Since opening the den, money had been one of two constants I could count on. The other had been loneliness.
Having one didn’t make the other any easier to bear. Now, here I was sharing a table and a riverfront view with my woman and our kid. Kid, as in a nearly grown man who needed us as much as we needed him. Money couldn’t buy this. Money hadn’t cured it. Mercy had. Pita had. Dressed in his new suit, the kid beat me to showing Mercy her seat and was currently sporting more self-confidence than any nineteen-year-old I’ve ever seen. Mercy and I had played a role in giving him that.
It was such a satisfying feeling that I couldn’t stop smiling. Placing her hand on my inner thigh, Mercy asks, “Penny for your thoughts?”
Kissing her forehead and taking in the way Pita watches us, I explain, “I was admiring my own luck.”
“What luck is that?”
“You,” I say simply. “And Pita. Like I said, I’m lucky.”
“So are we,” she says sweetly.
“Dion,” Pita clears his throat. “I’ve got two questions.”
“I’m listening.”
“One, since I’m rocking this suit I should totally order the filet, right?”
“Right.”
“That’s what I thought,” he says nodding. “Two, how did you get so big? The gym?”
“Afraid not, kid. I got my size the old-fashioned way.”
“Steroids?”
Laughing into her hand, Mercy gives me a look letting me know I walked right into that one.
“Where do you come up with this shit?” I ask him.
“Look,” he says seriously. “No one gets that big by drinking whiskey and wearing suits. Let’s be honest, you drink a lot of whiskey so what’s your secret?”
“Manual labor and I prefer scotch.”
“Huh?”
“I like working with my hands,” I explain. “Building shit, carrying the material and busting my ass. That’s how I got to be this size and maintain it.”
“What did you build?”
“My house, pole barn, decks, and docks, for starters.”
“Impressive,” he says glancing at Mercy who looked more than impressed. Right now, she looked lusty. “While I’m waiting on Ember to come to her senses, I’m thinking I should make our server’s day by giving her my name.”
“You want to hit on the woman who is serving your meal?” Mercy asks. “In front of us?”
“Well, I can’t score if I don’t take the shot, right?”
On a sigh, Mercy says, “Order for me, I need to use the restroom.”
Once she’s out of ear shot the kid asks, “What put that look on her face?”
“You did.”
“Me? What did I do?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I take a moment to think on my words then explain, “Being male is a matter of birth. Being a man is a matter of age. Being a gentleman is a matter of choice. Do you understand?”
“You’ve never used a line on a woman?”
“I have,” I admit. “At your age, I did a lot of dumb shit. Which is why I’m sharing my wisdom with you. I’m trying to spare you unnecessary humiliation, kid.”
And it was that exact moment our server introduced herself asking if we’ve made a decision. Before I could order for Mercy, the kid smirks and says to her, “If it’s true that we are what we eat then I could be you by morning.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Mercy says from behind me.
Not missing a beat, the server pats Pita’s cheek and says, “I’m sorry but, I’m in a relationship.”
“I’m in a boy band called Wrong Direction so let’s talk about how we can get you out of that relationship.”
“I get off at ten,” she winks.
“I’ll get you off in nine,” he winks back.
“It’s a date,” she says biting her lip.
“How?” Mercy asks the server. “How did that work on you?”
“He’s cute,” she shrugs. “And I love the suit. I feel like I’m looking at my future ex-husband.”
Giving the girl a fist bump Pita adds, “You know what the difference is between a Ferrari and an erection?”
“You don’t have a Ferrari!” Mercy says through her teeth.
Grinning at the girl he says, “I know,” and the server giggles.
Closing my eyes, I pretended to pray for patience when I really wanted to give the kid a high five.
From there, dinner was a success with tons of laughs and inappropriate jokes. And the kid? We left him behind.
He had a date to look forward to and she’d also be his ride home.
Now I was lying on my back fighting for air after Mercy gave me the ride of my life. She was satisfied beauty. My woman had been kissed, fucked, and loved hard.
Tagging her hips, I ask her, “Do you always screw with so much enthusiasm?”
“I feel like saying no is the safe choice here.”
“Really?”
“It’s sex,” she smiles. “If you’re going to do it I feel like you should always bring your A game.”
“No riding the bench?”
“Hell no,” she huffs. “You’ll always get 100% from me.”
“Do you think the kid is getting some tonight?”
When her face screwed up in mortification, I couldn’t help it, I busted out laughing.