Page 58 of Daddy's Lesson

CHAPTER 15

ZOE

I finished making dinner, completely flustered by Lennon’s attention, and hoped that eating might give me a reprieve to get myself together. Unfortunately, my Daddy had other ideas. I watched as he scooted the chairs next to one another instead of keeping them across the table from one another.

“You cooked, which means I serve,” he said as he pointed to one of the chairs.

I wanted to argue, but I’d already made a mess of things with my mouth and I really didn’t want to make things any worse. He waited until I sat in the chair he indicated before he went to the stove and dished up the stir-fry I’d concocted. He brought the plate and one set of cutlery with him to the table and sat in the chair next to me.

Confusion must have read clearly on my face because Lennon smiled before explaining what he was doing. “I’m going to feed you dinner tonight.”

“I can eat on my own,” I argued, losing the battle with my better judgment.

“I know you can, but this is an exercise in trust. Daddy knows best, right?”

“Yes, Sir.” I sighed heavily.

“You poor unfortunate soul with the overbearing Daddy who wants to do everything for her,” he teased.

“It’s a definite hardship,” I sassed.

Lennon chuckled and shook his head before offering me a bite of chicken. It was cooked perfectly, and I mentally patted myself on the back for a job well done. The seasoning was totally on point, and as I chewed, I watched Lennon take his own bite.

“That’s fucking fantastic,” he said with a moan.

“I’m glad you like it,” I replied as he fed me another bite.

It was awkward at first, but the more he fed me, the easier and more natural it got, and we fell into an easy conversation between bites. Before I knew it, our plate was empty.

“Still hungry?” he asked.

“No thank you, I’m good.” I’d probably eaten more than I normally would have if I’d served and fed myself.

“Good. You cooked, I clean.”

The idea of sitting and watching him clean my kitchen did not sit comfortably with me. “Daddy, please let me help. I don’t mind, I promise.”

He regarded me for a moment before giving a nod. “Okay, we can work together. It will allow us to get to the fun stuff quicker.” He winked, then turned to take the dish to the sink.

The mess was a small one and it only took us a few minutes.

Lennon disappeared as I was finishing up loading the dishwasher. When he came back, he was smiling from ear to ear. “Ready for your next lesson, my little Picasso?”

“I don’t think so, but I haven’t really been ready for any of them, so I doubt that actually plays a factor.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t, but I like to ask under the guise of being polite.”

I rolled my eyes and was gifted with a stinging smack to my backside that jostled the plug still present in my bottom.

“Does the lesson include removing the plug, by chance?”

“Yes it does, but not just yet. Let’s go to the chalkboard.”

I hated the ever-present chalkboard that had been haunting me all week. The second he was gone I was going to take it out back and put it in the dumpster so I never had to look at it again.

We went into the living room, and in true Lennon fashion he surprised me by handing me the piece of chalk instead of writing the lesson down himself.

“Lesson number seven.” He pointed to the board, and I wrote it down like he had each time. He waited patiently with his hands behind his back, looking like his typical bossy self.

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