Chapter 7
“It’s good to see you, Dad. I’m glad we could catch up.
” Stan’s daughter addressed him more formally than they usually spoke, but he understood the reasoning.
It was why he’d asked her to have dinner here at the local bar with him in the first place.
They had to talk things through. He’d known he had screwed up.
Still, he wasn’t about to act like he was okay with her getting cozy with some random cadet.
“I didn’t think you’d be this excited to see me after I barged in on you and… Alex, was it?”
“It’s Andy, Dad.” Jewel corrected him with an exasperated sigh.
“Right, Adam.” Stan couldn’t help himself.
“Dad, come on! That’s not funny!”
“I’m sorry, princess. It’s just hard for me to let go. I’m sure he’s a nice enough guy, but no one is going to be good enough for my little girl. I’m a papa bear, and I get grouchy about that sort of thing.”
“Okay, first you need to know that Andy and I are focused on our careers and have no intention of dating. Second, I get where you are coming from, and that’s partly why I didn’t want to have this conversation with you.
I was afraid of hurting you. I really am sorry for storming out of the dorm.
That wasn’t very adult of me, but in my defense, I didn’t want to say something I’d regret.
I guess you aren’t the only one who finds it hard to let go.
I shouldn’t expect you to treat me as a full-fledged adult while I still want you to make me your famous grilled cheese sandwiches and do my laundry. ”
“Fair point.” Stan let out a chuckle and patted Jewel’s hand. “But I must say, I’m a little surprised you are seeing things my way. I figured I’d have to get in a few more dad grunts before you listened.”
“Let’s just say I got some good advice over coffee earlier today.”
“That’s great, princess!” Stan smiled, glad that his daughter was finding her way around campus and making friends so quickly. “I’m glad you are settled in and finding friends. How are classes going?”
“Good. I like my behavioural science professor, Dr. Smith.”
“The bear shifter or the cougar one?”
“Bear, but I heard he’s married to the cougar.”
“He is. Both are great, and you’ll learn a lot.”
Their orders of burgers and fries came, and Jewel took a huge bite of her burger the instant the plate touched the table.
She then plucked a Cajun-seasoned fry from her plate and dunked it into ketchup before saying anything else.
The two of them always had a comfortable silence between them when they were eating or binge-watching Villainous Minds together, but Jewel still seemed a little uncomfortable as they talked.
She wasn’t making any eye contact at all, which was out of character for her.
“What’s on your mind?” he coaxed.
She sighed, obviously reluctant, but finally said, “So, now that we are good, can I ask you to do me a favor?”
“Shoot, princess.”
“Can you treat me like the other cadets and not barge into my room like a father would when his daughter is at home?”
Stan sucked in a breath through clenched teeth.
“In my defense, I knocked—well sort of, but you are right, princess. I should have waited for a reply from you. You’ve got as much right to privacy as I do. I’m sorry, and it won’t happen again.”
“Thank you for understanding this, Dad,” Jewel said as she patted her father’s forearm. “Now, tell me, how was your day?”
Stan smiled as Kalliopi’s smiling face entered his mind.
His day was beautiful the minute Kalliopi descended from the private jet.
He didn’t realize how much he’d wanted to see her until that very moment.
And when he thought about meeting up with her later, every fiber of his being tingled with anticipation.
Even so, he didn’t wish to bare his heart to his daughter.
After all, he and Kalliopi had set out a plan to just have a short fling—just enough to hopefully get her out of his system.
There was no need to tell his daughter about the arrangement.
“It was good. Really good.”
Jewel dropped her fry, her mouth still agape as her gaze pierced Stan’s eyes. Her eyes quickly turned to shock.
“You met someone, didn’t you!”
“What makes you say that? Can’t a guy have a great day without getting the third degree about it?”
“Oh, come on, Dad! You can’t hide this from me because I get you too well. You’ve not been in this good a mood since you came back from SHIT. There’s no way you couldn’t have met someone. You aren’t your normal grumpy self.”
“Okay, okay! I met someone… Satisfied?” Stan took a huge bite into his burger, hoping his chewing would put a stop to this very uncomfortable conversation with his daughter—at least for a few minutes.
He had no intention of telling her anything because it would not be a big deal.
He was determined to ignore the mate sense and keep things friendly.
Kalliopi was a friend of his, after all, and one who he really hoped would come with benefits.
But they hadn’t even kissed yet, and having thoughts like that was so foreign to him now.
“I knew it! So, what’s she like, and when can I meet her?”
“Can we switch to another topic? I want to talk about this with you about as much as you want to talk to me about Andy.”
“Wow, you must be serious if you got his name right.” Jewel eyed him suspiciously as she shook a ketchup-filled fry in his direction. “Whoever she is, you clearly have a thing for her, Mr. TLC. You can’t convince me otherwise.”
Damn! I was so hoping that’d work.
“Will you eat that thing already? I don’t need to wear your food, especially when I’m heading out after this to take her for drinks.”
Jewel smiled and clapped her hands excitedly.
“Yay! This is so exciting! My father is finally getting on the dating horse.”
“I’m not getting on the horse.”
“Sure you’re not.” Jewel rolled her eyes as she munched on her fry. “Regardless, I’m so happy for you, Dad! You deserve happiness in your life.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” He was doing it again.
He was trying to convince himself that going out with Kalliopi wasn’t a big deal.
But with his heart pounding out of his chest every time he caught a glance of her, and even every time he thought about her, he wasn’t so sure he could convince himself of anything.
Especially when he knew she was his mate.
“Technically, we’re not even going on a date. We are just going for drinks.”
“It’s a date if you both want to call it that, Dad.”
“You and this new Z generation have a completely different outlook on the dating world. A date isn’t ‘Intraflix and chill.’ You must add romance to the whole thing. Sex isn’t romance.”
“Oh, God, Dad—ew! Please let’s not have a conversation about that. I barely made it through the last one!”
“What? We had to talk about birth control. It was my duty as a father.”
“That doesn’t mean my ears aren’t still on fire from the embarrassment.”
“Fine. But seriously, we haven’t even gone on a date yet, so give me a chance to see where it goes before you demand more info.”
Jewel shook her head. “You and your three-date ordinance. Honestly, Dad, it’s time to retire that rule from your life—permanently. Mom’s been gone a long time. She wouldn’t want to see you doing this to yourself. She’d want you to be happy.”
“I don’t know about that.” Stan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He’d spent Jewel’s life trying to make sure she knew how special her mother was, and how he never wanted to replace her, and now here he was, becoming all moony-eyed about another woman in front of his kid.
Jewel squeezed her eyes shut and took a breath before continuing. “That came out wrong. I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean—”
“No, you’re right,” Stan assured her. This wasn’t where he wanted the conversation between him and his daughter to go tonight, but it was about time he had it.
Because it was long overdue. “Mom has been gone for a while. And I guess I implemented that three-date rule to protect your heart and mine.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little silly now?”
“You’re still my little girl.”
“But I’m all growed up.” She gave him the same crooked smile she charmed him with ever since she was a little girl.
“That doesn’t mean I’m going to change my life and become one of those dating guys. Your mother was my true love. You only get one of those in a lifetime.”
“And you say my generation doesn’t get relationships? Dad, who says you only get one love in your life? With all the people you’ve shipped together, don’t you think that you’ve built up some points with the universe? Maybe this person you like so much is karma coming back around.”
“I didn’t ship people together,” Stan objected, as he always did.
“So you always say,” Jewel replied with a grunt.
“No one believes it, probably not even you. Deep down, you followed your gut and didn’t question it when you matched people to assignments.
You have a gift, and you could have refused to use it, but you didn’t.
That means you allowed the universe to work through you to connect all those couples.
And now, maybe the universe wants to show you some appreciation. ”
Stan shook his head. “You’re a bit of a romantic. I really don’t know where you get it from.”
“Of course you don’t, Dad.” Jewel shook her head but smiled.
“Because you don’t see it yourself. How much you root for love.
How much you’ve remained loyal to your own love because of how much you love love.
I get it from you, Mr. TLC. So, I hope you give this new situation a chance.
And look, I get why you swore off dating while I was growing up.
As you said, you wanted to protect my heart and yours, but it’s time, Dad.
Open up your heart again. Mom would want this for you, and you know what? So do I.”
Jewel placed four twenty-dollar bills on the table before she stood up. “I’m getting this tonight. Save your money for this beautiful gal that makes you happy.” She smiled at Stan before exiting the pub and leaving Stan to ponder her words.