Moore Than Forever by Julie A. Richman

felt the summoning call to turn to his right. Following his instinct, he changed directions to face the other end of the corridor. As he began to process the scene down the hall that he was just beginning to witness, he could feel rising bile start to burn his esophagus.
    Zac leaned casually with his back up against the wall. She stood before him, gently stroking his arm with the intimacy of a lover. It took Schooner a moment to place the last time he had seen her, and that memory disgusted him nearly as much as the scene he was currently witnessing.
    Without another moment’s hesitation, he started down the hall with his long legged stride. He was in protect mode. Protect his young. A part of the animal kingdom, Schooner Moore was the king of his pride and it was his duty to take out this cougar. This was the very same cougar that had intimately stroked his arm at his forty-third birthday party moments before dropping her hand down to his crotch in search of his cock. And now she was standing too close to his son, touching him in a way that only lovers do.
    Spying his father approaching, Zac extricated himself from the woman and headed toward Schooner. The woman disappeared into a patient’s room.
    “Hi Dad,” Zac was trying to come off cool, but from his darting eyes, his rattled nerves were apparent.
    “How long has that been going on?”
    Zac hesitated.
    “Don’t lie to me, Zac,” Schooner’s demeanor was all business.
    “It’s not. I mean, there’s nothing going on,” Zac was clearly agitated. This was a conversation he did not want to be having with his father.
    “But there was,” Schooner was not letting him off the hook.
    They stood in the middle of the busy hallway, hospital personnel and patients passed them on all sides but neither Moore saw another person nor heard another sound.
    “Yes, there was,” Zac looked down at his feet.
    “When?” Schooner’s tone was terse, his body language a warrior preparing for battle.
    “When I was home fall semester. Before I went back to Exeter.”
    “How many of them were there?” the muscles in Schooner’s jaw were now twitching.
    “Three,” Zac’s voice was little more than a whisper.
    “Three in addition to her?”
    “No. Including her.” Zac still had not looked up at his father.
    “Did they know about one another?” Schooner’s arms were now crossed over his chest and if Zac had looked up he would’ve noticed his father’s mind racing a million miles per hour.
    “Yeah. They did,” Zac finally looked up.
    “Go back to your grandfather’s room. We’ll talk later.”
    “Dad, are you mad at me?” Zac’s eyes were pleading.
    “I’m not happy with you, Zac, but you’re the minor here. These women are adults who should know better. Go to your grandfather’s room.”
    “Dad,” Zac pleaded.
    “Now, Zac,” and Schooner turned on his heel and headed down the hall.
    When he reached the room the woman had entered, he ducked his head in and beckoned for her to come out into the hallway.
    As she emerged from the room, Schooner hit her with his All-American boy smile. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it.”
    “Yes, it has,” she was caught off-guard and not quite sure how to react to his friendliness.
    “It was my birthday party. That moment we shared,” Schooner was summoning his acting skills.
    He had her with her back to the wall and he was standing close, his arm outstretched, his hand flat on the wall over her head. He was smiling down at her, his eyes locked on hers, oozing sexuality. She was melting before his eyes. Schooner was taking all his natural attributes and harnessing them. Not saying a word, but just gazing down at her, smiling, as she was trapped between his body and the wall, he waited for her breathing to escalate, so that he knew he had her in just the condition he wanted her.
    Anyone observing them would have seen a man and a woman having a quiet, very intimate conversation.
    Leaning down, he whispered in her