Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26251 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26251 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
“Ali, what are you doing?” I whispered. “Don’t you know Brandon is old? Like in his 40’s old?” I said, referring to Harris’s buddy.
Alice just giggled again.
“Yeah, but that’s not too bad. I mean, I just turned eighteen, so it’s a twenty-two-year age difference. That’s not too much.”
I stared at her.
“Ali, do you hear yourself? Twenty-two years? That’s more years than we’ve been alive!”
But my friend wasn’t dissuaded, and just patted her wet hair.
“No, it’s fine,” she cooed, still staring over at the men. “Besides, Brandon is fine, girl. Look at that six pack.”
I looked, but it wasn’t Brandon that my eyes were drawn to. Instead, it was my stepfather, and my heart did an unexpected flip. After all, Harris has always been ‘my mom’s husband’ in my mind, and nothing more. He was just a presence in the house who paid the bills, worked in the home office, and occasionally grilled burgers for us. The older man didn’t really register, although I knew I should be grateful to him for putting a roof over my head.
But for the first time, my heart thumped as I took in the handsome man. When did he become so attractive? Harris’s black hair seemed darker than usual that day, almost like it was absorbing sunlight. His form was tall and broad, with a muscular chest that was shown off in a fitted black T. His jeans hung off his hips, and as he tilted his head back to laugh, I caught a glimpse of flashing white teeth.
Who is this person? I thought as my pulse raced. It’s like I’ve never seen him before.
But then, it was as if Harris could read my mind. His eyes suddenly caught mine, and I froze like an animal in the headlights. That blue gaze pierced my soul and my heart thumped so loud I could hear it in my ears. It was as if a veil had been lifted and I was seeing my stepfather for the first time as a man, and not just a parental figure.
Something clicked in his mind too. Our gazes locked for just a tad too long before he looked away, and when I finally came to my senses, I was panting and my skin was flushed.
“Are you okay?” Alice asked, throwing me a curious look. “Are you getting sunstroke?”
“No,” I mumbled, looking down. Goodness, my hands were literally shaking, and quickly, I hid them in the water to mask the tremors. “It’s probably just that hot dog I ate.”
“Really?” Alice asked, squinting her pretty blue eyes at me. “Hot dogs are processed foods, girlfriend. Those don’t usually have salmonella or anything like that. It’s the only thing about cured meat that’s good for you. That stuff has been through so many machines, and has so many chemicals and preservatives that you’re pretty much not going to catch anything.”
“Thanks,” I said with a wry smile her way, still hiding my body’s reaction to Harris. “I appreciate the assurances.”
“No problem!” Ali said with an airy smile. “Trust me. You know I want to be a nutritionist, so I know all about these things. Any questions, just ask.”
Fortunately, the conversation continued in a benign vein, so I was saved from the questioning eyes of my friend. Not that Ali’s so perceptive, but still: no one wants to admit that they think their stepfather’s hot.
But Harris really is, and the awareness between us never went away after that. We never acted on it, of course, but I could feel his eyes on me as I tiptoed about the house. Even worse, I started dressing sexier to get his attention by supplementing my wardrobe with mini-skirts, crop tops, and thigh high sheer stockings that are altogether inappropriate for a teen girl. Still, I’m a straight A student, so I think most people kept their mouths shut. Maybe I was in sexy attire, but I was also killing it on my exams and likely trouncing their kids when it came to the SATs.
But now, we’re finally saying goodbye. Harris is dropping me off at Concordia College, my first choice school, and then it’ll be a few months before I see him again at Thanksgiving. That’s why I want to force an encounter between us. But how? He’s a very principled man, and in the years I’ve lived under the roof, he’s never done anything inappropriate. That is, until last night, of course.
But Harris doesn’t acknowledge what happened. Instead, he turns around and slides a plate of bacon and eggs over to me.
“Toast?” he asks in a deep voice.
Looking into his blue eyes, I feel like he’s asking me something more. But I merely nod and bite my lip.
“Yes please. Thanks, Daddy.”
He jerks a bit at that name because I’ve never called him “Daddy” before. It just slipped out. But he doesn’t acknowledge it, and instead, turns away to slide two pieces of bread into the toaster. Meanwhile, I crunch down into a strip of bacon.