pressed her thigh against mine as Mom went on to explain.
Long story short… last year, my parents had decided to donate a wing in the New Jersey hospital where my grandmother Marie had been a nurse before she died. A ribbon-cutting ceremony had already been planned when construction had been completed this September. By some sheer stroke of luck, something happened to something structural that caused something to be delayed with some kind of permit… or something along those lines. I wasn’t a good listener.
But where it affected Alivia and me, I paid attention. Basically, that delay had caused a chain reaction, pushing back the ceremony to where it would conflict with a commitment Devil’s Lair had made to perform in Chicago. Which meant they had rescheduled that concert for this fucking week.
In other words, Alivia and I could finally have sex.
Trying not to raise a fist in the air and yell, “Thank Christ,” I continued eating in silence. The gods would finally have pity on me… well, not so much me as my blue balls.
“I bet those contractors are responsible for the delay,” Grandpa said with a scowl. “It always has to do with money.”
“I doubt that, Dad,” my mom said, rolling her eyes. “Things happen.”
He took the project very personally and was emotionally invested in this situation. Grandma Marie had died in a car accident when Mom was only ten. A tiny part of me felt bad about placing my selfish agenda ahead of all else. I adored my grandfather and wanted him to be happy. In my defense, the entire project wouldn’t be trashed. It was simply a small setback.
Beneath the tablecloth, I searched for Alivia’s hand and squeezed it in mine. It was a profoundly wordless statement.
Three days until we got laid.
A long discussion had occurred between our parents and us regarding our safety. While Devil’s Lair traveled to Chicago, we’d miraculously convinced them we’d be very careful and would stay close to home. After an exhausting debate, Alivia and I were left without Alec shadowing us, provided we agree to one condition added by Trey. Forcing his daughter to sleep in one of our guest rooms while my grandparents were in the other one wouldn’t stop me.
The Taylors’ apartment was empty and around the corner. A daytime fuck was just as effective as a nighttime one.
So, after informing my grandparents that we were meeting our friends at the movies, Alivia and I headed right for her building. It wasn’t a lie. I just bent the truth a bit, claiming the movie started earlier than it would.
“Mr. Shane. Miss Alivia. How are you on this fine day?” Walter asked, tipping his hat to us in his formal way.
“We’re good. Heading to the movies, but Alivia forgot a jacket,” I offered so Alivia wouldn’t have to.
“Oh, those theaters can be quite chilly.” The phone rang, thankfully pulling his attention away. “Excuse me… the Clairmont.”
Meanwhile, Alivia pushed the elevator button repeatedly until it appeared. Once we were safely tucked inside, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“See… easy.” I pulled her into my arms. “Your dad underestimates my horniness.”
She suppressed a smile. “It’s so stupid. My dad has me feeling like a criminal.”
“It’s his way of busting my balls in hopes I’ll keep them away from you.”
Honestly, it had become a game of sorts between Trey and me. Actually, it went beyond us. Since the day I’d first kissed Alivia when I was ten and she was nine, it had created a mini war between our dads. More than a decade later, Trey remained consistent in his goal of intimidation. And Dad played his part by pushing Trey’s buttons as much as possible.
I’d respectfully play along… at least until Alivia turned eighteen in February. Then all bets were off. Why that was the magic age for her father, I had no idea. Age was just a number. My girl was far more mature and smarter than her seventeen years suggested. After all, she had skipped the third grade.
“It’s dumb. He has us resorting to lying to an old man.”
“We merely bent the truth. Walter has five minutes before his shift ends. He’ll never know what time we left with your sweater.” I had purposefully timed it that way. The man had a big mouth. He didn’t mean to narc us out but inevitably always would. Personally, I had a theory that Trey knew just how to prod him to get information.