Chapter 11 (Justine)

The girls arrive at Ahmed's house, which Justine chooses to explore while letting her girlfriend talk things out with her father.

I was so proud of Yvette for taking the initiative and introducing herself to her dad; she even introduced me to him as well without even being prompted (even referring to me as her girlfriend), and it didn't sound forced. In all the time I'd spent getting to know her, I knew she actually had a really likable personality, so with her being more extroverted, it would mean more people could finally see what I could. I couldn't really tell what her dad, Ahmed, would have to say, given his shocked demeanor at seeing his daughter for the first time in a long while if not ever. He started out speaking in Bosnian, before switching to Croatian and then Serbian, all in a husky bass voice that would've given me goosebumps had I been straight… as would've also been the case with his appearance. But once he realized Yvette couldn't speak any of those languages, he finally spoke in English, albeit with a coarse Bosnian dialect.

I followed them inside, admiring the modern decor and design as we trekked to the living room. Before long, a few deep barks could be heard, before a cane corso about half the size of a horse revealed herself, trotting over to us as she cautiously sniffed our legs and crotches. Good thing she was only a dog, or I would've smacked the crap out of her for that. But whereas she showed more restraint with me, she chose to jump up onto Yvette, placing her paws on her broad shoulders as she licked her face, prompting her to giggle and pet her back. Almost as if that dog could tell what was going on.

"That is Lejla." Ahmed snapped his fingers, beckoning his dog back onto all fours.

"Well, it sure is nice to meet her," I replied, silently hoping I wouldn't have to introduce Carter to this beast.

Yvette and Ahmed both parked themselves onto the couch, the former adjusting the thin hoodie she'd donned earlier�"probably either to cover up a bit more and leave a better impression, or just to stave off the chill of the evening.

"You want me to stick around?" I asked.

"Nah, I think I'm good," Yvette said to my surprise.

Looks like she really wanted to show off her growth to her father, with no moral support and no delays. Giving a slow nod, I excused myself from the room.

"Feel free to look around," Ahmed called after me.

---

It was probably for the best that I wasn't there to hear them talk things out. Even if Yvette had needed me to back her up, I probably would've been bored to sleep. Not because I didn't care about what was going on, but because a lot of what would be said would likely be things I'd already learned. Plus, it wasn't like me to turn down a chance to explore a new place.

Entering the study with Lejla following close behind, the first thing to catch my eye was a large, copper-framed photograph of a younger Ahmed on the wall, posing and grinning with a woman about his age against a backdrop of the state's High Desert. I assumed this chick was Yvette's mother; she had the same butterscotch-colored eyes, but had no glasses and a rather pasty complexion. Her hair was curly and dirty blonde as well, but in a much lighter shade, and worn in a low ponytail. She also boasted a complete lack of muscle, clad in a sheer button-up shirt with a vibrant pattern over a plain spaghetti-strapped crop top, revealing a pearl pierced into her bellybutton.

On the fireplace mantle below this, I could see a much smaller picture propped up, showing that same couple kissing in front of a street corner restaurant in Laguna Beach; it had a cursive-written sign above its blue and white awning, which read, "Bosni-Czech: Eastern European Fare." And right next to it was another photograph simply containing an ultrasound, which I assumed to be Yvette's, although there were no pictures of her to be found otherwise, at least not in plain sight. But no way was I about to go snooping through this stranger's shelves and drawers. I was sure I could glean some more information from Yvette once she was done catching up with her dad.

Neglecting to explore the house's upper floors out of respect, I instead chose to scout around the remainder of the first floor. The study had three doorways, two leading to either side of the couch in the living room I'd already passed through, and a third leading to uncharted territory. I stepped through a spacious kitchen that was high-end and chock full of contemporary conveniences, but lacked personality as a major trade-off. Stepping through this and an equally unremarkable dining room, I was able to spot a pool, much smaller than mine and with a float resembling a partially-unwrapped chocolate bar. A shower head surrounded by frosted glass panels and a few vegetable plants could be seen nearby, giving the backyard leagues more personality than anywhere else in the house.

I had to say, it was pretty unusual to see someone buy up such a nice house after finding success with a restaurant idea, but not bother to personalize it even a little bit. Then again, maybe it was just a sign of Ahmed's misery, given some of the unexplained things that had clearly happened to him after opening the eatery. Namely, his longtime estrangement from his wife and daughter. Surprised I wasn't hearing any sobs from the living room.

---

By the time Yvette and Ahmed were done talking, I had already explored the rest of the first floor, spent some time on my phone, and used the small bathroom I found near the dining room, which was just as functional but indistinct as the rest of the house. Not the most glamorous way to leave your mark on someone else's property, but it was just a piss. Still kind of made me feel like a dog, though…

"God knows how I have missed you so," Ahmed said, in the midst of hugging his daughter and kissing her forehead.

"Same here," Yvette replied in a wavering voice. "You're way different than how Mom described you."

"Yes, well she was just bitter. It was neither of our faults that things could not work."

"I take it things went well?" I interjected, with Yvette's comforted smile making for a satisfactory answer on its own.

"I'd say so," Ahmed chuckled. "Did Lejla make for good enough company?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah. I can tell she's a very good dog… though I shudder to think how daunting it must be to pick up after her."

"Haha, she's on a raw diet, so it's not a lot."

"At any rate, I'm afraid we'd better get going," Yvette spoke up.

"Really? After we just reconciled?"

"It's not that, but we happen to have, uh, a reservation. Yeah!"

"Er… yes, we do," I said. "But it sure was nice to meet you!"

"I'll call you later," Yvette said over her shoulder as I followed her outside.

"Zbogom!" Ahmed waved after us, speaking what I presumed to be Bosnian. Always cool to pick up some new words in a foreign language.

---

I could somewhat see why Yvette wanted to leave for the time being. I mean, meeting her dad for the very first 

time at twenty-eight years old and learning about his history with her mother, who she already didn't have the best relationship with? I'd definitely need some air too if I were in her shoes. By the time we said our goodbyes and pulled out of Ahmed's driveway, it was too late to eat at any nice restaurants, as most of the ones in the area had closed. It was also too late to try and drive back to Pasadena, but Yvette, being brainy as always, chose to pull into a Holiday Inn for the night, even insisting that she check in and pay for the room instead of me. As if I didn't already have enough proof of her taking initiative.

It might sound hard to believe, but I was no stranger to this type of lodging. Whenever my family went on trips growing up, my dad would almost always insist that we stay in middle-class hotels, mainly to give my brother and I a taste of how the less fortunate live, and as a way to teach us not to take our riches for granted. The only exceptions were whenever we traveled to developing countries, when we went all out and booked resorts. We didn't bother unpacking too much, planning to hit the road again tomorrow afternoon, but we didn't hesitate to leap onto the bed, knocking four wrapped pillow chocolates onto the carpet.

We both shared a giggle upon impact, but looking over at my girlfriend, I could tell she was exhausted from everything that had happened today. Deciding to take it easy for the rest of the night, we ordered a large meat-lovers pizza with added anchovies and stuffed crust, capping off the meal with those pillow chocolates and washing it all down with a six pack of beer from the hotel's commissary as we marathoned the Fifty Shades trilogy. Not because we thought they were good, but rather to make fun of every conceivable aspect of them. Even though these films had a lot to dislike about them, they did manage to get me horny again; hopefully I could put on a better bedroom performance than that stoic rich a*****e.

I switched off the TV as the credits rolled for the third and final time, before Yvette and I started necking, letting our hands explore each other's bodies once again. After an exhausting but eventful day like today, I really felt like I deserved the feeling of her powerful jaws pleasuring me. I all but lost control of myself and started to undress my lover, desperate to see those augmented double-Ds free from that compressing sports bra. I undid the zipper down the front, revealing some cups hidden underneath for extra support before Yvette put a hand on mine, signaling me to stop. Silently, we decided it wasn't happening that night.

Yvette let out a yawn, her muscular arms still extended above her head as she blew the smells of fish and alcohol into my face. I cringed a bit, but thankfully her eyes were scrunched shut at that moment. Somewhat reluctantly, I climbed off and watched as my partner sat back up, closing her zipper but stripping off her leggings. In just her sports bra, bobby socks, and Gymshark panties, she slipped under the covers without bothering with a shower or toothbrushing, and fell asleep almost instantaneously. Barely having the wherewithal to place her glasses onto the nightstand. I smiled a bit as I watched her rest for a spell, but then grew annoyed at having my plans ruined. I'd initially wanted to rut once more, and then propose while we were coming down from the orgasmic high, but nope. Guess I had no choice but to do things in a more straightforward and frankly more awkward manner.

I didn't bother to get ready for bed either, instead taking off my shorts and lying back on top of the bed's unoccupied half. But before I did that, I shut off the lights. I was in the midst of scrolling through the YouTube app on my phone for something else to suppress my hormones, but was interrupted by a text.

"Hey…" Mark Jr.'s message popped up, accompanied by a chime that thankfully didn't wake Yvette. I was about to respond, but then he quickly followed it up. "You by any chance know if there's an option to pay more in taxes than what you're owed? I don't like paying less than the working class."

"You're supposed to be the smart one, yet you couldn't just look it up? And why are you bugging me in the middle of the night?" I texted back.

"I'm bored. Baby won't sleep. What's up with you?"

"Just helping a girlfriend of mine. Really grown to like her, and I wanna make it official."

"Well what's stopping you?"

"I just don't know if she'll want to. She stumbled into my life by complete accident. She was intending to do one thing, but I was just the distraction that sidetracked her, and now she's gotten her intended task done. She might not even have a use for me anymore, since I've already helped her out."

"Well you won't know that unless you try, right?"

"I suppose… good night, bro!"

"Night."

That conversation had been enough to take my mind off my desperate, attention-craving vagina. Taking a deep breath, I shut my phone off and slinked under the covers, falling asleep with a smile as I snuggled up to Yvette's sculpted yet soft body.