Chapter 16

Tom sat opposite Debbie in a diner a block away from where the meeting had been held. The meeting itself had been exhausting. He hadn't spoken, but listened to other people's struggles and pain. He wondered when it was all supposed to

"They do get easier, it just takes time. Sobriety is basically a never ending battle but with the right techniques and people around you. It can work and start to get easier to cope with." Debbie said as if reading his thoughts.

"So you're going to be my sponsor." he said.

"It's your choice, you need to feel you can trust your sponsor. As he or she is the person you'll call when things get tough and you need to be talked off a ledge. But I'll be your temporary sponsor until you decide." She offered.

"I see." Tom said, unsure of what to say. He didn't know the etiquette of these conversations.

"Georgia felt that we'd be a good fit because unlike the others in the group. I understand the Military world, My whole family served in the military. I didn't, I married very young and had Kara." Debbie told him with a smile. "She is one of my biggest accomplishment and failure." she added wistfully.

"She's an exceptional sailor." Tom told her, her smile brightened.

"She has loved the Navy since she was baby. I think her first real word was Navy." Debbie said with an amused frown. "Her father was a TAO and my Grandfather was a Navy Admiral before he retired. So all she heard were naval stories growing, I tried getting her into Disney but she wouldn't have a bar of it or Princesses. She was going to be a Sailor just like her Daddy." she added.

"She did it." Tom said.

"And more. And you don't worry, what we talk about; stays between us. So you can tell me anything and know it's safe with me." Debbie assured him, he believed her as she was sincere and genuine.

"What do you do for work?" Tom asked her.

"I work at an NGO for children in need. The pandemic left a lot of children orphaned and social services is overloaded and underfunded. the NGO I work for provides orphanages with schools for those kids. I help organise fundraisers for donors and excursions for the kids. I even teach two days a week." Debbie said proudly.

"Sounds rewarding." he said earnestly.

"It is, it's terrible that we can't get the kids back their families but we can give them a home and an education." Debbie pulled out a business card. "If you ever want to call or pop by for a visit let me know. The kids don't care who you are or what you did in the past. They just take you as you are and want to learn something new." she told him.

"Thanks." he said, he wasn't sure he would take up the offer but he'd keep it in mind. "I called my kids tonight." he said, he didn't know why he said it. Maybe because they were on the subject of it, who knew?

"How was it?" Debbie asked casually with no judgement.

"Tough," Tom made a face. "They don't know, they just know that I abandoned them." he said voicing his inner demon's words not his own.

"I know it may feel like that but it's not true. Your friends would never have let your children think that. They know you." Debbie assured him.

"But they don't, not anymore." Tom told her.

"You're their father. All they want is to be with you, the rest is background noise. If there's one thing I know, is that your children will forgive you if you fall and make mistakes. They will even help you back to your feet even if you don't feel you deserve it. Because they love you, so never take that gift for granted." Debbie told him.

"I'm going to see them next week. Just to visit." he told Debbie, wondering what her thoughts were on the matter. He didn't even know why he cared given she was a virtual stranger to him.

"It's a good first step, I'm sure they will be thrilled to see you. but you just have to stop listening to negative thoughts, they are the last tendrils of the drugs trying to drag you back." Debbie told him.

"Easier said than done." Tom told her, she gave a knowing a smile.

"You thought about talking to your mother?," Meylan asked as he traced circles around her belly button, head propped up on one elbow as he and Daniela laid among his rumpled bed sheets.

They'd slept for about three hours, and the sun was just coming up in the sky. Majority of the time had been spent just exploring one another's bodies and talking. Right now, they were both too exhausted and sated to anything but rest. Daniela looked at him and shook her head.

"No, there's no point. We're strangers. I did try to get her a flight to America sooner as I think Wolf needs a kick up the ass but no esta bueno." Daniela said with a tired sigh.

"I could possibly help with that." Meylan offered.

"No, I don't want you to feel like I'm here to use you." She said as she touched his chin, ran her thumb across his incredible lips.

"You're not, I'm offering to ask around. It doesn't mean anything will happen." he assured her as he caught her hand and pressed a soft kiss into her palm.

"Ok." she replied, a little uneasy as she still struggled with the concept of people doing things without wanting payment or some kind of favour. "Thank you." she told him.

"Anytime, now how do you feel about breakfast?" he asked her, her eyes lit up at the mention of food but there was a lustful glint in them.

"Mmm, I am hungry for something." she said with a sly smile before she pulled him in for a hard kiss.

"Food first." He said between kisses, before Daniela had a chance to enthral him further he pulled himself out of bed. Daniela pouted at him as he pulled on some trunks and headed out of the bedroom.

Tom woke up with a sigh of relief as it was all just a nightmare. He dreamt of his last kiss with Sasha before he left the ship and then it morphed to him being in his cell. Him shooting up, the tendrils of the drugs sneaking it's way through his veins; dragging him into blissful ignorance.

He sat up in his bed and rubbed a hand down his face. He wished it could wipe away the past but now he had to own it. He was a hero who had fallen from grace. He just didn't know how to tell his kids. He was supposed to be their hero.

His mobile rang and rolled over to it. He lifted off the bedside table and looked at the screen, a smile spread across his lips as the screen read 'Sasha'. He pressed the answer button and brought it to his ear.

"Hey." he said.

"Hey you, did I wake you?" she asked.

"No, I've been up for about 3 minutes." he estimated, Sasha chuckled; god it sounded like music to his ears and very welcome after his nightmare. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I was thinking lunch?" she asked.

"Count me in." He said with a grin.

"I'll text you the details." Sasha told him.

"Mmm, this is good." Daniela told him before she took another bite of her omelet. Meylan was definitely too good to be true as he could cook, keep a clean house and fuck her into bliss. She was starting to wonder where his flaws lay as he was too perfect. But instead of picking at him to find them. She decided to enjoy him for who he was and hope her flaws didn't end the relationship too soon.

"I'm glad you like it." he said as they ate at the table. She sat in the chair beside his; her hair pulled up into a bun as she wore his shirt from last night and nothing else. It was sexy as hell. "So what are your plans for today?" he asked.

"Nothing, why you got ideas or want your day?" she asked.

"I'm thinking bed, it's been a long while since I've spent a whole day in bed." he said, hoping she understood the suggestion he was making.

"Order in greasy foods?" she asked excitedly, he couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm. Normally, he was not one to eat a lot of greasy food but decided one day wasn't going to kill him and he wanted to spoil her.

"Well, we'd be working it off."he said as he moved in to kiss her. Daniela bit her bottom lip and smiled coyly before she kissed him.

Tom stood outside the diner Sasha had texted him. It was an renovated hipster restaurant with exposed brisk walls, hanging plants and large windows and open sitting area at the front. It was only 11:30am, so not many people were in yet. But the smell coming out the place was delicious.

"Tom." he turned around at hearing his name and smiled as Sasha walked towards him. She was wearing a loose ruby red maxi dress with spaghetti straps paired with a navy blue, loose, 3/4 batwing sleeve long cardi. Her hair was down in a soft waves framing her face, she was breathtaking beautiful, he drank in every detail.

"You look beautiful," he said she stopped in front of him, she blushed lightly from the compliment and stepped in close.

"You don't look so bad yourself." She replied in a low and appreciative tone. She playfully tugged on his buttoned down shirt. Tom slid his hands inside her jacket around her back pulling her close. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her deeply. He ran his hands up and down her back; his hands slowed and stopped at her hips. He had expected to feel her knickers through the lightweight jersey fabric of the dress. But there was nothing. He wanted to investigate further but remembered they were on the street in the middle of the day.

"That's some hello." Sasha said with a smile when he pulled back from the kiss, his hands lingered on her hips.

"Are you not-?" he stopped as he realised he shouldn't be asking about her lack of underwear.

"Not what?"she asked innocently, she quirked an eyebrow as she wore an amused expression. She obviously knew what he was trying to ask.

"Nothing." he said, letting go. They were supposed to take things slow but now he was going to be thinking about her sitting across him with no knickers on. His brain liked that as it took the the natural train of thought of sussing out the details. The fabric and dress design was highly accommodating. Images of played through his mind of kissing her, as he slowly pushed the fabric of the dress up, how soft her skin would feel, the taste of her skin.

"Tom?" Sasha asked, Tom snapped out of thoughts.

"Yes?" he asked, clearing his throat as he was definitely not going to be able to stop thinking about her and that dress for a while.

"I asked if you were coming." She said, it took him a moment to realise that she meant into the restaurant.

"Lead the way." Tom told her.

"Oh! that is terrible!" Daniela exclaimed as she laughed in amusement and horror at Meylan's childhood story. He'd just regailed her with a childhood story of how he switched his sister's hair mask with hair removal cream. They were sitting on the lounge, reclining after finishing an early lunch.

"I was a shit head." Meylan admitted, he smiled and gave a shrug. "I apologised and her hair grew back. Eventually." he added which made Daniela laugh even harder. He couldn't help but join in.

"Good to know, I like my hair where it is." Daniela replied.

"So do I, and anyway kids do mean stuff. I grew out of it." he assured her.

"Well, I was the perfect child in comparison to you." Daniela informed him.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"Oh you think cause I am an unconvicted criminal means I was a delinquent child?" she asked mockingly.

"One would assume." he replied in a teasing manner.

"Well, I was perfect. Straight As, Honour student, I could speak 5 different languages before I was 12, ride horseback, play piano and draw. I was taught all the right manners and how to comport myself for higher echelons of society. My father spared no expense on my education." She said in a light tone, Meylan grinned as he was trying to picture her so prim and proper.

"Impressive." Meylan said but he already knew she had her knack for dealing with people. Given how high up she'd been in the criminal world, she had to be intelligent.

"Mmm, I thought so too, I figured he was showing he cared by giving such things but he was really just trying to improve my quality as a product." Daniela said, Meylan couldn't imagine not being loved by his parents. " He was never happy with me, mostly because I wasn't a boy. Then the only times he did acknowledge me was when he married me off to a drug baron and when I came into my own. But even then he still despised me." She said giving a shrug as she couldn't make sense of it or reconcile the past.

"Why didn't he take Wolf?" Meylan asked out of curiosity. Daniela never told him outright what had happened with her family but the information she did pepper him with were very telling. He was just trying to understand it all as it made up parts of who she was.

"I was born first; strong, big and healthy. My brother came out small, scrawny and weak. He stayed that way according to my father anyway. He told me once that he would've respected me more if I'd eaten Wolf inside the womb to save him from the disappointment of having such a weak son." Daniela replied.

"Oh that is off." Meylan said with an odd smile. Daniela nodded with a grin.

"Yes," Daniela smiled. "But he was right to be disappointed in us both. We were not a reflection of him, I tried to be like him. But my strongest weakness is sentimentality. My father had none, while it was my downfall." she added wryly.

"I don't agree." Meylan told her.

"Mmm, well we lived in very different worlds. In my world, friends and lovers; they are people who use you for your connections and vice versa. There's always an angle, there's also some debt to be paid. Women are considered ornaments and if they usurp their place then are put right back in it. The women tear each other to shreds to get higher up the food chain." Daniela said, Meylan couldn't but pity her and those people as he realised there was no sincerity in their relationships. No trust.

But in saying so, he innately knew she trusted him. If she hadn't she wouldn't share anything with him, especially the things they had discussed, he knew the vulnerability she felt when she shared personal thing about herself. Little nuggets of information could easily be currency to use against her but he wasn't that kind of man. It showed that she believed that too, and she was willing to let her guard down with him. It was truly a gift, one he wasn't going take advantage of.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to ask for the check and take you back to my place." Sasha told Tom, before she took a bite out of her chicken schnitzel burger.

"I can't help it when you foot keeps grazing my leg like that. Not to mention that I think you forgot something on your way out the door today." he told her, before he finished his burger off.

The food in the cafe was delicious and the lunch crowd had filled in. But all Tom could see was the woman sitting across him, he also felt her foot moving slowly up and down his calf. It was maddening given he knew she wasn't wearing anything under that dress except a bra. He'd already broken into a sweat trying to keep himself in check as other parts of him wanted to play. Sasha seemed like minded as she smiled salaciously at him from across the table.

"It was laundry day. My delicates took too long to dry." she said innocently, she took a sip of her iced tea. Her foot still toying his calf, she couldn't help herself. Well, she could but she didn't want to. She had spent moths imagining them reconnecting and doing these 'normal' activities together.

"It's all I've been thinking about since I kissed you." he told her, she couldn't help but chuckle but her humour evaporated as Tom gave her a heated look of lust.

"Remind me why we're taking things slow." Sasha told him, as she was struggling to remember in that moment. All she could think about was taking him back to her apartment and having her way with him.

"Something to do with us both being different people who need to get to know one another." Tom said vaguely as they looked at one another. The air crackled around them as they only had eyes for one another. Tom felt a rogue sense of excitement as he had a pretty good feeling where this conversation was going.

"Sounds like us, sensible." Sasha remarked, an expression that was starkly sexual crossed her features.

"Yeah, but not so much now." he told her.

"Cheque?" she asked, testing to see if he was thinking what she was. She smiled as he rose his hand and signaled for the waiter.