Old Wounds

"Sorry, no we're just old friends," Ivan said.

"I hope you do. She's been pretty lonely for a while," Ivana said, "and I can tell she likes you, Ivan. She tried on like six outfits before you got here."

Ivan was disappointed when Ivana went to bed; he really enjoyed being around her. She said goodnight to him and winked.

"Hun, I'm just going to walk Mr. Whitt out. You'll be okay?" Tina said.

"God, I'm almost ten not two, mom" Ivana called out from her bedroom, "Take your time. Not like I'm old enough to sneak around with boys -- yet."

Tina whispered as she opened the door. "Let's talk in your place."

"Really, I don't know..."

"Ivan, I lived with you for almost three years. I know your housekeeping skills, so don't worry about tidying up on my account."

Nothing else was said until he opened the door to his apartment. She walked in and looked around. "Wow, I owe you an apology. I guess I misjudged you; you're making me look bad."

"I just have myself to look after," said Ivan, who led her to the couch and then sat opposite her in a kitchen chair. "Okay, so when did you find me. And when did you know?"

Tina's eyes watered. "Please understand... I had a really good reason, but..."

"Tina, I get it. Please, just tell me."

"Maybe two years after that night. Social media is a great thing for stalking," Tina said. "I wrote about a million messages that never got sent. In the end, I just kept an eye on you. This is going to sound really stupid, but I knew about every achievement you had, scholarship or promotion, and was so proud," she paused. "On Facebook, I was Mikey Stubbs."

Ivan blinked. Mikey Stubbs was an old high school buddy that he'd reconnected with on Facebook almost six years ago. Mikey didn't post much, but he liked and commented on a lot of Ivan's posts. They'd also directly messaged each other quite a bit since, but it dropped off a few years ago.

"That was you, the whole time?"

"It was so stupid, and you have every right to be pissed off for deceiving you like that. It's just that I never stopped caring about you, and really wanted to make sure you were okay. I also needed to be able to find you, if I ever got the nerve to tell you about Ivana. It got out of hand once we started messaging each other like close friends, and I felt guilty all over again."

"We discussed you..." Ivan said.

"We discussed Christie, and what I said was true. You were better off without that cheating slut." Tina said. "I knew it was horrible to do to you, and worse for me, so that's why Mikey became a lot less active -- but I still followed your life through your posts. When we needed to hire someone to rebrand, I took a huge risk and recommended you, arranged your quarters here so it would be perfect to run into you again. Then, I chickened out and purposely tried to avoid you. If you didn't run into me that day for coffee, I would have kept hidden until you left. I already told Grady, while you were the best for the job -- and you were -- we had history and I wanted to skip the rebranding meetings. After all that, I told him we were good and I would attend the meetings. Grady likes to pretend he's my father and probably thinks letting slip I recommended you was for my own good."

"Tina, I know why, and I'm not mad at you. Well, I am a bit upset. When did you know?" Ivan asked.

Tears flowed down her cheek. "No, you don't know why... Not all of it."

"Tina, please, just tell me," Ivan said, "When did you know Ivana was my daughter?"

"I was so upset and mad after you left, I started drinking almost as soon as I woke up the next day. I still believed you were cheating on me, and a being hypocrite for being mad at me. By evening, I was so drunk that I blacked out parts of the night. I do remember agreeing to let Scott come over to 'cheer me up.' I woke up the morning after in our bed, and knew I had unprotected sex. Eventually, I remembered who with. You and I were always so careful, I was sure it was his. I had a C-section, so I didn't see her until they cleaned her up. She was going to be Farrah, after my mother. As soon as I held her and saw those emerald eyes, I knew. They were just like yours. I decided to named her Ivana. I take it, that's how you guessed as well?"

Ivan nodded and sighed. "There was one night, don't know you remember? You woke me up naked. You climbed on me and started kissing me, grinding on top. I slipped in and you just went with it... We stopped after a few minutes and I put on a condom."

"I remember, Ivan. I lied last night, for her sake. I'm sorry, but I had to for my daughter. I couldn't have her father just come into her life if he's going to leave."

"Tina, I would never do anything to hurt that little girl. Thank you so much for letting me meet her. I want her in my life. I want my mother to know she did get the grandchild she's always wanted. Why would you think I would ignore her?"

"You idiot, I still love you." Tina snapped and started sobbing. "Pretending to be someone else and talking online with you, I fell for you all over again. From cheating slut to manipulative bitch stalker. Here, I've stretch marks, and you look like you could have your own superhero movie."

Ivan was speechless.

"Turns out Tina's just as stupid as Christie," Tina said, "I lied because I wanted to see if we had a chance. Not because we have a daughter together, but because I hoped you really could feel something for me again. I'm sorry, and now you know absolutely everything."

"Tina..."

"All I seem to do is apologize to you for everything. I'm sorry, of course you and your family can be part of her life. I'm sorry for what you've already missed. Please, let me tell her? You've always been better than I deserve, and Ivana deserves to know how amazing her father is." Tina got off the couch and walked towards the door.

"Tina, wait," Ivan said, "You know, when I approached you in the cafeteria, I was staring at your ass and legs and wanted to get your number. We're both older but you're still beautiful. Stop beating yourself up -- 'Mikey' online was brutal to Christie -- but I don't believe you just concealed our daughter because of a crush. I'd be lying if I didn't say I am a little upset you hid this from me. However, getting to meet that amazing little girl and knowing she's part of me... as long as I can be part of her life, I think I will get over it. Only an amazing mother could've raised such an amazing daughter while finishing university and going up the corporate ladder. An amazing mother that wouldn't want her daughter to think her father hated her mother or the reason why."

"She knows..." Tina said, standing at the door.

"What?"

"Earlier this month, once I knew you were going to be in town, I sat her down and told her what she's always wondered," Tina said, "The reason she never met her father is because he caught me with another man. It was the biggest mistake of my life, and it's my fault she never met her father. She knows she's named after him."

"Tina..." Ivan said, then remembered that Ivana knew his name. His daughter knew she spent an evening with her father. He blinked and said, "I forgive you. For everything. Raising our daughter, getting me the biggest contract of my career. You've punished yourself enough. Christie wasn't a cheating slut. Christie made a huge mistake, and it was ten years ago. I did too, by leaving and never looking back. After the years we had together, I owed you that.

"Tina, stalking and pretending to be Mikey, actually was a good friend when my father died. Now, if Mikey would've said I was an idiot and to rush back to win Christie's heart back, that would've been being a manipulative bitch."

"I can't see how you can be so nice after all I did. You weren't even going to show me that ring," Tina said. "You knew seeing it would upset me."

"Why do you think I brought it? I was going to show Christie just to hurt her because I did still have some resentment. I changed my mind because I got to know Tina a little bit," Ivan said, "and I really like what I know so far. I want to get to know her better."

"This might sound stupid," Tina said walking slowly towards him.

He walked towards her and reached for her hand. "More stupid than pretending to be an old friend of mine, that you absolutely hated?"

"Can we have sex? Now?" Tina said, looking him in the eye. "I wasn't kidding, it's been over a year. Even if it's just a fling..."

He silenced her by kissing her hard as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard back. Tina kissed with more passion and confidence than Christie. As they kissed, Ivan fumbled with her jeans. When he had them undone, she pushed them down to her knees and fumbled with his. Before she had them undone, Ivan remembered protection and told her to wait.

He went in his bedroom and took him a couple tries to remember where he had some condoms. When he found them, he heard his apartment door open and shut. He stepped out of the bedroom and she was gone.

"Chickened out again..." Ivan said to himself. His erection was poking painfully in his pants, so he went to the bathroom to relieve the pressure. He was just about to ejaculate in the sink, with his jeans at his ankle when he heard knocking on the door. "Coming..." He groaned, came, and quickly cleaned himself up. He heard more knocking. He rushed pulling up his jeans, dried his hands and ran to the door.

He opened the door, and Tina was back, holding her phone.

"Sorry... I thought I better grab my phone, with Ivana alone..." Tina said with a smirk on her face looking at his face and jeans, which still weren't fastened "Did you think I left for the night and just jerk yourself off?"

"No..." Ivan said, and she started laughing walking inside and shutting the door behind her.

"I said I'd be right back. You didn't hear me?" Tina said, and he laughed too, blushing. "Wow, can't believe it. Guess we can't just have a quickie." She was looking at his groin, where his erection was no longer visible through his pants.

"Not a quickie but..." Ivan started when she dropped to her knees in front of him and pulled out his semi-erect cock out of his boxers.

"Ivan, is it okay if I give you head? If you don't want to because of before, I'll understand," Tina said with a concerned look. He responded by pulling her up.

"Not here, on my bed," He said, kissing her again as they moved to his bedroom. He noticed when she went to get her phone, she came back without a bra. He reached and cupped her through her shirt. She was about a B-cup before their split, but now felt like a C-cup and her nipples were a little bigger. She groaned in his mouth as he teased the tip between his fingers.

Bumping against the doorway, they made their way to the bed, with her shirt now off as well as his shirt and jeans.

As they fell onto the bed, still kissing and caressing each other, Ivan broke the kiss and gently pushed on the back of her head. She understood, smiling, and while he lay on the bed, she kissed down his waxed chest.

He let out a gasp as she took him in her mouth. She started bobbing rapidly, but he touched the side of her face and said, "Slower, I don't want a quickie. I want to take my time and see every inch of your sexy body."

Tina took her mouth off his now rock-hard erection and looked at him, while she fumbled with her own jeans. "Ivan, I appreciate you being romantic after all this time. But, my daughter is all alone above us. I'm serious, I just have time for a quick fuck."

Tina pulled her jeans and panties off and straddled him, just like when their daughter was conceived. Her breasts sagged a bit, and her midsection showed a little sign of age, but otherwise, Ivan was right. Tina's thighs, abs, and shoulders looked like a woman who worked out regularly. Her full hips suited her, as did the full dark bush of hair between her thighs. Christie had shaved herself bald as long as he could remember. She was the same person, but her body had changed so much, it was like seeing her naked for the first time.

Ivan grabbed her hips and turned to the side, not wanting to have another slip in incident. "I need protection..."

"It's okay," Tina said kissing him.

"No, it's not, sorry," Ivan said feeling a little guilty. It'd been a while for him, but he hadn't been tested since the last time he had unprotected sex. He fumbled with the packet, when Tina pulled it out of his hand, ripped it open, and slid the condom on effortlessly.

As soon as it was on, she guided him into her and gasped as she slowly eased herself down. She was so tight, he groaned as well. Tina had her hands on his shoulders and slowly moved on him. "Sorry... been a while... did your dick get bigger too?"

"Same size, sorry," Ivan said with a laugh.

"Better..." Tina said and kissed him hard again as she started riding him faster. She grabbed his hands and put them on her ass. "Spread my cheeks, I like that."

She didn't say a word, just panted as she fucked him hard, their groins slapping together. Ivan couldn't hold on at that pace and felt himself go, but she kept going.

"Fuck, yes..." She finally said, briefly going even faster until finally stopping and clenching her thighs against his as her hands pressed so hard against his chest, they left a mark.

Shaking her head with a gasp, she reached and carefully slid off him so the condom didn't slip off. She kissed his forehead as she grabbed her panties. "Thank you, for everything, but I need to get back."

"I just hope I don't have to wait another ten years," Ivan said.

Tina smiled. "I think we should get to know the new us's a bit better, but I hope we don't wait that long as well."

Tina was dressed and almost out the door, when Ivan ran out, still naked. "Tina, guess it's my turn. I want to ask you out -- Friday."

"I accept, not too late though," Tina said smiling.

"And, Ivana called me Ivan, when you were in the bathroom. Thought you should know."

Tina closed her eyes and shook her head. "Figures. Still, please don't announce this to anyone until tomorrow afternoon. I'll talk to her first thing in the morning."

Ivan's mother and sister were ecstatic to learn about Ivana -- less ecstatic when he said he was going to start dating her mother again. With Tina's blessing, the two were planning to drive down at the end of the month to meet his daughter.

Ivan and Tina had lunch together every day that week, and he joined her and Ivana every night for supper. He expected the first night to be a big water works with hugs, but Ivana acted no differently than she did the first night -- except now calling him Ivan instead of Mr. Whitt.

Tina noticed Ivan seemed to be expecting more familiarity. She whispered to him, "She liked you as soon as she met you, but she needs to get to know you. It will come."

On their first real date in a decade, Ivan took Tina out for dinner to a steak house, remembering it was her favorite, only to find out she no longer ate red meat. She said it was all right, and she really enjoyed her chicken salad.

After dinner, they went to a movie that seemed to be big hit with women. Ivan didn't really remember much, since as soon as the lights went out for the first preview, he leaned in and kissed her. They only stopped kissing when noticing the lights coming up as people were leaving. Tina giggled as she stuck her hand under her sweater to place her breast back inside her bra, which was nearly exposed, and pulled her skirt down to cover her legs.

"I think that guy sitting across the isle nearly saw my nipple," Tina whispered, as she held his arm walking out.

"Well, good thing your hand was out of my pants or he would have seen a lot more," Ivan said.

They kissed some more on the cab ride back to their apartment and were holding hands waiting for the elevator in the building.

"Sorry, I need to pay my sitter, so she can go home," Tina said.

"I understand. I just hope you had a good time."

"I did. Look..." Tina started and paused.

"Okay, here comes the but," Ivan said.

Tina touched his cheek. "No, there is no but. Look, I'm sure you know I've had dates as I know you also haven't spent ten years of celibacy. My daughter always comes first -- before any man. I have been very careful to keep my love life separate from my home life."

"It's okay, I understand," Ivan said.

"I've haven't had a man sleep in my bed since that night I had sex with Scott. Hotels, his place... sorry, too much information." Tina said, "What I'm trying to say -- horribly -- is I've always woken up to an empty bed in my own home unless my daughter was there beside me. God, I'm babbling like an idiot..."

"I understand," Ivan said. "Maybe pretend you're in a board meeting. You sound so confident, you even intimidate me at those."

"Jerk..." Tina smiled and kissed his cheek. "I just want you to appreciate this is a really big deal for me. You sleeping over."

"I'm sleeping over?" Ivan asked, hugging her.

"Yes, give me twenty minutes to deal with Georgia and come up. Knock quietly..." She kissed him hard on the lips. "Bring an overnight bag, we'll all go for brunch in the morning."

At his apartment, Ivan grabbed a few things and threw them into a gym bag. When he arrived at Tina's door, he was ready to knock, but noticed it propped open. He quietly walked in and locked the door behind him.

"Tina?" he whispered, but didn't hear her. He noticed the light on and door open in one of the bedrooms. He walked carefully to not make a sound, and saw Tina lying on her bed, completely naked except for her socks. He took a second admiring her body, noticing her pubic hair was now trimmed into a landing strip.

"Like?" she asked. "I really wasn't expecting last time -- kinda impulse..."

"Fuck, you're beautiful," Ivan said, starting to take off his clothes. He couldn't help noticing the condoms and lube on the nightstand beside her.

"And really horny..." Tina said as he lay on the bed beside her. He went to kiss her, and she turned away, grabbing a condom. "Get yourself tested, mister, so we don't always have to use these." She tore it open, and started stroking him. With the condom still in her other hand, she took him in her mouth and gently sucked on the tip, running her tongue along the sensitive bottom.

"First chance I get" Ivan said with a groan, as he ran his hand along her ass cheeks. She parted her legs so he could run a finger along her slit. "I can wait to only feel you with my bare cock."

She released him and took a breath. "Sorry, you'll still need one if you fuck my ass, and I do want my ass fucked from time to time."

She went back to sucking him and started rapidly bobbing again while the hand not holding the condom cupped his balls. Like before, he was going to come too fast.

"Hey... slow... shit..." With a grunt he came in her mouth as she kept sucking. She went back to sucking the tip, while her hand gently stroked him. Soon he was rock hard again. Tina then quickly put the condom on.

Tina grabbed a glass of water beside the bed and took a drink. "You taste better than you used to."

"You do a lot of things better than you used to." Being each other's first lovers until their break up, Christie had never swallowed. Squeamish of getting semen in her mouth, she always stopped well before Ian ever ejaculated. It was always just foreplay and never its own thing.

"Shhh... I'm fine with my daughter finding you in bed with me in the morning," Tina said softly, "But I'd rather her not hear what we're doing. Stay on your back."

Like before, she straddled him face-to-face. This time, she slid right down on him, and moved on him at a medium pace looking him right in the eye. Remembering last time, he grabbed and spread her ass cheeks as she rode him. With a groan of approval, she leaned forward, and he was able to lift his head and catch a nipple in his mouth. It'd been forever since he had it in his mouth.