Then She Kissed Me

He smiled and agreed.

"What's next for you, Dan?"

"Obviously we're through. I feel bad for your folks because they paid some of the deposits for the wedding. We won't get those back. I guess, I'll move back home and hit the reset button on my life."

"Stay in touch, Dan. We can be support for each other. I know I'm sure going to need it."

"Of course. I'm sure I will need a shoulder to cry on as well. God, such wasted time and wasted love. Thank god, we didn't get married yet."

"I'm sorry I ever told you to keep trying with her."

"That's okay. I was always settling anyway. My first choice was taken."

Her eyes lit up and she smiled at that comment.

He hugged her once more and went downstairs. Her parents were talking in the kitchen when he walked in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Delaney? I'm really sorry about the wedding. I'll pay you back for the deposits you made."

"So that's it then? Final decision?"

"Yeah. Turns out she was involved with my best friend too."

Her mom started crying as her dad said, "Don't worry about the money. She'll pay us back. She was the slut."

"Gary!" Her mom snapped.

"Just calling a spade a spade. If she had kept her legs closed, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Take care, you're great people. I was very happy to be part of your family for the last few years."

A tear fell down his cheek as he hugged them goodbye.

"You never know what the future holds, Dan."

"We'll see, Mrs. Delaney. Take care."

**********

A week later Dan went to his old apartment to get his stuff. He waited until Candy went to work and he packed and loaded everything into the borrowed van.

He closed the door and went up to take a final look around. He was saddened to think of what was lost. The love, the lust, the children they won't have, it hurt him so much.

He left his key on the kitchen table and closed the door for good.

As he drove back to his parent's house, Mike called him. They hadn't spoken since that night at Bill's.

"What?" He shouted into the speakerphone.

"Dan listen, it was all a lie. I never had sex with Candy."

"Are you a fucking moron or just stupid? She was blackmailed because you were caught. She fucking admitted it in the video."

"Sorry man, I don't know what to say other than I'm so sorry."

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long, were you fucking her?"

"A little over 2 months. The first time was at Camden's party. You passed out and the rest of us played truth or dare."

"Truth or dare? You're fucking college graduates not 8th graders."

"We were all wasted. Some of the dares were kissing, feeling up, taking clothes off, all of us ended up horny as hell. Candy and I were the only ones not a couple. When everyone left to go fuck their partner, we were so drunk we did it too."

"Fucker, why did you continue?"

"It wasn't a regular thing, and she always called me when she wanted it."

"You were my best friend asshole. How could you do that to me?"

"I always wanted her and you know that. I finally got the chance and she was a great fuck. How could I turn it down."

"Listen to me very carefully, the next time I see you, you will wish those guys that robbed you, killed you. You are a dead man walking and when I see you, not if I see you, when I see you, they won't recognize your corpse."

He didn't give him a chance to respond and ended the call. He chastised himself for being so dramatic. He knew he wasn't a fighter and the last couple he was in, he didn't exactly win so it was an empty threat. He hoped it would be enough to keep him away.

**********

Candy was devastated by her family cutting her off from all contact. Eventually she transferred to an office in Milwaukee and hoped they would forgive her someday. She knew Dan never would. The betrayal cut too deep.

**********

Aaron got out on bail, but left Shannon alone. Partly due to the restraining order and partly due to wanting to be rid of the clingy bitch, as he called her.

He ended up taking plea deals for both the battery charge for pushing Shannon and the blackmail charge. His lawyer tried to get him off on the blackmail, but since it was his phone that recorded it and he willingly gave it to Dan, the judge would've allowed it to be used.

He got 6 months for the battery and 1 year for the blackmail. His lawyer negotiated as well as he could on the battery. Shannon's written statement implied that it was borderline accidental that she fell. The push that caused it, however, was not. So he didn't get off completely.

He moved back to his hometown when he was released after 12 months for good behavior. Shannon never saw or heard from him again.

**********

Dan met with Shannon every Saturday for coffee and tea. It was strictly platonic. Just two broken hearts hiding together in plain sight.

After six weeks she cancelled one Saturday morning. She called but left him a voicemail. She was crying in the message and said she didn't feel well.

Dan didn't return her call. He drove to her house, where she was living again after Aaron moved out.

The knock on the door startled her from her malaise on the couch. Used tissues were piled up and she was wearing a ratty old robe.

She looked through the window, saw it was Dan and gasped. There was no way that she would let him see her in that state. She shouted, "Please go, I'm fine."

He shook his head and mouthed, "No."

She broke down crying and said, "Please?"

He shook his head again.

She relented and opened the door.

He walked in and when he saw the condition of the house, pulled her into a hug.

"What happened? I'm supposed to be your shoulder, remember?"

"I'm pregnant."

"Oh shit!"

"Yeah, oh shit."

"Come in, let's get you back down."

"I'm going to make you some tea."

He went to the kitchen and grabbed her a pod of green tea. She had a Keurig that she used for tea, it was easier than heating a teapot.

He set the tea down for her and started picking up the tissues and putting them in the trash bin. Once settled, he sat next to her and pulled her into a hug and held her.

She cried and sobbed in his arms for ten minutes in silence. Finally she spoke, "I'm almost 3 months along. With all of my stress, I never noticed I missed my period."

"Who's the father?" Dan joked and got slapped on the arm for it.

"Asshole is of course. I'm not a cheater."

"Of course not."

"What am I going to do, Dan? I'm so screwed. In a few months I'll be divorced and my child will be born nameless. I already decided that I will never let Aaron know about the baby after what he did, and I'm scared shitless. I don't want him in my life at all."

"First thing you're going to do is take a shower. Once you've refreshed your body, I'm going to take you to the cafe we've gone to every week for the last month or so. This is not the end of the world for you. It's the beginning. You're having a baby. A beautiful little piece of you to mold and shape into a future President or Doctor. I envy you so much."

"I can't raise a baby alone."

"Shannon, you're a beautiful woman. There's someone waiting out there for you, I'm sure of it."

"Ha! Easy for you to say." She said as she got up to go shower. She did hear him say, "Had the wrong sister," quietly to himself as she went upstairs.

While she was showering he cleaned up her place a bit. He removed the clutter from the living room and he loaded the dishwasher from the sink full of dishes.

She came down to find him wiping down the counters.

"Why are you cleaning my house?"

"Huh? I'm not cleaning. I'm straightening up."

"Whatever. Let's go."

**********

Sitting in the cafe he ordered black coffee for himself and tea with non-fat milk for her.

She smiled as he always remembered her order.

"What?" He said sat her smiling face.

"It's cute how you remember my order."

"We have been doing this for a while now."

"I know, but if you didn't care you wouldn't pay attention to little things like that."

"Of course I care. How many punches to the face to I have to take before you realize that?"

She looked away and wiped a tear. "Sorry," she said. "I'm just hormonal."

"You're pregnant. I guess I should get used to that being the new norm. Changing the subject from hormones, have you told your parents yet?"

"No, that scares me too."

"You know you have to before you show right?"

"I know. I don't think they will be mad. They want to be grandparents pretty badly. It's just that they've been under a lot of stress lately. Both of their daughter's marriages blowing up. Well at least yours hadn't happened yet."

"Would you like me to go with you? Maybe I can deflect some of the emotions?"

"I can't ask you to do that. It's not your problem."

"You didn't ask. I offered and it's no problem. Right now your my best friend. I won't let you go through this alone"

"Best friend hmm?" She said with a raised eyebrow.

He nodded and said, "Yeah. Don't forget it either."

**********

Shannon knocked on her parent's door nervously hoping no one answered. She frowned as her dad opened the door.

He said, "Hi guys, come on in."

"Hi Daddy."

"Oh crap. I'm only Daddy, when it's bad."

"Meg! Shannon and Dan are here. She called me Daddy."

"What happened now?" Mrs. Delaney asked flippantly, half joking.

"Let's sit down okay?"

"Okay pumpkin, what's up?" Her dad asked.

"I'm pregnant."

"What? Dan, god damn it couldn't you get married first?" Her dad said.

Dan was shocked and Shannon said, "Daddy I wish." Dan's head spun around so fast his vision blurred.

"It's Aaron's. I've never kissed Dan, let alone slept with him," she finished.

"Oh, sorry pumpkin. You guys are so close we kind of assumed you were dating." Her dad said sullenly.

"Uh, no Sir. We're just helping each other through our troubles as friends. I mean, she's still a married woman."

"Jesus, is that all that's holding you back? Dan, the papers are filed and it's all over but the crying and Lord knows she's done plenty of that."

Dan sat there with his mouth wide open. He couldn't find the words to respond, so her dad continued.

"Dan, she's in love with you. We can all see it. Hell, we thought you were already a couple."

"Dan," her mom continued, "I can see the love in your eyes when you look at her."

Dan, took Shannon's hand and said, "You didn't want me when we were younger, I didn't think you felt that way."

"What?" Shannon said.

"I've loved you from afar for years. Yes, when we were in grade school and high school it couldn't have worked, but after I turned 18 and graduated I thought I had a chance. Candy even tried to help and when you stood me up to go with Steve to the carnival, I figured you didn't care for me in the same way. I was devastated. Later on she told me that I never had a chance because you were older. You had hooked back up with your boyfriend at school."

"Oh Dan. She told me a friend of Mike's needed a date. She didn't tell me it was you. I would probably have said yes, even though you were a couple years younger. You were cute and I knew you were a good guy.

God, after you saved me from Steve, I was so embarrassed, I just ran back to school. That boyfriend was Aaron by the way. He convinced me to give him another shot."

"Our lives seem to be full of wasted time." Dan said as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Well, that's settled then," her dad said. "Now about my pending grandchild, how far along are you?"

"Almost three months."

"We need to get your house ready. We need to set up a nursery and child proof and shop. Oh boy are we going to shop." Her mom said joyously.

"Dan, if you guys are going where it seems you're headed, can you handle her having another man's child?" Her dad asked.

Shannon gasped and said, "Dad!"

"No, it's a valid question. I obviously haven't had time to think about that, but I don't see how it would be a problem. Especially since you don't want Aaron in its life."

That started the water works. Shannon cried tears of joy for the first time in months. "I love you, Dan."

He kissed her again and said, "Dear heart, I love you more."

Her mom clapped and said, "Let's start planning."

**********

A few weeks went by and even though they saw each other a few times a week and talked on the phone every day, Dan realized that they'd never gone on a real date.

He immediately had flowers sent to her office and on the card he had printed, "Would you like to see a movie Friday?"

At 3 o'clock he got a text that said, "I wondered if you would ever ask me out."

He responded as stupidly as a man has ever responded to a woman before, "I had to build up the courage to be seen in public with a woman who's preggers."

As soon as he hit send he realized his screw up. She couldn't see his face or get that it was a joke.

He grabbed his coat and ran out of the office. She worked a few miles away, so he got there quickly.

He rushed past reception and back to her cubicle. Her back was to him and she did t see him come up to her. He startled her when he said, "It was a joke."

She spun around and laughed at him. "You drove over here to tell me it was a joke? I knew that, silly." She saw the look of fear in his eyes and that they were red.

"Oh God, you really though I would be upset?" She stood and hugged him. "You idiot. I knew you were joking. Sandy, what did I just do?"

Sandy in the cube next to her said, "She all of a sudden broke out in laughter and showed us the stupidest text any of us have ever seen. You're either the biggest idiot in the world or the luckiest idiot."

Dan smiled and said, "Definitely the luckiest man in the world." He kissed her and said, "Well, that's enough drama for one day. I'll let y'all get back to work now, so you can laugh at me in peace."

**********

Dan picked her up on Friday wearing his best suit. He had reservations at Ruth's Chris steakhouse and a suit wasn't necessary, but it was their first official date.

She opened the door and said, "My oh my do you clean up well."

He didn't respond immediately because he was caught up in how beautiful she was.

She had on a loose fitting dress, due to the baby bump, but it was short and her legs were encased in the sexiest shade of mocha stockings he'd ever seen.

Her blonde hair was cut short but framed her face perfectly. She had make up on, but it was tasteful and looked as if she was going for the no make up look. Her dress was low cut and showed just enough cleavage to keep his eye's attention.

Lastly he saw she was wearing ankle strap high heels. He could see the bright red polish on her mocha clad toe nails.

"Well damn," she said. "I can't tell which part of me has left you speechless. Can I guess?"

With a smile he said, "Your baby bump." She put her hand on her mouth shocked but then figured he was only kidding and said, "Whatever, ass. You probably liked my feet, pervert."

He looked her deep in the eyes, put his finger under her chin, lifted her head up and said, "As sexy as your feet are, I was absolutely not joking. You're pregnant belly is beautiful. I love you."

She smiled, fought back her tears and said, "I love you more."

**********

After dinner, he drove her home and walked her to her door. She said, "You know, if we make love you don't need to wear a condom."

He laughed and said, "But I don't know where've you been."

She punched him on the shoulder and said, "Dan, will you please come inside and make love to me?"

He leaned down and kissed her. Coming up for air he said, "I would've died to hear those words from you. But wait!"

She looked up at him and said, What's wrong?"

"First one to cum makes breakfast."

"Honey, you're talking about an incentive to not cum first."

"Yeah. Won't it be fun!" He said and pinched her butt. She squealed and ran into the house. He chased her up to her bedroom and they shed their clothes.

***********

She was self conscious about her swollen belly, but Dan didn't care. As they made out he rubbed her sensitive breasts and lightly pinched her nipples.

Taking the time to rub her baby bump while he kissed her, he took a nipple into his mouth. She moaned with pleasure as he licked and sucked her eraser sized bud and rubbed her clit with his fingers.

She was as wet as he'd ever felt on a woman and switched to his thumb on her clit, while fingering her channel searching out her internal pleasure zones.

He took time to find as many erogenous zones as he could on his way down to taste her honey.

He took in the scent of her neatly trimmed pussy and licked her softly at first. He altered how he was licking her clit, experimenting with what she liked.

He paused, when the memory of eating out Candy popped into his head. He was surprised that they tasted so different.

"What's wrong," she asked.

"Nothing baby. Just regrouping for the grand finale."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that."

Grabbing her butt and lifting her to his mouth he attacked her clit with no mercy. After a few moments she bucked and shocked with her first orgasm.

"Damn, Dan. Your tongue is magic."

"He kissed her and said, you tasted so good, it was easy. I love you."

"I love you too, Lancelot."

She straddled him and slid down his rock hard shaft. "God, you're bigger than Aaron. I'm really going to enjoy this."

She leaned forward and placed her hands on the headboard and rocked back and forth, moaning in ecstasy. Dan lifted his head and took a nipple to to his mouth. He nibbled and licked as she cried out in orgasm.

"Oh Shannon, I can't hold it any more. I'm cumming."

"Yes, love. Fill me. I love you so much."

***********

Dan woke up wrapped up in the arms of his love. He believed she was his soul mate and had never felt more content in his life.

She woke up shortly after and smiled at seeing him watching her.

She asked, " What are you thinking, my love."

"Honestly?"

"Yes, please."

"I was thinking about how in stories, the lover wakes up to the smell of coffee and bacon. All I smell is sex and morning breath."

She hit him playfully and said, "Okay pussy breath. I'll get the coffee on and the bacon started. There's an extra toothbrush in the drawer on the left."

"Thank you," he said and then kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too - Pussy breath."

***********

When the time came Dan started going to all of her doctor appointments and LaMaze classes.

Everyone assumed he was the baby's father and he never bothered to correct them, neither did Shannon. She was proud for people to think Dan was the father.

Dan was pulling into his apartment's lot when he saw Shannon sitting on his stoop.

"What's up honey? He said.

She flung an envelope at him and said, "My divorce is final."

"That's great," he said. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Nothing? Everything? I guess my failure as a wife is complete. How can you want me? I was clearly not enough for Aaron."

Dan recognized what was happening. She had been insecure about her small weight gain for a while. She also always worried that he would change his mind about her and would leave her for a non-pregnant girlfriend who would have his own child

Dan had been waiting for that day for months. He took her hand and led her to his apartment. He opened his door and pulled her in. "Please sit. I'll be right back."

He walked to his bedroom and made a call.

"Mr. Delaney, I'm sorry to do this over the phone but your daughter got her final divorce papers today. She's a mess, Sir. I'd like your permission to marry her."

"Jesus Christ, son. You had it the first time with Candy and you most certainly have it now. Go make an honest woman out of her and come over and show her mother the ring. I'm sure you've already bought it."