Just The Tip Read online

  Obviously, that wouldn't have been ethical, or the true conclusion I would want from my blood work. But pregnancy had come out as such an unbelievable factor, that I didn't want to think he was right.

  “Wait, no, I can't be.” Shaking my head, I smiled cautiously. “Run the test again, there must be a mistake.”

  “There's no mistake, Ms. Hughes. We ran the test three times, and it was double checked by several technicians. It says you're pregnant.”

  “What?!” Piper exclaimed, jumping off the edge of the bed and throwing her hands to her face. “You're pregnant? Did you know?”

  Flicking my eyes to my friend, I sat in silent shock.

  “You didn't know, Vi, holy crap. . .” Tapping two fingers against her lips, she asked, “Is it that guy, mattress man? It's him, isn't it?”

  The doctor cut in, smiling. “You'll be released to go home soon, but from here on out, you need to make sure you take care of yourself.” Bowing his head, he spun and placed the clipboard back into the holder outside the door.

  “Holy, F'ing, crap, Violet.” Piper lowered her body to the small seat at my side. “You dirty little bird you.” Her index finger bounced in the air, wagging at me like I was being scolded. “You didn't tell me that one of your dates actually went all the way! When were you planning on spilling your guts?”

  Covering my eyes with my hands, I grumbled. “This was not supposed to be part of it. Shit, Piper, what am I going to do?”

  “What are you going to do? First you're going to tell me who the lucky guy is, who is this mattress man?” Crossing her leg, she propped her chin up with one hand.

  “Can we talk about this later? I just found out I'm pregnant, I need to figure that out first.”

  “What's there to figure out? It's not like you're considering—” Piper's lids expanded, eyes bugging from her head. “Are you? Tell me you're not.”

  “What? No, absolutely not, I could never.” Glaring at my friend, I huffed under my breath. “Geeze, Piper.”

  “Well, I'm sorry, I just don't understand what's to figure out then.”

  What is there to figure out?

  Oh, that's right. . . How to tell Mateo that he was going to be a father might be a start.

  But how in the world were those words going to fit into his life?

  Sitting in the passenger seat of Piper's soccer mom caravan, she kept glancing at me every two seconds.

  “Well, are you going to tell me or what?”

  “Piper—”

  “Don't Piper me, I'm your best friend, you can't leave me in the dark. Tell me everything.”

  Wiping my clammy hands against my thighs, I said, “Fine.”

  Telling Piper the whole story; from the first date, to the most intense orgasm I had ever received, to Mateo basically turning me down; I felt like a huge weight had lifted off my shoulders.

  I had harbored this secret, this lust, this deep seeded desire for Mateo, and to say it out loud, well. . . It made me feel better.

  Piper was beyond herself, her jaw hanging to the floor. “Violet, that is so freaking cute.” Chuckling, she mouthed the name my daughter used for him. “Mattress man.”

  “It's not cute, this is serious. How am I going to tell him that I'm having his baby.”

  “Look, Mateo seems like a really decent guy. Even if he doesn't want to be with you right now, it doesn't mean he never will, and it certainly doesn't mean he won't step up and be a father to that baby.”

  Nodding in agreement, I wanted so badly to believe her. Mateo was a good man, he proved that a few times already.

  And he was great with children, even if he didn't realize it yet.

  “You're probably right.”

  “No, I am right. You just need to find the right time to tell him.”

  “He wants me to do one last date, I told him no more after the shit show last time.”

  “Go on the last date, that'd be the best way to see him in a neutral zone. Make him happy and feel like he's doing his job, then when the dates over, you tell him.”

  “Don't you think it would be weird to drop this news on him right after?”

  “No, not at all. You said he doesn't want to mix business and pleasure, so once he's off the clock, you tell him. Besides, this way, Lilith isn't around, and you're not calling him up out of the blue, asking him to hang out. He might think something's off with that.”

  She might be right.

  Did I want to go on another date? No, but it would be the perfect opportunity to talk to him alone. No prying ears, no one else to see his reaction. If he didn't respond the way I was praying he would, and Lilith was home, that could be horrible for her.

  And if he was all for it, well, we'd have the chance to figure some things out.

  Piper might be a wild fire, but she always had a great head on her shoulders.

  “Thanks, Piper.”

  “That's why I'm here.” Smiling, she held her hand up for a high five.

  Smacking her palm, I giggled. “Hey, can you do me a big favor for now?”

  “Anything.”

  “Please don't tell anyone yet, not even Lynn. I don't want Mateo to find out in some twisted six degrees of separation kind of way.”

  Piper's lips sealed tight, her fingers locking them closed, and tossing the figurative key out the window.

  I couldn't stop the laugh from pressing my lungs and bubbling out. Both of us were tearing with laughter as we pulled up to my house. And it felt good, good to be with a friend who looked at the whole situation from outside of the box.

  “I'll call you later, alright?” Piper eyed my face, arching a brow.

  “Sure, talk to ya later.”

  Mateo

  Waiting outside the door, I rang the doorbell. The gentle thump of feet started to close in. My stomach was in my throat as I stood there, unsure how she would react to seeing my face.

  I'm not here for her. . . Not this time.

  “Who is it?” Violet's sweet voice bled out from behind the thick wood.

  “It's Prince Charming,” I said with a throaty growl.

  No sounds crept through the wood, no voices, or murmurs. Knocking gently, I said less jokingly, “It's Mateo, can you open the door?”

  The metal clank of the lock hit my ears, the door slowly opening to reveal her confused, but beautiful, face. “What are you doing here?” Tight crinkles framed her eyes, sprawling out from the corners.

  A piece of me was tempted to smooth out her crinkles, draw my finger over her lids and wash away any thoughts that might be fluttering through her mind.

  It had been hard as hell to just stay away. She wouldn't answer my calls, she wouldn't return my messages, and it was killing me. I was trying to be respectful and not bull-rush myself back into her life.

  Today was different. Today wasn't about her, it wasn't about me, it was about keeping a promise. And I don't break promises.

  “Well, I have a date today. I tried to call you, but you just kept ignoring me.”

  Arching a brow, she answered me like I was losing my mind. “Mateo, I thought I told you I was done with the dates.”

  A devious smile spread across my face, lifting from ear to ear. “The date's not with you.” Cocking her head, she stared at me under hooded lids. “I'm here for the tea party.”

  Lilith's loud feet stampeded down the hall, her giant smiling face exploding from around the corner with a squeal. “You came! You came!”

  Shifting her gaze between us, Violet held her hand up. “Wait, what's going on?”

  Side stepping around Violet, I held a hand behind my back, and bowed to the hostess. “I was invited for a tea party and I promised I'd be here. I never break a promise.”

  “Tea party?” Violet asked, confusion layering her tone.

  Lilith jumped up and down, her hair flopping into her face and covering her eyes. “Mattress man, I'm so excited! I have a few friends on their way, oh wait. . .” Her eyes floated down the hall, hand cupping her ear. “I think t
hey just got here. Come on! Come on!”

  Lilith waved her hand frantically, darting behind the wall, and disappearing. Her feet echoed as she ran, then halted altogether when she reached her room.

  Grinning, I flicked my eyes to Violet. “I'm glad I'm not late.”

  Folding her arms over her chest, she pulled in a deep breath. “Did you really show up here for a tea party?”

  Nodding my head, I pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind my back. Plucking a long red rose from the bunch, I handed it to Violet. “This is for you, the others are for the tea party.” Winking, I held my arm out and asked, “May I?”

  I watched her eyes twinkle with something that burst at the seams. Violet looked so happy in that moment, so blown away, and so. . .

  Thankful.

  Pinching her chin, her lip arched on the corner. “I can't believe you actually showed up for a tea party. I was wondering what the giant star on Lilith's calendar was for.”

  “I'll ask the hostess if you can join us too, if you'd like?” Trailing my thumb across her elbow, I drew small circles. “I would love to have you there.”

  “Let me check my schedule, I might be having lunch with Bugs Bunny.” Giggling, she pretended to flip through an imaginary itinerary. “Nope, that's tomorrow, looks like I'm free.”

  Lilith's head popped out from behind the wall. “Come on, the tea party is ready. And the guests are starting to get vehement.” Disappearing again, her feet faded into the distance.

  “Vehement?” I asked, tilting my head.

  Violet rolled her eyes, waving her hand to dismiss the new word in her daughter's vocabulary. “My mom, she fills her head with words I don't even understand.” Flapping her fingers to urge me forward, she said, “Come on, let's go, we can't be late.”

  For the next hour I sat in the tiniest chair ever, pounding back 'watermelon tea,' which was really just water. We also talked in horribly fake British accents, referring to each other as Madame for the ladies and Reginald for the boys.

  That was Lilith's idea and what an incredible imagination that child had. I shook every hand of the other guests, all ten stuffed animals, and asked for more lumps of sugar in a single glass than I think the Queen of England has had in her life.

  All we needed were some crumpets and tiny finger sandwiches, and it would have blown any royal luncheon out of the park.

  Through the whole party, Violet kept giving me these sappy mom eyes, eating up the excitement from her baby, and the happiness she felt right in that moment.

  But I couldn't lie, I was beyond happy to make that little girl beam from ear to ear. I don't know why I felt this tug on the heart strings for Lilith, but watching her light up made the rest of the world's problems seem so unimportant.

  “Mateo, this was really sweet. Thank you.” Violet nudged me with her shoulder as Lilith started to clear all the guests from the table by throwing them so lovingly onto her bed.

  That explains the ratty bear.

  “It's nothing, it's not everyday you get invited to a royal tea party. How could I pass it up?”

  Glancing at her daughter, Violet gave her the last tasks to clean up. “Okay, I'm going to walk Mateo out.”

  “Mateo? I thought his name was mattress man?” Tossing me a very serious look, her small hands fell to her hips.

  I tried not to chuckle, but the old saying, 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree,' really sank in at that very moment.

  “My real name is Mateo, but you can call me whatever you want.”

  “Good. I don't like that name, can I make up a name for you instead?”

  “Sure, what do ya got?”

  Tapping her chin, Lilith circled me, eyeing me up and down. “Hmm,” she mumbled as she rubbed her tiny chin in thought. “I got it!” she chirped, throwing up a single finger. “I'm going to call you Mattie.”

  “Mattie, huh?” Lilith nodded excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. “Alright, Mattie it is. Does this mean I can give you a name too?” Shaking her head yes, she teetered in place, hands cupped together.”Okay, your new name is B.”

  “B? Why B?” she asked, scrunching her nose and wiggling her face.

  “Because you have a button nose and you bounce around a lot.”

  “B. . . I like it. Thanks for coming, Mattie!” Lilith threw her arms up and let herself fall back onto her bed. “But now I'm exhausted, tea parties are a lot of work.”

  Violet stepped over to her daughter and leaned down to ruffle her hair. “Alright, nap if you'd like. I don't mind today, because tonight you're sleeping at Grandma's house.”

  Following Violet out of Lilith's room, I watched her hips sway, the smooth kick hardening my cock. She looked so damn sexy, the yoga pants hugged her curves, the tank-top clung to her skin and etched out every dip and contour.

  My fingers tensed by my side, eagerly scratching at my thigh for freedom to stroke her bare shoulder, and caress the tender area at the base of her neck.

  There was still a resistance settling in my chest, but it felt more like trying to break an old habit. The fact she had been a client didn't really matter to me anymore. I had her once, that was all I needed to know she was all I ever wanted.

  A new found freedom stained my veins, turning me from a stone wall into a penetrable object. I could hold out for a little bit longer, if she just let us finish what we started, then my contract with her would be over and there would be nothing that would keep me from her.

  All I had to do was convince her to go on one last date, then I could tell Violet exactly how I felt. But nothing could happen until I finished what I started.

  “You, uh, you want to stay for a glass of real tea?” she asked, fumbling with her bottom lip. Her arms were hugging her sides, eyes scanning my face.

  “I have a few minutes to spare, the polo game isn't for another hour.” Smirking, I plopped down onto the solid blue sofa.

  Violet's lip turned up, tugging out a half smile. “Alright,” she said as she stepped into the kitchen. The sounds of her rummaging through the cupboard and opening the fridge made their way out into the living room.

  Running my hands over the fabric, it didn't feel as soft as I expected. There was a layer of crust over the arm, sticky stains speckled the cushion, and deep tracks of what looked like purple marker streaked across the top.

  Hmm, didn't notice that before.

  Stepping back in, Violet shook her head. “Don't mind the couch. I need a new one, but I promised myself I would wait until Lilith was well past the creative child age.” Sitting down next to me, she passed me a glass of tea.

  We were so close I could feel her warmth and smell the light scent of garden flowers on her clothes. Her skin held a dewy glaze that called me, I wanted to lick her skin her to see if she was more sweet or salty. I wanted to place delicate kisses across her throat, just to see her shiver.

  I bet she's purely delicious.

  Pointing a finger at the dark spots, I asked, “So what's this?”

  “Juice, and probably some ketchup with syrup in there too.”

  “And this?” Resting a finger on the edge of the arm where the color was an obvious shade of navy, unlike the soft blue it should be.

  “That's most likely—tiny grimy hands and definitely snot.” Covering her mouth with her hand, Violet laughed as I made a gross face, sticking out my tongue, and grunting. “I'm kidding—mostly. To be honest, I don't really know what the hell that is. But I swear, Lilith just gravitates to dirt and disgusting germs.”

  Her face was glowing today, the normal delicate ivory was tinted in a pastel pink. Violet looked liked the sun had kissed her cheeks and left its mark. Her foot tapped the floor in a hurried beat with a new tick I hadn't picked up on before.

  Flashing a tight smile, her nail made tinking noises across the glass. “Oh, I wanted to tell you that Lilith's bed has smelled as fresh as a hot towel straight from the dryer. You really need to teach me your trick, if you haven't noticed the state of my sofa.”

&nbs
p; “I learned it a long time ago, from a woman named Ella. Ella Springfield, one of my foster mothers.” Waiting for her to cringe or her brows to shift, she surprised me by staying steady.

  “Well, she must have needed a remedy like that if she had foster kids. You didn't stay there with her?”

  Shaking my head, I stared at the glass in my hand. “No, I never stayed anywhere for very long.” Swallowing hard, I waited for the nervous lump to clear my throat.

  It felt strange to bare a piece of myself to someone else, it had been taboo for me to even let memories cross my mind about how I grew up. Just letting that small snippet hang between us, it was surreal.

  My past had always been my secret, the life I lived had been one I hated talking about. Family after family took their turn with me, never taking the final leap of adoption. I was never really too sure why, but my mind always went back to the fact that something must have been wrong with me.

  A baby given up at birth, and never adopted. . . Why?.

  Most of the time the kids that went full string in the homes and got kicked out at eighteen were the ones who came in later in life. They were troubled youth, who after years of abuse and neglect, didn't give two shits about rules or following orders.

  But the babies, they always got grabbed up by a couple and spared the anguish of never feeling worthless.

  Maybe that was a small piece of why I never found love for myself?

  It was hard to understand why no one cared about me enough to give me that chance. When I hit twelve, that's when I gave up. I gave up caring about finding a family of my own, I gave up wanting what everyone else had.

  Things were different now. I was an adult. I had my ups and down, but I found something I was truly good at. That's why my rules were so important to me. I never wanted to fuck up the only good thing in my life.

  “Why are you telling me this? I thought you don't talk about your personal life?”

  Shrugging a shoulder, I asked, “I know you got my messages, have you thought about trying one more date?” I wanted to change the subject. A little bit of my past was enough for now.

  Tapping the glass, her lips perched high. “I have, and believe it or not, I was actually going to call you about it.”