X-Treme Measure (8 page)

“Ha. I wouldn’t say all that. It’s just girl’s night out. Sometimes some of the guys go with us. We hang, drink and gossip mostly.”

“Not my cup of tea.”

“I’m not one to judge, but you seem like you need it. Oh, hey! Next month is your birthday, isn’t it?”

Was nothing secret here? “Yes.”

“We’ll go do something. Have you ever been to a male strip club?”

I shook my head, not wanting to know where she was going with this, but there I was, going with it.

“There’s a club-slash-escort place, X-Treme Measure. We should go. I think for parties we have to schedule in an advance. It’s hard to get in there. The cover charge is ridiculous.”

“Then why bother?”

“Because, one, it’s your birthday. Two. It is the best male strip place in Houston. Three, I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“Then why don’t you go?”

“Because one simply doesn’t go alone. I’m not desperate. Come on! What do you say?”

“Fine.”

“Awesome! I’ll call them this evening.”

YAY. Great. Not. I was going to a male strip club with a bunch of chicks? Great.

She was more excited when she got up from the booth and I trudged on home. Parking, I got out just in time to see Daniel walking with strong, bold confidence down the steps. I will admit, I’ve been taking the elevator to my apartment when I knew he would be leaving his to go wait for Reighlyn. The elevator was opposite of where the steps led down, but looking down at my watch, I knew I had stayed too long at work, dwelling over being a complete idiot at letting his brush off get under my skin. I was nice to him. Polite. But he looked at me like he wanted to rip someone’s head off.

He didn’t say anything anyways so it never mattered. We were able to avoid each other easily this way. But today, I was running on fumes. It’s been a busy few weeks with the end of the semester and work. It had gotten busier with end of school activities and then high school graduations. Funny how I could squeeze thinking about my hot single dad neighbor with everything going on.

I shut my door just as he reached the bottom step. I hadn’t meant to look up at him, I was planning on just going straight to the elevator. Ignore him and go on about my day. Not that I had anything to do anyway. But nope, I made the mistake of bringing my head up and he was standing there, staring right at me. The look of feral irritability was still there but then he looked me up and down, probably noticing the ranch stain left behind from when I dropped the ramekin on the floor and it flew all over me. I had opted to wear my glasses today instead of my contacts. I didn’t know if he was aware but I saw the side of his lips twitch like he was on the verge of smiling or probably laughing at the work mess that was me. I rolled my eyes, slammed my car door and started walking towards the elevators.

“Still taking the elevators? The stairs don’t bite.”

I didn’t know what came over me, but I turned and gave him the fiercest scowl I could muster.

“I take the elevators because I want to. Maybe I want to be lazy.”

“You don’t really seem the lazy type.”

“You don’t know me, so don’t presume to know anything about me.”

With that I turned, but because he picked me a part, a small part, I headed straight for the stairs instead. Stomping my way up the four flights of stairs, cursing the big blockhead all the way up to my apartment. By the time I got to the door, I turned to him in the same spot, looking up at me and a quick smile flashed across his lips. He shook his head and continued on. I wanted to smack him. Really hard. Right on his sexy, smirky face.

I got inside, finally letting out the hard exertion it took for me to climb those steps. Huffing, puffing and panting, I let my anger roll through me. I knew sweat dotted my forehead. I was still out of shape for those steps but dammit, I did it. Hot, sexy bastard won’t get the best of me. Nope. But Jesus Almighty, my thighs and calves burned and I was breathless. And not only from the walk upstairs.

I knew being a dick to Moriah was fucked up. When I decided to avoid her any way I could, I hadn’t realized being a complete douchebag was how I would handle what I was feeling. And how was I feeling? Like I wanted to put her in my bed for at least a week. She had felt too incredible against me as she slept. Which just couldn’t happen.

And to make matters worse, Reighlyn barely spoke to me. When mom came back from her cruise, she saw something had been wrong and Reigh said we argued about the babysitter that watched her over the weekend.

Well, it’s not like I could explain to either one of them that she made my dick hard and Sunday night, when I took Mrs. Franco out, like I did every other Sunday as her escort, she had wanted sex. Normally, I could deal with that. I’d done it before, I knew how to turn it on and get the job done. I made sure the women I took out were satisfied, but for the life of me I couldn’t get it up that night.

That hard earned control I had, where my dick knew it was a job and to take care of business. Get it over with, please them and move on. It’s not like I came with these women. I did a good job at fucking and faking it to make them happy. When it didn’t even come to life, I had to cut the night short, apologizing profusely before trying to give her a refund since the night hadn’t gone as well as she wanted. She flat out refused. I wasn’t about to reduce myself to popping a fucking Viagra either. Too young for that bullshit.

You see, Mrs. Franco’s husband had been dead for ten years and she’s been a client of mine for four. She was faithful to her husband, and I knew she didn’t want anything serious with me. She just wanted companionship. I understood. She loved her husband. When we had sex, she called out his name and I got it. She wanted to pretend. I had no problem. She wasn’t clingy. And when I had my issue Sunday, she insisted it wasn’t a problem. She even asked me if there was someone. Of course I told her there wasn’t anyone, but she hadn’t bought it.

I didn’t talk to clients, but Mrs. Franco was actually a nice woman. She didn’t treat me like I was just a hired gigolo. She knew about Reighlyn, unlike anyone else. I had to leave her once before, when Reighlyn was at my moms and she had gotten a fever which spiked and we had to take her to the ER. Mrs. Franco was understanding, told me to of course go to my daughter and hoped she had a fast and full recovery.

That Sunday I left early, and walked in the apartment, only to see Moriah, looking sexy-as-fuck on my couch. The tight leggings, and a black off the shoulder, but this time I could visibly tell she wasn't wearing a bra as the material slipped so low her nipple almost peeked out. That made Detective Dick eager to investigate everything she had. My mouth watered; desperate for a taste of those hard little points. Lascivious thoughts ran through my mind about what my cock could do to her and it made me even more fuck-hungry. I had been ready to growl and howl at the moon like a damn beast. Letting everyone know who she belonged to. Nothing could come of it. She had been right. I barely knew her and while I thought she was a beautiful and sexy, I couldn’t go down that road.

When she asked what was wrong and if I wanted to talk about it, I almost laughed in her face. Yeah. That would go over really well. ‘
No, I don't want to talk about how you make my dick rock hard and no, I don't want to tell you how much I'd love your sexy fucking mouth wrapped around it until I come down your throat and then fuck you into oblivion and see stars and no I don’t really wanna talk about how I couldn’t get it up to do my job because you did something to me
.’ So I was short and harsh and wanted her to leave.

Performing had been one thing. Friday, I made a ton and Saturday I made about the same. Then Sunday happened and it was pathetic. My dick wasn’t happy with the job that day. It wanted another pussy. A pretty, young pussy that had a gorgeous head of long blonde hair to wrap around my hand and a body that was made for pleasing.

See? That’s Detective Dick thinking. I did not need to get entangled with anyone. Especially a girl who had big goals and bigger dreams. She’d graduate and move on up to bigger and better things. That and she was like eight years younger than I was. That was an issue, wasn’t it?

Maybe not to my dick, but since it didn’t make the decisions for me, and no one could see what just meeting her did to me, it was just fucking fine. I hated the way it made me feel Friday when I asked her to watch Reighlyn. IT wasn’t right to ask for help. My mother was one thing. But a stranger? And she was that. A stranger who evidently lit up Reigh’s world. Reighlyn couldn’t get enough. Painted toes, girly chats? What the hell was happening? I wasn’t ready for her to grow up.

Now that I had a few days to get the beautiful skin of hers out of my head—and yeah. It had been a few days to stop imagining her wearing that ridiculous crop top, and shorts that were so inappropriately short. Yeah, I was going there. RiDICKulous because of my dick’s reaction to all that skin and inappropriate because I wanted to know what those silky thighs wrapped around me felt like. I didn’t feel like such a bear. I shouldn’t have acted so damn offensively. Well, that’s how she took it. It shouldn’t matter what she wore, but to think of someone else’s dick, i.e. a dick with no baggage, looking at all that pale skin and not only reacting to it but trying to pursue it made me want to break steel nails…with my teeth.

Didn’t her daddy ever tell her how inappropriate it was to wear clothing like that?

I was off today and my mom was bringing Reighlyn back from her house around three so I can get some sleep in. I had taken a shower, and drank a whole bottle of water when I saw the clock. It was three-thirty. What the hell was keeping those girls?

I left the apartment and just turned the corner when I saw them talking to Moriah.

Couldn’t I get a break?

I kept to the shadows, like a creeper, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to interact with her. It was like I couldn’t keep my mouth from saying something possessive and doing something equally as bad. Those jeans were painted on her like a second skin and they were bedazzled…hey I knew what that shit meant. My mother did that to Reighlyn’s clothes. She was crafty like that.

That shit brought attention to Moriah’s delectable ass and it made my mind cloud over with wanting to put a paper sack over her so no other dick could look at her. Or take her against the building like a madman. God, my dick was throbbing with the need to have her. I adjusted my crotch, but it only made it more uncomfortable. I knew what I was going to be doing later and it embarrassed the hell out of me to fuck my hand as much as I have since meeting her. God, I was pathetic. And horny.

Thank God the shirt looked normal. Where did she work anyways? She was wearing a black polo shirt but since she wasn’t facing me, I couldn’t tell.

Why was it that I loved looking at her hair? It was so long, blonde and silky. But not today, it was up in a messy, sexy bun-thing, and watching her talk to my mother—when no woman I’ve ever met has met or talked to her—and Reighlyn like they were old friends. Saturday when I told Reighlyn Moriah wasn’t a permanent fixture here, and to not get attached to her. All it took was that one evening and Reighlyn was in Moriah-land. I mean, she was in college, she was getting a degree to be a child’s therapist. She wouldn’t be here for that much longer and any attachment formed would be a total mistake. On both our parts. Although I didn’t tell Reighlyn that. Holding Moriah in my arms felt right. Like she damn well belonged there and that made shit complicated.

When I told Reighlyn that, I could see her shut down. Pull in to herself and that made me even more aggravated because it shouldn’t have come that quickly. She had my mother as a good mother figure. That should be enough for now right? I wasn’t even interested in dating. And the fact I was even thinking that should tell me I should not get involved with the girl anymore that I already had.

But no! I became the bad guy. Well, what else was I supposed to do? It’s not like I would ever pursue something with Moriah anyways. She was a shiny, bright rainbow after a dark thunderstorm. Young, vibrant and when Reighlyn had told me about the mutual love for My Little Pony and how Moriah said she would set up a play date to cosplay—whatever the hell that was—and dress up like Rainbow Dash and sing over at a hospital Moriah goes to volunteer—volunteer? It sounded like she wanted to be president of the United States by volunteering at these places. Like a damn saint. If I hadn’t met her, I’d be suspicious of all that do-gooder shit.

Then she asked about girlie things and I felt overwhelmed. What had they talked about? One day and Reighlyn wants to get her nails painted, go shopping. Of course the shopping I didn’t mind, I liked getting her things and I usually got her whatever she asked for because she didn’t ask for much. Mom didn’t paint her nails because she gardened. Said they’d just get ruined anyway and would end up being a waste of money.

I wasn’t ready for my little girl to change. It was coming too soon and then she’ll get her period, and will start dating boys, wanting to go out without me with friends. That pressure alone would make any dad freak out. And I was a single dad. I only had my mother for guidance.

FML. I was not ready to see her grow up. Of course it was inevitable. But that didn't mean it had to happen right now.

Then I saw Reighlyn hug Moriah, and a smile spread out across her face and my mother was genuinely smiling back at her, too.

My mother didn't know about my job. I kept it that way for a reason. All she knew was that I worked nights and it was as simple as that. She did know though that I was saving up for a home, and then a gym.

That didn't mean she didn't suspect. But she never said anything. I saw them wave to Moriah as she hopped into that piece of crap car she owned and she waved back at them as she drove off.

The girls walked to the elevator and I went back into the apartment to wait for them.

“Daddy! Me and Mimi went to go see Pitch Perfect 2! It was aca-awesome!”

“Mimi and I, Reighlyn. Hey, Danny. How are you doing, honey?”

She was the only one I ever allowed to call me Danny. She was my mother so I didn't mind. Hearing it from Moriah’s lips though…fuck. Stop thinking about her.

“Doing good, mom. I'm glad you had a good time, Reighlyn.”

She wasn't mad at me anymore at least. Having Reigh sour created a hassle in my castle that I didn’t like. An unhappy daughter made for an unhappy daddy. But she never caught an attitude though. It was just silent. She was a quiet kid to begin with but she hadn’t really talked to me since we had Moriah watch her and that made things tense around the apartment.

A few weeks though and she was my little girl again. She never stayed mad. That was one thing she got from my mother. She never stayed mad. Didn't let anything get to her. I did my best not to hold grudges, and the only one person I could think of holding one against was Magen.

She was never there for Reighlyn. Never called her, but when she did call, she never wanted to talk to Reighlyn. Just called to see if I could give her money (never happened) or mostly, she called to see if we could fuck. Definitely will never happen again in the history of ever.

“Dad, can we go out to eat?”

I looked between her and mom, who was smiling in a way I’ve never seen her smile before. It was mischievous and I didn’t like it. Not one bit. Something was up between the two and I was going to find out what it was.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing, dear. Let’s go grab a bite to eat. My treat.”

There was still something lingering in those green eyes of hers and I narrowed my eyes.

“Really?”

“Yeah, daddy. Why would you ask that? I’m starving.”

.

“Yes, it's a nice evening, and I'm free.”

Mom wore black converse shoes with a matching black Capri pants and black and white striped sleeveless shirt. One thing about mom, she always was put together.

“Alright. Seems like it's two against one. Where do you ladies want to eat?”

“Chili’s!” Reighlyn said as she ran to her room to get ready.

“She's never been there. Why not?” my mother chuckled, a secret smile on her face.

“Oh nothing, Danny. It sounds like a good idea. I haven't been there in a while.”

I heard rustling and then Reighlyn ran back towards us, one of her MLP shirts and shorts (those looked a little too short…weren’t they a little too short? Oh, God. I never really looked before.) With her blue gym shoes on.