Page 19 of The Final Straw

“Did you go to school for photography, then?” Kipp questions.

She nods her head. “I went to Harmon and got my BA in Fine Arts and a minor in business.”

The aroma of the food wafts toward us as Kabir, still smiling, serves us our plates. “Okay. For the lady, I have a delicious Mango Chicken Curry. A Lamb Masala for you.” He sets a dish in front of Kipp. “And last, but certainly not least, the Chicken Vindaloo for you, sir.”

“Thank you,” I tell him.

"Let me know if you need anything else," he says, nodding before disappearing to attend to his other tables.

We keep the conversation casual as we eat, all of us devouring our meals, knowing that Indian cuisine doesn’t lend itself well to being taken home and reheated. I mean, you can, but the flavors just aren’t as rich.

Just as we're about to wrap things up, Kipp interjects with a crucial question that we can't ignore. “Okay, I have to know. Are you okay with us being Barbi's dads, despite what she did to you?”

Olivia sighs, the sound escaping her lips like a gentle breeze. “Yeah. You’re not in control of what she did and, well, I know you’ve been kind of estranged. She used to brag all the time about how she could get you to pay for anything. That all she’d have to do is whine about you leaving her and her mom and marrying Grady and you’d flash your wallet at her.”

Frustrated, I roll my eyes as I think about all the times I tried to warn Kipp about Barbi's actions, but he refused to see the truth. He’s always held onto the hope that Barbi would be different from Jessica.

“I’ve realized that. She’s never been very pleasant when she’s around. I actually just set up a meal with her so I could tell her that it’s time she’s all in or out. I've had enough of her using me as an ATM and consistently being rude to Grady.”

With a subtle nod, Ollie gracefully brings the napkin to her lips, dabbing away any traces of the meal. “She’s your daughter, so I understand you have a commitment to her. What she did has completely turned me off from wanting to be around her. She crossed the line by sending me that video of her fucking my boyfriend. So if that puts an end to this?” She motions between herself and us. “Then it sucks, but so be it.”

I am left speechless, my mouth gaping open, and my eyes feeling like they're about to pop out of my head. I look at Kipp, who mirrors my expression, wearing the same look of confusion. “A video?” I rasp. “She didn’t.”

“Yup. I was on that trip and she sent me a message saying Karma’s a cunt and so am I and then the video. Here, see for yourself.” She pulls her phone out and holds it out to us.

“No. I'm going to pass," Kipps says with a grimace.

"Let me have a look," I say, reaching out to take the phone from her. Watching Barbi's intimate scene with a younger guy on screen fills me with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Finishing the video, I release a breath and meet her eyes. “That’s disgusting. I’m sorry, babe.”

She shrugs. "It is what it is," she says with a resigned sigh, accepting the situation. “I’m moving past it. I've blocked both, refusing any connection or involvement with either.”

Out of nowhere, Kabir appears and places our check on the table before swiftly collecting our plates. “I hope everything was to your liking tonight?”

“It was. Thank you, Kabir," Kipp says with a smile, handing him the bill folder back. “Keep the change.”

I rise from the table and extend my hand to assist Olivia from her chair, but Kipp swiftly intervenes, gently taking her hand and leading her back to the car.

Once we're settled back in the car and safely buckled up, Norbert glances in the rearview mirror. “Where to?”

"Do you want to come back to our place, Olivia?" Kipp asks, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

She winces. "I can't," she whispers, frustrated. “I have a shoot tomorrow bright and early. An end of my youth shoot. Can I come over afterward? We could do a movie and snacks?”

“Please,” Kipp nods his head before looking at Norbert. “Back to Olivia’s place, please.”

Norbert nods in acknowledgment and smoothly merges onto the busy road. I gently grasp Olivia's chin and tilt her face toward mine, so that she meets my gaze. In a tender moment, I lean in and press my lips against hers, feeling the warmth and connection between us. “I can’t wait until tomorrow to kiss you again,” I murmur against her lips.

Our mouths connect in a deep, intimate kiss, our tongues moving in a sensual and synchronized motion. She pulls away, a bright smile lighting up her face as she turns and plants a gentle kiss on Kipp's lips.

Their kiss becomes intense, filled with raw energy as they battle for dominance. My cock hardens watching them together. I can’t believe we only met this woman a week ago and I’m already so obsessed with her.

The drive to her place seems to pass in an instant while we steal kisses from our girl, the minutes flying by. I can already tell that the next twenty-four hours will feel unbearably long as we wait to see her again.

Chapter 11

Kipp

When we pull up in front of her house, both Grady and I open the car door, but she stops us.

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