7. Willa
WILLA
Troy Kantor was the most perfect Daddy a girl could ever want.
I knew that sounded both cringey and like I was setting myself up for heartache, but it was true.
He was also, unfortunately, a “responsible adult” with a “career” and “clients” and a sense of “duty” that manifested in an incredibly irritating devotion to his job.
Granted, his job was fairly important and kinda saved lives… or at least kept people safe.
But still.
I missed him.
We’d barely spent a single day together before he had to leave town.
If I weren’t so busy with my own career and clients, I might have been more of a brat about it.
But the first three days he was gone went by in a flash.
I’d been so busy dealing with three separate brides who all wanted destination weddings that I barely kept up with his sweet little texts and our nightly sext session before I was dreaming about him holding me and kissing me and loving me.
Okay, that last part was more of a fantasy than just a regular dream, but a girl had to have goals, right?
Every wedding detail I poured over with my clients made my mind wander to places it shouldn’t.
At least not in the first few days of a new relationship.
But even just the suggestion of a loving couple made my brain immediately photoshop Troy and me at the end of a beautiful altar.
I low-key hated myself for it, but also, it was his fault.
He made me want things I didn’t think I’d ever want.
I was the wedding planner. The person who facilitated other people’s happy ever afters.
I wasn’t the one who was supposed to get the fairy tale ending.
But Daddy was my Prince Charming and Aladdin and Beast and Shrek all in one sexy package.
Okay, maybe I needed to not fall asleep to cartoons anymore.
I checked my phone for the nine millionth time, but he was still out of range. He’d warned me the cell signal was bad where he was gonna be, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t hope he’d instantaneously teleport himself to my living room and give me a big Daddy hug.
My day was relatively slow for Wednesday and the quiet was getting to me. I needed action, or rather, a distraction.
I flipped backward over my couch so my knees were bent over the cushions and my head hung close to the ground and sent a text to our group chat.
I loved my friends and I had been kinda avoiding them all week.
But a few days alone was enough to make me put aside any fears I had about how they’d react to learning Troy and I were together and just reach out.
I also loved that every single one of them would totally appreciate the giant block tower on my living room rug, which was exactly why I included a picture of it in the chat.
CASSIE: I love it. Could use more pink but it’s still cute.
brIANA: Is that a Zane the Zebra plushie in the bg? It’s just like mine.
JASMINE: Bet you knock it over in 5… 4… 3…
POPPY: You've been quiet lately. What’s up?
KYLIE: Did you see the new Build a Bear going in on Main? We gotta go.
WILLA: I’ve got tea. Can we meet up?
CASSIE: At Poppy’s place?
WILLA: No, a restaurant. Maybe Gio’s Grotto?
brIANA: Say less. I’ll pick you up in ten.
I loved my girls.
By the time Briana pulled her Jeep up in front of my house, I was both starving and nervous about the conversation I was about to have with my best friends in the world. She wanted me to spill my news but I was strong and promised I’d tell her everything as soon as we were all together.
This was either gonna go really well or really bad.
When we walked into Gio’s Grotto, the girls were already at a round table in the corner with a half-empty bottle of wine.
Kylie brought macarons that she made from scratch in an actual Ziploc bag. They sat on the table like an offering, just waiting to be claimed. They didn’t have to worry because my plan was to claim at least three the second I had some produce in my tummy.
Daddy made me promise.
“You look cute.” Jasmine gave me a hug then popped an olive into her mouth. She was wearing a black slip dress and combat boots like Kylie Minogue, but sadder.
“You look like the girl who smokes outside the club and never pays cover.” I hooked my finger through one of the D-rings on her sleeve and then turned to each of the girls to greet them hugs.
Jasmine shrugged unapologetically. “I’ve never paid a cover. Why would I?”
After making it around the table, I sat down and clasped my hands in front of my chest. “So, that tea I mentioned.” I was having second thoughts about telling them, but I couldn’t keep Daddy a secret. He was too important for that. And my friends loved him. They would be okay.
Kylie eyed me with pursed lips. Did she know? How could she know? There was no way. Unless… Did she still talk to Troy? The green eyed monster inside me was trying to rip its way out like the baby in Alien. “Well, tell us already.”
“I’ve got a Daddy.”
All jaws dropped and all eyes lasered in on me but Kylie was the first to speak. “Anyone we know?”
She knew. Of course she knew. “Yeah, it’s Troy. Did he tell you?”
Kylie just shook her head but I wasn’t convinced.
Besides, all my other friends were up and in my arms, talking about how good we are for each other.
All the tension in my shoulders dissolved as I shared every detail of the night and day I spent with Daddy before he left…
and all the plans I had for him when he got back.
“So, it’s not weird?” I looked each of my friends in the eyes. “You’re all okay with this?”
“We’re just glad you found someone who gets you.” Jasmine’s eyes were all soft and melty. “And also that he’s not, like, creepy. He’s actually a good dude.”
“Yeah, he is.” I turned to Kylie, and my chest felt tight and wavy. “You’re okay too?”
She reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Of course I’m okay. You guys are perfect for each other. I’ve been telling you both that forever.”
She wasn’t lying.
We ordered our dinner and cocktails, and finally, Jasmine broke the silence. “So, is he good in bed?”
I laughed and avoided eye contact with Kyle. “So good. Amazing, really. And he makes me feel… safe. More than anyone else ever has.”
Poppy made a face. “You could’ve led with that, you know.”
Boring. “I wanted to build suspense.”
Jasmine reached across the table and squeezed my hand too. “I’m happy for you, babe. For real.”
“Me too,” said Briana.
Cassie grinned. “Next time, bring him so we can all stare at his arms together.”
I snorted but then remembered the second part of his conversation. “Oh, yeah. There’s one more thing.”
They all looked at me, waiting for the next bomb to drop. This one was almost bigger than the first one. Mostly because I didn’t think any of them would expect this from me. “Well, you know how everyone likes to call Troy “Daddy Troy”?
They all nodded and looked at each other, clearly wondering where I was going with this line of conversation.
“Well, that ends now. He’s my Daddy only. You can call him anything else, but Daddy is mine and I won’t share him.”