"Nonsense," Stacy told him and let her robe fall to the floor. She posed seductively, showing off the tiniest string lingerie Carter had ever seen. The top barely contained her ample cleavage.
He could never imagine Allie wearing anything like that, though he really wanted her to.
Stacy mistook his shock for desire, and she sidled up to him and rubbed herself over him.
"I really don't think I should be here," Carter said, starting to sweat.
"Why?" Stacy said. "You and Allie are dead in the water, aren't you?" She reached for his pants.
"What? How did you know that?"
"I have eyes everywhere," she said, then she slowly eased her hand into his pants.
"Eyes everywhere?" People were watching him? How? His thoughts were cut short as he felt her tongue lick his lips and her hand grasp his crotch.
"Whoa, whoa!" he exclaimed, pushing her away.
She fluttered her fake eyelashes at him.
"This?" he said, gesturing. "This is not happening.Ever."
He buttoned his pants back up and tried to exit. It took him a few tries to pull the door open. He was hampered by Stacy's rubbing up against him. Once he was through the door, he half ran down the hallway and almost bumped into his grandfather.
"There you are. I need to shower and change. Just wait inside for me."
"No, thanks. I'll wait out here," Carter replied.
"Suit yourself," Harris said with a shrug.
Carter waited downstairs in the fancy restaurant on the ground floor of his grandfather's building. He had a drink then another one. Where was Harris? Carter hoped he hadn't had a stroke. He was sure his family would find some way to blame it on him, he thought bitterly.
"Sorry I'm late, my boy!" his grandfather said, taking a seat across from him. "That Stacy is a tiger!" Harris made a clawing motion. "You should have seen how she was dressed! I just couldn't say no!"
"I saw," Carter muttered.
"What was that?"
"Do you want a drink?" Carter asked, pushing the cocktail he had ordered for his grandfather within arm's reach.
"After that explosive session, I'd say so! Those working-class girls, they sure give you a run for your money," Harris said and took a drink. "But I don't have to tell you that." He laughed loudly, and several people looked over at them. Carter sank lower in his seat.
"You know what it's like," Harris said, winking at him.
"Gross, Granddad," Carter said.
He tried to tune out Harris's very detailed descriptions of all the ways Stacy made him feel like a thirty-year-old again and picked at his food while Harris ate an entire steak and a heaping pile of onion rings.
After dinner, instead of going home, Carter went out to a bar. He was already good and drunk from his dinner with his grandfather, but Carter's goal tonight was to black out and forget his problems.
He checked his restaurant-recommendation app and saw a new bar had opened up a few blocks away.
When he walked into the dimly lit bar and sat down, he half expected Allie to be behind the counter, pouring drinks.
She wasn't, of course, but another familiar face was there.
"Well, well, look who it is."
"Vance," Carter said carefully.
