Mistakes Were Made

by Meryl Wilsner

Parker reached the table first, and as her mom stood to hug her, Cassie almost fell over. “Hey Mom, this is Cassie. Cassie, this is my mom.”

Cassie had to give Erin credit; her only tell was the slight widening of her eyes as she extended her hand. Cassie shook it, trying to keep the shit-eating grin off her face. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Bennett,” she said. Erin squeezed her hand a little too hard. “Please, call me Erin.”

“Cassie,” Erin said, voice low and warning, and Cassie’s grin went a little feral instead of disappearing like Erin had hoped. “I need you to stop.” “I did!” Cassie protested. “You moved away, and I stopped.” “You need to stop looking at me like that.”

“You are a little dirty, aren’t you?” Honest to God, Cassie’s jaw dropped.

Today, Erin knew Cassie was in college. She knew she was her daughter’s friend. She knew exactly what a bad idea it would be to follow her. She followed her anyway.

“We shouldn’t fuck in here,” Cassie said like that would convince Erin of the opposite. Erin laughed against Cassie’s neck. “We’re not going to.”

“Wasn’t there something you wanted to do?” When it didn’t seem to click, Erin added: “Next time?” Cassie tugged Erin’s shirt over her head before Erin could blink.

“Glad you wore a shirt this time,” Cassie said, but the words were muffled from the way she didn’t take her mouth off Erin’s skin to say them. “Easier access.” “I thought you’d appreciate it,” Erin said before she thought better of it.

“You’re so hung up on her, you had to tell me about it weeks later. Have you been thinking of her this whole time?”

“She fucked your boyfriend so you get to fuck her mom?”

“Yeah,” Cassie said, because that only seemed fair, right? “Quid pro quo.” “That’s not how that works.” “Actually, that’s exactly how that works.” “Her mother, Cassie.” Cassie shrugged. “You know she’s a daddy’s girl anyway.”

Erin almost yelled for Cassie to come back, to the car, to her hotel room, to her. She’d fallen

asleep that night regretting she hadn’t gotten the woman’s number. For the rest of the weekend or the next time she visited or both. Cassie was a bad decision Erin wanted to make again and again.

No, just thinking about fucking your mom.

Cassie smirked and responded without thinking. “I’ve been told I’m very good at eating, actually.” Jesus, why was she so bad at this? She got up to put her mug in the sink so she didn’t have to look at Erin. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Cassie pressed her lips together. Erin must’ve missed her double entendre, probably because she wasn’t expecting a cunnilingus joke before 9 A.M. But when Cassie looked at Erin again, she swore her eyes were sparkling.

Cassie couldn’t help but watch her, only a little embarrassed by how blown away she was by Erin’s gorgeousness. Erin caught her staring, and her grin went bigger.

“Here, take my number,” Erin said. Her smile had a hint of mischief. “If you need a sober ride home, let me know. Parker tends to lose her phone when she’s out with her friends.”

She can work me as hard as she wants.

Cassie didn’t need to notice how often Erin’s eyes found her in a room so crowded Erin had taken off her cardigan barely an hour into the party.

Or maybe that wasn’t what made it thrilling—maybe it was more that Erin wanted to kiss her enough to do it while her daughter was nearby. Like Cassie was irresistible.

How could she explain choosing an outfit for the a cappella concert that would be easy access for Cassie? How could she explain following Cassie to the bathroom or kissing her on Christmas Eve? How could she explain any of it while claiming to not want it to happen again?

What she wanted wasn’t the problem. Or—it was very much the problem, because she wanted to do it all again the exact same way. She wanted to keep doing it. Cassie was hot. She had a smirk that made Erin wet, every time, and she used it way too often.

She was great in bed—or in the back of the car, anyway, and in the bathroom, too. Her mouth on Erin’s chest had made Erin want to forget about the concert, about her daughter, and drag Cassie to her hotel...

Why did she kiss Cassie? Because her ex-husband was an asshole and Cassie was so much more than what he saw when he looked at her. Because Cassie had calmed her down when she was stressed, made her feel good instead. Because Cassie always made her feel good. Because she wanted to.

“Look, Cassie, I’ll admit you’ve been good for my ego. It’s nice to know I’ve still got it.”

“It feels good to catch the eye of a younger woman.” Erin’s stomach heaved like it was going to rebel. “But this isn’t, like, a thing. I don’t need some kid with mommy issues obsessing about my feelings, okay?”

“I don’t want you to be my mom. I want to fuck you.”

Erin’s hands found Cassie’s hips and pushed until her back was against a wall. Cassie put her hands on Erin’s shoulders. “This is a terrible idea,” Erin said. She kissed Cassie anyway. This. This was why Erin couldn’t get Cassie out of her head. The way she bit at Erin’s mouth with no regret. The way she clung to her. Cassie didn’t cede an inch. She kissed Erin just as hard as Erin was kissing her.

“I still have to shower, you know?” Erin replied without thinking, “Turn around. I’ll wash your hair.”

“This might be better than the orgasm,” Cassie admitted. Erin couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe I should get better at making you come.” “Yeah, if you want me to black out.”

Erin failed at holding back her laughter, then, and Cassie couldn’t keep a straight face.

“I’ll help her,” Erin said, adding, “you worthless daughter of mine,” and making Parker laugh. Erin didn’t help, though. Instead she came in, barely out of Parker’s view, and kissed Cassie. Cassie almost fell over. Erin caught her by the elbow and grinned into her mouth and Cassie felt too big for her body.

“Who are you sexting over there, Klein?” “Your mom,” was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

“Does oral sex really count as sex anyway?” Erin tried to kiss her on the mouth again, but Cassie was laughing at her. Quietly, mindful of Parker, but Cassie couldn’t not laugh at her. “Uh, yeah,” Cassie said. “It definitely still counts as sex.” Erin shrugged. “Guess I won’t sit on your face then.” Cassie stopped laughing.

Erin arched one of her perfect eyebrows. “I was going to, but if you say we can’t, I guess I won’t.” She was playing her. She was being fake nonchalant about it in a way designed to get Cassie to rush to change her mind. Cassie rushed to change her mind anyway.

“No, it’s okay,” she said. She kissed Erin, slowly. “I don’t think oral sex counts. It’s probably fine.” “Yeah?” Erin said with a grin. Cassie nodded. “Absolutely.” “Then lie down.” Cassie did as she was told.

“Fuck,” Erin murmured. Cassie felt pretty damn proud of herself. “I’m gonna wipe that grin off your face in a minute,” Erin said, not even opening her eyes to look at Cassie. “I’m looking forward to it,” Cassie said, grinning wider.

“That’s what I thought,” Erin said, voice low and smirk obvious even with Cassie’s eyes closed.

“Is this what you wanted?” Erin asked. “Is this why you were sad you hadn’t touched me all day?” “Yes,” Cassie gasped. She bit the back of her hand to keep from crying out. “You were thinking of fucking me all day?” “Fuck, Erin, yes.”

“I’ll go in a minute, I swear,” she said. “I’m just not sure I can move my legs right now.” Erin huffed a laugh and rubbed her face against Cassie’s shoulder. “Don’t be an idiot. Just stay.”

Cassie’s face fell. She ran a hand through all that blond hair. “We can stop,” she said, almost but not quite a sulk. “If you want.” “God, no,” Erin said. She crossed the room to kiss Cassie. “I haven’t had this much fun in years.”

“You’re supposed to kiss somebody at midnight.” “God, you’re cute.”

Erin kissed her. She didn’t think about how Cassie was her daughter’s friend; she didn’t think about how anyone could come upstairs at any moment; she just kissed her. It was soft and sweet and absolutely not a bad way to ring in a new year.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Cassie. I understand, but I don’t want to talk about it, okay? Now, are you going to kiss me good morning or not?”

“Sometimes we have to do things that make us uncomfortable for people we love.”

It was just—what if Parker did know? What if she knew, and now she was never going to speak to Erin again? Erin couldn’t even blame her. She had no excuses. She was being selfish and irresponsible and inconsiderate. And she’d do it again.

Erin liked her a little dirty.

“How could I teach you to be happy when I wasn’t?”

“I want you to keep saying my name, Cassie. And I want to go down on you. You’ll get your turn, don’t worry.”

“Erin,” Cassie panted, and now she swore she could actually feel Erin’s grin pressing between her legs. “Erin, please.”