Illicit Affairs

Chapter 29

"Hey Jimmie. C'mon in. I'll get Mia for you." I heard Ryan say from the front door as I had just come down the stairs. I wiped my palms nervously on my jeans and took a couple of deep breaths. Once I made up my mind to call Jimmie, I knew we needed to talk face to face. There was no reason to put it off. Therefore he agreed to come to Ryan's house this morning.

"I'm here." I said, stepping into the room. Jimmie was dressed casually in a pair of well worn jeans, a black sweatshirt and black running shoes. He had always been handsome and now the touches of grey peppering his hair and the stubble on his face gave him a distinguished look.

"I have to head to the shop for a last minute meeting with the team before we head out. I'll be a couple of hours. Do you need anything while I'm out?" Ryan asked, and I knew he was deliberately trying to give Jimmie and me some privacy, although I was sure he was headed to the Penske shop anyway. Even Chase and Erin had made themselves scarce when I told them last night that Jimmie was coming here this morning.

"No. I don't think so." I replied.

"Alright. I'm outta here then. Call me if you need anything." He leaned in for a quick goodbye kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." I couldn't help but smile. Hearing those words would never get old. I also couldn't help but notice Jimmie smile. I know he's always been fond of and friends with Ryan.

Ryan left, and now it was just Jimmie and me. For the life of me, I could not figure out why I was so nervous. It's Jimmie.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" I offered. Although I really just needed something to do with my hands.

"Water would be fine." He replied.

I went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and a Body Armor for myself.

We both went into the living room, taking a seat on the couch where I spun that bottle around in my hands. For several moments we sat in silence, quiet enough that I could hear our respective breathing. The air felt so heavy it was almost stifling. Why is this so hard? What do I even say?

I finally worked up the nerve to look up at him and was just barely able to contain my gasp. Wow. This is incredible. It was almost like looking in a mirror, yet not really. It's something I can't even describe. A feeling I can't even put a name to. Familiarity maybe? Of course he's familiar to me.  I've known him my entire life but it really was an eye opening experience because the eyes looking back at me were a reflection of my own.

"I have your eyes." I said awestruck. How am I just noticing this now?

"You sure do." He flashed me a warm smile. "You are still the spitting image of your mother, but it's nice to see I passed on at least one trait to one of my daughters."

He called me his daughter. My heart might just explode at any moment.

He had given me an opening, and now I was full of questions.

"Did you love her? My mother." I asked.

His eyes dulled a slight bit and he looked pensive in his thoughts. I could see a flash of sadness in the brown depths of his eyes and I felt even more drawn to those eyes that were so much like mine. I had been told my eyes hide nothing. I may say one thing but my eyes tell a whole other story. His eyes held a deep and profound sense of loss.

"I loved her very much, but not like...that. Not in a romantic way. Your mother was one of my dearest friends. She is the one that got me here. Our relationship was a lot like you and Chase's. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her. Almost twenty years and it still cuts like a knife." He said sadly, but then his expression changed and he smiled, his eyes once again sparkling. "She would be so proud of you Mia. Beautiful, smart, talented and sassy. So much like her."