Page 13 of Her Honey Pot (Sweet Treats 3)

I swallow heavily. Oh wow, they’re treating me like an adult and it makes me feel appreciated.

“Well, this is all really new to me. Jess only told me about Dads and Daughters last week. The entire conversation was pretty random, to be honest.”

Tex and Rex share a look and nod seriously.

“But you understand what Dads and Daughters is about, don’t you? Jessica told you?”

I nod.

“She did, and Brent filled me in with more details afterwards. I was shocked at first, but then it made total sense, if that makes sense.” Oh my god, I can’t believe I sound like a parrot. I wish the floor would open up and swallow me right about now.

But neither Tex nor Rex seem bothered by my word vomit, and they nod.

“Good. What did you think of Dads and Daughters?” Tex probes gently. “And what are you hoping to get from it?”

I take a deep breath before looking them in the eye.

“To be honest, I was scandalized when I first found out the club existed. It sounds like a dirty swingers club, and it is. But Jessica explained it all to me: how long-haul truckers get lonely on the road, and crave female companionship. How you don’t like to pair up with random women in random cities. And how you give back to the daughters in the club by caring for them, and making sure the girls are comfortable and enjoy their time with you.”

Rex nods.

“Absolutely. If anything, the woman is our first priority, no matter how tired we are.”

Tex nods thoughtfully.

“We take our responsibilities seriously, and our female companions always come first. After all, the girl we’re with is someone’s daughter. If we know whose daughter it is, then she’s not just another anonymous face and name. She’s a woman to be protected and cherished, not to mention loved.”

I stare at them.

“Loved? Are you sure? How can you love someone whom you’ve only met once? Or even a few times?”

Tex and Rex share a look.

“There are many types of love, Marni. There’s the kind of love you feel for a long-term partner, and there’s the kind of love that you feel for someone you’ve just met. But neither one is more or less valid. They’re just different permutations of the same thing.”

I nod slowly.

“I suppose that makes sense. After all, I love my dog, but it’s a different type of love than what I feel for my dad.”

The two men nod wisely.

“Exactly,” says Rex. “And you don’t always have to be first in someone’s affections either. For example, maybe you have a girl that you see in a city every two weeks, and you enjoy your time with her. But you also have a woman that you maybe only see once a year, and you also enjoy your time with her. The first girl is obviously front and center, while the second woman is in second place, but it doesn’t mean that second place is worse. It’s just a matter of time, circumstance, and expectations.”

Tex nods.

“‘First’ and ‘second’ aren’t even the right labels to use,” he adds, “because it makes it sound like second is inferior. It might be better to refer to one as “Blonde” and the other one as “Red.” Neither is better; they’re just different.”

I nod slowly.

“But what’s this thing about expectations? How do you manage that?”

Both men grow quiet for a moment. The air is solemn, and I stare at Rex’s big bronzed hand resting on the bar. The white of his sleeve contrasts with his tan skin, and idly, I wonder what it would feel like for him to touch me.

“Good question,” he says in a low voice. “Expectations are key to our group because managing them is paramount for Dads and Daughters to survive. Basically, our members know that for the most part, this isn’t a long-term set-up. Actually, long-term isn’t the right word, because some of our dads and daughters have been meeting up for years now. But they know that generally, their private meetings don’t lead to a long-term relationship. These are one-offs, and any dad or daughter can call it off at any time.”

I nod slowly.

“It’s because you’re truckers right? You never know when or if you’ll be back to a certain city.”

Tex nods thoughtfully.

“That’s part of it, but it’s also that we don’t encourage long-term relationships for the most part. The dads are usually in their forties, while the women are half that. It’s a real May December conundrum.”

I stare at them.

“But I think older men are hot!” I protest. “They’re certainly much better than the boys at my high school,” I say with an eyeroll. “Those guys need to grow up.”

Tex and Mex laugh, their low growls filling the air.

“I’m glad you like older men,” says Tex in a slightly raspy voice.

“Very glad, because we should talk about you now,” says Rex smoothly. “After all, what do you want, Marni? Jess mentioned you want into Dads and Daughters, but why?”

---