I turn the page on the paper and listen for sounds upstairs. What is my daughter doing? Her shift starts in just ten minutes, and right now, there are some pounding noises upstairs. Is she banging something into the wall? Suddenly, a scream rings out and I jump up.

  “Faith?” I call out. Did she just fall off a step-stool? Is she inured? Do I need to rush her to the hospital?

  But then, the stairs creak and my daughter appears at the doorway.

  “Hey, kid, are you okay? I thought you had work tonight. Shouldn’t you be in your uniform?” I ask.

  She stares at me, her cheeks pale.

  “We need to talk.”

  I sit up, confused.

  “What’s up?” I ask, bracing myself. Maybe she has a drug habit, and needs my help kicking it. Maybe she’s in an abusive relationship with a man I’ve never met, and I need to kick his ass. Whatever it is, I’m all ears.

  But instead of answering, my daughter pulls something out from behind her back and my heart sinks. Oh shit. I’m screwed because in her hands is an over-sized plastic bag with quite a few colorful objects inside. Unfortunately, they’re all used, and the inside of the bag is even slightly greasy still.

  After all, Bella and I have discovered a mutual love for sex toys. I don’t know how it started. Probably because our relationship began when I returned that first dildo to her. Regardless, while my girlfriend definitely enjoys my cock inside of her, there’s something that drives her crazy about dildos too. As a result, in the last few months, we’ve amassed quite a collection. Unfortunately, that collection is currently in a see-through plastic bag in my daughter’s hand.

  “Where did you get that?” I demand.

  “I was looking for my tennis racket,” Faith says in a trembling voice.

  “It’s in the garage, not in my closet. And aren’t you headed off to work?”

  She ignores my question about work.

  “I thought it was in the closet. But I found these instead.”

  We’re both silent for a moment. Oh shit, oh shit. There are at least four different dildos in the bag of varying sizes, plus some vibrators and even a butt plug I’ve been using on Bella. My girlfriend loves it, and has really taken to the joys of double penetration.

  Meanwhile, my daughter and I stare at each other dumbly. I wait for her to say something more, and it seems she’s doing the same.

  “Dad, what is this stuff?” she finally asks. “And why was it in a shoebox in your closet?”

  I sigh.

  “Your tennis racket wouldn’t fit in a shoebox, honey. So why were you looking in there?”

  “I knocked the lid off when I moved something. And you haven’t answered my question.”

  I glance at the ground again, resignation sinking in. There’s no way around this, unfortunately.

  “They’re just…” I begin, but Faith cuts me off.

  “Dad, are you gay?”

  My jaw drops. “What would give you that idea?”

  She gestures towards the bag in her hand. “It’s okay if you are, Dad. I see the butt plug in there, and I know what it is.”

  My mind spins. I know it’s jarring for Faith to find sex toys in her father’s closet, but why would she think I’m gay? And what do butt plugs have to do with that?

  Faith puts the toys on the couch and takes a seat next to me, her expression earnest.

  “You haven’t dated anyone in a long time, Daddy, and everyone has needs. I totally understand if you’ve been using these toys on yourself.”

  I gawk at her. My daughter doesn’t think I can find a partner? She thinks I’ve been masturbating all this time?

  “Pleasure is a very important part of adult life,” she continues in a serious tone, “and I know that gay men sometimes use dildos and butt plugs on themselves and that’s totally fine. I’m very sex-positive, and everyone has physical needs. If anything, I want you to express yourself, Dad. Again, this is totally okay.”

  I start to speak but once again, Faith is quick to jump in with a more detailed explanation of her feelings on the subject, although I’m not sure I want to hear it.

  “As much as I find it kind of gross, I do believe that everyone needs a sex life otherwise they’ll go completely bonkers. And why not you? I always assumed you were hooking up with floozies during your international trips, but I always assumed the floozies were female. Never in my life did I imagine you were dating rent boys, but hey, that’s okay. I accept you for you, Dad. You just be you, and don’t listen to anyone else.”

  I gawk at her. This is getting out of control, and if “rent boy” is what I think it is, then my daughter is completely wrong.

  “Faith, honey, you’re misunderstanding –”

  But my daughter cuts me off once more.

  “Again, you haven’t had a significant other for ages now. At least, no one serious that you’ve brought home to meet me. And you can be honest, Daddy: is that because you’ve been secretly dating men? You know that’s nothing to be ashamed about.”

  “Faith, I…”

  “I don’t want you to think you have to live in the closet, Dad! You can tell me anything, and I’ll love you no matter what. Something like this doesn’t even matter because I’m attracted to men myself, so I understand how a hot and handsome guy can totally be “it.” If that’s what floats your boat, then I support you, Marcus, one hundred percent. It’s completely fine.”

  I can’t help but laugh at this point because she’s completely wrong about everything. Faith looks at me like I’m crazy and frowns.

  “What? Don’t feel like you have to hide Daddy. Is this a coping mechanism? I get if you’re not ready to come out to the world, but you should at least tell me the truth. I won’t judge you.”

  I swipe at my eyes. I’m laughing so hard now that tears are practically rolling down my cheeks and my stomach aches from the convulsions.

  Faith pins me with another frown. “This isn’t funny, Daddy. This is your sexuality we’re talking about. You’re old, but I understand that even old people need to get off on occasion.”

  Finally, I hold up a hand while gasping for air.

  “No, no, stop. Faith, I’m fine, honey. I don’t mean to laugh at you because you concern is very sweet, but honey, I’m not gay.”

  My daughter frowns.

  “There’s no need to lie, Dad. I’m an ally, and very supportive of the LGBTQ movement. In fact, I want to visit the Stonewall Inn when I finally get around to visiting New York.”

  I shake my head, still gasping a bit for air.

  “Sweetheart, I love you, but can you try to listen to me for five seconds? Just five seconds? Please.”

  She presses her lips together and looks at me hard.

  “Okay, but no lying. Again, if you’re interested in men, that’s totally okay.”

  I shake my head as the sound of a car pulling in our driveway rings in my ears.

  “Faith, no. I’m not gay. If you’ll just give me a chance to explain. By the way, didn’t you have a shift to get to at the diner?”

  My daughter frowns.

  “They moved my schedule back, so I don’t have to go in until later. That’s why I was looking for my racket.”

  But it’s too late now. I stroll to the front door, my daughter trailing in my wake. Then, I open it and Bella practically falls into my arms. The curvy girl is wearing a low-cut v-neck top, and as she glues her lips to mine, she takes one of my hands and slips it into her décolletage so that I’m cupping a big breast. Then, her tit comes bouncing out, and she lets out a delighted giggle.

  “Ready to suck, big boy? I know I’m ready to be sucked.”

  At that, a horrified gasp rings out behind us. Bella looks up, startled.

  “Faith?” she asks, dumbfounded. “What are you doing here? I thought you had a shift tonight!”

  The two girls stare at each other in frozen shock, and my world blows up even more.

  9

  Bella

  * * *

  Oh my God, what have I walked into? What have I done? My breast is out, my pink nipple stiff even as Marcus pinches it playfully once more.

  “Come on in,” he chuckles, not at all embarrassed. “Girls, you already know one another.”

  Meanwhile, I tuck myself back in quickly, my face red with shame. Yes, Faith and I are best friends, but I’m sure she didn’t expect to see me do that with her dad!

  When I sneak a glance at my friend, I see that she hasn’t moved yet. She’s still pale and frozen with surprise, barely able to digest what just happened. Finally, I get my clothes straightened and chance another quick glance her way.

  “Hi Faith. Um, are you okay?”

  She lets out a choked gurgle that doesn’t even resemble a sentence. Marcus chuckles deep in his chest and puts an arm about my shoulder.

  “Let’s go into the living room,” he growls, guiding me on my stiff legs. Meanwhile, Faith follows behind us, completely silent.

  My stomach sinks. Is my buddy mad at me? I can’t lose my best friend over a guy, and yet, this is the man I love, who also happens to be her father. The connections are dizzying, and I shiver. Oh god, what’s about to happen? I’m certainly not looking forward to this confrontation.

  Faith takes a seat on the sofa gingerly and stares at her dad, shooting daggers with her eyes.

  “So, when you said it would all make sense in a minute, this is what you meant.”

  Marcus nods, still looking casual and relaxed. “Yep.”

  “So you guys have been using these together?” she asks, pointing to a heap on the couch. “No need to tell me how, but those are yours, correct?”

  Now, it’s my turn to let out a horrified gasp as my cheeks flame red. Oh no, is that what I think it is? Marcus keeps our assortment of sex toys in his closet for when I come over for hot play. I begged him to lock them up, but he said that no one ever goes in his closet anyways, so they’d be safe. Clearly, they weren’t safe at all, and now we have a lot of explaining to do. I open my mouth to begin apologizing, but Marcus beats me to the punch.

  “Faith, it’s time that you knew. Bella and I have been dating for the last few months, and yes, we have an active and inventive sex life. We enjoy using toys because they add a depth and excitement that’s difficult to describe.”

  I go completely red. I can’t believe this is happening. Not only are we outing our relationship to Faith, but now she knows what her dad and I like to do together in bed! I cringe while the hot pink butt plug seems to stare at me from the plastic baggie. Why did I have to pick hot pink? It seemed so fun when we were browsing on line, but now it’s an eyesore that I can’t look away from.

  Judging by the look on Faith’s face, she’s totally revolted.

  “Ugh,” she says.

  OMG, I wish the Earth would swallow me up whole and I shoot my boyfriend a panicked look. How do we get ourselves out of this mess? How do I explain that I love having sex with her dad, and that in fact, I’m pregnant with his baby right now?

  “Faith,” I begin. “I’m so sorry—”

  But she cuts me off.

  “No, it’s okay. I’m the one who needs to apologize because Dad, clearly, I was completely wrong. You’re not gay at all.”

  I stare at her before turning my gaze to Marcus, nonplussed. Gay? Where is she getting that from?

  “No,” Marcus agrees with a wry smile. “I’m not gay. I wasn’t using dildos and butt plugs on myself, while diddling rent boys while overseas.”

  The breath whooshes from my chest. Excuse me?

  Then, Faith turns to me and there are tears in her eyes.

  “I’m so happy for you, Bella. I always thought of you as a sister, but I guess this is even better. You’re more like a stepmom now!”

  I gulp, trying to find air for my lungs. Stepmom? This situation is getting crazier and crazier. But my friend continues.

  “Dad, you’ve been single for way too long, and I admit, I was surprised by the naughty collection in your closet. But this all makes sense now, and I couldn’t pick a better person for you than Bella. She’s amazing! And I’d know because we’ve been friends for years.”

  Marcus takes my hand and squeezes it gently.

  “I’m glad to hear that, honey, because I’m in love with Bella. And you’re right: she’s a jewel that’s been sitting right under my nose for ages, and I didn’t notice until recently. But we’re the real thing, and your approval means a lot to us. I admit, you had us worried there for a minute.”

  “I did?” Faith asks, surprised. “But why?”

  I manage to get a hold of myself and interject.

  “Well, it’s not every day that you discover your friend’s been secretly dating your dad. And that your dad has an active sex life too.”

  My buddy lets out a giggle.

  “I know, and I have to warn you that I don’t want to know anything about that aspect of your lives. But I’m so glad you guys are in love! How long has this been going on? And how did you guys even meet? I mean, I know how you guys met, but when did the romance start?”

  Marcus and I share a look.

  “I’ll tell you everything, but don’t you have a shift at the diner to get to?” I ask hesitantly.

  My friend winks at me.

  “I do, and you’re right because it’s time I got going. But don’t think you’re off the hook! Afterwards, you’re going to tell me everything! Okay, not everything because I don’t want to know about the sex stuff, but everything but that.” But then Faith turns around while heading out the door, her gaze curious. “By the way, girlfriend, was that you who was making those sounds in the master suite last week? I thought Dad was in there having his own brand of fun, but were you there with him all along?”

  OMG, I guess Marcus and I weren’t as quiet as we thought.

  “Yes, that was me,” I acknowledge with a silly grin. “I’m sorry if we woke you up!”

  Faith merely lets out a peal of laughter and throws her arms up in the air.

  “No, you guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves! If anything, this just means that I should get a place of my own, so that you guys can have some privacy. Okay, I’ve gotta roll now because they’re going to kill me if I’m late again, but toodle-oo! We’ll talk soon!” she says while blowing kisses my way.

  Then, Faith is gone, and the house is silent after the front door closes.

  “Oh my god, did that really happen?” I whisper, staring at my lover with wide eyes. “Did she just give us her blessing?”

  Marcus grins, flashing even white teeth.

  “She did,” he remarks. “And I have to say, I’m relieved because it was a wild ride. Faith thought I was a gay man hooking up with pretty young boys during my flights abroad. Can you believe that?”

  That makes me sputter.

  “But why?”

  He shrugs, still grinning.

  “I guess it was the fact that I’ve never brought anyone around the house. So she thought maybe I had a boyfriend, and was ashamed to introduce him to her because of my sexual orientation. And then, these toys,” he says, tipping his chin at the bag. “I guess Faith associates butt plugs with men, but you like them, don’t you, Bella?”

  I blush, because I’ve learned to adore anal in part due to the thorough stretching routine Marcus puts me through using our hot pink plug. But I shake my head because everything’s happened so fast and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.

  “But what you said before,” I say in a trembling voice. “You love me? Really?”

  He nods and wraps those strong arms around my form, resting his chin on my head.

  “Yes, I love you,” he acknowledges in a growl. “You and always you, Bella Samuels.”

  With that, I begin to cry from a mix of joy, relief, and happiness.

  “Good, because I love you too, and oh! Marcus, I’m having your baby.”

  This time, it’s his turn to pull back with shocked eyes.

  “You are?”

  I nod, tears streaming down my cheeks.

  “Yes, you’re going to be a daddy again. Is that something you might want? I know this is a shock but we didn’t always use protection and–”

  Marcus merely picks me up off my feet and swings me around in a circle before setting me down.

  “Sweetheart,” he breathes, his own eyes looking glassy. “This is the best gift you could give me, short of saying “I love you.” I’ve wanted to be a father again for so long, but I never thought I’d get the chance. But now, with you, Bella, anything is possible. Thank you, sweetheart. I’m so humbled.”

  With that, we embrace, and I lay my cheek against his broad chest, his heart beating beneath my ear. A sigh escapes my lips, and I feel like I’m home at last because maybe our love is unexpected, but this is where I belong. With this man, in his home, and with his baby in my belly. I used to be his daughter’s best friend, and the truth is I still am. But even better, I’m Marcus Randall’s lover and love all rolled into one.

  Epilogue

  Bella

  * * *

  Six months later.

  It’s been six amazing months since I told Marcus about the baby, and so much has changed since then.

  Marcus kisses my cheek. “Take a deep breath, babe. It’s going to be a great night.”

  I laugh. “Sorry, I’m just nervous. It’s the first time my parents and Faith will be here for dinner since I moved in, and I want them to see our home and approve of it.”

  “I know. But try to be more excited than nervous. Besides, they’re going to love what you did with the place. You have an eye for design, sweetheart, and it shows.”

  It’s true because after the big reveal with Faith, we immediately began the process of Faith moving out and me moving in. My friend was excited to finally get her own place, and when we told her we were expecting, she crowed with delight.

  “Oh my god, I’m not going to be an only child anymore. Suh-weet!”

  But now, the most important people in my life are coming over, and I want them to enjoy and appreciate our home. After all, I spent ages painting the walls a delicate eggshell color, and picked out a number of colorful prints and houseplants to brighten the place up. Most importantly, we have a beautiful nursery upstairs, although I haven’t shown it to anyone yet.