The Widows Harem

Chapter 19 - Packing

Jocelyn

"Sorry I'm late," I apologized to Vince as I scurried into the office. His knowing smirk made me blush harder.

"I figured you would be late. Riley ... Has a specific kink." His voice dropped to a whisper, so no other ears could hear.

"Oh?"

"Edging."

My brows furrowed in curiosity. I'd never heard the term. I looked it up and it all made sense. "Alright, note to self, I have to set a time boundary with Riley when having smexy time," I whispered under my breath as I took a seat at my desk.

"Was it enjoyable?" He inquired.

My gaze flitted to the open door, not entirely comfortable talking on the subject when anyone at any point could eavesdrop. Vince chuckled and stood up.

"Well?" He pressed, leaning against the now closed door.

"Yes, it was. I literally could not get out of bed afterwards," I whisper shouted at him.

He laughed before sauntering back to his desk. "And to think that's only the tip of the iceberg."

"What do you mean?"

"It's only the tip sweetheart. You haven't experienced anything yet," he winked conspiratorially and I groaned.

"I'm scared and enthralled at the same time."

The light banter and talk continued on before turning to more serious matters.

When I got back home that night, Riley was already moved into the rental and greeted me when I got home. He helped carry my things inside and cooked dinner with me. It was really nice not being alone. Of having companionship.

I was already feeling the changes impacting me in so many positive ways. I was feeling more alive and less scared of my own shadow. After the accident, I didn't think I would find happiness again. That I would never feel whole, or just simply enjoy living. This new chapter of my life was turning out to be invigorating. Exciting! And for once I was looking forward to the future and the potential it held instead of seeing only emptiness.

The week went by quickly. Riley was my constant companion in the evenings. He ate dinner with me, helped us get ready for the next day and was my snuggle buddy at night. Since Monday morning, though, he hadn't made a move on me.

On Thursday, Vince had dinner with us. He had a load of boxes he was dropping off and also had some questions for me. Since I had already gone through the process of renting, he wanted to know more. I gave him all the contacts to my resources, explaining what each one was. "This will help a lot, thank you!" The relief I saw in his gaze was satisfying. It made me feel good knowing I helped ease some of the burdens he carried. He planted a kiss on my cheek before leaving for the night.

On Friday, the office was lonely because Vince had put in for time off to pack and deal with everything. I did what I needed to do before taking off myself. Picking up lunch, I decided to surprise Vince, and Jack, and help them with their packing.

"You are a Godsend," Vince said the moment he opened the door and saw the offerings I carried. Inside, I could hear Jack running around like a banshee.

"Sounds like a zoo in there," I teased.

"Feels more like a circus," he muttered as he stepped aside so I could come in.

"Jo?" Jack called out, pausing when he heard me. He came sprinting from around the corner and I caught him mid-air as he jumped into my arms. "I missed you!"

My smile was a mile wide and my heart ached with joy. I was so glad this little man was in my life. "I missed you too, bud." I set him back down and ruffled his hair.

Lunch settled Jack down for a few minutes. He stared at a show aimlessly as he ate. I could see the break from the mayhem was doing wonders for Vince's mentality. "I can take him to the p-a-r-k," I whispered to him, "If you need a little more quiet time to get things done. And to save some of your sanity."

He shook his head, briefly taking my hand and squeezing it in a silent show of thanks, and then retracted before Jack could see. "I would much rather have you both here, bothering me. Even if it gets wild."

After lunch, we packed for a bit. I tried keeping Jack contained in the living room where I allowed him to commandeer one of the boxes. He was playing pirates and was having one of his stuffies walk the plank.

"Hey, captain Jack," I called out to him.

"Yeah?"

"Are you excited to move?"

"Aye-Aye," he confirmed. "Daddy said we will be on the same property as you. Which means we get to see you more!" He sounded so excited. I knew, deep down, I was glad I could see the little bugger more. Before I could express how excited I was about that too, he continued, "You have a pool, right?"

"I do."

"Can I swim in it every day I'm there?"

I chuckled. "That's a question for your father."

"Daaaddddd," Jack yelled. I started giggling when Jack haphazardly got out of his ship-box and went running through the house, calling out for his dad to ask the obvious question. I was looking forward to more of this in my life.

I stayed for the rest of the day and helped until Jack was put to sleep for the night. Vince looked downright exhausted. I wouldn't stay much longer. I just wanted to touch bases with him. There were a few questions I wanted to ask.

As we sat on the couch in companionable silence, I reached out and took his hand. "Are you sure you are okay moving out of your house and into one you will be sharing with other grown men?" To me, it sounded like he was getting the short end of the stick here. The others either shared or rented spaces already. This wasn't much of a change for them.

At least in my rental, there was a mother-in-law suit with its own separate entrance. He would still have his own private space that he could share with Jack. The suite consisted of the main room--which was larger in comparison to the other rooms--with a small bar-kitchen that came equipped with a microwave, sink, small stove and half fridge. There was a full-on master bathroom with walk-in closet. Attached to the main room was a smaller room with its own small closet. This was the intended space for Jack.

The last renters had turned the space into an entertainment area.

Vince sighed heavily, and I knew what he was about to lay on me was something he had thought a lot about. "To be honest, Jo, while it isn't what I want to do, it is the most practical option I have. Due to child support and other expenses from the divorce, money is tight. I have been struggling to pay bills. While I am able to cover everything, I barely have anything left," he explained.

My brows furrowed, a concerned look crossing my face. If he was having money issues, he could have come to me, and we could have bonused him out some money or increased his wages to help. Vince saw the look in my gaze and said, "She would have found out about the money and would have taken me back to court to demand more child support."

"Couldn't you fight back? You're paying more than enough." I knew he was. I had personally seen how much she was getting. "If you don't have enough money to even live with, then you cannot take care of your son either."

"It's a process, Jo. Fighting means more attorney fees. And if I lose..." The much-needed money would just be wasted."It's just how the system works. It's okay. I have accepted this. This move can help me. I will be able to keep the house and have someone else pay for it while my personal spending is reduced. I'll be able to start saving again and put some money away for Jack's future."

"Okay," I relented. "If the situation with the others doesn't work out, I can move you into my house and have another one made just for you and Jack. The business could pay for it. We will make it work and get some money back into your pocket," I assured him.

"Thanks Jo," he leaned over and kissed me.

"Do you want me to stay?" I offered, already knowing the answer.

"Want to, yes. But, I don't want to confuse Jack. It's one thing we are moving to a rental on your property. It is completely different if he finds us together."

"I understand." I stayed just a few minutes more before taking my leave.

It was late and on my way home, I could have sworn I saw the same pair of headlights following me around. As I was intentionally going around in circles, the headlights finally disappeared.

I kept driving for a bit longer just to make sure there was no tail.

As I kept driving I was telling myself I was paranoid and that I was tired enough to think I had seen the same pair of headlights.

Without another thought, I made my way home.