Window Of Opportunity

Window of Opportunity 

Frankie Morales fanfiction x f! reader 

Summary: Years spent with the wrong guy leaves you desperate for true love and single again. Will Frankie be able to squeeze into the window of opportunity and confess his feelings, or will he miss his shot again?

Warnings: swearing, deadbeat boyfriend, talks of infidelity, drinking, friends to lover’s, fluff, kissing 

Picture is just for the banner, does not indicate readers appearance.

Word Count: 6k+ 

“Alright it’s Thirsty Thursday guys, what can I get you?” You say with a smile spread across your face, staring at your favourite customers and some of your best friends, Santi, Will, Benny and Frankie. They themselves have been coming into this bar for 6 years, after they were all discharged from the army and relocated to Fort Lauderdale. You’ve worked at this bar for almost 8 years now, having gotten the job in your mid-twenties to make some extra cash. It was only supposed to be temporary but here you are all these years later, still with an apron wrapped around your waist, a pen tucked behind your ear and shuffling around behind the old wood bar, illuminated by the neon beer signs. 

Santi offers you a kind wink as he settles onto the bar stool across from you, “Just a Rum and Coke sweetheart.” His effervescent smile shining as bright as always.  

Nodding, you begin to make the drink, while Benny and Will offer up their orders. Finally, Frankies sweet brown eyes meet yours and your lungs feel a bit lighter. “And what about our pilot?” you ask sweetly.  

He grins just enough for some of his teeth to peek out below his mustache and tucks his hand under his chin, “Surprise me Skip.”  

Smirking, you begin to whip him up your favourite and slide it over to him on the bar.  

Taking it, he smiles, “Should’ve guessed it’d be a Whisky Sour.” 

“Hey, pick your own drinks if you don’t like my favourite.” You say with a huffed laugh, knowing that despite them not being his type of drink, he’ll sip it down anyway. “How has your week been?” 

“Good, picked up Camila from JK on Monday so now she’s with me until next week Friday morning. She’s having some much-needed Abuela time right now.” 

“That’s good, everything still good with Liv?” You ask intently. 

He shrugs, “Yeah I’d say so, we’re doing pretty well at the whole coparenting thing now that negotiations are over.”  

You reach over and pat his hand that rests on the bar top, “Good, you’re a good dad Frankie. I’m glad you’re able to enjoy her again.”  

His ears and cheeks grow red, and his eyes soften, he whispers to you, “Thanks Skip, couldn’t do it without you.”  

Pulling your lips into a tight smile, you bat your lashes a bit to relax and turn your attention back to the rest of the group, “So, Will, how was the trip? Did you pick a venue?” 

Will nods, “Yeah, Orange County is really beautiful. It was tough picking just one place to have the wedding at, but we put a deposit down on a winery, so now we have a date which is great.” He says with a smile plastered across his face.  

“Oh, that’s great, Wendy must be so excited. Especially since it can be so close to her family.” You say before you notice the server drop down some chits on the other end of the bar. “Oh, I’ll be back guys.” You say before departing down the bar to work on the new orders.  

Later, you are standing cutting limes in front of the men, talking and laughing causally when the bell on the door chimes again. You look up, seeing your boyfriend Marcus step through the door and scan the room for you. The rest of the group turn their heads slightly to see what has caught your attention.  

Frankie grumbles to himself as he peers over his drink to see your boyfriend strutting towards the bar. His overbuilt muscles and $50 hair cut speak volumes about his personality. “Why’s Marcus here?” 

Will nudges his shoulder with a shush, Frankies eyes widen slightly realizing his voice was a tad bit higher than it should have been. Luckily for him, you had already moved down the bar towards Marcus. “He’s here to see his girlfriend, idiot. Why wouldn’t he be here?” Will says sarcastically.  

“He only visits her at work when he needs money.” Frankie states matter-of-factly under his breath.  

“That’s none of your business man, play nice.”  

With that Frankie rolls his eyes and stares Santi down the bar with an annoyed look on his face. Santi nods and takes his hint. Standing from the stool he calls over to you, “Hey Skip, we’re gonna be at the pool table.” The rest of them follow his lead and stand with their drinks to head over to the other side of the room.  

You nod and smile at them before turning your attention back to Marcus.  

“Why do they call you Skip anyway?” Marcus asks, leaning his body weight on the bar top.  

You shrug and smile to yourself, “One time, they were the only ones in the bar, like it was completely dead, and so we played Uno. The guys were such assholes every time it was one of their turns before me, they played a skip card. I swear I got every skip a turn card the whole night.” You say, laughing slightly until you see the utterly unamused face of your boyfriend staring back at your explanation. Swallowing your laughter quickly you clear your throat, “Um, and so yeah, they just call me Skip now because of uh…’cuz of that.”  

His face hangs low with uninterest, “Huh, guess you didn’t get many tips that night huh?” 

Pulling your face tight you reply, “No, I guess not.” 

“Does that happen often? Maybe you should find a different place to work where you can make more money.”  

“Um, no it doesn’t happen a lot. I think there was a storm that day.” You say quietly before stepping to the side to grab your wallet. “So, uh- how much did you say you needed for this football thing again?” 

He rolls his eyes exasperated, “Babe, it’s my fraternity brothers NFL fantasy league, it’s not just some football thing. And the buy in is $200.”  

Your eyebrows pop up, “Geeze, that’s kind of steep, isn’t it?”  

“It’s not about that, it’s about the networking I do with it, alright?” Marcus says. 

Nodding, you hand him the cash from your wallet, and he takes it with a giant smile, “Thanks babe, you’re the best you know that right?” He says before leaning across the bar and planting a kiss on your cheek.  

You say your goodbyes and wipe your sweaty hands on your jeans, letting out a deep breath you didn’t realize you were holding.  

Across the room, Frankie watches you fidget after your uncomfortable meeting with your boyfriend. He stands near the pool table holding his stick standing straight up and leaning some weight on it. “What is she still doing with that guy?” He asks the group. 

Benny huffs, “Wish I knew. Every time we hang out it’s always Marcus did this, and Marcus won’t do that. It’s like she’s his mom”  

Will steps up to the table and leans forward to take his shot, “He seriously doesn’t mind the two of you hanging out as much as you do?” 

“Nope, she even asked him before the first time we went to the movies if it was okay, and the guy is so fucking full of himself he said there’s no way she would ever find better than him, so he doesn’t worry about her cheating at all. In fact, one time he even thanked me for “listening to all her bull shit” so he doesn’t have to.” He says with air quotes and a sarcastic tone. 

Santi shakes his head, “What a dick. Why won’t she just end it with him?” 

Benny steps up to the red-felt pool table and eyes his shot that his brother has set up for him by accident. “Oh, she’s still holding out hope that he’ll man up and pop the question and then things will be better. Not gonna happen though, I think he’s cheating.”  

With that Frankie straightens up, “Why do you say that?” 

“He’s shady as shit, she works evenings and a lot of weekends, you think an asshole like that is really just waiting around for her watching Game of Thrones by himself every night?” 

“So, you don’t have any proof then?” Will comments. 

“Well, don’t tell her I told you this. But a few months ago, she got a DM from a girl that she knows, claiming he was hitting on her at a bar across town. But this girl knew Skip and recognized him from her social media, so she turned him down and messaged her. When Skip asked him about it, he said he wasn’t hitting on her, he was just trying to make some female friends, since you know, she has so many male friends.” he says, pointing around the pool table at the group of them and shaking his head at the obvious lie.  

They all groan in response and look over at you at the bar, working tirelessly to pay for yourself and your deadbeat boyfriends’ lifestyle. All the while he’s probably sneaking around behind your back and then dipping in to steal a kiss and some cash. 

Behind the bar, you stare blankly at the faucet on the sink, seeing your angled reflection in it. Your face looks sad, your eyes tired and your heart sunken. All you want, all you’ve ever wanted, was a relationship, an engagement, a marriage, a house and a family. It’s what you grew up in, it’s what your sister has. The white picket fence, the husband that kisses her at the door when he gets home, the two beautiful children she chases around all day. In your early twenties, it seemed like something that was guaranteed. Then it was just disappointing man after another until you finally found yourself on a date with Marcus 6 years ago. He was handsome and charming, and after a year you settled into a nice routine. But year after year you asked for a ring and never got one. One thing you could control was the house, so you saved everything you had to buy both of you one, thinking that would kickstart the conversation again. Yet here you are, a cold finger and your love for a man long gone, but 6 years too long invested in the relationship to bow out now.  

Grabbing a washcloth, you decide to take out your frustrations through cleaning up the bar top, using all the bent-up anger you felt towards your life to scrub off that damn stain you’ve never been able to get off. You peer up through your lashes and see the guys at the pool table, seemingly in deep discussion. You wonder if they’re shit talking your boyfriend. You wouldn’t blame them if they were, you wish you could join them. Frankie rounds the table and bends over to take his shot. His t shirt stretching across his broad shoulders, his curly locks peeking out from underneath the baseball hat you loved to see him in. Frankie, a man who actually talked about wanting a marriage one day but lost it all when his girlfriend fell in love with someone at work. He says they were mostly together for their child that they had accidentally gotten pregnant with and that he could move on. Not seeing his baby girl every day was by far the hardest part for him.  

Frankie was different than the others to you. Santi was your advice guy, always offering his words of wisdom. Will was your hands on guy. Need your breaks done on your car? Will’s got it. Need an Ikea cabinet put together? Will’s on it. Benny is your bestie, your movie and sushi date guy. Your talk shit about your boyfriend guy. But Frankie, Frankie is your if things were different guy. If you weren’t with Marcus, if he was ever even interested in you. Maybe, he could be something more, just by the way you talk so earnestly with one another, you knew he would never treat you the way Marcus does. And boy was he cute. You wish you felt bad when you would find yourself thinking about him late at night instead of your boyfriend laying a foot away from you. You figure after his failed relationship he is probably done with anything serious, maybe just date casually for the next few years and then settle down with someone as a companion. Surely, he wouldn’t be interested in learning about how lovesick you are over him and ruining your friendship and his favourite hangout-. 

A hand suddenly grabs yours to hold it still as you look up and see Frankie looking at you with concerned eyes. You look back down at the bar and see that during your whole internal monologue, you had still been scrubbing the stain and now the pain in your wrist was starting to register just how aggressive you were being with it. Pulling your hand out of his grip you toss the rag into the bucket and slowly rub your wrist with your hand, avoiding eye contact with the man across from you.  

He breathes deeply out of his nose and grabs some of the paper towel you have on the counter to wipe up the soap and water on the spot. He pulls a half smirk and looks at you, “Looks like you finally got that stain huh?”  

You peer over and see that it is indeed gone, certainly needed some elbow grease.  

“You okay?” he asks. The very last question you want to answer right now.  

Doing your best impression of a girl who is going to be okay, you nod and suck your teeth before muttering out, “Yeah, yeah just, - really fucking hated that stain.”  

Frankie can see the tears that want to spill over your eyes, knowing you the way he does, he knows very well that you do not want to lose it right there behind the bar. “Alright well, could I get another delicious Whisky Sour please?” he says with a boyish grin on his face. 

Looking up at him through your lashes you let out a chuckle, “I thought you didn’t like them.”  

“People change.” He states.  

His words dry your throat, and you do your best to nod and go on making his drink. Hoping his statement to be true.  

The night wears on and you say your goodbyes. You close up shop and head home to Marcus, playing every moment of the night through again in your head and hoping to make that people change statement a reality, whether it be you or Marcus.  

Sunday is your day off, and you and the guys planned a backyard BBQ at Will and Wendys to commemorate the end of summer. 

Frankie steps through the patio doors into the backyard. A red and white striped umbrella is stretched out over the patio table and chairs where Santi is seated comfortably talking with Wendy while Will works on the grill. He moves to sit down across from Santi and says hello to everyone.  

Wendy excuses herself to go work on the salad for dinner, and Frankie stares at the door she exits through, hoping you may come through it. Alas, you still don’t show up after another ten minutes, so he turns to Santi. 

“When are uh, Ben and Skip getting here?” Frankie asks, urging his voice to sound less eager than it does.  

Santi gives him a knowing look, “Ben told Will yesterday they may be a bit late cuz Ben had to go out of town this afternoon to pick up some stuff from their moms, she went with him for the drive.”  

Frankie nods and brings his cold beer to his lips, excited at the notion that Marucs won’t be joining them after all.  

A half hour later, Frankie, Santi and Will are seated at the patio table as Wendy finishes up in the kitchen. Their attention is pulled from their conversation when they hear Bennys boisterous voice call out to her as he moves through the kitchen and to the sliding patio door.  

“No Skip?” Santi calls out, as he notices Bennys lonely walk towards them. Frankie and Will look up from their plates of appetizers to observe your apparent absence for themselves. 

The younger man has a surprisingly pleased look on his face as he slides into the chair next to Will. “You’re never gonna believe this. They broke up.” He states with excitement burning behind his eyes.  

The group looks perplexed for a beat, Will asks to clarify “Who broke up?” 

“Skip and Marcus.” Benny says, popping his eyebrows up and down and nudging Frankie’s shoulder.  

Frankie’s eyes blow wide, unable to believe what he was hearing. His ears ring and before he knows it, he’s lost part of the conversation, gripping his beer bottle tighter he tries to focus on the flow of questions coming Bennys way from Will and Santi. 

Santi leans forward on the glass tabletop, “What happened?” 

“She finally had enough. I guess she tried to talk to him again last night about getting engaged and just like all the other times, he made up shitty excuses, so she dumped him right there on the spot. Took all her shit and is staying with her sister right now until they get the house sold and her money back. She called me this morning to tell me she couldn’t come today.” 

“How’s she doing? She okay?” Will asks, concern growing in his voice.  

Shrugging, Benny replies, “As good as she can be, I think. They were together a long time, and she feels like it was all wasted. He’s such a jackass.” He says before shoving some chips from a bowl on the table into his mouth. 

Will glances at Frankie, “So Fish, girl of your dreams finally single. What do you think about that?”  

His eyebrows almost get caught in his hair line and he stutters, “I uh- what. Don’t know what you’re talking about Will.” he says, trying to slurp down his beer before he puts his foot in his mouth instead. 

Shaking his head he dives deeper, “Don’t give me that shit man, we owe nothing to that guy. You’ve always liked her, you’ve been respectful, but now she’s fair game.”  

Santi nods along, “Yeah, we all know man. It’s pretty obvious.” 

Benny and Will nod along to Santis’ statement as Frankie looks around flabbergasted. “Seriously? Does she know?” 

“Nah, I don’t think so. She’s been too caught up in her own shit to notice.” Benny confirms.  

“But now’s the time to make a move, alright? Don’t let the window of opportunity close. Girls like that don’t stay single long.” Santi comments, giving Frankie a stern look.  

Frankie nods, “I can’t just ask her out the day after her relationship ended, she needs time to process this. I don’t want to be a rebound. I’ll let her sell the house, get her shit together, and then I promise I’ll talk to her.” He says defensively.  

“You better, because I’m not listening to her complain about another shitty boyfriend for half a decade.” Benny says, tapping his hand on the table and peering up at the sky, thinking about all the nights he’s had to hear you cry about how Marcus wouldn’t commit to you, even your house was bought by you, him not wanting to invest too much of his savings in case it didn’t work out between the two of you.  

“I don’t think any of us want to see her go through that again, and Frankie man, you’d be perfect together. I hope it works out for you.” Will says, reaching over to pat Frankie on the chest.  

Frankie nods, “How do I do this without looking like a total jackass who just wants to take advantage of her vulnerable state though?” he asks inquisitively.  

Santi shakes his head, “Frankie, Frankie, always counting yourself out before you get in the game. Any girl would be lucky to get a man like you, just have some faith in yourself alright?” 

Before they can continue the conversation, Wendy waltzes up to the table with salads in tow. “Alright everybody, time to dig in.” 

Thursday comes around again; you have switched shifts with the other bartender for a very exciting reason. Each of the guys had reached out in their own ways after they got the news on Sunday, simple texts and calls here and there, all trying to be as delicate as possible. 

Skipping through the door, you make your way over to the booth the guys are situated at. Santi spots you first and gestures to you for the rest of the group to turn and look. They all grin when they see your smile, your hair done exactly how you like it best, a white sundress with brown flowers and brown sandals finishing off the look. Frankies eyes light up seeing your sunny appearance and blossoming self-confidence.  

“Whoa, what are you all dressed up for?” Santi whistles, taking in your ensemble. 

Smiling brightly, you stand in front of the booth and state, “I have a date.”  

Their faces drop entirely, and Frankie can swear you could hear his heart fall to the floor and roll down between the booths like a child dropping candy in church.  

Will is the first to pick his jaw up from his chest and stutter out, “A date?”  

Nodding you reply, “Yep, I’m meeting him soon for drinks and appetizers but I needed to swing by here first for my pay cheque.”  

Santi waves his hands casually in the air as he formulates a question. “Don’t you think that’s a little soon, I mean, you and Marcus broke up last week.”  

“I know, I know trust me I’ve heard it already from my sister. But I’m not really grieving the relationship ‘cuz to be honest, I fell out of love with Marcus a long time ago, but I just had already invested all that time and energy, so I wanted to make it work. But, since he’s a total asshat, I have now had no choice but to move on and there’s no time like the present. I don’t want to have wasted 6 years with him and then 6 months waiting for the “right time” to start dating again and then another 2 years trying to meet the right person.” You take a deep breath, trying not to get too worked up over your current situation and pinch your eyes closed for a moment. “I just want…. All I’ve wanted this whole time is a marriage and a family and I’m frankly running out of time. So, I hopped on the dating apps and met this guy Sean, and now we’re going on a first date and then I guess we’ll see what happens from there.” You finish your sentence out of breath and out of options. If Marcus wasn’t your person, and you were too scared to see if Frankie would be interested in you, then this would have to do. 

Frankie can’t believe his ears. He’s already missed the window of opportunity. You’re going to go on a date with this guy, he’s going to fall madly in love with you, because how could he not and whether you like him or not, you’ll stay with him another 6 years just like Marcus. You just want it so badly, that you’ve grown careless with your heart. His stomach is turning in his seat as he tries not to look at Santi, whose eyes he can feel burning into him with a plea to stop this madness.  

The uncomfortable silence finally creeps through your skin and makes you eager to leave. Their shocked and unapproving faces with no acknowledgement of what you have said has you unsettled and honestly kind of annoyed. Looking over your shoulder, you spot your manager and nod to her briefly. “Well, um, I’m gonna go get my cheque and then head out.” Turning quickly, you miss the way their heads all spin to Frankie whose mouth still lay low.  

Benny finally speaks once you are out of ear shot, “What the fuck?” He throws his hands into his hair and looks around the table dumbstruck.  

Will is shaking his head and chewing his bottom lip, Santi is still looking at Frankie as if trying to use secret superpowers to control his body and make him rush after you. Frankie is silent, picking at the label on his cold beer as the condensation loosens the adhesive on the fish picture laden across the front.  

Santi finally breaks his stare and leans in closer, “You gonna do anything about this Fish?” 

Frankie shrugs, “Nothing I can do. You heard her, she’s moving on.”  

“From Marcus, not from you.”  

“Same difference.” He sighs, blowing all the air and joy out of his lungs.  

Shaking his head Santi straightens up in his seat. “No, it’s not the same man. She has no idea you have feelings for her and I’m willing to bet if you told her to cancel that date, she would in a heartbeat.” 

Shaking his head he sighs, “You don’t know that man, what if I fall flat on my face with her. There’s no going back.”  

Will leans his elbows on the table, “Fish, you gotta start believing in yourself more. I know what happened with Liv was really hard on you but-,” 

“But it wasn’t.” Frankie states. Upon being met with the confused eyes of his comrades he continues with shaky breathes, “It wasn’t hard. I liked Liv, felt something similar to love at times when it was easy, but it wasn’t hard when she left, because she wasn’t Skip.” His voice trails off with his confession.  

The familiar sound of your sandals hitting the hard wood floors snaps the group out of their trance, they turn to look at you with desperate eyes, unsure what to say as you stop for a beat in front of them.  

“Alright well, got my cheque.” You say awkwardly, raising the envelope up slightly in your hand. “You guys have a good night.” You tuck your chin down and don’t wait for their goodbyes. They’re being completely weird after all, gawking at you with open mouths like it’s the worst mistake of your life to go on this date.  

Stepping through the bar door you’re hit with the humidity of a late summer night. The sun was already setting leaving a low glow across the sky. You stand for a second, squeezing your eyes and urging the thoughts of Frankie out of your mind in an effort to stop the trickle of tears that would surely flow if you let yourself convince yourself that this wasn’t a mistake. Convince yourself you should go back in that bar and put it all on the line, even if it meant you’d fall with no safety net and lose him for good. That just wasn’t your style though, you didn’t free fall, you didn’t trust the universe. You needed certainty, and right now, the only certainty was that there was a handsome guy, who actually expressed interest in you waiting at a different bar, ready and willing to give you a shot. Taking one last look over your shoulder, you let your breath out and head to your vehicle.  

Frankie and the guys sit in silence, unsure what to do now. He watched as you left, desperate to follow and grab your wrist to spin you around and plant a seething kiss to your luscious lips.  

Benny takes a deep breath in and out, settling his head against the back of the booth. “That girl, Frankie, is worth the ifs, ands or buts. You know that, I know that, and I’m willing to bet she would agree.” 

Before Frankie can respond, the bartender that is covering for you, Tasha, hurries up to the table with a black notebook in hand. “Hey, did she leave already?” 

Santi nods, “Uh, yeah just. Why what’s up?” 

Tasha huffs, “She forgot her day planner again, would one of you be able to drop it off? I know she needs it before her next shift.” She asks. 

Frankie clears his throat and nods, “Yeah, no problem, Tash I’ll get it to her.” He says, leaning forward and taking the book out of her hands.  

She says thank you and swiftly heads back to the bar to greet the hoard of customers who have just stumbled through. 

Frankie stares absentmindedly at the worn book, pages from old day planners ripped out of their books and stuffed into this one instead of rewriting all the phone numbers and addresses you have in it. Quietly he passes it back and forth in his hands, a million thoughts running through his mind when it slips and falls down onto the table, some of the pages slipping out and exposing themselves in front of him. The guys look on with confused faces as Frankies face falls while he reads one of the faded and crinkled pages in front of him.  

Santi is the first to express his interest, “What’s that?” 

Taking a deep gulp, he picks up the piece of paper to examine it closer. Upon being sure that it says what he thinks it says, he slowly turns it around and slides it into the middle of the table for the guys to read. They all lean in and fall silent to see what has their friend so shocked.  

Frankie 555-666-7777 

baseball hat  

bar 

cutest guy ever?  

Update to self- definitely cutest guy ever 

He looks down at the book on the table, and thinks to himself, would it be wrong to go through it. Yes, it definitely would be, but he has to know if there’s anything else you’ve written about him it.  

Before the guys can get their “heys” and waits” out, he is opening up the cover and sifts through the pages. His ears start to ring as week after week contain the same notations. 

Lunch with Frankie <3 

Taking Frankie shopping to get news boots <3 

Borrowing Frankies truck <3 

No hearts beside Bennys name, Santis, Wills, or even Marcus’. He keeps flipping through the disheveled pages until he finds himself at the end of the book where the note pages are. “Fuuuck me.” Comes out of his mouth quietly as his whole world begins to spin, seeing a daily checklist you wrote out for yourself.  

Getting through the day, one step at a time. 

drink your water  

eat one vegetable, spinach dip doesn’t count 

do your morning Pilates, even though you hate it 

talk to Frankie <3 

He drops the book ceremoniously for the others to peer over and read as well. A grin spreads across Wills face as he pats Frankie's shoulder. “Alright man, no more excuses. What are you gonna do now?”  

Staring straight ahead with a sense of determination and wonder Frankie mutters, “I’m gonna go get my girl.” 

“Yeah!” Benny sounds as the others clap along and smile with Frankie.  

He thinks for a second, “Shit, did she say where she’s going?” he asks in a panic. 

Santi’s eyebrows pop up, “Oh, check todays date in the planner.” He says, pointing back to the book, seemingly the solution to all their problems that night.  

Frankie points his finger at his friend to acknowledge his good idea before grabbing the weathered book back into his hands and flitting through the pages to today’s date. He scans the week to Thursday and taps the page when he finds the notation. “9pm drinks with Sean, The Green Door.” He smirks to himself at the notice of no heart once again.  

“Green Door? That’s over on Park Street, right?” Benny asks. 

Will nods, “Yeah like a 5-minute drive, you better get going man.”  

Letting a deep breath out Frankie blinks quickly, “Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Okay.” He pushes past Santi in the booth and quickly pats his pockets to make sure he hasn’t forgotten anything. “Okay, I uh, I guess here I go.”  

“Go get her Fish!” Santi calls as Frankie begins to step away. Before Frankie suddenly finds himself turning in his spot and standing desperately back at the booth. 

“What the fuck am I supposed to say?” He asks with eyes wild.  

Benny scoffs, “Just say whatever you’ve been practicing in your head for the last 6 years and I’m sure it will be fine. Now go or I’ll kick your ass!” He swats at him playfully.  

With that Frankie gives them one last look of gratitude and jogs out the bar towards his truck, throwing it in gear and peeling out of the parking lot as quickly as the law will let him.  

After leaving work, you stop at a gas station to fill your tank. Standing at the pump you lean against the cool metal of your car and sigh. This new chapter of your life was daunting to say the least, no matter how optimistic you tried to feel about it, no matter how many fake smiles you had to put on for your sister, no matter how many cute guys messaged you on the app. You hear the click of the full tank signal and finish up, sliding back into your car and putting on some Taylor Swift to hopefully boost your mood on the drive over.  

Stepping out of your car, you look up at the neon sign above the green door. Sean had texted you on the drive over that he was there and grabbed a quiet table at the back. You smooth out your sundress to make sure it’s not sticking to the back of your thighs, thank you humidity and leather seats for that, and make your way over to the entrance.  

You hear the sound of a vehicle door slamming shut heavily and then the sound of boots sprinting against the pavement just as you are about to pull at the handle.  

“Skip wait!” 

Turning you look back and see none other than Frankie jogging up the sidewalk towards you nearly out of breath.  

“Frankie? What are you doing here?” you ask, your eyebrows furrowed as you peer over his shoulder to see if he is alone.  

Stopping in front of you he tries to catch his breath, “You can’t, - you, - you can’t go on this date.” He stutters out, trying to pull his shoulders square as he calms himself down.  

Feeling utterly bewildered by his statement you ask, “Why not?” 

He takes a deep breath and stares down directly into your soul. “You can’t because, well, I’m in love with you.”  

Your eyes nearly bulge out of your face and your breath hitches, unable to speak.  

He continues, noticing your shock. “I know, I know. This is probably not something you expected, because I’ve done my best to keep it locked away while you were with Marcus, and I was with Liv. But you’re not with him anymore, and I was never in love with Liv. I couldn’t have been, not when you were already taking up so much room in my heart. My heart is split right down the middle. It’s Camila, and it’s you. Has been for years now, there’s just no room for anyone else right now.” Gesturing to the green door beside you he continues. “This guy, I’m sure he’s nice or whatever, but I know you. I know you better than I know myself and I just, I love you. I do, and I’m not a hundred percent sure what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours, but I just need you to know, before you meet someone else. Before I miss that damn window of opportunity.” 

Taking a big gulp of air he finishes, looking down and embarrassed at his confession, fearing to look you in the eyes and see nothing but pity.  

“Frankie.” You whisper.  

He looks up to meet your gaze, and his heart thumps harder in his chest when he sees the tears welling up in your eyes and the way you have to bite your bottom lip to stop yourself from breaking into the biggest smile he’s ever seen.  

Clearing your throat, you find the courage to speak. “I love you too Frankie.” You say, finally allowing the smile to crack your cheeks.  

Frankie's grins goofily and his eyes light up, “Really? Since when?” 

Shrugging you admit, “Since I fell out of love with Marcus. So, years ago.”  

“Huh, never thought I’d want to thank that son a bitch for being such a useless boyfriend.” He jokes.  

You giggle and nod before noticing his face has suddenly changed into something of longing and he inches closer to you.  

Bringing his hands to your warm arms, he slides them up and down and looks down earnestly at you. “Can I kiss you baby?” he whispers.  

Looking into his deep brown eyes you part your lips and nod, “Yes, Frankie, please. I’ve waited too long for this.”  

He slowly leans down, his hands trailing up your arms to cup your face before gently pressing his lips to yours. His lips are plush and soft and move with such care. You bring your hands to his back and pull him slightly closer. He grins before encapsulating your mouth again in a seething kiss, poking his tongue through your teeth to lick into you. A moan vibrates through your throat.  

Before you can really get out of hand, a sound of “Whoops” and cheers sounds from the parking lot beside you and you both break to turn to look at the commotion. A large black truck with Will, Benny and Santi hanging out of the windows and sunroof with devilish grins on their faces is what your shocked and embarrassed faces are met with.  

“Oh gosh.” You laugh to yourself as you turn your body into Frankie's, he instinctively pulls you in close and wraps an arm around your back to shield you from the eyes of your obnoxious friends.  

“Seriously guys? Can’t you let me do anything on my own?” He calls over to them with his free hand raised. 

Santi laughs and retorts, “Had to make sure you didn’t bitch out man! Looks like we came at the right time though otherwise we would’ve been picking you two up from the jail for public indecency.”  

Will and Benny laugh before Benny calls out, “Alright guys, I think we’ve embarrassed them enough. We’re going back to my place for pizza if you two love birds wanna join.” 

You peel your face off Frankie's warm and firm chest and shrug, “I could go for some pizza.” 

He smiles and nods, before taking your chin in his fingers and pulling you closer for one more sweet kiss. “Sounds good to me, I’ll meet you there, okay?” he says once he has sufficiently sucked the smile off your face. 

“Okay.” You say and break apart from his hold. He swiftly takes your hand and walks you to your car, opening and closing the door behind you with a boyish smile on his face.  

You settle into your car and watch him as his tight little butt saunters over to his truck. You bite your lip before pulling out your phone and bringing up your messages. 

Sean: Hey just checking if you’re alright. 

You: Hey, I’m so sorry, I’m gonna have to cancel. Something came up, and I don’t think it’s gonna work out between us. It was nice chatting with you. Have a good night.  

Your phone pings before you put it back in your purse, you’re expecting it to be a disappointing text from Sean, but your eyes light up when you see the name on the notification.  

Frankie: *photo of the checklist in your day planner* 

Getting through the day, one step at a time. 

drink your water 

eat one vegetable, spinach dip doesn’t count 

do your morning Pilates, even though you hate it 

talk to Frankie <3   kiss Frankie <3  

Check! 

One Shots

Pickup Truck

summary: frankie hates your boyfriend. in fact, everybody does. but he’s willing to give him a chance. you’re his best friend, after all. until frankie discovers something he can never forgive.

beg

summary: frankie's tied up, strung out. it's just a matter of how long he lasts.

Tommy's Party

summary: your handsome new roommate spells trouble. or, a bunch of times you and frankie nearly fuck. and then one time you do.

pt. i - you and your friends pt. ii - tommy's party

Series

On Call

series summary: there are many things frankie morales used to laugh at in romcoms. falling in love with the girl next door, the babysitter, your best friend. and then he met you.

listen/watch/touch

series summary: you’ve been serving frankie and his friends at your bar for months. despite your wishing and wanting, the shy pilot doesn’t work up the nerve to ask you out before santi introduces you to his buddy, joel. swept off your feet by the sweet southerner, and charmed by pope, the boys come together to show frankie exactly what it is he’s missing.

The Debt That I Owe (coming 12/24)

series summary: you saved a cowboy's life, once. and then, when you most need him, he returns to repay the favour. what follows is a journey that spans states, worlds, lifetimes. forging the closest friendships you have ever nurtured, chasing the promise of an existence beyond the one you've lived.

dividers from @saradika-graphics

Will Miller- Sugar Daddy edition 

Summary: Cinderella didn’t meet Prince Charming at a Starbucks on her way to her 9-5, but Prince Charming also didn’t have chiseled abs like Will does so I’d say this fairytale is an improvement on the original. 

About: Continuation of the sugar daddies AU Triple Frontier collection. See Frankie’s story or original teaser post for more information.  

Warnings and Information: 18 + minors, DNI, age difference, reader is 20s, Will is 40s, Will works with an organization called The War Amps (see top of story for info, pretending it is in the US as well), amputee, hospital, reader has hair, alcohol, swearing, smut, oral f receiving, protected piv. 

Photo is just for the collage, does not depict readers skin colour or weight. 

Word Count: 12+k 

The War Amps; is a Canadian organization whose main purpose is assisting veteran amputees. The non-profit serves to provide war veterans with financial and advisory support. The organization also provides programs that target the needs of children, adults and veterans who are amputees and use donations to assist in providing them with prosthetics. https://www.waramps.ca/home/  

“Mocha cookie crumble Frappuccino for a-,” 

“Yep, that’s me.” You say, stepping out of the waiting line and towards the counter. Taking the drink from the barista you offer a sweet smile and turn to head towards the exit. Thankful for the warm and sugary liquid to get you through the next few hours of appointments. The chilly late March air pricks your cheeks as you step out onto the sidewalk. You clutch your drink closely to your mouth to enjoy the warmth radiating out of the little paper cup. 

Your favourite Starbucks in all of New York city, as they are the only ones to make your coffee perfectly every time, was just a few blocks away from the pediatrician’s office you are a nurse at. Thank goodness for that, as it is exactly what you need to get through the long day of back-to-back appointments and endless children screaming as you administer shots. Due to the fact that your attending physician at the office is “Mr. No Shots.” Which unfortunately makes you, “Ms. Kids Hate Her.” Thankfully, your daily indulgence of a sweet coffee and your coworkers make the mundane day fly by fast enough.  

Settling down near the end of the day in the staff room comes as a relief to your tired feet. Sitting back in your chair you fall into the usual conversation with your coworker Ross. 

“I just can’t find a guy on these damn apps; I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” He says in a huff, tossing his phone down on the table and running his hands through his red hair. 

You nod in agreement, “Honestly I haven’t even looked at my profile in weeks, it all got so overwhelming swiping and reading through all those pointless pages where people basically lie to your face just to get in your pants.” 

He sits up straighter in his chair and reaches for his coffee, “I wish I could just meet someone the old-fashioned way you know?” 

“What, like at a bar or coffee shop?” you ask. 

“Yeah, something organic that isn’t all fake like these apps.” he says, shaking his head and sipping from his cup.  

Another one of your coworkers Deepti comes into the room, mumbling about a stain on her scrub pants. She goes to the sink and grabs a washcloth before rinsing it with soap and water to begin scrubbing at the material on her leg. 

“What’s that from?” You ask, leaning further back in your chair and peering over at the clock on the wall. 

She rolls her eyes, “That annoying Jennings kid, squeezed his juice box on me.” After sufficiently wetting her scrubs, she turns back to the pair of you. “So, what are you two talking about?" 

"Men." you say in unison, which earns a groan from Deepti.  

“Ugh, I’d rather not.” 

Ross asks, “No luck in that department for you either huh?” 

“Nope.” She says with a pop of the p. 

“Ross wants to get away from the apps and meet someone the old-fashioned way, like a coffee shop, or perhaps even a ball at midnight in his own little fairytale.” You quip with a smirk, the pure idea of it seeming laughable.  

Deepti smiles, “Ever the romantic, Ross. Never change.”  

Ross laughs, “Alright well then how are you meeting men Ms. Smarty Pants?” he asks with a pointed look at you. 

You shrug, “I guess I’m not, haven’t had a decent date in a hot minute.” 

Heading towards the door for her next appointment, Deepti calls over her shoulder. “I’m sure it will happen when you least expect it.” 

Standing in line for your usual order, you scroll mindlessly on the dating app you swore you wouldn’t touch again. Your order gets called and you slide your phone into your scrub pants to take it from the barista, just as you do every day.  

As you turn you hear a voice over your shoulder. “That’s quite the order.”  

Whipping your head around you come face to face with the most handsome man you’ve ever seen. Tall, blonde, manicured beard, an impressively built body as you can see through his tight fitting sweater and the most piercing blue eyes.  

Stuttering slightly, you comment, “Oh, uh, yeah I guess it is.” With a blush forming on your cheeks. You quickly excuse yourself before you simply melt from his gaze. During your walk to work you shake your head of the thought of the man. He was so handsome, why was he talking to you like that? You’ve never seen him before in that shop, and let’s be honest, you probably never will again. Starbucks are a dime a dozen in this city and the likelihood of catching him again seemed impossible.  

“Mocha cookie-,” 

“That’s me.” You say, stepping forward once again. Clutching your warm coffee close to your chest, you look around and see that the handsome stranger is nowhere to be seen. Approaching the door, you’re halted when it comes swinging open and your eyes widen at the sight of him.  

He smiles shyly and stands to the side to allow you through. You nod politely and pass by him.  

“Have a nice day.” You hear calling over your shoulder.  

“Oh, yeah you too.” You say quickly, peeking back at him to see he is merely standing in the doorway watching you walk away.  

That was odd, you think. Maybe he’s just a really outgoing guy? Maybe he’s one of those people that’s really nice to people in scrubs because of the pandemic. Maybe you’ll never know.  

Another day, another pleasantry from hot blondie and again you’re dumbfounded. How’s your day this and enjoy your coffee that. Nothing more, nothing less.  

Leaning against the counter in the staff room at work you swirl a spoon in your microwaved cup of soup and think to yourself. 

Deepti looks up from her book and notices how your eyebrows are knitted together, “What’s up?” 

Snapping to, you place your untouched and now cold soup on the counter behind you. “Oh, just thinking, about this guy.” 

She immediately perks up in her seat, “A guy? Really? Tell me everything.” 

 Shrugging you reply, “There’s not much to tell, that’s the problem. I have been seeing him at Starbucks every day for the last week and every day he just says something nice to me and that’s it. No name, no what’s your number, nothing but a polite, how do you do, and then he’s gone.” 

“Hm, does he talk to everyone like that?” she asks. 

“No, I even stood at the back of the room the other day to see if he would strike up conversation with anyone else and he didn’t. But before he left, he walked past me and said the colour of my scrubs was nice. I don’t even know where to go from that.” You say exasperated.  

Deepti purses her lips and squints in thought, “That is weird, maybe you should just try talking to him next time. Ask him a follow up question.”  

Chewing the inside of your cheek you figure that is the only way to progress whatever this is and see what this guy’s deal is.  

The next day, you stand in the back with your arms crossed and scanning the room. Hot blondie walks in shortly after you place your order and appears to be looking around, possibly for you. You are hidden perfectly behind a post against the wall and when he thinks you aren’t there, his shoulders fall slightly, and he steps into line to place his order.  

Your order is called out once again and his head immediately perks up to look around once more. You walk out of your hiding spot and to the counter to take your order with your usual smile. Starting towards the door you make a point of walking towards him. He watches you the entire time and holds that same shy smile on his face.  

“Nice weather out there today.” He comments as you approach. 

This time you stop, “Yeah, do you walk to work as well?” you say, trying to be casual.  

His eyebrows rise with your sudden boldness, and he smiles even bigger, “No, I actually live in the neighborhood so just come here to get a little something to start my day.”  

Nodding you reply, “Ah, well, I work just down the road so I swing by here for my own little liquid courage to take on the day. Anyway, I should get going, bye.” You say confidently as you hold your breath and brush past him.  

“Bye.” Is all you hear as you press the door open and slide out, a smile growing sheepishly on your face as you tackle your walk to work.  

Feeling optimistic and hopeful, you once again enter your usual Starbucks in the same neighborhood you do every workday. Just as you are approaching the line to order, a familiar voice rings in your ear to your left.  

“Mocha cookie crumble Frappuccino?” 

Turning where you stand, you come face to face with hot blondie, holding two coffees and offering a kind smile.  

“Um, yeah that’s me.” You say, matching his smile.  

He huffs a laugh out of his nose and offers you the drink. Your fingers graze each other’s as you take it from him, and a shiver runs down your spine. “Thank you.” 

“Will.” He says.  

“Will.”  

He smirks, “I do have to admit, I’ve heard your name by now. But I just call you Cookie because of your order to be perfectly honest.”  

You suppress a giggle at the adorable nickname, “Well, to be perfectly honest, I’ve been calling you hot blondie in my head so.”  

He laughs, “That works too, glad to know you think I’m hot at least.”  

Damn this guy is smooth. You fear you may begin to sweat if he keeps looking at you like that.  

Will looks down for a moment before meeting your gaze again. “I hope I’m not being too forward, but I uh, put my number on your cup. Thought maybe you’d like to go out sometime.” Will says with a hopeful smile.  

Looking at him intently you think to yourself, how old is this guy? Is he really picking up a girl in a coffee shop? Maybe he’s too old for the apps and this is all he knows. The undetermined age difference makes you weary but doing your best to pull from the hopeless romantic you beg is still deep down inside of you, you smile back at him. “Yeah, I would like that, I’ll text you.”  

He walks you out and stands aside to hold the door open for you, offering a sweet “Have a good day, see you tomorrow.” As you turn to head towards the office, you think to yourself, Ross is never gonna let you live this one down.  

The sky has already grown dark by the time you push through your apartment door. Your corgi, Gus comes barreling towards you at full speed.  

“Hey Gus Gus.” You say down to the little guy. Placing your backpack and keys on the white countertop you let out a sigh of exhaustion. You loved your job but boy was it tiring. As you start to prepare your dinner, your roommate Carrie steps through the door.  

“Hey, how was your day?” she asks, kicking off her shoes and pulling the claw clip out of her hair to let her curly locks fall.  

Offering a tired smile you reply, “Good, how about you?” 

“It was good. I won’t be home for dinner though, going out with Chris.” She says, heading to the bathroom to begin getting ready for her date.  

Returning to your prep, you begin chopping your potatoes and look over at your backpack that holds the ripped off phone number from the cup.  

Once Carrie is gone and your belly is full, you fall lazily onto the couch and turn on any reality show Netflix has to offer so your tired brain can relax. Gus curls up on the chair across the room and you look between him and your roommate’s empty room. Maybe you were a little lonely. Carrie was your friend for sure, but she had her own life to live as well. Since moving to the city, it had been difficult to make friends and boyfriends. Not that you’re not a social person, but getting a real connection is difficult. Sure, maybe you could put yourself out there a little more, and maybe this text you’re about to send will push you in the right direction.  

Hey hot blondie 

You bite your lip at your text, hoping it comes off as playful as you would like it to be. Not a minute later your phone pings back at you.  

Well, hey there Cookie, didn’t think I’d be hearing from you so soon 

Crap, was that too soon? You are pretty out of practice with this type of thing, maybe wait a few minutes before you respond to make yourself seem less eager. Chewing your fingernail, you stare down at the phone, trying to think of a flirty response.  

Just trying to secure my free coffee tomorrow 😉 

You grin to yourself and watch as his message quickly appears once again. 

Oh, I see how it is, just looking for a sugar daddy huh? 😉 

I mean, in this economy, who isn’t lol 

Haha, so what are you doing tonight? 

Just watching some brain rot on Netflix with my dog, hbu? 

Nothing either, wanna hang out? 

Your eyes widen and your shoulders pull off the couch. Was this a hookup thing or a spontaneous romantic thing? It was hard to tell.  

What did you have in mind? 

Weathers nice, wanna meet for a walk with your dog? 

Looking down at your snuggly best friend you grin with excitement. 

Sounds good, meet at Starbucks in 20? 

See ya there, Cookie. 

As you and Gus walk up to your meet up, all bundled up in a coat and scarf, you see Will waiting by the storefront. He’s wearing a fitted black coat, and dark jeans with boots. His eyes immediately brighten when he catches sight of you approaching.  

“Hey, how are you?” he says, his smile spreading across his face swiftly.  

Smiling back at him you reply, “I’m good thanks, how about you?” 

“Great, and who is this little fella?” he asks, kneeling down to let Gus jump on his knee.  

“This is Gus.”  

Standing back up he meets your eyes, “He’s a cutie. Do you wanna get a drink?” He asks, pointing over his shoulder to the store. 

Waving your free hand casually you shake your head, “Oh no, I just didn’t know where you lived so I thought this would be a good meeting point. I’m good to just go for a walk.”  

Nodding, he steps aside to allow you to continue on the sidewalk. He quickly steps over to your left to stand between you and the busy road. “So, you said you work near here? What do you do?” He asks.  

“I’m a nurse at a pediatricians office a few blocks over, and then my apartment is just down the road from here.” You say confidently.  

He nods, “A nurse huh? I figured something like that with the scrubs. Good for you, I’m sure that’s a tough job.” 

Shrugging your shoulders you reply, “It’s not too bad, I do love working with kids and trying to help them feel better, even if it’s just in spirit. Days get long though.” He smiles at your answer, “What do you do for work?” You ask. 

Will clears his throat and looks around at the people passing by, you see his eye line dart around faster than you can think before he replies. “I was in special forces, for about 15 years. Now, I work with the VA and the War Amps.” 

Your eyebrows raise, “Wow, that’s a long time to serve for. I can’t imagine, but good for you for helping all those people with the VA and War Amps. I’ve heard great things about them.” 

He smiles, “Yeah, you would love the War Amps, get to meet the most incredible kids there and their spirit is just, so inspiring for me. It’s hard to deal with injuries, I definitely had my fair share in the service, but I was still one of the lucky ones. So, I try to give back with my time and money as much as I can.”  

“That’s amazing, I’d love to see that. Sometimes I think I could be doing more to help with my degree than just, administering vaccines and wrapping up sprained ankles.” You say, almost to yourself. You don’t know why you’re speaking so vulnerably so quickly, isn’t this the what’s your favourite colour stage of a date? 

“I’m sure you make more of a difference than you think, but I could definitely take you by the hospital some time so you could check out the program.” Will says, his heartfelt blue eyes piercing your soul every time he looks at you. 

Clearing your throat to pull yourself back from the clouds he has sent you to, you ask, “So, that is your volunteer work I presume, what do you do for work?” 

Pulling his lips tight he stutters, “Um, I don’t really work anymore. I retired from special forces, and then did some private work that paid well and now I just invest in the stock market. It only takes up a few hours of my day so the rest I get to spend doing what I really love.”  

“Oh, wow, that’s really impressive. How do you do with the stocks? I’ve never understood any of that stuff.”  

“Pretty well, I’m good with numbers. Always had a habit of counting things and keeping track so I look at it all a little different I guess.” 

You smile, “What do you mean by counting things?” you ask.  

He clears his throat, “Well for example, I’ve uh-, kept track of every time I’ve made the same speech at the VA. I’m well into the 200s at this point. So, there’s big counts and then there’s small counts, like twelve.” He says quietly, giving you a knowing smile. 

Squinting your eyes you ask, “What have you counted twelve times?” 

“Twelve, is how many times,” he begins, looking sheepishly down at the snow crunching under his boots. “I saw you in that Starbucks before I finally got the nerve to talk to you.”  

Your chest flushes and you have to bite your lip to stop the agonizing grin that is threatening to crack your cold to touch cheeks. He looks equally as charmed as he stares back at you, waiting for your response.  

“I feel bad,” You begin to say, “I didn’t notice you until you finally did talk to me.”  

He shrugs, “That’s okay, every time you were either rushing out the door, or on your phone, or I was just not looking to be seen. There was this really adorable time, I think it was number seven, where you held the door open for this older gentleman and he said you were as sweet as sugar, and then you just had the biggest smile on your face.” His face beams at the memory as he scratches his beard.  

A smile breaks out on your face as well, “Oh I remember that guy. He completely made my day.” You say, your heart warming with each step you take with Will, Gus trotting beside you along the path.  

Will chuckles, “You kinda made my day every day after that.” He confesses.  

Blushing you reply, “You’re pretty charming you know that right?” 

He shrugs, “So I’ve been told.” 

The rest of the walk is just as lovely as the beginning. You learn a little more about his time in the service and his friends, especially his younger brother Benny that he’s going to visit in April. You tell him about your education, having graduated 4 years ago. How you grew up in Brooklyn and finally made it across the bridge when you got this job at the pediatrician’s office.  

He walks you back to your apartment building, giving you the worst puppy dog eyes you’ve ever seen when he turns to face you.  

“I had a really nice time Will.” You say, giving him a loving smile.  

Will nods, “Me too Cookie. You know, I’m going to the hospital on Saturday morning if you’d like to come and meet the kids?” 

Your excitement is undeniable when you agree and thank him for the offer.  

“Alright well, I’ll let you get back to your Netflix. Talk to you later?” He says. You nod and he steps a foot closer to plant a gentle kiss on your chilly cheek before squeezing your elbow and stepping past you to head home.  

You watch him leave, his broad shoulders stretching his coat within an inch of its life. A group of women walk by him and immediately turn their heads to catch a second look. You smile to yourself as they walk by and comment on how deliriously good looking, he is. He never gave them even one look, let alone a second. Returning back to your apartment you give Gus some more food and water to refresh after the walk and slip into your sweats. Sliding back onto the couch you flip on the tv, choosing one of your favourite Disney princess classics to relax to. You try to focus on the movie in front of you, not the way your cheek still feels warm from his endearing kiss.  

The rest of the week leaves you excited for each new day, stepping into the Starbucks you were immediately greeted by Will waiting at a table with your coffee in hand and ready to make the brisk walk to your work with you before heading back home.   

Saturday morning comes and you are buzzing as you wait for him to pick you up for the visit. His text comes through that he’s waiting downstairs in a black car, and you eagerly grab your backpack to leave. You’re met with a black Lincoln town car and Will waving at you from the back seat. He did say he made good money in the private sector and traded stocks; you guess you should’ve figured he was pretty well off.  

Sliding into the sleek car you smile at him, and he leans in to kiss your cheek again. “Hey, how are you?” you ask.  

“Better now that you’re here. How was your call with your parents last night? Are they having a good trip?” he asks intently.  

Slightly taken aback that he remembered your scheduled call with your parents while they are on their vacation in Japan last night. “Oh, yeah it was really nice. They’re having a great time. Thanks for asking.” You say bashfully.  

“Of course. Have they sent you any pictures?”  

You spend the rest of the ride over showing him all the pictures your mom has sent you. For a second you stare at the crinkles around his eyes when he smiles and the grey speckles in his beard. Could he be closer in age to your parents than to you? You knew he wasn’t exactly 29, but maybe he was a little older than you thought.  

Your thoughts are cut short as the car comes to a halt in front of the hospital. You and Will depart and head into the rehabilitation unit. Stepping through the doors you look around at all the equipment and patients. To your left there is an elderly man working on walking, his knee has a brace on it and someone who you assume is his wife is standing near offering him words of encouragement. Will takes your hand and leads you into an area near the back of the unit, a smile stretching across his face when he sees a little boy seated by the standing bars. He has a dinosaur printed prosthetic leg from the knee down and is reading a book.  

“Hey James.” Will says, as he slides down into the seat beside the boy.  

 He smiles back, “Hi Will!” 

“How’s my man doing?” 

“Good, I got an A on my math test this week. Thanks for helping me study.” James says enthusiastically.  

Nodding, Will replies, “No problem, I knew you could do it.” He looks up at you, just standing there enjoying the interaction and gestures to you to come closer. “James, I want you to meet my friend here. She’s thinking about doing some volunteer work with the War Amps too.”  

You step closer and kneel down in front of them on the carpet. “Hi James, it’s nice to meet you.”  

“Nice to meet you too.” He replies, before turning to Will and using his hand to cover his mouth, says, “She’s really pretty.”  

You and Will both giggle, and Will looks back at you before covering his mouth and whispering back. “I know right, I called dibs already so don’t even think about.”  

The three of you laugh again, before you settle and spend an hour talking with James and watching him work with Will on his balance. Will is so intentional and sweet with the boy, you can’t help but feel a warmth in your heart. He is so unlike any other guy you’ve met.  

Leaving the hospital, you agree to go for lunch. To your amazement, the car pulls up outside a restaurant you have been dying to go to but could never afford or get a reservation to. Turning to Will you ask, “How did you get a table at this place so quickly?” 

Shrugging, he replies, “I know the owner.” He offers a flirtatious wink before climbing out of the car and meeting you round the other side.  

The entrance to the restaurant has tall doors and a doorman standing aside to open it for you. A chandelier is the first thing that catches your eye as you take in the regal décor of the main room. Lucious red and greens all about, creating a rich atmosphere, that looks as delicious as it smells.  

Will steps up to the hostess stand with your hand firmly gripped in his. “Table for two.”  

“Of course, Mr. Miller, right this way.” The young blonde women says before leading you both deep into the restaurant. She pulls a curtain aside and you step through into a private room with a fireplace and bar. Will pulls your chair out for you, and as you sit down you marvel at the pure wealth of it all.  

A waitress follows quickly to take your drink orders before leaving the two of you alone.  

“How do you know the owner?” you ask inquisitively. 

Will takes a sip of the water on the table before commenting, “My friend Pope, the one I told you about from my team. He owns it, and a bunch of other ones. The one he is mainly at is in Vegas.”  

“Huh, wow he did very well for himself too.” You speak. “So, Pope is in Vegas, Fish is in Tennessee, and Benny is in Kentucky. What brought you to New York?” 

“Well, I spent so much time in little camps or on bases, it was so quiet, and you just felt like the only people in the world. I thought it would be nice to be around the noise and all these people. This is kind of the loudest and busiest city in the US so, I found my way here a few years ago.” 

“Was it everything you thought it would be?”  

He sucks his teeth slightly, “Yes and no.” 

“How’s that?” you ask, tucking your hand under your chin. 

“It’s what I thought in terms of noise and busyness, but I guess I still found myself a little lonely. I think I need to work harder at meeting people and creating a new family here. First my family was my family, then my team was my family, and now, well it’s just me.” 

His answer leaves you a little sad. You come from a big family, with your parents and 3 siblings and cousins upon cousins. You couldn’t imagine being by yourself in this big city.  

You dine over a delicious meal, and he takes you back to your apartment. Walking through the halls he keeps a gentle hand on your back and his presence in itself makes you feel safer than you’ve ever felt.  

“Well, this is me.” You say, gesturing to your bright yellow door you had to beg the landlord to let you paint.  

He smiles and says, “Once again I had a great time, Cookie.”  

You blush at the nickname, and your breath hitches as he steps closer and begins to lean in. You raise your arms up to rest around his firm shoulders as his hands find their home on your hips. Your lips dance delicately close and the two of you smile sweetly, before he gently presses his lips to yours. His lips are sweet and move lovingly with yours. He pulls away a few moments later and looks into your eyes before resting his head against yours.  

“I’ve been thinking about doing that for a long time now.” He says earnestly.  

“I’ve been thinking about, not as long as you obviously because you saw me first.” You laugh with him. “But um, I have wanted to do it since our walk the other day. I appreciate the waiting though; I do like to take things slow if that’s okay.”  

Will brings his hands up to cup your face and looks deeply into your eyes, “Of course, whatever you’re comfortable with.”  

His piercing blue eyes and sweet words make you want to melt right there on that awful casino patterned carpet in your apartment building hallway. You finally peel yourself out of his arms and step into your apartment, resting your head back on the door after it closes to reel in the morning you’ve had.  

Carrie walks into the kitchen and sees your fussed state. She comments with a smirk on her face, “So, I guess your day with hot blondie went pretty well huh?”  

A smile grows on your face as you step towards the island and put your bag down. “It was perfect. The trip to the hospital was perfect, the lunch was perfect, ugh he’s just so-,” 

“Perfect?” she interjects with a laugh.  

As the flowers and trees start to blossom, so does your relationship with Will. Every morning you get coffee and walk to work together, and every night you spend hours texting, facetiming or going on dates. Whether it be a simple walk or another dinner at Popes restaurant. He was the easiest guy you’ve ever spoken to, and chivalrous to boot. Near the end of April, he was set to go visit his brother and you couldn’t help the little pout that sprang out on your face when he told you he was leaving, knowing you’ll miss him a ton.  

Standing in the lunchroom at work you smile at your phone reading your texts with Will. 

What do you have planned for tonight? 

Benny is dragging me to a night club opening…can you tell he’s the younger brother? 

Oh no, lol! Wish I could go with you to make it a little less painful.  

That would be great, he’s stalking some poor girl from his gym he’s got a huge crush on, so I have to wingman.  

“Is it that guy again?” Deepti comments when she looks up from her book and sees the goofy look on your face.  

You straighten up and reply, “I don’t know who you’re talking about.” You say sarcastically.  

She rolls her eyes, “Oh please, you’re in love.”  

“Who’s in love?” Ross asks surprised as he walks into the lunchroom.  

You roll your eyes back at her and scoff. 

“Ms. Fairytales don’t exist.” Deepti confirms.  

Ross’ mouth gaps and he looks at you with wild eyes, “Have you been holding out on us with some juicy details?”  

“Come on guys, it’s no big deal. We’ve been dating for like a month.” You comment exasperated.  

“Oh, well do tell. Is he hot?” Ross asks, sitting down and egging you on to spill the beans.  

Biting your lip, you let out a tiny squeal. “Yes, yes, he’s soooo hot. He has blonde hair, the most beautiful blue eyes, a beard and his body is something that Greek sculptors would use as a model for their art. He is just the most charming man I’ve ever met.” 

Ross and Deepti are reeling in your confession and Ross continues his interrogation. “So, have you, you know yet?” He asks, popping his eyebrows up and down. 

Humming to yourself you respond, “Not yet, I just wanted to take it slow.”  

“How slow?” Deepti asks. 

“Um, I think it’s been slow enough. We’ve made out lots and gotten a little handsy, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ready for more. Maybe once he gets back.” You say, almost to yourself.  

They give each other a knowing look as you get lost in your daydreams.  

Laying in bed that night binging a new show you found, your phone pings again with a new message from Will.  

Am I a bad brother if I wanna bail on Ben? This place is so loud. 

Smiling to yourself, you reply.  

I’d say you put your time in. Sorry you’re not having fun! 

It’s okay, I think he finally found that girl so I’m gonna head back to his place.  

Alright drive safe! 

Hey, just wanted to let you know I’m at his place now.  

Aw thanks for letting me know! Glad your hearing is protected now 😉 

Haha yeah much better now. So, what have you been up to this evening? 

Just laying in bed watching tv.  

Now that sounds like my kind of night. 

You scroll through your messages with Will and notice the complete lack of flirting. Maybe it was time you stepped it up a notch. You have been seeing him for a few weeks now, and it may be best to move past the PG rating of your relationship. Rolling onto your back you think for a moment before responding. 

It would definitely be a lot better if you were here with me. 

Holding your breath you wait for his response. You begin to grow nervous until his name pops up again in the text chain. 

Oh yeah? And whys that? 

Well, cuz then I wouldn’t be watching the show all by myself.  

Is that all we’d be doing? 

His response makes your heart skip a beat and a bit of wetness start to form on your panties.  

Not necessarily, is there anything you have in mind 😉 

Oh, trust me I’ve got a lot on my mind. Since I got home, I’ve been thinking about lying with you in your bed. Spooning you while we watch your show. Holding you tight and kissing your neck to see what pretty little noises you can make.   

That sounds like a dream. Tell me more. 

Then I’d slide my hand up your shirt and feel how soft your skin is cuz baby I just know you’d feel so perfect. And I’d keep kissing down your neck and your shoulders and… 

You wait for a few moments, but no additional text comes through, the ache between your legs is palpable and you want to beg him to keep going. 

And? 

You ask, hoping he will give you what you need to find your release as you slide your hand beneath the band of your panties. The notification finally pops up as you’re rereading the messages and drawing tiny circles on your clit.  

And I guess you’ll have to find out the rest when I get back baby 😉 

“Dammit Will.” You groan to yourself, pulling your hand back up and trying to calm yourself down.  

Can’t wait, want me to just jump you in Starbucks the first day you’re back? 

Lol not exactly what I was thinking. But I have been meaning to ask you, the first Monday in May, got any plans? Could you get off work? 

I’ve got some vacation days I could use, why? What are you thinking? 

Book it off, and it’s a surprise. But I promise at the end of the night, you’ll get to see everything I’ve been wanting to do with you for weeks now, if you want it.  

Trust me, I want it.  

The first Monday of May. The colour has returned to the leaves and you’ve abandoned your heavy winter jacket for a lighter yellow jacket with jeans and sneakers. Due to the glorious weather and the sun beating down, you decide to make the walk to Wills apartment instead of a taxi. He sent you his address and the strict instructions of; 

No makeup 

Don’t do your hair 

Bring an overnight bag 

This is your first time being at Wills apartment, every time you plan a stay in date, he always says he wants to come to your place because it’s so perfectly “you”. That his apartment doesn’t have a woman’s touch, and he finds himself more comfortable cozied up on your thrift store couch with you and Gus than he ever has on his. You’re glad he feels so at home with you, however, if things do get serious, you can’t imagine him moving in with you and Carrie. You’d surely have to move in with him or find something together. But that thought seems miles ahead of where you’re at. You haven’t even slept with him yet so maybe pump the breaks on thinking of introducing him to your parents.  

You check your phone as you have been following the directions and come to a stop in front of a tall old building. The stone on it almost resembles that of a castle and the door is large with dark wood and gold accents. A doorkeeper stands at the top of the stone stairs and eyes you from below. You glance down at the address again and back up, confirming it to be true. He lives in one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the area. You’ve seen this building as you drive by in a cab, always imagining what kind of people could afford to live here. You’ve even Zillowed the units, most of them going for at least $5 million due to the views.  

Taking a deep breath you step forward, dragging your carryon suitcase behind you as you eye the stairs and wonder how you’re gonna get it up them without looking like a total idiot. Before you can, the door man leaps from his post and trots down the steps to meet you.  

“Ms. Uh,- Cookie? Is it? I’m Juan.” the man with a thick South American accent asks with an awkward smile.  

You smirk and nod, “Uh yeah that’s me, I guess. Did Will say I was coming?”  

He nods, “Yes ma’am, he didn’t give me much to go on though I’ll be honest.” He says as he takes the suitcase from your hands and leads you to the stairs. “All he said was that his girlfriend Cookie was coming and that I would know it’s you because you’d be the most beautiful woman, I’d see all day.” He says with joy in his voice.  

Blushing, you reply. “Well, thank you for your help. Do you know what unit he is? I think he forgot that in his message?” You ask, scrolling through your messages again.  

“Ah, yes ma’am, he is in the penthouse.” 

Your head whips up to hopefully see humor behind his eyes with his joke, but he is dead serious. “Okay, um, great. Thank you, Juan.”  

“Have a lovely evening.” He says, opening the door for you.  

Stepping inside Wills building is a dream, high ceilings with chandeliers that twinkle more than the stars in the sky. Lounge areas of rich velvet couches and wood tables probably older than the state of New Jersey scatter around the room as socialites mull about. You immediately feel out of place in your Converse and ripped jeans but pulling as much confidence you can muster together you head towards the elevator.  

The elevator chimes and you meet another attendant, they provide you with a courteous smile and ask what floor.  

Taking a gulp of air, you step in and say, “Um, penthouse? Will Millers.”  

He nods and presses the button before the doors glide closed before you.  

A moment later they open once more, and you are met with a short hallway to a double door. Saying your thanks, you exit and roll your suitcase behind you. Before you can reach the end and tap on the door, it swings open, and Will smiles brightly at you from behind it. He looks as perfect as ever with hair and beard grown out a bit, a white T-shirt and jeans on. His muscles flex as he leans on the door frame.  

“Hey baby, you made it. Come on in.” He says, offering to take your suitcase from you.  

“Thank you, and yeah it was easier to find than I thought.” Stepping through the door you’re surprised to see such a modern designed room. All black and grey sleek furniture. You can see why he thinks yours is more comfortable. Your eyes catch the light at the end of the room, and you can’t help but jog over to the edge to stand in front of the large windows looking over the beautiful view. He steps up behind you and looks at nothing but your face of wonder.  

“Nice, isn’t it?”  

“It’s breathtaking, my view of is the neighboring buildings trash storage.” You quip and he chuckles beneath his breath.  

“Here, let me show you the rest.” He says, taking your hand.  

You follow him along the rest of the apartment, taking in more views and basking in the pure luxury of the place. The kitchen is straight out of a magazine and there are rooms upon rooms of entertainment systems, bars, more space than you could even imagine what to do with.  

He comes to a halt in front of a double door and takes your hands in his. “This is my favourite room, and I had planned on sharing it with you in a more intimate way, but due to the little surprise that I have planned for you today, this will have to do.”  

You hold your breath with anticipation as he lets go of your hands and grabs the handles, pushing them open and revealing the primary bedroom. A large bed pressed up against the wall is the only thing you see before taking in the irregularities in the space. Garment racks lining the walls, hair and makeup station set up, a variety of men’s and women’s shoes scattered around the room.  

Walking in and taking in the spectacle before you, you ask quietly. “What is all this?” 

You feel a hand find your waist and his breathe tickle your ear, “It’s your surprise.”  

Turning in his hold you look at him with furrowed eyebrows, still unsure what he means.  

Smirking, Will continues. “What happens every first Monday of May in New York?” 

The wheels in your head start turning until a click finally sounds and your eyes blow wide. “The Met Gala?” You ask excitedly. 

He nods, “Every year they have a table for a few charities to send a representative and a guest. The War Amps got selected this year and I was invited by the director to take the spots due to my donations and the fact that I am easier on the eyes than most of their donators, as she said.” He laughs at that and your mouth gaps at his confession. “So, I was wondering, would you like to go to the Met Gala with me?”  

The smile of your face might just break your cheeks, the most luxurious event in NYC, peppered with every celebrity you follow on social media, on the arm of the most handsome man in the world. How could you say no? 

“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I am so excited.” A realization hits you quickly, “But wait, what am I gonna wear?” 

“Don’t worry about that, hair and makeup will be here soon to get us ready and there are about a dozen dresses over in those garment bags for you to choose from. I may have snuck a peak in your closet one time to get your size.” He says with a wink and a twinkle in his blue eyes.  

The emotion begins to well up in you, “Will, this is, - this is the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me. Thank you.”  

He steps closer and pulls your hands up to place a kiss to your knuckles, “Well, you’re the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me. So, I’m glad I can return the favour.” 

Your eyes meet and he lets go of your hands, they instinctively find their way to his shoulders as his fall to your waist. Your lips meet, the taste of him sending a shockwave down your spine. The kiss suddenly deepens, and he starts to back you up towards the king-sized bed covered in a luscious dark grey comforter. The back of your knees hit the edge of the bed as you both fall down onto it. He hovers above you, licking into your mouth, moaning together as you grab at his T-shirt, desperate to feel the warmth and strength underneath. His hand starts to wander down your body towards your jeans when the phone beside the bed begins to ring. You stop kissing and open your eyes, looking at each other with the same humor and annoyance to your unexpected interruption.  

Will huffs a laugh out and taps your plump lips with his finger. “This isn’t over.” He smiles before pushing himself up and adjusting his now swollen cock in his jeans quickly, walking over to the phone.  

You wait patiently on the bed, still buzzing from the way Wills kisses make you feel like you’ve had 4 tequila shots.  

“Okay, thanks. Send them up.” He says before placing the receiver back down and sauntering over to you at the end of the bed.  

His words on the phone leave a sexy pout on your face knowing your time has been further interrupted. “The team is here to get started, they’re on their way up.” He takes your hand and hauls you effortlessly back to your feet before tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, gazing into your eyes. “The selfish man in me wants to send them all away and cancel tonight just to have you to have you all to myself, but I can’t wait to see how stunning you are going to look tonight so I guess I’ll have to wait.”  

You and Will spend the next few hours getting ready and snacking on the pizza he got for everyone delivered. It is finally time to get dressed and he plants a kiss to your forehead before he and his team head down the hall with his outfit for the evening, closing the doors behind them.  

Running your fingers through the dresses that have been pulled from their garment bags you smile to yourself, unable to believe this is your life right now. Your family was never broke by any means, but they kept everything reasonable. Your prom dress was from a department store, your university graduation dress from a small boutique in Queens. It was always more than enough for you, but as you stand there marveling at the exquisite and deliriously expensive gowns, the little girl in you who always dreamed of being a princess that lived in a tower in the sky couldn’t help but smile. 

Will stands in the foyer waiting, his attention is suddenly caught as he hears the sound of heels clicking on the hard wood flooring and he turns to see you walking towards him. A long silver dress covered in sparkles with straps hanging off the shoulders and a high slit on your leg with diamond earrings more expensive than your parent’s car. Your heels are silver and glittery, the way they shimmer in the fluorescent lighting they look like they could be made of glass. He takes one look at you and his breath leaves his chest. His hand swiftly follows it, placing it over his heart as he watches you with pure devotion.  

You can’t help but smile as you take in his appearance as well. A dark blue suit with matching shirt, his hair slicked back perfectly and a jeweled piece around his collar. Meeting him in his place he takes your hand and spins you around before pulling you close.  

“You are, the most beautiful woman in the world, you know that right?” he says through a whispered breath.  

“You’re not so bad yourself.” You say, your eyes flicking to his mouth. 

Will tries to steady his breathing, realizing you were still in the presence of an audience. “Let’s get out of here, alright?” 

He takes your hand, and you follow him to the elevator, your heartbeat thumping loudly in your chest at the anticipation. The elevator chimes and he leads you through the lobby of the building. All eyes are on you as your dress glimmers with the chandelier lighting. A little girl passing by with her mother whispers just loud enough for you to here, “Mommy is that a princess?”  

You blush and Will smiles with you. The door is opened for you by Juan, and he smiles at you. “You look beautiful Ms. Cookie.”  

Before you can respond you are bombarded with the flash of photographers, clearly waiting for attendees of the night’s gala. Will keeps you firmly pressed against him as he leads you to the black car waiting at the curb, shielding you from any greedy photographer trying to get too close. The door is opened by the driver for you and Will as you slide into the black leather seats.  

Once the car has departed Will looks you up and down again, “That little girl was right by the way, you do look like a princess.”  

“I feel like one, getting ready up there, having people do my hair and makeup, this dress, it all feels like a fairytale.” You say.  

He takes your hand and kisses it gently, “Can I be your Prince Charming then?”  

“Absolutely, now I guess I just have to hope this doesn’t turn into a pumpkin at the end of the night.” You laugh. 

The lights of the city pass as you make your way to the gala, waiting in line for your exit, your nerves are getting the better of you and your leg begins bouncing. Will immediately notices and places a firm hand on your exposed knee.  

“Hey, it’s okay. They’re not worried about us, a few pictures and then we’ll be up the stairs and in the clear.” he says, offering a reassuring smile.  

He’s right, you can do this you think. The door suddenly opens, and you’re ushered out to get checked in. Will holds your hand firmly as he passes through each check in and to the waiting area for the stairs. You smile and point out all the celebrities you are fans of to Will and explain what they’re in. Having been in the service for so long, he missed out on a lot of media, so you have been sufficiently filling him in over the last few weeks of your must watches.  

“Mr. Miller, please head towards the staircase, and stop at landings 1 and 3 for photos.” A woman in a long black dress and headset informs you.  

Will looks at you and lets a deep breath out of his nose, “Alright, here we go. If at any point you’re done just let me know and we’ll head straight to the top.”  

You smile and rub his arm for reassurance, before you both step towards the opening of the stairs. The grand staircase is beautifully decorated and lined with hundreds of photographers. The lights are blinding but you do your best to put on a smile to match Wills as he confidently works up the first set of stairs to the landing. He stops and pulls you in close, you rest a hand on his shoulder and smile at the flashing cameras.  

Before you know it you and Will have moved up the stairs and are entering the gala. Hoards of celebrities pass by, and you do your best to keep your squeals to a minimum, not that Will would mind. The gala passes in a whirlwind of pleasant conversations, delicious food and even more delicious champagne. All the while Will devotes his attention to you both emotionally and physically. He meets your eyes and asks how you’re doing, if you need anything, and keeps a hand firmly on your body which sends a continuous rush to your core as you do your best to breathe out of your nose to calm your sheer attraction to him.  

The way his shoulders press into his suit jacket, his pants hanging perfectly on his legs, his strong hands holding you close at every chance they get. He’s intoxicating to be around, and you stare at the time on your phone as you think about what the rest of the night is to hold. He promised to show you everything he’s been wanting to do to you since your first date and the pool in your panties is a constant reminder that you so badly want him to. You can hardly believe you’re willing for one of the most incredible experiences of your life to end but each time Will tells you how beautiful you look or you catch how his eyes sparkle in the lights of the ballroom, you melt a little bit further and have to push back the agonizing urge to whisper in his ear and ask him to take you home. 

You’re seated at your table, people watching and resting your feet from the strain of your heels when Wills phone on the table lights up with a text message. You both look down and see the time of midnight. 

Will looks you up and down, “Well Cinderella, should we go check to make sure that car didn’t turn into a pumpkin?” 

Your eyes widen with excitement and you nod. He takes your hand to help you stand and waits dutifully as you collect your things in your purse before heading to the stairs again. They are almost bare now, most of the photographers having left for the night or moved to separate exit points. You begin the walk down the stairs before having a sudden realization.  

“Oh Will, before we leave, I saw a washroom just up the stairs and I’m gonna go before we leave, just in case there’s traffic.” He nods and you turn to walk up the stairs. Stumbling slightly up one of the steps and you step right out of your shoe. Steadying yourself you turn and look down, to see Will with the biggest smirk on his face. He walks up the steps as you wait with hitched breath. He leans down to pick up the shoe and falls to one knee in front of you.  

“I guess you really are Cinderella huh?” he says with a smile full of wonder.  

Seeing him kneel before you makes your heart thump loudly in your chest. He reaches his hand out and you gently place your foot into it, before he carefully slides the glittery heel back onto your foot. He rises up in front of you, gaze burning with desire.  

Taking a deep breath you say, “I guess so. At least I know she has a happy ending.”  

“I know you will.” He says confidently.  

Trying to contain the wistful smile on your face you gesture towards the top of the stairs, “Well, I’ll be right back.”  

Once in the washroom you take deep breaths and stare at yourself in the mirror. Surely you can’t be falling for this man. It’s just smoke and mirrors. Just the romance of the night, there’s no way it could be real. However, he does make you feel more than any other man ever has. His touch has electrified you at every linger, his words healing something inside that you didn’t know was broken. All you know for sure is, if tonight goes the way you think it will. You will be undeniably, unapologetically, unbelievably, falling in love with Will Miller.  

The excitement was building the entire way back to Wills apartment. You had to keep reminding yourself to breathe and as the elevator door finally dings at the penthouse floor. He ushers you out with a hand on the small of your back, leading you into the unknown.  

Once inside, Will takes your hand and leads you quietly to his bedroom, you follow along with a devilish grin on your face. He stands in front of the door and pulls you closely into his arms.  

“I just wanna remind you, we don’t have to do anything tonight alright? We can go in there, cuddle and go to sleep if that’s all you want. Or we can take that next step, together.” He whispers calmly to you. 

The champagne running through your veins and the sheer desire that you feel for Will has your boldness stepped up a notch, no longer nervous of what was to come. So, you step closer to him and whisper back in the sultriest voice you can. “Will, I just want you to fuck me in every way you’ve thought about since you saw me in that damn Starbucks.”  

His eyebrows pop up and he watches you as you slip out of his grasp and push open the double doors. Sauntering over to the bed with your hips swaying in every direction before settling on the end of the bed, tapping the comforter beside you and eyeing him. He smirks and steps into the room, closing the doors behind him. His broad shoulders take up so much space as he stands in front of you, taking his suit jacket off and slowly removing the cufflinks on his shirt sleeves. All the while staring you down, tracing every inch of your body with his eyes. You could damn near feel their touch as the anticipation grows between your legs, you have to cross them and squeeze slightly to release a little bit of pressure that has built.  

Hovering over you he says in a commanding tone, “Stand up princess.”  

You raise an eyebrow at the new authoritative state he is in and oblige. He takes your hips in his hands and turns you around, taking the zipper of your dress in his fingers and slowly pulling it down to reveal your bare back and the top of your lace black panties. You let the dress fall to your feet and step out of it. He swiftly scoops it up off the floor and takes it to the hangers near the door, carefully placing it back where it belongs. When he turns back you’ve turned back around and he’s met with your bare breasts, your panties and your glass slippers still upon your feet. He bites his lip and walks back over to you, looking you up and down.  

“Fuck, I can’t wait to do everything I’ve been thinking about, Cookie.” He whispers, unbuttoning his shirt and toeing off his shoes. The dark navy button down is finally open, and your eyes widen as he peels it off his shoulders, revealing his chiseled abs so hard you could bounce a ball off of them.  

Perking up on the bed you run your hands down his body, taking in the defined pecks and strong arm muscles. You fingers dance on his abs before leaning forward and licking a stripe up them. Will lets out a low chuckle before his hand takes your chin and points your head up to look at him. His eyes are full of desire as he squints and takes in the look of your bare breasts again. He suddenly swoops down, lifting you up into his arms with ease and throwing you further down on the bed.  

You can’t help but giggle before he reaches up and takes your heels off your feet, tossing them aside. He unbuttons his pants and pushes them down his thick thighs before climbing up the bed over top of you.  

He encapsulates your mouth with an agonizing kiss, the way your tongues move together is nothing short of perfect. Will pulls your bottom lip out with his teeth before smirking. “The first thing I have been dying to have you do.” He begins, punctuating his sentence with a loving kiss. “Is, I want you to sit on my face.”  

Your eyebrows pop up at his proposition before nodding and rolling out from underneath him. He rolls onto his back and watches as you get onto your knees to slowly pull your lace panties down your thighs, rolling onto your side to finish sliding them off. You crawl over to him and place your legs on either side of his body, giving him a devilish grin.  

“Beautiful.” He comments, taking in the sight of your bare body and glistening pussy.  

Your heart pounds as you move up on his body and position yourself with your thighs on either side of his head, grasping the dark wood headboard for balance.  

Will lets out a groan and kisses the inside of your thighs, his hands coming around from underneath you to pull at you slightly and open you up even further. You take a deep breath before feeling the first flick of his tongue on you, right from your weeping hole to your swollen clit. A moan comes out of your throat, and you brace yourself on the headboard for what’s to come. He licks again and again, pulling your thighs back and forth with his hands as he makes you fuck his face. The slight scrape of his facial hair on your sensitive only adds to the stimulation. The headboard slams against the wall over and over as your head falls back and you bite your lip, trying not to break your resolve just yet. It’s all for not when he sucks your clit into his mouth and causes the damn to break. Your orgasm rocks you and you have to grip the headboard to keep from your legs letting you down. He continues to suck you as you soak his beard until you finally let a deep breath out moan at the pleasure. Your clit still thrumming, he reaches a hand farther and inward to start drawing tiny circles on your clit as his tongue laps at your entrance. Your head falls forward against the headboard at the feeling, he continues his movements until you are falling closer and closer to another devastating orgasm. It hits you again and it takes every bit of strength not to punch the wall in front of you as the sensation overpowers every nerve in your body. You finally finish with deep breaths and pull away slightly from his overstimulating tongue. He kneads your thighs as you blink slowly, trying to get the dizziness to go away before climbing off of him and plopping your body down on the bed beside him.  

Through huffed breaths you muster out some words, “Fuck, that was, that was incredible.”  

Will smirks and wipes his beard with his hand, “Mm, you taste so good baby. I love making you cum all over my face.” He leans forward and plants a kiss on your lips, licking into you so you can taste just how good he makes you feel.  

He pops up on his knees and reaches over your limp body to pull open the side table drawer, plucking a condom out of the box and putting it on himself. You watch through hooded eyes as he rolls you onto your side and slides your top leg up slightly. His warm hand rolls up and down your body before grasping his length and notching it at your entrance. You stare at the view outside his window as you feel the initial stretch of his cock in your pussy. The glistening lights of New York, the silence of being on the top floor of the building, the feeling of a devastatingly handsome man fucking you from behind. You can’t imagine a better place to be in the world right now.  

You grip the comforter underneath you as he fully slides himself into your wet hole. His size is perfect and fills you up in a way you’ve never felt before. Laying behind you he reaches his arm back around and holds you tightly, cupping one of your breasts. Will peppers your neck with kisses, “Is this alright baby?” he asks.  

“Ugh, yes Will, you feel so good. I need you to move, please.” You beg.  

With that his hips snap back and forth behind you, rutting into you at a quick pace. The drag of his cock in and out has you seeing stars again. The feeling is overwhelming and the way he pinches your nipple between his fingers make you moan his name.  

He grunts behind you and nips at your neck, “Fuck baby, you’re taking me so well. So fucking tight. I need your to cum again I need to feel how tight you get when you finish.”  

It’s not long before his wish is granted, and you are tightening your fingers around the fabric below you and crying out. You squeeze him so tight you damn near push him right out of you. He firmly grabs your hips and pulls you flush with him as he moves slowly in and out of you, fucking you through the sensation of your third orgasm. The feeling is enough to tip him over the edge as he spills himself inside the condom with a primal groan in your ear, squeezing your ass with his free hand. His body falls relaxed on you and he huffs out a laugh as he buries his face in your neck.  

“That was, better than I thought it was gonna be.” he says, taking deep breathes before he rolls onto his back. You wince at the sudden emptiness you feel without him in or on you.  

Turning over you rest your head on his firm chest and skate your hand up and down his abs. “That was amazing baby, I felt something I really hadn’t in a long time, maybe ever. You know?” You say, looking up at him with doe eyes.  

Will looks down at you and brings his hand to cup your cheek, his eyes trail between yours and your lips and he whispers softly. “I think I might be falling in love with you.”  

The heat of the summer was surely upon you as you peel your thighs off the leather seats of Wills town car and step out into the humidity. Squinting your eyes from the sunshine, you look around at the Brooklyn neighborhood you used to call home and smile. Will rounds the car and wraps his arm around your waist.  

“You ready for this?” You ask with a bit of sarcasm in your voice. 

He nods, “Ready as I’ll ever be.”  

You smile at each other before stepping towards the stairs leading to the two-story home. Pushing the door open you are immediately met with the sounds of yelling and children’s laughter.  

“Hey everyone!” You call as you and Will move about the house.  

Wills senses are overwhelmed as he dodges a child running past him with a badminton racket and shakes the hands of half a dozen people while you introduce siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, and your parents. He looks around at the business of the house and at how natural you look in it and it warms his heart. 

He watches in the kitchen holding his beer your father gave him as you busy around with your mom and sister. It’s all, “Yes I know when the roast needs to sliced.” And “Have you seen the stirring spoon for the sauce?” Every once in a while, you widen your eyes at him and he smirks, taking in the sheer humor of your relationships with your family.  

After the craziness of dinner, you finish cleaning up and lean on the counter, drinking your wine. “Where’s Will?” You ask, peaking into the living room where most of the family has settled.  

Your mom wipes the countertop with a wet rag. “He went out back, probably needed a bit of fresh air.”  

“Hm.” You acknowledge, “So, what do you and dad think about him?” You ask inquisitively.  

She stops her movement and looks back to you, “We were, a little surprised at the age difference I’ll be honest. But he seems like a very nice man, and he obviously treats you very well so, we can’t complain.”  

You smile and look at the window that leads to the back yard.  

“Also, he’s really hot.” She quips.  

Your mouth falls open with disgust, “Ugh, mom don’t say my boyfriends hot.”  

She shrugs, “Hey I’m not too old for him.”  

“Gross.” You laugh, “Well I should probably check on him.” You take your wine glass and go to the back door before turning and pointing at your mother. “And hey, I don’t wanna see that photo album of you during your modeling phase come out tonight, or any night young lady.” You laugh.  

She raises her hands up in the air in innocence and goes back to her cleaning.  

The sight of Wills broad shoulders gets you every time. He sits on the edge of the desk stairs looking out into your mother’s meticulously cared for garden.  

He looks up at you and rests a hand on your back as you settle beside him.  

“Sorry my family is a little crazy.” You say, leaning your head on his shoulder.  

He shakes his head, “No, no it’s perfect. This is, exactly what I needed. I missed this, the big families, the noise, the constant movement. I’ve been sitting still for too long now, not able to find a new family. But this, this could be it, and I love it. I’ve loved every second since we got here.”  

A smile breaks out on your face and warmth fills your heart. You lean in and kiss him deeply before resting your head against his. “I love you Will.” You whisper.  

He smiles and closes his eyes, “I love you too Cookie. Thank you for bringing me here today. I can’t wait for this to be us.”  

Leaning back slightly you ask him, “Do you want kids? I guess we never really talked about it.”  

“Yeah, I know it’s a bit late for me, but I think I could still have a couple kids. If that’s something you would want.” He assures you.  

Nodding you grin, “Yeah, yeah I’d like that.” You begin to lean in for another kiss before the sound of the sliding glass door interrupts your bliss.  

“Alright princess, get on in here and help your mother with the cake.” Your dad remarks from the door, a knowing grin on his face as he watches your flustered state having been caught kissing your boyfriend at the family dinner.  

“Princess?” Will asks, standing up from his spot and taking your hand to help you do the same. 

You huff out a laugh, “He’s been calling me that since I ran off to be in the big city. No longer the pauper in Brooklyn he says, now a princess in tall castle. I’d hardly call my apartment building a castle though.”  

He takes your hand and swings you into him, enveloping you in a tight hug. “Hm, well then maybe it’s time for Cinderella to finally get that castle huh? What do you think about moving in with me?”  

Your mouth gaps at his suggestion, you stutter. “Uh, um, - yes. Holy shit yes, I’d love to.”  

Will smiles, “Perfect, now you can quit that shitty job and work with me at the War Amps. I’ll take care you baby, I promise.”  

Your heart swells and you grab his face, pulling him into a kiss. The first kiss of your happily ever after.  

Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius. From the new Gladiator II trailer.

Omg I finished it and it’s GOOD 💕 gotta finish the proof read and then post later!

OK now that I hammered out a few more Frankie fics the creative juices are flowing and I can finally finish my Will Miller -Sugar Daddy Edition that I started in *checks notes* July 🫠