Page 19 of Daddy to Go
“Genius, beautiful, funny. You got it going on,” he replied.
My cheeks felt hot and I giggled as I looked down. I changed the subject quickly, never having really been paid compliments except by my bestie and my mother. When it came to men, I was more than a little underqualified to hold it together.
Still, I didn’t want there to be awkward silence. “My mom, when I was about twelve, and my sister was nine, would bring us here once a month to eat pizza. My sister was always oblivious to how hard my mom worked, but my mom wanted to make it nice for my sister. I made sure everyone was smiling the whole time because I wanted things to be special.”
He smiled at me. “Your mom sounds like she loves her daughters. My mom was a really sweet woman too. She was one of those people that was always smiling, even when it was hard. She hugged everyone. My dad was tough but so was his father, and his father. It was all he knew.”
“Do you miss them?” I asked, instantly realizing it was a stupid question.
He shrugged, wiping his mouth. “I do sometimes, when everything is fine and dandy. But most of the time, that part of my life really just seems like a dream sequence. Like some movie I watched when I was younger or something. I think I blocked out the pain as a teenager and then I became numb to it. My sister is a little older than me, and it still takes a toll on her.”
While my father wasn’t dead, and my mother was still with me, I could sort of relate. I grew up with a desire to have a father figure around because my own abandoned me. And since Mom was so busy with work, I never saw her. That wasn’t the right thing to say though. I could feel it. So, instead, we sat there comfortably for a bit, eating, listening to the music playing, and laughing at the kids running wild around the place.
After a couple of slices, he sat back in his chair. “So, where to next?”
“Well,” I said with a grin. “If you give this place just fifteen more minutes, it turns into a nightclub. The bar goes up, pizza goes down, and people start to dance, laugh, and get crazy. Two birds with one stone.”
He looked around the room, amazed. I could understand how it was hard to imagine. Vincent’s was bright and loud with wild children hopped up on soda and carbs. They looked like little beasts. But I’ve been here after hours many times since I turned eighteen, and itdefinitelybecame a different place. It became fun. At least I hoped it would be. I didn’t want to bomb out on our first date.
Ryder popped a piece of pizza crust in his mouth and nodded. “I can see it. We’re going to get wild at Vincent’s.”
I burst out laughing. “That sounds like some silly television sitcom. I will not be diminished to a sitcom star.”
“Would you rather it be a soap opera?” he asked.
I giggled harder and harder as he began to talk in an uppity high-pitched voice, slinging a fake shawl over his shoulder.
“These are moments of our lives,” he said dramatically. “Vincent’s Pizza Parlor was more than a place to chow, it held Victoria’s heart and her darkest secret. The baby she had with the dishwasher, Juan Alvarez.”
Putting my hand to my chest I gasped. “How could she?”
We both laughed wildly, watching as the kids began to pile out of the place. The parents wanted to get back before things got wild. Personally, I liked quiet nights at home, but since this was literally my first date with Ryder, I didn’t want to spend it at home playing board games.
The lights began to dim and the waitress came over, boxing up the rest of the pizza.
“You want me to hold it in back for you, Abby?”
I smiled, already reaching for the leftovers and the bill. Ryder had anticipated it though, his card already out of his pocket.
“I got this. I’m taking you out, remember?”
I wrinkled my nose but then smiled.
“Thank you,” I said, blushing. “I appreciate it.”
Suddenly, the volume of the music went up, and the television switched off. Ryder looked all around him as adults surged towards the bar, getting their dollar beers and whiskey shooters before dancing across the floor to their friends. He clapped his hands together loudly, making me jump. Half of his mouth curled upward and he put out his hand.
With a raised eyebrow, I carefully reached for it. “What are we doing?”
He pulled me to my feet, leaning in just inches from my face. My entire body came to a halt, and I didn’t know if he was going to kiss me or run off without me. He laughed a little, seeing the look of confusion on my face.
“Don’t worry little lamb, I’ve gotten you all taken care of.”
With that, Ryder grabbed my wrist and swirled me around the floor. We danced to the music. I let loose, rocking my head from side to side, jumping up and down, busting moves like a madwoman. We laughed the entire time. He was carefree, something that was missing before, but that I didn’t realize until that moment. Ryder swirled me around, dipping me down while staring into my eyes.
When the song ended, he lifted me back up, the music melting into something slow and almost sensual. My arms were over his shoulders and his hands trailed down my sides and across my lower back. Suddenly, all of my manic energy dissipated, and I stared right back at him. I melted again, this time letting him take the lead. Our warm cheeks were pressed gently against each other’s and that was the one silence that I didn’t mind in the least. Our bodies were giving each other telltale signs.
I couldn’t help but swirl my hips against him, feeling his cock grow larger inside of his pants. He pressed his forehead against mine and our mouths were just inches apart. I could feel that rush returning, that eye opening, heart thumping adrenaline that turned to simmering heat in my belly with every wave of passion that washed off of Ryder and onto me.