Sugar • Hiram Lodge

His Sweet Punishment

I always behave

Unless it's with you

Mira watched as the headlights of the Mercedes approached the park. The cops were gone and so was the mini van with Mira's clothes. Veronica has been smart enough to bring her clothes with her to the pool, so she was fully dressed, which couldn't be said for Mira. As the car pulled into the parking lot where the girls were waiting, Mira's body visibly shook, but it wasn't because of the cold, it was out of nervousness of what he would say or do when he saw her.

The car stopped next to them and they reluctantly stepped inside, each fearing authority for their own reasons. Veronica sat in the front while Cheryl and Mira sat in the back where she could feel his eyes burning a hole into her through the rear view mirror. She just couldn't get herself to look at him. If she did he would know she was drunk, if he couldn't smell the liquor already.

"Don't be mad, daddy," Veronica said as the car sped out of the parking lot.

"Don't be mad?" He said. "You make me leave an important meeting to pick you up from an illegal party where you've obviously been drinking with your half naked friend, while the other one's high as a fucking kite and you expect me to not be mad?"

"He's right," Cheryl said, bursting out into a fit of laughter. "I'm stoned."

"Okay, you can be mad," Veronica said.

"Damn right I can be mad," Hiram said, catching Mira's gaze in the rear view mirror. "Where are your clothes?"

"I left them in the van," Mira said. If he hadn't already seen her naked she would've been much more awkward being half naked in front of him.

"Whose van?"

"Munroe," Veronica said.

"A boy?" Hiram questioned.

"Obvi, we came here with the football team," Cheryl said, earning a sharp glare from both Veronica and Mira.

Mira was sure he was about to explode and start yelling, she was expecting him to. But he didn't. He remained quiet. Which somehow was more worrying than if he had yelled. His silence lasted all the way to Thistle House where he parked the car so Cheryl could hop out.

There, he unbuckled his seat belt and took off his coat to give to Mira. As he turned to give to to her, his eyes roamed her body and took in her state. Needless to say, he didn't seem too happy.