Chapter 5

– Present Day –

Jason’s days went by slowly while Kayla was away.

He found himself doing something he hadn’t done since before she moved in with him.

He worried about her.

He had resisted the urge to text her while she was gone, even though he wanted to know how she was doing. Had she made it there safely? Was she having fun? Did she enjoy seeing the capitol building and meeting the Senators? Was she spending her nights with those guys that boarded the bus with her?

He thought about the morning he’d dropped her off, kicking himself for not helping her get undressed. He’d wanted to see her breasts for too long, but he had been scared that she was teasing him that morning. He was scared that if he raised her shirt, she would have giggled and told him there was no way that would ever happen.

Thinking about the boys who got on the bus with her helped remind Jason how much older he was than Kayla. Those boys were probably 20 years old, with great bodies, and tanned skin. They had obviously noticed Kayla, as they tried to help her with her bags, shining their perfect smiles at Jason, mistaking him for Kayla’s father. Jason couldn’t compete with that. He knew that he shouldn’t even try.

Kayla had corrected the boys, though. She looked at Jason playfully. “Nah, Jason’s got it. Don’t you, sweetie?”

Jason thought, She’s never called me ‘Sweetie’ before. She must be teasing these boys.

He played along, “Sure, babe.” Jason loaded the bags onto the bus.

Kayla stood up on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said sexily, “I’m going to miss you.”

Jason figured she was still putting on a show, even though the boys had walked away. “You’ll be back before you know it. Have a good time.”

She pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth, and he kissed her cheek, reflexively. She lowered herself down, and with a concerned look on her face, she started, “You just have to reheat the meals I made for you. They’re all labeled in the fridge. Make sure you still eat breakfast, and –”

Jason hugged her, and whispered, “Stop worrying. I’ll be fine. Thank you for thinking of my every need before you left, but you need to go and have a good time now, instead of worrying about this old guy.”

She chuckled and nodded.

He kept himself from saying anything else that came to mind. He wanted to say, I’ll miss you. Call me when you get there. Let me know how you’re doing. Don’t have too much fun. I already can’t wait until you get back. Call me every night just so I can hear your voice.

But all he said was, “Call me on Sunday when you’re getting close so I can be here to pick you up.”

Then he watched her get on the bus, hearing one of those guys ask her where she wanted to sit.

The first day she was gone was fine, but that first night was painstakingly long. He wanted to hear her voice, and he hadn’t realized how accustomed he was to speaking to her every night.

He waited for a simple text from her, feeling irrationally agitated by the silence.

Jason had constructed a picture of what her trip was like. She is having fun with those boys; flirting and toying with them, then bringing them back to her room to have some fun. Maybe two at a time. She is drinking, and partying, and out on the town, having the time of her life – a nonstop party. She hasn’t even thought of me because this is a boring life compared to a weekend away with people her age, who know how to party, who know how to have fun.

Jason tortured himself thinking of how energetic those young guys would be, making love all night, going again and again, and still able to play the good student during the day.

He could never compete with that. Maybe 20 years ago, but that was then.

He imagined how happy Kayla would be, getting a good fuck. He knew it had been a while for her, since she hadn’t gone on dates or brought anyone home the whole time she’d lived with him.

She was going to let loose on this trip — he was sure of it.

All of these thoughts left Jason with a bad feeling that this trip was going to change things. Kayla was going to realize how much she needed to live with people her own age, and end their arrangement.

That idea terrified Jason. He couldn’t stand to lose Kayla. Even though he knew she’d move out eventually. He knew there was no long term arrangement that would work for them. He knew she would need to move on soon.

By the time he got her text on Sunday evening, Jason was sure that these were their last days together.

He pulled up to the parking lot, and saw a few other people waiting to pick up their friends or kids. Checking his phone, he decided to text her. “Just got here. See you soon.”

She texted back immediately, “I’m excited to see you. 🙂 About 10 more minutes!”

Jason’s despair slightly decreased when he read her text.

When the bus pulled up, Jason waited until he saw Kayla step off the bus before getting out of his car.

She ran straight over to his car and practically jumped into his arms.

He tightly embraced her.

After a long hug, and nothing but silence from Kayla, he looked into her face and saw a very tired look. He thought, Does she look sad? Is she scared to tell me she had a great time and doesn’t want to live with me anymore?

He asked, “You OK?”

She smiled distractedly, “I’m OK. It was a very long trip.”

She wrapped her arm through his and walked them over to the bus, where the driver was unloading the bags.

Her arm felt good around his. He smiled to himself, happy to have her back, but he anticipated her bad news.

As they waited for her bags, Jason noticed the young guys holding hands with a couple of female students, while laughing and joking around.

Kayla paid them no attention, but she seemed to be looking for someone. Jason watched her as she searched, and then her face lit up. “Patrice!”

Jason noticed a woman about his age walking over. Jason also noticed that Kayla kept her arm around his.

“Patrice, this is Jason.”

Patrice extended her hand to Jason, and he accepted. Kayla explained, “Patrice is the professor who set up this trip. I just wanted her to meet you.”

Patrice’s voice was soft and professional, her kindness and fondness for Kayla coming through with each word. “Hi Jason. I’ve heard a lot about you. Maybe if you and I keep telling Kayla how smart she is, she might believe us one of these days.”

Jason put his arm around Kayla and asked, “Now that you’ve hung out with some legislators, do you think you would want to do that one day?”

Kayla laughed and responded quickly, “I don’t think so.”

Patrice added, “Maybe law school, though?”

Kayla bit her lip, and looked at Patrice and then at Jason. She nodded. “I’ll try.”

Jason’s excitement was apparent. He squeezed Kayla’s shoulders tighter, and tried to tone down his giant smile. “That is amazing, Kayla. You will make an amazing lawyer.” He looked at Patrice, “I’ve been talking with her about this for months. Thank you for getting her to consider it.”

Patrice smiled and said affectionately, “Kayla, it was great to get to know you better on this trip. I’ll see you in class next week. Jason, it was great to meet you.”

His smile wasn’t going anywhere. He’d forgotten his sadness about the possibility of Kayla wanting to leave his life, because it had been overshadowed by his happiness for Kayla’s future.

She remained quiet while they retrieved her bags and got them into the car.

Once they pulled out of the parking lot, Kayla reached over and placed her hand on Jason’s. She smiled at him. “I am really happy to be back.”

He turned his hand over, and held her hand. He drove for a minute, silently enjoying her touch. Growing concerned that something bad happened on her trip, he finally asked, “Was it a good trip?”

Kayla sighed, and didn’t respond immediately.

He squeezed her hand, encouragingly.

“I just feel out of place sometimes.”

He worried again, but he stayed quiet to let her say more. After several moments of silence, he asked, “What made you feel out of place?”

“I don’t know. I’m only a year older than most of these students, but they are all so…” She didn’t finish, but looked out the window instead.

Squeezing her hand again, he asked, “What happened?”

She laughed. “Well, I thought we were on this trip to learn, but apparently it was a party trip. When we got to the Capitol on Thursday, I asked the legislative aides a bunch of questions, and I thought we were hitting it off. I was learning a lot about what it would be like to intern there or maybe even work there one day. And when one guy invited me and ‘my friends’ out that night, I accepted. When we went out, I was the only girl not dressed like a total slut.”

She laughed again, “I mean, I wore a button up! I was thinking it was a professional meeting, not a night on the town.

“And when the aide I’d been talking to started buying me shots, I decided to go back to the hotel.

“When I got back to the hotel, Patrice was having a drink in the hotel bar, while doing some work on her computer. I ended up having a drink with her and we talked for a couple hours.”

Kayla laughed again, “I had more in common with my 45 year old professor than my 20 year old peers. I mean, all the students stayed out really late, and they were laughing about being hung over the next day when we had lunch with our Senators.

She shook her head, “It was all a big joke to them, and I just felt so…”

Kayla squeezed Jason’s hand while she looked out the window.

Jason could feel her anger. Her jaw was clenched; she was tapping her foot; her other hand was gripping the door handle.

Kayla looked at Jason while he drove. “I mean, we all had to apply to go on this trip. And we didn’t have to pay for it, which was really cool, because I’m not sure I would have paid a few hundred dollars for it. But those kids… They all could have paid for the trip. One of those fucking guys was bragging about how his dad pays for his tuition, without even realizing what a fucking privilege that is.”

She shook her head. “I mean, I know that I don’t exactly deserve the kindness you’ve extended me. And you have been way too generous.”

She leaned across the console, and snuggled her face into his shoulder.

Jason tried to concentrate on driving, but found her affection intoxicating.

She said more softly, “I just want you to know that I don’t take you for granted.”

Jason laughed this time. “I know that. I’ve never thought that about you.”

“Well, that’s good. But I just want you to know that I know how lucky I am to have you in my life.”

His smile was back.

He dislodged his arm that was pinned between them, and he wrapped it around her shoulders. Giving her a squeeze, he said, “I feel the same way, Kayla.” As they pulled into their driveway, he added, “I’m so happy you’re back.”

Once they got all of Kayla’s stuff inside, they sat on the couch together, and Jason asked, “So, weren’t you a little bit tempted to sleep with any of those guys on your trip?”

Kayla laughed again, “No! They were all just dumb college kids.”

Then she pressed her eyebrows together. “Oh, god. What’s that make me, then?”

Jason patted her leg. “Kayla, I wouldn’t worry. You are mature beyond your years.”

She hits him, “Don’t make fun of me!”

“I’m not! I was being serious.”

She studied his face, and must have believed him because she asked, “When you were in school, did you ever have a crazy school trip full of one night stands?”

Jason remembered several such trips. “Um… I think you would have found me miserable to be around back then.”

“Who says you’re not miserable to be around today?”

He grabbed her knee and squeezed. She immediately began laughing and begging him to stop, but he just dug his fingers in. He said with a joking authoritative tone, “Take it back.”

She was laughing so hard, she was crying. “Ok! OK! I take it back.”

They both laughed for several moments. Finally she added sweetly, “I don’t find you completely miserable to be around.”

He smiled. “High praise, indeed.”