In This Life
Page 20
Colin wriggled around when I was changing him and resisted being snapped back into his outfit so I just carried him downstairs in his diaper. The sun was shining outside and the house was warm. Summer was almost here.
Roxie was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, tail wagging. I let her out through the back door and she immediately dove into a cluster of birds that had been pecking in the grass.
Yesterday evening I’d measured out powdered formula and made a couple of bottles to stow in the fridge. Colin drank one down eagerly and then emitted a substantial burp when I held him upright.
“Good boy,” I said. I realized I was praising another human for the routine feat of belching. The thought didn’t faze me a bit.
This morning Colin was more agreeable about swallowing his medicine and he seemed downright cheerful when I set him in his bouncer. He immediately made an effort to grab the colorful objects hanging from the bouncer’s toy bar but only succeeded in flailing his arms around. I flicked the silly pig toy he liked so much and the way he smacked at it with such enthusiasm made me smile. I was getting the hang of this baby stuff.
“Good morning,” said a voice and I turned to see Kathleen standing in the doorway.
She was fully dressed in last night’s clothes. That was a minor disappointment but I couldn’t realistically expect her to strut around my house naked. In fact it wasn’t even a good idea for a variety of reasons. Although the view would have been fucking epic.
“Good morning,” I answered, keeping my voice neutral and glad she wasn’t throwing herself into my arms. In fact she seemed a little uncomfortable, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall while failing to look me in the face.
Kathleen brightened when her eyes landed on Colin. “Hello, sunshine,” she said, coming right over and unfastening the bouncer restraints that I had just fastened. “How’s my boy today?” She cuddled him and kissed his face and made a bunch of nonsense sounds that delighted the baby.
“I gave him his second dose already,” I said. “I think he’s feeling better.”
Kathleen nodded and then continued with the wee wee ga ga shit. I wished I knew the right thing to say the morning after you fucked your new friend and kind of wished you hadn’t.
I switched on the coffee machine. “Want a cup?”
“So you’ve become a fan of caffeine after all,” Kathleen said in a teasing voice and when she looked at me she smiled.
I relaxed a little. Maybe this didn’t have to be so weird after all. “Yeah, I’ve discovered its useful properties.” I removed two identical Hawk Valley Happiness mugs from the kitchen cabinet. They seemed to be multiplying. “So do you take cream and sugar?”
“Neither,” said Kathleen. “But I’ve got to get going. My mom loves Emma but her patience for a precocious three-and-a-half-year-old only has about a twelve hour window.”
Kathleen carefully replaced Colin in his bouncer while I searched my brain for a way to end the conversation diplomatically.
“My cock thanks you.”
No. Definitely not diplomatic.
“Come back anytime.”
Sounded sarcastic as shit.
Kathleen finished fussing with Colin and cleared her throat. “Nash, I hope last night didn’t wreck anything.”
Listening to her voice made me recall the distinct breathy squeal she made every time an orgasm hit her. But I kept a straight face. “Not at all.”
Her face was anxious. “You think so?”
“Yeah. You’re great. Last night was…great.”
“It was.” She nodded. “And it wasn’t the best idea.”
“Probably not.”
She lifted her chin and leveled her gaze at me. “Just so you know, this is not something I do regularly.”
“Me neither.”
Her raised eyebrow said she didn’t believe me but she obviously didn’t want to start an argument.
On the other hand, I kind of felt like starting one if it put the truth out there. “You seem unconvinced.”
“It’s none of my business.”
“Of course it’s not.”
“Then I won’t ask.”
“But I think you should.”
Kathleen sighed. She crossed her arms again. She did that a lot. “You want me to ask if you’re the type of man who screws anything with tits?”
This was getting fun. “Yes.”
She was blushing. “So are you?”
“Am I what?”
“A player.”
I filled both mugs with coffee and gave her one even though she’d said she didn’t want any. She had to uncross her arms when I handed the cup over and I noticed that the fact that I was taking my time about answering the question was making her squirm. I kind of liked making her squirm.
“The last girl I was with was one I dated for five months last year,” I said. “I don’t bang random chicks for the hell of it. I’m no player, Kat.”
She digested the information. She looked confused.
“Why’d you think otherwise?” I pressed, wondering what kind of gossip was floating around about me in Hawk Valley ever since I left.
Kathleen set her coffee on the table and there went her arms again, crossing her chest and hiding the ripe, generous shape of her breasts. But not before I noticed her nipples were hard. The observation was interesting.
“I guess I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous,” she said. “It’s just that I remember what you were like in high school.”
“What was I like?”
She was thoughtful. “Noncommittal I suppose. You were attached to a different girl every other week and none of them appeared to matter to you for very long. I never heard you refer to a single one of them as your girlfriend.”
“You must have paid a lot of attention,” I said.
Now I was messing with her. I knew she had a colossal crush on me back when she was all knees and elbows. Every time I looked up I’d see her pale little face peeking around a corner and then she’d dart away as if she thought I hadn’t noticed.
Kat blushed. “I’ve always been very observant.”
“A good quality in a stalker.”
Her lips pursed. “I didn’t stalk you.”
“I thought we were being honest.”
She let out an exasperated breath. “Well, perhaps I was a little more intrigued by you than I should have been.”
“And why not? I’m an intriguing guy.”
Kathleen cocked her head and studied me. “You were a heartbreaker back then. I figured you still were. People don’t usually change. And anyway, just look at you.”
I mulled that over. “I don’t understand.”
“Yes you do.”
“Humor me, Kat.”
“You are sexier and more mysterious than ever. And you know it.”
“Maybe.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh shut up. It’s obvious you’re absurdly good looking and you seem to have nothing but contempt for adult concepts like relationships and love. I’m not saying I was right about you, but that’s the reason I made certain assumptions.”
I was bothered. Kathleen obviously had some baggage, given the crack she’d made once about sucking at relationships but I didn’t know why she figured I held love in contempt. Love was probably great or people wouldn’t be falling all over themselves to find it. Just because I’d never known the feeling firsthand didn’t mean I lurked around in the shadows casting the evil eye on happy couples.
Roxie was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, tail wagging. I let her out through the back door and she immediately dove into a cluster of birds that had been pecking in the grass.
Yesterday evening I’d measured out powdered formula and made a couple of bottles to stow in the fridge. Colin drank one down eagerly and then emitted a substantial burp when I held him upright.
“Good boy,” I said. I realized I was praising another human for the routine feat of belching. The thought didn’t faze me a bit.
This morning Colin was more agreeable about swallowing his medicine and he seemed downright cheerful when I set him in his bouncer. He immediately made an effort to grab the colorful objects hanging from the bouncer’s toy bar but only succeeded in flailing his arms around. I flicked the silly pig toy he liked so much and the way he smacked at it with such enthusiasm made me smile. I was getting the hang of this baby stuff.
“Good morning,” said a voice and I turned to see Kathleen standing in the doorway.
She was fully dressed in last night’s clothes. That was a minor disappointment but I couldn’t realistically expect her to strut around my house naked. In fact it wasn’t even a good idea for a variety of reasons. Although the view would have been fucking epic.
“Good morning,” I answered, keeping my voice neutral and glad she wasn’t throwing herself into my arms. In fact she seemed a little uncomfortable, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall while failing to look me in the face.
Kathleen brightened when her eyes landed on Colin. “Hello, sunshine,” she said, coming right over and unfastening the bouncer restraints that I had just fastened. “How’s my boy today?” She cuddled him and kissed his face and made a bunch of nonsense sounds that delighted the baby.
“I gave him his second dose already,” I said. “I think he’s feeling better.”
Kathleen nodded and then continued with the wee wee ga ga shit. I wished I knew the right thing to say the morning after you fucked your new friend and kind of wished you hadn’t.
I switched on the coffee machine. “Want a cup?”
“So you’ve become a fan of caffeine after all,” Kathleen said in a teasing voice and when she looked at me she smiled.
I relaxed a little. Maybe this didn’t have to be so weird after all. “Yeah, I’ve discovered its useful properties.” I removed two identical Hawk Valley Happiness mugs from the kitchen cabinet. They seemed to be multiplying. “So do you take cream and sugar?”
“Neither,” said Kathleen. “But I’ve got to get going. My mom loves Emma but her patience for a precocious three-and-a-half-year-old only has about a twelve hour window.”
Kathleen carefully replaced Colin in his bouncer while I searched my brain for a way to end the conversation diplomatically.
“My cock thanks you.”
No. Definitely not diplomatic.
“Come back anytime.”
Sounded sarcastic as shit.
Kathleen finished fussing with Colin and cleared her throat. “Nash, I hope last night didn’t wreck anything.”
Listening to her voice made me recall the distinct breathy squeal she made every time an orgasm hit her. But I kept a straight face. “Not at all.”
Her face was anxious. “You think so?”
“Yeah. You’re great. Last night was…great.”
“It was.” She nodded. “And it wasn’t the best idea.”
“Probably not.”
She lifted her chin and leveled her gaze at me. “Just so you know, this is not something I do regularly.”
“Me neither.”
Her raised eyebrow said she didn’t believe me but she obviously didn’t want to start an argument.
On the other hand, I kind of felt like starting one if it put the truth out there. “You seem unconvinced.”
“It’s none of my business.”
“Of course it’s not.”
“Then I won’t ask.”
“But I think you should.”
Kathleen sighed. She crossed her arms again. She did that a lot. “You want me to ask if you’re the type of man who screws anything with tits?”
This was getting fun. “Yes.”
She was blushing. “So are you?”
“Am I what?”
“A player.”
I filled both mugs with coffee and gave her one even though she’d said she didn’t want any. She had to uncross her arms when I handed the cup over and I noticed that the fact that I was taking my time about answering the question was making her squirm. I kind of liked making her squirm.
“The last girl I was with was one I dated for five months last year,” I said. “I don’t bang random chicks for the hell of it. I’m no player, Kat.”
She digested the information. She looked confused.
“Why’d you think otherwise?” I pressed, wondering what kind of gossip was floating around about me in Hawk Valley ever since I left.
Kathleen set her coffee on the table and there went her arms again, crossing her chest and hiding the ripe, generous shape of her breasts. But not before I noticed her nipples were hard. The observation was interesting.
“I guess I shouldn’t have been so presumptuous,” she said. “It’s just that I remember what you were like in high school.”
“What was I like?”
She was thoughtful. “Noncommittal I suppose. You were attached to a different girl every other week and none of them appeared to matter to you for very long. I never heard you refer to a single one of them as your girlfriend.”
“You must have paid a lot of attention,” I said.
Now I was messing with her. I knew she had a colossal crush on me back when she was all knees and elbows. Every time I looked up I’d see her pale little face peeking around a corner and then she’d dart away as if she thought I hadn’t noticed.
Kat blushed. “I’ve always been very observant.”
“A good quality in a stalker.”
Her lips pursed. “I didn’t stalk you.”
“I thought we were being honest.”
She let out an exasperated breath. “Well, perhaps I was a little more intrigued by you than I should have been.”
“And why not? I’m an intriguing guy.”
Kathleen cocked her head and studied me. “You were a heartbreaker back then. I figured you still were. People don’t usually change. And anyway, just look at you.”
I mulled that over. “I don’t understand.”
“Yes you do.”
“Humor me, Kat.”
“You are sexier and more mysterious than ever. And you know it.”
“Maybe.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh shut up. It’s obvious you’re absurdly good looking and you seem to have nothing but contempt for adult concepts like relationships and love. I’m not saying I was right about you, but that’s the reason I made certain assumptions.”
I was bothered. Kathleen obviously had some baggage, given the crack she’d made once about sucking at relationships but I didn’t know why she figured I held love in contempt. Love was probably great or people wouldn’t be falling all over themselves to find it. Just because I’d never known the feeling firsthand didn’t mean I lurked around in the shadows casting the evil eye on happy couples.
