Page 4 of Crushing On Dad's Best Friend
I turn to Mrs. Hanley when we get to the bottom of thestairs.
“Were’t you headingup?”
She taps herself lightly on theforehead.
“Duh!” she yelps, bouncing back up the stairs. “Oh, make sure you re-introduce Brian toKatherine!”
“Will do,” I say r as she gets to the top of thestairs.
I scrub the side of my face and give myself a few soft pats. I need to get my head right. Yes, Katherine is supposed to be getting reacquainted with Brian thisweekend.
As in,my sonBrian. He’s a sweet, slightly shy kid. Just graduated law school, staying with me at my apartment in Manhattan to study for the bar exam for a few weeks and came out here with me to attend thewedding.
His mom and I split up when he was only four years old and I haven’t been in his life as much as I wish I could have been. She made sure of that. She said I was married to my work before we split up, and then, after, she said work was my baby. I fought for fifty-fifty custody, but ultimately my attorney could only get me a weekend every month and alternating Christmas andEasters.
I’ve mademistakes.
I swallow thickly and grab the banister as a few bridesmaids with beach towels wrapped around their scantily-clad breasts stare at me. One of them waves and twists her hips, but all I can think about is Katherine’s body nestled up against mine. FuckingChrist.
Not only am I suddenly enraptured by my oldest friends’ barely-twenty-year-old daughter, everyone has the idea that she’s going to be spending time with my son thisweekend.
My son and I are in competition for the same woman? Is that as screwed up as I think it might be at firstglance?
I take a few more steps into the foyer, then decide I need to go for a drive to clear myhead.
“Liam, where are you going?” one of the bridesmaids coos afterme.
“I’ll be back soon,” I say over my shoulder, slipping outside with no umbrella. I fish my keys out of my pocket and stride over to my car, getting in quickly and shaking the rain out of my hair. I adjust my rear-view mirror to take a good look atmyself.
Snap the hell out of it,I think.You’re not in competition with anyone, and you’re not competing for anything. This is nothing. Ablip.
I hit the ignition button, hoping the rain doesn’t let up. I say a silent prayer as I shift into reverse and pull out of the small patch of parking lot, praying to God or whoever else is up there that it stays cloudy and rainy for the whole damnweekend.
I’ve been around insanely hot young ladies all day, throwing themselves at me left and right, and all I can think about is seeing the only woman Ican’thave in abikini.
The absolutelastthing I need right now is to see Katherine Hanley in a sexy littlebikini.
