Drining with Dad

2: Aftermath

(Author's Note: This story is preceeded by "Drinking With Dad.")

It was nearly a month since Nikki fucked her dad, Ben. Her cousin's wedding was the first time she would be seeing him and she was nervous because she didn't know how things would be between them. This was the longest they'd gone without speaking that she could remember. Even when she was in college they spoke often. She was beside herself with worry that she'd destroyed her close relationship with her father. 'I have to find a way to make things right,' she thought.

But that would be easier said than done. Her dad had not returned any of her voicemails or emails and as she looked around the church she did not see him. 'He wouldn't blow off the wedding just to avoid me,' she thought. He was too close to his brother to do that.

"Hey you, sit over here with me," Lindsey said, calling her sister over. "You looked like you were a million miles away."

"I just have a lot on my mind," Nikki replied, forcing herself not to look back at the door. "It's been a weird few weeks."

"I can understand that. Have you talked to Paolo at all?"

"No, not since he got the last of his stuff out of the apartment. I don't think there's much to say at this point. Maybe we can be friends in the future."

"Way, way in the future," Lindsey laughed. "I don't know if I could be friends with a guy I had slept with. It would just be too weird. I'd think he was picturing me naked the whole time, and if I still thought he was hot I'd probably be doing it! It's a shame about Paolo, though. I always thought he was cool. And hot!"

"He's back on the market. You could take your shot."

"I'd never do that. I'm not Ashley."

"I know you wouldn't, kiddo. That was just silly kid stuff. Ash wouldn't do anything like that now."

"Because she married?"

Both sisters laughed. Their older sister, Ashley, could be cut throat, a great trait for a lawyer. She was not the athlete Nikki was, or the creative type like Ashley, but the most traditionally girly-girl of the three sisters. She was homecoming queen and head cheerleader in high school and had even done some local modeling while in college. All of the girls were blonde and beautiful, but there was something about Ashley's ice queen looks that guys seemed to take as a challenge. Her blonde hair was almost white and with her alabaster skin and lithe body she seemed almost frail. It was a deceptive shell that hid the steel inside. Nikki and Ashley had always been closer to each other than with their eldest sister, even though they couldn't have been more different.

Nikki was tall and willowy, with a pert, upturned nose and straight blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back. With her dark-framed glasses she looked studious, like the girl in the movies who you know will be hot after her makeover montage. While her curves were not as generous as her sister Lindsey's, her toned body was the envy of all the other women at the gym. Nikki was athletic, smart and practical, just like their father. Everyone considered her to be the son he never had, which gave them a tight bond. Lindsey, on the other hand, was her mother's daughter. Her bohemian approach to life left her father and sisters scratching their heads. Creative, emotional and given to flights of fancy, she was in school for acting and dreamed of being a star on Broadway. And she had the looks to pull it off. While Nikki was just a couple inches shy of six feet, Lindsey was petite, with the kind of dangerous figure they she liked to call "all boobs and butt." She had the same blonde hair as her sisters, maybe a shade darker, and wore it in a short bob. With her freckled cheeks and nose and clear blue eyes, Lindsey looked a few years younger than the twenty that she was.

Despite their differences, Nikki adored her little sister and envied her happy-go-lucky attitude, wishing she could just let go sometimes. Letting go was scary, though, and could have serious consequences. The last time Nikki let go, with her dad and a bottle of tequila, things had gotten completely out of control and now everything was changed.

"So how's school?" Nikki asked, pointedly changing the subject.

"Good. I think I've got a shot at the lead in our summer production. We're doing Spring Awakening."

"I know you'll get it. How could they not pick you?"

"We both know I'm the best. They just need to figure it out. Will you and Dad come down and kick their ass if they don't cast me?"

At the mention of their father, Nikki turned cloudy. "Uh, yeah, sure."

"Speaking of daddy dearest, I can't believe he's not here yet. The wedding is going to start any minute now."

The wedding was due to start in just a few minutes and only the last stragglers were still coming into the church. Ashley arrived just the in the nick of time, handsome husband in tow. She explained they babysitter was late as she joined her sisters. Sitting together the three Buchannan sisters were quite a sight.

The bridal march started without their father present and Nikki put him out of her mind as their beautiful cousin came down the aisle with their uncle, even if his resemblance to their father cause a momentary pang in Nikki's heart. Uncle Dave looked like their father might if he wasn't still fanatical about his health. Uncle Dave was the typical good looking guy who'd started to go to seed in his middle age, but then he was not chasing after women half his age like their father was. No, Dave was still happily married to the same woman after thirty years, and she had not exactly kept herself up so it was a miracle Dave kept in as good shape as he had.

The wedding was beautiful, leaving Nikki and Lindsey crying, while Ashley kept a stiff upper lip. Nikki thought of Paolo, who she thought she was destined to be with. She still loved him. The only reason they'd broken up was because she wanted marriage and a family and he wasn't ready yet. She was in her late twenties and successful in her career and did not want to waste more time with a guy who might never commit.

"You look sad," Lindsey noted, squeezing her sister's arm.

"Just thinking about what could have been."

"I can only think of one cure for that. Tequila shots!"

"Oh God, no!" Nikki exclaimed, her stomach flip-flopping for more reason than one.

When they reached the reception, Lindsey dragged Nikki straight to the bar, but Nikki refused the shot and asked for wine instead. "It's going to be a long night," she told her baby sister. "If we start with that now we'll be on the floor."

"Or in some handsome groomsman's room upstairs," Lindsey winked.

"You little tramp," Nikki teased.

"Weddings are an excuse to behave badly."

Nikki and Lindsey were at a table with some other cousins, while their father was to sit at a table with his brother. Nikki kept nervously scanning the room, but still did not see her dad. She was going to feel awful if he missed his niece's wedding because of her. It only compounded the guilt she felt for what they did.

Finally, just before the entrée was served, he showed up, looking dapper in a new suit. Nikki was surprised when she found she was looking him over like she would any other attractive man. She didn't just see him as her father anymore. Older men weren't typically her thing, but her father was very handsome, with a solid, square jaw and short, graying hair. The suit did not hide the great shape he kept in, but accentuated it. Although she tried to fight it, that attraction she felt the night they were together came rushing back. 'What's wrong with me?' Nikki wondered.

Ben had actually been there for quite a while, sitting in his car outside. He'd even been at the wedding, but couldn't make himself go in. 'How am I going to face her,' he thought. Ever since that night he'd been studiously avoiding Nikki, but now he couldn't. He was going to have to look his daughter in the eye for the first time since they'd had sex.

It had been weird for him even in the immediate aftermath. As soon as he had come inside her he was awash in guilt. Ben didn't care that she had wanted it just as much as he had. He still saw Nikki then as a little girl and it was his job to protect her. He had stepped back as his slimy cock slipped out of her. He had looked down on Nikki, sweaty and spent on the kitchen table, and couldn't believe she was actually smiling. 'Doesn't she know how wrong this was?' he'd thought. Ben had mumbled something about going to bed and fled to his room, locking the door. That was the last time he had seen her. The next morning he rose with the sun, showered, and went for a run on the beach. He stayed out for hours, finding a new excuse to stay away every time he saw her car was still parked outside.

In the weeks since he'd tortured himself. He deleted her voicemails without listening to them and ignored her emails. He was sure she must hate him once she sobered up. 'I've lost the most important person in my life over one late night, drunken fuck,' he thought. 'I just can't face her.' If he could have skipped the wedding he would have, but his brother would never have forgiven him. Instead, he would just have to muddle through.

He spotted Nikki sitting with her sisters as soon as he entered the hall. She looked great in a tight, silvery sheath that really showed off her figure. 'I can't believe I'm noticing my daughter's figure! I'm out of my mind!' Ben went straight to the bar and ordered a double scotch.

"Hey, Dad's finally here. I wonder where he's been," Lindsey said.

"Probably tied up with some bimbo, you know how he is," Nikki replied, feeling a stab of jealousy at the thought. 'Has Dad been with anyone since me?'

"You shouldn't talk about our father that way," Ashley said. "I think it actually encourages him."

"Let's go get a refill and say hi," Lindsey said.

"I'm good," Nikki said, even though her glass was empty. It was already her third of the night.

"Suit yourself."

Lindsey went bouncing over to their father and flung herself into his arms. Ben hugged her, but cautiously. 'If I can get turned on by one of my daughters, can it happen with the others?' he wondered. Of all the girls, Lindsey looked and acted the most like his ex-wife, and physically was the most his type, if he thought about it, which he strained not to. Her big breasts, way more than a handful, mashed against his chest and by trying to force himself not to think about it, it was the only thing he could think about.

"Daddy, where have you been? We were ready to send out a search party," Lindsey said.

"I just lost track of time. I thought everything was an hour later."

"Are you going stag tonight?"

"This didn't seem like an appropriate place for a date."

"That's because your dates are my age." She saw his hurt look and added, "It's okay, Daddy. It doesn't bother me like it does Nikki and Ashley. I get it. I like older guys."

"I don't need to hear that, honey."

"Chill out, I'm not going to share any details. You're unusually tense."

"I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Funny, Nikki said the same thing."

Ben glanced over at his middle daughter, just catching her looking away.

"Well, since you're alone maybe you'll get lucky at the wedding."

"Lindsey, please," Ben complained, taking a long pull on his drink.

"You never know, Daddy. Lighten up. You should come sit with us. There's an empty seat at our table."

"No, I should stay where I'm assigned."

"C'mon, I'll let you sit next to Nikki."

"No, honey, I should stay where they put me."

Ben got his drink refreshed and excused himself. Nikki's table was the last place he wanted to be for the evening. 'I wonder if I can avoid her all night.'

Lindsey was annoyed she couldn't convince her dad to join them, although she was glad Nikki wasn't an enticement. She's always felt competitive for their father's affection with her sister. He tried his best to hide it, but everyone knew Nikki was the favorite. Yes, she was spoiled because she was the baby, but Lindsey had always wanted to be the special one. Sometimes she thought her dad kept a distance because she was so like her mother.

"I asked Daddy to sit with us, but he said no," Lindsey said, returning with drinks for her and Nikki.

"I'm sure he wants to mingle with other people," Nikki said, taking her drink. "He'll come over eventually."

'That's weird,' Lindsey thought. 'Those two are usually attached at the hip.'

The weirdness only continued throughout the reception. Nikki and their father conspicuously avoided each other. They were never on the same side of the hall at the same time. When Nikki would walk toward him, he excused himself from whatever conversation he was in and moved on. To Lindsey it was like watching a slow motion game of tag. Nikki was it, but she could never quite catch her prey. No one else probably even noticed, but Lindsey was sensitive to it. When she corralled him for a dance, she grilled him.

"I'm glad it's my turn to have you to myself, Daddy," Lindsey said.

"What do you mean?" Ben asked, holding her at a respectful distance while a Frank Sinatra song played in the background.

"I saw you and Ash dance earlier, so I knew I would get my turn. You know I want all your attention."

Ben was trying to focus on anything else at the moment. His daughter's low-cut blue dress pushed her breasts up and together, making for an inviting view and as before, trying not to notice only made him notice more. 'Lindsey is a sexy young woman. Any man would notice her,' he thought. At least he wasn't aroused.

"I knew we spoiled you too much," Ben said good naturedly.

"Did not," Lindsey answered, putting on a little girl's voice. "But I'll keep you until Nikki comes and steals you away."

"I'll tell you what. I am all yours tonight."

Lindsey was pleased, but now even more suspicious. 'What could have happened between Nikki and Dad?' she wondered.

Nikki wistfully watched her sister and father dance together, wishing it was her in his arms. She hated this distance between them. She'd been trying to corner him all night to make him talk to her, but he eluded her every time. There was only one conclusion she could draw. 'He hates me. He thinks I'm a terrible slut.'

When she thought back on that night it did seem like she seduced her father. She was the one who kept pushing things, while he kept telling her they had to stop. Nikki was so drunk and horny that night she didn't care if it was wrong. Looking at her dad she knew he was just as horny as she was and at that point she was determined to have him. 'He certainly wasn't complaining when he pinned me to the table fucking my brains out,' she thought. The memory made her shudder and she had to push it from her mind. She resolved she would get her father to talk to her one way or the other. 'If he never wants to talk to me again he's going to have to say it to my face!'

As the night was winding down, Nikki was still unsuccessful cornering her dad. Lindsey stuck close to his side much of the night, but she'd finally been waylaid by a cousin who had a handsome guy she just had to meet. Nikki saw him headed for the door and made a beeline right for him.

"Dad, wait," she called out, grabbing his sleeve as he kept walking. "We have to talk."

"Don't cause a scene, Nikki," Ben said, taking her by both arms and steering her off to the side of the lobby. Just touching her stirred something inside him. In her heels they were almost the same height and he looked into those clear blue eyes, that perfect face he'd beheld so many times and he saw it all differently. He no longer saw innocence there, but a sensual, sexy young woman. He tried to just see his daughter, but he couldn't. The memory of those ruby lips on his and then parted as she moaned with pleasure was burned into his brain. Ben literally shook his head to clear it.

"You can't avoid me forever. I don't want to talk about this here either, but you've given me no choice."

"No, honey, you're right, we do have to talk."

"I'll come to your room."

"No," he replied quickly. That wasn't safe at all, but they did have to talk alone.

"We can go to mine."

'Is that any safer?' Ben wondered. She was sharing the room with her sister and surely nothing would happen with the threat of Lindsey walking in at any minute. 'Not that anything is going to happen,' he told himself. 'What happened that night was a one-time thing. I'm sure Nikki feels the same way.' Finally, he agreed.

Nikki knew they would have plenty of time alone. She saw the way Lindsey looked at that boy and knew their group would head to the bar after the reception. 'Not that we need a lot of time,' she thought. 'All we're going to do is talk.' She kept telling herself that, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach.

The elevator ride up to the room and the walk down the hallway were silent. They both were deciding what to say. Nikki listened for the click of the lock and took a deep breath as she pushed the door open. The bathroom was just inside the door and two standard beds occupied most of the rest of the room. A small table was pushed into the corner, beside the long dresser, but there wasn't really enough room for the two of them to sit. They sat on opposite beds, with just the small space between them.

"Nikki ..."

"Dad ..."

They spoke simultaneously. She told him to go ahead.

"Nikki, I'm sorry I've been avoiding you, but I just didn't know what to say."

"You should have said something, Dad. You just got up and walked away. It was like you were done with me and just wanted me to go away."

"It wasn't like that, but what could I say? What do you say to your daughter after you've just had sex with her?"

"You could have told me you love me."

"You know I love you."

"It hasn't felt that way. It's felt like you hate me now. See, you can't even look at me. Am I disgusting to you now?"

It was true. Ben hadn't looked at her once since they entered the room. He was afraid of what he might feel. He forced himself to do it now.

"You are not disgusting. You are the most beautiful girl in the world, sweetie. God, I love you. It's just ..."

Nikki couldn't hold back the tears. "It's just that you think I'm a slut, isn't it? I'm sorry I seduced you, Daddy!"

Ben never could stand to see her cry. He pulled her into his arms, hushing her. "I love you, baby. I love you so much. You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm sorry. I'm the guilty one. I'm the parent and I should have never let anything happen."

"I'm a grown woman, Dad. I'm responsible for my own behavior. I threw myself at you. I can't blame you for reacting."

"You did not. We were both drunk and something just happened between us and before we knew it things just got out of hand."

"Dad, I love you. I've missed you so much."

With horror, he noticed his body reacting to holding his daughter. She was pressed tightly against him, almost in his lap, and her hair, up in its elaborate arrangement, brushed his cheek. He felt the rise and fall of her breasts, which were crushed against his chest. He pulled Nikki off of him, pushing her back.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"Nothing. We just need to talk, that's all. We need to make sure we understand each other."

Nikki wiped away her tears on the back of her hand, smearing her mascara, and realized she must look a mess. Her dad pushing her away meant there was still a distance between them. He didn't want to hold her. 'Maybe it's because he knows what I was feeling,' she thought. It felt right to be in her father's strong arms. Her heart beat faster when he pulled her into his solid chest and smelling his cologne made her tighten down below. It was all automatic, like it was perfectly normal.

"Nikki, what happened between us was wrong. We must make sure it never happens again," he said sternly.