Page 25 of The Worst Kept Secret

“Hey, what’d I miss?” Lucas asks as he drops to his seat.

I shake my head still trying to calm the erection that is rising at the thought of touching Avery. “Nothing.” She shrugs and takes another long sip of her Bloody Mary before setting it back on the table.

“I can’t believe you’re going to live here,” Lucas starts, “and not in New York.” He leans back in his chair, his arm still firmly resting on the back of Avery’s. “You sure there’s nothing I can do to convince you to move to the city?”

“You would need to convince my mother to expand the franchise.” She giggles.

“Fuck, I’m going to miss you.”

“It’s no different than us going to different colleges,” Avery challenges with her eyebrows pulled together.

“That was different.”

“How so?” She counters and my eyes float to his, wondering why he’s choosing to have this conversation now and while I’m here.

He shrugs. “I don’t know. This is real life now, and I always pictured us living in the same state. Meeting up for drinks after a long day of work. How we were in high school but…adults.”

She gives him a smile that seems somewhat placating and I suddenly feel guilty and ashamed all over again because I can read between the lines. Is he thinking that living in the same city would allow her to develop feelings for him? Was he hoping to create a bunch of little platonic moments that could lead to something real and intimate?

“I’ll visit,” Avery says as she puts a hand over his. He looks down at her hand and gives her a curt nod and a smile. If I know my son as well as I think I do, it’s one hundred percent fake.

Halfway through brunch, which includes two drinks and a shot of Jameson for both of them, I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. Avery had gotten up to go to the bathroom and Lucas is scrolling mindlessly on his phone. When I open it, my eyes immediately look up and flit around the room, making sure that my son’s attention is not on me. He’s still looking down when I open the message from Avery. I hadn’t changed her name yet because I didn’t know what to change it to, so it’s just her phone number which I worry is just as bad because I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucas has it memorized. I hold my phone under the table, turning the brightness on my phone down as paranoia takes over, and open her text.

Unknown Number: So, I was thinking

Me: About?

Unknown Number: That I don’t know what your dick tastes like

Me: AVERY

Unknown Number: What?

Me: I’m not doing this with you here

Unknown Number: Let’s fix that next time. Preferably while I sit on your face.

My eyes widen at her words and my dick jerks in my pants. I cough in an attempt to stifle a groan just as the girl responsible slides into the seat across from me like she hadn’t just told me she wants to sixty-nine as if it were the most casual thing in the world.

A hint of a smile finds her face before she turns back to Lucas. “Do you want to take another shot before we go?”

“Obviously,” Lucas says as he raises his hand towards the waitress.

“Haven’t you guys had enough?” I ask them, the question I really want to be asking lurks beneath which is ‘Avery, haven’tyouhad enough if you’re sexting me at a table with Lucas?’

Lucas chuckles and shakes his head. “Dad, you can head back, we can Uber home in a bit.”

“Yeah, Theo. Don’t worry so much. Everything isfine.” She blinks her eyes several times at me and gives me a smile. I can’t tell if it’s flirtier than usual and I don’t know what the fuck I want to do in this moment: stay here and watch the two of them drink too much and risk her continuing to entice me with her sexy messages or leave. But leaving means I don’t get to be around the woman who is slowly getting under my skin and I don’t like that option either even if she is driving me crazy. I pull the glass of water to my lips and take a long sip, trying to temper the envy I feel over my son dismissing me so he can be alone with the girl that spent last night riding my dick.

This is Avery.

Your son’s best friend.

You cannot be jealous.

You are not allowed to be jealous.

“Right, well I’ll just get the check and be out of your way.” I smile at both of them and see a flash of disappointment cross Avery’s face. I hate how much that thought pleases me.That she wants me to stay.

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