I hate to tell people that I’m a stay-at-home mom. I’m so much more than that.
Dabble?! You’re a fantastic artist. That’s more than dabbling,he writes.
—
Thank you. So are you. Are you a full-time artist?
—
Kind of… I’m a glass blower. That’s my main source of income. I have a partnership with a few art galleries in the city. It pays the bills, but barely, to be honest. The watercolors don’t sell as well.
—
Well, there’s something sexy about a starving artist,I write.
I have no clue where that came from. I want to take it back. Why am I flirting? I don’t even know who I’m flirting with.
True! Well, if starving equals sexy, I’m definitely sexy.
Now, I’m picturing a gaunt, starving man. Not very sexy. I shake my head. This is ridiculous.
Well, nice chatting. Keep up the good work,I write.
—
You too. :)
* * *
The kids and I dash to the front door as soon as we hear some rustling outside. Daddy’s home!
He ruffles Theo’s hair, and picks up Emma in his arms. They are both over the moon. I wait my turn… I always get last dibs. Finally, he leans down to me, wraps an arm around the small of my back, and kisses me. The kids make swooning and kissing sounds and we both laugh. “I missed you, Gabbie,” he says. He’s early.
“Me too.” Yes, I did. In more ways than one.
He’s brought treats for all of us, like he always does. Fancy chocolate bars, candy, bookmarks, pens, and books for me. He’s like Santa Claus.
“How was the signing?” I ask as I serve him some leftover lasagna and salad.
“Oh… the usual,” is all he says. He never elaborates too much. I figure that he doesn’t want to bore me, but just once, I’d love him to share a juicy story, some drama in the book industry. There must be some.
“How’s Julia?” I ask, attempting to make conversation. I don’t exactly have tons of exciting news to offer on my end. I usually talk about the kids, my girlfriends, or the latest painting I’m working on.
Julia is his publicist, assistant… I’m not sure what exactly she is, to be honest. All I know is that she’s always by his side. She’s great, and funny too. Every time I have a chance to see her, she makes me laugh.
“She’s great,” he says. “She and Sarah are looking to start a family.”
“Oh wow… that’s great,” I say. I’m happy. She and her partner, Sarah, are amazing women. “They’ll make the best Moms.”
“I don’t doubt it for a minute,” he says between bites. “I’m not sure who’s having the kid, but I just hope she doesn’t leave me in the lurch. She’d be hard to replace.”
I wince. “Yeah… I like her. I don’t want anyone else to work with you.” I picture some young little pixie, eager to please, and a little too enamored with John. He has a few groupies, but luckily, not many. A lot of his readers are men, fans of action packed crime fiction.
He wipes the corners of his mouth with a napkin. “When are the kids going to bed?” he asks, a playful smile tracing his lips.
I know exactly what he’s getting at. I smile wide. “They’ll be in bed by nine.”
I slip on one of my favorite negligees, and the black hooker heels I can barely walk in. I apply a fresh coat of lipstick, and wonder if he’s missed me as much as I missed him.
