"Are you sure this is ok?" Annie asked nervously, looking out the kitchen window. She had been asking him this question every hour since they left Abby at the store. She sat at the table nervously playing with a pretzel wearing a new pink dress that had short sleeves that just covered her shoulders. It had cost him a fortune but she liked it and looked pretty in it, so it was worth it.
As he looked at her staring out the window with her straightened red hair and curled black eyelashes his heart hurt. He felt sad for missing her childhood and for not being there for her whenever she needed him. The next thought was that he was such a pussy now that he knew he had a daughter. He had just spent almost $3,000 on a complete stranger. 2 weeks ago he was cool and smooth and never gave a single thought to a woman's feelings apart from his mother. Now he was standing there worrying about saying the right words of reassurance.
"Well it's a little late to be turning back now don't you think?" He said and a flash of worry passed over her face. "I'm kidding."
"I can call his cell, right now." She said getting down from the stool.
"Don't bother. He's here." Mike nodded to the window as a green Camero pulled into the driveway. "What did you say he does?"
"Oh…uh…that's his dad's car. He inherited it when his dad died." Mike nodded. "His dad died last year and his mom took it really hard. So she's in a mental hospital, because she tried to…" She watched the figure emerge from the car and looked over at Mike nervously. They stood in silence, both counting the seconds, until the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." She whispered, her face pale and her hands shaky. He nodded and as she passed he grabbed her hand and gave it a tight squeeze. She looked at him with shock and then let out a shaky breath and smiled slightly.
Mike turned and opened the fridge. He took out a beer, cracked it open and rested against the cupboard door. He could hear the front door close and muffled voices from the hall. He strained to hear what they were talking about but it was as if they were whispering. When he heard footsteps in the hallway he turned away from the entrance and pretended to be reading the newspaper. Annie cleared her voice and Mike turned around.
"Mike this is Alex Hannon." Annie said nervously looking over her shoulder at the boy that stood behind her. And that's what he was, a boy. He didn't look older than 17 or 18 but Annie had said something about him being in his twenties. He looked like he was attempting to grow a beard but it was a failing attempt. His black hair was brushed back into a ponytail and he was wearing a white t-shirt with a black tie under his black leather jacket. Mike had to tell himself not to be so prejudice of this boy's appearance. Mike stuck out his hand and nodded.
"Mike Chadway." He said and the boy shook his hand.
"Nice to meet you." He spoke with a deep voice and his handshake was firm. "Annie's told me so much about you." He said and Annie's head dropped, her hair hiding her face.
"Me too." Mike said to save her. She peeked up at him and he smiled. "Well come in, come in. Would you like a beer?"
"Uh…Sure." he looked at Annie and she shrugged.
"Where are you staying?" Mike asked Alex as he passed him a can of beer.
"Uh…" He looked down at his hands.
"Well the thing is…"Annie started and Mike felt his stomach clench. He raised his eyebrows at her and she went pink. "Well you see, Alex…"
"I don't have a room because I just lost my job." Alex said. It was definitely something that you shouldn't tell the father of your girlfriend, but at least he was being honest. They both looked at him, watching his every move. He sighed and shook his head.
"Alright, you can stay here. But I don't want any roaming around in the middle of the night." He looked from Annie's pink face to Alex's bright eyes. "You understand?" He said directly to Alex and Alex nodded quickly.
"I promise." Annie said and smiled up at Mike. He shook his head and turned to the stove.
"I've turned into the biggest push over." He said with a deep sigh.
"Most guys do when they have a daughter." Alex said, and when Mike looked at him his face went blank and he shrugged. "I-I mean that's what I've heard anyways."
"Do you have siblings?" Mike asked him as he started stirring the boiling potatoes.
"Nope, just me."
"Any children?"
"Not that I know of." Alex laughed and then when he saw Mike's serious face he stopped laughing. "No I don't have kids." Mike studied him, then took the steaks off the kitchen counter and headed out to the deck. Alex hesitated and then followed him.
"Coming Annie?" Mike asked.
"In a sec. I just want to make sure these are being cooked right." Mike rolled his eyes at Alex and he smiled back.
"So what school did you go to?" Mike asked him.
"I went to a private school in Manhattan as a kid and then when I was a teen I…uh…"
"Dropped out?" Mike asked looking him over again.
"It just wasn't my seen. My parent's had grown up as preps and were trying to force me to be." Alex said with a hint of bitterness. "It's like trying to force a boy to be a girl." He explained.
"So what did you do after you dropped out?"
"Well…I play the guitar. I'm in a band and I travelled with my band. We opened for a Canadian band once. Ever heard of Hey Rosetta?" Alex asked.
"Not that I know of." Mike said putting the steaks on the barbeque and taking a seat at the table. Alex followed and sat across from him.
"Well I'll show you later. I know Annie has it on her iPod." Alex said and looked around. "Nice place you got here."
"Thanks."
"It's very…suburbs." Mike looked at him with confusion and Alex smiled. "You know…like you have a big job in the city where you wear a tie and everyone respects you. Then at the end of the day you come home to a Betty Crocker House wife and a couple of cute dimpled kids, home cooked meals, blah blah blah." He said with a bitter smile.
"How did you meet?"
"Huh?"
"How did you meet my daughter?" Mike said trying to hide his agitation. Alex was taken aback but he shrugged.
"She was at one of the concerts."
"And…?"
"Well I spotted her in the crowd and after the show I went and talked to her."
"Just like that?" Mike asked in disbelief.
"Yup." Alex said and something about his tone made Mike uncomfortable yet angry at the same time. Mike felt like he was having a staring contest with Annie's boyfriend. He wasn't about to back down, but the back door opened and he looked towards the door without even thinking. Annie looked nervously from Alex to Mike and back.
"Everything ok?" She asked sitting in between the two of them.
"Yea, course." Alex said grabbing her hand.
"Alex was just telling me how you met." Mike said with fake interest.
"Oh?" Annie raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm surprised you even remember." Alex looked at her carefully and then smiled.
"How could I forget?" He asked; his face pale and his lips tighter.
"You were really drunk the night we met." Annie said with a laugh. Mike raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to look at Alex.
"I wasn't that drunk." He defended.
"You were so drunk. You kept calling me Miranda." Annie said again. Alex stared at her with a smile. Mike looked away for a second and when he looked back, Annie's face was hidden by her hair and her hand was in her lap.
"That's right. I had thought you were my agent. She's a red head too." Alex explained with a smile. But Mike's attention had turned to Annie, whose shoulders were shuddering and he couldn't see her face.
"Anne? You ok?" Mike asked.
"Yea course." She said, looking away from him. Her hand went to her face and when she looked at him her eyes were glossy. He squinted his eyes at her and she looked away.
"I'm starving." Alex said sitting back and patting his flat stomach. "What are we eating?"
"Mashed potatoes, steak and corn on the cob." Annie answered. "That reminds me, I should check on the corn." She jumped up from the table and disappeared into the house. Mike flipped the steak without saying anything, thinking carefully how he would word his thoughts. When he turned around he looked at Alex carefully.
"You love her?" he asked.
"I…what?"
"Do you love her?" Mike asked again.
"Course. She's a great girl." That wasn't what Mike was looking for and he could feel the hairs sticking up on his arms.
"Yea she's great girl but so is my secretary at work and I don't love her." Mike snapped.
"I love her, of course I do. I wouldn't be here if I didn't would I?" Alex asked defensive.
"I'm not really sure why you are here."
"You invited me."
"Yea, but if it were me I wouldn't have shown up." Mike said.
"That's the difference between you and me. I'm always there for her." Mike felt like he had been stabbed with a ice-cold knife right in the chest. He was at a loss for words and could plainly see that Alex knew he had won.
"If you hurt her, I swear to God…"
"What?" Alex leaned forward. Mike had the urge to punch him, but was trying to be on his best behavior. Luckily at that moment Annie came back out. She looked at them and her eyes widened. Mike realized he was leaning on the table glaring at Alex, who was matching him, only still seated. Mike straightened up and turned back to the steaks.
"Corn's done and I'm just about to mash up the potatoes." She said.
"Ok, give me 3 more minutes and the steaks will be done too." He said, flipping the steak violently.
Annie said goodnight at 11 o'clock. Mike and Alex had been quiet since they had eaten dinner, neither one talking directly to each other. No matter how many times she tried to get them to talk to one another they would give one-word answers and avoid looking at each other. Both Mike and Alex talked only to her, making it feel like a competition for her attention. Alex had helped her clear the table and when he had tried to talk to her Mike had walked in and all conversation had ceased.
After dinner Mike put on the TV and they sat in silence from 7 to 11 and watched the UFC fight and a bit of Two and a Half Men. When she had finally had enough she had said goodnight, kissing both of them on the cheek, catching Mike by surprise, and headed off to bed. She got undressed and slipped an old t-shirt over a black lacy bra and underwear and turned off the light. She laid on the bed and listened carefully for signs of movement. Around 1130 she heard the bedroom door next to her open and then shut and then a couple minutes late Mike's bedroom door closed. Annie fought off sleep for a whole hour before she got up, quietly opened her door and tiptoed to the next bedroom. Her heart was racing as she looked down the dark hallway to Mike's room. She felt the cool metal under her hand, and while watching Mike's door she opened the guest bedroom door and slipped inside.
The room was pitch black, except for the moon beams that came in threw the open curtains. She could see Alex's figure lying face down on the bed and his heavy breathing told her that he was asleep. She shook her head as she remembered that he could sleep threw pretty much anything. She climbed onto the bed beside him and gently touched his bare back. He didn't stir; even his breath remained the same. She tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed his neck. He moved this time. He lifted his head and smacked his lips, looking around. Finally he rolled over and looked up at her.
"Hey." He said.
"Shhh…" She hissed nervously.
"Oh right. Forgot." He rubbed his face and then looked at her. "I missed you." He said rubbing her bare leg.
"What did you talk about?" She asked him. He sighed and reached up, grabbing her arm gently and pulling her down beside him. He brushed her hair out of her face and bent down and kissed her. She let herself be kissed for a second before she broke it and looked at his sleepy face.
"Al, what did you say?"
"Huh?" He asked, not paying attention.
"What did you say that made him so mad?"
"Nothing." Alex said, bending down and kissing her again. His hand traveled up her thigh to her hip where he felt along the line of her panties. She felt anticipated goose bumps break out over her skin and broke the kiss again.
"Then why was he like that?"
"Like what?" Alex kissed her neck.
"Like…he was really cold."
"Who cares!" Alex said, his hand moving under her t-shirt, tracing along her outline of her ribs and finding their way under her bra. She shivered when he cupped her breast.
"Alex, please." She whispered and he sighed.
"Anne, who cares? Seriously, we're not here to get Daddy's approval."
"I know but…"
"Stick to the plan Annie. Nothing else matters." He said sternly. Annie looked at the ceiling and sighed.
"You're right. Nothing else matters." She said.
"Well, this matters." He said kissing her, this time his tongue made contact with hers and his hands her back at her hips working their way under her panties. She sighed as he started to pull them off and kissed his shoulder hungrily. She pulled her shirt over her head and he kissed her again. She clung to him hungrily as his hands traced her thigh again and then the edges of her pelvis. When his fingers slipped inside of her she gasped and she could feel Alex smile against her lips.
"Miss me?" He asked teasing her with his fingers.
"Yes." She barely managed to say.
"How much?" He asked kissing her neck and his fingers went deeper. She pulled his lips back to hers and bit his bottom lip. She reached down and grabbed him, gently guiding him to her. She felt his fingers leave her and then they were grabbing at her hair. She helped him pull off his boxers and she kissed his flat stomach. He grabbed her hair again and pulled her face to his. She moaned loudly as he entered her, digging her nails into his back.
Just then Mike's bedroom door opened and, gasping, Annie froze. Alex froze for a second as Mike passed by their room and went down the hallway. Then he grunted again as he pushed himself back into her.
"What are you doing?" She hissed, trying to pull away.
"Come on Baby." Alex said, kissing her breast gently.
"No, he might hear us."
"He might hear you, you mean." Alex said smiling and reaching down between her legs again. She bit her lip to stop herself from gasping and pulled on his hand regretfully.
"Stop. I don't want him to…"Before she could finish Alex's lips were on hers and she could barely think with the feeling of his soft lips on hers and his hand between her legs.
"If we're quiet he'll never know." Alex said, nibbling on her ear making her moan again. She clenched her legs around his hand, making his difficult for him to move.
"You're doing that on purpose." She whispered, gasping.
"Shh…he's coming back." He kissed her again and Annie heard Mike's door softly close. "Can I finish now?" Alex asked, removing his fingers from between her legs. She sighed and kissed him softly. He climbed back onto her and kissed her deeply, muffling the moan that escaped from her lips as he forced himself into her.
The weekend seemed to fly by. Annie had expected Mike to want to do things with them, get to know Alex a little more. But Saturday morning Mike left early, heading to work because he had some more paper work to do. He left them the house for nearly 6 hours and Annie found it difficult to look him in the face, after Alex's brilliant idea to take a bath in Mike's Jacuzzi tub. Saturday night Mike ordered a pizza and they watched Made of Honor and Ghosts of Girlfriend's past, both movies chosen by Annie. Annie fell asleep on Mike's shoulder and he shook her awake at 12 o'clock.
Sunday morning Annie woke up at 1130. After another long night with Alex, Annie could barely walk to the bathroom. She sighed as the hot water soothed all of her tense muscles. She looked at herself in the mirror, her hair dark and curly; her skin as pale as milk. She traced the small little scar just below her navel and sighed. Stick to the plan, Anne. Nothing else matters.
Alex left just after lunch. He shook hands with Mike, who barely said a word since Friday and kissed Annie chastely. Annie breathed a sigh of relief when Alex's car disappeared down the street.
"So…" She said, looking at the spot where Alex's car had just been.
"So…"He leaned against the porch and studied her. She sighed.
"Ok, let me have it."
"I…what do you see in him?" Mike asked frowning.
"I don't know…it's hard to explain I guess." She looked at his disapproving face and pushed the anger away. "Well what do you see in Abby?"
"Wh-I don't…" Annie raised her eyebrows and he sighed. "He's alright, I guess. He's kinda funny." Annie smiled. "What?"
"I like how you dodged my question with something that you thought would distract me." She said and Mike smiled and shrugged.
"Come on. Abby's probably dying to tell you how her date went with the Doctor." He said wrapping an arm around her shoulder and guiding her into the house.
