Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 47615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
The girls pile in the back as I stow Abby’s suitcases in the trunk of my restored vintage Chevy.
It was a classic in its day, but now people assume it’s some sort of prop for social media.
Needless to say, I only take her out on special occasions.
Like today.
Plus, Jen said she liked it. That’s probably what really made up my mind.
It’s not a long drive to the airport, but I do have trouble focusing.
With Jen and Abby in the back, it means I should be able to concentrate, but my eyes keep straying to hers in the rearview mirror.
They keep seeing more each time I look at her, just how fucking beautiful she really is.
Abby’s cool as a cucumber now. By the time we’re saying goodbye at the gate for her flight, it feels like only minutes since we were all in the kitchen together.
“Well. Wish me luck!” Abby says, giving me a big hug, squeezing me hard.
“And thanks, Dad. Thanks for putting up with me,” she murmurs in my ear. “Thank you for being there for me.,” she whispers, giving me an instant lump in my throat.
“I love you, Abby,” I remind her. “Call me as soon as you can, okay?”
I make an awkward move to the left so Jen can say her goodbyes, which makes Abby laugh out loud.
“Dad, what are you doing? You’ve been avoiding Jen like she’s got the plague or something all morning,” she exclaims, telling Jen to ignore her crazy old dad as she gives her bestie a hug of her own.
Both make quiet promises and giggle together before finally sniffing back some tears as the final call for boarding is called over the loudspeakers.
I keep a safe distance from Jen but feel my face still hot with embarrassment as we both watch Abby board her flight.
Then we move a little closer once it taxis out onto the runway.
But it isn’t until we watch it disappear into the distance through the thin morning clouds that either of us finally relaxes.
“She’s on her way,” Jen says, avoiding my gaze as I stare at her sidelong.
I feel Jen’s hand creep over to mine, teasing my pinky with hers, and I smile. Feeling like a love-struck teenager instead of a man old enough to be her….
Well.
It feels nice, whatever you wanna call it.
“Guess I should drop you home then,” I drone in a mock-serious tone.
Doing my best ‘dad’ impression of myself. But Jen doesn’t think it’s funny, and playfully slapping my arm, she tells me to take it back.
“Don’t even joke about it,” she scolds me but smiles as she moves a little closer.
“That is… Unless you really do wanna just drop me off?” she pouts, looking up at me in a way that I couldn’t refuse, even if I wasn’t already falling so hard for her.
“Oh, you’re coming home with me,” I assure her, feeling my smile widen.
Even still, I can’t help but turn and look one more time out at the sky.
Feeling as if Abby’s still watching us somehow.
Jen’s thinking the exact same thing, apparently.
“It might not be so bad,” she offers. “I mean, older guys and younger girls. It happens all the time in her profession, so it wouldn’t be such a huge shock,” she muses cheerfully.
But I really don’t want to even think about that right now. I just want more of this. More of Jen and me, finally alone.
Hell. Even if it is standing in an airport departure lounge on a Saturday morning, there’s nowhere on earth I’d rather be right now than with Jen.
“Let’s go home then,” I say, reaching for her hand. But her cell screams from somewhere, and the instant look of dread she gives me tells me that she has a ringtone saved for each caller.
And this one has ‘Mom’ written all over it, even before she answers it.
But Jen’s mom can call her. No law against that.
I give her a small smile and move a little further along the window, trying to give Jen some privacy.
But her arm hooks onto mine, and she burrows closer to me as she picks up.
She doesn’t tell her mom she’s at the airport, but after unintentionally eavesdropping with Jen hanging onto me, I can’t help but hear that her mom already knows about Abby’s job.
Apparently, we’re not the only ones she’s told, which any other day of the week, with any other person, would be fine.
I wouldn’t usually even notice.
But Jen’s face changes the longer she’s on the phone, and pretty soon, it’s clear that her coming home with me isn’t what her mom has planned for her.
“…But I already told you, Mom,” she says in a low voice, flushing with annoyance.
“I told you and that manager I was taking some time off. I haven’t had a real day off in months. This isn’t fair!” she huffs, even letting go of me and storming off to pace as her conversation escalates into an argument pretty fucking fast.