Page 22 of Falling for My Best Friend's Dad
“In that case, let me take you to my house,” he says. “I live just fifteen minutes away. I have two spare rooms.”
I hesitate. Sounds like a great idea. It’s tempting, but I shake my head again. “Thanks, but it isn’t necessary. I’m quite comfortable here.” A shiver betrays my lie. Damn. It is a bit cold.
He suppresses a smile and takes my arm. “Come on. I need to go home, anyway.”
“Okay,” I say, shivering again because of the contact of our skin.
I’ve been to Richard’s house on many occasions. Ivy and I became friends in high school, and I spent afternoons here doing homework or watching TV. I loved being here because the house was spacious and Ivy had many books to read and games to play.
While I envied Ivy’s material wealth, I also pitied her loneliness. She was the only child in the family and she needed a friend. She was sweet and generous and would share everything with me. More than once, she invited me to sleep over and I did.
At the moment, the million-dollar house feels extremely empty and quiet. The house has three bedrooms. There is also a study, a library, and what Ivy used to call an entertaining room. Ivy and I used to spend most of the time at the library. I feel nostalgic when stand by the door, glancing at the rooms along the hallway. The last time when I was here was before we went to college.
“Come sit in the kitchen,” Richard says. “I’ll make you a drink.”
“Sure,” I say and follow him.
I thought he was going to serve me something with alcohol, but he boils water and makes me a chamomile tea.
“It’ll warm you up,” he says as he puts the steaming cup in front of me.
“Thanks.” I grip the handle of the cup and inhale the soothing fragrance. It might help me sleep, too. Not that I need it. I’m normally a fast sleeper.
Richard pours himself a shot of bourbon and sits down next to me. The house is on top of a hill and the window in front of us opens to a nice bay view. Even though it’s dark and rainy outside, I see lights shimmering in the water. We sip our drinks quietly without a word. I feel warm and cozy, although my heart never slows down. I hear Richard’s ragged breathing, and the sound of him swallowing down his liquid. I feel his body heat wrapping around me and I squirm in my seat. From the moment I got in his car, my mind hasn’t been peaceful and my heartbeat hasn’t been regular. I keep telling myself not to overreact, it’s just a sleepover, but subconsciously I wonder what would happen. I’ve been doing a good job keeping it professional between us, but this unexpected event is messing me up. Just sitting next to him is giving me crazy thoughts. I crave his touch again, and oh, his kiss! What am I supposed to do? It’s been only a week and I change my mind already? Get a grip. Do not complicate your relationship with your boss! Do not mix sex with work!
“You’ve been doing really well, Kayla,” he breaks the silence and eases me out of my miserable self-conflict. “You’re a fast learner.”
Realizing he’s talking about my training in the restaurant, I smile. “Thanks. You’re an excellent coach.”
I’m being honest. He’s taught me everything from ordering supplies to supervising staff in just a week. There is quite a lot to learn.
“I’ll plan a new menu soon,” he says. “Let me know if you’ve got any suggestions.”
“Sure,” I say, excited by the task. Richard updates the menu once a year to keep up with the food costs and food trends and to satisfy customers’ requests. It’ll be a lot of work trying out new items and calculating prices, but I’m eager to do it again, especially because I do have some plans.
“Is your mom okay with your job choice?”
“Yeah. She leaves me alone on pretty much everything.”
“It’s because you know what you’re doing, Kayla. I wouldn’t worry about Ivy if she were more like you.”
“You keep saying that, Richard,” I exclaim. “Ivy is a strong girl. She’s as capable as I am, if not more so. She lived away from home for four years!”
He sighs. “I know. I’m just… silly. She’s always a baby girl in my eyes. It’s my fault.”
His voice trails off and he looks sad.
“Why? What’s your fault?”
“If I had had more confidence in her and less protective, perhaps she wouldn’t have felt the need to prove herself and to move away from me.”
My heart clenches. I know he feels lonely, but it’s the first time he ever opens himself up to me. I reach his hand on the table and hold it. “You are protective of her because you love her, Richard.”
“Yes, but I could’ve expressed it differently.”
“Don’t blame yourself, please,” I say. “Ivy never complains. She says you’re a great dad.”
“Really?” he smiles. “She doesn’t think I crippled her with my unwanted protection?”
