“People are talking back home, you know.”
“Oh, about what?” The feigned ignorance was almost laughable.
“You. What you’re up to down here. You can’t deny the photos you post online are a little, um, tarty. Some wonder if you’re cheating on Dad. There’s an air of sympathy for him.”
Lauren took a sip of wine. “And what do you think?”
Caroline shrugged. “Well, the optics don’t look good, do they? You’re living it up in paradise while Dad whiles the hours away alone in the cold.”
“You’re right. They don’t look good. But most people that know us know the situation. We chose to be apart to manage the move. And while your father may be lonesome, he is anything but disconnected. He knows what I’m up to and who I’m with.”
“And he digs that?”
Lauren pursed her lips. “More than you know.”
“Wow. So, you guys really do have an open marriage?”
“Well, it’s not so much open as it is an agreement.” Some anxiety crept into the older woman’s voice. She wasn’t all that comfortable discussing her sex life with her child.
“An agreement where you can have sex with others with his permission? That’s so bizarre. He used to get so jealous when guys looked at you.”
Lauren really began to fidget. “I’m not sure we should be discussing this. This is between me and your father and what goes on behind closed doors.”
Caroline shook her head. “Not to be rude, but I think those doors were opened when I saw the video.”
Pouring herself another drink, Lauren sighed. Mothers were supposed to be less the parent to adult daughters and more the friend. She decided to approach this particular discussion from the latter perspective.
“Okay, then. Here goes. First, thank you for not mentioning to your father that you know. Not sure his heart could take knowing you’re aware. Second, the jealousy you mentioned is still there, he just channels it into something he considers pleasurable. I don’t fully understand it, and even he can’t explain it. But whatever it is, it’s real.”
“Cuckold angst.”
Lauren cocked an eyebrow. “Wow, listen to you, miss smarty.”
“Psychology major, remember? Plus, I read up on it.”
That put a smile on her mother’s face. Ever the curious one, she was.
“Mom, it’s okay. You guys aren’t beholden to anyone. You’ve given Amelia and me a wonderful childhood and raised us right. We’re thankful for that. I’ve come to terms with however you and Dad want to live your lives. I just want to be part of it.”
Lauren raised the other eyebrow and smirked.
Caroline coughed. “Uhhh, you know what I mean. Your lives. I want to be part of your lives.”
The women shared a laugh before enjoying another moment of silence, this one way less stressful.
Finally, Lauren piped up. “You were pretty pissed when you saw that film, though.”
“Won’t deny it. But later I realized, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what I think, and I’m not going to let that sour our relationship.”
Lauren reached out and grasped her daughter’s hand. “I’m glad you feel that way.”
Caroline smiled and squeezed back. “Me too.”
Another minute of quiet came and went before the younger woman pressed on.
“So, Dad enjoys seeing you with others. What’s that like? Is this something you want too, or is it all about him?”
“At first it was. Even though we didn’t…you know…maybe once a month. And even though his stamina was giving out, I was still content. Menopause kills the desire, so maybe I didn’t know any better. But then Max helped take things from fantasy to reality really quick.”
“Max?”
Lauren swiped through phone photos until finding one of Max Bemer, owner of Club X. It was of them together, standing outside his bar.
“Seriously? You hooked up with him? God, Mom, he’s hot.”
A smile flitted across Lauren’s face. “Yeah, I guess he is. Thing is, while it may have initially been to satiate your dad, now it’s like getting to be the bad girl in high school I never was.”
“And Dad’s really okay with this?”
“More than okay, he encourages it. I truly believe it’s his way to cope with getting older and not being here for me.”
Lauren noticeably turned up her nose. “Not that I care.”
“What?” Caroline shot back. The distain in her mother’s tone was obvious.
“Nothing. We just had a row before he went back to Des Moines.”
“I see. Well, I guess we can both be man-haters for the weekend.”
“Not all men,” Lauren grinned.
Another eruption of laughter. The wine was taking its toll.
“Speaking of which, Mom, it doesn’t appear you have any problem pulling them in. I wish I had those choices. I’m so done with that asshole Bernard. Think I could borrow one of your FWBs?”
“Hey now, back off. I’m 48-years-old, its not like the cream of the crop are all knocking at my door. I get the castoffs the 23-year-olds don’t want.”
Sensing it was time to change the subject, Lauren redirected. “So, what do you want to do today?”
The younger Miller scrunched her face in thought. “Well, seeing as there’s a snowstorm back home, I was hoping to get to some of those fabulous beached you have here.”
“Oh, that we can do. We’re filthy with beaches. Did you bring a suit?”
“Just an old one-piece I had. Going to the pool isn’t high on the list of people in mile-high cities.”
Lauren shook her head. “One-piece? Um…no. This is Miami. Looks we’re going shopping.”
+++++
Corey shook off the cold as he set his lunchbox and laptop bag on the kitchen counter. The construction site had shut down early ahead of the New Year’s holiday, leading him to pack it in himself. As he shrugged off his coat, he looked around the old house despondently. It was just as big and lonely as when he’d left it that morning. As it would be tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Nothing ever changed now that Lauren was gone.
Make no mistake. For the past 72 hours, his life had been hell. Between catching up at work and fretting over their argument, he hadn’t had time to do anything else. Even the resignation letter sat unopened in the truck’s glove compartment with his boss’ name on it. The motivation to turn it in just wasn’t there.
Selecting a nearly full bottle of bourbon from the pantry, the forlorn project manager plopped into his favorite recliner and kicked off his dusty boots. He swung his feet up onto the coffee table where they landed with a thud. He snickered out loud. Lauren would have torn him a new one for being so careless.
Lauren. God, what the fuck had happened there?
How did things blow up so quickly? SHE was the one fucking half of Miami, not him. And although he had to admit the whole thing was pretty hot, the prostitution fantasy was all hers. All he did was lead her to the water that he thought would quench her thirst. After all, she fucked guys to satiate his thing, right? How was letting her live out her fantasy any different? It was like…a favor…right?
Another shot and a bigger sigh.
Probably should’ve kept that damn recording to himself, though. It certainly hadn’t helped matters any. Yet, it had proven a point. Lauren wasn’t raped or forced into anything at that pool hall. And from the sounds on the other side of that door, she had thoroughly enjoyed her time as a paid whore.
He slammed the shot glass down on a side table.
And I’M the bad guy? FUCK THAT.
Sadly, they hadn’t spoken to each other since she’d shut the door in his face Christmas night. Not even so much as a text to see if he’d gotten home safely. It had been days now and all calls and messages from him had gone unanswered. That was not like her at all. Am I that much of an asshole? If it hadn’t been for Amelia mentioning that she’d talked to her mother yesterday, he would have been deeply concerned for Lauren’s welfare.
Two more pours.
Well, at least the trip hadn’t been a total loss. He’d gotten to see her in the wild. And how. Blowing that kid on the beach and her antics in the adult bookstore were off-the-chain. Obviously no longer the shy girl in bed who was reluctant to have sex anywhere but a dark bedroom, she had blossomed well beyond Corey’s expectations. Her unabashed love for sex now — and kinky sex to boot – seemed to be a chief motivator in her new life. Something she actively sought out. The caterpillar had turned into a butterfly. A nymphet butterfly, to be sure.