Tinder Ella: A Modern Day Single Dad Fairy-Tale

by Eddie Cleveland

  “You’re safe now, just like I promised,” I look down at her.

  Holly opens her eyes and smiles despite the tears threatening to fall. “I know. For the first time since,” she tilts her head and thinks, “well, since I was a kid. Since before Heather died, I really believe that. I finally feel safe. Like I can begin again. Like we can start a new life, together.” She wipes away her tears. “Now, get in here with me. I’m lonely without you,” She pleads with me.

  I quickly strip out of my dress shirt and pants, the tie and jacket were long ago abandoned. I step into the warm water behind Holly and shift myself so she’s cradled in my arms and between my legs.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking about what I want to do after my contract expires,” I cup warm water in my hand and let it fall over her hair.

  “Really,” she relaxes back against me, “what’s that?”

  “I think I’d like to use my veteran’s education benefit to get into social work, maybe even addiction counseling,” I admit. “I used to think it was all a bunch of bullshit, the counseling thing, you know? Like, how could a bunch of talking help you get over anything? But, look at us,” I smile down at her.

  “Look at us,” she agrees as she reaches up and runs her hand over my beard.

  “It completely changed our lives. I want to be a part of that for someone else, you know? I want to help other people the same way I was helped. Cause, if they can even find a fraction of the happiness I’ve found,” I lean into her and she twists around so I can kiss her softly, “then that’s a career worth having.”

  “I think you’ll be a great counselor,” Holly smiles up at me.

  “I hope you realize that we’ll both be students at the same time,” I warn her.

  “Yeah, so?”

  “Well, I just hope you know that when you agreed to marry me, you were agreeing to years of eating ramen noodles and cheap date nights,” I tease her. “And it’s too late to take it back,” I laugh.

  “I don’t want you to take it back,” she giggles. “And I don’t care if we do have to eat ramen or any of that, if I have you, that’s all I need,” she squirms up against me and kisses my cheek.

  She knows what she’s doing, the way she’s wiggling her ass against my cock, grinding into me like a dirty girl all while looking at me with wide-eyed innocence.

  I groan and pull her tight against me as my cock grows rigid against the crack of her ass. “It’s too bad we took this bath,” I growl.

  “Why is that,” she bats her eyelashes at me, toying with me as she rubs herself against my hard cock.

  “Because with all of the dirty things I’m about to do to you, you’re going to need another one in a couple of hours,” I stand up and my cock sways slightly. Holly looks at my girth with truly wide eyes now.

  I lean over and grab her hands, lifting her easily to her feet. I step out of the tub and then effortlessly lift her into my arms like the bride she has agreed to be and carry her across the threshold into our hotel bedroom.

  Holly squeals as I drop her down onto the bed and I immediately jump on, covering her with my body. She’s mine, for now and forever, we might not have walked down the aisle today, but I’m going to fuck her like it’s our wedding night. Tonight is our new beginning, our fresh start. Tonight, will be one she’s never going to forget.

  Epilogue|Jake

  “It’s hard to believe that it’s already been ten years since I graduated from here on this very stage,” I look out into the crowded auditorium at the latest inpatients working through Edgewood’s program. I remember the mandatory attendance at cake nights all too well. When we had to sit through speeches from former addicts and patients of the program who were celebrating months and even years of sobriety. When I sat in those seats, I was never fully convinced I’d ever be back to celebrate my own success.

  “It feels like it was a lifetime ago that I walked through these halls,” I look down into the front row to Holly’s smiling face. Next to her, our beautiful five-year-old daughter is grinning up at me proudly. Her long blonde hair is glowing under the fluorescent lights, making her look like the angel she is.

  It was important to Holly that we name her after her sister, Heather. From what her parents say, the name suits her just fine. A quiet, smart girl, always quick to laugh or throw her arms around you in a freakishly strong hug for such a little thing. Apparently, she’s a lot like the aunt she was named after.

  “In some ways,” I wink at my little girl, already in kindergarten and growing up too fast, “it was a lifetime ago.”

  I look down at the notes I’ve made on my phone, resting on the podium. When I was asked to come back here, I came up with a big speech, but now, it just feels all wrong. I stuff my phone in my pocket and clear my throat.

  Looking over at the aging faces of the counselors still working here, I remember how I once spent my time scowling at them. I smile at Ms. Morehouse. Hell, I even give Gavin a smirk, although I’m not fully convinced he’s happy to see me.

  Filling my lungs full of air, I peer out into the crowd and give my head a shake. It’s time to speak from the heart.

  “Listen, I had a big plan to tell you about how well my life is going now that I’m sober. And, it’s true. I found the one woman on this earth who makes me happier to be alive just by waking up next to her in the morning. She gave me an amazing daughter who gives each day of my life meaning. I went to school and am now working in a career I love, helping veterans who suffer from addiction issues. I have all of this now, and I was really excited to share that with you. To tell you how it’s all possible, if you stay sober, if you follow your plan, and if you don’t give up.” I scan the crowd, my eyes settling on faces that could’ve been mine a decade ago. The sour looks of cynicism and doubt.

  “But, you know what?” I stare out at them, remembering all too well how it felt to be in their shoes. “None of that matters to you. It’s not a promise that you’re going to leave here and find someone who makes your life whole. There’s no guarantee that you’re going to experience the joy of children, or even be forgiven by the children some of you already have.” The audience murmurs and people begin to shuffle in their seats. I look down at Holly and watch her beautiful blue eyes grow wide with surprise.

  “What are you doing?” She mouths the words at me.

  “Nobody is promised a beautiful future unless they put the work into the present,” I continue. “When I first walked through the doors of this building ten years ago, well sauntered in is more like it,” I chuckle, “I thought this place was a spa.” A ripple of laughter fills the room.

  “Oh, come on, I know I’m not the only one who thought that. Admit it, some of you came in here with your golf clubs ready or wondering where the pool was, right?”

  I see the nodding heads in the crowd. The twinkle in their eyes as they agree with me.

  “Well, that was me too. I figured this was a joke and for a long time, that’s how I treated it. And guess what? I went home from here and I relapsed the first time I was met with temptation,” I hit my fist against the podium. “I messed up,” I look down into Holly’s eyes still feeling the guilt swirl up inside me all these years later for the pain I caused her that day.

  Holly’s eyes are brimming with tears, and she pulls our daughter in closer to her side. I force myself to look away, to find my words, to focus.

  “I may have fallen down that day, but the important thing…the life changing thing, is that I got back up. I remembered what I was taught here and I persevered. It wasn’t always easy to stay sober. There were many more tough times. Times when I was tempted. Times when I wanted nothing more than to go back to drugs and forget the pain, but I walked through it. I was forged by the fire that tried to destroy me, it made me stronger and if you don’t give up, if you take this seriously, if you do the work now, you’ll be stronger too.” I take a deep breath and look down at my wife and my baby girl.

  My heart swells in my chest, “don’t focus on
your failures. Celebrate your victories, no matter how small. Be grateful for the things you have, even when it’s less than what others have. Maybe you won’t have kids, maybe you don’t want to. Maybe you won’t go back to school. It doesn’t matter if you do, really. All that matters is that you don’t give up. I might not be able to promise you the same happiness that’s touched my life, but I can promise you that you’ll find your own.”

  I swallow the hard lump threatening to break my voice and look down at my family. The family I never thought I’d find. The family I never thought I deserved. The family that gave me back a life worth living.

  “You’ll only be able to live your best life tomorrow by putting the work in now. So, to all of you who have been sitting through tonight with sighs and eye-rolling, believe me, I was once you. I know you don’t think there’s anything out there for you. You’re wrong. Believe in yourself and, I promise you, it gets better. So much better than you can even imagine right now,” my voice cracks as Heather and Holly smile up at me.

  “I love you, Daddy!” Heather cries out. The crowd collectively “ahhhs” and a few people clap.

  “I love you too, honey. I love you both. So much.” I look back up at the unfamiliar faces in the crowd and nod, “Thank you for listening.” I glance over at the counselors at the side of the stage, “Thank you for giving me back my life,” I choke on the emotion in my voice. My eyes travel back down into the front row to my girls in their pastel blue dresses, “Thank you for giving me the best ten years any man could dream of.” I wipe the tear threatening to fall from my eye down my cheek and leave the podium.

  The auditorium erupts in cheers and clapping, but I don’t look back. Forward is the only direction I look now, each day being brighter than the last.

  Each day, a gift.

  The End

  Quickies with Eddie Sign up

  A “Quickies with Eddie” Short Story

  “Quickies with Eddie” is my private Facebook group where you tell me the smutty short story you want to read and I make it happen. Exclusive members give me everything from their naughtiest fantasies to their most romantic suggestions and I put it together in a hot, little story that will burn up your Kindle! Want a test drive before you join? Here’s one of my stories made from suggestions of the group.

  Chapter 1

  Glenda.

  I glance in my rearview mirror at a billowing cloud of dust threatening to engulf the back of my car as I drive down the dry, dirty road.

  Glenda fucking Delong.

  This is all her fault.

  I pull my sun visor down and push my oversized sunglasses up my nose, squinting as I focus on keeping on my side of the road. Not that it matters. Not that any of this matters.

  I was supposed to be flying business class to Oahu right now. I let my thoughts travel to an alternate universe where I’m sipping a glass of white wine, enjoying the buzz in my head and the rush of heat flushing over my cheeks as the increase in altitude makes the alcohol hit me quicker than I’m used to. I imagine the handsome stranger I would’ve been seated next to. The one who not-so-subtly keeps checking me out until he finally asks me why I’m heading to Hawaii. He would be so impressed to hear that I’m going to cover a story at the hottest new resort up on the North Shore. Isn’t that funny? That’s where he’s going too. It’s the grand opening, after all, and he did design the entire building.

  It would’ve been the perfect beginning to my weekend away. Of course, my sexy architect and I would do more than just explore the resort together. He’d make the Brazilian wax I got done worth the pain and money, and he’d suck on each and every one of my perfectly polished toes while I ate fresh pineapple and whip cream in our luxury suite.

  But no, I blink my eyes hard and the dreamy resort evaporates like a mirage, replaced by the dusty landscape before me. What was supposed to be my story for Unbeaten Path Adventures Magazine was stolen from me by my fellow reporter and company whore Glenda Delong.

  My knuckles bleach out as I grip the steering wheel of my little Chevy Aveo tight and clamp down my jaw. “Bitch,” I seethe through my grit teeth. “I hope she gets crabs.”

  The sun is setting, slowing slinking down my windshield as I try to navigate my way to my replacement story. I’m practically blind as I drive to the Starlight Acres Ranch, where my relaxing, sexy weekend at a diamond rated resort has been transformed into some kind of hard labor vacay where I’m supposed to go on a private cattle run with the owners.

  Yee-fucking-haw.

  You know the worst part is I thought Glenda and I were friends. I mean, not like we’d ever be bridesmaids at each other’s weddings, but definitely work friends. I was the one who told her that if she wore dresses and flirted with Mr. Wilcox a bit she would get assigned better destinations to cover for the magazine. Of course, when I confided that, I didn’t think she’d stab me in the back and get our assignments switched at the last second.

  Then again, it probably didn’t help that at our last company cocktail hour I skipped on the tacos so I could look my best in my new Victoria Secret bikini on the white sand beach of Hawaii, but I may have doubled down on the margaritas. Bad idea.

  So was telling my boss, Byron Wilcox, that he looked like a human bowling pin. My cheeks flush as I remember how much I giggled at the comparison, rubbing my hand over his bald head and tapping my fingers against his bloated belly. Not professional. Not even close.

  But neither is sleeping with the boss to get a better story, which is what Glenda did. If Byron is a human bowling pin, then she bowled a strike. She swooped in and soothed his ego, telling him she liked distinguished, older men. The last I saw of them, they were hunched over their drinks, flirting like a couple of teenagers while I had to leave my car behind and get an Uber home. The next thing I knew, I’d been reassigned to this crappy story and my exotic, luxury vacation… I mean my story, was stolen.

  I squint under my sun visor, trying to blink away the glaring sun and focus on the sign on the side of the road. Starlight Acres Ranch. I’m here. I pull off the main road and travel the twisty trail up to the glorified farm I’ll be doing my story on. At least I’m not driving directly into the sun anymore. I can actually see the ranch sprawling out in front of me as I make my way past the fields of fenced in cattle and the separate area with horses grazing on grass.

  The tension I’ve been carrying with me this entire way begins to slide from my shoulders as I take a deep breath of the sweet backcountry air. It’s not half bad here, really. I mean, it’s no North Shore Hawaiian resort, but it kind of reminds me of the simple family visits we used to take to my grandparents farm when I was a child. I used to love running around in the wheat fields, disappearing among the tall grasses as my brother and I played hide and seek. It was a less complicated time, one that I barely have glimpses of in my mind. That was when I was little and hadn’t yet traded my bare feet for gladiator sandals or long, lazy drinks from the hose for Venti lattes.

  Not that I’m giving up my lattes anytime soon, I chuckle at the thought and lift my almost empty salted caramel latte to my lips and suck back the last salty sweet drops. Just as I lick the last drops from my lips, a man on the back of a horse suddenly catches my eye. Mostly because he’s galloping up right beside my little car, towering over me like some kind of bronzed statue. I slam on my brakes and feel my jaw drop open as I stare at him. The horse itself it impressive and huge, but the guy on it’s back looks like a giant from where I’m sitting. His broad shoulders narrow down into a tight v of his waist and I can see his cut muscles as he reigns in his horse popping in his arms.

  Damn.

  I put my car in park and compose myself as I unclick my seatbelt and self consciously wipe my fingers over the corners of my mouth to make sure I don’t have latte on my face. I step out of my Aveo and stand tall, doing my best to let all my yoga training lengthen my body and make me look willowy as I push my breasts out shamelessly. They say you only have one chance to make a first impression an
d I want to make the best one I can on him. My voice is caught in my throat as I look up the shiny black stallion to the real stallion on the back. I can see his dark hair peeking out from under his large cowboy hat. His startling blue eyes meet mine and I breathe in sharply as my nipples pebble beneath my shirt.

  “Howdy,” he tips the brim of his hat with a smirk and I think I might melt into a puddle. “You must be the reporter.” His ice blue eyes travel over me, licking every inch of me so thoroughly my breath hitches in my throat and I have to slide my hand over my hip just to reassure myself that I am, in fact, still wearing clothes. Because with the way he’s looking at me, I feel completely naked.

  “Uh, hi,” I swallow hard, “yes, I’m Lacy.” I boldly step forward and raise my hand out for a handshake.

  “Chase,” his voice is velvety soft as he leans down and lifts my hand gently. For a second I think he’s going to kiss the back of it, but he gives it a gentle squeeze and lets it go. “We’ve got a busy weekend planned for you,” he still hasn’t looked away from me and I can’t help but feel a little hypnotized by his gaze. It seems impossible to break free from.

  “We?” The word slips from my tongue somehow.

  “That’s right,” I turn toward the new voice as another man on a horse flanks me on the other side. “I’m Levi, his business partner,” he nods over to Chase. “We were wondering when you’d show up, I made you a nice meal and tomorrow we’re heading out on a cattle run. So we should probably get this party started,” he smiles at me and two dimples appear in a flash in his caramel cheeks as he lifts his hat revealing a shaggy head full of blonde hair that he pushes back before placing his ten-gallon-hat back on his head.

  Double damn.

  I get to spend the weekend alone with these two gorgeous cowboys? For only a second I let myself imagine them chasing me down with a lasso and tying me up. I don’t mean to bite my lip, or for the flush of heat to travel over my cheeks, but it happens. This weekend just got a whole lot more interesting.