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A Day Off
Last Updated:
2023-12-13 03:29:41Related chapters
Asking for a Friend Father Figure
MARISSADenise and Annie were at Annie’s school collecting some things for the market day the kids would be hosting soon. After Layton left, I dragged myself out of the hole I’d been wallowing in all morning and headed over there to meet them.I had tossed and turned for hours after Layton had fallen asleep last night, but I was unable to get that nasty, nagging thought out of my head. Eventually, I was feeling as cheap as a girl who was sleeping with her boss, when all he wanted was to keep her around for the business.The feeling very nearly broke my heart, since things usually felt so right with him. I couldn’t get over it though. I was suddenly not a woman sleeping next to a man who liked her and had more than worshiped her just hours before, but an employee lying next to her sated boss.My entire outlook on our situation changed and became ugly. As if the walls were closing in on me, I felt like I couldn’t breathe in his room anymore. Desperate for oxygen in my lungs, I quietly g
Last Updated : 2023-12-13Asking for a Friend Always Yours
MARISSAEspecially since my relationship with Layton was so new in many ways. It had only been a few months in all, so it was way too early for her to be imagining him as her father. If she did and it didn’t work out between us, it would be so much worse than simply losing a male friend we used to spend some time with.Unsure of how to handle this latest development, I said gently, “Sweetheart, it’s nice that you drew the picture of Layton spending time with us, but you he’s not your father, right? He’s not part of our family.” She nodded, and thankfully there was no sadness in her expression. “I know.”“Why did you draw him with us then? Why not draw Denise?” I probed, wanting to get into her head. I needed to understand what she was thinking before I could figure out what to do about it.Annie pursed her lips in thought. “I didn’t really think about it. The teacher said to draw your family doing something you love together and I loved fishing with you and Layton, so I drew that.”G
Last Updated : 2023-12-13Asking for a Friend Touched
LAYTONOn Friday afternoon, I took Marissa out to lunch. We were at a small Mexican restaurant near the office, bundled up in a booth in the back corner. It was below freezing outside again today and we managed to snag a booth near the roaring fireplace.The restaurant was decorated in rich colors and dark brown wood. A Mexican flag hung above the bar and it smelled like tortillas and spice.Marissa had shrugged out of her black coat and was wearing red jeans, black boots and a fitted black shirt with her usual array of jewelry. She was snuggled under my arm in the back of the booth, smiling and raving about the plate of tacos we’d just demolished.“That was incredible,” she told me, staring wistfully at the empty plate in front of us.“We have another order on the way,” I reminded her and was rewarded by a bright smile.“How could I forget?” She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. “That’s the best news I’ve had all day.”“What about the news we got on the Linderman accou
Last Updated : 2023-12-13Asking for a Friend My Own Pocket
LAYTONIt was touching that Annie had chosen our day out to draw a picture of, even if she had taken artistic liberty like the rod in Marissa’s hand and the whole basket of fish we caught. I knew it meant something to her and that meant something to me.It didn’t bother me in the least and I wanted to prove it to Marissa. If I got some extra time with Annie out of the deal, that was good with me too.“Tomorrow should be fine,” Marissa agreed, and a warm, excited feeling flooded my insides. Despite what Craig had said about his mom never letting a man in again, there was no doubt that Marissa was letting me in. It felt like we were making progress on a daily basis now. “That’s a great idea. She’s going to be so excited when I tell her.”Our second order of tacos interrupted our conversation and we both dug in. Almost as soon as we were done eating, Marissa let out a little yelp when she saw the time and rushed back to the office to finish a report she promised to get over to one of the
Last Updated : 2023-12-13Asking for a Friend Baking
MARISSAGetting home on Friday afternoon, I found Denise and Annie baking cookies in the kitchen. There was flour on every surface, a half melted block of butter next to the microwave, several mixing bowls filled with batter and a bag of chocolate chips on the counter.But it also smelled divine in the house, so at least that was something. I grinned when I found them wearing the novelty aprons I got them for Christmas last year. Denise’s said ‘Queen of Everything’ and Annie’s read, ‘The Remix.’ The one I got for myself read ‘The Original.’ Annie’s and mine were meant to be worn together, so I immediately got mine out of the cupboard and joined in with making the mess.“How was your day, ladies?” I asked, tying the apron’s strings behind my back.Denise cast an eye across the kitchen and jerked her head in the direction of the oven. “We’ve been baking, so it’s been great. We’ve got bran muffins, chocolate chip cookies and oat-crunchies made so far.”“Who was hungry when you got home?”
Last Updated : 2023-12-13Asking for a Friend Being Nosy
MARISSADenise stuck her tongue out at me when Annie wasn’t looking and pulled a tray of cookies out of the oven. While I transferred them to the cooling rack, she went to work getting the next batch in. “You know you were curious, too. Besides, I’ve asked him those questions now, I’m not going to ask them again.”“I can think of a few questions you haven’t covered yet,” I teased. Heaven knew, I shuddered to think what she would come up with given half a chance. His underwear size, current bank balance or the phone numbers of his best friends for references came to mind.Denise seemed to know where my thoughts had gone, because she nodded her agreement. “I could be more subtle with the next round of questions.”“Unfortunately,” I winked at Annie. “We’re keeping my dear boss all to ourselves tomorrow. Sorry. We’re going to have our own party with only the three of us being invited.”Annie cheered at that, abandoning her cookie batter in favor of coming to hug me. “I think that’s a fabu
Last Updated : 2023-12-13Asking for a Friend Stubborn Mother
LAYTONWhistling cheerfully, I stepped out of the shower. I was due to leave for Marissa’s in twenty minutes and I couldn’t wait to see her and spend some more time with her and Annie.As unlikely as it seemed, I was more excited for the day than I had been for anything in a long time. It sucked that I wouldn’t get to kiss or hold Marissa, or really even touch her while Annie was around, but I was willing to suffer through that particular brand of torture if it meant getting to spend time with them. I told myself there would be plenty of time for all the touching I wanted to do later on. Eventually, I was sure Marissa would feel more comfortable with telling Annie about the true nature of our relationship. All I had to do was be patient.Patience was something I had in spades. I had to learn how to be patient working in the industry that I’d chosen to work in. Having to wait for a building to take shape from the first meeting with a client until the eventual ribbon cutting taught me h
Last Updated : 2023-12-13Asking for a Friend I Know Him
LAYTONI was mesmerized by his telling me about my mom. I couldn’t remember hearing him talk about her once. Leaning forward, I got even closer to the screen as I absorbed every word he spoke. “The day I met her, I knew she was special. She wasn’t like anyone I’d ever met before. It would be lying to tell you that I knew it was love. I didn’t. Love doesn’t work that way, at least not for me. All I knew was that I wanted more of her. I wanted to know what made her tick and how she could be so bubbly when she’d been through so much before she even met me.”What? I hadn’t known my mom had gone through anything before she met my dad. On the off occasion I allowed myself to really think about her, I’d not given it more thought beyond acknowledging that she’d had a life before she met him. Everyone did. I’d never thought there would be anything sinister in it, though.“I don’t know how much you remember about your mom, but I imagine it’s not much. The thing is, Layton, by now you’ve already
Last Updated : 2023-12-13
Latest chapter
Asking for a Friend Epilogue Part 2
LAYTONIt was still early, the sun wasn’t even fully risen yet. Annie and I had both snuck out of bed early this morning to make this breakfast. Marissa was fast asleep, lying on her side on the bed.Annie set down the tray and the glass and shook Marissa’s shoulders. “Mommy! Wake up Mommy! We have a surprise for you.”Marissa’s eyes blinked open slowly, confusion clouding them until she rubbed it away as she sat up and took in the scene in front of her. “What’s all this?”“We’re celebrating,” I told her. “I spoke to Craig earlier. They’re on their way to the site for the final clean up. The building’s finally done.”Her lips curled into a sleepy smile. “I can’t believe that it’s over. It’s really all done?”“It’s really all done,” I confirmed, picking up the tray and placing her plate on it on her lap. “Eat up, we’ve got a lot of celebrating ahead of us today.”“Shouldn’t I be the one feeding you breakfast in bed for this?” She asked, frowning slightly. Lifting up the duvet, she patt
Asking for a Friend Epilogue Part 1
LAYTONIn the past two months since Annie’s first ballet recital, there had been three more. Which were four more recitals than I ever thought I would attend. Or actually enjoy.But I did enjoy them. I enjoyed them so much I was even starting to consider myself something of an expert in ballet. I knew was arabesque meant, what pas de deux was, and that attitude referred to a position in classical ballet, and not a little girl shaking her finger in your face.I watched Annie practicing every night, since I had now officially moved in with them. So officially that there was a tenant renting my place and everything. Marissa didn’t know it yet, but I had been looking at houses for us online for the last couple of weeks.Most of my furniture was now in storage since our house wasn’t big enough for all my furniture and all of Marissa’s. I didn’t love the thought of my stuff gathering dust in a storage unit and I wanted us to have a place that was truly ours, not mine or hers.I had to wait
Asking for a Friend Tiny Dancer
MARISSALayton also threw himself deeper into his commitment to our family. He started driving Annie to school sometimes or offering to pick her up. He took her fishing a few more times and taught her how to play catch.Our lives together was everything I was ever too afraid to hope for. Watching him watch her recital now, tears burned the backs of my eyes.His eyes still hadn’t left the stage for so much as second and I could see the pride he was feeling, I felt it too. He was so much better of a father to Annie than Brice ever could have been. And he stepped into that role gracefully and seriously.I wondered if he would bolt when he eventually realized she was starting to look at him as her dad, but he’d done the complete opposite. On the contrary, he freaking loved being her ‘dad.’The final notes of the recital ended, the girls all dipping into low bows as the hall exploded in applause. Parents leaped to their feet and Layton and I joined them.“She was fantastic,” he yelled into
Asking for a Friend Sixth Months of Heaven
MARISSALayton’s eyes were glued to Annie on stage. Watching him now, it was hard to remember a time when I doubted his love or his commitment to her. Or to me, for that matter.The past six months had been perfect. A fairy tale I never believed was in the cards for me. But somewhere, somehow, someone sent Layton to me and let me keep him.After I finally told him I loved him, there was no turning back. And neither of us wanted to. We came clean to Annie about our relationship that same week and she was thrilled.She hugged both of us and refused to let us go. That next week Layton stayed over for the first time that Annie knew of. She was so excited when she saw him arriving with an overnight bag that she zoomed and bounced around all night before finally crashing hard. When she fell asleep, it was on the couch between us.Layton had insisted on being the one to carry her to her bedroom and when he came back to the living room, he had this expression of absolute serenity on his face.
Asking for a Friend Living the Dream
LAYTON“I was just thinking about something that happened with Annie a few weeks ago,” I told him, shaking the memories out of my head. As the site came back into focus, I noticed how much progress there had been in the week since I was last here. “It’s looking good, Craig. You guys are really outdoing yourself on this one.”“We’re doing our best,” he said, shrugging. “I encouraged you to do this by yourself without that other asshole involved. Least I can do is to have your back now that you’re actually doing it.”“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” I still couldn’t believe some days that this building really was all mine. I tried not to think about it too much, since there was still a lot that could go wrong. I didn’t want to tempt fate by thinking about how well it was going. “Has the flooring been delivered yet?”“Right on time,” Craig said. “They delivered on Friday morning as promised.”I breathed out a sigh of relief. The people who manufactured the flooring called two weeks ago to
Asking for a Friend We're a Family
LAYTONSix months after Marissa first told me she loved me, I walked onto the construction site where the museum was just about done. The scaffolding was coming off today and the team was moving inside. We had two months left to go, tops.The past six months had been the best months of my life. By a long shot. The museum was progressing without any major hold-ups, which was more of a relief than I cared to admit out loud.Marissa, Annie and I were doing better than ever. In the last few weeks, we’d started talking about moving in together, and I was sure it was going to happen soon.I knew it was going to be an adjustment to live together, especially for Annie and me, but it was what I wanted more than anything. I wanted to wake up next to Marissa every morning, to have breakfast with her and Annie before we headed to work.I wanted to be there to tuck Annie in at night and to spend lazy weekends with them. Only a year ago, if anyone had told me I would ever want that kind of life, I
Asking for a Friend Tasting Him
MARISSAStars exploded behind my eyelids. The intensity of the orgasm building inside me was astonishing. My body was going to be blown to dust when it hit, but I couldn’t freaking wait for that glorious release. I gripped the sheets harder, trying to anchor myself against the powerful sensations ripping through me.My hands flew to his hair next, tugging it as I held him to me. Knowing my body better than I did, he knew exactly what I needed. Bringing his lips to my clit, he sucked the little bud in between them and flicked it with his mouth.That perfect pressure sent my body skyrocketing. I stifled a cry, relieved somewhere in the back of my mind I had the pillow handy and crushed it over my face. Sensation crashed into me as I came, overwhelming me with a pleasure I would never get used to.Floating in a bubble of ecstatic bliss, my body went limp. When I opened my eyes, Layton was there wearing a satisfied smile.But it was too tight, too strained. His muscles were tense and his
Asking for a Friend Raw
MARISSALayton’s lips on mine were the best thing that I’d ever felt and I never wanted him to stop. I writhed against him, feeling him hard as steel against my center as he continued to kiss the crap out of me. He dipped his head lower and licked a path to my breasts, his hands on the hem of my shirt.There was something we had to do, somewhere we had to go. But I’d lost track of my train of thought. Warm hands came up to cup my breasts over my pajama top, his thumbs dragging over my puckered nipples. A shiver ran through me. I was so damn wet. I wanted him so bad.“Cold?” Layton asked huskily.I shook my head, closing my eyes for a second as I tried to find words. And figure out that gnawing feeling that we had to move. “No, just—”Layton gave me a sexy, knowing smile. “Me too. Let’s take this to your bedroom, shall we? We definitely shouldn’t let Annie find us like this.”Fuck.Annie.Of course, that was why we had to move. I nodded at Layton. “Let’s go.”His hands dropped to cup
Asking for a Friend Prove It To Her
LAYTONHolding the NDA out to her, she took it and her eyes dropped immediately to the signature line. Which was blank. “I didn’t sign it. I told him to tell Banks where he could shove his insane requests.”Marissa blinked, a huge smile spreading on her face. “Annie’s sleeping, but would you like to come inside?”I nodded, pulling her into my arms as the door closed behind me. Marissa lifted herself up on her toes and kissed me, her fingers winding into the hair around the nape of my neck. When we broke apart, she kept her hands where they were and spoke with her lips inches away from mine. “I love you, Layton. I love you so much.”My heart hammered louder and harder than it ever had before. It was trying to beat its way out of my chest to climb into hers. That was what it felt like, anyway. It already belonged to her, it might as well have done it.I blinked at her, taken aback by hearing the words I wasn’t sure I would ever hear from her. “Could you repeat that?”She smiled. “As man
