Look, to make up for it, I promise that my next story (if I'm insane enough to keep writing) will have a spanking in every chapter. I'll just find a character on the receiving end that isn't me.
I never knew three weeks could go so slow. They crawled. They moved so slow it felt like they were going backwards. And, of course, I had to dodge Dad for a while. I couldn’t risk spilling the beans to him. And I would. I couldn’t keep a secret at all. Somehow, I managed to be too busy to talk long when he called. Fortunately, it was already arranged for Ari and I to spend that weekend with him. It was a long weekend with a holiday on Monday, Dad’s kids would be staying at friends, so it was perfect.
Still, the closer we got to Saturday, the more my nerves were jangling. By late Friday, I was practically bouncing.
“What is it with you, squirmy worm?” Dad asked with a grin that was almost exasperated. “Are you going to settle down, or should we just give up on watching TV tonight?”
“I know, I know. I’m just bouncy, Daddy,” I kid-whined, grinning up at him. “Sis’s comin tomorrow!!”
“Unh huh.” Dad looked at me and kissed my forehead and grinned. “No getting your sister into trouble. And no meddling!”
I almost swallowed my tongue. Then I realized Dad wasn’t talking about him but Ari. Wow. I nodded at him, turned and squirmed up against him in a cuddle to watch the show. A minute later, Dad’s large hand came to rest on my bottom. Just resting there.
“No meddling, baby.”
I swallowed again. “N-no meddling, Daddy.”
His hand patted twice, then moved to rub my back.
It was much too late to back out, even if I wanted to. But the reality that this was going to seriously piss off Dad was starting to push past the belief that we’d get away with it.
I thought about how his face had lit up when he talked about this lady he’d met online, and I told my nerves to shut up. Twice. I told my conscience to shut up, too. Three times.
***
The next morning, my nerves were straight hellishly tight by the time Ari showed up. We tackled Dad in a three-way lovefest in the kitchen.
“So, what’re you going to do today?” He hugged us both to him, grinning and obviously enjoying having us home.
Ari and I looked at each other, then at Dad. “Play!” we declared in unison, making him laugh.
“Yeah yeah. I didn’t see that coming.” Dad hugged us, then swatted our butts, so we’d both exaggeratedly rub them. “Okay, you two play. I have some stuff to do in the office. No destroying the house. No burning it down, or selling it to gypsies. And no digging mud pies in the yard.”
He escaped to the safety of his office and I dragged Ari to the couch to fill her in on the plan I’d figured out. I would leave to run some errands, Ari would convince Dad to go out to the local diner for dinner. I’d go directly to the diner and “accidentally” meet Pam there, and Ari would show up with Dad. They’d meet, we’d leave (or escape, as Ari put it), and all would be well.
We smiled at each other, mulling over the plan, looking for flaws. Ari found one. “You know, it’s going to fail. There at the end. Because you left off one important part.”
“What? Which one?” I looked at her in consternation.
“Daddy coming home.”
“Ah. Well, yeah. Let’s be in bed when that happens, huh?”
“Oh, hell yeah!” We grinned again, both of us showing down the fear we felt.
“C’mon.” I grabbed Ari’s hand again. “Let’s go do something. Anything. Even bounce on Daddy’s bed. We have to kill some time and play. Or I’m going to go crazy.”
Ari jumped up and happily walked with me. “I’m playin, sis. But no way I’m jumping on his bed. I like being able to sit.”
I could’ve sworn I heard her mutter, “Besides, I’m going to lose that ability soon enough.”
***
We did play. And had fun. And the day passed a lot more quickly than it would have without Ari there. Have I mentioned how much I love my sister?
Dinner with Pam was set for 7. So, a little after 6, I leaned into Dad’s office. “Dad? I need to make a run to the store. You want anything?”
He glanced up at me. “Nah, I don’t think so. Sis going with you?”
I silently breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t just decide to come himself. “Dunno. Hang on.” I turned and headed to the living room and made sure Dad could hear me ask Ari if she wanted to go. Perfectly on cue, she walked to his office and leaned against him a little. He pushed back from his desk and she curled into his lap.
“I’m going to stay here, Daddy,” she said, in that adorably cute voice she had. “Stay here wif you.”
“Okay, bug,” Dad said, cuddling her. “But no jumpin on the bed!”
Ari giggled and grinned at him, “That ain’t me. That’s sissy!”
“Unh huh.” Dad tickled her tummy, and swatted her off of his lap. Out of his eyesight, we high-fived each other. I couldn’t resist, I started humming the music to “Mission: Impossible”.
I raced out to the local Walmart, and started aimlessly wandering, trying to kill time. When I found myself looking at a display of men’s belts, I told my conscience to shut the heck up and practically raced out to sit in my car until it was time to head to the diner. Finally, I headed over and was parking just as I got Ari’s text that she and Dad were on their way. Now I raced into the restaurant. Dad only lived 10 minutes from the place, so I didn’t want to blow it with bad timing now.
I had Pam’s picture, and she had mine. So, I was looking around as I walked across the lot. Nothing. Then I walked into the diner. The host walked up to me, but as I was starting to explain that I was there to meet someone, I heard a soft female voice.
“MJ?”
I turned toward the voice, and smiled. “Pam. Hi.”
We both laughed, then hesitated, then she opened her arms, and we hugged each other. “It’s so great to meet you,” she said.
“You too!” I knew Pam had no idea why I was so happy and relieved, but I couldn’t help but hug her again. We both were laughing as the host came up again, which is why I was distracted enough to tell him table for two.
“Two?” Pam looked at me, concerned. “Isn’t your sister joining us?”
I blinked for as I yanked myself back to reality, and to The Plan. “Sorry, yes. Of course. Ari’s on her way.” I turned back to the host with a smile. “I’m sorry. I meant to say a table, please, for three. My mind just … skipped … for a moment.”
Pam, apparently, didn’t notice and just grinned at me. “I do that all of the time. Don’t worry about it. She didn’t come with you, then? Ariel?”
“No, she’s on her way. In fact, she should be here any moment.” Soon enough, in fact, that I was getting a wee bit nervous. I didn’t know which would make for an easier get-away for Ari and I, but I was pretty sure I wanted Pam to be seated when Dad got there. I figured it would make both of them less likely to up and leave. “She’s getting a ride. I’ll take her home when we leave.” That much was true.
I turned back to the host again, including him in my smile. “Why don’t we get seated. Ari knows to look for us when she gets here.”
“Are you sure?” Pam asked. “I don’t mind waiting for her here.”
I was nodding before she could finish the question. “No, really. She’d be upset if she thought we were waiting on her.” I’m sure I looked like I was rushing her – and, truth to tell, I was. But, I certainly couldn’t explain it. Pam just smiled, shrugged and followed the host with me right behind her. As we walked, I was just thinking that I was extremely grateful I wouldn’t actually be eating there that night. As nervous as I was, I couldn’t have eaten a cracker.
The timing was perfect. We’d just been seated and ordered drinks – I ordered coffee for Dad, instead of my usual tea – when I saw Ari come in the door.
Did I say I had birds in my tummy earlier? Try flocks of them.
I smiled at Pam and nodded to the door. “There she is. My sister. Ari. I’ll go get her.” I practically leapt from the chair and went for the door and hugged her, taking the opportunity to whisper into her ear.
“I like her so far. How’s Dad?”
“He’s fine. But he’s going to get suspicious if you don’t quit huggin me.”
She’s always right, dammit.
“Ummm, table’s over there. C’mon.” I smiled at the host again, who by now must’ve been convinced that I was just one of the random strange people one met in life. Meanwhile, I was feverishly thinking how to handle this. Explaining Ari to Pam – done. Explaining Dad’s presence to Pam – easy. I’d just figured it out. But, explaining Pam’s presence to Dad? Oh boy.
I hadn’t figured this part out, actually. In all of the planning, I’d left out the detail of how to deal with that moment when Dad walks in and sees someone with his daughters.
Okay, okay. I didn’t leave it out. I REALLY hadn’t wanted to think about it. I had to wing it.
“Sis!” I said excitedly, making sure that Dad could hear as we were walking. “I got here early, and bumped into that lady. You know, that lady I been talking to online that I told you about? Anyway, I knew she was going to be here, but had no idea when, yanno? And I guess I must have gabbed about this place, because here she is.” God, I love my sister. She just nodded, said ‘unh huh’ and played along and managed to not look at me like I was crazy. Much. “Anyway, so I figured I’d introduce everyone.”
That was all the time I had. We were at the table. And the flocks of birds in my tummy had no where to fly around the block of cement that had formed there.
“So, here’s Ari. I know I’ve told you so much about her.” I didn’t look at Daddy. I couldn’t. I was terrified to. “Ari, this is Pam Woodson.” I might have just signed my death warrant with that introduction. “And that ride she got here?” I half-turned to him, but I couldn’t look at his face. “This is our Dad.”
I stepped back, ostensibly getting out of the way of the waiter coming to set down the drinks. As I did it, though, I took Ari’s hand and tugged her with me. I finally turned the rest of the way to Daddy, making myself look at him. And that cement block in my tummy crumbled and fell. And took my heart with it.