Mike's father is on the third floor, and before I know it we're there. As soon as we walk into Mr. Willis's room, I recognize Mike from his work around our house. He's a little bit shorter than James, with a young face and close-cropped brown hair. I'm suddenly embarrassed by the fact that I never knew his name until James told me. I never cared to know. Just another instance of my own self-absorption. I hope I can make it right.
I see Mike's eyes go wide as he sees me. Then his gaze moves to my hand entwined with James's and I think he's struggling to keep his mouth closed. "Miss Caldwell," he says, "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
He holds out a hand and I take it with a firm grip and a warm smile. "Hello, Mike. It's so good to see you again."
James lets go of me long enough to give his friend one of those complicated guy handshakes before taking my hand again. I'm glad he does.
"I suppose I'll get none of the attention even though I'm the one who's admitted?" a voice says.
I look over at the hospital bed, and find that Mr. Willis is not what I was expecting. When James said he was grumpy, I thought he might be a tiny old man, face tangled with frown lines and disapproval. Mr. Willis in reality is closer to Santa Claus with his rosy cheeks and a face that has joy written all over it-even if he is glowering.
"Who did you bring with you, James?"
"Hey, Mr. Willis," James says, pulling me with him over to the bed. "I'm glad you're doing well."
"They've failed to kill me so far, though the nurses are certainly doing their best with this sorry excuse for food."
I laugh in spite of myself, and Mr. Willis's eyes focus on me again.
"This is Vera Caldwell," James says. "My … " He looks at me, and I don't know what he's going to say. How do you describe us and the backwards way we went about things? "She's my girlfriend."
A glow, warm and golden, slides through me as I extend my hand toward Mr. Willis. "It's nice to meet you. Sorry about the food."
He pushes his glasses up his nose and inspects me. "Well," he says, "I can already tell you're far too good for our James." I think I see a hint of teasing beneath his cranky facade.
"I doubt that."
"Well," he says, "pull up a chair and tell me about yourself and we'll find out."
"That's a good idea," Mike interrupts from across the room. "I need to talk to James for a minute about picking the slack back up at work. So you two talk, and James and I will step outside."
"Sure," I say, nervous as all get out. I tend to be shy with new people. James gives my shoulder a squeeze as he heads for the door, and I'm left alone with Mr. Willis.
"So," he says, all pretense of a grumpy old man fading away, "what kind of dirt do you want on James? Because I know it all and am happy to give you enough blackmail material to last for the rest of your life."
My laugh echoes through the room. I think I'm going to like Mr. Willis.
15
James
"Man, are you crazy?" Mike asks me as soon as the door closes behind us. "What on earth are you doing with Vera Caldwell? You trying to get me fired?"
"Don't worry. Your job is perfectly safe," I say. "And I don't know what to tell you. It just … happened."
"How does that just happen?"
I give him a look. "I'm not going to give you the dirty details."
Mike shakes his head. "I thought you weren't into screwing the rich chicks after what happened with Briana?"
"This is different," I say.
"How?"
I glance through the window in the door, seeing Vera and Mr. Willis laughing together. I have no doubt they'll be fast friends. There's no one I can think of that doesn't like Mr. Willis. "It just is," I say, shrugging. "There's something between us. I can't explain it."
"So she was the something that came up?"
I clear my throat. "I don't want to say too much because it's her business, but she had a fight with her father. The kind of fight that impacts the rest of your life. So she's staying with me for the weekend."
"You took her to your house?" I think Mike might collapse from shock.
I look away from him again, watching Vera through the window. "Yeah, I did."
"Does she know that you never bring anyone to your house?"
"She knows my family history if that's what you're asking." I shove my hands in my pockets.
Mike takes his turn looking through the window and into the room. "Yeah, but does she know you've never brought a woman to your house?"
I roll my eyes. "It's not a conspiracy, Mike. It just never felt right."
"Then you're right," he says. "There is something between you two."
"Yeah."
He stretches, his full body extending, and I can hear the bones in his joints crack. "Okay, fine," he says. "I'm still a little weirded out, but just tell me. How much do you like her?"
I look over at him. "I like her." I'm not sure how much I can get across with just those three words, but I try, hoping that he understands.
He looks at me for a second. "Okay. Then I'm happy for you, man."
"Thanks."
"So those tools you left sitting out … "
I sigh, "They're in the back corner of the property. I'd bet a large amount of money neither of the Caldwells will go back that far on the grounds in the next couple of days."
"Fine."
"But Mike," I say, "When you do go back, maybe don't mention me."
"Because you slept with the boss's daughter?"
I grin. "Yep."
He shakes his head. "As long as I'm not fired, I'll say whatever you need me to say, or not say."
"You going to be free this week to come work on the Masterson house?"
"Should be."
"Good," I say. I pause, unsure how to phrase this. "Seriously, Mike. I know it sounds like I'm glad your father needed surgery-I'm not. But I'm glad that you asked me to cover for you."
"Because you met her?" he asks.
"Because I met her."
He laughs, "Man, you've got it bad. And don't tell my dad. If he realizes that he's responsible for you two being together he'll never let us forget it."
"Vera may have already told him."
Mike looks through the window. "Then let's go back in before your girlfriend gives it away and my dad has a chance to tell her every bad thing you've ever done in your life."
I laugh under my breath. "No kidding."
We spend a couple of hours exchanging stories about each other for Vera's benefit, laughing ourselves hoarse. She was right to make us come here. It's been good for both of us, and I can see Mr. Willis's mood lifting as we speak. Whatever small nervousness I had about bringing her here has flown out the window. She fits in perfectly, joking along with us and contributing a few funny stories of her own.
When visiting hours are finally over we take our leave, with Mr. Willis giving me a small wink and a thumbs-up as I leave the room. Together, we walk with Mike out to the parking garage and say goodbye. It feels like no time at all before we're back inside my house.
"That was really fun," Vera says. "Thanks for letting me go."
"Are you kidding? Thank you for making me take you. I wanted to stay, remember?"
She comes over and wraps herself around me. "It was good. I like them both."
"They like you too," I say as I lean down to kiss her.
"Thank you for bringing me here, too," she says. "I don't know what I would have done in that house with him for two days."
The anger I feel toward her father boils up in me and I have to force it back down. I'd like to give him a taste of the kind of pain he caused, illustrated by my fist in his face. But I don't think Vera would want that. "You're welcome," I say. I try to kiss her again but she pulls away, a devilish smirk on her face.
She pulls me into the living room and sits me down on one of the couches. "I know a way to say thank you that I think you'll really like." She drops down and fits herself between my knees. My cock instantly hardens in my pants.
"You don't have to do that," I say. I'm going to have her naked in my bed soon enough, and as badly as I want her mouth on me I can wait. After today, I just want to make sure that she's all right.
"And if I want to do it?" she says, looking up at me.
I have no answer for that.
Her fingers make quick work of my belt and the zipper, pulling my jeans down. Then Vera leans in and presses her face against me, and I can feel her teeth graze the head of my cock as she takes my underwear in her mouth and pulls it down. My cock springs to attention as she pushes me and I lean back into the couch. She smoothes her hands up my thighs, her fingers circling in a way that sends whatever blood I had left straight to my cock and balls.