Free When I Look to the Sky by Barbara S Stewart

president.
    “ I know Tate,” he responded. “Tomorrow is the party, I guess.”
    “ Yes, fancy, suit kinda party.”
    “ I know how these things work,” he laughed.
    “ Nothing planned for Saturday,” she said.
    “ Wait, I know you got an invitation to Cleve Davids’ pre-party. I got one, are you not going? I was planning on it,” he said.
    “ Well then, how can I possibly not go,” she laughed, “and Sunday… the GRAMMYs!”
     
    For each event, Andy stood back and allowed her to be the belle of the ball. She dazzled, and he tried to remember the pushy, brash Adaleigh he’d met three years ago. But it was the Adaleigh he’d had ‘crazy sex’ with five months ago that he kept thinking about.
    After the GRAMMY pre-party, Andy walked her to her door. She reached in her bag to get the room key. “Are you coming in? I have a bottle of Cuvee on ice.”
    He stepped inside ; his intent was to have a glass of wine, and say good night. He eased the cork out of the bottle and poured; they sat and talked a few minutes. After he finished his wine, he rose and said, “I should go.”
    Adaleigh stepped closer to hug him. Everything about her exuded sex, and he realized that he wanted more. He toyed with the pendant that lay just above the plunging neckline of her dress, running his finger along the edge of the fabric. She put her hand on his and held it at her chest.
    “ Stop,” she said, and he looked up with a grin, “Unless you’re planning to finish what you’re starting, but this time it’s me who has the caveat before we start anything. This is just sex, no more, no less; crazy sex, wild sex, but not emotional sex.”
    “ I want you, Adaleigh, crazy, wild, whatever, but tomorrow we’re back to business.”
    “ Good, this works for me,” she said.
    He pulled her closer. Kissing her, his hand went to the back of the short, red dress she wore and eased the zipper down. She allowed the dress to slide to the floor. Under it, she wore a black and red under-bust corset that lifted her breasts to allow the cleavage he’d seen earlier, and black thong panties.
    “ You planned for this,” he laughed. It was a statement, not a question.
    “ I hoped it would happen,” she admitted with a sultry laugh.
    He left at two to return to his own room.  
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    When she was eleven, starting sixth grade, Carlee began attending Brighton Preparatory Academy, a prestigious private school. It was Andy’s idea. Everyone knew she was smart. She spent most of her time with her face in a book; she read everything she could get her hands on. She had good grades, and Andy decided she could get a better education at Brighton. When he discussed it with her dad, he agreed.
     
    When she was fifteen, her whole life changed…
     
    On Wednesday March 12, 2013, Andy went to her school, and the Head Master escorted him to her class. They excused Carlee from class as her classmates looked on in wonder. She went with them to the school’s office and Andy checked her out. She knew something was wrong.
    “ Let’s go for a ride,” he told her, taking her hand as they walked out the doors of the school. It was just after lunch. They drove the two miles to the beach, but they didn’t talk. Finally, he parked the car and they sat there for a minute looking out at the ocean ahead.
    “ Take a walk with me,” he said, finally.
    “ Tell me why,” Carlee replied.
    “ Let’s walk and I will, come on.” He took her hand as they made their way to the boardwalk.
    It was breezy, winds of March, she thought and felt scared. It must be something really bad. “Papa?”
    He looked, and motioned for her to join him on a bench close by. “It’s your dad, Carlee,” he began; there was a car accident this morning, just after he dropped you off at school. We don’t know all the details yet, but he died before rescue got him to the hospital.”
    She sat quietly, not knowing what to say. Andy wrapped an arm lovingly around her shoulder