BEN
My parents had me out of wedlock. I don’t know much about the details of the story but my mom told me it was from a one-night stand. My dad was 19 at that time and my mom was 18. They never really did love each other, so after my birth, they went their separate ways. I stayed with my mom till I was 14 before going to stay with my dad.
Now 18, it has been four years since I started living with my dad. Staying with him came with a lot of perks. He was a successful businessman, owning multiple chains of clothing stores and properties.
He was cool and chill and got me everything I asked for without a second thought. I had everything money could buy from private schools to expensive clothes and a house so big it often felt empty. He was the type of dad any kid could ask for and I can’t imagine how lucky I am to have him.
Though sometimes, I miss the warmth and affection that came with staying with my mom.
My dad lives the typical billionaire Playboy lifestyle. That was the only part about him I didn’t like so much. Whenever he wasn’t working, he was out with friends drinking, partying, and going on one trip or another, leaving me to myself. Not to mention he was a chronic womanizer, always chasing anything in a skirt.
He had a lot of friends, all birds of a feather. Some were married while others had girlfriends and kids, but one thing they had in common was their good looks. Sometimes, staring at my dad, I couldn’t help but understand why my mum got drunk and fell into bed with him.
I haven’t really had a crush on any of his friends but recently, I have caught myself staring at them a little longer than I should, silently comparing them: this one’s more handsome… this one looks richer… this one is taller… this one has more muscles…
There was this particular friend of my dad, Tony. I call him Uncle Tony. Even though he wasn’t in any way related to me, I liked using the term. I tend to use that term for all my dad’s friends because in my eyes, they were like father figures.
Out of all my dad’s friends, Uncle Tony seemed to be the closest to him. I might as well call him my dad’s best friend.
Uncle Tony had a girlfriend and a kid. But I don’t think the kid was from his current relationship. His girlfriend looked far too young to have birthed a child that age. Maybe he might have been previously married and divorced or had the child out of wedlock like my mom and dad.
Uncle Tony had a lot of money. I think even more than my dad. He has over five luxury cars and seven self-contained apartments which he rents to tenants while he stays in a two-story building.
He liked coming to our place even when my dad wasn't around. My dad trusts him well enough to ask him to check up on me whenever he is out of town.
It was at that time that I started letting my gaze linger more than necessary, noticing every single detail about him.
Uncle Tony was the kind of man who turned heads without trying. He was tall, had dark intense eyes, and his smile was confident and a little crooked like they had some danger to it. He dressed well, neat, sharp, and from the way his muscles strained against the fabric of his clothes, I could tell he was a regular at the gym.
I found myself noticing everything about him, from his voice, to his laugh, to the way he carried himself. He wasn’t just handsome… he was magnetic.
Sometimes when he comes over and gets too close to me, I feel this strange nervousness I can’t explain. And at night, in the quiet of my room, I sometimes wake up from dreams about him… dreams that leave me feeling wet and confused.
I tried to ignore these feelings but they only grew stronger with each passing day.
At times while coming over, he gets me some clothes and stuff. And I couldn’t help but wonder how he knew the right size of trousers, shirts, and even underwear for me.
It wasn’t until this particular day that he threw a house party. He invited my dad and asked him to bring me along. My dad, thinking I was old enough and needed to go out more, gladly agreed.
“Ben,” he had knocked before opening the door to my room. “Get dressed. We’re going to a party at Uncle Tony’s place.”
“Ok,” I said simply.
I got dressed and in a matter of minutes, we were at this place.
An upbeat music was playing, disco lights were flickering across the floor and walls from above, and it was there I actually saw he had a large swimming pool at the back of his house.
I wasn’t the only teenager there but I had a feeling I was the youngest since the others looked to be in their twenties or so.
I was nervous. I could be awkward at times and wasn’t so good at socializing with strangers or even people my age. So, I tried to stick with my dad until the end of the party. But the man was busy drinking and hitting on some woman, forgetting I was even there.
I got angry and even if I tried complaining to him while he was in that state, he wouldn't listen. So, I just left and sat in a corner, scrolling through my phone. With time, I got bored and was already thinking of a way to sneak out and escape back to our place, with or without my dad.
But while I was having that thought, I saw him. Uncle Tony was heading to where I was.