Perhaps or Perhaps not

"I wish we could stay here forever," she whispered, her lips brushing against the warm skin of his back.

Greg turned to face her. He kissed her with tender passion—their naked bodies melding together in the starlight.

An incessant buzzing broke the stillness of the moment. With a grimace, Greg reached down and retrieved his cell. The screen was filled with a barrage of messages from Trista. "Unfortunately, since I wasn't as clear as I could have been, I still have a crazy ex to deal with."

Greg tossed the phone aside and sat up. Lara rose with him, laying her head on his shoulder. "As much as I hate to say it, we might have to take a slight break until I can get rid of her."

Lara nodded. "I'll need to break up with Jeff too. Even if you and I can't be together right now, there is no way I could pretend to want to be with anyone else."

Lara sighed, her heart heavy with the weight of reality. She kissed Greg's firm pec as she continued. "I'll drop you off at the east bus terminal. They have a route that comes out near your house."

Greg kissed the top of her head and frowned. "Yeah, I hate that I can't be seen getting a ride home from you. Fucking Trista. God, why does this have to be so complicated?"

Lara reached out and pulled Greg into a long, deep kiss. For a moment, the cougar and young lover forgot the complications ahead. When they finally broke apart, her eyes were filled with determination. "We'll figure it out. I promise."

Greg nodded; his heart swelled with emotion as he looked into Lara's emerald-green eyes. He wanted to believe her. He hoped it would be easy for him to end things with that hussy, and then they could find a way to be together despite the obstacles in their path. But as they gathered their things and prepared to face the day, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a long, arduous journey.

As they drove to the bus terminal in silence, Lara's mind raced. Jeff was a nice, safe guy. The type of guy that women of her age and station in life were lucky to get. She would be planning their future wedding if it weren't for Greg. But as she glanced over at the boy who owned her heart and watched him stare out the window with a thoughtful expression on his face, she felt a surge of resolve. No matter how complicated things got, she knew one thing for certain—she didn't want to lose him.

When they finally arrived at the terminal, Greg turned to her, his expression serious. "I'll text you later," he said in a low, determined voice. "We'll figure out how to make this work."

Lara nodded, leaning in for one last kiss before he got out of the car. "Be careful," she whispered, her heart aching as she watched him walk away.

Lara's mind was a whirlwind of emotions as she drove back home. Lara felt truly alive for the first time in a long time and wasn't ready to give that up. Not for anything.

The passion that she and Greg had shared was everything. No woman could want more than what she had just experienced. But, and it was a big, but the reality of their situation loomed large in her mind. Greg was her son's best friend; she had babysat him when he was a child, and his parents had been great friends with her and Chris. How would anyone take that she wanted to be with a man who was born two months after she could legally drink? Men have it so much easier. If our ages were reversed, I would be a trophy, and Greg would be a silver fox. It's not fucking fair.

A week later, Lara sat at the dimly lit bar, the remnants of the ice that had chilled her latest screwdriver clinking in the empty glass as she set it down. She had avoided Jeff for the first few days after the night with Greg in the park. Partly out of guilt, but mostly because she didn't want to even see him. But Lara knew she had to end it with the middle-aged accountant. So she relented to going out this Friday after he texted her for what seemed the billionth time. She had never been good at breaking up unless she was pissed off, and managing any emotion with Jeff short of malaise was Sisyphean task. So now she stuck with Jeff at a karaoke bar, listening to off-key renditions of early 2000s pop hits. This, she thought grimly, must be what hell is like.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jeff asked, his voice barely audible over the din as he handed the microphone to the next unfortunate off-key soul.

"I'm fine," Lara replied curtly, signaling the waiter for another drink. Jeff's concern only served to irritate her further.

As she waited for her drink, two large men approached, sitting beside her. The bald one gave her a once-over, his grin lecherous. "Little lady can hold her liquor," he remarked.

"Are you a songbird? I'd like to hear you sing," the shorter, pudgy one added with a leer.

Jeff opened his mouth to protest, but the men shot him a menacing look, and he quickly backed down.

Lara took a sip of her newly delivered cocktail and fixed the men with a cold stare. "I don't sing, and how much I drink is none of your business."

The bald man's grin widened as he placed a hand on her inner thigh. "I bet I can make you sing," he said.

Lara didn't flinch. She took another swig of her drink, calmly grabbed his hand, and moved it away. "I never gave you permission," she said, her voice steady.

The short, chubby man laughed, leaning in close enough for Lara to smell his sour breath. "We never asked," he sneered before licking her cheek.

Lara's response was swift. She threw the remainder of her drink in his face, then swung the empty glass, smashing it against the bridge of the bald man's nose. He crumpled with a groan, blood streaming from the wound.

"Never would have had to do that if I were here with…" Lara stopped herself before she could name Greg. She cursed under her breath. When would they be free to be together? Fuck playing these games with someone like Jeff?

Lara turned to Jeff, who looked ashamed of his cowardice. She felt revulsion that she had considered this weak man a safe alternative to Greg. "Take me home. I've had enough."

Jeff, visibly shaken by Lara's icy stare and threatening tone, nodded and led her out of the bar. He spent the whole ride home apologizing and complimenting Lara on how she had handled those two goons. Lara didn't care; she was too lost in her thoughts, replaying the night's events in her mind, her anger simmering just below the surface.

He mumbled something and leaned in to give Lara a peck on the cheek before she exited the car. Lara put a hand up to stop him. "Don't."

Jeff didn't bother walking her to the door after that. As soon as Lara was halfway up the steps to her front door, he put the car in gear and left. Lara was now really feeling the effects of the way too many screwdrivers she had consumed. She stumbled as soon as her foot reached the stoop, breaking the heel off her shoe. "Juss fuckin' bought these."

Lara fumbled with her keys, the **** making her clumsy. "Fucking fuckity fuck," she muttered as she struggled to fit the key into the lock. "Can this night get any worse?"

Frustrated, she gave up and rang the doorbell, hoping Ben was home. She continued to fight with her keys until, finally, the door opened. But it wasn't Ben who stood there—it was Greg.

"Am I dreaming?" Lara asked, her eyes widening as she stared into Greg's familiar blue eyes.

"No, you're drunk," Greg replied with a soft smile.

"Very," Lara said, as if it were a revelation. "And you're handsome."

Greg chuckled, gently taking her purse from her and setting it on the end table. "Let's get you inside."

"Who was it?" Ben called out from another room.

"Your mom," Greg replied as he helped Lara inside, supporting her as she wobbled slightly.

Ben hurried into the foyer, his face creased with concern. "Shit, Mom, you okay?"

"Language, young man," Lara chided with a giggle. "I just had too much happy juice to be able to deal with boring-ass Jeff. I don't think I'll see him again."

Ben shot a glance at Greg, who was still holding Lara steady. He didn't notice the amused grin on Greg's face as he focused on his mother. "I don't know why you kept seeing him. Every time you've gone out with him, all you've done is complain when you get home."

Lara sighed, her mood suddenly deflated. "Sometimes you think you have to settle, son," she said, her voice tinged with regret. "It's not ideal, but when you get older, the one you want isn't always available. Now, you boys help this old woman to bed."

"You shouldn't call yourself old," Greg said softly, his tone gentle.

"I'll call myself what I want," Lara replied a hint of stubbornness in her voice. She paused, then looked at Greg, her expression softening. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, Greg. Please forgive my rudeness."

Ben stared at his mother in disbelief. Lara was a proud woman, rarely one to apologize, yet here she was, doing so without any prompting. He couldn't help but feel like he was missing something.

"It's okay, Mrs. Thompson," Greg said, his voice steady.

"It's Lara, or you'll make me feel old. And it's not Mrs. It hasn't been Mrs. in several years."

"Sorry, Ms. Lara," Greg teased, his eyes sparkling warmly.

"Ha, ha, Ben, your friend is quite the comedian," Lara quipped, her mood lifting slightly.

Ben watched the interaction between his mother and Greg, a sense of unease settling in his gut. Was there something between them? He hadn't seen her act like this with anyone since his father had died four years ago. But that was crazy talk. Greg was his best friend. He had stayed over at their house first as a sleepover and now all-night video game sessions since the age of four. He was as close to a brother as anyone in the world. There was no way Greg and his mom... Uhg, he put it out of his mind, not even wanting to think about it.

They got Lara to her bedroom and gently laid her down on the bed. "Anything I can do for you, Mom?" Ben asked.

"No, honey. Greg, can you get me a glass of water and some aspirin? They're in my bathroom, on the top shelf of the medicine cabinet."

Greg nodded and went to fetch the pills. Ben had already left when he returned, presumably back to his video game. Greg handed Lara the water and aspirin, watching as she struggled to sit up.

"You shouldn't drink so much," Greg said quietly, concern evident in his voice.

"You should have been there, and then I wouldn't," Lara replied, a small smile playing on her lips as she took the pills.

Greg frowned, a pang of guilt tightening in his chest. "That place is twenty-one and up. Also, from what I hear, boring as fuck."

"Nothing but bores and creeps for sure," Lara said, taking the glass and pills from Greg. She leaned back against Greg's just as he gently held her while she swallowed the medicine, and then he helped her settle back against the pillows.

"Lean closer," Lara whispered, her eyes half-lidded. "There's something I need to say."

Greg leaned in, his heart beating a little faster. To his surprise, Lara reached up and kissed him, her lips warm and slightly clumsy against his. The kiss was sloppy, infused with the unmistakable taste of ****, but Greg could feel the emotion behind it.

"Best I've felt all night," Lara murmured as she pulled back, a lazy smile on her face.

Greg laughed softly, pulling the covers up over her. He stood there for several minutes contemplating whether to lie beside her. If only Ben and his friends hadn't been here, he would have taken the woman he loved in his arms and drifted off to sleep beside her. Instead, he turned to leave.

As he left the room, Lara drifted off to sleep, a contented smile lingering on her lips. She knew things were complicated, but at that moment, she didn't care. Greg had been there when she needed him, and that was enough for now.