Page 4 of Pining for Dad's Friend On Halloween
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Bailey
This man isnotthe same man my father gave an extra set of emergency keys to, not the same man I’ve known for the past twoyears.
I didn’t know David was sohunky.
I mean…okay, I knew. When he dropped me off at school after Thanksgiving break my junior year I begged him to come to my dorm room so he could check it out. I wanted him to see that I had a Star Wars poster over my bed so he would gently chide me about how Star Trek isbetter.
That’s when my roommate started in with the questions.Who is he? Is he available? What’s hisdeal?
I told her I didn’t know what she meant by “deal,” but I knew. And I know she knew Iknew.
All around, everyoneknew.
And that night…I knew. I had a dream about him. The kind of dream that you wake up from and then close your eyes tightly, try to put yourself back into the dream world. I don’t remember specifics, only sensations. I could feel his scent in my brain, felt a state of blissful calm and wonderful, sweet peace. I put my hand over my heart and felt it beating more slowly than it ever had. It felt like everything had come to a head, everything was contained in that smallmoment.
Then I pushed it away.Mostly.
And now it’s back.Completely.
I smile at the reflection in my bathroom mirror. Carrie Fischer. Hmph. He said that to grind my gears, get me into an argument, antagonize me into taking the bait. I told him last summer that I am over the Star Wars versus Star Trek discussion and would no longer engage in any further talk about it. The conversation had run its course and there was no more either of us could say to bring the other to ourside.
Now there’s more material to consider, so maybe we should open the discussion backup.
I strip off my clothes and run the hot water as the steam rises around me. After driving for two hours, plus the little scare, plus whateverthatjust was, I need this shower. The only thing more regenerative than a drive with the windows down and the radio up is a hot shower. If I were alone in the house I would probably bring my little old-school portable radio in here and sing at the top of my lungs, but as there is very much someone else in the house, a silent shower will have to do. I feel a little smile pull at the corners of my lips. I’m sure David wouldn’t mind mesinging.
I roll my neck as I squeeze some shampoo onto my hands, getting everything lathered up, the feeling of David’s strong fist around my arm still with me. The feeling of his toned, built chest beneath my fingertips still fresh. I’ve never really been that close to a man before, so close that I could feel the warm intensity coming off of him. I’d been close to Adam, but all he did was grope around. Nothing reallyhappened.
That little touch on David’s chest felt better than my first kiss, made a warm sensation spread through me like a million fireflies, a lightness in my stomach. I’m still feeling the fallout. There’s warmth between my legs, David’s deep, woodsy, masculine scent still clinging to my brain. I shouldn’t touch myself right now, not with David downstairs, not with aguest in my house!I mean, he does have his own set of keys, but he’s still aguest.
I take a big, deep breath and close my eyes, and when I open them, everything is black. Panic surges through me as I grope around the shower and feel completely disoriented as my eyes adjust to the darkness. A sliver of blurry red appears through the tinted, rain-splatteredwindow.
The power wentout.
