Forgotten Lunches

"I haven't done this in some time, so forgive me if I stumble, but I was wondering if perhaps you would like to have dinner with me? I'd love to cook for you."

"Would this be as friends, or are you asking me out on a date?" Aubrey said, surprising herself at how forward her question had come out.

Lucas smiled warmly, "I was hoping as a date. I know I'm older than you and for some reason neither of us has ever really discussed it, but if that's a concern for -"

"I'd love to," Aubrey blurted, not letting him finish.

A small laugh escaped Lucas' lips. "Then in that case shall we discuss the menu over lunch?"

"Sounds perfect," Aubrey said, pulling away from him and taking his hand in hers. She loved how his strong hands held hers firmly yet delicately. She barely waited for him to pick up the cooler before pulling him to the food court. Once they got there, she led him to one of the empty tables in the back corner so she could enjoy her time with him. "What did you bring?"

"Huh? Oh, something simple, chicken caesar salad," Lucas said as he placed the cooler on the table.

"Sounds yummy," Aubrey said, finally feeling the hunger in her stomach. She sat down in the chair next to him instead of taking her spot across the table and smiled up at him. Once he had placed the prepared dishes in front of them and sat down, Aubrey leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

Lucas smiled warmly at the gesture, "You're very welcome." He looked at her and smiled once more, something he did much more often these days and liked having her next to him. He dug into his salad as did Aubrey and they ate for a few minutes before he spoke again. "So what would you like for dinner?"

"Hmm, I dunno. You said you wanted to cook for me, did you have anything in mind? You know I'm happy with mac and cheese," Aubrey said with a chuckle.

"Well I was thinking of something a little more complex but if that's what you want, we can have that."

Aubrey looked at him and saw his smile before she started laughing. "I was only kidding, but it's nice of you to say that."

A warm smile crossed Lucas' lips, "Then in that case I'll make us some marinated flank steak, that is if you like that?"

"Oh that sounds yummy," Aubrey said as she took a large bite of her salad.

"Maybe I'll make a smaller caesar salad to start off dinner since you seem to like it so much," Lucas with a laugh.

Aubrey could only smile as she chewed. Once she finally swallowed she looked up at him sheepishly, "What? It's yummy!"

"Well I'm glad you like it," he said as he continued to laugh. "So when should we have for dinner?"

Aubrey thought about it for a second, "Do you open or close on Saturday?"

"I open, you?"

"I got lucky and am off actually."

"Oh look at you, lucky duck! So would you like to meet me at my place or should I come pick you up?"

Aubrey looked at him and smiled, "Let me see your phone."

Lucas took his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it and handed it to her. He watched as she went into his contacts and added herself to his list. As he watched he noted that she not only added her phone number but also her address. He took his phone from her outstretched hand and smiled, "Kitten huh? I like that. So does this mean I should pick you up?"

Aubrey simply nodded before she took the last bite of her lunch.

"I get off at five so I'll go home really quick, take a shower and then come pick you up. Say six?"

"That sounds perfect."

Lucas packed the now empty dishes back into the cooler and closed it. He turned and was surprised that he suddenly felt her lips on his. It was a quick, soft kiss, but one that ignited a fire within him. He wanted to pull her close and kiss her deeply, but this wasn't a time or place for that so he simply smiled at the young blonde who sat next to him. He searched her eyes and saw them begging for an answer, to let him know that what she did was alright and not a mistake. He took his finger and ran it up and down her cheek softly, smiling as he did so. "I liked that."

Aubrey visibly relaxed at hearing his words.

***

The next few days went by agonizingly slowly, as if time itself wanted to test his patience before letting him spend time with Aubrey. Once his shift was over Lucas drove home quickly and quickly showered before getting dressed. His usual calm, cool and collected exterior was starting to waver as he felt a nervousness he hadn't felt in ages. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans, a simple black shirt, black leather belt around his waist and a pair black leather boots. He looked at himself in the mirror and checked his hair before turning off the light and walking out of the bathroom. He grabbed his keys and his phone before walking out to his car. He put her address into the GPS and followed the directions to her place, a small apartment complex not far from his own house. He pulled into a parking spot and got out, looking at his reflection before walking to her door.

Lucas knocked on the door and could hear voices talking. The door opened and a young brunette woman opened the door, she was tall and thin and wore what he presumed to be pajamas. He saw her smile as he felt her eyes look him over before he watched her turn around.

"Hey girl, it's your date!" The young woman turned back at Lucas and smiled, "She'll be right out."

Just as the brunette finished speaking, Aubrey came out of her room. She was dressed in a pair of tight light blue jeans that hugged the curve of her rear and legs, a white tank top and a black leather jacket. Her normally blond hair was bright pink and fell over her shoulders and as she walked out, she saw Lucas standing there in the doorway and smiled warmly. She looked at her roommate and smiled, "Thanks boo, I'll see you later!"

Aubrey leaned up and kissed Lucas on the cheek and pulled the door closed behind her as she pushed Lucas out. She took his hand and walked with him to his car where she was surprised by him opening the door for her, and closing it once she was in. She watched him walk around and get in and saw just how masculine he was. It sent a shiver down her spine as she felt like an animal who was being hunted.

Lucas got in and started the car, smiling at her. He touched her hair and smiled, "This is different."

"Do you like it?"

"I do," Lucas answered before he pulled the car out of the parking lot. "Hope you're hungry."

Aubrey was glad that he was paying attention to the road as she bit her lip before answering, "Very hungry." She hoped Lucas hadn't heard the innuendo in her voice and placed her hands between her legs, clamping them tightly to keep herself from doing anything foolish. She stayed quiet for the rest of the drive and was thankful that it hadn't been a long one. She watched as he pulled up to a small house, the car stopped in front of the garage. As she unbuckled her seat belt she watched Lucas once again come around to her side and open her door. She took his outstretched hand as he helped her out. She followed him into the house and noticed how clean and orderly everything was.

Lucas smiled as he led her into the kitchen, "I'll go start cooking if you would like."

"Sure, would you mind if I hung out in the kitchen with you?"

"Wouldn't mind at all," Lucas said as he brought the large flank steak out of the refrigerator that had been marinating all day. He waited a few minutes for the large cast iron skillet to heat up before putting the meat in, causing a sizzling sound to fill the kitchen.

After a few minutes Aubrey could smell the seasonings and marinade filling her nostrils, "Oh man that smells good!"

Lucas smiled, "It's amazing what you can do with kale and flax seed."

Aubrey looked at him, unsure of what to say next, a look of confusion on her face.

"I'm just kidding," Lucas said, laughing softly. "The marinade is my grandmother's recipe." After cooking the steak for several minutes on each side, he placed it on a large wooden cutting board to let it rest.

Aubrey laughed, "You had me there for a second. Like I knew you were into fitness but I didn't think it went that far."

"Thankfully not that far. I still love to eat. Would you like a drink? Wine, water, beer or soda?"

"I think your grandmother's recipe deserves a nice glass of wine."

"I like your choice," Lucas said as he reached for a wine from the rack that sat in the dining room which sat just off of the kitchen. He carefully opened the bottle and smelled it before pouring them each a glass. He handed one to Aubrey before taking his in hand, "Shall we toast?"

"Sure! To the most amazing man I've come to know who is a terrific friend and maybe more. Sorry that sounded cheesy." Aubrey felt her face flush with redness and her eyes darted away.

A smile crossed Lucas' lips and he held his glass upward and winked at her, "And to you, a very beautiful woman who is a great friend, and perhaps more."

Aubrey smiled and looked him in the eye when he repeated her sentiments. She raised her glass and touched it to his before bringing it to her nose, smelling the tart aroma of red wine. She took a sip and let the flavors linger in her mouth before she swallowed it. "This is delicious."

"I'm glad you like," Lucas said as he took a sip himself. "Ready to eat? Just have to put this on a platter and get the salad out of the fridge."

"Sure, I'm starving."

Lucas brought out the food to the dining room table which was already set with places for the both of them. As they sat there at the table while they ate their meal together, they talked about what each of them had done during the day. Lucas talked about work and the random group of teenagers causing trouble in the mall while Aubrey talked about getting her hair done and hanging out with her roommates.

After some time, Lucas got up and began to bring the dishes into the kitchen, setting them in the sink. After he rinsed off the plates and set them down he turned around to find Aubrey standing behind him. He smiled at her softly, "Well hello there."

As she wrapped her arms around his waist, she leaned up and kissed Lucas. This wasn't a quick kiss like she had shared with him previously, but a deep soulful passionate kiss. She felt her body melt into his as she felt his arms hold her and she let herself go in the moment. When she pulled back she purred softly, "Mmmm, daddy."

As she opened her eyes and looked up at him she suddenly felt a wave of having made a terrible mistake. His eyes were looking at her in a manner that she hadn't expected and she instantly knew that she had made a terrible mistake. She let go of him and pulled herself out of his arms and ran out of the kitchen. Tears instantly streaking her cheeks as she found the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

Lucas stood there, unsure of what just happened. The kiss, the feeling of her body pressing against his felt wonderful, and then, she was gone. He whispered, "Daddy?" He calmly walked to the bathroom, not bothering to try to open the door but just knocked on it softly. "Aubrey, what's the matter?"

"Fuck, I knew it. I fucked it all up. I'm so stupid and I fucking ruined everything and now you probably aren't even my friend."

"What are you talking about Aubrey?"

"Fuck, see, you won't even call me Bree now. I knew it, I fucked it all up."

Lucas stood there and breathed in deeply before exhaling. "Kitten, please come out."

After a minute of silence, the bathroom door was unlocked and slowly opened. Aubrey slowly peeked her head out, "What did you call me?"

Lucas smiled softly, "Kitten."

"Does this mean we're still friends?" She wiped away a few tears that were falling down her cheeks.

"Possibly more," Lucas said, still smiling.

"Look, what I said, what I called you, it's not like that. I don't have a daddy issue, and I certainly don't want to fuck my dad or anything like that."

Lucas chuckled, "Glad we got that out of the way. I was going to defend myself by saying I'm not that old."

A laugh escaped Aubrey's lips as she opened the bathroom door fully, continuing to wipe tears away from her cheeks. "It just kinda escaped. I kissed you and it was perfect and it just came out."

"That's alright," Lucas said softly.

"You don't think I'm a freak do you?"

"No I definitely don't," Lucas said as he pulled her close and held her. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her head lean up against his chest. He felt her arms wrap themselves around his waist and he kissed the top of her head before saying in a soft voice, "I've never been called 'daddy' before, 'sir' on the other hand."

It took a few seconds for the words to register in Aubrey's mind but when they did, she looked up at Lucas with a look of wonder. "Lucas, what are you saying?"

"I know about you being submissive, letting me call you 'kitten' was my first clue, but your body language, the way you say things, how you act, it all pointed to that. I never wanted to bring it up because it wasn't in my place to do so. I used to have a sub, years ago."

Aubrey looked up at him and stared into his eyes, "Can I ask what happened?"

Lucas took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. After a few seconds he spoke, but his gaze traveled to a distant time, "My wife was my submissive and we were both incredibly happy. Unfortunately, our happiness was short lived, the one thing I couldn't fix was her cancer. I told you she left me but that wasn't the whole truth, you see we didn't find the cancer soon enough and it spread quickly. Several months after she was diagnosed she passed away. She knew she was dying and made me promise to find someone who would make me happy and I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't."

Several tears fell down Aubrey's cheeks once more as she looked up at him. She let go of his waist and placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled his face down to look at her. "Oh Lucas, I am so sorry."

"It's something I've come to terms with, it took some time but I'm alright."

"I can never replace your wife, and I don't ever want to, but I would like to try and make you happy, if you'd let me. You've made me so happy and I have always felt so safe with you."

"I'd like that, because you do make me happy. I very much enjoy your company and have thought about you in ways other than just a friend," Lucas said softly. He took her hand and led her to the couch where he said down. He pulled Aubrey down onto his lap and held her close. He felt her face buried in the crook of his neck, her warm breath on his skin. He had longed to feel her in his embrace and now that he had her, he never wanted to let go.

Aubrey sighed contently as she sat there on his lap, her back against the arm of the couch. She breathed in his scent before she whispered in his ear, "Even if you weren't a 'sir' or 'daddy' I'd still want to make you happy. I've wanted this for so long and now I'm so happy. I really, really like you Lucas. I'd love to be your submissive, if you'd have me."

"Aubrey listen, I really like you, and I do want more from our relationship. For now however, I think it best if we don't push the daddy dynamic. One day, if things continue to go well between us, maybe then I will accept your submission, but I think it best just to let things happen naturally."

Aubrey pulled back and pouted, her eyes meeting Lucas' before she smiled softly. "I can agree to that on one condition."

"What's that?"

"Will you please still call me 'Kitten?'"

Lucas smiled warmly, "I think I can do that."

Aubrey hugged him tightly before pulling back slightly and smiled. "You've treated me worlds better than my ex has already and I can't thank you enough."

"Oh? And how is that?"

"You see, I used to think that he was perfect and one day I mentioned that I was submissive. He got all excited and I thought he really enjoyed being a 'daddy' to my 'little' but I was wrong. Turned out he just loved to boss me around and that little thing called after care? Yea, it never happened."

"That sounds more like abuse," Lucas said seriously.

Aubrey buried her face in Lucas' neck once more, "This right here, I never had this. I always thought maybe I wasn't teaching how to be a good daddy at first, or that I was a bad little. Took some time but I eventually broke up with him."

"Not everyone is suited to being a dominant figure to a submissive."

"Yea I figured that one out. But then I met you and at first I tried to deny it, that what I was feeling was just some, fuck I don't know, something I was projecting. But you kept being so gentle, so honest and friendly. My friend Ava convinced me that maybe I should take a chance and just tell you how I felt. And here we are."

"Well I'm glad she did," Lucas said as he squeezed his arms around her warmly.

They held each other and continued to talk for a few more hours, each divulging more about themselves, peeling back the layers of each other's more intimate and hidden sides. Now that they both knew about the sides that they tended to keep hidden from the general world, they had found a special bond that knew of no judgements as their relationship began to blossom. They continued to talk until they agreed it was time for her to go home. The speakers of the blue Subaru pumped out the sounds of Avenged Sevenfold into quiet night air.

***

Lucas walked down the corridor and headed straight for "Hot Topic" when he heard the loud berating a man was giving someone. As he walked in he could hear the anger in the man's voice even over the music and he quickly surveyed the scene. He could see a man who was possibly his age yelling at Aubrey who stood behind the counter. He walked around the counter out of her sight and stood on the opposite side of the counter so he could look at the man yelling at her.

"Are you fucking stupid? Someone told me you had the 'Pop' figure I'm looking for and now you're telling me you don't. You didn't even look!"

"I'm sorry sir, we don't have that one. I don't know who you spoke to but that isn't a figure that we have had in some time but if you let -"

"You're going to get me that figure or else. I already promised my son I would have it and now you're going to make me look like an idiot."

Aubrey stood there, shaking slightly as the man had placed his hands on the counter and was leaning slightly over. She suddenly felt paralized when she heard someone else speak, someone behind her that she didn't realize was there.

"Why don't you take things down a notch and apologize to the young lady for being such an ass, or do I need to come over there?" Lucas spoke in his normal deep voice, but this time there was a growl in it, a possessiveness to it that instantly grabbed the man's attention. His eyes glared into the man as he held his arms folded across his chest, standing at his full height.

The customer looked at Lucas and visibly deflated, then back at Aubrey before he quickly walked out and knocked over a display as he exited the store.

Lucas stared at the back of Aubrey and spoke, this time in a much softer tone, "You alright Kitten?"

Aubrey turned around and quickly ran out from behind the counter. She threw her arms around his waist as she crashed into him, holding him tightly. "I am now daddy, uh, Lucas. Shit, sorry."

Lucas simply smiled. "I was going to apologize for being early, but I can see that was a good thing." He looked up when he saw thin young brunette come walking into the store with tattoos on her arms and a couple of Starbucks cups in her hands. "Hey Allison."

"Hi Lucas, everything alright?" Allison said as she walked behind the counter and placed the cups on the counter, her eyes on the mess by the door.

Aubrey pulled back slightly, "It is now. Just had a guy yelling at me about some 'Pop' figure that was haven't had in ages."

"Seriously? I told him the one at the other mall had it, not us. What a douchebag. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. On the plus side I got your favorite, mint mocha!"