This is a really lame adventure,” Sophie comments from the passenger seat of my car.
I huff out a sigh. “Just give me a minute.”
I try to crank the ignition again, hearing that fatal rumbling whine as the engine of my old car tries its best to turn over for a few seconds before it sputters and gives out again.
“Come on,” I groan. “Don’t do this to me.”
“Does it need gas?”
“It has plenty of gas.”
“What about oil?”
“What are you, a mechanic?”
Sophie shrugs. “Just trying to help.”
“I know, I know. I don’t know what’s wrong with it. It probably just hates me.”
“How are we going to get to the zoo?”
I drop my head on the steering wheel, sighing as I think. “We could call an Uber.”
“It’s a peak time,” she says casually. “They’ll take forever.”
I cock an eyebrow in her direction as I lift my head. “How do you know about peak times?”
“Mom didn’t have a car,” she says. “We always Ubered if it was far.”
“Okay. What about the bus?”
Sophie makes a face. “The bus?”
“You’ve never taken the bus?”
“It’s hot.”
“Well, I’m not seeing many other options. My friend Camila lives on the other side of the zoo. By the time she could get out here, we’d waste half our zoo time.”
“We could call Dad.”
And let Aiden hear about how shitty my car is? No, thank you. Knowing him, he’d probably try to leave his car here from now on and take the bus himself. It would be just like him to do something like that.
“We don’t want to bother him.”
“But I want to go,” Sophie whines.
“I know that, but if we can’t Uber, and you won’t take the bus, I don’t see how we’ll be able to—”
I pause, an idea striking me. It might be a bad one, since I’ve only just begun to win brownie points with the person I have in mind, but I think to myself that this could be a chance to earn more, if I play my cards right.
“Hey, Soph,” I say, turning to flash her a grin. “What time does your aunt’s shop open?”
Thanks for coming to get us,” I say again as we climb into Iris’s car. “You’re really saving us here.”
“It’s fine,” Iris says. “I don’t want Sophie on the bus.”
What do these people have against the bus?
I decide it’s not the time to try to gain the answer to that question.
“And you’re sure you won’t come with us?”
“I would,” Iris says, and I think she actually means it, based on her tone. “But I don’t have anyone to cover for me until this afternoon. I only have two other employees right now.”
“Wow, that sounds tough. Is it crazy busy?”
Iris nods. “We’re getting into the fall wedding season, so we’ve had a lot of orders. I’m doing my best to keep up with the staff I have. I can’t really afford to hire anyone else at the moment.”
“I’m sorry,” I say lamely, not knowing what else to say.
“It’s fine.” Iris shrugs. “Just part of it.” She eyes me from the side as she pulls out onto the main highway. “Was this your idea?”
“Oh . . . yeah. I have a friend from school who has a niece Sophie’s age. I thought . . .” I stop myself, glancing back at Sophie, who is listening curiously. “I mean, my friend asked me if I knew anyone around the same age as her niece that might want to have a zoo day with them.”
Iris gives me a knowing look, and then surprises me by actually smiling, like she knows exactly what I’m not saying. “That sounds fun.”
“Have you ever been?”
“Oh, yeah,” Iris says. “Rebecca and I took Sophie when she was, what . . . six?”
Sophie shrugs. “Maybe. I was little. I remember petting a giraffe!”
“We did the wildlife safari,” Iris clarifies. “Rebecca was obsessed with the giraffes.”
There’s a wistfulness to her tone, her expression far away, and I see the minute she catches it, quickly masking her features to that of her usual indifferent look.
“That sounds like a great time,” I note.
Iris nods. “It was. I think I have a picture of the three of us somewhere with a giraffe.”
“I’d love to see it sometime.”
Iris eyes me again. “I’ll try to find it next time.”
Next time.
Iris and Sophie start chatting about some book Iris left, and I turn my face toward the window to hide my smile. I hadn’t planned to see Iris today; I hadn’t even thought to invite her to the zoo, which I’m feeling bad about now, but I’m sort of glad that my car was dead this morning. It feels like every time I see Iris, I understand her just a little better. Little by little, I know I’m slowly chipping away at her armor.
It’s become my own personal mission at this point.
The rest of the drive goes smoothly, and Iris even promises to text me that photo when she finds it before she drops us off. I take it as another victory. The entrance to the zoo is bustling even on a Sunday, and it takes us a good ten minutes to track down Camila and Lucia outside of it even while texting each other constantly.
“Finally,” Camila says when she finds us. “Thought we’d lost you.”
I glance around. “It’s busy today.”
“Yeah, Lucia was acting like she was going to die if we had to wait anymore.”
The little girl who has the same midnight hair and dark brown eyes as her aunt makes a face at Camila. “I didn’t say that.”
“Uh-huh,” Camila scoffs. “Oh. Yeah. You’re Sophie, right?” Camila bends to offer her hand to Sophie, who takes it to shake gently. “This is my niece, Lucia. I promise she isn’t as mean as she looks.”
Lucia rolls her eyes. “I’m not mean.”
“Hi,” Sophie says, looking shy.
Thankfully, Lucia doesn’t seem to have a shy bone in her body, pointing to the drawstring bag Sophie has slung on her back. “Is that an Encanto backpack?”
“Yeah.” Sophie nods. “I got it at Disneyland.”
“Lucky! Me and my mom are gonna go next year. Did you see Mirabel?”
Sophie’s eyes light up. “Uh-huh! And Bruno!”
“Oh my God. Did they—”
The pair of them huddle closer as they continue to gush, and we follow them toward the ticket booth as Camila flashes me a wry smile. “I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about those two.”
“Praise to the family Madrigal,” I laugh.
“Hardly. If I have to hear that damned song one more time, I’ll—”
“So, you don’t talk about Bruno?”
Camila narrows her eyes as we get in line to show our tickets, shaking her head. “Now it’s lunch and a snow cone.”
Lucia and Sophie are practically best friends by the time we make it to the Lost Forest, our plan of attack being to try to make one big circle so that we can catch everything before we get back to the exit.
Sophie presses her nose to the glass to get a better look at the hippos, oohing appreciatively. Lucia is busy reading the information panel.
“It says that hippos kill up to five hundred people a year,” Lucia reads, not like she’s shocked, but like she finds this fascinating.
Sophie looks back at her with disbelief. “Hippos?”
“What,” Lucia snorts. “Do they sit on them?”
“No,” Camila sighs. “Look at those tusks! They’d make a shish kebab out of you.”
“Yuck,” Sophie says. She looks down the way. “Are we close to the kangaroos? I want to see the kangaroos.”
Camila checks the map. “They’re on the way back in the Outback. We have a little ways to go before we get there.”
“Did you guys know,” I cut in, “that male kangaroos are called boomers?”
“What?” Sophie’s nose wrinkles. “No way.”
“No, no,” Camila sighs, shaking her head. “I’m sure it’s true. She probably read it off a peach tea lid.”
“Oh, and koalas.” I snap my fingers. “They sleep like twenty-two hours a day.”
Camila rolls her eyes. “Can you please start drinking Dasani like a normal person?”
“Nope,” I laugh. “I’m addicted.” I notice Lucia and Sophie are both huddled near the glass now, and I pull out my phone. “Hey, kids. Turn this way. Let me get a picture.”
Lucia throws her arm around Sophie, who looks mildly surprised for a moment before returning the gesture and smiling big, and my chest squeezes with a happy sensation as I snap a few photos. I immediately busy myself with sending one to Aiden, knowing he’ll get a kick out of Sophie and Lucia hitting it off so well.
With the picture I add:
CASSIE
They’re practically besties and we aren’t even halfway through the zoo.
“Are you sending that to Dad?”
I notice Sophie eyeing me, and I nod. “He wanted lots of pictures.”
“Tell him he has to come next time,” Sophie says. “I want to tell him about how the hippos murder people.”
I grimace. “Maybe we leave that part of the trip out.”
I feel my phone buzz, looking down to see what Aiden’s response is.
AIDEN
That’s amazing. It looks like everyone’s having a great time.
And then only a second later:
AIDEN
I really wish I could be there with you guys.
My stomach clenches as my face splits into a grin involuntarily. I have no idea how one text can make me so happy. Then I remember who it’s from. I tap out a reply without thinking.
CASSIE
It was a bitch getting here, but it’s worth it. Sophie is having a blast.
His reply is instant.
AIDEN
What do you mean? Did something happen?
Oh. Shit. I still haven’t told Aiden about my car.
CASSIE
Oh. Well . . . my car was acting up this morning.
I decide telling him Iris brought us here is probably a conversation better had in person.
CASSIE
We can just Uber back . . . or take the bus.
AIDEN
No. I’ll come get you. Just tell me what time.
CASSIE
You don’t have to. I know how busy you guys are.
AIDEN
I said I’m coming. Just tell me what time.
CASSIE
Okay, okay. Bossy.
AIDEN
See you then.
It’s silly to still be grinning over this, but I can’t help it. I wonder if I should tell him that I kind of like him bossy.
Camila is looking at me strangely when I look up, and I quickly mask my smile into a more casual expression. “You guys ready to move on? I think we’re close to a few cafés. We can grab some food.”
“I’m starving,” Lucia whines.
“Yeah, yeah,” I chuckle. “Let’s get you gremlins fed.”
I pointedly ignore the way Camila is still eyeing me.
Camila blessedly waits until after lunch to comment, when the kids are both distracted by the pandas.
“So . . . what’s Sophie’s dad like?”
“Hm?” I try for a blank face. “Oh, Aiden? He’s . . . great. Really nice.”
He also has a filthy mouth and a dick that defies science, but that’s probably not a good thing to mention right now.
“Uh-huh.”
“What?”
“You said he’s single, right?”
I roll my eyes. “What does that matter?”
“Oh, I don’t know . . .” Her grin is mischievous. “Most people don’t giggle at texts from their boss. Made me curious.”
“I did not giggle,” I protest.
“Sure you didn’t.”
She walks ahead of me to trail after the girls on the Panda Trek, and I fidget nervously as I follow. Is it really that obvious? I have to do a better job of keeping things under control. I sidle up beside Camila, not looking at her.
“It’s not what you think,” I say.
I mean, it is, but I doubt that’s something I should be openly sharing with people.
Camila gives me an innocent look. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“Oh yes, you were,” I huff.
“Is he hot?”
“Shh.” I glance up a few feet to where Lucia and Sophie are still chatting excitedly. “What does that matter?”
“So, he is,” Camila laughs. “Whew. And you’re living with him? Please tell me you’re hitting that.”
“Oh my God,” I hiss. “Can you be any louder?”
“I haven’t had a date in months,” she says. “You know what our schedule is like. Honestly, good on you for finding dick with our workload.”
“It’s not like that,” I say again, but it sounds feebler this time.
“Hey, no judgments here,” Camila assures me. “Sophie’s a cool kid. Her dad has to be pretty cool too.”
I chew at the inside of my lip, turning my head to watch Sophie’s smile, grinning when she catches me watching and gives me a little wave that I return.
“She is a really cool kid,” I agree.
“Much less of a gremlin than Lucia.”
I elbow Camila. “Lucia is great.”
“Yeah, yeah, she’s all right.”
I hesitate a moment, wrestling with the desire to tell someone something and knowing I should keep my mouth shut. I let several more steps pass in silence as it weighs on me, and then I let out a slow breath.
“Her dad is really great,” I say quietly.
Camila’s grin is slow, but she leans into me conspiratorially, stealing my move as she elbows me in the side. “Yeah, I bet he is.”
By the end of the day, the entire group is exhausted. We’ve had more than a normal human’s fill of lions and tigers and bears (oh my), and by seven o’clock, we’re all just ready to go home.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you guys home?”
I shake my head at Camila. “It’s so far out of your way. Aiden said he’d come get us.”
“He’s late,” Sophie grumbles beside me.
“Seriously,” Camila tries again. “It’s not a big deal. Just text him and tell him that—”
“Oh, there he is,” I say, spotting his car approaching the drop-off point.
“Finally,” Sophie huffs.
Aiden’s car comes to a stop at the curb, and he puts it in park before stepping out of the driver’s side to lean on the hood. “Sorry I’m late,” he offers. “Traffic.”
He’s still in his chef coat, so I know he came straight here from work and that he’ll probably even most likely have to go back—and why does it make me warm all over again that he would put everything on hold for us?
Lucia and Sophie are hugging goodbye, and I can hear them talking about exchanging friend codes on the Switch, but it falls to the wayside when Camila leans in to murmur in my ear, “Jesus Christ, Cassie. If you aren’t hitting that, then you should be arrested.”
I bark out a laugh. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
“It’s a crime against humanity. Think of the rest of us. Swamped. Overworked. Dickless.”
“Okay, we are leaving now.”
“I’m just saying—”
I throw my arms around her neck for a hug. “Thanks for today. It was great.”
“Apparently the kids are ride or die now, so we’ll have to do it again.”
“Right.”
Camila lowers her voice again. “And I sincerely hope that you have locked down that dad di—”
“Okay, girls!” I pull away from Camila. “Time for Sophie and me to go. But we’ll hang out again soon, okay?”
They both nod and hug goodbye again, Sophie waving back at Lucia as I help her in the car.
“I really am sorry I was late,” Aiden says again as we all buckle up. “I should have left a little earlier.”
“It’s fine,” I assure him. “We weren’t waiting long.”
“I’ll have to head back for a while after I drop you guys off.”
“I figured,” I say.
Aiden looks in the rearview mirror as he pulls away from the curb. “Did you have fun today?”
“So much fun,” Sophie gushes. “Did you know that hippos murder people?”
I groan, and Aiden gives me a strange look from the side.
“Don’t ask,” I say. “Don’t ask.”
I help Sophie out of the car when we pull up outside of the house, making sure she has her bag of souvenirs before she starts up the walkway. She turns back to look at me halfway. “Are you coming?”
“Just a sec,” I call after her. “I need to tell your dad something.”
“Okay, but you promised to do the kangaroo puzzle with me.”
“Yeah, yeah, we’re going to do the puzzle.”
I wait until she disappears through the front door before I crawl back into the passenger’s side of the front seat, pushing over the middle console and cupping my hands to Aiden’s face to pull him in for a kiss. There is a moment of surprise on his part that dissolves quickly, and then I feel his fingers in my hair and his tongue at my lower lip before it dips inside to touch mine.
I kiss him hard, much harder than feels appropriate for the inside of a car in the middle of the street—but I decide I don’t care. I had a phenomenal day with a phenomenal kid, and now I’m being carted home by a phenomenal man who lets me attack him with kisses out of nowhere.
Things could be a lot worse.
He looks a little dazed when I break away. “What was that for?”
“Because you’re great.”
He blinks. “I am?”
“Very.”
“Are you trying to entice me to bail on work? Because it’s working.”
My lips curve against his, and I press another soft kiss there. “Later,” I promise. I crawl backward out of the car, and I notice he’s frowning when my feet touch the sidewalk, my hand on the door. “What?”
“You really might be evil,” he grumbles.
I give him a sly grin. “Good thing you know where I live, Mr. Reid.”
I think I can still hear him grumbling even after I shut the door.
