Guilty Pleasure

"What's gotten into you? You've been avoiding me for a while now." "Mom... I'm not being rude. I just don't want to bother you with my problems." "I might have a life of my own, but I'm still your mother. If you have any problems, talk to me." "Alright. But don't get mad at me, okay? Because the truth is... I'm pregnant." "What?!" "I'm pregnant with your boyfriend." *** A few months earlier: Among all of my friends, I was the least interested in coming home for the summer. Mom's always been cold and after the divorce, it's gotten worse. This is going to be one long summer.  "I'm home." I look around the empty living room. And then, a man walks in. He's so hot, he looks like he could be in a GQ Magazine. "Uhhh... Who the heck are you?" "Hey." "Are you my mom's latest one-night stand?" "Of course not!" "So, you're a guy who fixes stuff around here, huh?" "Wrong again." "Then who are you?" We are interrupted by my mom coming down the stairs, looking more cheerful than usual. "Glad to see you home, Jalissa! This is my new boyfriend, Damon. Damon, this is my daughter." "What?!" "Nice to meet you, Jalissa." "We've been dating for four months now, and he just moved in last week." "He moved in?! How did you guys meet?" "We met at a gym. It's a long story." "I see." "So, Jalissa, you must be hungry. Why don't I make some lunch?" "That would be wonderful, Damon!" My mother said with a smile on her face.  Damon nods and goes to the kitchen. The moment the door closes, my mother smiled. "Isn't he just perfect? A successful personal trainer, an amazing cook... a man of such talents." "How old is he, even?" "Age is just a number. And it's 33. Trust me, a twelve year difference is nothing when you reach my age." "Of course. And don't worry, mom. You look like you're still in your thirties too." "Aww, thanks. Anyway, I'm sure you're going to like him." "Well... I hope you're right." "Believe me this time. He's not like the guys I dated before." After I make myself comfortable, we join Damon in the kitchen.  The lunch tastes amazing, but it feels awkward. I feel like a third wheel, even though Damon is trying to be friendly with me. "So, you're in college?" "Yeah. I'll be a senior this fall." "What's your major?" "Haven't fully decided." "Excuse me? Isn't there anything that interests you?" "I might pick Business as my major. But I also enjoy learning new languages." "Nice!" "Well, you'll have to decide as soon as your senior year starts. Tick-tock, Jalissa!" "Sure mom." "So classes aside, how's college? Are you seeing anyone?" "There was someone but I recently broke up with him." "Oh, I'm sorry about that." "No, it's okay. We've remained friends. Anyway, thanks for lunch. I'll go take care of the dishes."  I walk over to the kitchen sink and put the dishes away. I can't believe my mother is dating a guy like that. He's way too hot, and I don't want him to notice that I noticed.  Before I can get the water running, I hear footsteps behind me. "Let me take care of that. You can go join Kara if you want to. Maybe talk to her while I clean up." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "I hope I don't sound rude, but... How did you end up here?" "I asked your mother to move in with me into my condo downtown. It's closer to NXT Rep Fitness, the gym I work in, so it's more convenient for me. Unfortunately, she refused. She preferred to stay here, and she asked me to move in here instead. So, here I am." "That simple? After four months of dating?" "Why not? I'm a guy who follows his instincts." "And what are they telling you now?" "To clean up here so you can get rest after a long trip home." "Huh... Fine." I leave everything to him and walk away.  *** Later that evening: I was texting my friend Hailey I saw Mike taking a pic with Lia on **. Can't believe he moved on so fast! Jalissa: It's just a picture. No big deal.  Hailey: You still love him, don't you?  Jalissa: No. Can we stop talking about him now?  Hailey: Not before I find closure. I'm rooting for you guys. Jalissa: Our relationship didn't work out. Mike and I tried to make it work, but we couldn't. Can we please stop talking about him?  Hailey: Ugh, fine.  Jalissa: How's your summer so far? Hailey: Bad. I had to take care of my 3 year old cousin. That girl is a demon. Hailey: how about you? Jalissa: Weird.  Jalissa: My mom's new bf moved in, and I don't think I'm ready for that. I have no clue how to act around him Hailey: Really?! What his's job? Age? Salary? Height? Jalissa: Personal trainer, 33. Idk, but he's tall.  Hailey: A personal trainer?! Is he hot though?  Jalissa: We're talking about my mom's bf! Hailey: Was just asking, girl.  Jalissa: gtg Hailey. I slept all afternoon and still need to unpack. Text u later, okay? Hailey: Okay. As I'm going through my things, someone knocks on my door. "Come in. It's unlocked." "Hey. Since your mom is away at a business dinner, I was wondering what you'd like to eat." "You're making me dinner, too? Surprise me." "I'm not good at surprises, but I'll try." Damon stops to look at my room before he leaves. "Wow, look at this mess. Is that an empty bottle of lotion? And soda cans?" "Stop! You're invading my privacy." "Sorry. I crossed the line. I was just surprised since the rest of the house is so clean." "Can you please not act like my stepfather? It's not like you married my mom." "How should I act then? I'm genuinely asking. Because if I'm here to stay, I want us to be on good terms. So tell me, what should I do to make it work?"  Damn, he really has my mind drifting to some other things. I shook my head. Snap out of it, Jalissa! He's your mom's boyfriend. Don't be like Hailey. "Damon, please just leave." "Look, I'm truly sorry if I offended you. I should have respected your personal space." "Don't worry, it's all good." "Are we really good?" "Yup." He smiles and winks at me. "Great! So, do you want to help me cook?" "Really?" "Yeah. It'll be fun and I'd love to get to know you." "I'd love to." "Great!" *** 10 minutes later: "Do you want to cut the veggies or something else?" "I'll cut the veggies." "Awesome. Take this." He hands me a cutting board, a knife and a handful of vegetables. "Make sure they're all the same size." "Got it!" And then suddenly... "Damn it!" "Are you okay?" "I think I cut myself." "God, you sure did. Stay here. I'll grab something for you." Damon returns with the first-aid kit. "Give me your hand."  I lift my hand towards Damon, and he gently wipes the blood. His hands are warm and slightly rough. I wonder if that's form working out, and I can only imagine him on the gym machinery and... I snap out of my daydream when I realize he's close enough for me to smell his cologne.  I can feel myself blushing, but look away hoping he won't notice. Luckily, he's too busy applying a band-aid. "There. You're all good." Damon smiles at me, still holding my hand. Then realizing it, he quickly lets go. "Sorry. Just wanted to make sure it's okay now." "It's fine. Thanks." "I shouldn't have given you the cutting job." "No, it was my fault. I was careless." "Have a seat. I'll take it from here." "Okay. But I still want to do something." "With that hand?" "I can still operate. I can make some dessert." He smiled. "I didn't plan that, but it doesn't sound bad." "So, how come you love cooking so much?" "Well, it's rewarding. You play with all the ingredients and create a meal you enjoy and if you get to share it with others, all the better." "I bet you made mom happy. She doesn't cook often." "I've noticed. It's one of the reasons I moved in." "To cook for her?" "It's our little joke. Now, can you pass me the pepper, please?" "Yeah." *** 30 minutes later: "Wow! Your creme brulee turned out a lot better than expected." "Is that an insult or compliment?" "Compliment. I mean... It looks like something out of a restaurant." "It's my favorite." I could feel myself blushing again.  "You okay?" "Yeah, just hot in here. I mean, with the oven and all. It makes me blush." "I didn't notice, but now that you mention it..." "Well, my skin is kind of... sensitive." "I see. If it's any help, at least it looks cute. Uh... I mean, I bet the boys love it." "Umm... thank you." "How about I open the window?" "Perfect! I'll go set the table."  We take our seats and begin to enjoy the food, which is delicious. "I think you didn't have a chance to ask me anything at lunch. Is there anything you'd like to know?" "Then tell me... Why do you like my mom?" "Kara is intelligent, mature and sincere. She's the first woman in a long time who seems interested in more than just my body. I won't lie, I've had many one-night stands in my twenties... But recently, I've wanted to at last settle down. When I met Kara, it felt right." "Oh, cool." "Have I passed the test?" "Yes, I believe so." We hear the front door open and close. "Did you hear that? I think your mom is back." And indeed, she joins us in a minute. "Oh, nice. I see you're getting along." "Welcome home. I already made something for you." "Thank you. But first, I need to talk to Jalissa." Oh shit... Why did her tone of voice turn to rude? "Your aunt called. She said you never applied for a summer job at the store." "I wasn't interested." "This isn't about interest. This about a rare opportunity that you wasted. You were lucky enough to have a relative who holds an important position there." Otherwise, your chances to work there would be zero. But look what you did! You threw it away like it means nothing to you." "We've talked about this. I told Aunt Lee I wasn't interested." "Then what are you interested in? Because the fact that your undecided major is hardly reassuring." "Mom... Let's not fight in front of Damon." "You're right. And my food will get cold. So, just answer the simple question and we're done. Are you going to spend your days lazing around the house all summer? Or will you start to look for a job first thing tomorrow?"  "Okay, I'll do my best. But what if I don't find anything interesting?" "I told you. It's not about your interests. You need to get your s**t together and stop being such a baby." "I'm not a baby!" "Then stop acting like one." "Kara, I think you're too hard on her. This is her first day back home." My mom frowns at Damon. "Don't tell me what to do." "Listen, NXT is looking for a part time receptionist. What if Jalissa signs up for the job?" "Hmm..." "I could even keep an eye on her while I'm there. So what do you say, Jalissa? Would you like to work with me?"