The M.I.L.F. Man

Cielo

"You have been avoiding me," Nikki said. Folding her arms in that way that always made me feel like a scolded child facing a stressed-out, exhausted mother.

"Not avoiding you, just...well, I thought we decided not to—"

"We can at least talk to each other, can't we?"

"You didn't think we had very much to talk about, as I recall. Which was...part of the problem..."

She rolled her eyes and started forcefully forking up a wad of lettuce and strawberries and other bits from the fruity food truck salad she'd ordered. And then she just dropped the fork and said, "I'm not even hungry—what am I even doing here?!"

But then her expression changed abruptly—pleading, beseeching eyes.

"Could we just go...you know..."

"Probably not...a good idea."

She bit her lip, sat back and sighed. She had such pert, pretty lips, Nikki. Could've modeled for...well, anything. She had that wholesome, pastel colored teen magazine face. Though of course we're "woke" now, so we tell ourselves the ideal has diversified somewhat...

"Because of her," she pouted. Kind of woman who still pouts, too, Nikki. And gets away with it, as a rule.

"You wouldn't turn her down," she added. "And that...stuff she does—she could have all kinds of STDs!"

"She does it for the camera, love."

"And you. And now she's got you all to herself!"

"Nikki, if we go to my place...I just think--"

"I'm not some crazy...stalker or something! Jeezus!"

I let that lie. And she sighed and said, "They're all just so...bad at it."

I had to laugh then. And she not only let me, she joined me.

And said, "I'm serious! It's like...10 seconds in, they're done. And then I'm there tryin'a finger myself to—OMG, I can't believe I even said that!"

"Your secret is safe with me," I told her, rather enjoying how red her face had turned.

And she sat back and folded those arms again and said, "You know all my secrets, damn you. And you won't tell me any of yours."

"You heard about the parents, right?"

"No surprise there. Honestly, Chastain, I know you think I'm just this boring little...grunt just toeing the line, playing it safe. But this is life finally slapping you upside the head, okay? And I worry..."

That was, I must admit, the most thoughtful thing she'd ever said to me. Had the ring of "prophecy" about it as well—hit me harder than I let on.

But I said, "You had a few stand-ins waiting offstage as I recall."

And she rolled her eyes and said, "I mean...is it just...American men or...Tucson or..."

"Possibly the age more than the location, my love. Be patient."

"You're their age!" she snapped. And then she frowned a different way and said, "God, it's so weird how much I...well, it's just weird..."