Chapter 5

"So, what else you been doing with them, lady?" I asked Kayla.

"Well..." she started.

Something between a chirp and a squeak interrupted her. We both turned to look at Molly who had quickly clamped both her hands over her mouth. In passing, I noticed Loren was looking at me with raised eyebrows.

"You okay over there Molly?" Kayla asked.

She nodded without taking her hands away from her mouth and while meeting my eyes. After a few oddly intense heartbeats, she turned to Kayla, pulled her hands away just enough to speak, and asked, "Did he call you lady?"

"Umm, yeah."

"Sorry. Really sorry. It just surprised me, and I thought it was cute."

Finally, Loren had also turned to Kayla and was nodding her head ever so slightly in agreement with her friend.

Kayla shook her head, still a little surprised. "Well, as I was saying..."

But this time Loren cut her off. "Never mind all the parts of your life you've already shown us, and fun stuff we've done. You gotta tell us how to find a guy like that," she said, pointing at me.

I tried to think of something sarcastic or random to say to make light of the situation, but nothing came. There was something serious and pointed about the way Loren had said it that silenced all of us.

My eyes met Kayla's and we held contact for a long moment before I saw something shift in the way she was looking at me. I knew that look. Something had clicked, she'd understood something. What that was, I didn't have the slightest idea. She rose quickly, grabbed my arm, and pulled me from the room, calling over her shoulder "We'll be right back."

She pulled me all the way upstairs to my bedroom and shut the door behind us. I immediately thought she wanted to fuck me right then and there, but I quickly dismissed the though. No, this was different. But she didn't seem angry either, so I was totally bewildered.

She started to pace in front of me. As I leaned back against the closed door, I quickly realized I'd left the closest drawer in my dresser open when I'd put on my pants a little while ago. Inside was a small black box I didn't want her to see yet.

"Kayla? What's going on?" I asked as I tried to walk casually sideways and then pushed the drawer closed.

"You love me right? Like really?"

I was taken aback. But my thoughts drifted to the box in the dresser behind me. "Of course," I said slowly. "I'm sure you knew that."

"Yes. Yes, of course I do." She hadn't stopped pacing. "I have a responsibility to these girls to help them, and help them learn about life, right?"

"I said earlier that you don't have to give me your attention while you're around them. I–"

"Yes, I know. Not that."

"Then... what?" I prodded.

"Loren and Molly. They're... Well, I'm sure you thought they were shy when we arrived. But believe me, around guys their own age, any of them, they almost literally melt. Like in the last couple years, I don't know if they've even spoken a single word to any guy at school."

"Woah. Okay?"

She stopped pacing and looked at me. "Talking to you is progress as far as I see it. But on top of that, what Loren said at the end, means... well, like girls sometimes get with older guys, Loren at least, is a little into you."

"Kayl–"

"No no no. Hear me out. It's not that weird. It isn't a crush or anything. They just... its hard to explain. They basically think you're awesome, and like how you look. They wouldn't ever expect anything of it, that's just the way it is."

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out quickly to see a text from Emma that said, Going to Kenzie's after work and staying there tonight. "Sorry, just Emma saying she's staying at Kenzie's tonight."

"Perfect. Anyway, my point is, you're not just any guy to them. You're not necessarily special to them, but you're not just anyone. And they've been able to talk to you and interact. That's a good thing for them."

I shook my head slowly, opening my mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

"Now, I haven't told you this– And don't jump to any conclusions before I finish! 'cause that'd be... more weird. Anyway, I was kinda like them, not total paralysis shy, but shy. With you it was kinda different, but then especially after we... well, the first time we had sex. It gave me confidence. They're supposed to learn from me, so maybe, and just maybe, you and I can discuss that with them or even show them a little... tonight, when we get back."

"Wait wait wait. You want to either talk about or engage 'a little' in sex in front of them? Even IF they're okay with that, isn't that... I don't know... kinda–"

"If they're okay with that, they'll probably get a little wet." Kayla said plainly. "I know you love me, and I know I love you, and we're in a pretty stable place right now. So I think if it might help these girls learn a little and maybe be inspired, that it could be a good thing to do for them. And I very much doubt a high school girl could steal you from me."

"That is confidence," I teased. She glared at me, and I smirked sheepishly. "But let me say, 'wait' again... How old are they? They don't look–"

Kayla hit me in the shoulder. "They're ninety-nine, doofus," she said sarcastically. "I'm not crazy."

I held up my hands. "I wasn't accusing– well, maybe I was– but I understand. And I trust you."

"Good, now let's go to the water park." She left the bedroom and went back downstairs to Loren and Molly.

I sighed heavily. "Well, that's new," I told my room.