Guilty Pleasure

After Hours

"I have great news, and it's something well worth celebrating."

"Mom! Don't tell me you're pregnant?!"

"That would be a funny joke, wouldn't it? Of course I'm not pregnant, Jalissa? Why would you think something like that? One baby slowing down my career is enough."

Damon looked at me with an expression that I couldn't quite read. My mom chuckles, but Damon and I are not finding it funny. "Why are you so bitter?"

"Imagine being in my position, Jalissa. You're a hardworking woman who's done your best for your daughter. You want her to be as successful as you, if not more. But your daughter has no interest in her future career at all. That's disappointing, and disappointment makes you bitter." 

Damon steps in, trying to calm things down. "Why don't we talk about something more fun?"

Damon looks so uncomfortable about our argument. I almost feel bad for him. "Kara, can you tell me about the good news? You said you had something to share?"

"Oh. Yes! I got invited to hold a series of lectures at the Scholars Conference. It's all very prestigious and something I dreamed for a while. I couldn't be prouder!"

"Oh, good for you."

"I know, right? It's..."

Mom looks happy about the conference, but Damon doesn't. Was he actually hoping that she'd be pregnant?! 

I sneak out of the room, using Damon's diversion to escape. 

*The next morning: I wish I'd woken up as someone else. But maybe a fabulous outfit can make me feel like a brand-new person!

I go to the kitchen, and unsurprisingly, Damon is already there. "Good morning." He looks away, and it feels like he's trying to avoid me. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Not so far."

"So, I guess you're just not the morning type?"

"It's a personal matter." He looks very unhappy and I can't help but try to make it better. 

"Listen. Even if mom doesn't want or is unable to have any more children... You can think of me as your stepdaughter." 

He sighs in frustration. "Maybe it's too late for that!"

"What? What do you mean?"

"I... I'm sorry, okay?"

He hunches his shoulders and rubs his face, clearly embarrassed. "I didn't have enough sleep last night and it made me cranky. But that's not an excuse to be an asshole to you."

"You went from a bad mood to a good mood real quick." He smiles at my confusion. It's a cheeky smile, almost like he's flirting.

"Thanks to you, I'm not in a bad anymore. But honestly, I think you're too old for me to act like your dad and boss you around. I just... can't look at you like that."

"I understand. Besides... We already have my mom to boss us around."

"Well... we'll see how long that lasts. Sorry, this is really a bad day. I'll see you around/

 He leaves the room. 

What does he mean by that? Is he going to break up with mom? Why do I feel excited about the idea of him being single again? Snap of out it, Jalissa, this is not right!

I hurry with my breakfast, and go to work. A few hours pass, but Damon doesn't show up-at least, not through the main entrance. Where is he? As I'm craning my neck to better inspect the gym, Rita shows up.

"Looking for something, Jalissa?"

"Where's Damon? He should have arrived by now."

Rita looks at me sharply. "He doesn't have a training session this morning."

"Oh, I thought he's running late."

"By the way, if you want to find the schedules of our trainers... it's in your bottom-left drawer."

"Oh, thanks."

"No problem. I thought it would be helpful." She winks at me and leaves, suppressing a giggle.

Why did she act so odd? Does she think that I'm into Damon? Maybe I should stop speculating and find his schedule instead. I look through the files. Gotcha! 

I take a photo of it with my phone and just then, Rita shows up. "By the way, do you mind staying a few extra hours today? The other girl called in sick."

"Oh. Okay!"

"Lovely!"

She leaves and I look another look at the schedule and smile. Damon will be here late in the afternoon. 

*** Hours later: My work is done for the day. Finally! But it looks like Damon is staying here after hours. I wonder if he's feeling better. What should I do? I peek at the schedule I found earlier, and sneak into the workout space. 

Damon had an evening training session with a busy client. And it looks like they finished up. I look around, but I can't see him. I go down the hallway until I hear the sound of running water. 

I go in the bathroom and... oh god... Damon is alone in the shower. And he's naked! I can see his wet, broad chest... his toned abs, his sexy v-line, I can see his whole package. Somewhere deep inside, I can feel my body asking for him to touch me.

I accidentally hit a locker door when the shower shuts off. "Who's there?"

Shit... I quickly decided to deepen my voice and responded, "Hey bro."

"Liam, is that you?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I thought you're still recovering from your surgery. Why do you sound different?"

"My surgery. It messed up my voice."

"Oh, I see. I know there are some unfriendly people out there. But you don't have to feel uncomfortable about your figure. You can use this locker room just like other men."

"Oh, thanks."

I move away, hoping he won't notice me.

*** One minute later: "You okay, dude? Is the water running?"

I need to act like the shower is on, without getting my clothes wet. I take off my clothes and hang them. I'm standing naked, Damon is a few steps away... I'm almost hoping he'll walk over and see me. 

"So listen, I think you can be proud of yourself. You really improved your form this year."

"Umm. Thanks."

"You okay there?"

"Yeah." I wish I could say I was. If I close my eyes, I can feel him, touching me, kissing my neck... cupping my breasts, sliding his hand down until he reaches between my legs. I turn on the shower, and the water warms my body even more, making it unbearable. 

"Oh, I almost thought there's something wrong with the shower." His voice snaps me out of my fantasy. "Well, see you tomorrow, Liam."

I let the water run over me. But the thought of being naked in the same room with Damon still drives me crazy. He's still here, and I can't stop myself from fantasizing about him joining me and holding me. I can't stop my own hand from teasing myself while I'm biting on my lower lip to suppress the moan. I know this is NOT okay! A few moments later, Damon finally leaves and I let out a sigh of relief and turn off the water. I'm still not satisfied, but I'm feeling the electric current of pure lust and the feeling is pleasant, wild and intoxicating in its secrecy. 

I take a long, slow walk home. I need it to clear my head and to cool off. When I finally come home, I'm surprised to find my mom in the living room, all dressed up. "Where are you going?"

"Another dinner at Le Jardin. The place is so exclusive, I had to make a reservation a long, long time ago."

"Oh, cool."

She smirks. "Damon only got home from work half an hour ago. Isn't it funny that I'm the one who waits for my man to dress up?"

"I think you're a superwoman. Even dad couldn't get dressed as fast as you."

"I guess I know my superpower now."

Just then, Damon enters the room and I need to keep myself calm. He's wearing a fancy suit, and he looks so good. "Hey, Jalissa. Shall we, Kara?"

Damon offers his arm to mom, and she takes it with a smile. They both say goodbye to me and leave. I feel bad that I don't feel happy for them. 

** Later that night: I've been trying to sleep for hours when I hear the faint sound of the garage door. Then, I hear the sound of mom and Damon laughing as they return. I can hear muffled voices. I wonder if they're making out and undressing along the way. 

I have to stop thinking about it!

Thankfully, everything goes quiet, and I feel like I can fall asleep peacefully. 

The next morning, I once again run into Damon when looking for breakfast. Good morning."

Damon only glares at me. He looks tired and frustrated. Does he know I spied on him? Does he know that I can't stop imagining his naked body? No, that's impossible. "How was dinner last night?"

He still doesn't answer, and it's getting annoying. "Oh, I get it. You had a bad time in bed, didn't you?"

"Please..." Hoping to get a reaction, I peel a banana and eat it slowly. Damon looks uncomfortable, but his annoyance soon turns to something else.

"If you want to play that game... I could use a favor.

Uh oh, what did I just get myself into?