It's Complicated

by Missy Johnson

  I giggle, in spite of not feeling like laughing.

  “Thanks, Kales. Thanks for coming on this thing with me, even if it was a train wreck. You’re a good friend.”

  “I know I am,” Kayla says, smiling at me.

  The boat jolts as it rocks against the dock and a bittersweet feeling washes over me. We’re finally home. Dad and Mandy don’t waste any time before they disappear down the jetty, without looking back. It's what I was expecting, but it still kind of hurts.

  After I say goodbye to Kayla, I wander over to Nick.

  “Hey,” he says, studying my face.

  “Hey,” I say with a sigh. “I’m sorry for not answering your messages last night. I just needed to clear my head.”

  “And did you?”

  I nod. “I guess I'm getting a lift home with you. If you’ll have me,” I add. He wraps his arms around me.

  “There is always room for you. Are you going home?”

  “I think so,” I say. I haven’t really thought about it. “I'm not exactly sure if I’m welcome there, but I half expect him not to go home. He’ll probably go to Mandy's. At least until he calms down.”

  “Well, you’re more than welcome to come and stay with me. Hell, you can move in, if you like. If you can put up these two rat bags.”

  I glance at the kids, who are over by the railing, busily arguing over who gets to ride in the front on the way home. I wince because they’re going to hate me when they figure out it's me.

  “They’ll only hate you for a day,” Nick says, reading my mind.

  I laugh and follow him to the car, the kids right behind us. He takes my hand in his, and while I like it, I'm still not sure how much his kids know about us.

  We’re almost at the car when Max has the realization that he won’t be sitting in the front. He frowns at me.

  “I suppose you're sitting in the front,” he finally says.

  “If that's okay with you,” I smile.

  He studies me thoughtfully for a moment.

  “Okay,” he agrees as if he’s doing me the favor of the century. I sigh with relief, feeling like I just passed his first test. “I’ll allow it. This time.”

  The drive back home is mostly quiet, apart from the few awkward moments where Nick tries to spark conversation between the four of us. Things quickly change for the better though when Millie breaks the ice without even realizing it by asking me when I'm moving in.

  “Do you want me to move in?” I ask, turning around to grin at her.

  “Yes,” she groans. “I’m always outnumbered when it comes to ordering take-out. And I have to put up with these two doing what they want all the time. They never let me do anything.”

  “So, you want me to even things up?” I laugh. Wait till she realizes I’m a bit of a tomboy. “It would be great, huh? We can give each other makeovers, watch girly movies, have sleepovers.” Millie cheers while Max groans loudly.

  “Dad, why couldn’t you be in guys?” Max mutters.

  Nick laughs. “Excuse me?”

  “Yeah, come on, it would be great,” Max enthuses. “One of my friends at school has two dads, and he says it’s awesome.”

  “Are you going to marry Anna?” Milly pipes up.

  “Nick?” I say, keeping a straight face as I glance at him. “You can take that one.” I raise my eyebrows as his face goes red before I lose it and laugh.

  “How about we see how we go?” Nick replies.

  “I’ve seen you kissing Daddy before,” Milly announces, moving on to me. “On the couch. I was supposed to be asleep, but I wasn’t.” Mortified, I glance at Nick, who chuckles.

  “Yeah? Well, I saw her undies on the bathroom floor once,” Max pipes up. “So, I knew what was happening.”

  “Max,” Nick growls, scowling at his son through the rear vision mirror.

  I sink a few inches lower in my seat, too scared to think too hard about whether or not I got them back, or if I should be searching under Max’s bed for them. I catch Nick’s eye, and he’s trying so hard not to laugh.

  “What?” Max mutters. “I’m just saying I knew she was staying over, even when she crept out before we got up.” He shrugs innocently as Nick finally pulls into my driveway.

  “I live next door. I could've walked the thirty seconds,” I say, biting my lip to hide my smile.

  “Hey, I was trying to be nice,” he says, looking wounded.

  “Are you going to kiss?” frowns Max. “Because that’s gross.”

  “Then close your eyes,” retorts Nick. “Three, two, one…”

  Milly giggles as Nick leans over and kisses me on the mouth. It’s only a brief peck, but enough to make Max voice his disapproval by gagging. Still laughing, I climb out. That had been a much more entertaining ride home than I was expecting.

  “Bye, guys,” I say to the kids. I smile shyly at Nick. “I'll see you later?”

  He winks at me. “I’ll call you.”

  My heart pounds as I walk up the driveway. I don't expect Dad to be here and when I go inside, I'm relieved to find he's not. I’m not ready to have whatever conversation it is we need to have. I need time to prepare. Time to think about what I want to say and how I want to say it.

  It’s mid-afternoon, but I’m exhausted, so I take a long hot shower and then curl up on my bed. I pull the covers up around my neck and close my eyes. I must've fallen asleep because the next thing I know, the vibration of my phone is waking me up. I open my eyes and fumble for it, picking it up to see a message from Nick.

  Nick: Just checking in on you.

  Me: I just woke up. Dad’s not here. Haven’t seen or heard from him. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.

  The phone rings. I see Nick’s name and press answer.

  “Easier than texting,” he chuckles. “And I also wanted to do this in person.”

  “Do what?” I ask curiously.

  “Ask you out. Like on a real date. Dinner. The works. The kids are both fed and watching TV. Shirley is ready to come over and babysit them the moment you say yes.”

  I hesitate. I want nothing more than to say yes, but it feels kind of wrong to see him while things are so fragile with Dad.

  “It’ll take your mind off things,” he promises me.

  “Okay,” I say. I smile because I am looking forward to this.

  “Great. I’ll pick you up at six.”

  Just before six, Nick knocks on my door. I glance at my reflection in the hallway mirror, hoping I’m not overdressed in my short black silk wrap dress and matching heels. I’m not sure why I feel so nervous. It’s not like it’s the first time we’ve been together. It’s our first time out in public, where people can see us and judge us. For me, that’s scary. I yank open the door, and Nick smiles at me, his eyes roaming down over my body. He shakes his head and breathes out.

  “Holy shit, you look stunning,” he mumbles.

  I smile shyly because he doesn't look half bad himself. He's obviously shaved, and I’m resisting the urge to lunge forward and run my fingers over his smooth, soft skin. His hair is loosely styled in a way that makes it look natural, and those blue eyes look even brighter than usual against his dark blue sweater. He puts his hand out, and I take it, a shiver racing through me when we touch.

  “Shall we go?” he says with a grin. I nod, unable to hide my excitement.

  He opens the car door for me, and I get in and watch him walk around to the driver’s side. He slides in and smirks at me, the soft scent of his aftershave wafting over to me. I shiver because he smells good.

  “So, where are we going?” I ask. He shakes his head, a glint in his eye.

  “You’ll find that out soon enough,” he says.

  He’s right because five minutes later, we pull up outside the old theater. He stops the car and starts getting out. Confused, I frown at him and glance around. There are no restaurants in walking distance around here.

  “What are we doing here?” I ask.

  “Just go with it,” he says, his e
yes sparkling.

  Excitement ripples through me as I begin to piece things together I should’ve worked out weeks ago. His big special project; the article on the redevelopment of the theatre…Nick is the architect on the theatre redevelopment, I’m sure of it.

  We walk up the steps in the direction of the entrance as my excitement continues to build. I raise my eyebrows when he pulls out a key and unlocks the door. I’m impressed that he can come and go as he pleases. He nods and motions for me to go inside.

  “Why didn't you tell me you were redesigning this?” I grin as we walk through to the lobby.

  “I tried. Many times,” he laughs. “But we always ended up getting distracted. Which I’m fine with because I wanted to wait until it was all official before I told you anyway.”

  “That’s why you were fine with being distracted?” I tease, hiding my smile.

  “That and you give really good head,” he murmurs, kissing me on the mouth. I laugh because I love it when he says romantic things like that.

  “This project really means something to you, doesn't it?” I say, my heart aching.

  Places like this must hold memories for everyone. First kisses, last kisses, the best moments, the worst moments… We’re surrounded by hundreds of years of good and bad memories that are about to be destroyed to make way for a new generation of memories.

  He nods, a sadness clouding his eyes. “I used to come here a lot when I was younger with my grandmother, so yeah, it holds a lot of memories for me. It's kind of scary doing this, because if I don't do it right, if I don't do the original building justice, I kind of feel like I’m letting her down. Does that make any sense?” he asks.

  I nod, completely getting it. “The one time I went somewhere with my Mom, it was to see a play in this theatre,” I murmured. “She came back from London to try and ‘be a mother’. It only lasted a week, but she took me here to see a musical rendition of Lady and the Tramp. Every time I walk past this place, I think of her.”

  “Shit,” he murmurs. “You’ve just added a whole new level of pressure,” he jokes.

  He stops suddenly and sits down on the floor, laying down, with his hands resting behind his head. I laugh and look at him like he’s crazy.

  “What are you doing?” I say a with a giggle.

  “Trust me,” he says. “This spot right here? The best view of the whole building.”

  I roll my eyes. I’m sure it’s just a ploy to get me down on the floor, but I do it anyway. I lie back next to him and look up at the ceiling. I gasp. I have no words. My mind is blown.

  “Holy shit,” I finally whisper. The number of times I've been here, I've never seen the way all the steel lines curve in to peak right at this point. The combination of the swirling steel and the glass stained roof is simply stunning. I just can’t stop staring at it. Everything comes together and unites right here. It’s just perfect.

  “This is basically the center point for my whole design,” he murmurs, glancing excitedly at me. “The moment I saw this, I knew I had to make the roof the focal point. You want to see my model now?” he asks. He arches his eyebrow just enough to make me laugh.

  He gets up and extends his hand, helping me to my feet before I can even say yes. I smile as we walk through the building and into an office, genuinely excited to see what he’s got.

  “I set myself up here because I find it inspirational to be as close to what I'm designing as possible,” he explains. I nod, but all I can do is stare at his vision in the form of a tiny model, which is sitting on a table in the middle of the room.

  “Holy fuck, Nick. This is amazing,” I murmur, walking around it.

  My heart races, a chill moving down my spine. It is every bit as beautiful as the original building, but with that stunning glass and steel roof covering the entire roof. I especially love how he’s made the point where the roof peaks simply stunning from every angle. My mind is blown. This guy is living my dream. Hell, this guy is my dream.

  “You like it?” he asks nervously.

  “I love it,” I say. I glance at it more closely and laugh. “Is this wall staying?” I ask. It’s the wall where you first walk in, where people have carved their initials on it. He nods.

  “I couldn’t get rid of the first date wall,” he murmurs, his eyes twinkling.

  I laugh and wrap my arms around him. “I can’t believe how incredible you’ve made this,” I murmur, shaking my head in disbelief. “Every day, I’ll get to drive past this place and remind myself that you made this.”

  “Well I’m not going to be up there slapping on the cement, so I’m hardly making it,” he mutters, embarrassed.

  “You know what I mean,” I grin. “You just amaze me, Nick Jenson. Your talent amazes me. If I’m half as good as you are one day, I’ll be happy.”

  He places his arms around me, my words hitting him deep. I sigh as he cradles my face and kisses me, his touch still managing to send shockwaves through my body.

  “You’ll outshine me in every single way,” he assures me. “You’re twenty-two, yet you pick up things that people who have been doing this for years don’t even see. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with more passion for what they want to do than you.”

  “Except maybe for you,” I tease.

  He grins. “Yeah, except maybe for me.”

  He reaches up and touches my cheek, running his fingers softly down over my neck. I sigh when his fingers rest on the dip in my shirt, circling between my breasts. My heart pounds. I stare at him, and he stares back, his eyes searching mine. I nod slowly, and he lifts me onto his waist and carries me out through the doorway. I laugh, no idea where he’s taking me, or how he can see when he’s too distracted with kissing my neck.

  “Watch where you’re going,” I laugh, holding onto him tightly as he nearly sends me into a wall.

  “I swear that wasn’t there before,” he grumbles.

  We reach the main theatre, and I laugh as he sets me down on the stage.

  “Ever wanted to fuck in front of an audience?” he growls, unbuckling his belt. I giggle and glance out at the empty theatre. My heart pounds, because even though there’s nobody there, it would take very little imagination to fill all those seats in my mind.

  He crouches down between my legs and positions himself on top of me. I sigh as he kisses my neck, while his fingers stroke my thigh. He pushes up the skirt of my dress, his hands inching closer to my panties, while his erection rubs against me though his pants.

  He rolls my panties down my thighs and over my legs, before flinging them over his shoulder. I laugh and then gasp as he buries his face between my legs. His tongue lashes at my clit while I gasp, my thighs clenching against his head. He growls, his eyes meeting mine as he spreads my legs further apart and slides his tongue inside me.

  “I can’t decide whether to make you come on my tongue or on my dick,” he murmurs, raising an eyebrow. He sidles up my body, taking my dress with him until I’m completely exposed from the waist down.

  “Why not both?” I grin.

  He kisses me roughly. “Because once my cock is done with you, you won’t be able to move for a week,” he smirks.

  I giggle and press my lips against his. “Was that what you put on your dating profile?” I tease.

  The taste of my sweetness on his mouth stirs up desires I never expected. I ease him off me, then climb into his lap, lifting my dress over my head. He groans when he sees that I’m not wearing a bra.

  “These are perfect,” he murmurs, placing his lips over my nipple. I gasp as his fingers kneed my breasts, his eyes on mine as he sucks that nipple stiff. I reach down and lower his zipper, freeing the button on his jeans. He bursts free like a jack in the box, which I find hysterical.

  “Are you all right?” he asks, a smirk on his lips.

  “You could scare young children with that thing,” I giggle.

  He groans and cringes. “Are you trying to kill my erection?”

  “Shit, I’m sorry,” I say,
stifling a laugh. I’m confident I can get it back, though. I scoot onto the floor and lean down, taking him in my mouth. He leans back on his hands, a groan escaping his lips.

  “Fuck,” he mutters, his breathing heavy.

  He’s very quickly back to where he was, so I slide my mouth along his length one more time and then climb back into his lap.

  “Tease,” he says, narrowing his eyes.

  “Then how about you tease me back?” I grin.

  My hands around his neck, I bite my lip and lower myself onto his cock. I must have looked nervous because he kisses my neck and tells me to relax. I nod and do my best to let go of all the tension I’m holding onto. I slide halfway down on him, gently rocking myself back and forth. Every thrust sends him a little bit deeper inside me until he’s completely immersed in my pussy.

  He groans and grinds against me, one hand on the floor behind him, supporting us, and the other raking through my hair. He leans forward and kisses me, his lips soft and gentle against my mouth. My heart races as his cock drives inside me, the rhythm he’s moving to driving me crazy.

  I arch my back and take him in, forgetting about his size. My body shivers as I begin to climax. I gasp, my body convulsing as my pussy contracts around his cock. He groans and jerks forward, his arm snaking around my waist as he thrusts me against him.

  He kisses me roughly as he releases, while I dig my nails into his back, his skin clammy against my touch. Out of breath, I roll onto the floor, barely noticing how cold the wooden floor is against my skin. I turn to him, unable to wipe the grin off my face.

  Best sex of my life. Not that it had much to compete with.

  “So, how did you like the last show that will ever be played at the old Princess Theatre?” He grins.

  I smirk and sit on the floor with my legs crossed after just having dressed again. The only thing missing were my panties that he was refusing to give back to me.

  “I’d give it a ten for originality, and a ten for execution,” I finally answer.

  He raises his eyebrows. “That's good. Anything less than a ten and I’d be telling you to ask for your money back.”