by Ruby Scott
“What’s wrong Georgia?”
“Exams.” I lied.
“Don’t worry we will study. I will use all the energy I have to keep my hands off you…if I can.” He winked and I giggled.
“Well let’s hope you don’t use all of your energy David. You will be needing some for later.” I winked back at him and David took a deep breath.
“We won’t get any study done if you say things like that, or look at me like that.”
He bit his lip and it made me want to jump on top of him and save his lips with mine, but I refrained, breaking our eye contact, denying the sexual tension that stood dense between us.
“So what’s for dinner, Professor?”
He brushed me away. “Go and study. It’s a surprise.”
And he made his way to the kitchen.
I sat at the table blindfolded and salivating, as the aromas tickled at my nose. David made his way back and forth between the kitchen and the table, hurriedly preparing the feast in front of me. He stood behind me and untied the blindfold revealing a candlelit dinner. There were three candles set across the table which now lit up the dim room, and there were numerous plates of my favourite foods perfectly arranged in front of me. I can vaguely remember telling him these things, but I was surprised and overwhelmed that he had remembered every detail. There sat roasted potatoes, a chicken satay, white dinner rolls with melting butter, and the list went on. We would be eating this for days. I threw my arms around David’s neck and thanked him profusely.
“You are amazing David Walton.”
“Only for you.” He gushed and we sat down to enjoy the banquet he had made just for me.
I was so in awe of him, and the delicious food, that my mind had given me the courtesy of allowing me to enjoy the moment, and momentarily forget about the impending doom I had to face. However, as the dinner came to an end, and I polished off my favourite sticky date pudding with vanilla ice-cream, my mind filled up again with the thoughts of the little life that was growing inside of me. I tried desperately to indulge in the conversation, laughing at David’s jokes, and answering his questions, but it was obvious I was concentrating on other matters. My head was aching as it ticked incessantly, waiting for its time to explode.
“Hey, don’t worry about exams Georgia. You are a very bright woman and you are going to do well. I promise.”
He grabbed my hand trying to comfort and ease the nerves he thought I was feeling and I took a breath, ready to dive in head first.
“I need to talk to you, David.”
His eyes widened and he let me continue.
“I don’t want to be pushy or anything but I think we should talk about where this is all going.”
His look saddened.
“It hasn’t been long Georgia so I’m not really sure what you want me to say?”
“I want you to say what you are thinking, not what you think I want to hear.”
“Yes, I know, but to be perfectly honest, I have just been enjoying our time together and I haven’t really given us any further thought.”
I knew he wasn’t trying to be insensitive but I felt a pain in my heart. I suddenly felt unwanted and used and my eyes began to sting with tears.
“Georgia, what’s wrong? What are you thinking? Tell me, please.”
He reached for my hand again and I pulled it off the table and into my lap. I wanted to keep my cool. I didn’t want to be a silly little girl that didn’t know how to deal with adult life. David wasn’t just an adult but he had dealt with things that had made him grow up even more. He had hardened and I knew one sign of a complication would send him running in the opposite direction.
“What happens when you are no longer my teacher? Do we go out in public?”
“What do you want to happen?”
“I don’t know.”
I started to crumble under the weight of my secret and I had to silence myself to hold back tears.
“Look, Georgia. I really love being with you I do. But…”
My heart sank.
“…You are only twenty-three. I am sixteen years older than you…” He trailed off.
“What are you saying, David?”
“Well, what did you expect Georgia? Getting involved with your teacher?”
His angry tone shocked me, but unfortunately sounded familiar.
“You’re right. What was I thinking?”
I pushed myself away from the table and started collecting my books from the coffee table.
“I’m sorry Georgia. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have started this.”
I stormed to the door, tears blurring my eyes and now running down my cheeks.
“I can’t believe I thought there was something more than an angry and cruel, lonely old man under all that! Fuck you!” I screamed and slammed the door behind me.
***
I was stupid and naïve to think that I had cured his broken heart or made him want to be a better person. As far as I was concerned, his self-righteous and demeaning persona was only pushed away long enough so he could get a few quick fucks. It had been two months now and the stubborn prick still hadn’t contacted me in any way. I wasn’t senseless enough to expect him to actually apologise and tell me he couldn’t live without me or anything, but I had to admit, I hadn’t been able to completely shut out my tiniest bit of hope. I didn’t want to be with him after that, but of course I still had hoped that the good times, I had thought we shared together, might have meant something, and he might have tried to mend our friendship before we parted our separate ways. But there was nothing. It was like he had just disappeared.
I was showing now but I still couldn’t bring myself to tell Mom. I wore baggy clothes and secluded myself. She knew something had happened but the only times I would let her see me, I was curled up in bed or on the couch, and she wasn’t able to notice the small bump slowly growing.
I walked to the supermarket to grab my latest craving of Nutella and banana sandwiches. Mom was at work and it was around half past nine in the morning, so my thought was that most people would be at work by now. My body was still petite, despite the baby now living inside of me, so it was still quite easy for me to disguise but I still wanted to be extra careful.
And there he was. Aisle four. Perusing the pasta sauces like he hadn’t a care in the world. I turned around desperately trying to escape his sight but I was too late.
“Georgia!”
I pretended not to hear.
“Georgia.”
I turned around slowly and walked up to him.
“You should probably call me Miss Samuels, Professor.” I advised. “Someone could hear you.” I spat at him.
He ignored my tone.
“I’ve been wanting to speak to you.”
I laughed sarcastically in his face.
“Did you lose your phone, paper, writing materials, car….?”
“Sorry, I just…Can we catch up for coffee later today so we can talk properly.”
“I don’t think so.” I dismissed him abruptly.
“I’ve missed you.”
“Well, that only took you two months and accidently bumping into me at the supermarket.”
I turned to walk away.
“Georgia please!” He cried.
He grabbed at my arm and his hand swept against my belly. I winced and clutched my baby. He hadn’t hurt me but I can’t explain the feeling you get when anything comes at your stomach, when you’re pregnant, no matter how stupid and irrational. David stood in shock at the bump I’m sure he had just diagnosed as ‘pregnant with his child’, and I shook away from his grip and continued my determined march away from him. He followed me as I walked out of the supermarket and down the street. He clutched at my arm again to stop me and I turned around looking at him with my best hateful stare I could muster. His eyes were compassionate and my expression quickly dissipated.
“Is it mine?”
“Is what yours?”
“Are you…” He looked
down at my stomach gesturing towards my pregnancy but I acted oblivious to his gaze.
“Are you pregnant Georgia?”
“What? Of course not!”
“Look at me and tell me you’re not pregnant.”
“Who are you to tell me what to do? Get off your fucking high and mighty horse and join the rest of us in reality, Professor Walton.”
His shock was not of anger. He looked utterly broken and saddened.
“I hope it’s mine Georgia.”
He spoke calmly and softly and I started to cry again. My emotions were running wild and I no longer could register what I was feeling or what I wanted.
We walked back to my house in silence and I let him follow me inside. He tried to explain why he had not contacted me and why he had acted so inconsiderately towards me the last time he saw me. I wanted to keep my wall up and not give in to his apologies, but the truth was that I completely understood his fear; his larger than normal fear because of how love had destroyed him once before. He knew he had made some bad decisions but he wanted to make it up to me. He wanted to be a family. He wanted to support me. He wanted to love me. And I wanted to love him. I didn’t tell him this though. I let him hold me in the darkness of my room and told him I would think about it. I knew that I was going to let him back in but I wasn’t going to let him know that just yet. I needed to make sure that the professor’s other side wasn’t still secretly waiting around the corner.
And it wasn’t. It never came back, and we never looked back.
THE END
© Copyright 2015 by Kristen Chase - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
Trey: My Boyfriend’s Dad
by Kristen Chase
“You have been such a great influence on Jack, Kaitlin.”
“Thanks.”
I smiled at Trey and he smiled at me with a look I wasn’t expecting.
“You are quite a wonderful girl, I don’t know how he snapped you up.”
He joked with me and laughed that incredibly dorky dad laugh he always had, which then made me laugh too.
“Me neither.” I agreed and we laughed again.
He stared into my eyes and I suddenly felt uncomfortable, like he was undressing me just like that. I peeled my eyes away, embarrassed at what his eyes suggested, and scared that someone might be around watching us interact like this—like his son and my boyfriend, or his wife.
I had always had a great bond with Jack’s dad, and he definitely treated me better than Jack did, but Jack was young still, and, well, his dad was not. Plus, he wasn’t my boyfriend so I hadn’t spent nearly enough time around him for the possibility of disrespect to come into play. And I’m not saying Jack treated me terribly, but he had made me cry more times than I thought a boyfriend should. But what would I know, he was my first boyfriend I guess, and from what I heard from all of my friends, all boyfriends were a little difficult to handle. We knew it was just a stage though, you know—a teenager thing. We couldn’t have too many expectations while we were still so young. They were learning just as much as we were.
“Hey chubs.”
Jack walked up behind me grabbing my love handles and I struggled out of his grip.
He knew I hated him touching me there, it made me feel fat; his comments didn’t help either.
Trey looked at him disappointedly.
“Jack, how many times do I need to tell you that you’re not going be able to keep a good girl like this when you call her names.”
“Shut up dad! She loves it, don’t you chubs?”
“You know I hate it.”
I looked at Jack seriously but he laughed once again as if it was all one big joke and I felt the need to cover myself up.
I used to feel quite confident in my body. I knew I was a bit overweight, but I made it work, and I think that’s what drew Jack to me in the first place. But now he had sucked all the confidence out of me and I was left wondering why he even wanted to be with me anymore. Come to think of it, I’m not really sure why I even stayed with him. I loved him of course but I knew I didn’t love our relationship. It was just hard to quit something that I had gotten so used to. He told me he loved me too, mostly after or during sex, but other times he did too. Well, I guess the other times weren’t much better either. It was always to pull me back to him when he had upset me. He was the king of manipulation and even though I knew he was doing it, I was powerless to stop it. I don’t know why, but I had lost all my power the moment I said I would be his girlfriend.
Sometimes I felt that his character wasn’t exactly all his fault though and I almost felt sorry for him. His mother, you see, was, to cut it short, a bitch! She was never around, due to her booming business, which I know is quite incredible in itself, considering she had made them all billionaires, but when she was home, she ruled the house like she was the boss there too, like it was no different than her workplace. They were all terrified of her, even Jack. I would see him so vulnerable in her presence and I just wanted to save him, but then I saw Jack’s dad, and I couldn’t understand why Jack hadn’t taken more attributes from him. I mean, I didn’t exactly comprehend why Trey would let his wife treat them all the way she did, but apart from that, which was none of my business and I really knew nothing about, he was a pretty great guy, and he loved Jack and his brothers more than anything. Jack was the youngest of the three boys though and the other two had left home as soon as they legally could, but when they came around to the house, I could see, without a doubt, the invaluable bond they shared with their dad. This was not shared with Jack though, and I once again found myself feeling sorry for Jack who now seemed to be the one that was left out, and I could definitely see the reasons for all of his anger. I know that didn’t mean I deserved to be his punching bag, but I did love him so I didn’t know what else I could really do.
***
Even though Jack had his own Lamborghini and I was still stuck catching shitty public transport, it was very rare that he ventured over to my house, or even picked me up. I was kind of embarrassed by my living situation though, especially compared to Jack’s mansion house, and of course Jack’s numerous crude comments about how poor I was didn’t make it easier. I wasn’t actually poor at all and my house was just your average house, nothing wrong with it at all, but once again, when we are comparing to Jack, nothing quite lives up to his arrangement. Plus, my parents were not exactly great to me either so I didn’t mind having to get out of the house and over to Jack’s. His house was big enough that everybody could be home and we could still have our privacy.
I knocked on his front door, knowing I would have to wait an extra minute or so for someone to actually make it through the house and to the door.
Trey finally answered and welcomed me in.
“Hi Trey, how are you?”
“Great thank-you Kaitlin. How are you?”
“Good thanks. Is Jack home? I noticed his car wasn’t outside?”
“No, actually he has been out all day. Did he know you were coming over?”
“Yeah, I spoke to him this morning.”
“That would be right.”
He rolled his eyes and I followed him to the lounge room to sit down and wait.
“Would you like me to give him a call sweetheart?”
“Oh that’s okay, I can call him. Thanks Trey.”
“Well, would you like a drink while you wait?”
“No thanks, I’m fine.”
Trey left the room and I tried dialling Jack’s mobile, but it kept ringing out.
“No luck?”
Trey entered the room again with a coffee cup and sat on the couch next to me, seeing me
looking at my phone frustrated.
“He is hopeless with his phone.” I sighed trying to brush off Jack’s unreliability as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“Boys are all a bit hopeless.” He laughed and I smiled at him for his efforts to make me feel better.
I was used to Jack, though. This wasn’t the first time I would have to wait for him and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
“I can keep you company anyway.”
“Oh, that’s okay Trey. I don’t want to bother you.”
“Don’t be silly. You are not a bother one bit. I’d be glad to spend some time with you.”
There it was—that uncomfortable air rising between us again. I forced out a smile. I actually did really enjoy Trey’s company but I didn’t really like the way he was so friendly to his son’s girlfriend. And how many girlfriends of his sons’ had he been friendly to in the past? I shuddered at the thought and even though I usually really liked Trey, my thoughts had made me a little wearier of him. I didn’t want to be though. I had been with Jack for almost a year now and Trey had always been a very decent and genuine person. Maybe it was the way my body reacted to his comments that was making it uncomfortable. Maybe he was just being friendly but now my mind somehow broke it up and put it back together in a very different way.
I looked over at Trey and his eyes were fixated on the television. His jaw was clenching tight as he watched Hulk Hogan body slam Andre the Giant—a replay I had unfortunately seen way too many times. However, I found myself attracted to Trey’s intense attention to his all-time favourite wrestling program. The thought of what it would be like to kiss a man with a beard involuntarily came into my mind and I shook my eyes away, immediately angry that my mind had taken me there. I wasn’t thinking about kissing Trey of course, his beard had just provoked random thoughts about things that were not connected to him in any way.
