Three Rivers (27 page)

Griffen sat up in Althea's bed and watched her as the sun was gradually peeking through her bedroom window and across her lovely face. He wasn't ashamed to admit he spent most of the time they were together just staring at her, whether she was awake or not. It was still pretty early, but Griffen knew he had to leave soon before Johnny woke up. That was another of her rules — Johnny couldn't know they were together, either.

His heart raced a bit as he saw Althea stirring. It still excited him to wait for the moment those beautiful eyes opened and looked up at him, wide and a little hazy from sleep, but still so hypnotic to him.

"Morning, gorgeous. How'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Mmm, good," she said on a stretch. "It helped that I was dreaming of all the deviant things I want to do to you," she said reaching up to stroke his cheek and kiss him softly on the lips.

The sheet fell down revealing more of her full breasts. Griffen didn't wait and cupped one with his hand, stroking the sides while his thumb brushed over her nipple. She groaned and he leaned in, whispering into her lips, "I like the sound of that. Glad you brought it up actually because I have to leave tonight for a meeting with my publisher in New York. It's just for a couple nights but I'll need to cancel my classes tomorrow..."

"Oh," she said suddenly stiffening as she leaned away. She pulled the sheet up against her and started to look anywhere but at him. "Well, I guess I can't expect to monopolize all your time. Um, I hope you have fun."

"Althea..."

"No, it's okay, I get it," she muttered, starting to sit up.

Griffen grabbed her, yanked down the sheet and rolled on top of her, penning her beneath him. She gasped at the force of his movement and her eyes widened when she looked into what he was sure was fierceness in his. "No, Althea, I don't think you
do
get it." Her breath caught and he brushed a hand against her cheek, running it down her throat and back over her breast. "I was going to say that I would like you to come with me," he said with a smile.

"Oh? Really?"

"Yes. We can stay in my apartment. We'll be back in time for my Wednesday classes and you to go to work."

"Um," she said, biting her lower lip and making him even more desperate to get her out of town with him.

"Pleeeease," he said with a fake pout, dipping his hand between her breasts, sliding down until he palmed her mound, testing her and gladly finding she was already getting wet. "I can spoil you and do dirty things with you," he promised as he slipped two rough fingers inside her, making her moan with pleasure and arch her breasts closer to his mouth. He leaned down and took a nipple between his teeth, nibbling gently.

"Don't you spoil me and do dirty things with me here?" she panted her breath quickening as she started to writhe and jerk beneath him.

"Yes, but there I will have you all to myself as much as I want, as dirty as it can get in the city that never sleeps."

"Hmm, that does sound promising, and things are pretty dead at the office Labor Day week," she thought out loud. Griffen looked into her eyes as he added a third finger and twisted gently. She moaned and said, "Throw in a Gray's Papaya dog and you got a deal."

"Done and done. Now for some dirty things to tide me over..." Griffen slid down her body until his face was between her legs and licked and fingered her until she climaxed.

Oh yeah, New York is a great idea,
he thought
.

"I'm sorry, who's this?" Aubrey's voice said over the phone saucily.

"Aubrey, you know it's me, Tea. Stop being a dumbass."

"
Who is it?
" she heard Jenna ask in the background.

"
Someone named Tea,"
Aubrey responded to her.

"
Tea who?
"

"
That's what I asked
."

Aubrey returned to the phone. "Hmm. I knew a Tea once. Sweet girl, but then she fell under this hot bad boy's sex spell. Never saw her again. Such a shame."

"Ha, ha. Okay, point made. You do remember you guys masterminded all this mess, right?"

"I do," Aubrey stated coolly. "And I take all credit for everything good that comes of it. And for that I reserve the right to torment you for disappearing like you're sixteen and just learned that a boy can make you feel funny. You know,
down there
," she said with a stage whisper.

"I knew I should have called Jenna," Althea grumbled.

"Probably right. Rookie mistake. Must be a side effect of the sex brain. That's potent stuff. But you called me — so time to spill about positions, girth, and what-not."

"Keep your what-not questions to yourself, you perv. I'm too sober to discuss this right now. Besides, I need a favor."

"Say no more. Jenna's off today, too. How about you meet us for some Labor Day cocktails? Favor will only be granted after drinks and much spilling about what-not."

"Fine. Meet me at
Viola
in twenty minutes, but you better behave yourselves and keep your voices down there. Carol wants to spend the afternoon with Johnny, so she can pick him up first.
And
you're buying a round of dirty martinis."

"Of course. What do you take me for, a heathen? Dirty martinis for our finally dirty girl, it is!"

Althea waved to the girls as she walked into
Viola
while holding Johnny's hand.

Frank Sinatra wafted through the dining room as she caught sight of them already slurping dirty martinis at their usual booth with one chilled and waiting invitingly for Althea.

Viola
hadn't changed much over the years, and it was still a classic choice for wedding receptions and graduation parties, even if it wasn't part of the ever-expanding, sophisticated cosmopolitan restaurant scene that was taking over the city below.

The decor was old world Italian with a discreet bar and hidden kitchen, but the real draw was the wall of floor ceiling windows providing patrons an unrivaled view of Pittsburgh from the dramatic cliffs of Mt. Washington.

Johnny pulled at her hand as Carol emerged from the kitchen and walked toward them.

"Gwandma!" Johnny exclaimed, running into her outstretched arms.

"Hi handsome! Oof, you are so heavy," Carol said.

"I've been playing football with Uncle Gwiff. I'm getting huge!" Johnny assured her.

Althea schooled her face at the mention of Griffen.

"Is that right? That's very nice of him." Carol looked up to Althea. "Isn't it Tea?"

"Yes, he's been making the most of his time in town. I think Johnny has really enjoyed being with him." Althea's palms started sweating as she prayed her voice was still neutral.

"Good. It's important to include Jack in Johnny's life however possible."

"Of course," Althea whispered, then squatted down to look in Johnny's eyes, "hey honey, why don't you go over and say hi to Aunt Brey and Aunt Jenna while Grandma and I talk real quick?"

"Okay, Mommy." He immediately sprinted off to high five the girls.

"When will you be picking Johnny up tonight?" Carol asked. "I feel like I haven't seen you for ages. I thought I could take the night off and we could pull out Jack's old football videos to watch with Johnny, since he's really getting into it these days."

"Oh, Carol, that sounds, uh, really nice, but I have to leave town today for a business trip. Last minute thing." The lie fell awkwardly off her tongue. That combined with the mention of Jack, made Althea feel like she was drowning in shame.

"Oh, that's too bad. Do you need me to watch Johnny?"

"I think the girls will watch him, since the restaurant will probably be busy this week. I don't want to put you out."

"I guess you're right. I've just been pretty overworked and lonely these days, but I know your work is important. Maybe Johnny and I will watch those videos just us two this afternoon then." She turned and said loudly, "Johnny, come on over honey, let's get going."

Johnny leapt up from Aubrey's lap and shouted, "Sure Gwandma," then ran to her, displaying his limitless energy.

Carol took Johnny's hand and said, "You're such a good boy. I don't know what I'd do without you. Well, Tea, I hope you and the girls have a nice lunch. Johnny and I are going to head out."

"Okay, thanks." Althea reached down and kissed Johnny. "I'm going to see you in two sleeps, okay honey?"

"Sure Mommy. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Johnny followed Carol as she grabbed her purse and headed out. Althea breathed a sigh of relief as she walked over to Aubrey and Jenna.

"Everything okay, Tea?" Jenna asked.

"Fine," Althea sighed. "I've honestly been kind of avoiding Carol since this whole Griffen thing started and now I know I made the right call. I feel so bad keeping this from her, but I know she'd never understand. I'm not sure if I do." Althea sighed again and took a sip of her sweating martini.

"Tea, aren't you being a bit dramatic?"

"No, Jenna, I don't think so."

"Chill out you two. You aren't avoiding us too, are you Tea?" Aubrey asked with a grin.

"Oh come on, you know I'm not. I've just been...busy."

"Getting busy," Aubrey said with a chuckle.

"Real clever, Aubrey. I don't know what the big deal is. You guys just saw me yesterday."

"Saw being the operative word. If you remember correctly, you almost immediately ran off with your sexy boy toy."

Althea rolled her eyes and bit into a blue cheese stuffed olive. "Did Carol notice?"

"Nah. Don't worry, Griffen's mom covered for you with her," Aubrey assured her.

"
Griffen's mom?
Does she know about us? Would she tell Carol?"

"I don't know," Aubrey said suddenly sounding slightly annoyed. "And so what if she does? You're so fixated on keeping all this a secret when you're doing nothing wrong."

"Come on, Brey. You know how Carol is. She'd go into a total tailspin if I fell for someone else."

"Are you falling for Griffen?" Jenna asked eyes wide.

"No, he's leaving in a week and that's final. What did Val tell Carol?"

"I don't know. I think she said you two went off to reminisce about Jack, you know, you're getting to know each other, blah, blah, blah," Aubrey said with a wave of her hand.

"Thanks for thoughtful summary," Althea said sarcastically.

"Was there anything
else
you two were doing?" Aubrey said, waggling her eyebrows.

"There may have been a hot and sweaty part, too..."

"I knew you two got busy in the park. You're a
bad
girl Tea!" Aubrey looked beside herself with excitement, splashing some of her martini onto the table in her glee. "So, was it good?"

"Ahh. Yeah, it was good. Everything he does is good. So good."

"That a girl!" Aubrey chimed out. "Now we're talking."

"By the way, Griffen looked pretty pissed there for a bit," Jenna piped in finally.

"Way to be a buzzkill Jenna. I was hoping for at least some details on positions. I guess we've moved onto the serious part of the discussion. Tea, Jenna's right. We talked to him after you came back from your, uh, walk, and he was pretty worked up, for sure."

"Yeah, I know. He's getting a little sick of the secrecy, but that's just the way it has to be," Althea said.

"I had your back, even though I still think all this cloak-and-dagger shit is silly. I told him to stop being such a typical male," Aubrey declared. "You know, thinking he can swoop in for two weeks and act like he owns the place. Then get all caveman just because you set some rules."

"And I told Aubrey to stop being so hard on him," Jenna said. Then her voice dropped and her eyes fell. "No one wants to feel like the person they’re with is ashamed of them."

"Jenna, I’m not ashamed of him, you know that."

Jenna straightened up and became her usual steady self again. "Point is, you know you can't hide your life from Carol forever, right?" Jenna asked. "If this really is even about Carol."

"What do you mean?" Althea bristled.

"Maybe you think keeping it secret will make it hurt less when he leaves," Jenna responded.

Althea took another big gulp. "I really don't want to talk about that. He's leaving and that's final, so being public with him for a few days doesn't make any sense."