by Jamie Knight
Just as I was kissing Ann goodbye, hoping I could actually leave on good terms, a call came in. My phone buzzing violently in my pants making me jump a bit. My mind whirled with every curse word I knew but none of which I said out loud. I was still trying to maintain a patina of professionalism, despite the fact I had just raw fucked my boss in her office.
“Don’t tell me you have another woman in your life,” Ann teased as I rushed towards the door.
“Something like that,” I said, meaning it as a joke but not actually taking the time to explain that I meant that I lived with my sister. Even though that would have been a smart thing to do, it was my habit to keep my private life private, and my family protected. At least as much as I could.
The special ring tone I had for my sister on my phone indicated that there was a real problem. Kim wasn’t known for exaggeration, always being the more grounded and serious one. When I got to the elevator and checked my messages, Kim was brief. All she said was, “come home immediately.” I was out the door in less than a minute, not even bothering to grab my briefcase.
All the way home my mind raced, going through every possible scenario, most of them involving something happening to Carly at school. Thought if that had been the case, they would have called me directly, being her emergency contact, rather than going through Kimberly. Which really only left one option. I hit the gas, hoping to hell she had just been called in for another shift.
When I got the apartment, Kimberly was nowhere to be found, which was surprising given the size of it. Going into the bedroom, I found Kimberly on her bed in the fetal position, her jeans open at the waist. Struggling to keep myself together, I went over and knelt by the bed, gently stroking her hair, getting her attention. “Sorry,” she said weakly. “Don’t you dare apologize,” I replied. “What’s happening?” “I really hurt in my back and abdomen,” she said, nearly crying. “Kidney infection?” I asked. “I-I think so,” Kim stammered wincing in pain. “You want to go to the hospital?” She nodded, unable to speak, tears forming in her eyes. It was disconcerting seeing my sister, the nurse, so vulnerable. She was usually the one taking charge.
Figuring she wasn’t up to walking and not wanting to wait for an ambulance, I got Kim’s shoes on and carried her down to the car, her slight weight easy in my strong arms. I lay her out gently in the back seat. Careful not to stop too suddenly, I drove as fast as I could to the closest hospital without getting pulled over by one of the over-enthusiastic cops known to patrol the area. The city must have been on some kind of fund-raising drive. Most governments just ran a ridiculously priced steak dinner.
At the doors to the ER, I grabbed a wheelchair from the front which were really supposed to be hospital use only but I really couldn’t give a shit. Getting Kim into a chair, I got her into triage. There was an unusually high number of gunshot victims that day, so we settled in for a long wait. Kim turned onto her side as best she could to get her weight off her kidneys, having a clear and immediate effect on her pain level, causing a slow, long exhale of relief. Overtaken by guilt and sentiment, I reached over and carefully rubbed her back about where I figured her kidneys where.
“That’s nice,” she said, letting out a further sigh of sweet relief. I wasn’t sure what compelled me to do that, probably a combination of deep empathy and crushing guilt. At least it was helpful. “I’m so sorry,” I said. “Now, don’t you start,” Kimberly scolded good-naturedly. “I haven’t exactly made things easy on you,” I said. “Stop stressing. Life is never easy,” she said. “Spoken like a true Ricci,” I said with a chuckle. Despite her back-handed reassurance, I couldn’t stop worrying or blaming myself. A situation that got even worse when I realized there was no one to pick up Carly from school. There was no way I was leaving Kim in that condition, and we didn’t really know anyone else in town.
Still rubbing Kim’s back, I got out my phone with my free hand and found Miss Gloria in my contacts. “Hello?” “Hi, it’s Russ Ricci,” I said. “Oh, hello, Mr. Ricci.” “I am going to be a bit late picking up Carly. There has been a family emergency. Are there any after-school programs she can be put in?” “No, she will have to wait in the principal’s office,” Miss Gloria said, the Ricci family curse asserting itself again. Bad things did tend to come in threes though I couldn’t imagine how it could have gotten much worse without somebody dying. Probably not the best thing to be thinking with a sick family member. “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I put the phone away, trying to keep it together, realizing that there were no good options and resigning myself to the slightly better one. “Is Carly okay?” Kim asked. “Everything will be fine,” I said, having no idea whether or not that was true.
Chapter Thirteen
Ann
It was hardly the first time a lover had left me suddenly. Though it was the first time such a quick exit had followed such an intimate encounter. Everyone else had at least stayed long enough to cuddle.
And what had Russ meant by “something like that”? Did he have a girlfriend he was cheating on? Or a wife? It didn’t seem likely given his phrasing, but there was definitely something going on.
Trying to shake such concerns from my mind, I went to pick up Drew from school.
I had a bad feeling as I drove up to the wrought iron gates to wait for admittance. It was the kind of dread only parents really know. Something was wrong. Quick as I could, I sped past the gates, getting through before they had opened completely and went to find a spot. Though my heels could make running difficult, I gave it my best, getting up to a brisk jaunt, clicking down the paved walkway to where Drew waited. He was crying.
“What’s wrong, honey?” I asked, bending down to look into his little face. “Carly is crying,” Drew said, wiping away tears of his own. “Why is Carly crying?” “Her daddy didn’t come to get her, and she is really scared.” Taking Drew by the hand, I went into the school. Miss Gloria was still in the preschool classroom, which by then was empty of kids. She looked up at me from the papers she was grading.
“Ms. Howell, what —” “What’s happening with Carly?” I asked, a bit more bluntly than I should. The brown-haired teacher looked shocked. “S-she’s in the principal’s office.” “Is she in trouble?” I asked, confused. She shook her head. “Oh, no, nothing like that. Her dad is at the hospital with his sister, so we are keeping her in the office until Mr. Ricci arrives.” “Ricci? Russ Ricci?” I asked gobsmacked.
Russ had never said anything about having a daughter. Why wouldn’t he mention that? Was he really married? But where was his wife?
“That’s right,” Miss Gloria confirmed. “E-excuse me,” I said. “I think I can help.” Leading Drew out into the hall, I tried to catch my breath. The information was more than I had expected. Russ had a daughter? Was I risking a family with my fake fiancé idea? It didn’t seem likely. If Russ was in a relationship surely, I would have known. Which meant Carly was from a previous relationship. I was relieved not to be a potential homewrecker, but that did put a new color on the situation.
I got out my phone and started hunting for Russ’s cell number, knowing it would be there somewhere. “What’s happening, mommy?” Drew asked, blinking up at me and rubbing his eyes. “We are going to help Carly, sweetie,” I said, finding the number and dialing. “Hello?” Russ said, picking up on the ninth ring. “Russ, it’s Ann Howell.” “Miss me already?” he asked with an edge. “I’m at the school,” I said plainly. “Oh,” Russ said, not seeming to find this unusual. “I know what’s happening with Carly and would like to help if I can,” I told him. “How would you do that?” he asked. “Well, I was thinking I could babysit while you stay with your sister.” He let out a tired sigh. “That would be great,” he said, brightening a bit. “I still can’t believe you never told me you’re a single dad.” “Can’t you?” he asked. “Well I —” “You’re a single mom, right?” he asked. “Y-yes,” I said, not expecting the hardness in his voice. “So, you know all about the shit they get.” “All too
well,” I admitted. “Well, it's even worse for single dads. Not only is there the stigma of a relationship that didn’t work, but the general assumption is that you can’t hack it. That the kid might just die if left in the care of their father too long. Not that the father has much choice in the matter to start with.”
It stung, but I knew he was right. I’d seen how people reacted when a man even tried to hold a baby, assuming that he would drop it or something. The same bullshit assumptions were still very much alive and well. “And the fact is, I’m not sure I’m doing very well,” he admitted, dropping his voice to a whisper.
His vulnerability made my breath catch. Russ was really hurting, and I had no idea.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. No one knows how to be a parent going in and we all mess up. From what I’ve seen of Carly, she is doing fine. I know she is doing Drew a world of good. I would be happy to take her until things are better over there.” “Thank you,” Russ said, with unexpected gravitas. It of course wasn’t as simple as just strolling into the principal’s office and saying that I was taking Carly home with me. They had to call Russ and make sure it was okay and made me sign out before they would release her to me. I wouldn’t have expected any less from an institution of their sterling reputation.
“Where’s daddy?” Carly asked as we walked to the car. “He’s with your aunt,” I said. “Oh,” she said, seeming to take this at face value, “where are we going?” “We are going to my house. Your dad will come and get you later,” I explained, using the same gentle tone I did with Drew. “Can we read?” Drew asked, suddenly brightening. “Of course, you can, honey,” I said, amused by his enthusiasm. “I have a new book!” Drew said to Carly. “Awesome!” the little girl enthused right back. Carly and Drew grinned at each other in a way that made me giggle out loud at their absurd cuteness. I could already tell that Carly and I were going to get along great.
No sooner were we through the door to my home than the kids went running into Drew’s room. Getting my heels off for the first time that day. I poured a post-work glass of wine and sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace.
Though it could sometimes be a bit of a bother, I really did appreciate the money I made, not having to worry about how I was going to support Drew on a single income. The income I had being mildly massive, and even if it wasn’t, I knew Jim would always help. Thankfully it had yet to come to that.
I could hear the kids reading out loud to each other, Drew from Black Beauty and Carly from The Velveteen Rabbit. The classic lines were delivered effortlessly, though in what were recognizably children’s voices. Their vocal chords were underdeveloped, mispronouncing the occasional word. Their “r”s and “l”s still having yet to solidify in their tiny mouths. I wondered, just for a moment, if Mozart’s parents ever had moments like that, listening to their five-year-old compose sonatas.
It didn’t take long for the little ones to tucker themselves out. Such was the excitement of new friendship. It got to be early evening and Russ still wasn’t there, so I made spaghetti, figuring it to be pretty allergy-safe, and the kids were both asleep in no time.
Chapter Fourteen
Ann
It was just after eight when I saw the headlights in the driveway. Not wanting to risk waking the kids by having Russ have to knock, I got up and opened the door just before he got there.
“Sorry, I had to wait until they got Kim into her own room,” Russ said. “It’s fine,” I said gently. “How is Carly?” Russ asked, joining me in the living room. “She was a bit upset at first, which is understandable, I guess but settled down when she found out she was going to hang out with Drew. They were reading to each other. It was really cute,” I said, leading him to the couch. “Sounds like it,” Drew said with the ghost of a smile. “Have a seat,” I said, sitting down on the couch. Wordlessly, Russ sat next to me. His tension was apparent in his posture. I could only imagine his predicament. Having to choose between his sick sister and his scared daughter. I certainly didn’t know what I would do if Jim was in the hospital, and there was no one to pick up Drew.
“Would you like a drink?” I asked. “No, I have to drive,” he said, rubbing his temples. “Right, of course. How about some coffee?” “That would be great,” he said. “Wait here,” I said, gently patting him on the thigh as I got up. Russ was finally starting to look relaxed when I came back with the drinks. Red wine for me and espresso for him. “Thanks,” he said, taking the mug. “No problem,” I said, taking the spot right next to him. I tried to dampen the flame of desire inside me. Russ had a lot on his mind already and didn’t need me complicating things. At least I knew that he was talking about his sister with his cryptic comment before leaving the office. No matter much I tried to tame myself, there was something about him that spiked my libido in a way no other man had. He even looked dashing while sipping coffee.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Sorry?” I asked, crashing back to reality. “You looked a bit distant,” he explained. “Oh, yeah, sorry, I-I got distracted,” I said, being more honest than I meant. “By what?” Russ asked idly. “You.” Russ nearly did a spit take, swallowing at the last minute. “Don’t hold much back, do you?” he laughed. “Not recently,” I admitted, looking at the floor. “What’s changed?” he asked. “Again, you. Meeting you, I mean,” I said, feeling the warmth rise in my cheeks. “Is that why you wanted me to play your fiancé?” he asked, though not as pointedly as he could have. “Yes,” I confessed, leaving out the part about him not being like any other man I had ever known. Russ put a hand on my thigh, making me gasp in both surprise and pleasure. Gently stroking my thigh, he leaned in and started kissing my neck, both of us putting our drinks down on the coffee table. Fumbling his pants open, I dropped my mouth on his cock, running my wet lips up and down his shaft, his hand on the back of my neck still warm from the coffee mug. Working my way down, I managed to swallow his entire hard cock, just to make sure the first time wasn’t a fluke. Turns out it wasn’t. Despite the massive size of Russ’s dick, I could actually get it all the way down, without even gagging. A fact which filled me with a deep and abiding sense of pride. So much so that, while I couldn’t consider doing it the entire time, I would dip back down every so often.
Eventually, I coaxed his cum into my mouth, swallowing it all down, continuing to stroke his cock as I did so. Keeping my hand around his cock, I gently lifted it and started softly massaging his balls. Stroking Russ’s shaft, I filled my mouth with one of his balls, sucking it gently. Russ moaned deeply, lightly stroking my hair as I alternated between his balls, pumping his cock as I did so. Getting his cock back into my mouth just before he came, I swallowed his second load.
Kissing me again, Russ ran his hands down the length of my body and up my skirt. I instinctively spread my legs, making it easier for him to slide his hand into my panties, still kissing me as he softly massaged my pussy. Focusing on my lower lips at first, he slid first one and then two fingers into my pussy. Fingering me to orgasm, Russ held me as I shuddered, covering my mouth with his free hand so I wouldn’t wake the kids.
Staging a quick recovery, I ripped off my panties and clamored up on top of him. Russ barely had time to lay back and get in position, before I lowered myself down onto him, holding his cock in position as I slid it up into me. Getting his cock all the way inside, I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he took me firmly by the hips as we fucked for the second time that day, kissing passionately as we did so. I was usually pretty good at reading people, which was why I did so well in the courtroom. Despite this uncanny skill, Russ remained a mystery to me. I honestly had no idea how he felt about me or our arrangement. He seemed happy enough to fuck me, but I didn’t know if anything was behind it or if he was doing what he thought I wanted. Unfortunately, I was I was already falling for him.
I rode his thick cock until I came again. He was on the edge and holding back. My pussy started to throb and quiver, and Russ unloaded, filling my pussy with his warm cum. I collapsed ag
ainst him, his cock still deep in my pussy, shuddering hard as Russ held me, gently kissing my neck, which I absolutely loved. It was sensitive as well as intimate and made me feel even closer to him. Like he might feel the same about me as I did about him.
Still flushed with desire, I wanted to test and see if the last time had been a fluke. I carefully prepped my asshole and started to shift my weight. “Are you sure?” he asked, taking me by the hips. “Yes, please,” I begged, edging on desperation. Wetting his own fingers, Russ got me ready like he had before. Pressing the warm head of his cock against my asshole, he had me lower myself slowly onto it. His throbbing shaft worked inch by inch into my asshole, getting him halfway in before I had to stop.
“You okay?” he asked, looking deep into my eyes. “Yeah,” I said, nodding quickly. Taking several breaths to prepare myself, I put my hands on his broad shoulders and slowly started to bounce — working his cock in and out of my tight little asshole. It felt amazing being so close, and it felt even better than it did the last time. A shiver ran up my spine as Russ took me by the hips, making sure I didn't hurt myself. It wasn't long before we both came, me against him and Russ inside me, filling my asshole with his seed.
“Did that feel okay?” he asked, stroking my back, his cock still inside me. “Fuck, yes,” I said with a sigh. Climbing carefully down off of Russ, we dressed back into our clothes. He found the coffee mug and drained it while it was still tolerably warm.
“Where is Carly?” he asked, replacing the mug to the coaster, seemingly more on instinct than conscious choice. “Drew's room. Down the hall, third door on the left.” Getting up in one smooth motion, Russ marched down the hall with great purpose, returning a few moments later with a still sleeping Carly in his arms. She looked even smaller than usual against his large frame. “Goodnight,” I tried, as he walked by, hoping to get one last kiss. “Yeah,” he said with absolute neutrality, not even looking my way. Trying to not let his sudden coldness get to me, I went to open the door for Russ so he wouldn't have to disturb Carly. Keeping the door open, I stole a peek as he put her in the booster seat, wanting to see him more — as much as I could honestly. I would have taken a picture, but it wouldn't have been the same, and there was a good chance that he would have noticed.
