Page 66 of Open To Negotiation

“You normally do whatever the fuck this is on your own?” Theo muttered near my ear so I could hear him, tension rolling through his voice.

“Yeah.” I didn’t need to look up at him to know he likely tightened his jaw and his eyes got angrier.

I pulled us to a stop to look around the main room from the top of the stairs. I had to shift through a lot of people to try and find him. But like I knew he would be, I saw him at the craps table. Luckily, he wasn’t playing but he did look forlorn as he leaned against it, his eyes dancing as the dice were thrown.

I pushed my shoulders back and started to move us in that direction. Theo let me guide but he kept me close, a welcome intimidating presence at my side. A man openly stared at my boobs before I caught the death glare Theo threw his way and he looked down at his cards once again.

“Dad,” I said as we stepped beside him, Theo stayed at my back. I didn’t look to see if he was surprised by who we were meeting. I wasn’t sure I could look at him after this.

“It’s my girl!” He took a step, well more stumbled, toward me. I managed to get my arms out to catch his hug.

It made my skin crawl with how angry I was. All I wanted was a relationship with him that didn’t require me giving him anything. I hadn’t noticed when I was looking for him that there was a large man dressed in a black suit looming behind him. I pushed my dad back a little as he gripped my arm, using me to hold himself up.

“Who do I need to pay?” I asked, keeping the emotion out of my voice and off my face. I could feel Theo’s anger growing and I didn't think it would help him if I reacted. The security guard tilted his head toward a man standing behind the bar. “Stay with Theo,” I told my dad as I took the cheque book he passed me. I didn’t make eye contact as I walked away from the both of them.

The whole time I spoke with the manager, I could feel Theo’s gaze on me. I paid the cash, wrote a cheque for the rest and they made me send them a photo of my licence that I had on my phone in case it didn’t clear. Then they told me I was free to go. It wasn’t the first time I’d done this, Dad just had to switch up the casino.

I didn’t really look at either of the men waiting for me. I went to move under my dad’s arm since he didn’t look like he could walk, but Theo put his hand on my shoulder.

“I got him,” Theo said, his voice softer than I was expecting. I nodded and walked ahead, not wanting to see Theo drag my dad out of here. The shame and embarrassment of it all was too much to bear.

No one spoke as Theo dumped my father in the backseat of the SUV, walked me around to the other side of the car and helped me in before going to sit in the front.

“He lives kind of far away and in the opposite direction you need to go,” I said quietly. I didn’t want to try and find his car tonight. It was just too much. “If you bring me home I can—”

“Just give Arthur the address,” Theo interrupted sharply.

Once we pulled away from the curb, my dad’s soft snores filled the car and all the anger faded. I was left feeling lost, I didn’t know how Theo was going to feel about all this and I wanted it to stop. But in two weeks or a month when my dad called me again, I knew I would show up.

Because there was no one else to do it.

The thirty-minute drive went by quickly and I didn’t bother asking Theo if he could stay in the car, I knew he wouldn’t.

I woke my dad, the smell of alcohol hitting me in the face. He was awake enough to get his legs moving but he still rested most of his weight on Theo as I unlocked the door and they followed me to his room.

I didn’t even look at the mess of the house, he’d moved into this small place after he and my mom divorced. I didn’t come here often, only on nights like this. I ignored it all as Theo got him in bed. Once there, my dad’s eyes slid closed. I pulled off his shoes, found him some pain meds and left them beside a glass of water.

Theo and I left, locking my dad in. I knew I wouldn’t hear from him tomorrow. I wouldn’t hear from him for a while and the next time we talked, he wouldn’t mention tonight. He never did.

The wind had picked up, thunder rolling in the distance, we were likely getting a storm tonight. From the beautiful day we’d had it was a drastic turn that felt fitting.

Theo got into the car next to me and no one spoke as we left the run-down neighborhood behind. This was supposed to be a fun first date with a man that had consumed my thoughts for the last few weeks, but instead we had to deal with my father’s shit. Now he was going to drop me at home and I would have to give him an explanation, then I feared he might leave and never talk to me again. Which I couldn’t even blame him for. This was a mess he didn’t need to be tangled in.

I spent the drive thinking, kicking myself and biting my lip to stop the tears from springing free. Watching as a few drops of rain hit the window. I was always upset after a night like this, but tonight was worse because I wasn’t alone.

If I hadn’t been so comfortable with Theo and lost in my own thoughts, I would’ve noticed that we hadn’t been going to my apartment. I only clued in now because the houses were too big, the lawns green and lush and we were pulling into the driveway of his house.

“What are we doing here?” I asked as he climbed out of the car.

“Night, Arthur.” He deflected my question, pulling my door open and holding his hand out to help me out.

“Didn’t answer my question, Theo,” I grumbled as he pulled me out. “Don’t you need to be at your apartment?”

In our text exchanges he’d shared not only did he not like staying at the house, but he felt it more practical during the week to sleep at the apartment, it was closer to his office.

“Not if you’re with me,” he replied quietly as he unlocked the door and I let out a sigh.

I didn’t have any fight in me, plus I really liked it here. I wasn’t expecting him to bring me back here, especially not after what just happened. I thought he would want to get rid of me quickly. I stood between the living room and the kitchen, watching as the trees swayed in the wind, the rain soft but the thunder in the distance promising worse.