AIDAN
“You’ve got to have one first in order for me to worry about it,” she huffed with a raised eyebrow, then her face fell. I could practically see the question written all over her face before she asked it. “Dad, you’re not still hung up on Mom, are you?”
I barked out a laugh, unable to help my response at the ridiculous idea. “What? No,” I said firmly. The idea was truly laughable. For one thing, Renee and I had truly burned every bridge when we split.
The only remaining tie we’d had was Lila, and that tie was severed the second Lila graduated high school. For another, it had been twelve years since our separation, and it felt like a lifetime ago.
“I didn’t really think so,” Lila responded. “I just want to make sure. I know you made sure to keep that stuff away from me when I was growing up, but Dad, I’m a grown woman. I am more than capable of the idea of my dad being in a relationship.”
At that moment, an image of Clio popped into my head. God, I had to be rusty. I’d spent an hour rolling around on the beach with a gorgeous, young woman, and I was already thinking about relationships.
For all I knew, Clio just wanted something casual, which I was all for. Lila chose that moment to break into my thoughts again. “I just want to make sure you’re happy,” she said, then with a mischievous smile, she continued, “and you know, not to feel guilty for leaving you alone as I travel the world.”
I could hear the laughter in her voice, but I was serious when I told her, “You should never feel guilty for living your life.”
She looked at me meaningfully. “Exactly.”
I smiled at her. “How the hell did you get to be so smart?”
She gave me a small, trickster smile, then answered with a deadpan expression, “Gigi.”
“Ah,” I answered, laughing. “Too bad that didn’t rub off on me.”
Lila, as usual, changed gears quickly. “I am really excited you’re here early, though. I can’t wait for you to meet my friend. She just went upstairs to shower and change really quick, but as soon as she gets down here, then I can tell you both my ‘maybe’ big news together.”
“Maybe big news? Why maybe?” I asked, intrigued.
She sucked in a big, excited breath, and I marveled at how some things never changed. As a little girl, she would come home from school so excited to tell me something that I’d warned her she was going to run out of oxygen if she didn’t slow down. Lila’s zest for life was admirable, and I loved seeing her so excited by possibilities. “It’s maybe, because it’s not for sure…yet. But if it does become a sure thing, this could be huge for my future career.”
Just then, I heard steps coming down the narrow staircase off the side of the kitchen, and Lila turned excitedly, her face lighting up as a very familiar young woman descended down the stairs. My heart rate sped up so quickly when I saw her. I feared my heart might jump right out of my chest as my eyes fell on the same luscious curves that I’d had in my hands just an hour ago. My eyes met her wide and clearly startled eyes. Her step faltered a bit, but her hand rushed out to grab the railing, saving her from tumbling at the last second.
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Clio, my best friend,” Lila went over to Clio and threw an arm around Clio’s shoulders, ushering her into the kitchen and right in front of me. She looked suddenly pale, and my mind raced hoping to God that my reaction wasn’t as obvious. “Clio, this is my dad, Aidan.”
I cleared my throat, struggling to get words out before Lila could become suspicious. “Clio?”
Lila forged ahead still, blessedly unaware of anything off. “Yup, short for Clio-isn’t that pretty?”
I straightened, nodding my head and holding her gaze as I answered, “Beautiful.”
Color bloomed in Clio’s cheeks, a tight, polite smile on her lips. I had to fight the urge to kiss it off her mouth until it turned back into the wide grin and the lush, swollen lips from our kissing session earlier. I cleared my throat and stuck out my hand. “Clio,” I said, “it’s a pleasure.” My eyes fell briefly to her mouth.
Tentatively, she shook my hand, and even though I knew I shouldn’t, all things considered, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from holding onto her hand a little longer than appropriate.
Lila had already turned away and gone to the fridge to get some drinks, and I rubbed my thumb over the soft skin on the back of Clio’s hands. Gently, I squeezed her hand, and I felt the same overwhelming urge to take her into my arms as I did on the beach. Her lips parted, and she gasped softly. Lila began to straighten from the fridge, and to my disappointment, Clio snatched her hand away, moving closer to the kitchen counter and to Lila. I felt the loss of her warmth instantly.
The ridiculousness of the situation crashed down on me with the loss of her hand in mine, and all the events of the morning processed at rapid speed through my head.
I’d spent the morning making out with a beautiful, young woman who turned out to be my daughter’s best friend…I had made my daughter’s best friend come hard against me and promised her more, so much more…shit.
My eyes could not help but track Clio, and I could see that she was clearly struggling to act normal and casual in this situation. Understandable, since there’d been nothing casual about the way she’d responded to my touch. The way she’d writhed against my hand would be a memory that I would favor until I was nothing more than dust in the ground.
I was the older, more experienced one in this situation, however, and I needed to act like it. There was no way Clio…or Clio I should say, would have enough experience to navigate something as delicate as this scenario. Though, to be truthful, I wasn’t feeling all that confident about it myself. No, there was no reason that anyone needed to be upset.
I moved toward the kitchen island to make small talk and let Clio know in my own way that things would turn out just fine, when the shrill sound of a pop song rang through the air. “Oops, that’s me,” Lila announced, fishing out her cell phone. She took one look at her screen and her eyes widened, a smile transforming her face.
“What is it?” Clio asked, concerned.
“I’m not sure yet, but this could be huge,” she said excitedly. “Excuse me for a moment.” She nearly skipped out of the room as she pressed the phone to her ear, leaving me and Clio all alone.