“So, Elena, Vivian tells me you have a son. Larry, is it?”
“Lucas, and yes, he is three.”
“Oh, and the father?”
Brows shooting toward her hairline, Elena leveled the man with her piercing gaze. “My, Brice, you cut directly to the personal questions, don’t you?”
Brice grinned far too widely to be natural. “Forgive me. Was that out of bounds?”
“Considering we have only just met, I would certainly say so.” She pulled her napkin into her lap and took a careful sip of her water.
“Well, perhaps we will know one another much better by the end of the night,” Brice replied softly and with a subtle wink that Elena assumed the man thought was either charming or seductive.
Brice had selected a high-end restaurant that Elena frequented with her parents, and she found it much too predictable, given his obvious wealth. Why so many men assumed all women wanted an expensive meal, an expensive wine, and a ride in an expensive car was completely beyond her. Would it kill them to try for a little originality?
Elena, as was her nature, kept a mental list of strikes against her date, and, thanks to the man’s overly personal question and suggestive behavior, he gained his first before they ever even placed their orders. He earned his second strike only seconds later when the waiter arrived to take their orders.
Before she could even open her mouth to speak, Brice flashed a smug grin and addressed the waiter. “Yes, thank you,” he said. “We will take a bottle of your finest Cabernet Sauvignon to pair with two house sirloins, both medium rare, and the lady will enjoy a side salad while I will take a—”
That was about as much as Elena could stomach. How dare he speak for her? Fifteen minutes into this date, and Brice was already stripping her of choice.
She far from approved.
“Actually,” Elena interjected, “I will have a glass of chardonnay to pair with the roasted salmon in lemon butter. I would like that with a side of seasoned vegetables, and please, ask the chef to apply any salt lightly. Thank you.”
The waiter smiled at her and nodded before smirking at Brice, who was staring at Elena with his lips slightly parted and his brows furrowed. “Sir?” the waiter asked.
“Oh right, yes,” Brice said quickly, snapping back to attention. He placed his order and offered Elena a tight smile. “I was unaware you didn’t eat red meat. I apologize.”
“Oh I do eat red meat, Brice.” Her revelation came with an equally forced smile. “I simply am not in the mood tonight. You would have known as much if you had simply bothered to ask.”
Brice cleared his throat and glanced around the restaurant. He took a sip of water and smacked his lips. It was clear to Elena that the man had only just figured out that she was nowhere near the type of woman he was looking for. He undoubtedly wanted a piece of arm candy that would worship his every decision.
Elena was hardly a trophy. She was the entire goddamned competition—a complex yet worthwhile challenge, not a mindless reward.
Sighing, she crossed and uncrossed her legs underneath the table, avoiding eye contact with Brice. Great, she thought. She was going to have to sit through an entire undoubtedly awkward dinner with this man now, and it was likely that little conversation would take place. Then again, perhaps that would be a blessing.
She could only hope the waiter returned soon with their meals and then soon after again with the check.
* * *
“Hold on, kid.” Allison grunted. “Let me just get my feet right.”
Lucas giggled as Allison finally got her feet positioned gently against his belly. She then took his hands and squeezed them. “Hold on tight, okay? Tight tight!”
“Okay!” He squealed and squeezed her hands as tightly as he could when Allison then easily lifted his body into the air. She held his arms out with her hands and kept his body up with her feet so that he looked like he was flying just a few feet above her. She couldn’t help her laughter when Lucas screamed at the top of his lungs, “I’m an airplane!”
“You are!” She separated her feet so that Lucas fell quickly from his position in the air and she caught him in a fast embrace, tickling him as he squealed and wriggled around, rolling off her chest to the floor.
Lucas laughed so hard that little sound escaped, but then his eyes went wide and he clapped a hand over his mouth.
“Whoa,” Allison said, her smile fading. “You okay, buddy? Are you gonna be sick?”
Perhaps it was a little too soon after dinner to be flying the kid around on her feet. She didn’t want to end up covered in stomach-pureed sweet peas.
Cheeks flushing a bright red, Lucas popped up on his feet and whispered, “I peed.”
Allison had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing, because it was obvious that the little guy was fairly embarrassed about his accident, but his pink cheeks and quiet admission were incredibly cute. She tucked a finger under his chin and pushed it up so he would look at her. “Hey, that’s okay, Lucas. Everybody has accidents.”
“Even you?” he whispered.
“Even me.” She was certain she hadn’t peed her pants since she was in diapers, but he didn’t need to know that. “It was my fault anyway, okay? I shouldn’t have tickled you so much.”
Lucas nodded, but he still didn’t raise his voice above a whisper as he held his hands over the wet spot on the front of his pants and said, “Okay.”
“Okay, let’s go get cleaned up then. It’s bath time before bed anyway, right?”
“Uh-huh.” Lucas nodded and then shyly took one of Allison’s hands. He walked with her down the hallway and toward the large bathroom across from his bedroom.
Once Allison got the water to a decent temperature and the tub filled about halfway, she shut the water off and turned to Lucas. He had already stripped down to nothing and stood shyly in front of her with his hands over his privates and his lip tucked between his teeth. His round belly poked out over his hands and Allison saw that he was an outie. She’d had a foster brother with an outie belly button too. As weird as other people sometimes found it, Allison thought it was very cute.
She poked it with her index finger as she asked, “Okay bud, you ready?” He nodded and held up his arms so that she could pick him up. She lifted him over the high edge of the tub and settled him slowly down into the warm water.
He was a shorty, even for his age, Allison noted as the water rose to his chest and she looked him over. His hair was a dark brown, just like his mother’s, and his eyes were brown too, though they were lighter than Elena’s. Elena’s eyes were a deep espresso, while Lucas’s were a brighter, more golden brown, like a sun-soaked field of wheat. He had puffy cheeks slightly fairer in color than the rich olive tone of his mother’s skin, and they had the same slender nose and full, pouty lips. His chin, however, was entirely his own, and that made Allison wonder if he had gotten it from his father or perhaps a grandparent.
Lucas quickly regained his confidence as they played with his floating rubber boats, and by the time Allison carefully tilted his head back to rinse away his shampoo, he was jabbering up a storm about all of his favorite things.
“No way,” Allison said, splashing a little water at the boy. “Green is my favorite color too!”
“Dinosaurs are green!” Lucas shouted.
“Yeah!” Allison gave him a wet high five before pulling the plug out of the drain. Lucas stood up and shivered as Allison grabbed a small towel to pick him up with. Once she got him out of the tub, she dried him off and helped him into his pajamas, which of course were covered in dinosaurs. Sitting on the closed lid of the toilet seat, she watched as the boy stood in front of a small mirror his mother had obviously installed just for him and carefully combed his damp hair. Afterward, he brushed his teeth with expert precision, rinsing his mouth with a Dixie cup and then smiling so wide at Allison that she could see his gums.
“Whoa!” she gasped. “Great job! They’re super white and clean.”
Turning, Lucas ran out of the room and into his bedroom. He cannonballed into his bed, pulled his blanket up onto his head like a hood, and laughed hysterically when Allison came in after him.
Seriously, she thought as she sat down to read him a story. Could this kid get any freakin’ cuter?
* * *
Leaving the restaurant with Brice was even more uncomfortable than being at the restaurant with Brice. Elena walked silently beside him until they reached his sports car where he opened the door for her to slip inside.
“Thank you,” she said before gracefully sliding into the low-set seat.
When Brice dropped into the driver’s seat and the engine roared to life, Elena’s thoughts were dominated by a single mantra. Please let traffic be minimal. Please let traffic be minimal. Of course, Elena knew that the hope was not even a long shot. It was a complete impossibility.
A Saturday night in New York City? Not a chance.
As the car crept through the busy city streets, Brice cleared his throat and asked, “So, have you been on many blind dates?”
Elena stared out her window as she quietly responded, “I have not.”
“I would have guessed that,” he chuckled. “You seem a little on edge, perhaps a little uncomfortable. It takes a while to get used to. I would guess from your reaction at the restaurant that you don’t date much at all. Not quite used to being pampered? That’s a shame for a woman as beautiful as you.”
“Pampered?” Elena could hardly mask the disbelief in her voice.
“Mm,” Brice hummed and turned to flash a smile that reminded her of the shark in Finding Nemo, a movie she’d watched countless times with Lucas. That smile was predatory and smug. She wasn’t facing him, but she saw the bright white reflection of it in the glass pane of her window.
Elena wasn’t even going to touch this conversation with a ten-foot pole. If this man actually thought that making blatant assumptions and speaking for her rather than to her or with her were the equivalents of pampering, then what was the point of even bothering with a response?
“Turn here,” Elena snapped bluntly, pointing to the right turn quickly approaching. She scratched at the side of her nose and avoided looking at the man in the driver’s seat as she added, “It’s faster.”
That must have been enough of a hint for Brice, because he said nothing else for the remainder of the ride back to Elena’s house.
* * *
Lucas’s long, dark lashes fluttered as he tried to keep his eyes open, but his breathing had grown deep and heavy, and Allison knew that the kid was a goner. He hadn’t been nearly as hard to put down as Allison had been expecting, though he put up a good struggle. She stopped reading and laid her hand on his belly over the covers, rubbing in small circles. Within seconds, he was out. She leaned over and kissed his forehead before quietly slipping out of the room.
“What to do?” she muttered as she checked the time on her cell phone and saw that it was barely after eight. She probably had quite a bit of time left before Elena would be home. She could kill some time on homework. Grabbing her backpack from the foyer, she carried it into the kitchen and pulled out a bag of microwavable popcorn and a few small bags of Reese’s Pieces candy. She popped the popcorn in the microwave and poured it into a large bowl she found in one of Elena’s cabinets before pouring all the bags of candy into the popcorn and mixing it all up.
Carrying her backpack and the large bowl of popcorn into the living room, she pulled out one of her textbooks, a notebook, and a pen and began jotting down notes while she stuffed her face. She fully expected to be at it for another few hours, but it was only about thirty minutes later that Allison heard the front door open. The soft clicking of heels on a hard floor then echoed through the house.
* * *
The soft click of the front door closing behind her sent a wave of relief through Elena’s body. She let out a heavy sigh as she leaned against the heavy wood, thanking God that that horrid date was finally over. The large ornate clock on the wall in the foyer told her it was nearly fifteen ‘til nine. Lucas would be long asleep by now. Still, she wanted to check on him.
Walking as quietly as possible, which wasn’t easy with heels, Elena made her way to his room and peeked in. A smile settled across her lips as she saw his little face in the light spilling in through the open door. His thumb was stuck firmly in his mouth as he slept. She watched him for several long moments before closing his door again and seeking out the babysitter.
The living room coffee table was littered with textbooks and notes, the homework laid out in front of the couch where Allison sat with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. She looked up as Elena came into the room, glanced quickly down at her cell, and then back up at Elena. “Ouch,” she said as she tried to fight a laugh. “Not even nine yet. I’m guessing the date didn’t go so well?”
Elena rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed huff as she slipped off her high heels. “That is the understatement of the year.”
Chuckling, Allison set aside her popcorn and rose from the couch. “Sit down,” she told her. “I’ll be right back.”
The couch cushion sank with a gentle sigh as Elena settled in, wrinkling her nose in disgust upon looking into the bowl Allison left behind.
When Allison returned, she carried a hot cup of coffee. She set it down on a coaster on the table in front of Elena and asked, “Sugar or cream? I guessed that you’re a black-coffee kind of girl, but I can grab some if you prefer. Or I can drink the coffee if you’d rather have wine or something.”
Elena just smiled as she shook her head. “No, thank you. You guessed correctly, but you certainly didn’t have to do that, Allison.”
“Yeah, I know.” She shrugged as she stepped around the small table in front of the couch and reached for her popcorn.
Grabbing the coffee with her left hand, Elena used her right to gesture toward Allison’s snack as she settled back into the couch. “That looks terribly fattening.”
Allison completely surprised Elena when she lifted up the front of her tank top to expose a rigid set of perfectly toned abs. “I think I’m good.”
Heat surged through Elena’s cheeks, turning them red. She cleared her throat roughly and shot her gaze back up to mirthful, green eyes. “I suppose you are.” She quickly brought her coffee cup to her lips, distracting herself by blowing on the hot liquid and avoiding eye contact with her incredibly shameless babysitter.
Clearing her throat roughly, Elena asked, “How was Lucas?”
“Best kid ever.” Allison settled back into her spot on the couch. “He did have an accident, though.”
“Really?” Elena was surprised. “That is a rare occurrence.”
“Yeah, well it was my bad. I was tickling him, and he was pretty embarrassed. But I just told him that everybody has accidents and then gave him a bath. He cheered right up.”
“How did he do with the bath?” Elena was pleasantly surprised that Allison had even bothered with a bath. She had assumed that she would simply keep Lucas entertained and then put him to bed. This only made Elena further approve of her. “He can be rather shy.”
“Nah, he did great,” Allison beamed. “Babbled on the whole time and then combed his hair like a perfect gentleman, brushed his teeth, and climbed right into bed.”
Elena smiled, and Allison just stared at her until Elena cleared her throat. The sound seemed to break Allison’s trance, and she blinked and glanced quickly away, her fair skin flushing.
“Oh shit,” Allison blurted out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask if you wanted to hang or whatever. I can totally go now. I’m sure you’re tired or something. Sorry.”
Elena considered her options. She wasn’t necessarily tired. She never went to bed this early, though after that date, she was more than ready to bury her head in her pillow and sleep until the new day, when she could put it all behind her. Yes, that seemed like the perfect plan; or perhaps a nice bubble bath and then bed. Oh yes, that sounded even better.
However, when she opened her mouth to tell Allison that she would show her to the door, she found herself saying something entirely different. “No, it’s quite all right, Allison. I would not mind actual bearable company, considering my date was anything but.”
She barely masked her surprise upon hearing the words spill from her own lips. However, they were already out of her mouth, and Allison’s bright smile was enough to keep her from taking them back. She could spend a bit of time with the babysitter. Why not?
“That blows.” Allison got comfortable on the couch beside Elena, putting her popcorn down on the table and tucking her sock-clad feet up under her so that she could turn on the couch to face her new boss. “Was it the lotion? He was a total creeper, right?”
Elena laughed out loud as she ran a hand through her short, dark locks and took a sip of her coffee. A satisfied hum vibrated between her lips at the bitter, familiar taste on her tongue and the heat of the liquid as it slipped down her throat. Exactly what she needed.
“He was a dissatisfactory date, to be sure,” she said, “though he managed to avoid any mentions of lotion, thankfully.”
“Only because you didn’t go home with the guy.”
“Of course I didn’t go home with him, Allison.” Elena turned an expression of disbelief onto her. “I only just met the man. What sort of woman do you think I am?”
“The kind that guys really like.” Allison waggled her eyebrows. “No, you’re right. You’re a classy bitch, and classy bitches don’t do that.”
“Oh?” Elena asked, amused by the label. “And what, may I ask, do classy bitches do?”
“Well, wouldn’t you know? I mean, you are a classy bitch after all.”
Elena snorted into her coffee, which only made Allison laugh harder, saying, “Classy bitches always drink their alcohol out of fancy glasses.”
Agreeing, Elena gave an appreciative nod and hummed her approval.
“And classy bitches wear high heels, no matter the occasion.”
Tilting her head, Elena tried to think of a way to refute that one, but there was no point. It was true that she wore high heels basically everywhere she went except when she went for the occasional run. “Agreed.”
“Classy bitches always do that eyebrow arch thing too,” Allison said, only for Elena to immediately arch a brow at her.
“See?” Allison pointed. Elena scoffed and forced her reaction back down.
“Oh, and classy bitches never sleep with a dude on the first date.”
“Absolutely.” Elena tipped her head in satisfaction.
It had been quite some time since Elena had laughed this easily and naturally with another adult. Vivian was hilarious and she often made Elena laugh, and of course her parents had their moments, but Allison was an entirely different animal. It amazed Elena how easily Allison pulled it out of her, the laughter and the playfulness.
“So, what was wrong with the guy?” Allison asked.
Elena sighed and swiped a hand through her hair again. It fell in gentle waves around her face. “What wasn’t wrong with him?”
“That bad, huh?”
“Well, for starters,” she said, “he was overly confident, and unjustly so.”
The curl of Allison’s lip made her disgust obvious. “That annoys the hell out of me. My roommate dated a guy last year who always tried to order for her, even at places like McDonald’s.”
“Yes,” Elena groaned, turning more toward Allison. “That is exactly what he did, and I positively loathed it. I can select my own meal, thank you very much!”
“Right? Like, eat what you want, dude, but let me order for myself. Oh, and why do guys always order a salad for girls? What is that?”
“Yes!” Taking a quick sip of her coffee, Elena cleared her throat and then mimicked Brice’s snotty voice as she said, “Oh, and the lady will have a side salad.”
Allison snorted. “Did you eat it anyway?”
“Oh no,” Elena replied, letting a wicked smile grace her lips. “I didn’t even let him finish the order. I dismissed his and placed my own.”
“Seriously?” Allison clapped her approval. “That’s great. I bet he felt like such an idiot.”
“Oh, oh!” Elena added, suddenly finding herself rather enjoying this, absorbed entirely in the exchange. “He then proceeded to imply during the car ride home that I refused his order because I am unaccustomed to being pampered!”
Allison brought her middle finger up to her mouth and mock-gagged herself on it.
“Exactly. I didn’t even bother replying.”
“I wouldn’t have either. The guy sounds like a douche. What was his name?”
“Brice.”
“Brice?” Allison grimaced. “Even his name sounds douche-y.”
Elena smiled. “Now you’re just trying to make me feel better.”
“As long as it’s working.” Allison winked.
Elena ducked her head a bit as she took another sip of coffee. “It is,” she said quietly, like it was an admission. “Thank you.”
* * *
“Don’t worry,” Allison said, awkwardly patting Elena’s arm as they lingered by the front door. “I’m sure the next date will be better.”
“One can only hope.” Elena chuckled. She handed Allison several bills that she had pulled from her purse before walking the babysitter to the door, and Allison stared wide-eyed down at the money.
“Whoa, no.” She pushed the money back toward Elena. “That’s way too much.”
Elena reached out to curl Allison’s fingers around the cash. “You earned it.” She squeezed Allison’s hand before releasing it. “Please take it.”
Sighing, Allison nodded. “Well, thank you. Really.”
“Thank you.” The warm night air rushed in as she opened the door.
When she was halfway out, Allison turned and shifted from foot to foot as she adjusted her backpack. “So, I’ll see you soon, right?”
Elena nodded. “I will call when I need you again.”
“Okay then.” Feet shuffling, she offered Elena her signature little wave, muttering, “Goodnight.”
Elena leaned her head against the door. “Goodnight Allison,” she said softly, standing in the doorway until Allison was long out of sight.
