CHRIS
“How are things going with your court case?” Red asks as she slides back into her yoga pants. I’m leaning against my dresser, as I watch her sort through the clothes we left on the floor, over two hours ago.
“My lawyer and I have a meeting scheduled with Shayla and her father tomorrow morning. He’s hoping we can settle this outside of court.”
“Oh, do you think it will go well?”
“Knowing Shayla, probably not.”
She stops mid-sort and walks over to me, concern lacing her face.
“It’s not fair. I’m sorry you have to go through this, Chris,” she says, disgusted.
I nod.
I am not claiming to be the perfect father, but I try, I try damn hard. MJ only gets the best, he’s not around anything that isn’t, he doesn’t eat anything that isn’t, and he even attends the best preschool in the county. How Shayla’s claim for full custody can be taken seriously by any judge is insane. Red is right, it’s not fair, but I’m not worried. I know, in the end, Shayla knows I’m a good father and MJ is well taken care of. Shayla deserves to be with MJ as much as I do, and if this was an innocent disagreement, then that would be one thing, but this is just Shayla being Shayla. She knows that, if she has full custody of MJ, then she can file for child support. Since neither of us technically filed for official custody, she did, and what do you think happened next? Mitch, my lawyer, informs me that she is seeking, you guessed it, child support. Pure fucking insanity.
Red kisses me on the cheek and returns to our pile of clothes. She’s still topless, and it’s sexy as hell. At first, I wasn’t sure how well she’d do, being a fuck buddy, she’s definitely the ‘girlfriend type’, but it’s going great. We really have become friends, and if it wasn’t for her and the guys, I’d probably be a basket case right now.
Red slides her bra on, following up with her top, and now the show is over.
“Why are you still naked?” she grins.
“Because you were, and I didn’t want to miss it.”
She laughs and throws my shirt at me. I duck, laughing, then grab some clean clothes from my closet and get dressed. I should probably go say hello to the guys, I’m not sure if I did when we came in.
“That reminds me. I never did get that dance,” she says, sporting a devilish grin.
“You’re right,” I laugh.
After the night I attempted a drunken rendition of one of my most popular routines, I never danced for her again. When we are together, dancing for her is the very last thing on my mind. Clearly, it’s the last thing on her mind as well, since she hasn’t mentioned it until now.
“We will have to fix that, won’t we?”
She smiles as she moves in close, close enough to make me rethink my decision to go speak to the guys. I may, instead, spend the last hour I have right here, pressed up against this girl.
Her long lashes bat against her cheeks as she smiles, looking at me with eyes that I keep getting fucking lost in.
“And I don’t want a perfected stage performance either, I want the whole experience.”
“The whole experience?”
“Yes. The entire ‘Chris-the-stripper’ experience. I want to be flipped, spanked, and whatever else you do.”
I laugh.
“Well, there usually isn’t any spanking, but since you asked,” I say as I land a firm swat on her perfect ass. She squeals, then laughs, and I kiss her.
Red leans into me, accepting my kiss, and I breathe her in. I can’t seem to get my fill of her, I always want more.
“This weekend, what are you doing?”
“Hopefully, you,” she says.
“Great fucking answer.”
Red hangs out for a bit, then calls for an Uber. A call comes through on her cell while we’re in the kitchen, and she decides to take the call outside. I told her to text me when she made it home.
Nard and JJ are sitting on the couch, talking, when I flop down next to them, propping my feet on the large square ottoman. My phone buzzes with a text from my old friend, Tony, he’s having a birthday party at his beach house in two weeks and wants me to come. I send a quick text to Red inviting her and Ros, then return my attention back to Nard and JJ. They are talking about the tristate tour they have booked starting next month. Our promoter, well their promoter, usually books tours for the group a few times a year, hoping to bring in more customers to the club. The guys love it, the money is great and girls are hot; it’s a win/win. I, of course, never went. I never wanted to leave MJ for weeks at a time, even though my parents would have gladly taken care of him. I couldn’t do it.
“You forget what day it is?” JJ teases.
“Nah, he just doesn’t care,” Nard says.
“What in the hell are y’all talking about?” I say.
“You. How you’re breaking all of your bullshit rules for this one,” Nard says.
“I think she may have her claws sunk in,” JJ laughs.
“It’s not like that.”
JJ stands, looks toward the kitchen, and grimaces.
“Yeah, okay. Well, if that’s the case, what’s happening outside should be no big deal.”
My brows crease and my eyes follow JJ, as he walks toward his bedroom. I stand, and at first I see nothing out of place; Ty’s car is parked next to a black Honda, and it looks like Red’s Uber is pulling up. My eyes fall to Red, who’s looking at someone, and then, like a bulldozer, Haley comes into view.
My body stiffens, and I clench my teeth as I watch Haley walk in through the side door.
Shit!
Did I talk to Red about Haley?
Did I talk to Haley about Red?
All the things she could have said to Red rushes through my mind, and my throat goes dry. I don’t want Red to think I lied about Haley, I didn’t, It’s not like I’ve been around her, I haven’t seen her in weeks.
Haley’s eyes lock with mine, and she nods across the hall, gesturing for me to follow. My eyes slide to Nard, as Haley disappears into the hall. Rita has appeared at Nard’s side, and they are both looking at me with conflicting expressions. Nard’s brows are so high, that I’m surprised they haven’t disappeared into his head. Rita looks concerned, but for whom, I don’t know. I sigh and turn toward the hall.
Haley shimmies into my bedroom and closes the door behind us.
Fuck.
“I’m back,” she smiles, moving in so close that I can smell her perfume.
“I saw your car in the driveway, lucky timing, huh?”
I chuckle, “Listen, Haley, I’m actually about to head out to pick up MJ. He’ll be out of school soon.”
She’s taken aback, but only briefly. She slides her hands up my chest and presses her body against me.
“We can be quick. I’ve been on a plane for three hours. I’ve had to deal with my crazy aunt fighting with my dad every day for five weeks and I need to de-stress. You,” she trails off, stepping out of her shoes, “know exactly how to take care of me.”
Her eyes roam up and down my body. She can’t be serious, its obvious Red just left, she knows it. She can’t expect me to… to…
Shit, I guess I have before.
I don’t move, I don’t touch her, and understanding begins to resonate.
“Oh.”
“I didn’t realize she was your girlfriend now. Why didn’t you just say that?” she snaps.
I sigh and take a step back.
“Red is not my girlfriend. What in the hell is with everyone today?”
“If she’s not, then why are you just standing there?”
“I have to go get MJ,” I say.
I really do. That’s the only reason she’s not getting the D right now. It’s not because of Red. It’s not because I’m worried that, if I have to tell Red I fucked Haley, she will be done with me. I have my son, court, a business I’m trying to start, shit that matters. Red is just a hookup and, yes I like to fuck her, maybe a lot more than Haley. Shit just has to run its course with Red, she’s in to that Sean guy, and we just have a convenient connection. Simple as that.
Haley continues to look at me with an expression that says she’s not buying my bullshit. “Seriously. I have to go,” I say, as I walk over to the dresser, grabbing my wallet and keys.
“Uh huh,” she says.
I really want to ask what she and Red talked about, but I know that if I do, she won’t let me live it down. I shouldn’t care so much anyways.
Haley chuckles to herself, as she slides back into her shoes. “Well, when you get done with your NOT girlfriend, give me a call.” She kisses me on the cheek and walks away.
I pull up to MJ’s school at the usual time, feeling sort of conflicted. I’m not proud to admit it, but I have fucked two girls in one night. I’m not referring to a threesome though they can be nice too; no, I’m talking about the nights where the shows were long and the drinking was heavy. Nights when the house is packed with fangirls who are dying to fall to their knees and blow you because you winked at her. Haley was one of those girls, but because she chose to be. That’s why she didn’t flinch at the thought of me probably just having fucked Red before she walked in.
Hey, I don’t raise them, I just fuck them.
While Haley might be a little crazy, she’s a good person. She usually means well and doesn’t say shit just to say it, which makes me wonder about Red, am I treating her like my girlfriend?
I step out the car and head inside Kinderprep Academy. Before I make it all the way through the lobby, Julia stops me in the hall to inform me that MJ was picked up already. Panic sets in and I immediately call Shayla.
“Where is my son?” I ask, probably a bit too harshly. My feet are hanging out of my car, as I grip the door handle, preparing to pull off once I get a location.
“He is with me, Chris. We are going for dinner and then home,” Shayla says, nonchalantly.
“What do you mean home? It’s Monday night, the weekend is over.”
“I know, but he’s staying with me tonight. We will talk more at the meeting tomorrow.”
“Hell no, he’s not! Bring him home!”
“You can’t force me to bring him to you, Chris. I have physical custody until the judge says otherwise!” she snaps, and ends the call.
Mitch and I climb the long stone staircase and enter the large building.
“If you two can agree on a visitation schedule, we can avoid taking this matter before a judge,” Mitch says, as we walk through the large lobby. The pungent smell of an industrial cleaner lingers in the cold airy space. A janitor offers a bright smile, as he trips by pushing a cart, and a security guard waves us down a long hallway.
Shayla and her father, William, are sitting in a large room that holds one long wooden table and way too many chairs. I wonder what usually happens in here. I’m sure this room isn’t only used to host evil fucking woman, as they try to suck men dry and ruin their kid’s lives.
Mitch and I sit across from the pair, as Shayla shifts in her seat. After all the legalities are taken care of, and official paperwork is signed, we get right to business. Shayla and I get a lecture from her father about doing the right thing for his grandson and getting along. I want to tell him that I have been doing the right thing, it’s his batshit crazy spoiled daughter who’s using my son as a pawn. Instead, I keep my composure, I can already tell this meeting will be tough.
“Would you like to propose a visitation schedule?” Mitch asks Shalya.
“Yes. He can have him every other holiday and preplanned weekends. I want MJ to live with me,” she says, and I’m gutted.
“No, no fucking way!” I say, unable to hold it in.
“He has lived with me full time his entire life, there is no way you are taking him. You can have your money, but you’re not taking my son.”
“He’s not just YOUR son, Chris!” she spits.
“Ok, you two,” William speaks with an authoritative tone.
“What do you suggest, Chris?” Mitch asks.
“He stays where he is, he’s happy, he’s in the best school. Both of my parents are around to help, his home is with me. We can continue with the way things are. She can keep him two to three days a week, and we can split the holidays.”
I look from Shayla to her father and back again. She looks nervous, for some reason, and it’s pissing me off. For years we have worked together to take care of MJ, and now she gets to have a hissy fit and threaten to break me in two. That kid is my life, she doesn’t get to suddenly decide she wants to parent and just take him from me. My jaw ticks and my leg won’t stop bouncing, as the heat of my frustration rises every time my eyes fall to her.
“That won’t work anymore, Chris,” she says, her expression softens. “Because we are moving to Florida.”