Chapter 23: Angel
Every man should have a little girl look at him as if he hung the moon a least once in his life. – Riffraff
Riffraff looked at the number on his phone and smiled. Stepping out of the clubhouse he answered the call. “Hey, Angel.”
“Hi daddy.” Came from the other end of the line. He had told Taz that he had a daughter. Her name was Angel. She was the light of his world.
What he couldn’t seem to tell his 23–year–old girlfriend, was that his daughter was 22.
He was too old for her. Every time he talked to Angel, he thought about it again. He was too old for her. But damn, she felt so right snuggled up next to him. And when he held her at night, her body fit perfectly to his. She had sass and a spark in her. There was a drive in her that he admired.
“Dad, you zoned out oh me.” Angel laughed from her end of the phone. “You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?”
He gave a little laugh of his own. “Yes, I was.”
“Now I really do wish that I could come home for Christmas. I really want to meet her.”
“Why aren’t you coming home for Christmas?”
“If you had not zoned out, you would have heard. There’s a group from the university that goes to Rome for Christmas. Privat of the Vatican. Some other cool stuff.”
“Once in a lifetime opportunity.” Riffraff said with a sigh.
“Are you upset?”
“No, Angel. I’m going to miss you. But you’ll be home in May, right?”
“Yes!”
“I still haven’t gotten any pictures of Barcelona. When are you going to send those?”
“I’ll send you some tomorrow.”
“I’ve heard that one before.”
“Yeah, well, I will this time. If… ummm…
“If what?”
“Send me a picture of your woman.”
“I wouldn’t say that we’ve gotten that far.”
“Dad, I don’t care what you call her. Your woman, girlfriend, fuck buddy, princess, old lady. Pick a damned title. She makes you happy.”
“She does.”
“So, what’s the problem, dad?”
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“When did I become ‘dad‘ to you? Wasn’t that long ago that I was still daddy.”
“It’s not going to work, daddy. The subject is not going to change.”
“I don’t feel comfortable talking about this with you.” He finally confessed as he sat on one of the back picnic tables.
“Well, daddy, if I can tell you about my love life, you can tell me about yours.”
“I’d rather not have that discussion either.”
“Tell me this. Does she make you happy?”
Without hesitation, he answered “Yes. Completely.”
“Then what the hell is the problem, dad? Are you afraid that I won’t like her? If she makes you happy, I like her. And don’t tell me that you’re still stuck on mom.”
“No. Lord, no. Don’t even really think about your mom anymore. Not in a long time.” Riffraff sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees. “It’s complicated, Angel. I really like her. But I don’t think I’m right for her.”
“Dad.” She said sounding exhausted. “In my entire life, you’ve never spent more than a month with a woman. You’re nearly at six. Maybe you should stop thinking about what’s wrong with the relationship, and focus on what’s right.”
“When did you get so smart?”
“I got a lot of advice from a very smart man when I discovered that I liked women.” Angel reminded him. “He told me to tell the
world to get the fuck out of my relationship. Do I need to give you the same advice?”
“Maybe just a gentle reminder every now and then.”
“I can do that. Now, tell me what Jasmine is doing today.”
“Last week she got a job offer.”
“The one that she’s been in training for the last several years?”
“Yeah, even with the company she wanted.”
“Did you take her out to celebrate?”
“Delmar’s.” He said with a smile.
Taz had looked beautiful in the navy–blue satin and lace dress. It was sleeveless, a lace back and floor length skirt with a slit up to her mid thigh. Her friend, Celeste, had taken down the braids and twisted it up so that all the colors mixed together. Silver heeled
sandals and jewelry had set off the outfit.
Knuckles had tried to join them. But when she had come into view, he suddenly remembered a dentist appointment that he had. At seven thirty at night. Riffraff was glad. When she looked up and smiled, he felt like she had just punched him in the stomach.
She was beautiful.
Toad had slapped him on the back. “There is nothing in this world that is more beautiful than a woman in love smiling at the man who holds her heart.”
Riffraff had agreed with the soft–spoken words by his president. But now, a few days later, on the phone with his daughter, he
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Chapter 23: Angel
reminded himself, he was too old for her.
Angel and he spoke for a while longer. About Jasmine. School. Carmela, the woman that Angel was dating. The club. The shop. Even
her mother.
“Dad, Mel is home. I promised her dinner out tonight.”
“Go take care of your woman.” He told his daughter with a smile.
“Go take care of yours.” Angel replied. “Love you, daddy.”
“Love yoù too, Angel.” Hanging up the phone, he considered it. Was az his woman? Did sixteen years really make that much of a difference? He was certain that he was falling in love with her. It was not what he had planned.
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Truth be told, he hadn’t planned on ever having a woman again. He had Angel, and his daughter had been enough. But he was no longer sure that it was. He couldn’t think like that. She was good friend. One he enjoyed spending time with. Waking up next to. Sleeping with. And was pretty damn sure that if they ever really had sex, not just the fooling around that they had done up until now, he would be ruined for any other woman.
That was why, no matter how much he wanted her, he had to make sure that she remained just a friend.
Damn he wanted her. He knew how sweet she tasted. How her breath hitched right before an. How her body arched with
pleasure. How she would clamp down around his fingers. Could imagine how she would around his cock.
Riffraff knew that he had to quit thinking like that. Ultimately, no matter how he felt about Taz, he was too old for her. He was a distraction for her. She was going places with her fighting career. He couldn’t be the distraction that kept her from getting there.
Chapter Comments
Lynne Castro
Wish he would stop second guessing what’s between them already
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