Chapter 14 – Carl
I woke up the next morning with Virginia in my arms, and I breathed in her scent. She was sleeping in my arms with her hair around her face like a crown on the pillows.
I had spent the past three weeks dreaming about her every night, and now she was in my bed. I kissed her lightly on her forehead and she fluttered open her eyes.
“Morning, beautiful,” I said to her and she smiled before sinking deeper into my arms. She kissed my chest and I could feel my erection tenting the covers. This wasn’t the time to lust after her body again; work needed to be done and it needed to be done right away.
“Are you hungry? Do you want eggs?” I asked and slipped my arm away from under her head. She watched me as I started to get dressed.
“I should make the eggs,” I heard her say with a laugh and I looked at her and smiled.
“Maybe we can get a bite to eat on our way?” I suggested and Virginia sat up in bed. The covers fell away from her body, revealing her perfect breasts and those nipples I had sucked on the previous night. I wanted her again. I could feel it in my veins. I had to do everything in my power to not pounce on the bed.
“On our way where? I don’t have my first class till midday. We could stay in bed and play hooky,” she said with a giggle in her voice, and I walked over to her as I zipped up my jeans.
“Maybe tomorrow, beautiful, but today we need to go speak to your father,” I said and kissed the top of her head affectionately.
“My father? We need to speak to Dad?” she squealed, jerking herself away from me.
I crouched down on the floor beside her bed, and I reached for her hands.
“Virginia, I love you and your father needs to know that,” I said and I watched as her eyes widened and then she threw her arms around my neck.
***
Mike was sitting behind his desk in his office and staring up at our faces. Virginia was standing beside me, in her sexy red cocktail dress from the previous night. The one I had peeled off her when I brought her back to my place.
Mike was looking at me and then at his daughter, and I could sense that he was beyond shocked to see us both there together in his office together.
“Weren’t you with your friend, Casey, last night, mouse?” he addressed to Virginia beside me and I could feel my muscles stiffen.
This was not a conversation I ever thought I was going to have with this man I had known nearly all my life. He could see from the expression on my face that something was wrong. No matter how difficult I knew this conversation was going to be, I didn’t want to fuck Mike’s daughter behind his back anymore. He deserved to know the truth. It had gone beyond just wanting Virginia’s body; I wanted a real relationship with her.
“No, Dad, I wasn’t at Casey’s house,” Virginia replied in a small voice and I watched as Mike’s eyes darkened and he looked at my face. He wanted answers.
“Where did you find her, Carl? What was she doing?” he thundered at me and I clenched my jaws.
“She wasn’t doing anything. She was with me,” I said and Mike jumped off his chair. He was leaning over his desk, and trying to glare into my eyes.
“She was with you? All night? Why? What the fuck is going on here?” He was barking at us.
“Dad! Please, just calm down. Let us explain,” Virginia said, but Mike only had eyes for me. No matter what happened between Virginia and me, I knew that it was always going to be my fault. I was the older one in the relationship. I was the one who should have known better.
“Explain what? What was my daughter doing in your house last night, Carl?” Mike barked and I looked up at him and met his eyes.
“She was in my house because we wanted to spend some time together,” I said and he narrowed his eyes at me like he was trying to understand. This was the most difficult conversation I’d had with anybody, and I just couldn’t get the words out of my system.
“You wanted to spend some time together because you’ve grown close over the trip? Why didn’t you go for a meal? Or come over to our house?” Mike was jerking his face from mine to Virginia’s and back to mine again.
“Dad, we’ve grown close over the trip, yes, but we wanted privacy,” Virginia tried explaining.
“Privacy for what? Tell me what the fuck is going on!” Mike was screaming again and I could sense Virginia shuddering beside me.
“Mike, you need to calm down. There is no need to scream at her. I will explain everything to you,” I said. Mike clenched his jaw at us and then sat back down on his chair with a thump.
“Explain it then, Carl. Explain to me what exactly my daughter was doing in your house last night and why you didn’t bother telling me about it,” he snarled.
“Mike, I will understand if after hearing this, you never want to see me again. I want you to know that I am prepared for that to happen,” I said.
Both Virginia and her dad were staring at me as I spoke. I knew she was nervous. She had been nervous the whole journey here. She was happy that I had decided to speak to her father about it and that I wasn’t pushing her away from anymore, but she was also afraid of the rift that this was going to cause in our friendship and in her own relationship with her father.
“Just tell me, Carl!” Mike growled and banged his fist down on the table. I sensed Virginia flinch beside me.
“I’m in love with your daughter and I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner,” I said.
There was a deathly silence in the room. Mike’s face had turned red and he was glaring at me like he had just been slapped. When a few more moments of silence had passed between us, I knew I had to say something more.
“This isn’t just a casual fling, Mike. I am in love with Virginia and as absurd as it sounds to you, she wants to be with me too,” I said. Mike glared at me and then at his daughter again.
“Dad, I am in love with Carl. I always have been since I was a teenager. I haven’t had any boyfriends because of my feelings for him,” Virginia spoke up and I could see Mike’s mind whirling. He didn’t know how to comprehend this information; he didn’t even know whether to believe it or not.
“Take a shot at me now, Mike, if you have to. Or else I’m going to leave and we never have to pretend to be friends again,” I said and stuck my hands into the pockets of my jeans.
“Daddy . . . ” Virginia cried and Mike gulped. It was like he had lost the power of speech.
“I’m going to go,” I said when I realized that there was no point in just standing there and glaring at each other.
“Carl, wait!” Mike thundered and he had jumped out of his chair again. I was in the middle of turning from him and I stopped in my tracks. I was fully prepared for a punch. I couldn’t blame him for wanting to hit me. I had fucked his daughter and now I was claiming to be in love with her.
“I don’t want to hit you,” Mike said, and I noticed that his voice had turned somber.
“I deserve it,” I said and faced him again.
“No, you don’t. You are a man and I know that my daughter is amazing,” Mike said and looked over at Virginia. There was a weak smile grazing his lips now, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“If this isn’t a casual thing like you are claiming, what do I have to complain about?” Mike said and Virginia clamped a hand over her mouth. I could sense that she was happy to hear her father say it. All her nervousness had washed away. I still couldn’t get over how well Mike was taking it.
“I mean it, Mike. I’m in love with her,” I said.
I watched as my best friend stepped away from his chair, walked around the table, and approached me.
“If she loves you, too, then I couldn’t have hoped for a better man for my daughter than you, Carl. I’ve known you all my life. I know what kind of man you are. I know that you will keep her safe and you will do your best to make her happy,” he said and then I watched in disbelief as Mike stuck a hand out to me.
I shook his hand while Virginia squealed with joy beside us.
“Dad! I can’t believe this. You just made me so happy, Dad,” she screeched and threw her arms around her father. I watched as the father and daughter hugged, after which she pulled herself away from him and came over to me.
“Carl, you don’t have to be guilty anymore,” she said and there was a wide satisfied smile spreading on her face.
I nodded my head and stretched a hand towards her. She took it and I pulled her into my arms. Mike was watching us, and even he had a smile on his face.
I kissed the top of Virginia’s head as she hugged me tightly. I caught Mike’s eye and I tipped my head to him. He did the same. We both knew what that was about—we were acknowledging each other’s good decisions. Virginia was right, I didn’t have anything more to worry about. Mike had given us his approval and now as I held the woman I loved, I didn’t feel like I was doing so while betraying my best friend. She wasn’t just Mike’s daughter anymore, she was my woman.
Virginia looked up at me with a bright, shiny face.
“I love you, Carl,” she said and I kissed her lightly on her lips.
“I love you, Virginia,” I told her.
It was Mike’s humorous voice that interrupted us.
“Now get out of here before you two make me sick!” he said with a laugh. Virginia and I both looked at him with smiles on our faces. Today was the day that was going to mark the beginning of the rest of our lives.