Pal-entine's for Single Parents

"Fuck off," she said with a grin.

We chatted a bit more and, thankfully for the time being at least, Francine didn't notice us before our food arrived. I'd ordered a striploin and Livvy had gone for the lamb, and on mutual agreement, we carved off about half and traded so we could each have a bit of both. Once the waiter had come by and we'd sung our praises for the food, we relaxed into eating.

"OK," Olivia said once we'd gotten into the meal properly and weren't hungry anymore. We were also onto our second cocktail. "So I have an idea."

"I'm all ears," I said.

"We're best friends now, but we haven't really known each otherthat long. Like, I have friends who have known me so much longer, they just aren't around and you are, and I want to know you as well as I know them. And there's the fact that we've basically promised to be godparents for each other's kids. So I think we should play a game to get deep."

I nodded along. "I get it, and I think I'm ready," I said. "I mean, I figured everything would come out eventually. Better to have it all on the table before it's a surprise, right?"

"Exactly," Livvy said. Then took a breath and let it out and reached across the table for my hand, taking it lightly. "My idea, so I'll go first," she offered.

"OK," I nodded and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. The conversations at the nearby tables, and the general din of the place, meant we weren't likely to be overheard as we leaned towards each other over the table.

Olivia took another breath. "Dirty Secret number one for me is that I'm bisexual," she said.

"Makes sense," I said.

"Really?" she asked.

'You've made some comments," I smirked a little. "Observations."

Oliva chuckled and sighed. "Guess you're a little more perceptive than you said you were."

"I listen to the things the people I care about say," I said. "It's processing them into red flags that I have problems with."

"Fair," she said. "So it's not an issue?"

"Why would it be?" I asked.

"I dunno, I mean back in California no one would care, but up here? Some people are still a little... sheltered."

"Love who you want to love, Livvy," I said, then took my own breath. "My turn I guess." She nodded, cocking her head slightly as she continued to give me her full attention. "If we're starting with fundamental things about us... Well, I guess I should tell you about my ex. We aren't just divorced. June doesn't know this, but her mother is also in federal lockup. It happened shortly after the divorce - looking back, she was spiralling for a while after June was born but she was always just very self-centred and expected a baby would be more like an accessory than something she'd need to put work into. That's why I'd adapted my business and been ready for the separation and divorce, and I paid her off for a no-contest. The six months before it was final were hell for me, but she waived all her parental rights and had moved in with some guy who thought he was going to be a rockstar."

"How did she end up in federal prison?" Olivia asked, her face looking pained in empathy for me and June.

"The guy's band was going to go do a tour in Mexico," I said. "From the court records, it seems like they decided to smuggle cocaineinto Mexico for some reason and got caught. I guess they didn't want to bother with buying local while they were down there, so it was a significant amount for their four-week tour. She also got hit with several battery of a police officer charges, so I'm assuming she probably tried to fight them when she felt like she wasn't getting her way. She's doing 15 years before a chance at probation. She tried calling me once during her trial, asking for me to be a character witness, and I just reminded her that she'd abandoned our daughter and that was the only thing I really remembered about her now."

"Fuck, Adrian," Olivia said. "I'm so sorry. God. And June?"

"She has some vague memories, as best I can tell," I said. "Thankfully I never really trusted my ex to take care of her properly so she didn't have a chance to do any damage."

"Fuck," Olivia sighed again.

"It's OK," I said. "It's in the past, but it's something that may end up coming up again in the future. At some point I would bet that she'll want to try reaching out to June, whether that's in twelve years if she gets parole on the first go, or via letter or something. All I can do is prepare June for it in age-appropriate ways and trust she'll be ready."

"God, you're a good Dad," Olivia said, pressing her lips together after and shaking her head. "I'm so glad June has you, and that May has you in her life now too."

"I'm glad that June has you," I said. "Seriously."

"I-" Olivia hesitated. "Your thoughts might change slightly when I tell you the next thing. Or things, I guess, since they are all so intertwined."

"Livvy, unless you murdered someone in cold blood, I don't know if I could be shocked by whatever you think is such a big deal," I said.

'You say that now," Olivia said, then took a breath and steadied her nerves with a sip of her drink. "OK. You remember the first time we met, and I snapped at you thinking you were hitting on me?"

I smirked a little and nodded. "I still promise I wasn't hitting on you," I said.

"I know," she said with a smile. "But there's a reason I have my back up when people randomly approach me. I- God, I feel so stupid feeling nervous about this- I did porn for about a year and a half before I got pregnant with May. It's why I moved out to California to begin with, and at the time the path into the business was to do girl-girl stuff for as long as you could to build hype so you could cash in on your 'firsts' on screen. So I did a bunch of scenes with other girls about a decade ago and occasionally someone recognizes me out in the wild and puts the pieces together. I was worried that you were one of those people, that's why I snapped at you."

I blinked, absorbing what she'd told me.

"What are you thinking?" she asked nervously.

I pursed my lips slightly and blinked a couple more times. "OK," I said. "I- Yeah, you got me there, I wasn't expecting that. Um, are you OK with it?"

"Yes," she said. "I mean, looking back, I don't know what I would have done differently with my life. Obviously, my parents weren't thrilled about it, but I was swept up in the sexual empowerment stuff and making good money for doing something I wanted to be doing anyway. And I made really good friends with a bunch of the girls I worked with, and I wouldn't trade them for the bitches I used to be friends with in high school."

I nodded slowly. "Wow,' I said. "I, um- wow is what I've got. Sorry, I'm trying not to picture anything inappropriate right now and it's a little hard with you in that dress."

Olivia smiled and sighed, her head tilted down as she looked at me with her hair slightly covering her face.

"Alright, processing complete," I said after taking a breath. "Thank you for telling me, and none of that changes anything between us or how much I trust you with June."

She let out a big breath and nodded. "Thanks," she said.

"Nothing to thank me for, Livvy," I said. "My turn?"

Olivia shook her head. "That was part one of three," she said. "Part two is tied to part one because it explains May's father. He was a pornstar that I'd met at a couple of functions, and he was the guy that got cast opposite me in what was supposed to be my first boy-girl scene. He knew it was my first, and wanted to make sure I was totally comfortable, so the week before he offered to take me out to dinner. We had a great time, and I slept with him that night because I liked him a lot and I figured we'd be doing it on camera soon enough anyway. But then the next afternoon he calls and asks to see me, and I invite him over to my apartment and he basically does this big speech about how I was the best thing since sliced bread, and he wanted to ask me to marry him but it was too fast so he was asking me to be his girlfriend instead of doing the scene. He offered to help me get connected to the production side of the business instead of in front of the camera, and then I wouldn't need to do boy-girl content, and to show me how serious he was he even handed me a big stack of cash, offering to buy out what I would make on the scene we were supposed to shoot. I kinda fell head over heels for him, and I moved into his place in two weeks. I told you before that looking back I think we were a burn hot, burn bright couple, and we movedso fast on everything. Two months into the relationship I wasn't doing any more scenes and was working on the backend production, which was how I learned video editing and photo touch-ups and stuff, and then I got pregnant with May. We were both thrilled, and we eloped, and I broke my parents' hearts again by doing that."

"They must have been scared for you," I said.

"So scared," Olivia agreed. "I can't comprehend how much now, having May. But at the time I was oblivious. Then, when I was six months pregnant, he got into a car accident and died at the scene. Double DUI, both him and the other driver were drunk and had a head-on collision. Life insurance wouldn't pay out because he was half at fault, but I at least got his savings and that helped me move back to be with my parents as I finished out my pregnancy. I never once considered aborting - not because I saw May as any sort of memory of him. I was just already so in love with my little girl and I needed to hold onto that to figure out my shit."

"I'm sorry," I said, taking her hand again and squeezing it. "Life hits hard sometimes. You are so goddamn strong, Livvy."

She breathed in and let it out slowly. "Thanks, Adrian," she said softly.

"Do you want to tell me more about him?" I offered.

"No," she said quickly. "He's- that was another life. But it does lead me into part three."

"You sure you don't want me to take a turn?" I offered.

"Better I just get it all out, and this is a much smaller one," she said. "All the video editing and social media stuff I do the backend work for? It's porn. I used to work for companies, but as soon as my friends in the industry started working social media and supplementing their 'mainstream' incomes with side hustles I went freelance. I've got twenty regular clients, but a half dozen more I pick up work from here and there. So yeah, I'm still sort of connected to the industry."

"So what you're telling me is that you're an impressive entrepreneur making good money working with people you like?" I asked. "Oh, no, that'sso horrible."

"Jerk," she smirked at me.

"I once shit my pants as a full-on adult, and I wasn't even drunk," I said.

Olivia blinked hard, reeling as she tried to keep up with what I said. "What?"

"I was just getting over a stomach bug and I thought I was good to go, but I got stuck in LA traffic as I was going from one job site to another and I couldn't get off the highway, let alone find a toilet. Crapped my pants, right there in my truck and had to sit in it for another hour before I got through traffic and home. That's my next dark secret."

Olivia snickered lightly, coughing as she absorbed my story.

"The reason I'm telling you that, Livvy, is because I haveway more to be ashamed of, sitting in my own crapped pants, than you did or do working a job that you loved at a time it made sense for you," I said. "Sure, if when June is older she tells me she wants to do porn, I'll probably freak out internally, and I won't lie and say I won't try and talk her out of it because from what little I know it isn't exactly a forgiving business. But I'll love her no matter what. And as for your husband, it sounds like even if itwas hot and bright and likely to burn out, you still picked better than me."

She breathed in through her nose and let it out. "You probably could have made the same pointwithout the shit talk," she smirked at me.

"Probably, but I owed you a story," I said. "Livvy, I love you. You're my best friend. Nothing you've said changes either of those facts."

Olivia shook her head gently, looking at me intently with eyes that held a deep well of emotion. "I love you too," she said. "For so much."

I winked at her and squeezed her fingers lightly before letting go, intending to get back to our meal and maybe some lighter conversation, but she stood up.

"I'll be right back," she said.

"OK," I nodded and watched her walk off towards the washroom. She was gone for maybe two minutes, and in that time I made unfortunate eye contact with Francine. I saw her see me, and I knew the jig was up on her not finding out Livvy and I were there together. The only thing I could be thankful for was that she didn't stand up and come over to try and make smalltalk, or complain, or dig for information.

When Olivia reappeared, coming back towards me gracefully in her dress and heels, I stood up to pull her chair out for her again and she accepted with a warm smile and sat.

"Francine knows," I murmured to her as I helped her tuck in a little.

"Whatever," Livvy said. "I don't care."

When I sat down Livvy reached her hand over to me and I took it with a smile that turned into a curious look as I felt that she was holding something in her hands.

"Adrian, I want to be as clear as possible," she said, still holding my hands. "I'm following your directions here. This is a message from me to you. Pal-entine's Day, date or not, I mean this for tonight."

She pulled her hand away, leaving me holding a bundled-up something, and I drew it back to me and glanced at the gently unravelling bit of fabric in my hand. My eyes went wide and I crushed it tightly in my fist as I looked around to make sure no one had seen it. It was a small pair of lacy black panties, a little more than a thong but definitely not something that gave a significant amount of coverage.

Olivia had gone and taken off her underwear in the washroom and gave it to me.

"Really?" I asked, lifting my eyebrows as I looked at her.

"We got over two kisses," she said. "And they weregood kisses. We can handle that, too, I think. And you being so... yourself, and open and caring, is a big turn-on. I mean, you can tell me no and honestly my nerves will thank you, but I want it if you do."

I swallowed, glancing down at my tightly clenched fist and feeling that fragile, lacey fabric in it. When I looked back up I could tell she was as nervous as I was, but she'd made the first move.

"I'd... really like that too," I said.

"OK," she said, suppressing a big grin. "So we're doing... that. Later. For now, we should finish our meal and our date. Just because I'm being open and honest doesn't mean I don't want to be seduced a bit more."

"Noted," I said, and slipped her panties into the front breast pocket of my suit jacket. "No more stories like the last one then?"

"No," she laughed, shaking her head. "Tell me something sweet."

"You're a really, really great Mom," I said.

She hung her head as she smiled, and then looked up and pursed her lips as she shook her head. "I meant a sweet story about you, you asshole," she said.

"I can do funny a lot easier than sweet," I said.

"Then make me laugh, Adrian," Olivia said. "Because I love you, and I love that you like my laugh."

I grinned and tried to decide what story to tell.

- - - - -

Helping Olivia out of the back seat of the car, we both smiled at each other.

"Thanks," I called to the Uber driver. There weren't exactly a big number of them in our town, so on the odd occasion I did need to take a ride I always wanted to leave a good impression. The guy waved back and then pulled back out onto the street and away from Olivia's house.

We were tipsy. Not drunk, but definitely feeling the three cocktails we'd each had over dinner and the very sweet ice wine we'd had while sharing a rich slice of chocolate cake. Remembering Olivia's comment about door-to-door service, I'd ordered up the ride despite the heavy price associated with a night like Valentine's Day.

"Come on," Olivia said, taking my hand and pulling me up the driveway towards the front door. She almost slipped, though, and I ended up wrapping my arm around her waist and holding her hand with my other hand to help keep her stable. At the door she fumbled in her little purse for her keys for a moment before getting them out while I chuckled, and once the door was open we rushed in and got it closed, locking out the cold.

Neither of us even got our coats off, we collided so quickly as we kissed. It was like the two times we'd kissed before, under the mistletoe and on New Year's, had been in preparation for that kiss in the dark front hall of her home. Our lips met and I felt an electricity run through me as she sucked my lower lip between hers and grazed it with her teeth. My tongue replaced my lip and hers played out against it and we were making out like horny teenagers as she took a step back, pulling me with her. She ended up leaning back against the wall, and I slid my hands from the cold sides of her coat back to grab her ass.

God, that ass.

Olivia moaned into the kiss, and I responded with a soft grunt, and finally we needed to breathe and separate.

"God, you're a good kisser," she gasped.

"So are you," I said. "And I love the mix of your perfume and shampoo."

"You noticed?" she asked with a smile. We only had the lights leaking in through the window of the front door illuminating us and she looked so fucking pretty.

"I noticed that first time under the mistletoe," I said. "But how do I say, 'You smell so good I want to take a whiff every time I see you' without making it weird?"

She laughed, pulling her gloves off, and brought her hands up to my cheeks to hold me still as she looked into my eyes. "Take me upstairs," she said. "I feel like I've got a fucking icicle hanging off my pussy, I was so wet and it was so cold outside."

"Can I warm it up for you?" I asked, leaning closer so that our breath mingled and our noses rubbed together, teasing another kiss without touching.

"That's exactly what I want," she breathed back.

I kissed her firmly and then fell to my knees, lifting up the sides of her dress and pulling her leg over my shoulder and wrap around my back as the slit rose high enough to allow it. I couldn't actually see anything about her pussy because of the angle of the light and shadows, but I knew my way around a woman by feel and I quickly drove my face between her chilled thighs and nuzzled my way to getting my lips onto her pussy.

"I meant you could upstairs," she laughed, thrusting her hips out helpfully to give me easier access as she ran her fingers through my hair.

Olivia had been right, shewas wet and cold down there - apparently going without underwear in a dress wasn't really thesmart move. Thankfully there wasn't actually an icicle or else I would have been a little worried for her health. Instead, I was met with her delicious tang as I slid my tongue between the cleft of her lips, feeling that taste wash over my tongue. I growled approvingly as I lapped through those lips again and drove my nose against the nub of her clit hood. I could feel she wasn't completely bald, a soft roughness of close-cropped pubes rubbing against my forehead.

"Oh, fuck, Adrian," Olivia gasped. "God, yes, be a little rough with it."

I followed her directions, bending my neck a bit to pull one of her labia between my lips and massaging it firmly while sucking, then letting it slip away and driving my tongue at her entrance. She shuddered, her hands holding onto my head and shoulder, as her hips involuntarily rolled. My hands slid from those hips and back to her ass, following the dress down to slip underneath and come up on her bare cheeks. They were smooth and firm and so fucking squeezable as I started massaging them.