But the front door swung shut slowly and that was that. Mr. Martin was gone, and a chapter of my life closed, even though I wasn't ready. Zombie-like, I walked to the elevator, only half-listening as Jonah chattered on about this or that, tuning the conversation out. All I wanted was to get back to school, burrow my head in the pillow and sob, let the emotions seep through me, drain from my brain if need be.
But a word caught my ear, the haze lifting for a split second.
"Break up?" I parroted, coming to for a moment, tilting my head quizzically at Jonah.
And the boy nodded. We were on the subway now, riding the train downtown towards campus, and he looked down at his hands, twisted in his lap as we barreled through dark tunnels.
"Yeah, I didn't want to say anything before Thanksgiving because you didn't have a place to go, didn't have a place to stay. But Ally," he took a deep breath. "I think we need to break up. In fact, I know we need to."
I was stunned, but not from horror or sorrow. I was stunned because the NYC subway was such a weird place to break up. Why couldn't he wait until we got back to the dorms, or at least a coffee shop? Seriously, Jonah was a really odd duck.
But honestly, I was relieved because this was a long time coming, and if he hadn't started the conversation, then I was going to. Jonah and I had never been a couple. We'd never shared secrets or confided in one another, or touched each other in lust. In short, we were never anything, and a break-up was absolutely right, setting us free to pursue our individual interests, wherever life led next.
But I didn't want to seem relieved and happy, arousing his suspicions, so I schooled my expression into a sorrowful frown.
"But why?" I asked plaintively. "Is it something I did?"
And Jonah hemmed and hawed for a moment. I bet he was going to blame it on me somehow, he wasn't exactly the type of guy to take responsibility, but surprisingly he didn't.
"Naw, it's me, Ally. I've got some things to figure out, it has nothing to do with you."
Okay, that was fine, it was enough. After all, I didn't expect him to bust out with a long explanation of how he was into BDSM, how his childhood friend was actually his dominatrix, that was going too far. So I accepted this as his explanation and just nodded my head slowly.
"It's no problem, we were drifting apart anyways," I said genuinely. "We're on different paths, and these paths don't really cross anymore, we were more like two cars going in different directions, instead of two people in the same car."
Jonah grew beet red.
"Yeah, that's it," he muttered. "Anyways, just thought I should let you know in case, you know, you wanted to get it on. I'm not the guy for it, you don't cause fireworks for me. Another guy would be better for you, he might be able to explore the unknown, go where I didn't go."
And I choked then, hurriedly converting it into a slight cough like I had a cold. Go where he hadn't? Another guy exploring the unknown? More like his own father had already plumbed my depths, taken that which I had to give, made love to me again and again, with Jonah sleeping right down the hall the entire time.
But there was no need for the boy to know, he had so much growing up to do, so I just patted his knee and stood up.
"No worries, we're both gonna be fine," I said with a half-smile. "I'll see you in class okay?"
And with that, the train pulled into the station and Jonah leapt to his feet, backpack slung over his shoulder.
"Yeah, absolutely," he muttered as the doors opened, and we streamed outside, lost among the crowd, the throngs of people immediately separating us. I took a deep breath. Well, that was that. My one and only "relationship" was over, although it'd never really begun. And yet I had an ache in my heart because I missed Mr. Martin. It was as if this break-up had been with Mr. Martin the senior and not his son. What was I going to do?
So like a ghost, I drifted down the halls of the subway, seeking the exit. Because although I'd only just left Mr. Martin, I missed him, that big, warm body, the strong hands, the deep voice and gleam in his eye. When would I see him again? Would I ever see him again? And because the answer was likely "no," I made myself straighten, take a deep breath. Maybe I'd never see him again, never feel Mr. Martin's hands on me again, never have another intense conversation with the alpha male. But that was life, and despite the fact that it hurt like hell, I had to live with it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Rob
I missed the little girl, definitely. The trip to Tokyo was lame, a week consulting for a company that was already going down the drain, there was nothing that could save it. But that's why they pay me the big bucks. They needed an outsider to come in, take a look, and confirm what everyone already knew, which was that this outfit was dead, resuscitation impossible.
But despite the job, the flights that were fifteen hours each, crossing multiple time zones, I still hadn't shaken Ally from my head. My son's girlfriend. Fuck. Had I really done it? Had I really fucked my son's girlfriend, with Jonah sleeping down the hall, unsuspecting the whole time? But the thing is that I'm a mean motherfucker, and didn't regret it. I regretted the pain it might cause my son, sure, but I didn't regret the loving, didn't regret exploring that curvy body, savoring Ally's luscious folds. And most of all, I didn't regret getting to know the girl in those four days, her hopes and dreams, how she was fiercely independent even when I offered to buy whatever she wanted, rejecting many of my gifts.
So yeah, the teen was different, incredibly unique, warm, loving, caring, generous to a fault although she barely had anything herself. When I'd asked her why she hadn't gone home for Thanksgiving, she'd taken a deep breath and looked me straight in the eye.
"Because we don't have money for a plane ticket, Mr. Martin," she said steadily. "It's a couple hundred bucks, and my family can't spare a couple hundred right now."
I was flabbergasted for a moment, literally unable to speak. Shit, I'd just spent two hundred this morning on lunch, taking Ally and Jonah out to a nice restaurant. And a ticket had been too expensive?
Reading my mind, she nodded again.
"I know it seems crazy after our extravagant meal," she said biting her lip. "But my family's from different economic circumstances so going home would have been impossible. And Mr. Martin," she added softly. "I'm grateful for the chance to come here. The dorms closed for the holidays, and I didn't exactly have a place to stay."
I was struck speechless again. What would she have done if Jonah hadn't brought her home? Lived in a homeless shelter? Bunked with friends? And the little girl nodded.
"I was thinking of trying to stay with my friend Clarissa, but she has three sisters home for the holidays, and a really small apartment, so it wasn't worth the headache. So thank you again," the brunette added softly. "I really appreciate it."
And I grabbed her close then, holding her to my heart. Because it seemed ludicrous, how I had so much and she had so little, what kind of world did we live in? And fuck, I had to make it right for her, had to fix some of these things because I was totally lost to the little girl. Somewhere along the way, I'd fallen in love with the brunette, my heart pumping in sync with hers, every cell of my being dedicated to Ally. And the last two weeks traveling had only emphasized how lost I was, the teen on my mind the entire business trip, the last thing on my mind before I fell asleep, her name a prayer on my lips when I woke.
And frankly, I didn't give a shit anymore. If she was still dating my son, I was ready to break them up, announce to the world that yeah, I'd fallen for Jonah's girlfriend, as fucked up as that was. And tongues would wag sure, but what the hell. They'd get over it, Ally was eighteen, we were both consenting adults.
So I got dressed in my walk-in closet. What to wear for a trip to campus? There was no plan yet, I wasn't sure what exactly I was going to do except pay her tuition bill, make sure that she was set up somewhere nice to live. But I'd find Ally somehow, even if it meant busting in on her dorm room or interrupting her in class.
So I stood before my closet, grabbing casual clothes, a sweater and jeans, when the doorbell rang. What the fuck, who could it be? It was three in the afternoon, and they usually took deliveries downstairs. So I strode to the foyer, annoyed, my long legs eating up the distance because I wanted to get to Hudson University stat to find my best girl and make my life right again.
But when the door opened, there she was herself. Ally West, a goddess incarnate, so beautiful, so curvy, I almost fell on my knees in the foyer.
"Hi Mr. Martin," she murmured, expression somber. "Can I come in?"