21. Daddy, Youre Kinky

Three days have gone by. I’ve mostly gone swimming and filled out online applications for teaching jobs. But by now, most of the very few positions have been filled for the next year. Anything I get would be schools doing a last-minute scramble.

The guys have been in Texas since Tuesday morning. It hasn’t stopped them from sending the occasional text. Last night, they called me together and instructed me to take off my clothes and lie out on a lounge chair by the pool. Their sinful words and instructions filled my ears and I came almost as hard as I did when the three of us were together.

When my phone rings on Thursday morning, I’m hoping it’s them. Maybe they’re coming home a day early and they can help me eat the lemon scones I just baked.

I rush for the phone and see my dad’s name.

Guilt sinks its insidious claws into my chest. I shouldn’t dread picking up when it’s my dad, but I’m also keeping a pretty massive secret from him.

I refuse to focus on that. Instead, I’m going to be glad to hear his voice and catch up with him. After all, I spent six years pouting like a child and ignoring him. Maybe I have to keep a secret right now, but the least I can do is talk to him about everything else.

“Dad, hi!” I say.

“Hey, Pumpkin. How are you doing?”

“Great,” I say. “I just baked some scones and I’m going to have Maya and Sawyer over later.”

Things have been strangely quiet with Mom and Chloe, but I leave that update out. Dad doesn’t need to hear about them, and I’ve been trying to put them from my mind, as well.

“You baked scones? I bet Lincoln is happy about that.”

“Oh. Um, I wouldn’t know. He’s on a work trip right now.”

“What?” Dad sounds annoyed. “How long has he been gone?”

Feeling like I’m tattling on a friend, I say, “Just since Monday.”

“Him and Caleb, both?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought I could count on Lincoln to keep an eye on you.”

“I’m not a kid, Dad,” I protest. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

Dad grumbles something unintelligible. It might be Japanese. “Okay,” he says. “It’s fine. You’re right, you don’t need a babysitter. I just thought he’d take care of you while I’m gone.”

Oh, he’s taken care of me, all right. Nope, squashing that thought down. No horny thoughts are permitted right now.

“I’m doing great,” I tell him. “I reconnected with my friends, we’ve been enjoying the pool.”

“Good, good.”

“I, uh, haven’t been very successful with the job search, though. My last job really screwed me over when they terminated my contract at the last minute, but I’m applying to everything I can find.”

“That’s okay,” he says with a smile in his voice. “That’s why I called you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. This isn’t perfect, but I found a possibility for you. It’s translating, not teaching, though.”

“I don’t mind translation work,” I say. At this point, I’m fine with translating. I’d probably be fine working in a bakery or as a nanny. I just need something so I can be independent.

“And it’s far away,” he adds.

“Oh.” I don’t love that. “How far?”

“France. You’d be working in Paris.”

“Oh. Wow. Okay, let me think.” Freaking Paris. That would be a dream come true in so many ways. I’d be surrounded by French speakers, and working with the language.

I’d be far away from my mom, and Chloe, and Troy.

But I’d also be far away from Dad…and Lincoln and Caleb.

Dad clears his throat. “I know it’s a big change. But I would come to visit you all the time, and the job is built in with plenty of downtime between projects, where you can come back to the States.”

“Yeah. Wow.” I’m still thinking, my mind whirling.

“You could start a very solid career with this, and Pumpkin, I don’t want to rush you or anything, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. These positions don’t pop up often. It’s with a firm of translators who work in entertainment and with the government. They’re a big deal over there.”

“Okay, I’m thinking,” I say. “It’s a big decision.”

“I know, I know.” He sighs. “You have a few days to think it over. Naturally, I would miss having you nearby, but I fully support you taking this job.”

“When does it start?”

“August, ideally, but I’m sure we could get you in earlier, or at least move you over there if you’re eager to get away.”

“I’m not,” I say. “Not eager to get away, I mean.”

“The timing isn’t great—I wanted to spend a couple of weeks with you when I get back from Japan. But hey, after this trip, I’ll have some time and I could go with you to Paris. Get you settled, see some sights.”

“Yeah, that would be cool.” Inside, my gut is screaming nope nope nope. Not about spending time with Dad, which would actually be awesome. No, my problem is that I don’t want to move overseas and leave whatever it is I’ve started with Lincoln and Caleb. But my brain is reminding me that a relationship with two men is likely going nowhere. It’s temporary, kinky fun. And a job like this—well, it’s once-in-a-lifetime, as Dad said.

“Look, I get it,” he says, “you need time to think it over. So do that, okay? Give it some thought. I have connections over there that I can put you in touch with, as well. There are some nice people among them.”

“That would be great, thanks.”

“So what else is going on at home?” Dad asks.

“Not much. Chloe and Troy are getting married.”

“Christ,” Dad says.

“Yeah.” I bet he’d be unhappy to know Mom was here in his house. He wouldn’t be mad at me, just mad that she was in his space. Then I pause. I don’t want to bring up Lincoln again, but I’m dying of curiosity. Mom beat a hasty retreat when she heard that Lincoln was staying with me. “Hey, do Lincoln and Mom know each other?”

Dad hesitates. “A little.”

It sounds like there’s more to the story. If it turns out that Lincoln and Mom had an affair, I’m going to throw up.

“One of your mother’s friends—Suzanne, do you remember her?”

“Yeah.”

“She has a younger sister, Willow.”

I don’t think I like where this story is going, but I say, “Okay. Did they date or something?”

“Yes. And Willow was infatuated with him. Keep in mind, this was almost twenty years ago. He was young and stupid. We’re all stupid when we’re in our early twenties, aren’t we?”

Boy am I glad I’m twenty-six. Still, I say, “Careful, Dad, that’s not that long ago for me.”

He chuckles. “Anyway, no point in sugar-coating it. Lincoln was cruel, led her on, taught her things that messed with her head. She was fragile to begin with. When they broke up, she took it rather hard. She…she tried to take her own life.”

“That’s awful.”

“Lincoln bears quite a bit of responsibility. Obviously, he isn’t responsible for someone else’s mental health. But he was cruel to her, there’s no denying that. It took him quite a while to come to terms with his role and whatnot.”

I remember Lincoln smearing his come over my chest while saying he was never there, that it never happened. If Caleb hadn’t been there to tell me what a dick Lincoln was being, I would have had a much harder time.

I can’t stop thinking about Willow, though. Infatuated, then ultimately crushed.

I have a feeling that I’m following in her footsteps, but I can’t stop what we’ve already begun.

* * *