“Good evening, Brian. Here is your lovely daughter delivered to your doorstep, safe and sound.”
“Thanks so much, Scott. I really appreciated the ride.”
“Yes, thank you,” my dad growled distracted by my outfit, none too pleased about it.
“I can’t believe you went out in public dressed like that,” dad said turning to me. “Do you want to get molested?”
“Sorry, daddy,” I said, contrite. “I was running very late and didn’t have time to change.
“I’m tired, dad. I really need to go up and go to bed.”
***
The next morning I woke up refreshed, a small smile on my face at the memory of my time with Scott. God, the man made me feel all kinds of gooey on the inside. I wanted him badly and was counting the hours until I’d see him again.
I pulled on a robe and went down to the kitchen where I found my dad sitting at the table eating breakfast and drinking coffee. He looked at me over his glasses and pursed his lips.
“Good morning, daddy,” I said after I kissed him on the top of his wooly head before I got myself a cup of coffee.
“Good morning kiddo,” he responded. He kept looking at me over his glasses, his jaw hard as a rock, until I turned to face him.
“What’s going on,” I asked him.
“I was just wondering that myself. What’s going on with you and my neighbor? I don’t like the idea of you seeing him. He’s much too old for you.”
“Oh, daddy!” I admonished him. “First of all, he’s not too old for me. We are closer in age than Nan and Grandad. Secondly, I don’t think it’s any of your business. I’m not breaking any of your rules. I’ve not brought any men you don’t know home to…”
“I don’t want you fucking him.
“And it is my business so long as I’m paying for your schooling. You want to fuck him, you’ll pay your own way.”
“I… We haven’t…” I stutter.
“Maybe not yet. But I see the two of you. I smelled it on you yesterday. It’ll only be a matter of time before he’s trying to get you pregnant and all your hard work will go down the tubes and you’ll forget med school. I am not going to let you make that mistake.”
“Seriously, daddy? I’m not going to let that happen. My dreams of becoming a doctor are important to me. Scott is just a… just a summer fling. That’s all.”
“I thought you said you haven’t fucked him.”
“I haven’t. We’ve just….
“I don’t need to explain myself to you!”
“You don’t need to explain. You just need to stay away from Scott Rivers.”
I looked at my dad, ready to argue, but saw the look on his face and thought better of it. He’d always been good to me, but I remembered his violent temper from childhood. How could I forget? It was the reason for my parents’ divorce. He’d never directed his temper at me, but I recognized the signs on his face and dropped all my arguments. I turned from him and marched myself back up the stairs and to my room where I threw myself on the bed and buried my face in my pillow.
I’d fallen back to sleep when the sound of my phone buzzing with a text message woke me.
Scott: Hey, gorgeous girl.
Scott: Could I take you out to an early dinner tonight? I know you have a class.