[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
As I sat on my couch, sitting close to Stephanie, I was staring at her as she talked. I knew it wasn't polite to stare, but... it had been so long and it was so weird watching her now. I still saw, in my head, a 15 year old girl with braces in her mouth and an innocent face.

"Hellloo? Earth to AJ?" she waved her hands in front of mine and I snapped out of it.

"Sorry," I replied.

"Were you even listening to a word I said?" she laughed.

I just grinned, "Nope, not really."

"Well, tell me about you. What's been up the past 15 years or so?"

"Well the past four years, I've been pretty much raising my daughter," I reached into my pocket to grab my wallet.

"Right here," I held out a picture of Adelynn and me that I always carried with me, "That's my girl."

She stared at it for a while and then smiled, "She looks alot like you. She's a cutie."

"Awww... you called me cute," I grinned.

"Don't get too used to it," she winked.

"Oh, I could get used to it," well that slipped out, but I quickly finished, "If you let me."

She looked at me for a moment, "Are you..."

"Yeah, I wanna be... I wanna get to know you again."

She just grinned, "Maybe we can make that happen."

I nodded and looked her up and down, "Yeah, I'd like to try."

"You live around here now or what? You wanna crash at my place?"

"Yeah, I'd love to crash here. I don't have any other clothes or anything..."

"Don't worry 'bout that, I got shitloads of t-shirts and shorts you can wear to bed. And in the morning, you can come to my mom's with me to pick up Addy. Maybe we can get some breakfast somewhere."

Shit, was I moving too fast? I mean, it had been years since I'd seen her until tonight and I'm already inviting her to meet my mom again and meet my daughter, and inviting her to breakfast.

I always do this to myself, I go too fast. Too fast.

"I'd love to."



The next morning, I hopped out of bed quickly. It was weird with Addy not being here, coming in my room all jumping on top of me. And I knew Stephanie was right in the next room.

You don't even know how bad I wanted her to come sleep in here with me. Not sleep together... it just would've been nice to wake up to a woman in my bed. Someone I could wrap my arms around in the morning, I missed that.

I got ready pretty quick, too. I think I was just anxious to spend more time with Steph.

I got the in the shower, shaved and got dressed. Then I lit up a cigarette. That was my schedule every day. Everything after that was hectic, that was the only scheduled stuff in my life.

I cracked open the door and saw Stephanie fast asleep, in my clothes. One of my big t-shirts and a pair of my black Nike sweatpants. I opened the door all the way up and turned all the lights on.

"WAKE UP!!" I screamed, and started laughing when I saw her jump out of bed the fastest I've ever seen anyone jump out of bed.

"AAAJJJJJ!" she screamed, "Don't do that to me!"

I just kept cracking up, "Sorry.. it was hilarious."

"Good God, don't do that ever again!" she finally took a deep breath and laughed.

"You know it's funny," I patted the bed, "Now hurry up, wake up... I'll leave without you."

I smiled to myself as I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me.

She actually got ready pretty quick, and I wondered if she actually thought I would leave her. I laughed.

"That was fast," I looked at her and sat down on my leather sofa, puffing out cigarette smoke.

"Yeah, well you did wake me up as if you were in a hurry."

I just shrugged and threw my cigarette out in the ashtray, "Nah, no hurry here. She's just at my mom's house. I could pick her up at 8 tonight if I wanted to."

I stood up from my spot on the couch, "But if your ready, let's head out... I'm getting bored here."

She just shook her head and laughed, "I'm ready when you are."