Epilogue Robyn
“Ihave to admit, kiddo, I like the new place.” My father nods, smiling as he looks around the living room of my new house in London’s West End.
“Maybe I should get into spicy content.” He shrugs, looking over his shoulder at me and smiling.
“You think there’s any women out there interested in a fifty-something? ”
“I’d rather not think about my father doing—” I full body shiver “—if it’s all the same to you.” And my father barks out a laugh that resonates around the empty room.
Since travelling back from America, my views have skyrocketed to the point I was able to buy this house outright, as well as quit my nine-to-five, and work for myself.
And it’s not just spicy content either, my social media presence has taken off and the amount of brand deals I have with retail companies who specialise in sex toys and lingerie… is insane.
Who’d have thought I would garner a modelling contract for that one live all those months ago with Jack.
Jack.
I haven’t heard from him since I left, and to be honest, it’s a good thing. Both of us have kept up our end of the promise and thankfully—even though I miss him—I think about him less and less every day.
“Have you heard from the one who’s only five years younger than your father?” my dad asks, turning around to face me.
“Nope.” I pop the P as I lift one of the brown boxes filled with books on top of the large dining table.
“Hmm,” he hums walking over to the bay window to the right of my front door. “That’s odd.”
I roll my eyes because I don’t want to have this conversation again. After my mother called him in absolute hysterics the same day she caught me in bed with Jack, my father hasn’t stopped joking about the whole thing. But by the tone of his voice I can’ stop myself from asking, “Why do you ask?”
“I guess I just figured that considering my daughter likes a little sugar with her daddy, that—”
“Dad!” I exclaim, chuckling at his joke. “Really?”
“What?” He faces me with a broad smile. “Personally, I think it’s rather funny that my wonderful, and incredibly intelligent daughter stole my ex-wife’s husband from right under her nose.”
“They were already getting a divorce,” I sing. “I didn’t steal anyone.”
“Semantics.” He flicks his hand dismissively, turning his attention back to the window and frowning.
“What?”
“Is it usual for you to have random people standing outside your home?” He points. “Do I need to worry about stalkers now?”
My eyes widen and I storm over to where he stands. “No. Nobody knows where I—” The moment I make it to the window and look at where my father is pointing, I freeze. “What the—”
My father walks around me and opens the front door. “Are you going to loiter out there all day like some crazed fan or come inside,” he calls.
I watch as Jack slowly jogs up the stairs towards my front door, my father stepping back and allowing him entrance into the house.
“Hey, Mike.” Jack smiles, reaching out and shaking my father’s hand.
“Jack.” He smiles back, releasing Jack’s hand after a brief shake.
Okay, what the fuck is going on here?
My eyes dance between the both of them and I have no idea what is happening. I snort dryly. “I’m… confused. Did you both…” I point to my father.
“Mike had nothing to do with this, I swear,” Jack confirms.
“Loverboy here contacted me a few weeks after you left.” My father clasps him on the shoulder as though they’re old friends. “Luckily, I didn’t have to threaten him with death if he ever hurt you.”
“Oh God,” I grumble, pinching the bridge of my nose in embarrassment. “You have got to be kidding me right now.”
“I can go if…” Jack points over his shoulder.
“No, I’ll go.” My father leans forward, placing a chaste kiss on my cheek and whispering in my ear, “I love you, hear him out for Christ’s sake, he’s a mess without you apparently.
” I watch Jack’s eyes roll with humour, because my father isn’t the quietest whisperer in the world.
My dad stands back and offers his hand to Jack, and they shake.
“Nice to finally put a face to a name, I can see why my daughter… well… yeah, I’m not going down that road.
” He moves past Jack and out onto the top step.
“I’ll see you both for dinner Sunday. Have fun, kids. ”
I watch as my father jogs down the stairs and away from us, hopping in his car and waving before he drives away from my house. I’m still in shock, with no idea what the hell happened between Jack and my father, or even why he’s standing in front of me right now.
“This is—”
He closes the door behind him. “Weird?” Jack finishes for me. “Yeah.” He uses that same hand to run it over the back of his neck awkwardly.
Is he… nervous?
“I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea or not, but after you left, nothing was the same.”
“Be more specific.” I cross my arms in front of my chest and fight the smirk.
“I missed you, alright? But there was no way I could fathom coming to get you when my life was fucked up and I was—”
“Still married to my mother?” I chuckle dryly.
“Exactly. When Jennifer told me she informed Mike, I had to… fuck… I don’t know what even possessed me to do it, but I needed to explain myself. Tell him this wasn’t just me using his daughter because my marriage was falling apart and, well, he’s… different.”
I let out a soft laugh then, smiling. “Yeah, he’s not the usual father archetype that’s for sure. I think at one point he high fived me for sending my mother into such a jealous rage.” Jack’s gentle laugh sends shivers through me. “So… I take it you’re a single man now?”
“Divorce was finalised four months ago.” He clears his throat. “But I, uh, needed some time before I got your address from your father. I needed to be sure I wasn’t going to hurt you or mess you around after the divorce. I was being—”
“So, why exactly are you here?” I cut him off, still in disbelief that he’s standing in front of me like this.
I stand stock still as Jack bridges the space between us, his hands raising to hold my face, his thumbs stroking the apples of my cheeks. “I’m old, Robyn.”
“True.” I wrinkle my nose playfully.
“You’ll probably outlive me.”
“Also true, but at least I’m not after your wealth… so there’s that. What else is wrong with you?”
“I’ll probably be a grumpy, boring boyfriend to you, and the older I get the less I’ll be able to get it up.” He chuckles.
“Weirdly enough, medical professionals have little blue pills for that, and just because you can’t get it up in… oh… I don’t know three years’ time, doesn’t mean you can’t please me in other ways. Besides, you can just watch me fuck myself in front of your old ass.”
Jack drops his head back and groans towards the ceiling. “You’re going to put me in an early grave, I know it.”
“Instead of making all these ridiculous excuses to me, Jack, tell me why you’re really here.”
“Alright then…” He releases a nervous exhale. “I guess I’m just a guy, standing in front of a girl… asking her to love him.”
A wide smile breaks out on my face. “You watched Notting Hill.”
“And you didn’t even need to ask me.”
He mimics my wide grin and leans in to kiss me, but I gently press my hand to his broad chest. “Just because you watched my favourite movie, doesn’t mean you get to swoon me with a gender-bent version of a Julia Roberts quote.”
Jack shrugs, his lips barely a hairs width from mine. “Guess I’ll just have to watch all those other shitty romance movies and find other ways to tell you I love you.”
My cheeks flush with heat at hearing him say those words so honestly. “I love you too.” When the final word leaves my mouth he fuses his lips with mine, and it might just be the best kiss I’ve ever had in my life.
Correction… it is.
The End.