Page 23 of Justice for Radar

I brushed out and put my hair up and opened the bathroom door to Lucia going by.

“Hey, sorry, did you need in here?” I asked.

“Ah, yeah, but I was just going to use my dad’s it’s no biggie.” She eyed me. “You know there’s soap and stuff on the shelf above the washer and dryer in the garage if you need to do laundry.” I looked down at my dirty things clutched in my hands and nodded.

“That would be great, actually.”

“Help yourself,” she said brightly and disappeared into the doorway to her father’s room.

I bit my bottom lip and thought about him. The hot chocolate had been nice, but the way he’d tucked me in after? That’d been far nicer.

I couldn’t remember a guy treating me so nicely or with such consideration.

Even Billy, who had been nicer and a good lover – better than Rodney anyhow – hadn’t been as sweet to me outside of sex.

It was some serious food for thought.

I mean, it was sad to think about but… but what if I had been treated so poorly up to this point that I seriously just couldn’t recognize douchebag behavior for what it was? Where was the bar, really? Should I be setting it higher?

If I had to ask myself, then the answer was probablyyes, but how much higher should it go? I sorted my carry-on out on the bed, making a neat pile of laundry destined for the wash while I thought about it before scooping it all up into my arms and crushing it to me – making my way to the garage and the waiting laundry facilities.

I was bent in front of the front-loading washing machine when hands fell to my hips and a man’s voice declared, “Ooo, mama. That is one fine ass,” before he thrust against me, bumping my bottom with the front of his body pantomiming a sexual act. I straightened up immediately and whoever it was gave a shout and leaped back.

“Oh, shit! I thought you were Lucia!”

I turned to the boy and raised an eyebrow. He was older than Lucia but not out of range. I mean, she was eighteen going on nineteen and he was in his twenties, for sure.

“Not Lucia,” I snapped and tried not to shudder. I mean it wasn’t wholly out of the realm of possibility that I could be his mom if I had gotten pregnant very young – which happened a lot in the middle of nowhere, bumfuck Iowa. There wasn’t anything else to do…

“I am so sorry!” he exclaimed.

He wasn’t a bad looking kid, but my thoughts drifted back to how high that bar should be set and I worried for Lucia. Was he respecting her enough?

“Javier?” Lucia asked from the door leading into the garage.

“Shit, uhhh…”

“It’s okay,” I said and had to laugh now. Lucia looked amused.

“That’ll teach your dumb ass,” she said dryly and held out her hand to the boy. He went to her and wrapped his arms around her waist resting his chin between her breasts and looking up at her with pure adoration.

Ah… there it is…I thought to myself, and I had to smile.

“I seriously thought it was you,” he said, and I shut the washer door.

“Mm, come inside and I’ll teach you the difference,” she said seductively, and I sort of froze. Like, I didn’t know if I should be here.

“Sorry again,” he said to me and had the grace to look embarrassed all over again as Lucia hit the switch for the garage door to come down.

“Mistakes happen,” I murmured, and she towed the boy inside and in the direction of her room and I was somewhat mollified.

I mean, her father was home! What?

I started the washer and sighed, leaning against it when the garage door leading into the house popped back open and I jumped giving a yip. Radar looked from me to the closed garage door and asked, “Javier here then?”

“Yeah,” I said and nodded slowly. Radar grinned at me.

“What happened?” he asked.

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