Mistletoe Mistress

Author's Note: Greetings, readers! Life got crazy busy, but I already have chapter 6 finished, and will be working on chapter 7, which may wind up being two different scenes entirely as to how Maddie spends her New Year's Eve. Thank you and enjoy!

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I listened to the message from David on the answering machine three times before I deleted it. He wasn't thinking about sex. He wasn't thinking about what time I could come over for one thing. He had more plans for us than that. Assuring myself that I wasn't just a piece of ass, I picked up the phone and dialed his cellular number.

"Hey, Maddie." He said, affection in his tone. I smiled.

"Hey, David. You called me early." I checked the clock, noticing it was a little after nine.

"Yeah, 'cause I got some plans for us in the city. If you're down for that?" He asked. I grinned and took a seat on my bed, removing my pants and socks.

"Of course. What'd you have in mind?" I asked.

"It's a surprise. Are you up for it?" He explained.

I was breathless, thinking about what he was saying. It sounded like a date, and I could feel the butterflies churning in my stomach. This couldn't be just about sex. We had two houses that we could use at no cost. I was accessible to him for as long as he wanted me. My heart throbbed with the idea of spending an entire day with the man who was everything to me right now.

"I'd love that," I said, my feelings bleeding into my words.

"Good. Wear something nice for lunch. I'll pick you up in about two hours. I'll be out back." He instructed.

"Okay, see you then!" I hung up the phone and squealed aloud. I couldn't contain my excitement. I grabbed my pillow and hugged it to my chest, rolling around on my bed in pure joy. I had never felt this way about anyone in my life. I pressed my lips together and hummed softly, staring up at my ceiling decorated with boy band posters and sticky glowing stars.

I was more than just a fling. David had to be feeling something toward me. I got out of bed and thumbed through my wardrobe for a nice but sensible lunch outfit. We'd be going to Navy Pier afterwards, so I would need something warm.

Genuinely, I couldn't fathom keeping lunch down while drowning in the thought of spending an entire day with David. Even as I was scrubbing my hair and doing everything to wash away the evidence that I had been with someone else all morning, I thought it was worth it to keep what we had. It was when I was looking in the mirror while brushing my wet hair that I hesitated for a moment. I spent the early hours of the sunrise having a rather fun time with my elderly neighbor. Surprising to say the least. I spaced out, thinking about the damage it would do if David ever found out I was fucking someone else so that we could keep our relationship.

Did we have a relationship? Was he really just in it for the fun? Was I in it for fun? I mean, it was fun, but it felt like so much more than that. Even when it felt deceptive, and knowing it would completely ruin my life. I couldn't ever tell my best friend and her mother that it was all a mistake. I knew exactly what I was doing since our first time.

That definitely wasn't a mistake. It was an opportunity. God, I could still feel the sting of his hand spanking my ass.

"He's into me, and that's all I need to know." I smiled at myself and applied a thick layer of lip gloss onto my pout. Light application of mascara, and a touch of color over my eyes. Did I need a full face of make-up if David thought I was beautiful?

I tucked my boot-cut jeans into a pair of fleece-lined black ankle boots. I wore a very low-cut long sleeve shirt in solid royal purple. A hint of my emerald corset was tucked away by adjusting the shoulders of my top and I fashioned my bare chest with a Y necklace my mother got me for my eighteenth birthday. It had real diamonds lining the ends with one focal sapphire, which was my birthstone.

By the time I was completing a last minute spritz of Candie's body spray and popping a stick of winter mint gum, I heard the horn honk in the alleyway. David was using his black Pontiac Grand Prix to pick me up. It stayed in the garage most of the time since he had his work van and Anna's car was used for daily travel. I put on my coat and walked outside to meet him at my fence.

"Hey," I smiled.

"Hey there," he smiled back, "you look great."

I gushed at his compliment and pressed my lips together.

"Ah, just something I threw on. Where are we going to eat?" I asked, seeing us pull out of the alleyway, heading out of the cul-de-sac.

"A really nice restaurant called Gene and Georgetti." Butterflies filled my stomach again, in disbelief that we were going somewhere together, out in public. I wasn't just some hidden mistress that was tucked away whenever he felt horny. He had to have feelings for me.

"What kind of menu is it?" I asked.

"Steak and Italian. I worked on their furnace for about four hours and managed to save them having to replace their entire system. The owner tipped me with a hefty gift card."

I bit my lip and pressed my lips together again. I was going to hurt myself if I kept cutting my teeth into my pout, but I just couldn't stand it.

"I don't know if I can eat. I'm too excited." I confessed.

"Mmm, I picked up on that. You've been biting your lower lip since we left," he settled his hand on top of my left thigh and squeezed it. The heat fluttered through my face and my breath was halted. I looked over to him and he was smirking at me.

"I can't help it. This was really unexpected." My body was on autopilot, slowly dividing my legs while we talked. David kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other sweeping back and forth along the inside of my thigh.

"Well, I don't want you to think I'm just using you." He removed his hand from my thigh.

"David, I don't think that at all." I assured him.

"You sure?" He glanced in my direction, then looked back to the road.

"You've been in my life for as long as I can remember, and I just don't think you would hurt me like that by treating me like a piece of ass."

"Good," he nodded, "so, do you have any plans for New Year's?"

"I dunno, since Allison is going to be hijacked for the new year and won't be here, it kind of canceled the party we planned to have." I mentioned.

"Ah," he sounded as guilty as he did a couple days ago, "yeah, sorry about that. I honestly forgot that we had planned to go to the Dells during New Year's since we didn't go before Allison started school. If we don't use it, the timeshare is wasted money."

"Well, that makes more sense. I guess I'll stay up and watch the ball drop. Maybe go to a party if I get invited to one."

"You don't have a boyfriend or anything like that?" He sounded surprised.

"I mean, you're the closest thing I have to a relationship right now." I said, then glanced over to him. He smiled, but scoffed.

"Oh, come on, girl. You need to sow those wild oats before you settle down!" I couldn't tell if he was being serious or kidding. I chuckled awkwardly, then cleared my throat.

"I mean, what do you think we're doing?" I answered back, sultry tone.

"We're going to lunch." He said, trying to sound innocent.

"Suburban dad taking his daughter's best friend out to lunch. Yeah, that sounds innocent."

"Mm-hmm. I told you, I'm a good boy."

I laughed. I couldn't help how fun the banter was. I bit my lower lip again and couldn't tell where our comfort level was. Just as I was doubting that he was serious about me, he picked up my left hand and kissed the back of it. He laced our fingers together and held my hand on his lap for the rest of the trip. My doubts began to fade away.

It didn't take much longer for us to get to the Loop and park on Franklin Drive. It wasn't crowded as of yet, since it was a quarter to twelve. I got out of the car and he came around to the sidewalk next to me. He placed his arm around my back and walked us into the restaurant.

It was dark, intimate, and the scent of tomato and basil tickled my nose. The host approached. A woman with long and braided blonde hair wearing formal casual attire. She smiled at the two of us.

"Welcome to Gene and Georgetti. How many today?"

"Two, and I'd like a table in the back, please." David requested.

In the back. Was that to seclude us or to hide us? I realized that I was analyzing everything a little too much. My heart felt tugged with every decision that David was making and I didn't know what we even had. A high end restaurant and Navy Pier. These were romantic locations for a couple out on the town. But it didn't have to mean anything.

I would never have these doubts if Bill hadn't said anything. Part of me wanted to know how he felt about me, and the other half wanted to keep it a mystery. Maybe not know at all so that our enjoyment wasn't spoiled.

After we were seated, I set the white cloth napkin into my lap after I removed my coat. Ice water was served and menus were placed in front of us.

"What can I get the two of you to drink?"

"I'll have a glass of Lambrusco, please." He ordered.

"I'll have a Shirley Temple, please." I responded.

Opening the menu and looking at the prices dropped my blushing cheeks to the floor. I pulled in a deep breath, seeing that something as simple as a can of pop was marked up. Glancing up at him, he could tell that I was nervous about this. He shook his head.

"Order what you want. Don't look at the price. Understand?" It was how he said it that gave me reassurance. It wasn't fatherly, but definitely held confidence. I nodded gently and turned each page, looking over the lunch entrees and their descriptions.

If David wanted me to eat, I wasn't going to try and pick through a salad. There was a tortellini dish that sounded delicious, and I knew my stomach was never going to pass up a good, heavy pasta. The waitress returned with our drinks and took our orders. Once she left, David's hand settled right on top of mine, squeezing it.

"I've enjoyed spending time with you, Madison." He said my full name, and my heart was jumping up and down behind my ribcage.

"I've enjoyed it too, David. I don't think I ever want it to end." I confessed.

"I don't either, but I wanted to speak about our relationship and the risks." His tone was much more serious, and he took a drink of his wine. I stirred my Shirley Temple with my straw and took a light sip, nodding in response.

"I love Anna, and I always will," he said, and my stomach dropped. I removed my lips from my straw and straightened as he continued talking.

"I never thought that I would connect with someone else because before you, there was no one else who could make me feel the way I feel about her."

My heart fluttered. Was he about to say what I thought he was?

"I'm falling for you and I didn't expect that." He confessed. I pulled in a dense breath that filled my chest, which was heavy from carrying the confession that I was about to spill.

"I am in love with you, David." I put it out there. David smiled, breathing a sigh of relief and his hand squeezed mine tighter.

"I know," he said, holding focus on my open gaze, "and I wanted one of the things that we talked about today was to tell you that you're not alone in feeling that way."

"I'm glad you told me." I said.

"Do you understand the risk we're taking with our relationship? The things that will be hard to endure, the things that will be difficult to do?" He went back to his serious tone.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Well, I don't want to leave Anna right now. She's been emotionally distraught this year." He said. I didn't sense that from Anna.

"What's wrong?" It was strange that I could feel concern for the woman whose husband I was in a relationship with.

"I think a great deal of it comes from facing the reality that Allison will be going off to college and we will have an empty nest." He said.

Okay, that made sense. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I think that's why my parents are vacationing a lot. It has taught me to be responsible and take accountability for my spending and schedule. Maybe they're also accepting that I'll be going to college soon." Maybe my own parents were avoiding an empty nest as well.

"I just thought you should know that it's not a good time to leave her. I don't want you to think that I'm just screwing you for the thrill of it. You're young, beautiful, and I'm a lucky man." He said. My smile gushed across my face and the heat flowed through my body.

"If it's a bad time to leave Anna, that makes me admire you even more that you really care about her." I answered. He breathed a sigh of relief and brought my hand up to kiss my knuckles.

"I'm glad you understand, Maddie. I just want her to be okay before I make the decision to leave her." David said. God, this was so surreal. David loved me enough to want to leave his wife. I couldn't believe that Bill was wrong, but God, I am so glad he was wrong!

"I love you, David. I'll wait as long as it takes." I said, my eyes never leaving his, my breath held in place. He moved his hand up to cup my face.

"I love you too, Madison. You won't have to wait long." I felt like I was dreaming. I closed my eyes and sighed in relief. He loves me.

The waitress returned with a basket of bread and butter.

"Your entrees should be coming any minute now." She said, smiling. I noticed that the restaurant was filling up, and David had lowered his hand down to my thigh. The sensation rushed between my legs and my face filled in with a heavy blush. I looked at him and grinned sheepishly. He had a smug grin across his lips like he knew exactly what he was doing.

"You're not being a very good boy if you're putting your hand there." I teased him.

"Maybe I don't want to be." He teased back.

"Well, maybe I'm not hungry anymore." I mentioned. God, how could I eat knowing what I know now? David loved me and wanted to leave his wife.

"Maybe we don't have to go to Navy Pier?" He asked. My smile widened.

"I wouldn't mind seeing the surprise now."

The banter was swift, and true to her word, the waitress returned with our entrees and set them in front of us.

"Here you are! Does everything look correct?" She asked. I nodded, but didn't notice that David had brought out the gift card and a one hundred dollar bill.

"Actually, sweetheart, I think we're going to take these entrees to go. Sorry for the inconvenience." David offered both to the woman, who looked at the hundred dollar bill.

"That's for you." He assured her. She smiled and nodded.

"Understood. I'll get this wrapped up for you and come back with your receipt." She said, lingering her gaze upon David a little too long for my liking.

"Thank you." He said, looking back at me immediately. His left hand still had a slight bump where his wedding ring was, rubbing my thigh in circles. A reminder of the love that he was letting go.

I felt like I was in the clouds and unable to come back down. This felt too good to be true, and I had to convince myself that it was true. This was real. David loves me. David is taking me out on a date that we're cutting short now that we've confessed our feelings for each other. Anna was no longer the queen of his heart; I am. David wants to be with me, not her.

I am the love of David's life.

I had to keep repeating it in my mind since I wasn't expecting this. The waitress returned at some point and everything was still a blur to me. I finished my Shirley Temple in a few deep pulls of my straw. When the waitress stepped away after shoveling our entrees into individual boxes, David turned to me.

"Mm, you better be ready to wrap your lips like that around something else." David teased. I smiled devilishly and bit my lower lip.

"Oh, I'll do more than that." My voice was soft and sultry.

"I know you will." He curled his hand under my chin and held it in place for a moment. Then he lowered his hand to claim mine and guided us out of the restaurant, carrying the bag of our lunch leftovers.

We passed so many people, and they watched as I followed behind a man that was clearly much older than I was. I let them stare. I wanted them to see us. I had no shame in myself or what I have with David. We fell in love, and there was nothing that anyone could do to change that. David held my coat and let me slip into it before he put on his own.

The walk to the car was quick, and I approached the passenger door. David swiftly turned me around and mashed his lips against mine. He grabbed around my middle and pulled me against him while this man suavely kissed me in the heart of the city. I lost myself in all of it. He wasn't hiding his passion for me, so why should I be concerned about who could see us? My arms wrapped around his shoulders and we leaned against his car while making out.

When he reluctantly freed himself from my lips, he kissed my cheeks and then moved his hands to cup my face.

"I love you." He repeated. My knees weakened and my smile hurt my cheeks.

"I love you, too." I whispered. He grinned and opened the car door for me and I got in.

The drive was a few blocks away, and when we stopped, we were parked in front of the Palmer House Hilton hotel. David was glancing in the direction of the hotel. I was glancing in the direction of the hotel. Was he serious? Did he book a room at the Hilton for us? I looked back at him and he smiled at me. He got out of the car first, and I was abruptly startled by my door being opened by someone else. It was a valet attendant. Sighing in relief, I got out of the car and tucked my hands into the pockets of my coat.

David placed his arm around the middle of my back and ushered me into the grandiose lobby. From end to end, the hotel looked so ritzy that I felt out of place. White and marble trimmed with gold, and touches of art everywhere. We entered the lobby and approached the front desk, smiling like the love fools that we were. A woman who was about David's age approached the desk, smiling and wearing her hotel uniform. Everything about her was neat as a pin. Even her hair was tamed back into a low bun without a single stray hair. Her lips were embalmed with a deep shade of red lipstick, her eyebrows were thin curves perfectly symmetrical above her green eyes.

"Good afternoon and welcome to the Palmer House Hilton. How may I help you?" She asked in a warm voice, her smile revealing her straight, whitened teeth.

"Good afternoon, check in for Richards." David presented ID and his credit card to her.

"Alright, please hold for a moment, Mr. Richards." She said, tapping the keys to pull up the reservation.

"Okay, check-in time is usually 3:00 pm, but the room you reserved is ready if you'd like to check in now." She glanced up to David.

"That'll be just fine." He answered.

"Alright. It looks like when you reserved the room, you requested some room service items. Would you like that brought up right away?" She glanced up at him again.

"Yes, as soon as you can, please. Thank you." David's arm moved around my middle and he squeezed me against his side. I blushed again, probably looking drunk with a dopey, enamoured expression across my face.

It was a few more minutes and we had key cards for the room. The elevator took us up to the fifth floor and down a hall where we entered a suite. The room was massive, with tall ceilings and drapery that was respectfully closed across the view of the city. The carpets were dark green with a repeating pattern of floral prints across the rooms. The furniture was stained with cherry wood and trimmed with white.

Immediately, I approached the nearest window in the entry room which doubled as the living room and opened the sheer curtains. I looked down over the city streets, and across to the buildings that were in the area. It was so peaceful up here, away from the bustle of the business that crowded the streets below us.