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“Wow, that’s so awesome of you. I bet your kids love you.”
I grunted, not sure if I could agree with the sentiment.
Things got weird with everyone when Paula kicked me out. Problem was, she tried to kick me out of their lives, too. My kids loved me. I knew they did. And I prayed to God they knew I loved them too. It had been the hardest decision I ever made, but I chose them. Things were still rough, but they were getting…better.
“They’re good kids,” was all I could get out.
My phone dinged again and I checked it.
My eldest, Charlie, had been texting me, begging to keep his mom from making him get braces.
“How old are they?” she asked, excitement in her eyes at the intimate topic.
“Eight and six,” I said, unable to keep the smile off my face. “Lunatic assholes, the both of them. But good kids.”
She chuckled at that.
“They sound great.”
Her eyes roved my face for a minute, a question in her eyes.
I knew that question. I knew it, but I wasn’t going to answer it. She wanted to know why I was forty-two with barely a six and eight year old. But I’d shared too much already and I was feeling my skin squirm because of it.
“I suppose the humidity isn’t so bad in California, huh?” she asked with a smile, moving on without my having to lead us away.
That was another thing I liked about her. She read people like they came with pamphlets.
“No,” I said with a laugh. “I’ve never felt anything like this before.”
She laughed, too.
“Is that why you were complaining about chewing your air?”
“Tell my you don’t feel tempted to chew this fucking humidity!” I countered, which made her laugh harder.
Those damn cheese sticks showed up at the table just then, and the smell made my stomach start to really cramp with hunger.
I hadn’t remembered lunch, so after my morning scrambled eggs and smoothie, I was a starving mess.
“You were planning on sharing, right?” I asked while snatching a golden, oozing bite.
“I suppose since you’re paying, you can have one or two.” She smirked at me, nibbling on one herself.
Dammit, Harlo. Don’t stare at her lips!
I purposely put my eyes down, staring at the plate and the marinara sauce instead of at my dinner companion.
Ok, maybe when I’d said she wasn’t physically attractive, I was lying a little. Her features weren’t typical California girl sexy, but she had this easy going, girl next door kind of thing, and it made me feel like I was fucking twenty again. I had to keep stopping myself, sending a none so gentle reminder that I was literally twice her age. Old enough to be her dad, even.
“I need another,” I told our waiter, the boy looking at Mia with puppy dog eyes like he was bloody in love with her already.
She sent him a friendly smile, then went after another mozzarella stick.
“Yeah, sure,” he agreed.
I stared down at my beer, realizing that I had to cool it on the drinks. One more beer and I had to cut myself off. I still needed to drive the girl home, for hell’s sake.
Mia asked for another beer, downing the last of her first like the true college student she was.
