Everyone having sex is at least 18. This is fiction, I made it all up. Warning: this is a self-edited story. I do use Grammarly to help reduce my ability to murder the English language. Special thanks to goducks1 for his help.
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Chapter 1 - The Call
My name is Suzi. I am a secretary for the hottest looking man in our company, Larry Jackson. All my friends tell me I'm very cute.
The phone rings, "Hello, Larry Jackson's office."
A questioning Eve asks, "Hello, I am looking for my dad."
I am suspicious, "Why are you calling me?"
Eve sniffles, "Because daddy said that if there is ever an emergency to call this number. I have an emergency."
Condescendingly I answer, "I think you have the wrong number miss. Who are you trying to reach?"
Eve is frustrated, "You just said this is Larry Jackson's office, that is who I want."
I am frustrated, "Larry doesn't have a family."
Eve is now crying, "Look, I am sitting here at school with a knee injury and I need to be taken to the hospital. Now you barge into his meeting right now and tell him I need him. PLEASE!"
She doesn't sound like she is faking it. No way this could be a crank call. Yet Larry never said anything about a daughter. Of course, he doesn't talk about his personal life at all. Surely, he would have told me he has a daughter, right? I mean, that's a big deal. Especially if she plays sports. He would be taking time off for tournaments and such. No, this can't be his daughter. Why is she so adamant? If he has a daughter, then he must have a wife. Why else would he not hit on me and the other good-looking women here?
I question, "Can't your mom come get you?"
Well, that was the wrong thing to say. Now the girl is crying hard and making weird noises like she is hyperventilating. Someone else picks up the phone.
The stranger asks, "Mr. Jackson?"
Now I am really confused, "No, I am his secretary. I just asked why her mom doesn't pick her up."
The furious stranger screams, "You, heartless bitch, she died 17 years ago in an auto accident. Thank you so much for bringing up such a painful memory. Fuck you! If her dad can't bother picking up his own daughter, we will take her to the hospital ourselves. Fuck you!"
I hear her yell, "What a bitch! Practice is canceled, help me carry Eve." Click.
The phone goes dead.
I get up and rush into Larry's office, "Larry, you have a problem. Eve called."
I have his complete attention now and he looks shocked. Holly shit, he does have a daughter. What have I done?
I sheepishly explain, "Seems she had an accident at practice."
I see the concern in his eyes. I am near tears. I didn't know he had a daughter.
Sadly, I say, "I was just screening your calls like I always do. I thought it was fake caller, you never talked about your family. I made the mistake of asking why her mother didn't take her."
The look on his face is pure pain now. I have re-inserted a wood stake into his heart. He has tears running down his face.
In a very concerned yet calm voice, he commands, "Where is she?"
I answer, "Her coach or friends are taking her to the hospital. I think she is at school. She wanted you, I am sorry. I didn't know or I would have put it straight through. I thought it was a crank call at first. You never talked about her." I am crying. I feel horrible for causing this wonderful man pain. "I am so sorry."
Larry comes to me, gives me a hug (which always fixes everything), and says, "I am sorry I never told you. I need the afternoon off."
That would be his first one in about eight years.
Larry says in a calm voice, "Fix my schedule please, re-arrange my meetings and I will see you tomorrow."
That has always been a joke between us. They blackball him from everything important in the company. He never has meetings unless it is to hire a new programmer or secretary. In a flash, he is gone. Oh, how I love that man. He has a daughter and his wife died in a car crash. He never dealt with it, those tears are proof. No wonder he doesn't hit on me or the other women, he is still in love with his wife. He can't move on.
Larry's point of view:
I want to speed and get there fast but I know that is dangerous, so I try to stay within the speed limit. I don't want to get killed in an accident. Eve is eighteen and a senior at a private high school that just happens to be close to home. She has been playing softball for almost her whole life. The hospital is only a few miles away, I know they took her there.
I pull up, park, then quickly run into some grumpy women in softball uniforms. I know them all by name, their parent's names, their sibling's names, and most of their addresses. This group has been together a long time. They run at me for a big group hug. This group hugs a lot. Well, they hug me a lot.
I ask in a concerned voice, "How is my baby?"
Traci is mad, "They won't tell us shit."
I go into the ER. I find a nurse, she is busy but looks up. I get a quick smile.
The nurse asks very nicely, "What can I do for you, honey?"
I reply as calmly as I can, "My daughter Eve was brought in, she was in an accident at practice. I am looking for her."
She takes my hand and we twist through a mostly empty ER to find Eve laying in a bed with a brace on her knee. I tell the nurse thank you.
Eve quickly asks me, "Is she single?"
I give half a laugh, "You know there is only one woman in my life. What's up?"
Eve excitedly explains, "I was rounding second, my foot slipped off the bag, I fell to the ground and I felt lots of pain. They x-rayed me and here I sit, waiting. Your secretary is a real bitch."
I bashfully explain, "The poor girl had no idea about you or our history. She really is a sweet woman. She is cute as well ... I know you were going to ask. In fact, she is as stunning as you are, a true beauty."
Eve blushes.
Eve asks me with a smile, "Single? Young? Cute?"
I laughingly reply, "Yes. Yes. Yes."
Eve continues the interrogation, "She doesn't like older men?"
I explain for the 1 millionth time, "I don't mix my personal and private life. Besides, you know how I feel. I am a one-woman man. I told you that."
Eve is frustrated, "You are so frustrating. If a woman, say like mom, really loved you, do you really think she would want to see you like this? Maybe women were different back then, I doubt it. I think this is all you!"
Thankfully, the Doctor came in, "Good news, nothing is broken, but the swelling needs to go down before we can do an MRI. We can do it in two days. I will set you up with the appointments you need. Here are two Rx, for pain and a muscle relaxant. Don't move the knee. Ice it to bring the swelling down. Let me finish the paperwork and then they will release you. The nurse will get you crutches. No school tomorrow, I will see you Monday after they do the MRI.
I go back to the team, give them an update. They leave and will drop off Eve's car at the house. It takes thirty minutes to get out, a nice nurse follows behind me with Eve in a wheelchair to my car.
Eve amusingly says to the nurse, "Do you think he has a nice ass?"
Way too quickly the nurse responds, "Oh yes."
That is creepy. She has been very helpful though.
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Eve's point of view:
We get home, dad goes to get the Rx filled. I am watching TV on the couch with an ice pack on my knee. I get a phone call from an unfamiliar number.
It's a local area code so I answer thinking it is the hospital, "Hello, this is Eve."
Suzi sounds like a mess, "Hi Eve, this is Suzi, your dad's secretary. Let me start by apologizing. I had no idea you existed. Truly, I am very sorry and hope you get better quickly. Is there anything you need? Is your dad taking good care of you?"
I can tell she has been crying.
Suzi starts crying again, "I had no idea about anything. You caught me off guard. I try to be very protective of your dad, he is such a nice man. How are you? Is there anything you need?" What can I do for you?
I laugh to myself, she is repeating herself. She really is concerned and upset. Interesting.
I fish for some information, "Thanks Suzi for your concern. Dad always says it's not good to mix work with family, I guess he goes to extremes. Nothing is broken, Monday I go back to the doctor. If Dad's schedule is too busy, I can have a friend take me."
Suzi laughs at that, "I guess you don't know much about what your dad does at work do you?"
I state with a monotone voice, "He leaves for work every day and he comes back at night. Is there more?"
Suzi is amazed, "Wow, you don't know squat, do you?"
Trying to be friendly, "About as much as you knew about me yesterday."
Suzi uses her friendly voice, "I sure would like to compare stories with you sometime. Tomorrow is Friday, people often take long lunches, well, except your dad, he never goes out for lunch. How about I bring some sub sandwiches over for lunch and we talk? You know, compare notes!"
I ask, "Is this your personal phone?"