Chapter 8: Where no Man Has Gone Before
Dave relaxed on the couch, while the late morning sun beamed in through the open blinds. He had a cold towel on his forehead, dressed in his running shorts and a tank top, while perspiration gleamed on his skin. On the TV, old reruns of Saturday morning cartoons played. Autobots battling Decepticons registered on some level in his ears, but his mind was drifting, replaying the feel of Erin’s light little kiss the night before. Suddenly, the cartoons stopped. A white, horizontal line stretched across the TV screen. Weird.
“Do not attempt to adjust your TV…” a voice said, and Dave sat up straight, wondering when this channel had taken up replaying The Outer Limits.
The line went vertical, but then began to pulse in time with Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” which began to blare. He set the laptop aside and stood up. What the hell? Just then, the front door opened, and the sound of two laughing girls filled the entryway.
“Good morning, Dave!” Erin crowed.
Casey followed her in, both of them dressed in cotton pajamas with the top two buttons undone, big fuzzy slippers on their feet. Casey tossed her overnight bag onto a chair, and they each hugged him tightly.
“You know, there really ought to be some kind of control on those things. Unexpectedly taking away a man’s Saturday morning cartoons is a big no no, and a nostalgia killer.”
“We are in control,” Erin said, evilly, “We control the vertical, and the horizontal!”
He sighed, defeated, but not in the least put out.
“I take it you two had fun?” he asked.
“Loads!” Casey answered, and Erin stifled a giggle.
“We got you a present!” Erin said, digging in her purse.
“If it’s a World’s Greatest Grandpa mug, you can keep it.”
“It’s only slightly better than that.”
She handed him a little black box. He took it, opened it. A set of shimmering contacts lay within.
“Are these… those things?”
The two girls swiped and poked at the air, and Dave watched as the color drained from their eyes, leaving them empty, black, and soulless. They approached him slowly.
“Dave…” Erin droned, “Join us, Dave…”
“It will be good for you, father,” Casey added, “You must join uuuusss…”
Despite how horrifying the effect was, Dave let loose a guffaw that had his belly hurting.
“Stop it! Jesus, that’s the creepiest thing. And no hearts!”
They poked the air, and their eyes returned to their normal colors.
“Put them in, Dave!” Erin cried excitedly, practically bouncing.
Dave took the box into the bathroom and removed his contacts, replaced them with the Haloes, and popped one of the accompanying earbuds into his ear. The sensation in his ear caught him off guard as the earbud seemed to expand, fitting itself tightly into his ear canal. A few seconds later, a glowing letter “H” hovered in the air in front of him.
“Too cool!” He exclaimed and walked back to the living room.
The girls watched him anxiously as he went through the setup steps, then the Haloes asked him for a name.
“Suggestions?” he asked.
“Jarvis!” Casey said.
“No!” Erin cried, “Come on, Dave, you big nerd. If you don’t name them Hal, I will actually kick you in the balls.”
Dave grinned, and said, “Hal.”
“Hello Dave. I’m Hal,” a voice said in his ear, and it was a perfect match.
“Wow!” He exclaimed, “How did it know what Hal sounds like?”
“They’ve got perfect replicas of every pop culture AI built-in, of course.”
“This is wild!” He had a cheesy grin plastered on his face.
“Dave,” Erin said, and stood bouncing on her feet in front of him, “let me in. Leah, connect to Dave’s Haloes.”
A message popped up in his vision, asking for permission for Erin to share his view. He accepted.
“Ok, she said. I’m ready. Do it.”
Dave looked at her quizzically.
“Do it! Do it! Do it!” she repeated, her whole body quivering, eyes wide like some little anime girl.
“Open the pod bay doors, Hal.”
“I’m sorry, Dave. I can’t do that.”
Dave chuckled, and Erin giggled, hands covering her mouth in glee.
“Again!” she cried.
“Hal, open the pod bay doors.”
“I’m sorry, Dave. I can’t do that.”
She laid her hand on his chest and whispered, “Did you just have a little nerdgasm, too?”
He nodded his head, jaw slack.
“No. Not again,” Erin said softly, “Save it.”
He nodded again.
Casey rolled her eyes, and said, “Geeks. I’m going to have a shower.”
“I’m next,” Erin said.
“You wanna walk me through the rest of this?” Dave asked her.
While Casey went to shower, Erin and Dave finished setting up the Haloes. She jabbered excitedly, showing him features and functions, how to set up quick access, and generally playing around. Dave was enthralled. It was like half the sci-fi novels he’d read growing up were suddenly real, and then it dawned on him that he was about to witness people leaving for another planet in only two days.
Erin saw the faraway look on his face.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It just kind of hit me that all my childhood fantasies about spaceships and cool tech just became real life. You know, when I was your age–”
Erin groaned dramatically.
“When I was your age,” he continued, “I never would have dreamed that I’d be alive to see something like this, but damned if I didn’t just become some sort of cyborg. It’s just, kinda nuts.”
“It’s all moving so fast,” Erin agreed, “Personally, I think it makes you value more, the people you have around you. Even if they are cyborgs.”
“Ok. Epiphany over,” he said, “Continue showing me cool stuff, please.”
Dave fed them sandwiches for lunch, during which he was treated to the sight of the girls, once again, in tiny panties and their pajama tops. He still felt like a guilty pervert, but he had to admit that it was enjoyable.
After lunch, he lounged on the couch, flicking through Halo menus and exploring his new toy. The sound of footsteps running down the stairs drew his attention, and he sat up, curious. Erin burst into the room, her hair whipping behind her.
“They’re coming out of the walls!” she cried and dove behind the armchair.
“What?”
“Leah! Draft Dave into the war!”
A message popped up in his vision, stating, “Erin has requested you join the fight for freedom.”
He tapped yes. A giant mechanical spider crawled over the end of the couch in front of him. He yelled and fell off the couch. He looked up, and the thing skittered menacingly toward him, and then it exploded into a shower of sparks.
“Die!” Erin shouted.
Dave looked over at her. She wore a cowboy hat and held a smoking laser pistol in her hand. What the fuck was happening? Erin skirted the armchair and kneeled beside him.
“I’ve got you, Dave, but they’re holding Casey hostage. It’s up to us!”
“Jesus! What are they?”
“Mechanorachnids, and the queen has got Casey!”
Dave sat up and noticed that he had a pistol in his own hand. He grinned like a kid, and felt like one, too. He pointed his pistol over Erin’s shoulder and blasted another spider as it crawled over the armchair, feeling a thrill of delight as it vanished in a puff of sparks. Together, they got to their feet. He had to admit that it was a little odd seeing Erin wearing a cowboy hat, pajama top, and thin panties, while she blasted mechanical spiders into dust, but the effect was kind of sexy.
A wave of spiders poured down the stairs, and together they blasted through them, sparks flying into the air, evaporating as they fought their way up the steps. On the landing, a gigantic mechanorachnid with glowing ruby eyes blocked the way. They blasted it with the pistols, but they had little effect on the gleaming, metal body.
“Go for the eyes!” Erin said, and they took aim.
The creature hissed in fury as 2, then 4, then 6 of its horrid eyes exploded in puffs of red dust. It thrashed, keeled over, and then burst into sparks.
“Was that the queen?” Dave asked, as they crept up the steps.
Erin poked her head around the corner, gulped, and then said, “Nope…”
Dave leaned over her and looked, “Shit!”
Guarding Casey’s door was a hulking black mass with jointed, razor-sharp legs. It had two heads that swiveled back and forth watchfully, gleaming red eyes attentive for intruders. Dave and Erin glanced at each other, nodded, and then split up, drawing the gaze of those sweeping eyes in both directions, firing at the glittering rubies. The thing screeched in pain as they blasted out its eyes, its legs flailing.
Jesus, it looked real, Dave thought, and the creature stood up on its hind legs, protecting its remaining eyes. A bolt of blue fire arced through the air, striking Erin in the shoulder, and she went down, crying, “I’m hit!” Dave saw smoke rising from her shoulder, but she rolled away from a second blast, and came up on one knee, firing her pistol in rapid succession. On the creature’s abdomen, Dave glimpsed a swirling, blue crystal. He took careful aim, fired, and saw the crystal burst into a million blue shards. The queen collapsed, her mechanical legs folding beneath her as the light faded from her eyes. She evaporated into a thick black cloud and swirled away. Erin hobbled toward Casey’s door, which was coated in shiny, translucent webs. She fired her pistol, and the webs burned away. Casey came rushing out of the room and threw herself into Erin’s embrace.
“My hero!” she cried.
“It was a team effort,” Erin admitted, rubbing her smoking wound.
Casey hugged Dave, giving him a peck on the cheek. Dave returned the embrace, careful to keep his sweaty hands from groping her ass. In his Haloes, a stat screen appeared, showing his shots fired, hits, misses, and score.
“Old man’s got skills!” Erin said, “Deadeye Dave, we’ll call you.”
Dave grinned like a maniac and blew smoke from his pistol.
“Next time, you’re the hostage,” Casey said to her.
“That was a… blast!” Dave said, and the girls groaned.
“Hey, now that we’ve saved the world, I have some last-minute shopping to do for the trip. You?”
“I could use a few things,” Dave agreed.
“Are pants required?” Casey asked.
“We could wear bikinis!” Erin suggested.
Dave flushed, and added, “I need a shower.”
The next morning, Dave found himself wedged into a middle seat on the plane between the girls. They shared a movie in their Haloes during the flight, getting odd looks from the people across the aisle, as the three of them stared off, seemingly at nothing, and chuckled to themselves. Dave didn’t care. The kid in him was practically bouncing out of his seat with excitement. The last few days had made him feel so young. Now, with the prospect of a childhood dream coming true, and his new cyborg eyes, he really did feel like a kid. He’d been as horny as one, too, unfortunately. He didn’t remember a time when he’d jerked off so frequently, as he had these past few days.
He’d stopped feeling quite so guilty about it, because it was becoming normal, but he couldn’t help that twinge of sickness, thinking of himself as perverted when he stroked his cock, imagining Erin’s delectable bottom. He made a strong mental effort, though, not to include Casey in those fantasies. That was a line a little too far. The memory of Erin’s suggestion that she was going down on his daughter, however, did not make that an easy thing to do.
The blinding Florida sunshine greeted them as they departed Melbourne International, but there was something a bit off about it. Blinding. It should have been blinding, because he’d forgotten to pack sunglasses. It wasn’t, though. His vision itself was tinted against the bright rays. He caught Erin’s eye, and saw that her normal bright blues were darker, like a shade had been drawn over them. She cocked her head in question.
“Do the Haloes… adapt to the sunlight?”
“Of course!” She chirped.
“Jesus. These things are even gonna put sunglasses out of business.”
The three of them, bags in hand, crossed to the car rental, where Erin checked them in. A short time after, a valet brought around a bright red EV convertible.
“Nice choice!” Dave praised her.
“Every hot blonde needs a cherry red drop top,” Casey said.
“Beats the old bucket back home, that’s for sure.” Erin agreed, took the proffered keyfob from the valet, and got behind the wheel. Casey vaulted the passenger side door into her seat, Dave, awkwardly, clambered into the back seat. They cruised down the ramp and hit the highway. Off to his right, Dave watched the rolling ocean waves, dotted by small boats and parasailers. Yeah, this was the life. He settled back in his seat, while Casey tuned the radio, until the Red Hot Chili Peppers were crooning, “Road trippin’ with my two favorite allies…” from the speakers.
“Now that’s timing!” she said, and settled back in her seat, kicking her feet up on the dash, her bare legs soaking in the sun.
“Do you know where you’re going?” Dave asked.
“Leah,” Erin said, “Share the map with Dave.”
In the corner of his vision, a HUD displayed an overlay of a GPS route on the road ahead.
“Should have known,” he answered himself.
He stared off at the ocean and lost himself in the music and the whipping of the warm coastal wind.
“I can give you a better view, Dave,” the voice of Hal said in his ear.
“Shit!”
Casey looked back at him, and he caught Erin’s eye in the mirror.
“Hal,” he said, and waved it off, then he replied, “Ok, Hal. Show me what you've got.”
Something like the zoom control of his phone camera winked into existence, floating in the corner of his right eye. He scrolled the dial, and watched the ocean grow closer, closer, until he felt like he was right there on the beach. The effect made him feel a bit dizzy, like he’d lost his depth perception, but he became accustomed to it quickly. He could even make out a gaggle of girls in bikinis along the sand and chuckled to himself. These things were a peeper’s dream. If he’d been a peeper.
Erin pulled the convertible into the Radisson Resort at the Port. The place was completely packed, and not just with the usual early-summer vacation goers. This was a global event, never to be repeated. Though the world had known for some time that it was coming, as the launch grew closer it actually became real for people. Even getting flights and a hotel 3 months before had been a challenge, and it hadn’t come cheap. The entire state was gouging on prices, and it was paying off big.
Rocket Launch Viewpoint would be off limits for the general public, having been reserved for high-ranking dignitaries, and covered in massive amounts of security. Fortunately, they’d be able to get in at Port Canaveral Park. While it wouldn’t be a front row seat, just being a part of it was enough.
There was a festive mood in the air, and everyone was on a space craze. On every available bit of sidewalk was someone with a booth, a cart, even kids with wagons, all of them hawking some kind of souvenir to cash in on the event. They couldn’t walk 10 feet without nearly tripping over a Martian, a Klingon, or some other space-faring creature. Children with masks, rockets, laser guns, and space helmets were everywhere. People were decked in shirts reading, “Take me to your leader,” or “Pale Blue Dot,” and other memorable sayings.
They entered the lobby and stood in line to check in. Dave soaked in the temporary decorations that had been put up in honor of the launch. Banners sprinkled with comets and stars hung from the ceiling. Twinkling LED stars covered the walls. Carpet runners covered in comet trails crisscrossed the floor.
“This is the coolest freakin’ thing in the world!” Erin said.
“You mean…out of this world!” Dave shot back.
Casey rolled her eyes, and said, “You two should get a fantasy suite, and just bone in a moon crater.”
“Oooh!” Erin cooed, “I could be a sexy Orion Slave girl, and Dave can be a gross, slimy tentacle monster from planet Zorkon Prime!”
“Jesus! What kind of sick fantasies do you have?” he asked, then added quickly, “Forget I asked. Please, forget I asked.”
“Good catch, Dad,” Casey said, “She will tell you in lurid detail right here.”
The couple in front of them cleared away, and their turn to check-in came up, cutting off whatever witty reply was, no doubt, about to come from Erin. They checked in, were given key cards, and made their way up to their room. Room. Singular, Dave realized.
“Um, you don’t have your own room?” he asked.
“It was hard enough to get the one,” Erin said, shaking her head, “But it has a big king bed, Dave. Don’t worry. Unfortunately, it is not a moon crater, so please get your disappointment out of the way, now.”
“I left my giant slime bottle at home, along with the fully poseable tentacle suit, anyway. You just never know what to bring on vacation.”
Erin let them in and tossed her bag on a chair. Casey and Dave set theirs down. Dave crossed the room and drew back the curtains to the balcony, letting the sunlight fill the space. Erin kicked off her sandals and flopped down on the bed. Casey joined her. Dave admired the view of the Cape from the balcony, scanning the bustling town with his Haloes.
“Bikini time!” Casey said, suddenly, and vaulted from the bed.
She dug her swimsuit from her bag. Erin followed her, and together, they disappeared into the bathroom. Dave opened his own bag, retrieved a pair of baggy shorts and a tee, and tried not to imagine what was on the other side of the door. He was not successful. He wondered, briefly, if Haloes came with X-Ray vision.
“Hal, activate X-Ray vision,” he whispered.
“I’m sorry, Dave. I can’t do that.”
Well, it was still in Beta.
After much giggling, the door opened, and the two girls stepped out. Casey was looking very cute in an ivory two-piece with red and yellow splashes, a pair of Tory Burch thong sandals on her feet. Erin was downright sexy in an emerald bikini that showed it all off, and a sheer sarong wrapped around her waist. Both of the girls had their hair tied back in ponytails. Dave tried his best not to salivate as they began to smear sun lotion all over each other. He busied himself applying his own.
The sun was just beginning to dip into early evening, now, as they strolled through the milling crowd on the streets. Dodging vendors, they found a trendy little cabana restaurant for dinner, and wolfishly tucked into their food. For the next few hours, they explored the shops. Erin and Casey found matching sun hats, while Dave picked himself up a NASA baseball cap
The nightlife was in full swing as they walked back in the direction of the hotel. Casey spotted an under 21 dance club, and after a bit of convincing, they dragged Dave inside. The place was pumping out dance pop, something about “Backdoor Girl.”
“Is that music?” Dave asked.
“It’s Bratty Britt,” Erin explained, “She’s too naughty!”
“I’ll say.”
They found standing room in a corner, and Dave tried to understand the appeal of the utterly trashy lyrics
“Grab my reigns like a pony, baby
Pull em back and show me
How a backdoor girl makes her money”
“You ain’t gotta buy me dinner
Or take me to a movie
Just bend me over rough
And put that big one right through me”
“I’m a backdoor girl, baby, backdoor girl
Bottoms out, scream and shout
Bury that stick
I’m a backdoor girl, baby, backdoor girl”
“Split it wide. Come inside.
Slap it. Watch it jiggle.
My math skills stop at divide.
I’m always open for a ride.
Can’t resist the way my backside wiggle”
“It’s about butt sex,” Erin explained.
“Yeah, I picked up on the subtle lyrics,” Dave said.
The filthy song blended into something less racy, whereupon Dave found himself being pulled onto the dance floor by the two girls. He had no moves, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t look any more ridiculous than the other people bouncing around. He was sandwiched between Casey and Erin, who laughed and ground against him, pushing their asses against his hardening crotch. He went with it. After a few songs, though, the day began to catch up with him, and he excused himself, becoming an observer. Other men took his exit as an invitation, but the girls ignored them, instead dirty dancing with one another to the delight of every male within view.
They returned to him soon enough, sweaty and laughing, but it was clear that they were fatigued, as well. They each held one of his hands and walked back to the hotel. They let Dave have the shower first, where he was very tempted to relieve the pressure in his aching balls, but he just couldn’t do it. Instead, he ran the water cold, then put on a pair of sweats and a new shirt.
“All yours,” He announced, and the girls took the bathroom together once again.
Dave was flummoxed. Changing together was one thing. Women did that, right? Showering together? Were they showering in their bikinis? Naked? Soaping each other up while they kissed passionately? The ache in his balls returned. Not now, he told his penis. No. He removed his Haloes, placed them in the case, turned on the TV, and tried not to think about naked teenage girls caressing each other.
His eyelids were heavy when they came out of the bathroom, making him groan inwardly. He feigned interest in the TV. The two girls wore only panties and thin pajama tops. Erin pulled back the covers on the bed, then they both came at him, plopped down to either side of him, and snuggled in close. The erotic smell of freshly washed teenage flesh drove the weariness from his mind. He handed the TV remote to Casey.
“Thanks so much for a wonderful day, Dave,” Erin whispered softly in his ear, and a shiver ran through his body.
“This is awesome, Daddy,” Casey whispered in his other ear.
Dave melted, and just enjoyed it. That little twinge of guilt faded into the background, and he let himself relax. Shouldn’t he let himself feel a little rush from being sandwiched between two half-naked women? Yes.
The TV droned on about tomorrow’s launch. Weather outlooks, the history of the program. Fiery failures, but many, many more successes. 240 repeat uses of the Starship vehicle. 16 round trips to the lunar surface. Years of planning and preparation. Already 5 unmanned flights to the Red Planet to deliver cargo and supplies ahead of the mission. Soon, though, his eyes were heavy again, and he caught himself snapping his head up to try to stay awake. He could feel Erin’s even breathing against his neck on his right side, Casey’s on his left. He had neither the heart, nor the desire to wake them. He took the remote from Casey’s limp hand and closed his eyes.
***
Dave awoke in a tangle of limbs, with a hardon. Casey’s arm draped over him, one leg over his own, as he lay on his side. He could feel the heat of her pussy against his leg. Erin, lay with her hands tucked under the pillow, her eyelids twitching, also with a leg over him. She was so close that he could feel her breath on his face. What was the protocol in this situation? What did one do when their half-naked daughter’s pussy was pressed against their leg, while her sexy best friend’s utterly kissable lips were barely an inch away. Oh, and your dick was hard. All he knew was that if he didn’t extricate himself somehow, there would be more than one rocket going off soon.
Erin abated his dilemma when her eyes fluttered open, sleepily. Her lips brushed his, and he found that he couldn’t move. Fuck. He shivered. Her lips didn’t move. Instead, she pressed a little harder, tentatively, and licked his lips. Then, again, slow, sexy, her eyes closed. She sighed, pulled away, grinned, and opened her eyes again.
“Morning,” she said.
Dave was speechless. She made an enticing show of stretching languidly, and loudly, which roused Casey. She snuggled her nose against the back of his neck.
“Morning, Dad.”
“Morning, Honey.”
For the next few minutes, Dave stayed in bed, willing his erection to subside. This was complicated, however, by the fact that Casey and Erin strutted about the room in their panties, while deciding which bikinis they would wear today. Finally, they disappeared into the bathroom together. He heard the shower running, a great deal of laughing and chatter, as well as the smack of a hand against wet flesh, followed by Casey yelping. His cock was not willing to go down. He tucked the damn thing into the waistband of his pants, got up, and made some bad hotel coffee.
Complimentary paper cup in hand, he pulled back the curtains and stepped into the warm, morning air. The town was already buzzing. Though the launch was scheduled several hours from now, there were already people heading toward their preferred viewing destinations. He supposed that every meter mattered in a case like this. He snapped his fingers to wake Hal for a closer look, but nothing happened. Of course, he hadn’t put the Haloes in yet. He marveled for a moment at how attached he’d become to the damn things in just 2 days. He contented himself with his regular, old, human eyeballs. After all, they’d worked just fine for the last 43 years.
The sound of the bathroom door opening snapped him around. The Florida coast was a beauty, but it had nothing on the banging blondie stepping out into the room, hair wet, decked out in a skimpy white thong bikini. Casey followed a moment later, steam rolling from the tiny bathroom, wearing a blue two-piece with a keyhole top, which pressed her tits together and promised a whole lot of fun to the right man.
“We’re going down to get some real coffee,” Erin stated, “Want us to wait for you?”
“Go on ahead,” he answered, “I’ll be down in a minute. If they have bacon, though, I’d love it!”
“One big helping of fat, greasy meat for Dave,” Erin acknowledged, “Got it!”
They snatched their little purses and sashayed out the door, much to Dave’s delight. As soon as the door closed, he was in the shower, furiously attending to his boner.
Prepared to face the day, Dave put on his NASA cap and departed the room.
“Hal,” he said, “Locate Erin.”
“Erin is sharing her location with you,” Hal replied, “Would you like guidance?”
“Please.”
A glowing arrow blinked at the end of the hall, indicating that he should proceed right, toward the elevator. He followed. Hal highlighted the button for the lobby floor. He followed. The doors opened on the lobby, and a trail of stardust glowed on the ground before him. He followed. The sparkling trail took him to the public dining room, where passable hotel food was being served to the hungry masses. A swirling blue icon floated above Erin, seated at a table with Casey.
“You have reached your destination,” Hal said.
“Thanks, Hal.”
“I’m at your service, Dave.”
Dave joined them at the table.
“Old man’s gettin’ the hang of it,” Casey quipped, sipping coffee with a welcoming grin.
“Girl, I was reading about this shit in paperbacks before you were even a thought.”
“Pa… pap… er… What is this word you speak of, ancient one?” Erin asked.
“You see, when I was just a lad, we used to cut down trees–those are the big green things outside– and then mash them up into tiny pulp. Through a very complicated process, they became flat, and we could write words on them with a pencil.”
“Words? Like this?” Casey asked, and drew a ditzy emoji 😜 in the air, making Dave laugh out loud.
Erin slid a plate piled high with nothing but bacon in front of him.
“Wow. Thank you for the visit to the cardiologist.”
She flashed him a winning smile.
“I think I’ll compliment the gigantic pile of grease with something that won’t kill me by the afternoon,” he said and went back to the breakfast buffet.
Thus, hunger suitably assuaged, the three of them made their way toward the Port Park to stake out a viewing site. Erin scanned the hourly weather radar in her Haloes and saw nothing but clear skies. It was as though the whole hope of humankind had managed to contain the weather itself, and nothing could stop the future from coming. They found a small hill overlooking a sea of gathered people from all over the world, and Casey tossed a blanket on the ground. There was nothing to do now but wait.
The hours ticked by. They kept a live feed from the launch site in one corner of their Halo vision, and whiled away the time playing virtual cards, chatting, and snacking. Everyone was glued to phone and tablet screens as the time grew near. By zooming in as close as possible, Dave was able to actually make out the ship itself on the launch pad. This far away, it looked like a toy, but he knew it was anything but.
Periodically, smoke would bellow from beneath the boosters in a dry fire test. He could imagine the scores of people crawling over every inch of the thing, looking for even the slightest error. In the live feed, he heard back and forth chatter between the control team and ground crews, none of which made any real sense to him. At T-Minus 30 minutes, the President made a speech.
“At the height of one of the world’s darkest times,” he began, “on this very spot, the world came together in the spirit of exploration, and accomplished something that no one would have ever dreamed possible. Today, we are gathered here again, to begin a journey together that has been made possible through the sheer determination and uncompromising perseverance of so many.
I stand with you all today, not as the leader of a nation, but as a citizen of this world. Carl Sagan referred to our planet as the Pale Blue Dot. It is the only known harbor of life in our galaxy, perhaps even our universe. As imperfect as humankind is, we are the stewards of life as we know it. Our responsibility is vast. Today, we take the first step in a brave new journey, beyond our home, beyond our moon. We boldly go where no one has gone before, and we go there together!”
Dave found himself clapping, tears in his eyes. The thunder of thousands of hands doing the same washed over him. Shrill whistling and raucous cries of joyful cheering, laughter, the sound of people crying was like an emotional tidal wave. He felt Erin’s hand find his, and then Casey’s, and he was hugging them to his chest as tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Thank you,” he said, and kissed Erin’s blonde head, “Thank you so much for this.”
He heard her sniffling into his chest. He held them close, the two most precious things left in his life. His reason. He thought about Kathy, and how much she would have loved to see this moment with them. He felt a small pang of sadness, because these days he had trouble recalling her face. Then, Casey caught his eye, and he could remember Kathy’s face clearly. It was right there in front of him, and as long as he had her, he’d always have that lost love.
He looked at Erin and his heart swelled. He was standing in a place where the past and future met. A place where people fought for and died for their dreams, scared to death of the unknown frontier, but ready to face it with the kind of steel balls of courage that few would ever have. As she stared up at him, eyes blue and clear like the sky above, he wondered if he had the courage to chase his own future. He’d always thought of the future as this slowly approaching wave, something that gradually came on, until it was just there. You were living it. The last few days had proved him wrong, though. The future had blasted into his life, like the rocket on the pad, and had become his present. He felt so young, like the last 12 years of sadness had been blown away like all the clouds in the sky, and it was all thanks to these two women at his side.
The minutes ticked down on the counter in the live feed. Now, everyone was on their feet. A total hush fell over the crowd. The entirety of humankind held their breath and waited. The live feed flicked across to cameras all over the planet, where literally everything had stopped. Cars on the side of the road, watch parties in Times Square, and cities around the globe, offices where everyone stared into phone screens and TVs.
1 minute.
Erin’s hand squeezed his tightly. Casey clung to his arm. His Haloes were zoomed in as far as possible, and he knew the girls were doing the same. Everyone was holding up cameras and phones to capture the moment. Silence. Wait. The ocean breeze sighed across the island, and then it too was still.
30 seconds.
No one dared to speak. Even the smallest of children had been infected by the silence.
10 seconds.
Hissing smoke poured from vents along the rocket’s surface. The only sound, now, was the countdown from the control center. Every ear on the planet focused on this one, faceless man’s voice.
9. Dave’s palms were sweating.
8. He held his breath.
7. His whole body tingled with anticipation.
6. Sweat beaded on his forehead, rolled down into his eye.
5. He didn’t dare blink it away.
4. His blood raced in his eardrums.
3. Casey’s nails dug into his flesh.
2. They leaned forward.
1… and “Ignition.”
From beneath the boosters rolled a cloud of hot, thick black smoke that quickly turned to a blazing red inferno as the ship broke free from the ground with agonizing slowness. Seconds passed, and then the booming roar of those monstrous engines washed over the crowd, causing everyone to take a step back from the deafening crash. The rocket hurtled toward the atmosphere on a pillar of fire that seemed miles long, leaving a trail of white smoke in its wake.
Beside him, Erin broke the silence, whispering, “Go! Go! Go!”
Dave and Casey took up the chant with her, “Go! Go! Go!”
All around him, it spread, and soon thousands of voices were chanting in unison, “Go! Go! Go!”
In the live feed, that anonymous man’s voice said, “Mars 1 has successfully cleared the pad. Good luck, and God Speed. You’re carrying us all with you.”
Erin broke out into a whoop of triumph as the ship vanished into the sky. The cheers and clapping that followed were like nothing the world had ever heard before.
Chapter 9: The Power of Creation
The walk back across the island toward their hotel took hours through the press of bodies. They stopped for dinner, buzzing excitedly about the launch. It was on everyone’s minds, of course. All about them, people stared into phone screens, glued to the live feed from the spacecraft as it entered a slingshot that would send it onward to a new world. The three of them were no exception. As they chatted over dinner, interviews with the crew played in a corner of their Haloes.
They decided to walk off their meal by taking a stroll down to the beach, where they spent a few hours splashing about in the waves. Dave couldn’t help admiring the girls’ wet skin, sparkling in the evening sunlight as their bikinis clung to their bodies. Night came on, and they returned to the hotel, where Dave flopped down on the bed, while Erin and Casey took over the bathroom.
Erin ran the shower, and stripped off her suit, turned a predatory gaze toward Casey, and pulled her into her arms. Casey moaned excitedly, quietly, as Erin peeled the wet swimsuit off of her.
“I’m so hot!” Casey whispered.
Erin pulled her into the shower and began to soap her body. She started at her neck, rubbing the slippery soap down over her shoulders, kissing her lips lightly, While Casey bit her lip. She gave her breasts and nipples extra attention, soaping, rinsing, and then flicking her tongue across Casey’s hard nubs. She worked her way down her belly, rubbing soap between her warm, wet legs, between her ass cheeks, flicking her tongue against Casey’s aroused clit. Then, she turned her around and lathered her hair with shampoo, pressing her naked body against her as she did.
“We could sleep next to each other in bed tonight,” Erin whispered, “your dad would be just a few inches away, and I’d play with your wet little pussy.”
She slid her hands between Casey’s legs and rubbed vigorously.
“He wouldn’t know how hot your cunt is, would he?”
“No…” Casey hissed.
“It would be a sexy secret, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah…”
“He’d be lying so close. I’d slip my fingers into you, just like this,” she said, and demonstrated, making Casey buck, “your sexy pussy would get the sheets all wet when you cream. You’d have to be so quiet, so your dad wouldn’t hear you cum. Could you be quiet when I finger fuck you?”
“Aaah, no!”
“But your dad would hear you cum. He’d hear your pussy squishing and wet, wouldn’t he?”
“Yes…”
“It would make his cock really hard! He’d hear this sexy teen pussy, so wet and slippery, and it would make him think about fucking, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes…”
“You like making men hard, and think about fucking pussy, don’t you?”
“Yes!”
“It’s so nasty to make your dad think about fucking wet, teen pussy, isn’t it?”
“So nasty!”
Erin’s fingers worked her faster, bringing her close.
“You want to be nasty, baby. You love being nasty.”
“Uh huh…”
“Do you think he’d jerk off? Would your dad’s cock get so hard he’d have to jerk off, hoping we wouldn’t notice?”
“So hard…”
“Your own dad would be jerking off just a few inches away, stroking his cock, imagining horny, young pussy.”
“Fuck!” Casey hissed.
“I wouldn’t let you cum, though,” Erin whispered, “I’d turn over, and get under the covers. I’d start sucking his hard dick, and let you finish yourself off while you listened. You’d have to listen to your best friend sucking your dad’s hard cock while you play with your cunt.”
Casey lost it, and started to tremble, biting her lip to keep quiet.
“Don’t keep it quiet, baby,” Erin urged, “It’s ok to be a horny slut. You can cum really good, and moan for me, so your dad knows you’re a horny slut.”
Casey gasped and squeaked, her stomach muscles contracting as she came on Erin’s fingers. She couldn’t help it. She moaned out loud, and the sound echoed off the shower walls.
“That’s it, slut,” Erin said, “Being a horny slut is so sexy. It’s so sexy to cum out loud when your pussy needs it so bad.”
She held Casey and kissed her lips as she came, and as she came down from her high.
“You’re so fucking bad!” Casey hissed with a satisfied smile.
“Uh huh!”
They finished their shower, dressed for bed in their panties and pajama tops, and emerged from the steamy bathroom. Erin noted Dave’s flushed cheeks, and his pointed attempts to ignore them as he watched TV and was certain that he’d heard Casey’s orgasm. The thought made her pussy tingle. The two of them removed their Haloes and stowed them away.
“My turn?” he asked, and Erin nodded.
Dave carefully extricated himself from the sheets, covered his erection with his pajamas and quickly ducked into the bathroom. When he got back out, Erin and Casey were in bed, under the covers. They patted the spot between them invitingly. The cold shower hadn’t done much to relieve his hardon, which was quickly returning to a state of arousal.
Erin pulled back the covers, revealing her half-naked glory, and made him climb over her to get into bed. Her eyes flicked to his crotch as he did, but she chose not to embarrass him further. He lay on his back, and they watched more of the TV news discussing the launch, as though it were the only thing happening in the world. Eventually, the excitement of the day faded, and he fell asleep nestled between two warm, young bodies.
***
The glow of the red digital numbers on the bedside clock read 2:21 am when he awoke. Erin was no longer in the bed. Casey, though, was dead asleep on her stomach, sprawled comfortably beneath the covers. He let his eyes adjust to the dark but saw no sign of Erin. Curiosity eventually won over. He slipped out of bed, found his Haloes, put them in, and ducked into the bathroom, so as not to disturb Casey.
“Hal, locate Erin.”
“Erin has shared her location with you. Would you like guidance?”
“Please.”
He emerged from the bathroom, noted now that he could see perfectly fine in the dark, located his key card, and followed Hal’s direction out of the room. He quietly shut the door, followed the guidance down the hall, down the elevator, and then out of the hotel. The night was warm and tasted of salt. Where, exactly, had Erin gotten to?
The shimmering trail of stardust in his vision led him around the back of the hotel, and then down a set of concrete steps, until he found himself on a dark, deserted stretch of beachfront. A short distance away, laying on the sand, a glowing icon over her head, he found Erin. He sat down next to her.
“Hey,” he said, “You ok?”
“Great!” she said, staring up at the sky.
She sat up and looked out across the dark water. Dave followed her gaze but kept quiet. She’d obviously come out here for something, and it probably wasn’t to hear him pepper her with questions.
“It seems like it never ends, doesn’t it?” she asked and swept her hand across the water. The gentle rush of the surf lapped at the sand ahead.
“It does.” He agreed.
“All that dark,” she said, “and it’s an illusion. It’s finite. You know that at some point, you go far enough, and there’s another bit of land, and then another city, and then more people,”
She lay back on the sand again, looking up.
“But, up there, it just goes on and on, forever. I can’t even imagine what those people must be feeling right now, looking out across all those stars, and knowing that there’s no end. There’s no city. There are no more people. It just keeps on going and going.”
“I’d think,” he said, laying back on the sand, “that it’s equal parts wonder and terror. How brave do you have to be to do something like that? Plunge ahead into the unknown. Excitement? Dread? One miscalculation and you hurtle off into emptiness, forever.”
“Or, you get it right, and you start something new. You leave behind all the old concerns, the old fears, the old you. It’s a new beginning,” she said, “It’s… like the power of creation. There are no laws telling you what you can’t do. There are no old, social norms that say what’s right and wrong. You just… begin, and you figure it out together.”
They lay quiet, just watching the cosmos wheel overhead. Finally, Erin turned to him.
“Wanna take a journey with me?” she asked, grinning.
“Will we fly off into nowhere?”
“No. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Okay.”
She stood and dusted herself off, reached out to him, and he did the same. She did not let go of his hand.
“Leah,” she said, “I’m going to create an Experience with Dave. I’ll be the creator, and he’s my companion. I’ll need a brush."
In his Haloes, a message appeared, asking if he’d like to share an Experience with Erin. He did. Nothing seemed to change. There was still a dark and empty beach, but when he looked at Erin, she held a paintbrush in her hand. Her pajama top and shorts had been replaced with a slinky red dress that displayed a cum-worthy slope of cleavage. Her hair was styled, curled, cascading down her shoulders.
“What…”
“Shh…” she hushed him.
She took a step forward and drew the brush across the sky. In its wake, it left a smattering of brightly twinkling stars. She continued to wave the brush as they walked down the beach, and the sand beneath them became an endless carpet of the same glowing points. It was as though he was walking through the vast dark of space. The effect was disorienting, but only for a moment. He could still feel the sand beneath his feet.
She led him across the expanse of nothing, so full of those twinkling lights, millions or billions of miles away. His mind tried to grasp the enormity of it. It wasn’t real, but it sure as hell looked like it. He kept his mouth shut. It seemed inappropriate to speak, like his voice had no place here. It was too small to have meaning in a place like this. She led him across the sea of stars, and comets streaked by, leaving trails of stardust that spread across the emptiness. He knew that those little bits of dust would drift endlessly across the universe, now, until they, too, became part of something bigger. The power of creation. Erin’s hands seemed a blur as she tapped, flicked, and pinched the air in front of her, the brush twirling nimbly in her hand, like a baton, as she breathed life into the cosmos around them, like some kind of goddess.
In the distance, he saw a glowing sphere, which rapidly increased in size as they took each step. Mars. The planet loomed before them, becoming larger, until it filled his entire field of view. The stars vanished as they crossed into the thin atmosphere of the planet, and then he was looking out across the empty, red, rocky surface. They descended further, until they were standing on the Martian desert, looking back up at the pale sky, Deimos and Phobos hanging overhead.
Finally, Erin stopped, and just looked up at the sky, holding his hand. He was afraid to break the silence. He could still hear the lapping of the ocean waves, which only mildly intruded on the illusion.
“Someday,” Erin said softly, “there’s going to be something new and beautiful here. It won’t be red, dry, and empty. It will be green and full of life. They’ll create it with their hands and their minds, and it will be all theirs.”
She looked up at him, wrapped her arms around his waist. He stared back into those deep blue eyes, filled with wonder, shining with brilliance. He saw a beautiful mind, somehow more beautiful even than her smiling face, working, always working, always wondering, ever curious and excited. He felt her tremble. She closed her eyes. She kissed him under the pale sunlight of an alien world, and it was perfect.
Chapter 10: How to Date Your Daughter’s BFF
Their flight left early the next morning. Dave and Erin didn’t speak about that kiss on the beach, but all through the morning, Casey could see them giving one another little glances, the occasional, conspiratorial smile. Once they were on the plane, she messaged Erin in her Haloes.
“🤨”
“😏” Erin replied back.
“🤯”
“😉”
“Enough! Did you do something…naughty?” Casey asked.
“No.”
“Then why is my dad looking at you like a puppy?”
“It was just a kiss.”
“OMG!”
“On a moonlit beach, under the stars, with gently rolling waves.”
“That’s not just a kiss! That’s a kiss!”
“It was!” Erin agreed, feeling the flutter in her tummy as she replayed the memory in her head.
“Tell me about it later!”
“You want me to tell you about how your dad kissed me? While I finger your pussy?”
“Oh, fuck!”
Dave was conscious of Casey squirming in her seat next to him.
“You ok, Hun?” he asked.
“Just getting comfortable,” she replied, her pussy itching.
A few hours later, the plane touched down. Erin had already ordered an Uber as they taxied in, which was waiting outside when they arrived. The driver gave them occasional glances, likely wondering what the relationship was there. The hot blonde, her head on his shoulder, and the sexy little brunette holding his hand, made Dave feel like a king. The car dropped them at Dave’s house, where they made their way tiredly inside.
After he fixed them an easy, early dinner, Erin picked up her bag, looking sad.
“You know you’re welcome to stay,” Casey said, hugging her.
“Yeah,” she answered, “but I should probably head home. Make sure my mom hasn’t fallen down the stairs in a drunken stupor and lain in a puddle of her own piss all weekend. Not that that’s ever happened, of course.”
Casey hugged her tighter and said, “Call me later.”
Next, she wrapped her arms around Dave and held him.
“Thanks for being my space nerd. Dave,” she said, burying her face in his chest.
“No. Thank you for convincing me to go. I’ll be all the nerd you can handle, any time.”
“I love you guys so much,” she said, “Can we just become Mormons, and all get married to each other? I’m pretty sure it works that way.”
“This is your home, too,” Dave said, “You can always stay as long as you like. I won’t even charge you rent!”
Erin tilted her head up toward him, and for a moment there was something like… hope… he thought, but then she leaned up and kissed the side of his mouth lightly. He felt that same magic wrap around him, just like on the beach. She gave him a wry grin and broke away. He watched her walk out the door, and his heart sank a little, like she’d taken all the fun in his life with her.
He was stretched out on the couch a while later, watching the progress of the ship on the news, when Casey entered the room, looking down. As had become the norm, she was rocking only panties and a tiny shirt, her nipples clearly visible as hard little nubs beneath the thin cloth.
“Can I join you?” she asked.
“Of course!”
He threw back his blanket, and she climbed in with him. He put his arm around her and folded her into the blanket.
“You ok?” he asked.
“Yeah. It just feels different without her, doesn’t it? Am I just being crazy?”
“No. You’re not. It does feel a little lonelier. Not that I’m complaining about having you all to myself, of course. I mean, when was the last time that it was just us?”
“That’s just it,” Casey said, “it hasn’t been for a long time, and this weekend, it feels like something… something changed, or has been changing, you know?”
“Yeah, it has been. Gosh, you guys just grew up so fast! I mean, I saw it happening, but this past week it kind of slapped me in the face, I guess.”
Casey teased him, “From what I hear, that’s not all that happened to your face.”
“Casey, I… shit…”
“It’s ok, dad. Really. Why are you embarrassed about it? She likes you. Like, really likes you.”
“Casey, I just… I don’t even know. You don’t think it’s weird?”
She laughed, “No! Why would it be weird? You two are so fuckin’ cute together!”
“Language, young lady.”
She scoffed, and continued, “Why do you think it’s weird?”
“Well, for one, I’m old,”
“You’re not old. Lots of guys have a young hottie.”
“Second, she’s always been, at least to me, like you. A daughter.”
“I get that, but she isn’t your daughter. She isn’t me. What we have is different.”
“Third, you don’t feel like, maybe even a little, like I'm betraying your mom?”
Casey was quiet for a moment, then answered, “You know, sometimes, I can’t really even remember what she looked like. I mean, there’s things I remember, like the way she made me feel, or you guys laughing together. Good things. And when you’re with Erin, it makes me feel the same way. No, I don’t feel at all like you’re betraying her, or the memory of her. Mom loved you. I remember that. She wouldn’t want you spending your whole life alone, sad, with nothing but a memory of what love was like. She’d want you to live, to find real happiness.”
Dave felt his throat tighten, and croaked, “How did I manage to raise such a gorgeous and insightful young woman all by my lonesome. If I ever did anything right, it was you.”
“You think I’m gorgeous?”
“Honey, you’re a man-eater!” he said, and nipped at her neck, making her squeal.
“Erin thinks you’re sexy,” she giggled, “I think she totally wants to do you.”
“You shouldn’t talk about your bestie that way, when she’s not here to defend herself.”
“Do you think she’s sexy?”
“Um…”
“Come on! Remember, it’s not weird. I think she’s sexy. If you aren’t gonna take her, I totally will!”
Dave laughed, but he also remembered the sound of that orgasm she’d had with Erin in the shower and felt his dick twitch against Casey’s ass.
“Yup,” she said, “You do think she’s sexy. You totally wanna do my BFF!”
“Ok. Now it’s getting weird,” he said.
“It’s not weird! Come on, dad. I’ve seen your browser history.”
“Damn it! I really need a password on that thing. What were you doing in my browser history?”
“I’m a curious and precocious teenager with raging, out of control hormones. Duh!”
“I think this conversation’s gone far enough,” he stated.
“I’m enjoying it.”
“Did your curiosity extend to learning the word ‘inappropriate’?”
“Oh, geez. If I don’t talk about it with you, I’m just going to go on the internet and discuss it with strangers who will want to take advantage of my youth and naivety. They’ll probably want to do all kinds of bad things to me, and then I’m gonna end up barefoot and pregnant in a trailer park with some guy named Slick. He’ll have a bunch of gross tattoos and a spittoon. Oh, and he’s a pimp on the side.”
“Jesus! That got dark.”
“All because daddy didn’t wanna have the talk with me. So sad.”
“Okay! Man, you really lay it on. You get this crap from Erin, don’t you? That sounds like a line of her gobbledygook.”
“All I’m saying,” Casey went on, “Is that I know you think she’s sexy. You’re just a man, dad. Men want to bang hot chicks. It’s biology. You can’t fight your biology.”
“You sound like that DomCo nutcase,” Dave grumbled.
“Well, he has a point there. Guys want to have happy penises. Hot girls give them happy penises. You’re a guy, and you want to have a happy penis. Erin’s hot. I’m hot. You like to watch porno that resembles the only two hot girls you spend most of your time around.”
Dave made a little strangled sound in his throat.
“I just think that people should be free to explore their fantasies, and not feel ashamed to be who they are. Life is short. We learned that lesson twelve years ago. You have to find your happiness in moments. Who cares if those moments are through art, or a business, or even getting a dick pounded into your mouth. Just find your happy moments and treasure them.”
“That’s… well, that’s… a lot of words…” Dave said delicately.
Casey erupted with laughter, and he joined her. Once they settled down, Dave said, “I think I should go to bed.”
“Yeah. It feels like you’ve got something to take care of.” Casey said and wiggled her butt against him.
“Now that is inappropriate,” he said.
“Oh no! Are you gonna spank me?”
“No.”
“Awww.”
“May I go, or do you just get a perverse joy from making me uncomfortable?”
“Perverse joy. Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Just remember. It’s ok. With Erin. Don’t worry about me. Just find your happy. I love you, and I want to see you find it.”
“Thank you, Honey.”
“And I don’t care if you watch porno with hot girls that look like me and Erin. Just find your happy.”
“I’m going to leave now.”
He kissed the back of her head and disentangled himself from the blanket. As he stumbled up the steps, he wondered again what the hell was happening to his life. He slipped into bed, and stared up at the ceiling, then brought up his Halo menu and found the Flick-Talk app. A few minutes later, he heard Casey’s door shut.
Casey had been right, in a lot of ways, he decided. 12 years of hanging onto a memory of a feeling was a long time. He’d often thought that it was his way of being strong, as if refusing to really move on was some noble act of true love. But was it? Were people really built that way? Weren’t there millions of others who had been through the same thing as he and Casey, yet they’d seen that real love could come from other people they met during their journey? What, really, was holding him back?
He brought up his matches. Linda. 40 years old. Cute, mature, carrying some expected extra pounds. She had a charming little video showcasing herself journeying around the world, her son in tow. Marketing Director. 79% match. Swipe left.
Cassandra. 38. Olive-skinned. Italian heritage. Dark haired with the kind of eyes a man could get lost in. Loves dogs. Really, really loves all 12 of her dogs. 68% match. Too many dogs. Another Casey. Swipe left.
Leslie. 39. Pale and red-haired with enormous breasts and charming dimples. Self-described white-hat, and a gadget junkie. Can’t get enough of books, especially romance novels. 63% match. Swipe left.
There were more, but on the side of his menu, the little favorites icon turned green. He only had one favorite. He tapped the icon, and there was Erin. Only a second later, a message popped up.
“Hey, beach buddy!” she said.
“Hey to you, my favorite Martian. Everything ok at home?”
“Meh,” she wrote back, “My mom’s still kickin’ it. I miss you guys, already.”
“We miss you, too.”
“So…” Erin wrote.
“So…?” he replied.
“I don’t want to make it weird for you.”
“You can’t make it weird,” he assured her, “I’m… over the moon!”
“LOL!”
“Seriously. It’s not weird. If I can be honest,” He wrote, “quite the opposite.”
“So, you kinda liked it?”
“No. I really liked it.”
“Maybe it won’t be the last one?” She asked.
“Depends on if I fall for any of these orcas your app is matching me with.”
“See any that you like?”
“Let’s just say that I only have one person on my favorites list, and we already know each other ;) “
“Dave, you know how to make a girl blush!”
He was feeling randy, and wrote back, “That’s not all I know how to make a girl do…”
“Mmm…now this I’d like to hear!”
“Can’t give away all my secrets. I’ll need to be convinced.”
A moment later, a photo appeared in his Haloes. Erin stood in front of her mirror in her panties, one of the straps of her tank top pulled to the side, exposing a hint of her firm, supple curves.
“Convincing enough?” she asked.
“Very, but I can’t divulge my secrets online, where Big Data could find them out. I’ll only reveal them at an undisclosed location. We’ll discuss it at our next meeting.”
“Intrigue! Well, don’t keep me waiting too long. I do love a good secret.”
“I’m sure you have some of your own.”
“You have no idea,” she teased.
Chapter 11: Becoming
Dave was on a high all the next day. He’d stayed up far too late, losing himself in his back-and-forth banter with Erin. By the time he’d finally gone to sleep, the conversation had turned into a back and forth slinging of innuendo, a hair away from becoming pornographic. What had surprised him, this morning, was that he no longer felt any real guilt over it. Rather, it was a giddy sort of excitement, like the honeymoon phase of a new relationship. Which, he reflected, is exactly what it was.
He felt productive and motivated, though at times he caught himself daydreaming about that kiss and checking the clock. Erin had messaged him the occasional little kissy face throughout the day, but that was all. No doubt she was busy with classes, as was Casey. Still, he found himself wondering if she’d be coming over after class
It was while he was brushing his teeth for the third time that day that a message came through from Casey.
“Care to go out to dinner with two sexy ladies tonight?” she asked.
“Will you be there, too?”
“Ouch! :( “
“Hahahaha! Joking. You know that you’re the most beautiful daughter that I have!”
“Wow! Someone is a super meanie today! Guess I’ll just keep all the sexiness for myself, then,” she pouted.
“I would be honored to be accompanied to dinner by two sexy ladies, as long as one of them is you and the other is Erin.”
“Okay, but now you’re also going to listen to Bratty Britt the whole time we’re in the car, as your penance.”
He groaned.
A few hours later, Dave fidgeted on the sofa, waiting for the girls to get in. Casey was the first to arrive, plopping down on the sofa with her dad, where she tucked her feet up under her skirt. Dave could see she was brimming with exuberant energy.