Dating Part I
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“Mom doesn’t need to go on dates,” Gulliver said with a frown.
“Why?” Kaylee asked him bluntly.
“Yeah, Gulliver, why?” January turned her torso to look at him with annoyance. “Why shouldn’t I go on dates? I mean, it’s not like I’m married or anything.”
“We could go on a date,” he waved between them.
“Been there, done that, not really interested in repeating my mistakes.”
“Mistakes?” his eyebrows climbed into his hairline at the
comment.
“Huge error in judgement and trust.” She didn’t look away from his gaze as she made a show wiping her temple to erase
his kiss.
He moved his arm back over her shoulder and leaned close to whisper in her ear, “you will shut down this talk of dating other men immediately.”
“Or what?” she laughed in his face.
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“I have been playing very nicely. I’ve agreed to all of your
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Dating Part I
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demands thus far. I’m not taking your daughter from you. I’m relocating to your town. I’m only asking for alternate weekends. I’m not bringing her and your family back to New York, and let me be clear, that little name you tossed out earlier, vovoi, it’s a very real name. I have an army at my disposal to make it, so you and your family are taken from the little town you like so much. Do not give me a reason, such as dating the locals, to bring you back to New York, or better yet, to Crete.”
“Asshole,” she bit through her clenched teeth.
“You haven’t even begun to know how much of an asshole I can be.”
“Oh, I think I see it pretty clearly. For the rest of my life are you going to threaten me with kidnapping and holding me hostage if I don’t let you manhandle me and paw at me in public?” She saw the shock in his eyes. “You’re going to coerce me into being your mistress or you’ll take my kid.”
“No. I would not. I’m simply telling you that if you decide to start dating, I will not sit idly by and introduce new men into my daughter’s world.”
“Fuck you.”
“Anytime sweetheart,” he held her gaze defiantly. 275
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Dating Part I
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She pushed her chair back angrily as she contemplated that he was going to move to town and completely usurp her life, “I need a minute.”
“Where are you going Mom?” Kaylee asked loudly.
“I just need a moment, Kaylee.” She waved at her mother who gave her a nod. She didn’t care that she was leaving the safety of the restaurant to go outside. She needed to breathe. His hot words were burrowing through her brain like worms in dirt.
He’d threatened to take her and her family away and not only to New York but to Greece. He was threatening to take her to Greece if she decided to finally move on with her life and date someone else. Why was he being such an asshole? She pushed through the glass doors of the restaurant, marched down the stairs and rounded the building to lean against the brick wall of the building. She took deep gasping breaths as she contemplated this was the worst day of her entire life.
This was worse than when she heard him say they weren’t really married.
Threatening to take her entire family out of the country on a whim was making her panic in the worst way. She heard the footsteps coming behind her and she looked up from where she was leaned over, her hands on her knees and glared at the man who approached.
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Dating Part I
“Leave me alone.”
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“No. Our daughter is inside thinking she did something wrong because you ran out like a fucking coward.”
“I’m a coward?” she rose up and shoved his chest furiously. “I’m a fucking coward? Let’s talk about who the real coward is, Gulliver. How about the man who didn’t have the fucking balls to tell the woman he swears he loves,” she mocked him, “that he wasn’t really hers and that everything was a lie? How’s that for fucking cowardice, Gulliver? You goddamned, lying, chicken shit of a man, didn’t have the balls to tell me you couldn’t marry me so instead you faked it!” She punched his chest, “how fucking dare you come back now and call me a coward for not wanting to be near you when you let your fear fucking destroy us!”
“Jan,” he whispered softly as if tried to get her to calm down.
“No! It’s not fair. It’s not fair you get to swoop back in and demand things of me and be able to threaten me with kidnapping if you don’t get your own way! You,” she swung at him again, her fists now landing in solid one–two punches against him as he cornered her against the building, “are the biggest asshole I ever met and I hate you. I fucking hate you!” she screamed as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her hands to his chest to keep her from swinging any more.
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know, J, I know,” he whispered against her ear as he blocked
Dating Part I
the world from view as she fell apart in his arms.
It was all too much.
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“Why did you have to come back? Why not just let me live my life? I was starting to be happy again. I was making my life and forgetting how much you hurt me,” she bawled against his chest as he kept her wrapped up.
She heard him order someone away as she let the tears fall.
“Shh,” he whispered against her hair, “I’m sorry, January. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“I hate you.”
“I know. I know you do.”
“I’ll never forgive you.”
“I know that too.” He whispered as he clutched her to his chest. “I know you hate me and you’ll never forgive me, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep trying to get you back. I love you, Jan. I love you more than anything in this world.”
