She treats me with nothing but loathing, but I’m pretty fucking sure it’s because I hurt her so bad. And like a sick son of a bitch, I keep coming around. I haven’t been fair to her. Since I’m the one who broke up with her, I should leave her the fuck alone. I haven’t been able to do this.
Christopher is staring at me, a look of expectation on his face. “So, what do you think?”
“About…?”
“About pursuing her. Together.”
I blink in surprise and take a large sip of beer to buy myself a couple seconds. We dominated her quite well this evening. It was fairly tame, as far as some of the shit that goes down at Salt. Yet because it was with Janie, it was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
“I’ve spent the last year trying not to hurt her,” I say.
“Have you talked to her about that?” Christopher raises his eyebrows. “She might want to be hurt.”
“I don’t want her to do it just to make me happy. A year ago, she would’ve agreed to anything. I couldn’t risk it.”
“And now?” he asks.
“Now I’ll have a harder time getting her to take me seriously.” I want to bang my forehead against the table. “Do you think we pushed her too far tonight?”
“I think we pushed her the exact right amount. As long as she doesn’t freak out about our own relational difficulties.”
I give him a sharp look. “The boss thing?”
“And…she and my daughter are best friends.”
“Shit. How old are you?”
“Forty-five.”
Ten years older than me. He doesn’t look it, at least. And then I’m ten years older than Janie. Goddamn, what an age gap.
He gives me a regretful smile. “So I have my own things to figure out, too. But I’m in this if you are.”
“I’m in.” After a year of being tortured with missing her, it’s time to get my girl back.
CHRISTOPHER
The next day dawns bright, but a heavy feeling of misgiving rests at the bottom of my lungs. I’ve only just reconciled with Ariel. It wasn’t easy. She’s whip-smart and doesn’t take shit from anyone, least of all her old man.
How would she react to the idea of me dating someone her age? And what if that someone is her best friend?
When I send her the text inviting her out for breakfast, I almost hope she’ll say she’s busy. However, she’s free. We arrange to meet at a coffee shop downtown for a late breakfast.
I’ve just gotten a table at the café when Ariel arrives. Her blond hair is down around her shoulders and she’s wearing comfortable looking jeans and a light purple sweatshirt. She offers me a big hug, which I return with gusto. I can’t believe I nearly lost my daughter due to her ex’s lies. Since everything went down, I’ve made sure Leon is blacklisted by not only my own business, but the businesses of all of my friends and acquaintances.
Last I heard, he was complaining about the lack of opportunities in SoCal and I was considering a move to Nevada.
“So what’s up?” Ariel asks as she settles into her seat across from me.
Her mother’s ring sparkles on her finger. That ring had been my excuse to send the bounty hunters after her. Boy, did that backfire.
But we’re a happy father-daughter pair again, so all’s well that ends well, as the saying goes.
“Nothing’s up, I just wanted to see my daughter.” I start to add another inane excuse, but we’re thankfully interrupted by the server, who takes our order.
But Ariel is too smart for my white lies. “We just saw each other a couple days ago, Dad. Really—what’s going on? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay. I’m just thinking of dating again.”
