Page 15 of The Irresistible Distraction

“I won’t⁠—”

“Engage in revenge sex, I know. You determine the boundaries. We can indulge in PG-13 conversation or keep it at a G-for-family-friendly business consultation if that’s what you prefer.”

“You’re one of those people who just loves talking, aren’t you?”

“Can’t waste my once-in-a-generation Clark Gable voice.”

I bite down on a tired grin. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why he’s working so hard, bartering for a date when, given his looks and obvious confidence, he likely has endless options. “Is there no one at your party who’d be easier to pursue?”

“Yes, but you’re so much more than a date, you’re also three chocolate chip cookies. Four, if you keep stalling.” When I don’t answer immediately, he pushes a little. “What’s wrong with having a little fun with the most un-boring man you’ve ever almost-dated?”

Vera will be thrilled to give me a night out. Maggie will be beside herself. And yes, I would love a break from thinking and overthinking, trying to plan my life around Jesse’s decisions, Adeline’s expectations, and my own . . . everything. “We start at five thirty a.m.”

“Looking forward to it.”

5

MY TEACHER’S VOICE

The clock tells me it’s already 5:11 a.m., which means eleven minutes after my preferred arrival time. Maggie, the guy I’m calling Clark, and Mario and Reuben, since it felt like a two-line-cooks day, aren’t scheduled to arrive until 5:30, but I always set up ahead of time.

“Seba? Come on, honey!” I open the fridge to grab the extra snacks I’ve prepared, kicking the door closed as I fill up his water bottle, trying to remember if I checked how much he actually drank yesterday. Even when he’s in school, there’s no point checking his lunch—he tosses what he doesn’t eat.

“Sebastian!” I call again, picking up one shoe from under the kitchen table and pairing it with the one by the front door; 5:13 now.

“Honey, I’ve got to⁠—”

“I’m right here.” Sebastian’s quiet voice comes from behind me, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Did you brush your teeth?” I close my eyes briefly: Sebastian needs to have a follow-up appointment with the orthodontist, which I forgot to follow up on last night.

I try to sniff unobtrusively, but Sebastian catches me and manages to look both offended and . . . over it.

When school’s in session, this makes more sense, but when it’s summer school hours or a holiday? I know he wants to sleep in.

Vera is right across the street, which means I could let him just stay in bed one of these days.

Maybe . . . I should.

But the what-ifs would plague me endlessly. And it doesn’t seem fair to ask Vera to leave her dogs, when she already does so much.

I glance at the clock and then back at my son. “Where’s your backpack?”

“Oh.” Sebastian brushes the long bangs he rarely lets me cut out of his eyes and heads back to his bedroom while I grab the car keys and remember to sign the SkyPark permission slip Sebastian left on the kitchen counter. It’s not due until Monday, and the ticket fees—no locals discount, meaning forty-nine dollars per day, parking not included—are a scam. But I can’t allow Sebastian to be the only kid who doesn’t get to go.

That said, why there needs to be a field trip during summer school is something I’ll never understand.

Sebastian returns with his backpack, and we’re halfway across the street when I notice he’s wearing the bright-blue shirt with multiple holes in it.

“I bought you a new one.” I’m trying to keep my voice calm, but it’s difficult. Sebastian’s very particular about his clothes, meaning I buy value savings packs of nearly identical shirts from Amazon, year after year, in different sizes. Each year, I drive down the mountain to donate the new clothes Adeline and Arthur buy for him, the often designer-adjacent shirts and pants Seba doesn’t appreciate and refuses to even try, and that would be too noteworthy if I gave them to our local Goodwill.

“I like this shirt.”

In hindsight, I should have thrown it away, but I thought it would be a good sleep shirt. Thankfully, it’s likely that Vera’s the only person who will see him today, and she understands Seba’s particular.

“Would it be okay if I came back a little late tonight?”

Sebastian gives an exaggerated shrug as if my comings and goings are no concern of his. “You always say you’re going out, then you never actually go or stay out because you’re worried or whatever.”