Serial - Suddenly Daddy Part 32

Just before you make it to the alley where you'd parked your truck you catch a brief, bright glint of a familiar azure blue out of the corner of your eye.  You spin your head in that direction.  In the shop window of an upscale women's clothing store was a variety of fine quality wraps and blouses.  There among the other articles was the item that had snagged your attention.  A sky blue silk scarf.

It was a perfect match for his eyes.

You stop and stare at it for a time, slowly gravitating toward the window.  He would look so good with that atop his slender shoulders.  This place looked expensive.  The type of place Claire would shop.  You'd never been in a store like this in your life but...it was just...perfect.  You imagine his face as you gave it to him.  He would love it, you just knew he would.

Before you knew it you were walking through the doors of the shop.  The shop is not huge but spacious with a modern minimalist design.  It was well lit and light classical music played just loud enough for you to hear it.  There were currently two customers and two sales people in the store, all women and all impeccably dressed.  In your jeans, work shirt, and steel toed boots you stood out like a sore thumb.  They all look your way.

You are barely two steps through the door when you see the older of the sales women make a beeline for you.  She was a small woman, just over five foot, with shoulder length straight black hair and glasses around her neck attached by a chain.  She looked to be in her late fifties.  With a stiff brittle grin she greets you.  “May I...help you sir?”

That look in her eye.  She either thought you were lost or perhaps looking for a public washroom.

You motion toward the window.  “Um, the blue scarf.  I was wondering if I could see it.”

Her entire demeanor changes as she realizes she is dealing with an actual customer.  “Oh, of course!”  She smiles warmly and makes her way over, you follow right behind.  “A gift for a special someone?”  She guesses.

You nod.  “Yeah, something like that.”

With careful practiced hands she unwraps the scarf from the display stand and presents it to you, pulling it between her hands to show you the sheen and color and length of the fine cloth.  She strokes and twists it to give you the full effect.  It was of much simpler looking than the other scarves, just a pure azure blue, no patterns or designs on it.

Reaching out you feel it in your rough hands.  So sleek, so soft.  You imagine it running over your boy's smooth pale flesh.  You imagine how it would bring out his eyes as he wore it around his neck.  Even your uneducated fingers can feel the quality in the stitching along the edges.

As you are looking at the scarf the woman is looking at you.  Noting how out of place you obviously were here.  Surely catching on, rightly, that this place was above your usual budget.  She says in a friendly voice.  “She must be very special.”

You nod.  “Um, yeah.”  You run the cool slick fabric through your fingers.  A fine scarf for a fine boy.  A little smile flits around at the corners of your mouth.

“You're still getting to know her?  Still new to each other?”  She asks, seeing it all in your far away expression.  “You've just fallen for her, yes?”

You nod again.  “Yeah, we just met a little while ago but...and um...yeah.”

She chuckles.  “I understand.”  She leans in and whispers to you.  “Be reckless.”

“What?”  You ask.

“Be reckless.  Be crazy.”  She repeats with a wide grin and a twinkle in her eye.  “Listen, scarf or no scarf, throw yourself into it.  Fall in love like it's your first time.  Life only gives you so many opportunities like this...seize it.  Act like a fool.  Grab this feeling with both hands and see where it takes you!  Don't let fear of the future miss out on what you have today.”

You look at her with a curious expression.  If this was a sales pitch...it was damn good one!

She lets out a little laugh and shows you a sparkling diamond ring on her finger.  “Sorry...I just got engaged last night.”

You grin.  “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”  She shoots a guilty little glance up toward your eyes.  “He's...a younger man.  A much younger man.”  She was as smitten as you were.  Both of you laugh as you nod in understanding.

Well, that pretty much made your mind up.  But there was no price tag, you had to ask the question.  “Uh...how much?”

She says in a quiet voice, keeping your conversation from the other customers to save any potential embarrassment.  “This one is four hundred and fifty dollars.”

“Pah!”  You blurt.  Four hundred and fifty dollars!  For a scarf?

Your eyes widen as you look up at her face in disbelief.  She has nothing but sympathy for you.  “We have some very nice slim designs as well.  Nothing in the blue I am afraid.”  She turns to indicate a patterned amber and red one nearby.  “This one is two hundred and...”

“No.”  You stop her.  “No...it's this one.  It has to be this one.”

She smiles.  “Very well.  A fine choice sir.  I am sure she'll love it.”

You swallow hard and feel a blush as you say what you knew you had to say, you weren't one for deception or falsehoods.  You clear your throat.  “Yes...I think he will.”

“Oh!?”  She cocks an eyebrow.  Then her smile slowly returns and she nods.  “I am sure he will.”

You say in a low voice.  “He's...a younger man.”

You both laugh at that.  She boxes it up for you and even knocks thirty bucks off the price.  She places it in a bag and wishes you good luck.  You do the same to her.

As you exit the store you can't believe you'd just done that.  It's not that you were hurting for money, but still...this wasn't normal for you.  Claire and Jeremy had your heart and mind casting about in the most delightful, if confusing, ways.

You jump into the cab of your truck and place the gift beside you on the passenger seat.  You felt like a million bucks.  You pop in your earbud Bluetooth headset and dial Claire's house.  You toss the phone beside the gift on the seat then pull your truck out of the alley to continue your route.

You are surprised to hear Poppy's voice answer the phone.  “Mmmph...urm...hello?”  She croaks.

You laugh, fuck she sounded hung over.  “Hey Poppy!”  You say in a loud overly cheerful voice.  “Top o' the morning to ya!”

“Ugh!”  She grunts.  “Hi Daddy.”

You get more serious.  “How you doing kid?”

There is a moment of silence before she responds.  “Ugh...feel like death.”  Another long silence.  “Hey...um...thanks for...the water and...stuff.”

“No problem Poppy, been there myself.”  You respond, letting your genuine concern come through in your voice.  “Hey, listen up...”  You do your best to sell Poppy on the idea of heading out to the cabin for the weekend.

“That sounds awful.”  She responds after your pitch.  “Count me outta that shit.”

“Come on, it'll be fun.”  You prod.  While Poppy was the fly in the family ointment, so to speak, you still wanted to get her away from the city for a few days.  You were hoping she might actually act like a normal human being if taken out of her comfort zone.

“Nah.”  She replies.  “Hey, your queer little boy toy is bugging me to let you talk with him.  You want to talk with him?”

You shake your head.  Jesus, this kid.  “Yes.  Put him on.”

“No?”  She says, obviously just saying it to get to Jeremy.  She continues on as if having a conversation with you.  “You don't want to talk to him?  He's what?  Ugly?  That's so mean Daddy!  It's not his fault he's not a real girl.”

Even hung over she was a bitch.  You can just hear Jeremy's protests in the background.  “Poppy, just put him on.”

She chuckles.  “Sure, sure.  Catch ya later Daddy.”

“See ya Poppy.”

There is a rustle as the phone is passed off.  “Dad!”  You hear your boys voice, a smile brightens your face once more.  He sounded so happy to hear from you, obviously knowing Poppy's teasing was just that.

“Hey son.  How do you feel about a family trip out to the woods?”  You once more recite your spiel to make your case for a family trip out of the city.  Unsurprisingly Jeremy is all in.  He'd probably follow you to the ends of the earth right now.  You tell him that you would all be leaving tonight and you give him instructions to pick up some supplies before you got home.  He jots down your instructions and tells you not to worry.

The conversation from there naturally evolves into pleasant flirty chit chat.  You continue driving and lifting bins as you enjoy the company.  He asks you what song was playing and where you were in the city.  You ask him about what he was up to and tell him how nice it was going to be to get out of town.  Your eyes kept glancing over to the gift you had for him.  You couldn't wait to see his reaction.  Would Claire be jealous?  She didn't seem the jealous type.

Before you knew it it was twenty minutes later and the pair of you are joking and conversing pleasantly.  You then hear Poppy's voice in the background, you hear a muffled Jeremy respond to her, then you hear her voice again.  The two talk for a time, you couldn't make out what was being said but their tones were terse and tense sounding.

Jeremy then says in a low sad voice.  “Um...I gotta go.  I love you Daddy, I love you so much.  I can't wait to see the cabin.  I love you.”  

“I love you too Sweetie.”  You glance toward the phone as if you might see him.  “What's up my boy?”

He says quietly.  “Roger's here.”  You can hear the fear in his soft voice.  “I gotta go.  Talk to you soon.”

“Jerem...!”  You try to say but the phone had already been hung up.

Your hands grip the steering wheel hard as you drive down the quiet residential street.  What the fuck was Roger doing there?  You were under the impression they had completely cut ties with him.  Your blood rises as you think back to the things the man had said to Jeremy.  Jeremy was now alone in the house with the two biggest bullies in his life.  The thought of it struck an icy dagger right through your heart while simultaneously lighting a fire in your tensing muscles.  You knew you should trust Jeremy to look after himself, he was a big boy after all.  But...but...the cruel teasing words of Poppy on the phone just a bit ago now echo in your ears.

You grit your teeth and you become hyper focused on the road ahead of you as you try to quell your anger and worry.  Ahead you see a T intersection and you quickly consult your internal map of the city.  Turn left and you are on your way to the next stop along your route.  Turn right and you are on  your way to Claire's house, leaving you no hope of finishing your route today.

You were already so late after stopping to see Claire and buy the scarf....FUCK!

The intersection was fast approaching.  You had to pick a lane.  Left or right?