Page 36 of Sexting My Ex’s Dad

Instead she turns the screen toward me.

I read the text once, then again.

You’re not going to land someone decent if you give up on me. You should make peace with the fact that men like options.

The words sit there on the screen like something rotten. For a second I don’t say anything.

Athena watches my face carefully.

“Charming,” she says under her breath.

I set the phone down on the table a little harder than necessary. Disgust sits heavy in my chest. “That’s what he thinks of you.”

She shrugs one shoulder, but it’s the kind of shrug people use when they’re trying not to show they’ve been hit somewhere sensitive. “Apparently.”

I lean forward slowly, resting my forearms on the table while I look directly at her. “You know he’s wrong.”

“Logically, yes.”

“Not logically,” I say. “Objectively.”

She studies my face. “You’re very certain about that.”

“I am.”

A quiet moment settles between us, and the noise of the restaurant fades slightly into the background.

Athena glances down at the phone again then back at me.

“You realize this situation is complicated.”

“That’s one word for it.”

“You’re his father.”

“I’m aware.”

“You’re my boss.”

“Also aware.”

“And we just⁠—”

“Yes,” I say calmly. “We did.”

Her mouth twitches despite herself. “That’s not helping.”

“I’m not trying to help.”

“You’re being extremely calm about this.”

I hold her gaze. “I’ve wanted you for years, Athena.”

The words land softly between us.

She blinks once. “You never said anything.”

“You were with my son.”