Chapter 6

By eight o’clock, I was exhausted when the pool party was finally over. The back garden was a mess. Addison started collecting.

“Leave it for tomorrow,” I suggested. “I’m going to shower.”

“Okay. Me, too.”

She looked as tired as I was. In the shower, while I washed, I decided I was pleased with the pool party. Everyone had fun, no one left out. I liked the distraction of chaos and noise and energy.

“Thanks for the party,” Addison said from outside the shower.

I turned the water off and stepped out, reaching for a bath towel. Addison was leaning back against the sink counter wearing a white nightshirt with Pepe Le Pew printed on the front, his arms open, below him a saying printed: Take Me As I Am.

“I had a lot of fun,” Addison said, studying me. “My friends really liked you.”

“Good. I enjoyed myself, too.” I toweled myself dry, wrapped it around my waist and, shoving her aside gently, started brushing my teeth.

Addison smiled. “I could tell you had fun. It’s early. Want to watch a movie or are you too tired?”

“A movie sounds good.”

“Kay. I’ll go find one.”

I followed her out of the en suite bathroom. She left the bedroom. I admired her again. In her oversized T-shirt, her hair still damp from her shower and once again pulled back, this time gathered at the nape of her neck in a ponytail, she looked fresh and sweet.

At the dresser, I debated what to wear. The air-conditioned temperature was chilly. I settled on sweatpants and a pale grey Tee; comfort above looks.

Addison was on the couch flipping through the menu on the TV. “How about Thor?”

“Sure. Want a drink?” I asked, passing through the living room towards the kitchen.

“Yes please. Coke.”

In the kitchen, I got her a Coke with a large glass and ice, then turned to make myself a drink. I’d discovered I liked single malt scotch on the rocks with a touch of water. The smoky, smooth, and peaty flavor was quite addictive.

Drinks in hand, I settled on the couch. Addison moved into my side, curling her bare feet up. I rested my arm over her shoulders, sipped scotch, and sighed. Physically, I felt my body relax. For no reason whatsoever, I kissed Addison’s hair. She smelled of flowers - what type, I had no idea.

She glanced up at me, her eyes so expressive. I wondered how, based on what she’d told me, I could have been such an aloof father. Who wouldn’t want to spend time with her?

Addison turned back to the movie. As if reading my mind, she said, “I wasn’t really fair before. You were a good father. You just worked too hard. But, you’re a much better Dad now ... as in really, really better. I like being with you.”

“Good to know.”

Half an hour passed. I got up to refresh my drink and Addison cuddled when I returned.

“I haven’t told you everything,” Addison said, muting the TV. “I haven’t told you our secret.”

“And what secret is that?” I asked, somewhat intrigued that we had a secret, and a bit amused.

“We did things together. You and me. Intimate things.”

The silence thundered. “Intimate?”

Not looking at me, she nodded.

“How intimate?”

“Very.”

“You and me?” I asked, reeling.

“You and me.”

Afraid to ask, yet driven to know what I’d done, I asked anyway. “Like what?”

“We kissed.”

Relief poured through me. It was short-lived.

“And had sex,” she added. She finally glanced up at me. “I guess you’re shocked.”

“Ya think?!” I exclaimed, still reeling. I removed my arm from her shoulders.

“It’s my fault. I started it,” she said. “I really liked it, too. I miss it.”

“Addie!”

“What?” she asked, looking back up at me.

“Jesus! I molested you?”

“No. I told you. It was my idea. No molesting.”

I swigged a large gulp of scotch. Jesus Christ! I molested my own daughter? What sort of father was I? Stunned was an understatement for how I felt.

While my brain just about exploded trying to grapple with the news, Addison rose and straddled my lap. She smiled, leaned forward, her hands on my shoulders, and kissed me. Her lips were soft and warm, her pressure gentle, and then her eyes winked out, she tilted her head, and pressed her lips harder, and just like that I was kissing my fourteen-year-old daughter.

The almost empty glass of scotch slipped from my fingers.

I made the mistake of trying to pry her off by holding the sides of her slender body and my thumbs discovered her developing breasts - very gentle mounds as yet not fully formed.

Then Addison murmured. The tip of her tongue touched my lips and I lost time. I lost my way. I kissed her back.

While I couldn’t remember kissing anyone, her kiss was wonderful, so good an erection formed and I seemed powerless to stop.

After what felt like hours, the kiss ended. Addison straightened. Her eyes twinkled, a smile forming. “Good kiss, Dad.”

I searched for restraint, for disapproval, for discipline, and all I had was how damned sweet her kiss was. I tried to rationalize and all I had was how sweet she was, how pretty. I attempted to chastise myself and instead, drew her into another kiss, wrapping my arms around her very slender body, my erection firming up.

Addison murmured her pleasure into my mouth and all I could think is, how wonderful this was, how exciting this was, how kissing my little girl excited me. If this is what I felt before the amnesia, no wonder we had an intimate relationship!

When this kiss ended, Addison rested her cheek on my shoulder. “You kiss much better now,” she observed, then shook with silent laughter.

I had no words. Arms still wrapped around her, I held her gently, my partial erection gently throbbing. Her flowery scent filled my nose.

The reality of how petite she really was hit me and I loved it. Was that another reason I’d been attracted to her mother? Did I have a preference for petite females?

Regardless, this was too much to process. I needed time to think rationally. My world had suddenly phased into a new one, a strange and unsettling one ... a rather exciting one, I admitted.

“Really good kiss,” Addison murmured, nestling her face into my neck. She inhaled deeply. “You smell different, too.”

It was small movements. I turned my face slightly to talk to her and Addison kissed my neck, then my jaw line, then my unshaven cheek, and our lips found each other’s, the kiss hotter, more passionate, our tongues meeting. My erection was complete and she felt it, wiggling her bottom on me. For what seemed like forever, I lost myself in kissing her and when it ended, it seemed she’d sucked every last bit of resistance out of me.

Addison must have sensed my confusion. She surely sensed my lack of resistance. She eased off my lap and stood, smiled and blushed sweetly. “I’m really tired. I’m going to bed. Night, Dad.”

“Night, Addie,” I whispered, watching her leave the living room.

Sitting at the kitchen island counter cradling a mug of coffee, I watched dawn arrive, the sky briefly red before turning into egg yolk yellow. I’d hardly slept. I didn’t know how or why, but I was sure I hadn’t had an intimate relationship with Addison before, which made her kiss all the more confusing. I liked it. The kiss wasn’t the problem.

Addison meandered into the kitchen a half hour later, her hair mussed, still wearing her Pepe Le Pew nightshirt. She smiled a greeting and rose dusted her cheeks. She poured herself a glass of orange juice.

“Addie, you lied to me,” I said gently.

She leaned against the kitchen counter, sipped her orange juice while studying me. Then she nodded.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I wanted to kiss you.” I could see doubt rise in her dark grey eyes.

“It was the best kiss ever,” I said without changing expression.

Addison registered shock, then delight, a smile forming, her enchanting eyes twinkling. Her body relaxed. She sipped her orange juice.

“So, you’re not angry?” she finally asked.

“Oh, I’m angry,” I assured her, her face falling. “You lied to me. You’re the only person in my world and you lied to me.”

“I thought you liked the kiss.”

“I loved the kiss, honey. And if you promise never to lie to me again, I’ll gladly give you as many as you want. But I need to be able to trust someone and that someone is you. I need to know that when I need help, you’ll be honest with me.”

Addison dropped her eyes. “I’ve lied a lot, Dad. I told you you like vacuuming the house when you never did. I told you you didn’t like Brussels sprouts when you do. I told you my allowance is thirty-five dollars when it’s only twenty-five.”

She looked genuinely chagrined. I tamped down a smile at her confessions - all minor. “Those were fibs. Last night was a lie. Promise me you’ll tell the truth from now on.”

She cautiously made eye contact. “Okay. I’ll never lie to you again. Only the truth.”

I nodded and smiled. “Good. What would you like to do today after we clean up the party mess outside?”

“Kiss!” She laughed brightly. “What? It’s the truth!”

ADDISON MADE A FINAL visual sweep of the back garden to make sure she’d collected all the trash. Satisfied, she tied up the clear plastic garbage bag and hefted it.

She felt like she was walking on air; weightless with too much energy. The guilt she felt was not because she’d lied to Dad, but because he’d caught her in the lie. Kissing him last night had been so utterly amazing! So much better than she could ever have imagined. Her lips had tingled!

When she’d gone to bed, she’d been seriously turned on. She’d felt Dad’s erection under her and that excited her even more. She’d turned him on!

At the side of the house, she lifted the recycle bin lid and dumped the party trash in, letting the lid thump down.

This morning, she’d almost had a heart attack when Dad told her he knew she’d lied. But then, jeez, he’d said her kiss was the best ever!!

Almost dancing, she headed in, then stopped. Hey! He had no memory! Of course he’d think her kiss was the best!

“Dad? DAD!” she yelled inside the door.

“In the study!”

She strode down the hall and into his study. Before she could say anything, Dad spoke.

“Does this study look gloomy to you? All this dark oak paneling and dark leather furniture makes the space so small and it’s not! This is a big room. Did you say I designed this...”