I were you, I’d get up and shave, put on my best clothes and leave to beat the city traffic.”
“You’re right. I cannot keep a woman waiting,” he said and got up. He kissed me on the head and then went to his room. I sat there changing channels for a while, trying to find something good to watch. I heard him say from the other room, “Should I dress classy or casual?”
“Daddy, it is a lunch not a dinner date. Put on something casual. I don’t want you to die out in the summer heat,” I replied.
“Would jeans and a tee-shirt be okay?” he asked again. God! Dad was acting like a teenager.
“Yes! It would be fine. You’re a handsome lad who can pull off anything,” I replied. The apartment was a mess. Dirty dishes in the sink and dust on the furniture. I realized that today was going to be spent cleaning up after all.
I got up and took a large trash bag from the kitchen. I scooped up every wrapper and beer can. I was trying to plug in the vacuum cleaner when Dad stepped in the living room and for a moment I halted to look at the man. He wore dark blue, faded jeans and a black shirt. His hair was neatly parted to the side and he was wearing strong cologne that had my mind fogged up for a little while. I saw how he tried to retain his youth. His strong jaw line and freshly shaved face did not give away his age at all. He looked like he was in his 30s even though he was about to end his 40s.
I whistled at him, “Boy! That woman is going to fall for you hard this time,” I said.
“You think so? Well thank you,” he said.
“Okay, so I called a cab and it will be here any minute. I gave the driver instructions so you’ll be there without a hassle. I’ll call you up and we can meet for dinner later on, whenever you are ready,” I said and went on vacuuming the room.
“Sure,” he said and checked himself in the mirror placed in the living room.
“Your cab is here so better get moving,”
“Goodbye; wish me luck,”
“Best of luck, Daddy.” He shut the door behind him. I could sense that he was falling for her head over heels. It was okay because I really wanted him to be in a relationship providing how hard he struggled with his love life.
I cleaned up my apartment and made a few calls. It was time to get the graduation celebrations over with, and hunt down a good job. I looked over at the clock and it was almost half past five; I decided to ring Daddy up and ask him for his plans for the night.
“Hello,” I said.
“Hey, honey. I was just about to call you,” he replied.
“I’m sure you were, Daddy,” I said sarcastically.
“I’m at the central park right now with Samantha. She would like you to join us for dinner at her place with her son,” he said. This gathering was something that I really had not planned for, but upon noticing how excited my dad’s tone of voice was, I obliged.
“Okay, text me her address and I’ll see you guys around seven,” I replied. “Have an awesome time. Goodby
e.”
“Sure, I’ll text you right away. Goodbye, sweetie.” And he cut the line.
About 15 minutes later, I got the text from her that had her address. It was not that far away after all. A half an hour drive near the outskirts of downtown area and voila!
I took a shower and put on a black dress with white polka dots on it because the heat was not tolerable and I wanted loads of air. I pinned my hair back up into a French bun and then with a tad bit of makeup, made my way out.
I reached her house which had a vast front lawn neatly kept.
The woman had a love for gardening and I could infer it from the way the grape vines and roses were in order. I made my way through the driveway and knocked on the door. In a couple of moments the door opened and there on the front porch stood a tall man with the body adorned to him by the gods, if you ask me. He was above six feet tall with a muscular build and piercing green eyes which made my soul quiver. He had a beard that gave his face a sleek shape and more rough look with a dragon tattoo which travelled from the side of his neck to the other end. A knock on the door had changed my life forever.
He stood there, smiling, “Hello, you must be Karen! I’m Jake. Samantha’s son,” he said. His voice was coarse but at the same time his manner of speaking was slow and polite. He showed me inside and all that time I kept looking at that gorgeous man who had in the first glance stole my heart from the very start.
I saw Dad sitting in the living room and joined him.
“I’m glad you’re on time,” Dad said as Jake joined us sitting opposite me on the sofa. He smelled of cigarette smoke and mild whiskey.
“Well yeah, so where is Samantha?” I asked as my nervousness stammered my speech.
“Mum’s in the kitchen,” replied Jake.
“She’s a real cook. I just found out about it today. The woman loves to cook,” said Dad in a proud tone. He liked women who were independent but maintained that feministic touch in themselves as well.
I kept looking at Jake, and I could feel that he kept looking at me as well. My heartbeat was pulsing out of the room and my palms were getting sweaty. It was not love but rather a craving. I craved him in a manner I rarely craved any other man in my life. He just seemed perfect to me during that hour. It was highly weird how I had acted out, but the charm in his manners had wooed me from the start.
“Dinner is ready!” Samantha called out from the dining area.
“You have a very beautiful house, Samantha,” I said, in order to occupy my mind with something else.
“Yes! Jake helped me design it. People in the construction business really know how to make even the smallest of places look wonderful,” she said.
I sat down at the left corner of the table and right beside me, Jake took a seat. It was as if there was no escaping him or his charm. Dad and Samantha sat on the opposite ends of the table.
“Well, yeah you could say that. Jake really did a wonderful job,” I replied.
Everyone started passing around dishes as the air smelled of roasted chicken with butter. I helped myself with some mashed potatoes because my gut had butterflies in it that would not settle and let me eat. I ate a little and time flew by but with him it seemed like an eternity.
After we were done eating, I helped Samantha clear the table. My dad and Jake went out to the porch to drink a beer or two.
“The dinner was delicious,” I said, trying to keep up the conversation.
“Thank you, doll,” she replied and went into the kitchen. I heard footsteps behind me but was too busy clearing the table when I felt someone weigh a bit on me and I looked back, it was Jake. My heart began to beat more loudly against my chest. I was closer to him than ever and felt his breath on my face.
“Well, sorry! I was carefully going to grab that glass over there but you turned around,” he said, laughing.
“Let me get it for you,” and as he backed off, I took a deep breath. I ended up handing the glass to him and my hand brushed against his.
“Thank you, pretty lady,” he said with a smirk on his face.
“You’re welcome,” I replied and turned around. I did not want him to see me blushing.
“Aren’t you going to come out to the porch and have a drink or two?” he asked.
I really did not want to drink providing my low alcohol tolerance, but it was rude if I declined so directly and ended up saying, “Sure! I’ll join you in a minute.” The words came out of my mouth all by themselves and I did not expect it to be that way.
“Great,” he replied and went out.
My dad came in moments later. “I’m having a great time. Are you doing okay, honey?” He noticed that all the color had drained from my face because I was nervous.
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m going out to the backyard to have a drink. Do you want to come with?” I said.
“No, I’ll have a little chat with Samantha if that is okay with you?” he asked.
“Sure.” I walked out of the room to where Jake was standing, looking in the distance.
I grabbed a beer that was placed on the table and stood right beside him.
“So tell me about yourself?” he asked.
“Well, there is nothing much to tell. I just graduated from college and now struggling to find a job,” I replied.
“I see, well best of luck with that,” he said.
The moonlight pierced through half his face and half of it was covered in darkness which made way to a beautiful glow on his face. He was half smiling at me and I wanted to keep talking but there was nothing I could say.
“You’re really pretty,” he said.
“Thank you so much. You’re not that bad, either,” I replied. It took me by surprise. We stood very near and in the air I could hear him exhaling and inhaling smoke from his cigarette.
“Karen! Honey, should we get going?” I heard Daddy call out from inside.
“We should,” I said in a loud tone and then directed towards Jake, “So, I’ll see you again?”
“Sure,” he replied.
“Where do you work at?” I just needed to ask him because I was planning on dropping by there, while making up a reason. I needed to see him again.
“Taylor and James Construction Company,” he replied and smiled. We shook hands and he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek, “It was wonderful meeting you, Karen.”
The brush of his lips against my cheek had sent shivers down my spine and I felt weak to my very core. I stammered on my words, “It was nice, umm, meeting you as well. I hope to, umm, see you soon.” And with that, I walked out of there.
“Dad, let’s go,” I said and passed by the living room in a hurry.
Samantha walked right beside my father, “It was lovely to have you over for dinner, Karen and David. I hope we’ll get together again,” as she looked my dad directly in the eye and smiled.
“We will,” Daddy replied, and I saw Jake making way to the small corridor where the three of us were standing.
“Take care,” Samantha said. Dad and I walked to the end of the street. We wanted to walk instead of taking a cab for some reason.
“Had a great time?” he said.
“I sure as hell did,” I replied.
We walked silently back to my apartment and did not say much.
Chapter 3
During the next two days, neither Dad nor I said much about Samantha. It was time that Dad flew back to Florida and I start scouting seriously for job opportunities. I still could not get Jake out of my mind; for some reason, the man had left more than an impression but a permanent imprint.
At the airport, I dropped Dad off and saw Samantha there as well.
“I just wanted to see you father off,” she said as we both hugged.
“I can understand. It is really nice seeing you,” I replied.
“Dad, I should get going,” I said. “Call me when you get home.”
“Will do, honey!” Dad said. We hugged and said our final goodbyes. I had a job interview in about an hour and
left for it. Samantha stayed back with my father.
During the course of the next three months, there was little interaction between me and Samantha, but Daddy had told me that he was genuinely interested in her. She even went to Florida to visit him. I was caught up in life badly, but during lonesome nights there was this nostalgic feeling about Jake in my mind. We had an intimate connection.
My phone rang while I was coming back home; it was Daddy.
“Hello,” he said, but his voice sounded really nervous.
“Hi, Dad! Is everything okay?” I responded.
“Yes, everything is fine. I’m flying in on the weekend. I thought to let you know,” he said.
“Okay. But is everything alright with you?” I was nervous and worried.
“Yes, everything is fine. I just need to talk to you in person,” he replied. “So see you on the weekend.” And he cut the line.
I really had no idea what he was going to talk about. Dad always had this manner of surprising people. Three days later, I was at the airport waiting for him to land.
We said our hellos and hugged, but my curiosity was getting the best of me. I couldn’t wait to ask him about this visit.
“So, what is up?” I said on our way back to the apartment.
“Do you really want to have this conversation now? In the back of a cab?” he said with an annoyed tone.
“Yes, sir! Right now. Give it to me,” I replied in a cheeky manner.
“Well, I’m going to propose to Samantha and that is why I flew here from Florida,” he replied, and as each word hit me, I could feel my whole body going numb. My father was going to marry someone he met a couple of months ago. I was half-heartedly crushing over the son of that woman. I was crushing over my own stepbrother. The marriage really did not bother me because I wanted my father to be happy, but then the feeling of lusting over him made me feel super guilty.
“I’m so happy for you,” I replied because there was nothing much I could say to him at that moment.
“You’re taking it better than I expected. She will be a great step-mother to you, Karen,” he said and hugged me.
