21 today. I'm 21 today. Some of my friends have kids of their own, they're married, they have jobs to support themselves and here I am - living with my Dad and his obnoxious fiancee. I can't complain of course and Dad's not throwing me out of the house, so I plan on staying with him until I find what I want to do with my life. I paint occasionally, I enjoy singing, but I'm not good enough to do it professionally. I love music, my dream job is to own a record store someday, but I'd have to ask money from my Dad and he'd just laugh. His idea of a job is me becoming a lawyer or a doctor, which is absurd. Maybe I'll figure something out soon enough and if needed, I'll go to college.
But that's not what's on my mind today. Today is my birthday and I'm ready to party. At the moment, I'm having dinner with Dad and Melanie. Just before we sat down, he handed me keys to a new car and I smiled widely at him, thanking him over and over again, but it's not what I really wanted. I don't need his money, I want his attention. Ever since he met that awful woman, she's all he cares about. Dad throws money at me, while dedicating everything else to Melanie. I hate her. Hate is a strong word, but my God, I hate that woman. And she's not even sincere! She doesn't love my father. When she looks at him, all she sees is one big dollar sign.
"Don't get in trouble, sweetums." I might be 21, but my Dad has always called me that. "Don't get into a stranger's car, okay? Call yourself a cab to get home." Dad takes my hand and kisses the back of it. "I love you."
"I love you, too." I give him a weak smile, grab my bag and head out.
My best friend, Jennifer, is already waiting outside the gates. I jump into her car and we greet each other with a kiss on the cheek. "You've brought my things?"
"You know I did." She says and I climb into the backseat.
While Jen drives us to pick up a couple other friends, I undress and take out a dress of the bag Jen brought me. It's black, it's too short and the cleavage is too big, it's backless too, so I unclasp my bra and throw it in the bag. I put on black stilettos and take out my compact mirror, to darken my makeup, finishing the look with red lipstick. My hair tie comes off and I leave my blonde locks loose. Now I'm ready.
After the last stop, there's five of us girls in the car. There will be a couple more friends at the club we're going to. I feel guilty for a second, because my Dad probably believes Jennifer and I are going to have a sleepover at her place...
I show my ID at the door, glad to use my real one at last. The string of my best girlfriends follow me inside and we instantly have eyes on us. I guess, we're drinking for free tonight. We start the night off with tequila shots. Another round is brought to us and the waiter points to a group of guys sitting across from us. I wink at the one right in front of me and pour the liquid down my throat, feeling the welcoming burn.
"Are you trying to get lucky tonight, Steph?" Anna giggles, she's always the first to get wasted.
"I'm not trying, Annie. You know I don't have to try." I say, smirking at her as everyone laughs.
The night is going well and we're having fun. I'm really happy to be away from the mess that my father calls our family, having a great time with my friends. Maybe I should start thinking about moving out for real.
"I'm going to the bar." I shout over the music into Jennifer's year. She nods her head, giving the message to the rest.
I'm a little tipsy and I stumble a bit on my way. I feel a pair of arms grab me from behind, before the manly presence presses me against him. "Careful." I look over my shoulder and it's one of the guys', who bought us drinks. I smile at him and try to free myself from his grip. "You seem to be in a hurry."
"Yeah, I want to get back to my friends." I say, pushing his hand away, but he grabs my ass and before I can do anything, the jerk is pried off me and I turn to see, who my hero is.
"Back off, dude." Lindsey tells the guy.
What the hell? Where did he even come from?
The asshole holds his hands up, laughing. "What, are you her father or something?"
Lindsey stares at him, jaw clenched and the guy rolls his eyes, walking away. Lindsey turns to me. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." I nod. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm meeting a friend for a drink."
"Here?" I give him a skeptical look. "This doesn't exactly look like a place you'd hang out at."
"I know, he insisted." Lindsey shrugs. "He knows the bartender, so we won't have to pay for drinks." He laughs, then stands just a little bit closer to me. "Happy birthday, Stevie."
"Thank you." I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I think I need some fresh air."
"I'll go with you." Lindsey takes me by the hand and guides us through the crowd outside.
Oh, this is so much nicer. I breathe in the night air and sigh heavily, leaning against the wall. Lindsey's standing in front of me, his arms crossed. I chuckle.
"You look like my bodyguard."
"I could be." He offers and I know he's only half joking.
We don't speak, looking at each other. He's so handsome. Sure, he's much older than me, but he's so very handsome. His black short curls, his stubble, the plain grey T-shirt and blue jeans, a leather jacket over his shoulders. I bite my lip.
"Do you have a cigarette?" I ask and he hesitates.
"You shouldn't smoke."
"But do you have one?" Lindsey reaches into his pocket and takes out a pack, handing me one, but I part my lips instead and I see him gulp, as he brings the cigarette up to my mouth and my lips wrap around it. He searches for a lighter, struggling to do so. A guy near us offers his help, but Lindsey tells him to back off. Once he lights it up for me, I inhale deeply and take it in between my fingers, blowing the smoke out slowly.
We're silent again. I reach for his hand, tugging him closer towards me. I can tell he's reluctant, but he's not strong enough to resist. I wrap his arm around my waist, the palm of my hand on his chest. I inhale his scent and I feel dizzy, no longer from the alcohol.
"What are you doing, Stevie?..." He asks, looking down at me.
"I want you to kiss me."
"I can't do that." He shakes his head only slightly. "It's wrong."
"But you want to."
"I work for your father, I could get fired." He argues weakly.
"He won't find out." I flick the cigarette on the ground and wrap both my arms around his neck, his hands on my sides.
His protests die down quickly, when I tilt my head to one side and capture his lips. My heartbeat picks up pace, when I feel him give in. He parts his lips and my tongue brushes over his. His hands move to my ass and this time I'm not about to pull away. Instead, I press myself against him as we're making out for everyone to see.
Until this moment, I've been with other guys. I can easily say that they do not compare to Lindsey, to this man; gorgeous, sexy and fifteen years older than me. And we've only shared a kiss.
Oops...
