I’d been staring at the blank page on my laptop screen for the last half an hour.

“Pumpkin, can I?” Dad knocked on my bedroom door and peeked his head in.

Sitting up on the bed, I put my laptop aside. “Sure. Come on in.”

I gasped at the sight of my dad in a tux. It sat exceptionally well on his tall, strong frame. Dad’s dark hair didn’t hold a hint of gray, and he took his time styling it. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he applied some products to his face as well.

“Should I worry about a line of women appearing outside our house in the driveway tomorrow?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

Dad’s lips quirked into a smile. “Don’t be silly. In case you cannot tell, I’m out of my element, but the occasion is worth the discomfort. I’ll have to rub shoulders with important folks.”

“As long as they donate generous amounts.” I shrugged. “It might be fun. You’ll eat well, at least. And no, you don’t look uncomfortable to me. You’re a handsome, forty-year-old man who looks good enough to be on the pages of a magazine in that tux.”

Dad walked up to me and leaned down to brush his lips across my cheek. “Thank you, baby. I would’ve taken you with me if I could, but…”

“No worries.” I gave him a small smile, nodding toward my laptop and the book next to it. “I will find something to busy myself with.”

Dad rubbed his chin. “And your boyfriend?”

“Has a work thing tonight. Everyone seems to have work things these days.” I made an effort not to sound like a pouty child. Judging by my dad’s chuckle, I failed.

“Pumpkin in l-o-o-v-e-e,” Dad sang, dragging the vowels. 

I picked up a frilly pink throw pillow and launched it at him.

Dad shielded himself with his arms in front of his face. “Pumpkin! My hair!”

“Lots of effort for your date, huh?” I smirked.

Sighing, Dad strolled to my built-in closet and studied his reflection in the full-length mirror on its door. “Katherine is a beautiful woman. I have to look accordingly.”

“Katherine,” I repeated the name Dad mentioned. “How come you’ve never told me about her?”

Dad tipped his chin up and adjusted his black bow-tie. “Cause I was busy, you know? Saving lives and such, the usual.”

Groaning, I rolled my eyes and flopped back on the bed. “Are you two like...dating?”

Patting the lapels of his tux, Dad made a step back and swiveled his head to give me a small smile. “It’s only for tonight, okay? Don’t worry.”

“Worry? I’d be happy for you, but maybe I should at least know who that woman is or what she does, don’t you think so?”

“She’s my age, and we work together Pumpkin.”

“So, she’s a doctor.”

“Yeah. Sexologist.”

I raised my hands. “Okay, enough. I don’t need to know more.”

Dad laughed, throwing his head back. “Ava Morris, that was judgemental. I thought your father taught you better. Many couples improve their relationship by addressing problems related to intimacy. Statistically—”

“You’re gonna be late! I just know it. Look how late it is. Your lady for the night is surely waiting.”

A sigh fell off my dad’s lips. “Try to have fun, okay? I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

I waved my hand at him. “Have fun, Dad!” 

As soon as my bedroom door clicked shut, I grabbed my computer and put it on my lap. I’d been stuck on the same chapter for days, unable to word the scene well. Jim was on my mind way more than my fictional character, creeping into my every thought.

Just like I feared, the words refused to come out. I slammed the laptop shut and fetched my phone.

Texting Jim was pointless, and the girls had plans. Harper was my only hope. 

Me: Wanna hang out, Dr. Lincoln?

Harper didn’t make me wait for a reply. 

Harper: Come over. Pizza?

Me: No need to ask. Will be there in twenty.

I hopped off the bed and darted to the bathroom to freshen up. When I was done, I pulled a pair of black leggings and an oversized, off-shoulder sweater out of my closet and got dressed hastily. 

I opted for a few swipes of my mascara and a coat of nude matte lipstick, gathered my hair up in a messy bun, and shoved my feet in a pair of sneakers.

It'd been a while since Harper and I hung out. She was busy with her patients and the research, and I dedicated my free time to writing and Jim.

Ten minutes later, I parked my car in Harper's driveway. She inherited her house from her grandma and was doing renovations little by little, turning it into the home of her dreams.

I climbed the steps of Harper's porch and knocked on the white wooden door, which swung open in barely a second.

"The pizza guy has just left," Harper said. "Come in; I'm starving."

I stepped over the threshold and smiled, inhaling the flowery scent that permeated the air of the hallway. Apart from loving books as much as I did, Harper was a fan of scented candles.

"I love the smell," I said.

"I bought the candle the other day. I'll get one for you next time."

I kicked off my sneakers and followed Harper into her kitchen. 

Her clothes almost matched mine. Harper was dressed in a comfy beige sweater and skinny jeans. This time, she straightened her long dark hair. It looked shiny. Harper was pretty, but she looked stunning tonight.

"You look beautiful," I said, sitting at the kitchen table. "I didn't ruin your plans, did I?"

"What plans, Ava?" Harper sighed. "My plan was to read and drink that wine all by myself."

"Mine was similar." I leaned against the back of the chair and accepted the wine glass Harper gave me. "Jim is at a work thing and will be home late."

"A work dinner?" Harper cut a slice of pizza and put it on a plate for me. 

I grabbed a paper napkin and waited for Harper to get her slice so that we could eat together.

Harper sat across from me and raised her glass. "Cheers!"

I did the same and took a sip afterward. "He didn't tell me much, but I suppose so. The wine's good. Jim loves wine, too. He seems to know a lot about it."

Harper smiled. "Another point in Mr. Coffee's favor. How's it been between you two after your appointment?"

I watched Harper take a bite, gathering the courage to voice my worries. "I don't know, Harper. We spent several nights together, but… he's more distant, and I feel it."

Harper paused mid-bite. "Distant how?"

I shrugged and rubbed the stem of my glass. "He's still affectionate and caring, but he doesn't seem to want to be intimate with me. It's never a good sign, right? I just don't know what's going on. We kiss, but I put my hands under his clothes the other night and kissed his neck, and he did nothing."

"Nothing?"

"A forehead kiss and a good night, Ava. That's not what I was hoping for."

"Did you have a fight?"

I shook my head. "I can't imagine fighting with him. Jim has the ability to turn any situation into something you can laugh at. I think I've never smiled as much as I do when we're together. It's just that...he's usually a really physical guy. He likes cuddles and always touches me. You know what the worst thing is?"

"What?"

"I know he wants me. One of these days, there's gonna be a hole in his pants."

Bursts of laughter erupted from Harper's mouth. Her shoulders shook, and she grabbed her wine glass, holding her hand up while she took a generous sip.

"I might be a virgin, but I'm not a nun. The books I devoured corrupted me."

Harper stopped laughing. "Poor boy. Maybe he discovered your little secret and is taking things slow?"

"I don't have the word virgin written across my forehead. Maybe he doesn't want to be with me anymore."

"I don't think that's the case," Harper said. "He might be stressed out. Why don't you just ask him?"

I raised my brows. "Just like that?"

Harper nodded toward the slice of pizza on my plate. "Eat, or I will. And yeah, just like that. He's your boyfriend."

I obliged and finished my slice in no time. After tapping the corners of my mouth with the napkin, I spoke again. "I guess what bothers me is that I'm like an open book, but Jim avoids some topics, like his job. I'd rather he ranted about stuff that makes him mad or frustrates him, but each time I start the conversation, he tells me he doesn't want to bore me."

"He might be used to keeping everything to himself. Many guys do, after all."

"If he is, that doesn't make me feel better."

I studied the wine in my glass and drank some more.

"It's a new relationship, Ava. I'm sure it's nothing a bit of talking can't fix. You still spend time together, and he cares about you."

"I know he does." I sighed. "It's my stupid hormones going crazy. How can I not want him when he looks that way?"

Harper's eyes twinkled. "Please, tell me you have a picture."

I gave my friend a small nod. "I took one the other day when Jim was reading. It's a bit dark because it was at night, and—"

"Show me; come on."

Smiling at Harper's curiosity, I reached into my purse I'd put on the floor and grabbed my phone.
Having found the photo, I handed the gadget to Harper.

Her eyes widened. "Whoa!"

"I know… "

"He works out."

"He does."

"And has a tattoo."

"Several, but I've only seen one. The rest are hidden. Maybe if he wanted to strip for me, I would have seen them by now."

"Lucky girl." Harper waggled her brows."I don't blame your hormones. I would be desperate, too. He's gorgeous."

She studied the picture for a moment and tilted her head to the side. The sudden silence made me frown. 

"Harper?"

Harper tore her eyes away from the screen. "Yeah. Sorry. It's just that…"

"What?"

"He looks familiar. Like really familiar. I was trying to remember where I could've seen him. Maybe at work…"

"He went there when he got roofied, remember?"

"That must be it." Harper smiled brightly at me. "Let's finish eating and move to the den."

We ate two more slices of pizza each. Harper took some chocolate sweets and more wine, and we made ourselves comfortable on Harper's red couch.

I sank into the soft cushions and skittered my eyes around the room. Everything was tidy. Spotless. Busy as she was, Harper didn't usually have enough time to tidy everything up on weekdays, and it was Friday today.

"You can say it," Harper said.

"You put away the books."

"And clothes. And work papers. I also vacuumed and dusted. And did my laundry."

"So, you didn't go to that fancy charity dinner because you wanted to clean?"

Harper brought the wine glass to her mouth and downed its contents faster than I thought possible. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, and she lowered her eyes to her lap.

"I didn't go to that dinner because I didn't have a plus one," she said quietly. Too quietly.  The expression on Harper's face was full of sadness. The cheerful girl from minutes ago was gone.

"For real? But what about your colleagues?"

Harper groaned. "Married, dating someone, busy...you name it."

"Dad could have asked you to be his plus one instead of going there with Katherine whatever."

"Smith," Harper whispered. "Katherine Smith."

"Yeah, the sexologist." I rolled my eyes. "As long as I know zero details about my dad's one-night stands, we'll be good."

Saying nothing, Harper shot to her feet and walked to the window.

Baffled by her reaction, I got up from the couch and barely made a step when I saw Harper's slim shoulders shake. 

I rushed to her side and put my hand on Harper's back. "Hey, what's wrong? What did I do?"

Harper faced away from me and covered her face with her palms.

I'd never seen her like that. She was calm and rarely lost her cool. The only times I saw Harper cry were when we went to the movies to watch one of the romantic tear-jerkers. Those were a few tears. Now, they were sobs.

"Harper, you're scaring me," I said, rubbing her back. "What's wrong?"

"That I'm...I'm not enough. I'm young and smart, but that means nothing, right?" Harper uttered, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"You're not enough? Of course, you are enough. You're wonderful. Amazing. You're—"

"Then why doesn't he love me?"

I froze. Every muscle in my body did, except for the one that made my jaw hit the floor.

Realizing her mistake, Harper pressed a hand to her mouth. "Oh my God. Ava, I never meant for you to—"

I pointed a hand to the couch. "Let's sit, doctor Lincoln. I believe you have something to tell me."

Harper gave me a guilty look and dragged her feet to the sectional. I poured some wine into our glasses and gave her hers.

"It wasn't on purpose, Ava," Harper said. "We never crossed the line. We sometimes worked night shifts together, and yes, we talked. A lot. About everything and nothing. Sometimes we'd get some coffee and sit on the stairs, chatting about a million things like...friends.

"But then when you went away...it was his birthday, and I guess being without you for the first time hit him hard. We went out to dinner with some colleagues. Alan and I shared a cab, and I… I invited him in."

"Did you…"

Harper nodded. "It was totally unexpected, and God, I feel so weird telling you this. You're my friend. I never wanted to—"

"Harper, stop it.  What happened?"

Harper tucked her long strands behind her ears and let out a sad chuckle. "What happened is that it was the best night of my life. I never felt that connection with anyone. It was as if the world stopped turning, and we were the only two people, but… I was so stupid. I thought he liked me, but he...he left, and…"

"And what?"

"When I saw him at work, he bought me some coffee and said it was a mistake. In a very nice and gentle way, but the message was clear."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, studying Harper's tear-stained face. 

"I was afraid you'd be mad," Harper said. "Alan is your dad."

"My dad is a grown man who hasn't been with anyone since the death of my mom, Harper. Nothing would make me happier than—"

"No." Harper shook her head, looking at me. "You have to promise me you'll keep what I told you secret. Please, Ava. Alan can't know. It was a moment of weakness—"

"More like a night of weakness. I don't think only one time of weakness, doctor Lincoln. I'm not gonna ask you how many times because it's weird, and I'm already blushing, but damn."

More tears rolled down Harper's cheeks. My heart broke for her. For the first time, I'd seen what I hadn't seen before — how she made sure my dad wasn't around when we hung out at my place or how her eyes lit up whenever I mentioned him. 

"Damn is right," Harper said in a shaky voice. "I wish I could just forget. I tried, Ava. All those meaningless dates and the guys I didn't like. They weren't him. No one is, and...I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"God, no." I drew my arms around Harper and put my head on her shoulder. "I am the one who's sorry. I swear I didn't know my dad was a bad boy."

Harper laughed, and so did I.

"It felt good to let it out," she said. "But I have to move on."

"Do you love him?"

Harper looked at me. "I wish I didn't, but I do. Seeing him with Katherine almost killed me. He didn't ask me out, not once, but she's there with him now."

"He said it was only for tonight."

Harper sniffled. "Yeah. And so was the night we spent together. I was serious, Ava. He cannot know. Being rejected like that was humiliating enough. I can't go through it again. Please, promise me you won't say a thing."

I cast a glance at Harper's face. She was a wonderful girl and the best friend I could have asked for. If only things with my dad were different. 

I knew him, or I thought I did. Harper ticked all his boxes, of that I was certain. And still…

"Ava."

I swallowed and then nodded. "I promise."

Thoughts?
Everyone seems to keep secrets...