King of Her Desire

6

Just a heads up:  ***EXPLICIT*** scenes ahead. Not nearly as explicit as some, but...still...

I didn't open that box right away. In fact, I pretty much forgot about it what with the work and my sibs and all.

I woke up the next day still kind of airheaded from all the various "substances" I'd ingested and spent the rest of the week being a pretty good boy. Went up to Tucson to see the kids right quick on Saturday as usual. I try to do that every week. So far, so good.

I'll take you on one of those trips later on, but suffice it to say, they were all kinds of thrilled to have me home. When I'm working steady, I take them for fast food and out hiking and to movies and things instead of hanging out at Mima's. There's too much drama in that house.

Of course, they don't care if we go out or not, as long as I'm there. But I try to get them out of the house—out of the city, actually, when I can. Where they can run free and maybe even splash around in some kind of little stream or lake or something.

I want to keep them so bad, especially the littlest ones. But I just will not do it until I'm sure I can keep them 'til they're all past the age where CPS can snatch them again.

That means I'd need a steady job I can count on for a good long time. Finding work has never been that easy in Tucson, even if you have the degree and all. Not work that would pay enough for me to raise four kids.

And we lost all kinds of jobs when The Plague hit. So, I lucked out with David, but if Miramar  didn't pan out he might not be able to afford me anymore, even at the building in Tucson. So I was careful not to say anything that would get their hopes up. Much as I wished I could.

No matter what, they know I'm always here for them. That's why they climb all over me when I'm around. I'm even physically their "rock."

If there's trouble at school, or any kind of trouble, they call the "Bat Phone" number. It's a Google Voice one that only they use. Rings every phone I tell it to. Landlines, cells, even hotels or some friend's phone if I need it to.

I did that to prove how much I care. And they're careful not to overdo it. They don't want to lose me. I'm all they have.

Elliott was gone, too, for a few days that week. Sent me a text: "Business in LA. Watch the house for me. Back Sunday." With a shot of one of her pots up top.

Took me a minute, but then I went over, checked the back deck, and found keys under the rim of the pot she'd sent the shot of. Dangerous move, that was, to leave a key even hidden like that. And inside the house there was a note telling me how to make coffee in that gizmo of hers.

I had actually only seen her once that week after the crazy party. We sat on the beach smoking a blunt I'd rolled but she got achy and decided to go lay down.

And then Gerri came over later and told me she was having a "tough time." I could tell there was more going on with her than the one thing she told me about. I could see it in Gerri's eyes.

So I knew it wasn't "business" back in LA. It was something medical. And that made me sad.

With her gone, I decided to throw a little party of my own for the guys who were working for me. I bought up a lot of beer and seafood and stuff but their women brought so much food I didn't even need to.

We'd had a few little beer nights, just the guys and me, after work. And I wasn't sure how their women would feel about coming over. I was just a "kid." The boss, yes, but still a kid.