Chapter Nineteen
James
I pulled up outside the school to pick up Nell. I waited in the long line until I was finally close enough for her to see me and walk to the car. I got out and helped her get into her booster.
“How was your day, sweetie?” I asked her.
“It was good, Daddy. Can I go to Kassondra’s house?” she asked.
It took me by surprise because I wasn’t expecting her to ask me that. I looked at her in the rearview mirror. She looked so happy, and I was glad that she had a new friend. But it also left me feeling a little sad. She was growing up way too fast for me, and I wasn’t sure what I was gonna do when she started full-time school in first grade next year.
“I’m not so sure. Does Kassondra’s mom or dad know about this plan?” I asked her.
In the rearview mirror, I could see her nod her head. I picked up my phone and dialed Kassondra’s mom’s number, so I could confirm this for myself.
She answered after the first ring, “Hello?” she said.
“Hey. This is James, Nell’s dad. Right. Nell said that Kassondra wanted to have a sleepover. Were you aware of this plan?” I asked her.
“Yes. She asked me last night. I told her it was okay with me. She told me that you’d already said yes. I wasn’t aware that you had no idea,” she said, apologetically.
“That’s okay. Kids are funny that way. I’m assuming you’re also in line picking up Kassondra,” I said, and she laughed.
“Yes, I am,” she said. “I’ll be home in a few minutes if you just want to swing by and wait for us.”
“That’s okay. I’m gonna run by our house real quick, and grab a few things for Nell. Then I’ll bring her by,” I said.
“Sounds good. We appreciate you sharing her with us. She’s a great little girl and a good friend,” she said.
We ended the conversation, and I drove on towards our house. I called Rachel on the way to let her know that I was going to be a little bit later getting back to the gallery. Rachel, of course, had no problem with this, though she rarely ever had a problem with anything. I found I really liked that about her. She was so easy-going. But she was also still little mysterious, and that really made me want to find out more about her. And with Nell going to a friend’s house, I figured this might be the time to do that. It would be the perfect opportunity.
Nell and I got out of the car and went inside. I told her to grab a few of her things that she wanted to bring, while I packed her a change of clothes, pajamas and a toothbrush. Then we got back in the car, and I drove over to Kassondra’s house. I got out of the car with her, and we knocked on the front door. As usual, we were greeted by both her mom and her dad.
“Hi, Nell. James, it’s so nice to see you both,” her mom said to me.
“Thank you, it’s good to see you too,” I said, and shook both of their hands.
Kassondra came out and greeted Nell, and the two of them embraced, though they’d seen each other only a few minutes ago. I love that Nell had a best friend. It was really sweet. Nell was a good kid, and so far, Kassondra was too. I could tell the way her parents were with each other that they really were in love.
I couldn’t help but watch the way they looked at each other, the way they touched each other, and the way they spoke. I could tell how in love they were and it broke my heart in a way. It made me miss Whitney a lot more. It was making me miss being in love.
I said goodbye to Nell and left, then quickly drove on back to the gallery and went inside.
“So, Nell is spending the night again?” Rachel asked me.
I nodded my head. “Yep. So, you need to go get changed.”
Rachel gave me a funny look. “What do you mean?” she asked.
I stared at her for a moment and studied her face. She really was breathtaking, and I was ready to get to know her better. I was ready to spend time with her on an actual date.
“I want to take you on a date,” I said, figuring being upfront and honest would be the easiest way.
“Okay then,” she said.
I told Rachel to go to her house and get changed, and that I would be there soon pick her up. She left, and I gave her exactly twenty-five minutes before I went over to her house and knocked on the door. She called out for me to come in.
I stepped inside and waited in the living room. I liked her place. She had artwork hanging up on the walls. Just a few pieces, but nice ones. It was a subtle decorating style. She had framed pictures that I assumed were family and friends. Her with a girl, and a lot of them. One of a baby and one of an older couple that I assumed was her parents because they looked a lot like her.
She came out of her room, and I was stunned. The dress she was wearing clung to her in all the right places, and she looked so beautiful. And hot. I couldn’t help it. The dress was a perfect fit, and her makeup and hair had been redone.
“Ready?” I asked her with a smile.
She nodded her head and smiled as we headed out. I took her to a restaurant that was downtown. It was a really nice restaurant, and one that had a lot of great reviews. We got a pretty good table near the back.
“This place is so nice,” Rachel said, as she looked around the restaurant. I nodded my head in agreement with her. Our waiter approached and took our drink order, then walked away and I turned my attention back to Rachel.
“You look absolutely beautiful in that dress, Rachel,” I said to her.
She smiled at me. It was a breathtaking smile, just like everything else about her. She was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen in my life. I was glad that she was working next to me every single day. Her presence had really brightened up my days.
“Thank you, James. You look pretty handsome yourself,” she said.
“Thank you,” I smiled, knowing I was blushing.
The waiter returned with our drinks and then took our food order. I was glad because I knew I’d now have some uninterrupted time with Rachel.
“I hope this isn’t too personal,” Rachel started. “But does Nell ever ask about her mom?” She seemed like she was being guarded, like this question was hard for her to ask. But I liked that she was asking about Nell, and was worried about how Nell was coping.
“Not really. She was so young that I don’t think she really even remembers her. I think the only reason she remembers at all is from me talking about her and from looking at pictures. I don’t think she has any actual memories of her mom,” I said.
“Does that bother you?” Rachel asked.
These things were a little hard for me to talk about. But I needed to be open with someone, and it was nice to get to know Rachel this way.
“Not really. I think maybe it’s a little easier this way. But it was hard the first few times she asked me why she didn’t have a mommy,” I said and found that it was still hard for me to say that.
“Oh, wow,” Rachel said. “I’m sorry if this is bothering you.”
I reached across the table to place my hand on hers. I wanted to reassure her that there was nothing wrong with her asking questions and that I was perfectly okay with it. “It’s okay. I can talk about her and what happened a lot easier these days. Much better than I could after it first happened,” I said.
Rachel smiled at me, and I’m sure she didn’t know what to say. A lot of people didn’t know what to say to me. Especially through that first year. They seemed to not know how to talk to me anymore, so they didn’t. That part sucked because I really could have used someone to turn to. But it was hard, and now it wasn’t so hard. Something in Rachel’s questions as bothering me though.
“Have you ever lost anyone?” I asked her.
She nodded her head, but the look in her eyes told me that she didn’t really want to talk about it. I’d been there before, so I didn’t pry. I didn’t want to push it any further and ruin my chances.
Our food came out, and our conversation turned a little more lighthearted. Rachel told me crazy stories about her and Sadie. We laughed, and I really enjoyed myself. It was nice to be out with someone like that. No pressure at all and really no awkwardness either.
“I have a lot of fun with you,” I said to her. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to let her know that I really did enjoy her company, and it just felt right to say it.
I watched her face light up, and she smiled at me one more time. I loved her smile, so much. “I have a lot of fun with you, too. You and Nell. She is such a hoot.”
I laughed at her use of the word.
“What?” she asked.
“I just haven’t heard anyone use that word in a long time,” I said. It was true, and I liked it. I liked that she liked to use all sorts of sayings. She looked so gorgeous, I really couldn’t get over it.
I paid the check after fighting Rachel on it for a bit. I admired that she wanted to pick up the bill, or at least her half, but I just couldn’t let her do it. Afterwards, we left and went back to my house. When we got there, we stepped inside, and I looked at Rachel.
“I can’t make the same mistake twice,” I said to her.
I pulled her into me, and our lips touched. I felt sparks, something I’d never felt before. Not even with Whitney. It was the best first kiss of my life, and I regretted not kissing her sooner even more. We pulled apart breathlessly, and without saying a word, I led her to my room.
When we got into the room, I pulled her into me and started kissing her again. My hands were in her hair as our lips moved in sync. Our tongues were encircling each other as my cock grew harder each second. I wanted her so bad. I wanted her more than I wanted anything. Pressing my cock against her, she pulled back and bit her lip. It was the single hottest thing I’d seen that day. My cock twitched in response.
“Are you sure?” I asked her. I wanted to be certain that this was really something she wanted to do before we went any further.
“Oh yes, I’m sure,” she said. Her voice was hot and full of lust, and I knew she was telling the truth.
I brought my mouth back to hers, and we kissed some more and made our way over to the bed. I ran my hands along the sides of her body, and we started to undress. I helped her, she helped me, and before we knew it, we were sitting on my bed kissing, both completely naked.
There was an ache deep within me that was ready to be unleashed. It had been a long time, and I was ready to feel her. I was so turned on.
She was so sexy, with curves in all the right places. Her breasts were perfect. They weren’t too big, and they weren’t too small. Her nipples were perfect little round pink dots. I brought one into my mouth, and she let out a soft moan. My cock twitched in response. I brought the other to my mouth, and the same thing happened.
“Ready?” I asked.
She bit her lip and nodded her head.