Page 48 of Sleeper: The Palisades Edition

I shouldn’t have had the coffee.

I shouldn’t have had that beer.

I shouldn’t have finger fucked the nanny in my garage right before she left to see my best friend.

Everything was good and on track, and now this shit again.

It’s been hours since I heard from Willa. I keep wondering where she is. Who she’s with. How many guys are trying to get into her pants. If she’s still thinking about what happened earlier. If she still feels good about it. If she can still remember the feel of my fingers between her legs, because I can’t forget her silkywarm wetness.“I want you to feel how wet I am for you.”Jesus. Was that really the same girl with the Tiger Beat magazine who kissed the back of my hand? Is it actually possible that the same woman who’s great with my kids is also a randy little minx? Am I the luckiest man alive, or is this some big test? Would having sex with Nico’s little sister mean that I pass or fail? Fuck. I may never sleep again.

“You awake?”

I open my eyes and turn my head toward the bedroom door.

She’s there.

She’s there, in my doorway, dimly backlit by the nightlight in the hallway. Wearing pajamas. Hair brushed straight and to one side.

Is she there? Am I dreaming?

She steps inside, carefully shuts the door, and tiptoes over to stand near the foot of my king-size bed.

“I just checked on the kids. Fast asleep.”

She’s here. I am the luckiest man alive. “Hi.”

“Hi. I think Summer snuck a pocket snack to bed. There are little cracker crumbs on her pillow.”

“Well…that way she’ll be able to find her way back to her pillow if she gets lost.”

“Is it okay if I sit here for a minute?”

I lift up the covers for her.

“Oh. No thanks.” She sits at the edge of the foot of the bed. I sit up. Okay, maybe I am being tested. “I don’t think I should be anywhere near your amazing hands or your beautiful mouth or your probably very pretty penis right now.”

“‘Pretty?’”

“Pretty badass penis is what I meant to say.”

“That’s more like it.”

“This is weird. It seemed like a really mature thing to do when I was downstairs, but it’s weird that I just came into your bedroom, isn’t it?”

“It’s weird that it’s not weird.”

“Okay.” She sighs. “I just wanted to make sure you don’t feel bad. About what happened tonight. Because I really don’t. Whether it was a bad idea or not. Whether it happens again or not. I just want to make sure we both feel good about it.”

“Okay. I feel good about it.”

“Okay.”

She stares at the door. I don’t want her to go.

“Did you have fun? With your friends?”

“Not really. I mean, I’m glad I went. It was great to see Nico perform, and he was so happy that I was there. I’ve never seen him with a band behind him before. I’m proud of him. Did you have fun? By yourself?”

“No.”