Page 42 of Filthy Commitments
“You better ask him to come too. I have to meet the man who made my little sister a woman.”
“For the love of Pete! I’ll ask him and I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. How about I bring you dinner. Ribs are still your fav, right?”
“Oh, yes! And potato salad and pinto beans. That would be awesome. Call me when you leave. I love you and so does little Ray. Bye.”
Putting down the phone, I eyed Jett who’d overheard it all. “So, will you come with me?”
He placed his hands on my shoulders as he looked into my eyes. “Asia, do you really want me to come with you? Meet your family? That’s a big step you know.”
“Uh, are you being serious right now? I mean, I went to your family’s vacation. That was a much bigger step.” I shook my head as I couldn’t believe what he was saying.
“But that was all fake. This is real. Are you sure you want to make it that real? All I’ve offered you so far is a bunch of phony crap. What you’re offering me is as real as it gets.”
The smile that lifted my lips felt natural as did my decision. “I want you with me. I like real.”
“Oh God, Are we really doing this?”
“If you’re game, so am I.”
He kissed me with those soft lips that spun my world on its axis. “As your boyfriend, I’d be proud to go with you.”
So, it was set. I was taking Jett to meet my family. I knew they’d all be there, eager to meet the newest addition to the growing brood. And when Spring let them know about my new boyfriend, they’d all be excited to meet him. I wondered if Jett was ready for my family this time.
Ready or not, he’d signed up for it, and it was all about to come his way.
Jett
I had put the wedding rings in the safe at the house before we left the next day to go to South Dakota to see Asia’s family. Without them on, as if with magic, things felt different. The lie took a backseat. So far back, I forgot about it all. Asia and I were feeling more free without that burden. And we were heading to a place where things would be honest.
Well, not entirely honest. They couldn’t know I’d bought her and that she was in a Dom/sub contract. And they knew Asia hadn’t gone to Los Angeles on vacation. So, we were prepared to tell a version of the truth. We met online. A dating site. Then I flew her to Portland where we met up and then flew back to spend the summer at a home I’d purchased not long after she and I started talking.
We’d play the rest of it by ear. But for now, we were living together as boyfriend and girlfriend, exclusive and slowly advancing toward the future. A future we had no preconceived notions about.
I felt pretty good about it. There were some lies, but mostly truths. I suppose we could’ve told them the entire truth, but Asia said they’d never understand. And she wasn’t going to let them know she’d lost her scholarship either.
It became evident that some truths would go untold, but that’s life.
Asia held my hand tightly as the plane landed. “Jett, this is so exciting. I’ve never taken anyone to meet the family. I’m excited and kind of scared too. “
“I am too. I’ve never been brought to meet the family. This is new for me as well.”
Once we got off the jet, I rented a car then we headed to her sister’s home, and that’s when the nerves kicked in. We were on the doorstep of a modest home in a suburban neighborhood in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. There was one car, an older model sedan, parked in the drive that was cracked with age.
Asia knocked on the door as I wondered how hard things were for them, financially. The home and car showed me they weren’t living on high wages. It stoked that fire that had all but went out in me. The one that told me women only wanted me for my money.
Would Asia ask me to help her sister, brother-in-law, and new nephew out with some money? And if she did, would it change how I felt about her?
The sound of the door opening took me out of my thoughts. A tall man with a big build answered the door. “Asia, my goodness girl!” He pushed the squeaking screen door open and backed up so we could come inside. “And this is your man, huh?” he extended his hand to me. “I’m Max Johnson, welcome to my humble home.”
“I’m Jett Simmons. Thank you for allowing me to come to your humble home.” I liked the man’s handshake. It was firm, short, and friendly.
“Send them back here, baby,” came the yell of a woman.
Max hitched a thumb over his left shoulder. “And that’s the queen of this castle. Coming, Spring. You guys follow me. The baby’s asleep, but he doesn’t mind being held while he sleeps.”
“Asia tells me this is your first child. How’s it going?” I asked as we went through a small dark hallway. There were only three doors coming off it. The house was tiny.
“I have to admit that it hasn’t hit me yet. I guess he’s too quiet. It doesn’t seem real. I’m a dad. At thirty years old, I’m finally a dad.” He shook his head and smiled. “Spring and I have been together for five years. This was a long time coming. We just couldn’t get the money going right for us. We wanted to wait until we were making good money. We hit some rough times. I worked as a coach at the high school, and she worked at a store as a clerk. This was a busy town when we moved here three years ago. Then it suddenly stopped being so busy, and our jobs vanished. She couldn’t find anything, and all I could find was a janitorial job at the jailhouse. But the baby thing wasn’t going to wait. The stork came in unannounced.”
