“I don’t think I’ll be taking anyone.” I’d had years where I didn’t have a date. Granted, they’d been when I was a gawky teenager, but still. There was no rule that I had to have a date to the ball. This wasn’t a prom in 1953.
“Oh, but you have to bring a date,” Mom said as if I’d suggested coming to the event naked.
Dad cleared his throat.
“She doesn’t have to bring a date, Eva. It’s not a social disgrace for a woman to be single at an event anymore.” See?
“I know that, Walter. I just thought that she might have someone in mind that she could bring. Just as a friend.” A someone named Fintan Herald. I could see what was going on in my mother’s head as if I was watching a movie.
Me, in a fabulous black gown. Fin, also in black. Our eyes meet across the crowded ballroom. Everyone stops and stares at my beauty as I walk in slow motion across the room to meet him. Our eyes lock as the string quartet starts a waltz and everyone moves out of our way as we glide across the floor. Everyone remarks about how lovely we look together. Fin compliments mean and I blush attractively and duck my head modestly. When the dance is over he gives me his arm and we stroll onto the patio and he spouts magnificent poetry and plucks a rose from the trellis and . . .
“I don’t need a date. I’ve had a date for the past few years, and clearly, it didn’t work out for me. So I’m going alone.”
Mom sighed as if I was the most defiant child ever but then she smiled as if an idea had struck her.
“Well maybe you’ll meet someone there.”
I looked at Dad and he just shook his head. You couldn’t stop Eva Clarke once she got started.
“Or maybe I’ll trip, break my ankle and there will be a cute paramedic that comes to my rescue,” I said with a smile as I speared a tomato from my salad and popped it into my mouth.
“We can only hope,” Mom said.
“So you would let me break my ankle just to meet a man?”
She waved her hand as if I was being ridiculous. “Don’t be dramatic. You could just twist it and make it look convincing.” She looked down at her salad and I shared a glance with Dad. Insane. The woman was insane.
Luckily, the heat was taken off of me as Dad started talking about politics and then he and Mom got in a heated discussion about the economy. I know most kids hated when their parents fought, but for them it was more like a debate between two fiercely intelligent people so I kind of loved it.
I just sat back and watched the words fly, and sipped my wine while I calmed down. Lucah was waiting for me and I was pretty excited about that. You’d think after however many rounds of sex we’d had that we’d get bored, or one of us would stop having orgasms, but that wasn’t the case. We got each other off each and every time and it always felt new. There was no way this could go on forever. Sex wasn’t always that magical, not in real life.
When my parents had finally agreed to disagree as they always did, it was time for dessert and I did whatever I could to get out of there without Mom bringing up the date business again.
I succeeded and texted Lucah as the cab drove me back to his place. He just sent me back a smiley. I’d thought he was going to rub being right in my face, but he wasn’t that kind of guy.
“Didn’t I tell you it was going to be fine? Why don’t you listen to me, Miss Clarke?” he said when I walked in. Or maybe he was that kind of guy. I just rolled my eyes and let him kiss me, but didn’t kiss him back.
“Aw, did you think I would be above gloating about being right? Think again, Sunshine.” He winked and I stuck my tongue out at him.
“You are definitely not getting any tonight,” I said, pulling my shoes off. I now had at least five pairs that had taken up residence at his place, but I didn’t want to bring too many and take over like some kind of shoe fungus.
“That’s okay. I’m cool with cuddling. I’m going to cuddle you so hard.” He put his arms around me from behind.
“Yeah, that’s why your dick is pressing into my ass. You’re that excited about cuddling.” I turned in his arms and he pressed further into me and against my will, I was getting turned on. Stupid libido.
“I am crazy about cuddling. I’m going to cuddle my c**k right into your—“ I put my hand over his mouth.
“That is not cuddling and you must think I’m an idiot if you think I’m going to fall for—“ This time I was interrupted by him grinding his hips into me and turning me on further.
“Fuck it,” I said, grabbing the back of his head and wrenching it down to meet mine. We could cuddle with his c**k inside me. It was way more fun that way, anyway.
27
Monday morning Mrs. Andrews gave me a wink as she walked by my office and I smiled back at her. I was surprised that she hadn’t told anyone. I mean, Dad was her boss and it was almost like she was lying to him. I wondered how many times she’d lied to him in all the years they’d worked together. Probably not many. I felt bad making her do it, so I stopped by her desk on my way to the break room for my second cup of coffee.
“I just wanted to thank you for not saying anything,” I said in a low voice. Her desk was right where everyone walked by, so I didn’t want anyone to overhear.
“Oh, you’re welcome dear. Mum’s the word.” She pretended to zip her lips and gave me another smile as she answered the phone. I guess that was that. I took my WORLD’S GREATEST BOSS mug and went to get my coffee.
There was only one other thing that had been nagging me, but I hadn’t mentioned it to Lucah because I knew he would say that I was being paranoid again, and I didn’t want to have that discussion over and over and over.
Mrs. Andrews knew about us. My friends knew. Yes, they knew me well and had seen us together, but were we that obvious? I’d thought we were being careful, but maybe love hung over you like a smell and anyone could spot it. Like B.O.
But if that was the case, then why hadn’t anyone called us out? That was the only thing keeping me from saying anything about it to Lucah. Yes, I was the boss’ daughter, but there were plenty of people working here that would be more than happy to see me tossed out on my ass so they could have my job.
So either my friends and Mrs. Andrews were just that perceptive or whoever knew about it hadn’t said anything. I thought about chatting up some of the other people and feeling them out to see if they were just keeping their mouths shut, but I’d probably seem really suspicious and then it would backfire.