When we hang up, I slip my shoes on and head out the door.
As soon as I get into the elevator, my eyes immediately find Bailey’s floor number. I wonder if she’s still home or if she and Luca have already left for her parents’ house. It’s only been a few days since I’ve seen her, but my body is craving to feel her in my arms again, to bury my face in the scent of her hair, and to taste her cherry ChapStick again.
I press my eyes shut and hit the down button instead of being an obsessive stalker and showing up at her door when we both know that we’ll see each other today anyway.
As the elevator doors open on the ground floor, I’m already in the middle of making a mental checklist of all the things that I need to do while atThe Poppythis morning.
After a few fires that needed to be put out and only a few hours later, I’m on my way to Luca’s party. It’s around lunchtime, so technically, I’m only two hours early.But is it too early?Driving up to the house, I immediately notice Bailey and her brother’s Lexuses. I still think it’s funny that their whole family drives the same brand of cars. Bailey, Harry, and their dad both have sedans, and Jess and their mom have SUVs. It looks like a mini-dealership on their street.
I pull up and park my out-of-place Audi by the green belt at the end of the cul-de-sac. I dip my head into the car to grab the balloons and my gift for Luca, then I slam the door from behind. Turning around, I’m face to face with a large-printed banner with a T. rex on it that looks like he’s going to eat a laughing, life-sized color image of Luca.
This family.
I laugh to myself as I walk up the driveway. I bet that was Fred’s idea. I love them so much.
The front door is cracked, so I take that as an invitation to walk right in but take care to latch it behind me. The smell of barbecue infiltrates my nostrils as soon as I enter the house.
Luca jumps down the stairs in a full dinosaur costume and right into my arms. “Mason!” he screams.
I quickly set the weight holding the cluster of birthday balloons on the ground, but I keep his present in one hand while lifting him up with the other. “Hey, birthday dinosaur!”
“You’re here early. I’m so glad. Harry hasn’t been much help,” Fred says, walking over to greet me.
I put Luca down in order to shake Fred’s hand. Just as I lift from lowering Luca to his feet, my eyes fall right on the gorgeous woman in a tight yellow sundress and wedge sandals.
Bailey.
My breath catches.
She looks effortlessly beautiful today. Her tan, sun-kissed skin peeks through the light yellow shade of her dress. The front of her hair looks gently pinned to the side and away from her face while the rest lays straight against her back.
Our eyes find each other, and her face lights up. The impulse to take her into my arms is strong and getting harder to control each time we see each other again.
I blink a couple times before answering Fred. “Yes, of course. Whatever you need.”
My eyes slide back over to her, but she’s no longer looking in my direction. Instead, she has her back to me, bent slightly over the table, carefully placing Luca’s birthday cupcakes on a three-tiered stand.
If I pulled her into one of the closets, I wonder if anyone would notice?
“Hello, Mason!” Bailey’s mom calls out to me from the large island in the kitchen.
“Hi. It smells amazing in here,” I say.
“Well, you know me, cooking up a storm!”
I walk back over to the entry hall table and set down Luca’s gift.
“Okay, we’ve got to figure out how to hang the piñata from the tree in the backyard. Last year it broke before all the kids were able to get a turn,” Fred explains, leading me through the kitchen and toward the backyard.
I walk briskly in order to keep up with him but slow down just as I’m passing Bailey. She’s still bent over arranging the cupcakes, with her plump, round ass slightly pushed out. The thin white hem of her sundress rides high on the back of her thighs.
Quickly darting my eyes around to make sure no one is watching, I let my right arm hang down by my side until I’m shoulder to shoulder with her. Taking the back of my knuckles, I lightly glide them along the smooth skin of the inside of her leg. She startles instantly, popping her head up without turning around.
As I continue to create space between us, following her dad outside, I catch a quick glimpse of the goosebumps that now pebble up her bare arms. It brings a satisfied smile to my face that no one can see. I love that I can do that with a mere gentle touch.
Stepping through the screen door, I feel the energy from her gaze prickle the back of my neck. She’s blushing.
For the next hour, Harry and I set up the tables and chairs on the grass while Fred continues to monitor the food on the grill.
