Teach Me New Tricks

by Ali Parker

  “It’s working for you,” he said in a husky voice. I knew that voice. That was the voice he used when he told me to get naked or to ride him.

  “Thank you,” I croaked out the words, hoping he didn’t hear, sense, or smell my own arousal.

  “Should we take my truck, or do you prefer to drive?”

  “I’ll drive. I don’t plan on coming back today.”

  “All right. Any place in particular you would like to go? You’re the tour guide.”

  I grinned. “There’s a Mexican place a few blocks over. Does that work?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Fifteen minutes later we were seated at the popular Mexican restaurant. The lunch rush was dying down, leaving the place more empty than full. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world walking into the place. I saw the looks. Women couldn’t help but admire Christopher. He was a version of a Bond man but American and a little more chill.

  “How are things?” I asked him, not wanting to ask him directly about the Olin situation.

  He grimaced. “Alan mentioned he told you about the situation yesterday.”

  I nodded. “He didn’t say your name, but I knew he was talking about you. I’m sorry I missed your call.”

  “It’s fine. I’m not sure what I expected you to do. I was in a panic and called everyone I knew. It was a very short list.”

  “Can I ask what happened?” I said gently.

  He shook his head. “Hell, I wish I knew. There was a mild argument a couple of days earlier and then yesterday morning I thought he was running late for school. I went to his room to get him up and found him gone. After a very thorough search and a lot of panicking, I went back to his room and found a note. He’d headed to the airport and was about to fly back to Minnesota.”

  I let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. That must have really scared you.”

  “It did. I haven’t been that freaked out in a long time.”

  “Did you stop him from leaving?” I asked, anxious to know how the story ended.

  He smiled. “Not exactly. It seems there was a bomb threat called in and the airport was evacuated. It happened just in the nick of time as it turns out. He was in line to board.”

  “Oh?” I said, my voice much higher than usual.

  He slowly nodded. “Yes, odd, huh?”

  I shrugged. “I’m sure that kind of thing happens all the time.”

  “I don’t think so,” he said leaning forward and looking me directly in the eye. “Did you do it?”

  “Do what?” I asked innocently.

  “Did you make that call?”

  I wasn’t an actress. I was a horrible liar. “Me?” I asked with feigned shock. “What? Why? Why would I do that?”

  He studied me close, a smile spreading over his face. “I see. I’m grateful to the prankster. I don’t know what I would have done if he would have been able to leave the state. I would have been a mess.”

  I sipped the diet cola. “I’m so happy it all worked out for you. I can’t imagine how scared you were.”

  “Thank you,” he said, his voice so low I barely heard him.

  “For what?” I asked, my voice still annoyingly higher than usual.

  He chuckled. “For making sure I didn’t have to go through something horrible. I keep thinking if he would have gotten back to Minnesota, I might have lost him for good. He has enough friends up there to successfully hide from me. He has access to money from his mother’s life insurance. He would have been gone. That is not a thought I ever want to think about.”

  I felt bad for him. The man had known more loss than any person should have to know. “I’m glad he didn’t get out of town. Have you two been able to talk?”

  “Yes. I think it is going to be better, but I never know for sure. He can be up one minute and then down the next. He is on this yo-yo journey and I’m stuck on it with him.”

  I had no real experience with a yo-yo journey. My life had been one flat, low ride. I had an occasional high point, but they were very few and very far in between. I empathized with him. I could see the toll the issues with his son were taking on him. “I’m really sorry. You’re a good man.”

  “Thank you. Some days I feel like I’m doing everything wrong. I feel like I can’t do anything right.”

  “None of us are perfect, but I think you certainly have a better grasp on being a good person than most of us have. You are doing great. Have you talked to Olin and told him what his actions are doing to you?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t put that on him. I was a little sterner than usual. I think I’ve been tiptoeing around him and it gave him the impression I was weak or a pushover. I think, I hope, we’ve cleared up that misconception.”

  “Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile,” I mused. “Trust me, I can totally understand what it’s like to be taken advantage of. People see my kindness as a weakness. They think because I’m a passive person I will never get upset or angry. They think they can ignore me or just bully me into doing whatever it is they want.”

  His brows shot up. “I had no idea you felt like that.”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t know I felt like that either until recently. I was so used to just going with the flow and never wanting to disturb the peace. I know it seems silly and I’m a grown woman, but I get very anxious when I’m doing something that might seem naughty or something that might not be what society says is right.”

  “The dean,” he said nodding his head.

  I let out a breath. “Yes. The dean has always made me feel like I should kiss his feet for giving me a job. I’ve been walking on eggshells my entire life. I don’t think I necessarily stood up to him, but just being able to tell him how I felt and not spilling my guts was empowering.”

  “You are worthy, Leila. I hope you can see that.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a smile. “I’m learning.”

  “Leila, I’d like to take you to dinner tomorrow night. May I?”

  “I don’t know,” I hesitated. I was afraid to fall back into the easy habit of seeing him, sleeping with him, and then he’d kick me to the curb again.

  He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “I know I’m sending some very mixed signals. I apologize for the other night. I said what I did because I thought it was best for Olin. I was wrong. I’m a better man when I have you in my life. I need your help. I need you to be a part of my life so I can be stronger for Olin. I know it’s a selfish thing to ask and I feel like a total asshole for the push-pull game, but I’m telling you that I’m in this. I’m all in if you’ll have me.”

  His words made my heart sing. “I’d like to go to dinner, if,” I said, holding up a finger. “If Olin is okay with it. Will you promise me you’ll tell him we’re going out?”

  He nodded. “Absolutely. He’s asked to meet you.”

  “What? Really?”

  He smiled. “I think things have changed for us. At least, I hope they have. He’s given me his approval before only to yank it away. This time I want things to be different. He needs to understand that ultimately, I’m the parent and to give me a little credit. I offered to move him anywhere in the country, but he said he was okay with staying here. He apologized for the horrible encounter between the two of you as well.”

  “Wow! That is progress.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not going to get too excited for it. Not yet. I’m sure there are still going to be some days that he wants to run away and hates me, but I’m hoping the incident yesterday was that little release he’s been needing. We have both kind of kept things bottled up and it led to him trying to get away from me.”

  It was nice to hear he was feeling better about things. The night at the ice cream shop, I had seen the pain he was in. I had wanted nothing more than to help him, but he couldn’t take my help. It was something he had to do on his own.

  “I’d love to have dinner with you,” I said with a smile.

  “Thank you. You’re are way too good for me, but I p
romise I am going to try like hell to show you how much I appreciate you. How much I need you on this crazy journey. I thought I was doing right by my son by making myself miserable. That was stupid and a huge mistake. He needs me to be happy. You make me happy.”

  His words were going to make me cry. They were sweet and heartfelt, and I was fighting the urge to jump over the table and pull him into my arms. I was classier than that. I could control myself. “I’m happy to try and make you happy,” I said breathlessly.

  The last thing on my mind was lunch, but I couldn’t push it. This was a new beginning for us. It all felt much more open and honest. It was the start of what I hoped was a beautiful relationship. Unlike before with him, I felt ready. I felt like I could be with him and not constantly be looking over my shoulder.

  A sense of peace washed over me. Peace and hope for a bright future. I couldn’t ever remember feeling so comfortable in my own skin. I finally felt like I was put in the right life after years of questioning where I was supposed to be.

  I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

  Chapter 52

  Christopher

  I was in my closet when I heard Olin come into the room. “Dad?” he called out.

  “In here.”

  He appeared in the doorway of my closet, leaning against the jamb. “What are you doing?” he asked with obvious confusion.

  I looked down at the pants I had on that were unbuttoned. I had four shirts in a variety of colors laid out on the small table in the center of the closet and no socks on. “I’m getting dressed,” I answered.

  He smirked. “That would generally mean you were putting clothes on. You look like you’re taking them off.”

  “I’m trying to figure out what to wear for my date tonight.”

  He walked in and pulled a black shirt from the rack and held it against my bare chest. “That one. With that blue tie.”

  I studied the black shirt and the bright blue tie before looking at the black slacks I was wearing. “I’ll need different pants.”

  He shook his head. “No. Stick with the black.”

  “That’s very dark.”

  “Women like a man with mystery.”

  I smirked. “I think she knows a little too much about me to have an air of mystery.”

  “Seriously, it will look good on you,” he insisted.

  I took the shirt and quickly pulled it on, buttoning it up and tucking it in. “Thanks.”

  “You like her,” he said it as a statement.

  “I do. I think you would like her too if you gave it a chance,” I told him.

  He looked around my closet, feigning an interest in the clothes hanging from the bar. “Where did you meet?”

  “School,” I said with a small laugh. “She’s a professor, remember?”

  “Where are you taking her?” he asked still not looking at me.

  “I looked up a place in Houston. It looks nice.”

  “She’s probably been there before,” he pointed out.

  I nodded. “Probably.”

  “You need to make it a special date.”

  I tied the tie and turned to look at him. “Why?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Because you’re trying to win her over, right?”

  “I don’t know about that, but I would like to take her somewhere special.”

  He smiled. “Then you should. You’ve got the money and the means and the whole weekend.”

  I frowned at him. “What are you suggesting?”

  “I’m suggesting you make it big. Go big or go home, right?”

  It was odd to talk to him about going out with a woman. I knew we were going to have to get used to it, but it felt weird. I reminded myself it was our new normal. “What do you have in mind?”

  He shrugged. “Take her somewhere awesome.”

  “Like Paris,” I said, completely joking.

  “If that’s where she wants to go, why not?”

  I stared at him. He was being serious. “You think I should?” I asked slowly buying into the idea.

  He grinned. “Yes.”

  “Are you trying to get me out of here so you can throw a party?” I asked only half-teasing.

  He smirked. “I’d have to know people to do that.”

  “You will,” I told him. “But I’m glad you don’t in this case. I think I will. If she’s willing. I’ll let you know if I’m not coming home.”

  He laughed. “Okay.”

  “You’ll be okay?” I asked, worried he might try to run off again.

  “Yes. I’m fine. I’m going to order pizza and play that new game that just came out. And with you gone, I can actually hear it.”

  “Don’t turn it up too loud,” I cautioned. “I don’t want the neighbors thinking there is a war next door.”

  “Got it,” he said.

  After leaving him a few more instructions, I made a couple of calls on the way to pick up Leila. I liked that Olin was offering me some help to help impress Leila. I took that as a good sign he was okay with me dating her. I really hoped he was. After seeing her again yesterday, I knew without a doubt I wanted to continue seeing her. I wanted to have dinners and sleepovers and share good times with her.

  When I got to her house and knocked on her front door, she was ready and waiting. She had on a pretty black dress with silver bling around the neckline. She looked absolutely stunning. I liked the old Leila, but the new, improved Leila was definitely desirable.

  “Damn,” I said, reaching for her and dropping a kiss on her lips. “You look downright delicious.”

  She smiled. “Thank you. I like this Johnny Cash thing. And the tie makes your eyes pop.”

  I laughed. “Thanks. Olin picked out the outfit.”

  “Really? Kid has good taste.”

  “I’ll let him know. So, for dinner, I was thinking we could do something a little different.”

  “Different?” she asked.

  “Where is somewhere you’ve always wanted to go?”

  She shrugged. “Like a restaurant?”

  I slowly shook my head. “No, like a place. The Eiffel Tower, Vegas, New York.”

  She burst into laughter, clearly thinking I was being hypothetical. “Niagara Falls.”

  “Perfect. Pack a bag. I’ll make a call.”

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket and hit the button for the charter jet service I had contacted earlier. I quickly told them where I wanted to go and that we would be there in thirty minutes. When I hung up, I found Leila still standing in the same spot. She was staring at me with wide eyes. “You didn’t just call a real pilot.”

  “No, I called the service. They call the pilots.”

  “Are you serious?” she gasped.

  “I am. You’ll probably want to pack an overnight bag. To be safe, you might want to pack for the weekend.”

  She slowly shook her head. “You’re joking.”

  “Leila, I’m not joking.”

  She grinned. “Okay, sure, I’ll pack a bag. Give me a minute.”

  She walked out of the living room, leaving me alone. I scanned the scant décor and wasn’t surprised there weren’t any pictures on the walls. It was all very sterile. When she returned a couple of minutes later, she was carrying a small carry-on type bag.

  “Ready?”

  “Yep, let’s go to dinner, or Niagara Falls,” she said with a wink.

  Obviously, she thought I was joking. I couldn’t wait to see her face when we showed up at the airport. I followed the signs to the right parking area. I reached in the back and grabbed my own overnight bag along with hers. I got out of the truck and opened her door for her. She made no move to get out.

  “Are you coming?”

  “You’re serious?” she gasped.

  “Yes.”

  She looked over my shoulder, staring at the airport beyond. I could see the nervousness on her face. “I’m not sure I should go in there,” she whispered.

  I leaned forward. “They’ll never know it was you.”


  “You know?” she croaked out the words.

  “Of course, I know. Your secret is safe with me.”

  She groaned getting out of the truck. “What if—”

  “Stop. We’re taking a chartered jet. It’s going to be fine.”

  Together, we walked into the proper terminal. She was a nervous wreck. I worried she was going to get us both thrown in jail if she didn’t relax. With everything squared away, we made our way out to the jet. Once we boarded and settled into the luxury seats, she seemed to relax a bit.

  “This is crazy,” she whispered. “I cannot believe I’m on a private jet.”

  I smiled, happy to see her taken off guard. “Believe it.”

  “Why are you doing all this?” she asked. “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m doing this because I want to take you someplace special. You deserve to be spoiled. I want to spoil you.”

  “Is this your jet?” she asked.

  I smirked. “No, I don’t own a private plane, but I might look into it. We could see the world on our terms.”

  “You would just go out and buy a plane?” she asked with skepticism.

  “Yes, if that would make us happy. We could vacation anywhere.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “Not so crazy.”

  “Are we really the only two people on this thing?” she asked.

  “There is a pilot. I requested no attendant.”

  She squealed. “I’m in total shock. I never expected this. I can’t get my head wrapped around it. Why would you do all of this for a simple dinner date?”

  “Because it isn’t a simple dinner date. I want to show you how special you are. I want you to know how special you are to me and how much I care about you. This is me showing you.”

  She offered a shy smile. “This is a very elaborate, expensive way to show someone you care.”

  “It’s a way to get the point across. I want you to understand how important you are to me. I wasn’t right when I told you we had to cool things off. That wasn’t okay. I want to make it up to you, especially after what you did for us, for me.”

  Her nose wrinkled up. “I’m not sure what I did, but if it’s what you think I did, I would do it again to help you out.”