It was the night before we broke up for good, and the last time I had sex. I figured it was fitting, and that I'd be putting a nice bookend on this dry spell.
At eight, before I am completely ready, my doorbell rings. Knox is on my doorstep, in track pants and an old t-shirt and unshaven. He's underdressed and earlier than I'd expected, but I'm not complaining.
"Hey," I say, trying to sound cool and collected and not like the desperate, horny woman who hasn't-been-touched-by-a-man-in-six-months I am.
"Avery," Knox says, sounding far too serious.
Was it all a joke? Is he backing out on his own idea?
"Yeah?" I say tentatively.
"I need your help. With Piper."
"With Piper? What's up?" I ask, my brow furrowed.
"This morning she got her first. Her first … you know."
"Period?"
Knox's eyes slowly shut and open again.
"Yes. But it hurts, real bad. I don't know what to do."
"Cramps?"
"She's scared," he says, his eyes pleading.
"Did you give her a hot water bottle?"
"No," he says, confused. "I don't have a hot water bottle."
"How do you have a girl that age and not have a hot water bottle? You need to be prepared," I snap.
Knox's face falls, "I'll go buy one."
"I'll bring mine first. I'm coming right over to calm her down. I'll give you a shopping list of things to buy. You have tampons and stuff, right?" I say.
"Some. How many do you need each month?"
"It depends," I say. I feel bad now. He's in way over his head and I should've been more helpful instead of snapping about the water bottle.
Running upstairs, I grab the hot water bottle from the bathroom before running back downstairs again and handing it to him. I follow Knox across the lawn and into his house. Piper is in her pajamas, lying on the couch.
"Hey, Piper," I say, walking over and perching myself on the edge of the couch.
"Avery," she says, a weak smile on her face.
"Your dad told me what's going on. I brought you a hot water bottle, your dad's filling it up now. It'll help a lot with your cramps."
"It hurts so bad," she says.
"Down low?" I ask, pointing on my own body.
"Yes, right here."
"That's normal, sweetie, don't worry at all. The hot water bottle will help, plus you can take some Tylenol. And you don't have to move from this couch all day. But don't worry, it's only temporary."
I turn my head to the side, and realize Knox is standing there listening to us. He looks both helpless and mortified.
"Thanks, Avery," Piper says as I take the bottle from Knox and pass it to her.
"It's your dad who got it," I say. "I'm just going to get something from the kitchen."
Knox follows me into the kitchen and I grab a pen and pad of paper from the table to write out the list of what she'll need.
"Thank you," he says.
"No problem. You're obviously in over your head." He winces, and I add, "Like any man would be. I'm going to write out a shopping list. You go get it. I'll stay here and keep Piper company."
"Can she go to school today?" he asks.
"As much as I really want her to, that would be cruel to the poor girl."
"I'll phone the school, then go get the shit on your list."
He acts like he doesn't even remember what we were supposed to be doing this morning.
Knox quickly makes me a coffee and leaves for the store. I sit back down with Piper and she asks me a million questions about periods. I answer in my best YouTuber voice.
Knox
I'm standing in the female aisle of the drug store, trying to decipher Avery's list. How are there so many different types of things? Things I know nothing about, and don't fucking want to know anything about.
I chuck five of everything on her list in the cart. The more I buy now, the less often I have to come to this aisle. It's the mystery aisle as far as I'm concerned. I don't belong here. Next time I'm going to shop online.
On the way home, I pull my prized possession, my '62 Thunderbird that I restored myself, into the best diner in town. I order a stack of pancakes and two stacks of waffles along with a mountain of bacon to go.
I wonder what else Piper would want. It's hard to keep up with her likes these days. Or Avery. I should get her some fruit salad or something. Fuck it.
When I get home, I enter the house through the back door, straight into the kitchen.
Dropping all the drug store bags on the floor, I set the two bags of food on the counter. Piper wants waffles, bacon and lots of syrup. I load up her plate and take it to her in the living room.
Avery appears by my side, and says, "Something smells good."
"Waffles and pancakes. Want some?"
"Hell, yeah. But I smell bacon, is there some for me?"
I point to the bag with the bacon in it. "Help yourself."
While I lay out a plate for Piper, Avery rips open the bacon bag. Her nose turns up at the contents. What was she expecting?
"Is this all?"
"All what?"
"All the bacon you got?" she asks, snarling.
"There's tons there."
"It's for three people."
Avery picks up a crispy piece and takes a bite. I watch motionless as she eats the whole damn thing in the most erotic way a piece of bacon has ever been eaten. When she finishes, she slowly sucks the grease off her fingertips, her lips pucker around each finger. I cannot drag my eyes off her and I think she knows it.
All night long I've been dreaming of those lips and what I was planning on putting between them today. I can't help but notice her cleavage today. She must be wearing some sort of cleavage-enhancing bra or I hadn't paid enough attention to that part of her body, given that I was focused on her other assets. I curse myself for doing it, but let my mind wonder about what she's wearing underneath that dress.
I'm hit with the urge to drop to my knees and climb under that big, long skirt to find out. It's no secret it's hiding a luscious pair of legs that need to be explored with my mouth, but what else is it covering?
"Have another," I say, motioning my head to the bag.
A coy smile forms on her lips, and she repeats the process with another crispy piece of bacon.
Is she intentionally toying with me? I can't decide. But whether she is or isn't, we're already risking my biggest rule. I said no whiff of this anywhere near Piper. And I have to walk in there and hand Piper her food, and I can't do that right now because I've got a massive tent pole in my sweat pants.
Shaking my head, I look away to keep my focus on Piper. I clear my throat and think of anything except Avery. When that doesn't work, I think of the way Avery told me I was a shitty dad for not being prepared for Piper's stuff this morning.
When I'm finished piling food on Piper's plate, I carry it into the living room.
"Wow, thanks, Dad," Piper says, bolting up into a seated position.
"Anything for you, sweetheart."
On my way back to the kitchen to fix my plate, I pass Avery. Her plate is piled high with more food than I think can physically fit in her tight body. You can't even see the top of her waffles because she's covered them in bacon. She wasn't kidding about the bacon. I hope she left lots for me.
Two pieces. Two fucking flimsy, non-crispy pieces of bacon. Did she really think that was going to be enough for me?
I pile the rest of the food on my plate, still grumbling about the lack of meat, and join them in the living room.
Piper is sitting beside Avery on the couch, both enjoying their bacon. I sit in the armchair.
Avery looks at me, grinning, as she says, "Payback for the veggie pizza," before stuffing a piece of bacon in her mouth in the same erotic way.
I ignore her and start stuffing my face with breakfast.
Should I ask Piper how she's feeling? What am I supposed to say to her? Or should I be pretending everything's normal?
This is the new normal. Just another sign my baby girl is gone.
I just wish I knew what to say to her. It was bad enough I didn't know what to do for her this morning. Now I don't even know how to act.
They yammer on about God knows what while I try to chime in once in awhile. Otherwise, I stare at the TV. Law & Order. Of course. That's okay, Piper deserves it today.
Whatever this episode is about is a mystery to me. My brain is stuck on the memory of Avery licking the bacon grease from her fingers. And of her cleavage. I keep taking quick looks at it, her round tits jiggle with each movement.
I can't sit here any longer. Things would get awkward.
"Sorry, sweetheart, I've really got to get some work done. Are you all right if I go out to the garage and work?"
"Sure, Dad. Avery's here so go ahead."
Forcing a half smile at her, I stand and flee the house.
Under the hood of the blue Corvette, I finally start to relax. This is something I can understand. Not thirteen-year-old girls.
But Piper quickly vanishes from my mind, and all I can see is Avery's tits, front and center.
This is crazy. We only agreed to the fuck-buddy thing yesterday. Why have I turned into a horny, desperate teenager overnight? Just because I haven't been inside a woman since Mrs Coupland moved and I lost my babysitter?
Or just because I've got myself all fired up watching Avery's videos every night? And because I know how fucking amazing she sounds when she comes. I need to coax those sounds out for myself and hear them in my own ears.
Is Piper going to go to school tomorrow? I don't want to push her. But tomorrow is Friday, and Avery and I are going to have to wait the whole weekend if Piper stays home.