Mack Daddy(50)
“Okay…it’s settled, then.”
Frankie wanted to stop back at her condo to put on comfortable clothes and grab some food she had in her fridge so that she could prepare it over at my place.
Knowing I’d be stepping into his house made me a little ill, but he wasn’t there, so that balanced it out a little. I was definitely eager for the rare opportunity to scope out where she lived.
This brownstone had to have cost in the millions.
“How did he afford this place?”
“It’s been in his family for years.”
“I was gonna say. A professor’s salary alone wouldn’t allow for this.”
“It certainly wouldn’t.”
The décor was a combination of dark wood and interior brick with lots of built-in shelves and dark leather furniture. Books were everywhere. The ceilings were high, and there were lots of rooms; it was almost too much space for two people.
I followed her into the rustic-style kitchen. The cabinets were painted a light teal color and the island featured a butcher-block countertop. There was a small open pantry in the corner stacked with food items.
Frankie grabbed a canvas bag and began emptying some of the contents of her fridge into it. She eventually placed it down in a thud and said, “I’ll be right back. I’m just gonna change into something more comfortable and then we can get out of here. Feel free to look around.”
I made my way into the living room. My eyes landed on a picture of Frankie with Victor. I leaned in to examine it. The photo looked like it was taken on one of the swan boats on the Boston Common. His arm was wrapped around her. But that wasn’t what filled me with jealousy. He was gently kissing her forehead while she shyly looked into the camera. His eyes were closed. I didn’t have to imagine the thoughts going through his head in that moment because I knew full well what he was thinking; he was thinking what a lucky bastard he was. And that he didn’t need anything beyond what was right in front of his nose. I wasn’t gonna lie; seeing the picture upset me for more than one reason. It upset me because I was jealous, but it also upset me because it made me feel like Victor really cherished Frankie. And I knew she deserved that.
She appeared in the doorway and noticed me looking down at the photo. She was wearing sweats. It reminded me of something she would have worn around our apartment back in the day. Since reconnecting with her, she’d never looked more like the old Frankie than in that moment. There she was, right in front of me, yet so far away.
“There’s the Frankie I remember.”
“I’m sorry if I look like a bum, but it’s been a long day. I wanted to just get comfortable.”
My mouth curved into a smile as I took her in. “You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
Her cheeks turned red. “You’re a liar.”
“I’ve never lied to you, Frankie. Not once.”
She seemed to ponder that for a moment. “That’s true. You never really have…that I know of.”
I’d lost a little of my fight earlier tonight. It was back. Suddenly, as much as I’d felt badly for Victor after the realization that photo had brought to light, I transitioned back into fight mode. A voice inside me seemed to say, “Fight harder.”
All is fair in love and war, Vic. Sorry, but I love her, too.
Frankie had made a tasty chicken and artichoke dish with sundried tomatoes in my kitchen. She’d also shown me how to make rice in a rice cooker I hadn’t even realized I owned. It must have been left behind by the previous tenants.
After dinner, we retreated downstairs to my man cave. I turned on the pellet stove, and the blazing fire made the space nice and toasty.
Having her here with me was heaven and hell at the same time. It wasn’t hard to imagine this being our life, getting to do this every night. But there was still the harsh realization that it could have been our very last time together like this. She’d given me no real indication of where her head was. And I was sure that was because she didn’t fully know.
Frankie curled into the corner of my couch. Wearing fuzzy socks, she looked so comfortable. At one point, I took her feet, placed them on my lap and began massaging. In ecstasy, she closed her eyes and let me have my way with them. I could’ve done it all night long. The sounds of ecstasy coming out of her mouth were painful to listen to because they reminded me of what I wished I could have really been doing to give her pleasure tonight. I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like to be inside of her. That was something I’d imagined a lot over the years, but it was far more frustrating to be doing it while listening to her little moans.
The television was turned to one of the cable movie channels, but neither of us was paying any attention to it. We were quiet for a while until an idea popped into my head.
“So, I was thinking…”
“That can be dangerous,” she joked, her eyes still closed.
I squeezed her foot harder in response.
“Ow,” she laughed.
“As I was saying…I think we need to write down a list of pros and cons.”
“For what?”
“Me versus him.”
She pulled her feet away from me and sat up. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. I know you’re still confused about what’s best for you long-term. Sometimes, it helps to write things down.” I got up in search of paper. “Be right back.”