Tony

 

I had a lot to think about when it came to Evie. A lot. She was a hot little thing, she was smart, and to be honest, most of the time I wanted her on my cock more than I wanted her off of it. Sometimes though …there was this weird feeling that I couldn’t really describe because it wasn’t one that I had ever felt. Being around her and knowing that she had my baby inside her, though, made me want to protect her and watch out for her. Pussy was pussy, but Evie was more than pussy. I didn’t know what to do with that.

 

It was about a week after she and I had had that argument. My father had gotten her set up advising him and a few of his partners—never showing her face to them, though. One thing we agreed on was that we would expose her to as few people who would talk as possible. If we didn’t make waves, then her father couldn’t, either, right? It sounded smart, and though my father went along with it, I could tell he had a small issue with it. Whatever. It was my call to make; Evie was my girl.

 

Anyway. It was about a week after, and things were settling in, mostly. I had my head wrapped around Evie, though. The baby. Our future. Too many thoughts to be having about pussy, so I’d decided to go out with Allan. We sat in Buster’s, a cheap-ass strip joint in the slower part of town. It meant a less-than-perfect selection of tail, but the girls were enthusiastic and usually they’d let you do whatever you wanted with them.

 

I wasn’t in the mood to do whatever, though. That was the fucking thing. Wild, wasn’t it? Here I was, surrounded by pussy, and I didn’t fucking care.

 

Allan, though—boy, he was happy. I took a sip from my glass and watched as some thick-assed honey wiggled herself in his lap. She was pretty, but had no rhythm. Not like Allan noticed; if there was action on his dick, he was pretty set and set good.

 

“Yeah, girl,” he said. He slapped her ass, sliding in a couple of high-marked bills. “Yeah.”

 

I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

 

“Hey, dude, you’re harshing on my real good vibes over here with all your huffin’ and puffin’,” he said. “Why don’t you pay for a dance or something?”

 

“Because I don’t want a dance.”

 

“Then why did you say we should come here?”

 

I didn’t answer. Eventually, Allan scoffed.

 

“Hey, man, whatever. Go to the bar and drink there or something. I’m getting’ me mines!”

 

I looked over and saw he had his hands all over the girl’s tits. He was throwing around enough money that they wouldn’t care about the no touching rule. Maybe before we left he’d get a little more than just a titty grab. I sure as hell wasn’t staying to sit around for that shit.

 

“Man, whatever. Don’t take too long. I’m already bored and I want to get some food before we go home.”

 

Allan didn’t even listen or pay attention. I shook my head and went over to the bar. The lights were dim, but at least there weren’t any girls trying to shove their asses in my face; the one behind the bar was pretty, though. Must have had a look on my face that said that I wasn’t interested, however.

 

“You look a little put off to say you’re at a strip joint,” she said. She smiled at me. “What can I get you?”

 

I slid my glass over to her.

 

“Rum.”

 

“You got it.”

 

I sat back as I waited for her. I watched her as she made my drink. The sway of her ass. The way her body was curved. She looked like she had the kind of hips that you held on to when you had a woman riding your dick—she’d probably be good at it. But while I would usually be fine with grabbing, going, and maybe taking up a few days of her time, there was just nothing. My cock didn’t even react to her.

 

When she came back around, I slid her a decent tip. She raised a brow and slid it into her bra after counting it.

 

“Pretty generous considering I still have all my clothes on.”

 

“I didn’t really come here to get any naked action,” I said.

 

“Oh?” She started cleaning a glass. There was a wolf whistle that took my attention for a second, until I realized that it was just Allan, still being a Goddamn fool. She laughed. “Whatever the case, your friend certainly is having more fun than you are. You caught up on something?”

 

“You always so talkative?”

 

“Only with the ones who need to talk.”

 

I eyed her a bit. She was pretty. First time I really got the chance to look at her right. She had these candy-apple-red lips and long-ass black hair. Thick, too, with creamy, caramel-colored skin. I shrugged.

 

“Maybe. Maybe not. What’s it to you?”

 

“Well, one, it’s my job to make sure the men that come in here have a good time and feel good. You’re not having a good time, and you don’t feel good.”

 

“I said I didn’t come in here for a dance.”

 

“I didn’t say I would make you feel good with a dance—but, fair warning, you still have to pay. I’m on the clock.”

 

She came around the bar. Another girl walked up, seemingly out of no fucking where. Girl with the candy-apple lips tugged me up from my seat and to the back room. She was a strong, little thing, and while I wasn’t looking for that kind of good time, I was curious about what she was going to give me.

 

The back rooms were fairly clean. They weren’t the most pristine or prestigious or whatever, but it didn’t really matter, did it? She sat me down on the couch and I willingly followed. She plopped herself down beside me, resting her thick, little legs in my lap.

 

“So,” she said. “Is it a girl who’s got you all sad? I doubt it’s a man if you’re in here, but hey, you never know.”

 

I rolled my eyes.

 

“It’s not a man.”

 

“A girl, then.”

 

“A girl.”

 

When I didn’t offer any more, she nudged me.

 

“Well, go on. I’m studying psychology while I work here. Give me something good to analyze. Maybe I can help.”

 

“You’re gonna be in trouble if you find you clients coming to a strip joint,” I muttered. Christ, this was crazy. Talking to a stripper about a female. I sighed. “It’s like this,” I started. “I had a one-night stand with a girl. Standard. It was hot and she was hot. I got her on my mind because of that, but I don’t hear from her for a while, right? Her father is …kind of an important guy. Controlling and shit. I do some digging and find out the reason that I haven’t heard from her is because her crazy-ass father locked her away somewhere …I knocked her up, and he wasn’t too pleased.”

 

Candy Apple whistled.

 

“I’d probably be pissed too. Locking her away, though?”

 

“I know, right? Crazy-ass shit. Anyway. The long and short of it is I get this girl away from her crazy father—”

 

“Okay, wait. Hold up.” Candy Apple starts to get comfortable. “How the hell did you get her back if her father had her on a serious lock down? You need to explain that.”

 

I rolled my eyes.

 

“Okay. It’s like this. I did some digging. Found out some details. I was planning on getting her, right? Funny thing is, she actually calls me—”

 

“Oh? So she was looking for you, too?”

 

“Yeah. She calls me and explains things. Tries to get me to stay put, I guess.”

 

“Which, obviously, you didn’t do.”

 

“Obviously not. I get her. There’s some beef, but it’s cool. We’re cool. I bring her back to my place and get her situated and settled away.”

 

“So, what’s the issue?” Candy Apple looks at me intently. “Sounds like you got everything squared away, so why all the fuss and worry?”

 

“Because.” I shook my head. “Listen, she’s got my baby, yeah? But I don’t know shit about her. I think she’s fine. Fucking her is nice. But—”

 

“You’re catching some feelings you weren’t expecting way too fast, in your opinion, over some tail?”

 

I stared at Candy Apple, mouth a little open. She shrugged.

 

“What? I told you I was putting myself through school. Don’t look so surprised just because I’m a stripper.”

 

“It ain’t that—”

 

“Don’t lie, I promise it won’t hurt my feelings. An-y-way. You and this girl. You wanted to just, what? Step up. Be a man. Claim that as yours. But now it’s feeling too real?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, sounds about damn right.”

 

Candy Apple laughed.

 

“What’s so funny?”

 

“The fact you’re making this more complicated than you need to. Men always do that, but so do women, so let me clue you in. This girl is willingly staying with you, yeah? Which means on some level, she wants something to work out with you. I say take the leap and see where it gets you. You don’t gotta be all in your feelings over it. Take her on a date. See a movie. Learn about what she likes and what she doesn’t like. By the time that baby comes in, you’ll know how hard you want her, or if you’re just cool looking out for her because you fucked up and didn’t wrap it before you tapped it. Simple.”

 

I thought about it a little. Yeah, that was simple. But there was obviously shit that I wasn’t about to tell her about the situation. Namely Evie’s father … I didn’t trust that bastard to keep up his end of the deal here—the deal being that I was allowed to have Evie and our baby and he could kick rocks for all I cared. Eventually, people would start asking questions, but questions were things that I was able to handle and put a decent, swift end to.

 

“Okay, so like. Date her? You want me to date her?”

 

“You want you to date her. I’m just telling you like it is.”

 

“Hm.”

 

She laughed again and stood up.

 

“Listen. I get that the situation is hard, but you don’t seem like a dumb guy, even if you’re being dumb about this situation. Men like you always go after what they want and don’t stop until they get it. Treat that like this—you know, without being a dick about it—and I’m sure your girl will come around the way you want her to. Now.” She put one hand on her hip and held the other one out to me expectantly. “Time’s up, big boy.”

 

I snorted. Candy Apple sure was something, wasn’t she? Whatever. I fished into my pocket and pulled out a decent set of bills, giving her a little extra, considering playing therapist probably wasn’t in her job description.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Anytime, big boy. And I do mean that. Swing back around and tell me how it goes!”

 

I didn’t know if I was gonna go that far, but I gave her a nod before I left, as if I was going to think about it anyway.

 

Allan was still playing with his girl when I walked out. He’d gotten her top off, though, and was fucking around in her panties. She ground up against him like it was the first time anyone had gotten a hold of her pussy. I shook my head, took Allan by the collar of his shirt, and dragged his ass up. He protested, yelling at me as I did so.

 

“Hey, man, what gives?!”

 

“I’m bored and done and not staying here,” I said. “Come on with me unless you want to walk your ass back to the compound.”

 

Allan, of course, didn’t argue with me. Much, at least.

 

“Man, that’s fucked up. I was gonna get me some!”

 

“You can get you some the next time. Quit your bitching. It’s not like you’ve never had pussy before.”

 

Allan grumbled and griped all the way home, but that was just fine with me. He would be over it by the next day and we’d be back to normal—business as usual. Most of my mind was on Evie, anyway, and how I was going to go about taking Candy Apple’s advice. I formulated a plan on the way home, and when we pulled up and I got out, I tossed the keys to Allan.

 

“You can park her. I got business to handle.”

 

“Man, if that’s code for you’re about to get some pussy, I hate you, and you can go fuck yourself.”

 

I laughed.

 

“Who knows. Maybe I’ll get a little bit luckier than you right now, fuck face.”

 

Allan flipped me off, but I didn’t really care. It was all good either way. I went into the house, side-stepping a couple of the maids who tried to get my attention.

 

“Your father—”

 

“Tell him he can wait. I got something that I need to handle.”

 

They looked a little put off about that, but they didn’t try to stop me as I made my way to my wing. There was music coming from it and, curious, I followed it to the room that Evie was staying in. I peeked my head into the room and was quiet as I watched.

 

She swayed her hips to the beat as she folded clothes. We had maids for that kind of stuff—but she insisted on doing things like that on her own. She hummed the beat and the tune, and I was surprised that she had rhythm enough to move well to the music.

 

Taking a leap of faith, I walked in. I came up behind her and slid my hands around her middle. She jumped, surprised at the sudden contact.

 

“It’s just me,” I assured her. “Don’t worry. It’s just me. I’m not trying to do anything.”

 

“Oh—okay.”

 

The music continued to play, and I pressed against Evie and moved with her to the music. It took her a little bit to get comfortable, but it was all right. I smiled when she relaxed and just let herself get into it instead being all uptight. It was nice.

 

“You know, I didn’t know that you could move like this,” I said.

 

“Well, not if my father had anything to say about it. I had dance lessons, but not like this. My best friend in high school taught me the moves.”

 

“Oh? And where is this best friend now? I need to thank her for giving you the shake, shake, shake in this nice ass of yours.”

 

Evie laughed.

 

“It was a he, actually, and he didn’t pass my father’s stringent friend-approval system. Carter was gay through and through, and my father thought he’d make me look bad so … I cut him off easy and nice before my father could do something mean or nasty to him.”

 

“Your father would do something like that?”

 

“My father hid me away in a completely different town just so that I could have my baby in secret, without anyone ever finding out where it came from, who the father was, or that I was even pregnant to begin with,” she pointed out.

 

“Okay. That’s a fair point. I’ll give you that.”

 

Rather than be upset, Evie laughed and pulled away from me.

 

“It’s fine. I’ve accepted the way that my father is. I don’t have to like it—it’s just fact.” She looked up at me and smiled. “Did you need something? I was under the impression that you and Allan were going to be gone for a while.

 

I shrugged.

 

“Actually … nah. It wasn’t anything all that important. I actually wanted to talk to you. You got, uh. Time?”

 

Evie quirked her brow.

 

“Unless your dad has asks me to help some dealer who doesn’t understand business despite running his own business … there’s not a whole lot for me to do at the moment and not a lot of people lining up to have meetings with me, either,” she said. She moved back to plop down on her bed. “What’s up? Is something wrong? Anything I need to worry about?”

 

I shook my head.

 

“Nah, nah, nothing like that. It’s. Well—”

 

“You being tongue tied is a first.”

 

I frowned.

 

“This is a bit of a first for me, all right?”

 

She held up her hands.

 

“I didn’t mean anything by it. Go on. What’s up?”

 

“I was thinking …we had a lot of fun, yeah? That night that we got together? And we’ve had some fun even if it’s been a little …wild.”

 

“Wild is a good word for it.”

 

“Yeah. But we’re gonna be in this for a while. You’re gonna be cooking that in there for nine months and then it’s who knows how much time afterward that we’re gonna be in this thing. Raising this kid. Looking out for it—and trust me, I’m gonna, all right? I’m not gonna be one of those men who doesn’t provide.”

 

“That’s reassuring.”

 

“I told you, I’m not about to back out on this just because this wasn’t planned. But I was thinking …maybe we get to know each other a little better, yeah? Nine months is a long time and, I mean, I’m not opposed to you. You’re a looker. You’re pretty cool.”

 

Evie bit her lip. She could see where I was going with this, I could tell.

 

“So, what? You want to go steady, or something?” She chuckled at the thought, as though it were an incredulous suggestion, but there was something else in her eyes that led me to believe that she was hopeful. Or maybe that she knew that’s where this was headed.

 

I shrugged it off, though, like it was no big deal—like it wasn’t a whole hell of a lot to me. But fuck it if I didn’t like the general idea of steady. She’d be mine.

 

“You know. I could take you on a few dates. Figure this shit out together. Like adults with a baby on the way.”

 

She bit her lip. The way she moved it in and out between her teeth made me want to bite it too. She started to blush.

 

“Tony …are you sure you even want this because you want this, or because we have a baby on the way?”

 

“Can’t it be both?”

 

“That sounds like you’re trying to make excuses.”

 

I sighed. I moved toward her, standing in front of her where she sat on her bed.

 

“Listen. I said that I wanted to do this right.” And it seemed I was saying that a lot lately. I hoped it wasn’t all just for my Goddamn benefit. “Which means all of it, you know? I’m not saying we’re fucking—I don’t know—star-crossed lovers, but we are going to be parents and I want to have a good relationship with you. Whatever that is. I also want to take you on a date or so and show you off where I can.”

 

Evie stared at me for a while. Like, really stared. It was like she was trying to see through me, and it would have been weird if it wasn’t so nice to look into her eyes. They were gorgeous—captivating and shit.

 

I started to get worried when she didn’t answer, but when she finally did, I breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I don’t see why we can’t give it a try, Tony. I want to get to know the father of my child, too.”