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Aiden
Ihave no idea what came over me or why I was so rude to Anna. It’s not like me at all, and I’m berating myself during the entire drive to the sports complex. I owe her an apology, and I start thinking of ways I can make it up to her. But then my mind drifts, recalling her playful banter with Swank and her implication that it didn’t matter what impression I made. I start to feel my green-eyed monster want to come out and play, but I manage to rein him in—just barely.
The last thing I have time for is getting involved with a woman, especially one who works for me. It doesn’t matter that Anna is stunning and can hold her own against Swank and my daughter. It doesn’t matter that she’s got a fire burning inside her and is willing to stand up to me. I promised myself when Patricia left that I wouldn’t waste another second on dating; finding my happiness in raising my precocious Penny.
Now that my ex-wife has returned, I’m focused on finding out what game she’s playing. She’s been rooting for me at our home games since the season started, but she hasn’t approached me or my players once. She’s been photographed at the games wearing a team jersey with my name on it, causing rumors to run rampant in the tabloids. I’ve always tried to keep a low profile, but Patricia is making that more difficult.
It might be time for me to take matters into my own hands and talk to her. I can’t stop her from attending the games since she hasn’t done anything illegal, and I can’t stop her from wearing my name on her back. Almost half the fans do the same, so singling her out would only make matters worse.
My phone rings, echoing through the car and causing me to cringe. I hadn’t realized the volume was turned up and quickly adjust the settings before answering it.
“Hello, Mom. Miss me already?” I ask playfully, hoping it might cool some of her ire that I know is coming my way.
“What has gotten into you, Aiden? I know I taught you better manners than the way you treated Anna upon her arrival. To say that I’m disappointed is an understatement.”
I would rather have my mom angry at me than disappointed; but truth be told, I’m disappointed in myself. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the one you need to be apologizing to. Anna is here at my request, and I’m surprised she didn’t walk right out those front doors after what you said to her. We’re lucky to have found her on such short notice.”
“You’re right. When I get home tonight, I’ll make amends. What do you think I should do? Should I show up with flowers or chocolate? Women love those things, right?”
Her laugh is loud, even with the volume down. “Oh, gosh, no! For starters, flowers and candy as an apology or for a holiday is the easy way out and doesn’t mean much. Not to mention, that’s something a boyfriend or husband would do, not her employer.”
“Oh. Um. Then what do you suggest?”
“How about apologizing to her and not letting it happen again? Words mean a great deal when backed up by action,” she tells me.
I think about what she said, and the problem is that Anna is already under my skin, and I’ve only had a five-minute encounter with her. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my mouth shut, especially when the guys come over and end up trying to hit on her. I’ll need to let my team know she’s off-limits, too.
“There’s too much silence, Aiden. What’s going through that head of yours?” my mom asks.
“It’s just that I don’t necessarily regret what I said, only how I said it. Mom, Anna needs to be focused on taking care of Penny, not dating.”
“Hmm. So, you’re telling me that you meant to call her ‘the help,’ but just not in a nasty way? Got it,” she says with a chuckle.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
“Aiden, Anna is a grown woman who is not required to care for Penny when you’re at home. She’s free to come and go when she’s not on the clock. Just because you’ve decided to refrain from dating or finding love doesn’t mean that everyone else has to. She’s done nothing to warrant you thinking that she wouldn’t be attentive to Penny’s needs.”
I’ve always been able to count on my mom to tell me things as they are. She never holds back, and I would never want her to. It doesn’t mean I have to like it, though.
“Mom, Anna is gorgeous. There is no way she won’t receive attention from the opposite sex when she takes Penny out in public. I’m worried that the bodyguards I hired will be more focused on Anna than Penny.”
“Well, now we’re getting to the real reason behind your angst. You’re attracted to ‘the help,’” she teases.
“I didn’t mean to call her that! You’re never going to let me live that down, will you?” I ask in a lighthearted tone.
She giggles, “Nope, and I doubt Anna will either. She seems to give as good as she gets.” Lowering her voice and getting serious, she adds, “She’d be perfect for you if you would open up your heart again, Aiden.”
I shake my head even though she can’t see me. “There’s no way you can know that, Mom. You met her five minutes before I did and have spent the last…” I look at my watch, “twenty minutes with her.”
“I have a sixth sense about these things. Have I ever steered you wrong?”
“Do you really want me to answer that? What about that time you put Swank and me in ballroom dance lessons? Or that time you thought Swank and I should learn skeet shooting?” I ask, reminding her of a few things that hadn’t worked out as she had planned.
“In my defense, you are now great at the waltz, and it helped both of you to be graceful on the ice. As for the skeet shooting, you’re a natural!”
“There was nothing natural about putting loaded guns into the hands of two ten-year-old boys.” We had spent more time trying to shoot the birds than the skeet, but thankfully, we had horrible aim. The geese lived to tell the tale.
