Me and him (dating my dads best friend)

47

There's something smug about joe, I don't know how I never noticed it before. The thought that he had touched my naked flesh made me want to puke. I try not to make eye contact with him or even look in his direction as I speak to Helen. I can see kenny almost foaming at the mouth as he glares at him. I hope no one notices the hostility between us.  I had known this would be awkward but I had not been prepared.

"Kenny" joe says with no emotion as he greets my boyfriend.

"Joe" kenny replies coldly.  Did someone just open a window it's suddenly very frosty in here.

"You know each other" Helen asks.

My eyes dart to kenny, we had never discussed what he would say If the topic of joe ever came up.

"We met once when I picked roxy for lunch once" kenny replies cooly not missing a bear. God he's good I wish I could lie that easy.  I hope he doesn't find it that easy to lie to my face.

"Joe tells me you've left the firm, have you started else where" Helen asks.

I tell her that I left to focus of college and my future, she tells me it's a decision she's a hundred percent behind. As if I actually cared.

I glance over at my nana and she's watching kenny and joe like a hawk, she's noticed the awkward interaction between them. I hope she doesn't ask any questions.

"How long have you two been together" joe asks me. I really don't want to speak to him and luckily I don't have to.

"Around a month, it took a lot for roxy to open herself up again after the scum she had dated before" kenny replies looking joe dead in the eye.

Ground swallow me whole please.

"Hmm" was all joe replied. I could feel his eyes on me, urging me to look at him but I wouldn't. The anger inside me would surly pour from me and I couldn't let that happen.

"Darling lets go greet mothers guests " Helen said linking her arms with joe and pulling him away,

"He's a creep I don't know what your mother saw in him, I'm sure he's having an affair" nana states making me choke on my drink.

Kenny looks uncomfortable and excuses himself. I'm grateful that he's not running for the hills.

"An affair" I repeat playing dumb.

Nana nods before looking around fur listening ears, " your mother said he's been spending a lot of time at the office and she's noticed their bank balance decreasing too"

I nod but don't reply.

"Well Helen is positive that he was seeing a woman at work but she thinks the affair is over now"

"Why" I ask.

"He's been home more in the last two months and he doesn't bring her guilt presents home anymore. He's a scoundrel, if it had been me I would have chopped his Penis off"

"I haven't told you the worse of it" she continues.

"That's not the worst part" I ask wondering what was coming next.

"No , he had a secret apartment. Helen found payments on the bank statements and called the realitor who told her he had been shacked up with a young woman. Helen demanded joe explain and he just brushed it off saying he had simply rented a small apartment for his friend while they were getting on their feet and your mother just accepted it. That woman is a fool for a black American Express card"

"Drink" kenny asked as he returned at just the right moment.

"Your a life saver" I whisper in his ear.

We spend the rest of the party circulating, everyone gushes over kenny and his football career. He has every chance of going pro when school finishes, it seems almost everyone has seen him play at one time or another. He fits in well with my family, he comes from money like me but doesn't scream wealth so doesn't make my family feel uncomfortable.

I still can't believe Helen would have my nanas party here, all my relatives would have preferred a small bbq or hog roast not such a formal event. Part of me thinks she planned such an elaborate event to show them how much they differ in class and wealth. Helen doesn't remember her simple upbringing, it's a shame because my grandparents did so much for her. Money was just always more important.

"We need to talk" I pull myself from my daydream when I hear joes voice. I'm alone near the ice statue, kenny had left to make a few calls and joe had taken this as a chance to swoop in.

"I have nothing to say" I hiss, I still can't look at him. His voice alone has my skin boiling.

Without warning he guides me away from the busy part of the room and to the sides where our conversation could not be overheard.

"You and kenny, were you together in Mexico" he sounds almost upset. What a hypocrite.

"No , not that it's any of your business. You after all were fucking my mother for duration of our relationship."

He winces at my words but quickly pulls himself together. "Don't be like this, you know I love you. Why can't we try again"

"Are you for real, your married to my mother. The woman who gave birth to me. Is this some sort of kink. Have you also had my nana, are you wanting to sample all the generations of my family" my voice is now loud, I don't know if we can be overheard but in that second I don't care.

"It was a mistake"

"Your telling me" I hiss.

He shakes his head, he looks so torn I almost feel sorry for him. "I mean marrying your mother, if I would have known that I would meet the love of my life just years later I would have remained single."

"The love of your life" I repeat, laughter comes quickly and I can't control myself. I don't think I had ever heard anything as funny in my life.

Without warning he moves in to kiss me but I'm just a little quicker. The bottle of champagne that sits on the table beside me ends up in my hand before I pore the contents over his head.

"If you come near me again I will be your worst nightmare. Now fuck off before I give kenny the green light to kick your ass"

I swear I hear a bad ass Beyoncé song playing as I strut past my family and into kennys arms who was just reentering the room.

"You ok"

I beam at him, "I'm great."