Sweetheart

Maya woke up with a start on hearing the car tyres crunching the gravel at the driveway. 'Oh great! Dad's here. What have we done to this place! He is going to fly into a rage.' Her eyes darted around from the stereo which was still blaring, to the plates of half eaten biscuits and sandwiches on the table, to the tilted lamp shade, to the sofa cushions lying on the floor. It seemed like a tornado had hit the place. His head was still on her lap. They had spent the whole night together. She even smelt like him now. She looked at him tenderly as he slept and yearned that he could stay forever. She ruffled his hair gently. He seemed to stir. She didn't want to awaken him. 'Such a sweetheart!' she remarked as she watched him turn towards her belly.

She saw the hickey on her ankle and she was alarmed. 'How do I get rid of it?' she thought as she heard the door of the car slam. He had such a foot fetish! He loved her toes and she loved the way his tongue sponged and tickled them. The warm saliva on her bare toes. It seemed impossible not to love him. In fact, he was irresistible even at first sight. She was jogging at the neighbourhood park, when their eyes first met. Both of them stopped on their tracks. The moment she saw those deep brown eyes she felt the warm fuzzy feeling like molten chocolate spreading all over her heart. He too felt a strong connection draw him towards her.

But Maya knew her dad would never approve of his kind: roadside types. 'Pedigree, my dear child. Learn to appreciate and demand it!' he would say so often. But her affection for him was strong enough to goad her to rebel against her father's notions. Thus began the clandestine meetings at the park. It seemed perfect. Her dad would never know of it: he would never venture into the park for he exercised only on a treadmill.

However, soon enough the initial affection grew exponentially with every meeting and it had become almost heart rending for her to tear away from him to even go home. So finally after much deliberation, she brought him home. Dad was away at a conference and wouldn't return home until the next day. The coast was clear and they had the whole house to themselves. He was fascinated by the grandeur of her house but followed her silently as she led him into her bedroom. They had dinner together on her sofa. She loved watching him eat. He was as insatiable when it came to food, as he was when it came to her affection. She turned on the TV and they watched her favorite shows together. Later at night she turned on some loud and energetic music and they danced like crazy till they were out of breath. She plonked herself on her sofa and drew him in an embrace. She didn't remember much of what happened after that and the next thing she knew was hearing dad's car.

She panicked. Her brain was telling her to act fast: get rid of him, clear the room, spray herself with a deo and meet dad downstairs before he smells a rat. Her heart on the other hand, clung onto him and was ready to face dad and the consequences no matter what they were.

She could hear dad's footsteps climbing towards her room. She felt her heart exploding through her rib cage.
The door swung open.
'Maaaya....' her dad's excited smile metamorphosed into shock, bewilderment and finally anger.
'What's going on here?' he demanded.
'I can explain dad.' All the commotion and her pounding heart awakened her sweetheart.
'And what's that thing doing in my house?' Her dad's eyebrows were knit and his veins were throbbing on his forhead.
'Excuse me dad! But this is not a thing!' She said mustering some courage in his presence. 'He is Joey dad. Just look into his eyes! Aren't they cutest you've ever seen? Please let me keep him daddy. After Lassie this house is so lonely! Pleeeeeaaasseee Papa!'

She made a puppy dog face that her dad got confused which one was the puppy. He just left her with her sweetheart shaking his head hoping that when she grows up, her choice in men would be a bit better.