Chapter 4

"I think I messed up," Kelly said out loud.

Manny was still sleepy. He had to get up though; he had an audition for a small role in a Will Smith film.

Manny lay in bed while Kelly paced the room desperately looking for something to wear. She was in her cotton shorts and white tank top. No bra. She was a sight for sore eyes.

"What do you mean?" Manny asked and yawned. He stretched his body on the bed.

"I mean, maybe I shouldn't have set Jason up with Laurie. Did you see them at dinner? They weren't even talking! I'll be I'll hear it from Jason later."

Manny raised his body up. "Eh, Jason will be ok. I could tell deep down he'd wanted to take her to bed. Did you see him secretly ogling her?"

Kelly grabbed her black slacks and pink button up top. "All I saw was Laurie trying to make conversation and Jason talking very little."

Manny got out of bed and put his arms around Kelly. "Who cares about them? Right now I'd rather be talking about you and me."

Kelly giggled and leaned back to kiss her man. "Mmm nice kiss but go brush your teeth love."

Manny broke away from her. "You gotta ruin the mood huh?"

"Just being honest."

"If you're going to marry me, you're going to have to love with or without bad breath."

Kelly stopped. She stared at him. "What do you mean, "marry" you?"

Manny smiled. "Oh nothing."

Kelly's heart was pounding. "Tell me!"

"I gotta go brush my teeth," Manny turned and felt her wrap her arms around him from behind. He laughed. "Oh NOW you want to talk to me huh?"

He turned and stared into her eyes. "I think I want to marry you. I mean we've been together for years now. I could never find another girl like you."

Kelly felt her eyes water. "I love you. I really, really do!" She kissed him hard.

Manny broke the kiss and slightly covered his mouth. "I'm gonna get you a ring. I promise."

Kelly cried. Happy tears. She'd dreamed of marrying Manny, just never expected him to propose. "Go brush your teeth and then come back here so we can make love," she ordered.

Manny laughed. "Yeah, now that I say I want to have you for better or for worse you wanna make love. Women!"

Kelly pushed him playfully into the bathroom. "Go! I'll be here waiting for you completely naked and I'll do that special thing I do with my tongue."

Manny ran into the bathroom and Kelly laughed. She began to strip down and waited for her man.

Laurie had been in a daze since Jason had left. She'd gone to bed and dreamed of him and his kisses. She woke up late, unusual for her. She was used to getting up at 7am the latest. Now it was close to eleven that morning. She picked up her cell phone and saw three missed calls, one from Kelly and two from her father.

"Shit!" She cursed. She almost forgot about having lunch with her father that day. They tried to have lunch at least once a week. She rang him up and apologized for not calling him earlier.

"Where were you?" Ray asked sternly.

Laurie smiled. She wasn't about to admit to her father that she'd been busy dreaming of Jason. "I was out late last night. I'm sorry," she said kindly.

"Well how about I pick you up in about an hour? Is that enough time for you to get ready?"

"Plenty of time. I'm going to go shower and get dressed."

She hung up the phone and headed to the shower. Once she was nude and ready to jump in the warm waterfall, she saw herself in the mirror. Three love bites were clearly showing. They were bright red. Her only memory of Jason. She touched them. They didn't hurt but they were noticeable. How the hell was she supposed to hide those from her father? She'd figure something out. Maybe she could wear a fashionable scarf around her neck.

As she showered, she couldn't stop thinking about Jason. His kisses still lingered and she could still taste his tongue and feel his hands all over her. She wanted him, bad. She regretted not letting him go further than just kissing.

She leaned against the cold tile of the shower and ran her hands from her face down to her breasts. Her nipples hardened between her fingers. She closed her eyes and imagined Jason's tongue taking turns flicking her nipples with his tongue and sucking them with his lips. She kept one hand on her breasts and slid the other hand down between her legs.

One finger went in easily. She was dripping wet, and not because she was in the shower. This wetness was different. It was thick, warm wetness. She recalled feeling his cock pressed against her leg. He'd gotten so hard for her. She wondered if he went home to masturbate just as she was doing now. Was he thinking about her? Had he wanted to be inside of her last night?

She slid in another finger. She felt her tightness slowly loosen up. In and out her fingers glided easily. She pushed them in deep, as deep as they could go. She wondered if that's what it would feel like when Jason dove inside of her. She'd want him to be deep inside of her pussy. Pumping in and out. Sweat dripping down his face making her cum all over his hard cock. She'd feel him explode inside of her, filling her up with his warmth.

She began to moan and her body tensed up. She came and when she came she called out Jason's name.

Once at lunch Ray noticed something different about his daughter. She was dressed a bit too classy for a casual lunch with her father. She had on a black tight fitted low cut summer sweater with gray slacks and black shoes and a gray and black Hermès silk scarf around her neck. Not that she didn't look beautiful, but he found it odd that she would dress up so much.

"You going to meet up with some designers later or you got a gig?"

"W-what?" Laurie asked. She realized she'd been daydreaming again.

"I asked you if you got something special going on today. You are dressed up."

Laurie took a quick sip of wine. "Uh no. I just wanted to look nice for you dad."

Ray looked at her suspiciously. "You don't' lie well you know that?"

Laurie's face was crimson. "Dad, can we just have lunch please?"

He nodded. "Ok. So tell me, did you sign up for UCLA yet?"

"I sure did. I start in September. Taking some fashion courses and one photography class."

"I'm glad sweetie. So I'm surprised you overslept."

Oh no! Why couldn't he just drop the subject? Laurie thought to herself.

"I told you dad, I was out with friends."

"What friends?"

Laurie sighed. "New friends that I made."

Ray raised a brow. "Is that so? What are their names?"

Laurie frowned. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious."

"My friend Kelly, her boyfriend Manny and ... Jason." She took a bit of her salad.

Ray leaned back and crossed his arms. "I see. So Kelly is with Manny, was Jason supposed to be your date?"

Laurie looked down. "Uh ... no we are just friends."

"Laurie."

Laurie looked up at her father. "Ok yeah he was my date. There. You happy?"

Ray nodded. "I hope he's a good guy. With your status, I hope someone is not after you just for you money."

"Dad, that's so crass."

"What?"

"Why would you think he'd be after my money?"

"Because this is a materialistic world. I'm just being honest. I just want you to be careful."

Laurie smiled. "I know dad, but I'm an adult. I can take care of myself."

"You may be an adult but to me you'll always be that little brat that used to love to spend time with her father."

"Dad! I still love spending time with you know! Just because I met someone, doesn't mean things will change."

Ray laughed. "You say that now, but wait until he charms you."

Laurie blushed. "He already has."

Ray's smile broke. "Is that so?"

Laurie nodded. "Yes. He's so sweet daddy."

"Well, when can I meet him?"

Laurie was surprised. "You want to meet him?"

"Well ... why not? I mean he's got you blushing and smiling. I think I should meet him. I'm also ready to evaluate him and make sure he's good for my daughter."

"I'm sure you'll like him."

Ray was skeptical. "I hope so. If he's nothing like me, then he's got to go."

Laurie's face lit up. "He does remind me of you ... in a way. I think it's his eyes or maybe his smile. You'll learn to love him like your own son."

Ray thought about the "son" he could have probably had. He thought about him a lot in fact. Wondered what would have become of him. That only saddened him. Gloom washed over him for a moment.

"Dad?" Laurie searched her father's face.

"Sorry. I was just thinking ... anyway how about we do this again Friday but you bring Jason along?"

Laurie thought about it for a moment. She hadn't talked to him since last night. "I'll check with him and let you know."

"You do that."

Ray's mind began to wonder back again to what would have been his son. Maybe Vicky would have had a boy. He would never know. It was a shame he never got to have a boy. He loved Laurie more than anything but deep down a man always wants a son. Someone to carry the family name. He was growing old quickly it seemed. He wasn't interested in dating any 20 year olds like most men do just to have more babies. He wanted real love with a real woman. Like the one he once had with Vicky.

"Hey bro, sorry about last night. I know you weren't into it but you gotta trust me, it was Kelly's idea, not mine."

Manny had gone to visit Jason after his audition, which unfortunately didn't go well.

Jason held a huge smile. "Don't apologize and tell Kelly that she's the greatest woman alive, next to Laurie of course."

Manny stared at his friend, as he was busy filling out UCLA forms. He spotted the hickey Jason had on his neck. "Whoa! Wait up! Talk to me!"

Jason stopped writing and looked up at his friend. "She's ... I think she's the one."

Manny jumped up from the couch. "No way! You just met her! How can you say SHE'S the one?"

"It's simple. I felt it with her. I felt something strong."

Manny was shocked hearing Jason talk this way so soon. He figured Jason would never get over Sara and now, here he was smitten by a girl he barely knew.

"Watch out bro. Don't get in too deep too quick."

"I know what I'm doing. Trust me."

"Ok whatever you say bro. At least someone is doing good."

Jason frowned. "What do you mean? What's up?"

Manny flopped back down on the couch and took a quick sip of his beer. "I don't know. I mean I've been to so many fuckin' auditions and the only work I get is to be an extra. I've auditioned for eighteen films already and nothing. What the hell am I going to do? What if I'm 30 then 35 and I never make it? Sometimes I think Kelly would leave me. She's already working. She makes decent money, and here I am still struggling. I don't know. I feel like giving up."

Jason went to sit next to his friend. "C'mon now. Don't say that. Making it into the movie business isn't easy you know. I bet even Johnny Depp had to audition a few times before he hit it big."

"Johnny Depp was like 21 when he appeared on Nightmare on Elm Street. I can't even appear on freakin' reality show. I'm doomed."

Jason patted Manny's back. "You'll make it bro. I know you will."

Manny finished his beer and smiled at his friend. "Thanks. Thanks for believing in me."

They had agreed to see each other the following night. Laurie was clad in a blue jean skirt, sleeveless button up top and low heel sandals. She dabbed some perfume on her wrists and checked her lip-gloss. She was nervous. She knew she shouldn't be, but she was. He was coming over so they could watch a movie and he could check out her place.

It was five minutes after eight when he got there. She opened the door and saw him holding flowers for her. Laurie put her arms around Jason and kissed his cheek. "Hi there," she whispered in his ear.

"Hello beautiful," he said softly.

She moved her lips to meet with his. They instantly shared a long, wet kiss. All this before even stepping into her place. His tongue tasted of mint. It wasn't until a few minutes later that she finally broke their kiss.

"Phew! Sorry," she said innocently.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Jason joked.

"Here, come on in," she invited him inside her condo.

He walked in, amazed by the place. Hardwood floors, fine paintings on her wall and luxurious furniture. He was surprised how down to earth she really was.

"Wow! Nice! Very nice!"

She grabbed his hand. "Let me show you around."

They walked hand in hand towards her kitchen. "Here is where I am spending a lot of my time lately. I've been playing around with a few recipes. Not successful in a lot but I've made some pretty good meals, so my dad says but then again he's my dad so he might lie to me."

Jason laughed. She walked him over to the living room. "Here is my living room. Not much goes on here. Mainly watch TV, The Food Network, my favorite." She continued and showed him a small room she had. "This here, is my so-called "office" I guess you can say. I have my magazines where I was on the cover all stacked up here and my books that I love to read, mainly romance novels, please don't laugh."

Jason chucked and kissed her cheek. "It's ok. I bet you learned some good pointers from those books."

Laurie giggled. "There is my computer," she pointed to her Dell, " and these are my portfolios," she pointed to a huge stack of photos on her desk.

"Can I take a look?" Jason asked curiously.

"Sure, by all means."

He grabbed a few books that held her fashion pictures. He liked what he saw on most of them minus the ones she took with beefy male models.