Page 5 of Stuffing His Stocking

“Yeah, I’ll be right there.”

His friend’s gaze still ping-pongs between us. Then his lips split into a grin. “And who might this pretty girl be?”

He’s not a bad-looking guy, and perhaps if we were meeting under different circumstances, I might chat him up. But Dylan’s growl tells me to keep quiet.

“Thepretty girlis Olivia,” he snaps. “And she’s my sister.”

His friend takes a big step back with his hands up, like I’m carrying the plague. “I didn’t even know you had a sister, man. My bad.”

“He doesn’t,” I clarify. “I’m not his sister. Our parents were married for five minutes and we barely know each other.”

Dylan’s nostrils flare but he remains quiet.

“I’ll just meet you at the truck, man. Sounds like you two have something to talk about.” The guy laughs and jogs away.

I narrow my eyes at Dylan. “Don’t tell people I’m your sister. That’s weird.” I move toward my scattered belongings, but he beats me to them and picks them up. “It’s not like we grew uptogether or anything. And our parents were hardly married for a year.”

“Fair enough,” Dylan placates while handing me my things.

“What areyoudoing here, anyway?” I ask.

“It’s a long story.” He sighs, and exhaustion from a long day’s work begins to set in. “How about you meet me for coffee and I’ll explain.”

“Fine. It’s a date.” My eyebrows lift to my hairline at the realization of my words. “I mean, it’s a coffee date.”Shit. “I mean, it’s just coffee. Not a date at all. You don’t wanna date me. You probably have a girlfriend. Or maybe you’re married. Boyfriend?”

Fuck me.

My nervous rambling gets the best of me. Dylan just laughs. “I’ll text you.”

“You don’t have my number.”

“I’ve always had your number, Liv.” His admission shocks me. I thought he barely knew my name. “Now, let me walk you to your car. Can’t have you causing any more trouble tonight, now can I?” He pinches my side and makes me giggle. Then he casually starts strolling toward the parking lot. My short legs rush to catch up, and I keep stealing glances as we walk side by side.

This evening took a strange turn, but it was worth it if I get to see Dylan again, the guy I’ve had a huge crush on for the last five years. I know he doesn’t feel the same way about me, but who cares? My high school dream of having a date with this man is finally coming true, even if it is just for coffee.

It’s a date I’ll happily take.

2

DYLAN

Fuck, I’m early.

I glance at my watch and see that I’m fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. You’d think I’ve never met a girl for coffee before, but this feels different and I don’t know why I’m so nervous. Maybe it’s because of how we left things a few years ago.

The last time I saw her, I was three hours late but it wasn’t my fault. I tried calling my father to let him know what was going on, and he sent me to voicemail every damn time.Typical Dad. He probably thought I was just going to give him some lame excuse, but had he actually picked up his fucking phone, he would’ve known there was a terrible traffic accident due to the snow. We were backed up for miles and there was no way around it.

It doesn’t matter anyway. He always thought the worst of me and still does. It’s why we hardly ever speak anymore. I’m lucky if he calls me on my birthday, and sometimes I think he’s forgotten he even has a son at all. I’m over it though. He doesn’t want to be in my life, and I’m damn sure not going to make him.

I contemplate ordering drinks, but I have no clue what she wants. I haven’t seen her in years, and I knew next to nothing about her back then either. I’m sure her tastes have probably changed, so I guess it’s best to wait. Besides, I’m just looking for something to keep my mind occupied.

I haven’t felt this wired since high school, like I’m about to touch my first tit. I need to calm my shit before she gets here. The last time she saw me, I was a real dick. I don’t want to replace that memory with one of me being a huge-ass weirdo.

I still remember the day we met. It was at our parents’ engagement party. Her mom, Carol, was so nice to me. She was the kind of mother you see on TV and in the movies. Then she introduced me to her daughter, and I swear my heart stopped beating right in my chest. She was so beautiful that she actually took my breath away. I thought that was just some cheesy pick-up line guys tell girls, but having experienced it for myself, I know now that it’s possible.

Then Carol mentioned that Liv was still in school. I assumed she meant college until she clarified it was high school. My balls shriveled to the size of peanuts, and I knew right then and there, she was completely untouchable. I had zero business lusting after an eighteen-year-old senior, and certainly not my stepsister, even if the relation was just on paper.

I’m sure some guys would’ve rationalized it, saying she’s of legal age, and she’s not even my real sibling. But that shit wouldn’t sit right with me. I was twenty-four, and I damn sure wasn’t about to take advantage of or hit on the poor girl.

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