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I looked away because there was no denying his hotness. What had Jody called him? Maroon on the air quality scale.
“Did you?” I prodded.
“Did I what?”
“Did you take the maid up on her offer?”
Instead of answering, he said, “Jealous?”
I shifted my focus to the TV and hoped he couldn’t see my reddening cheeks. “You’re right. It’s none of my business.”
“It might have been considering I’d turned her down because I was interested in a girl who ghosted me this morning. Now that we have an understanding, if the same maid comes by tomorrow, I might give her a different answer.” He got to his feet. “I ordered some food. If you could open the door when you hear a knock, that would be great.”
“You’re leaving.”
“I’m going to watch TV in the other room. We have enough room we don’t have to be in each other’s way.”
He was halfway to the hallway when I said, “I thought we would just…”
“Just what? That maybe I went and got condoms hoping that you would be willing to screw me? Sorry. I’m not that guy. If you get over your hang-ups or whatever, you buy condoms and use some of that whatever you had last night. A woman who knew exactly what she wanted when she asked me fuck her.”
Tongue in cheek, I said nothing but sat and ate up all the guilt I felt. Then, I dug in my bag and found the tiny brown bag I’d gotten on the way home. On a whim, I’d stopped at this sliver of a convenience store between buildings. I’d gone in to get a Coke and saw the three-pack box of condoms. I’d meant what I said about regretting. At the same time, I wanted the option. Now I would never tell him. I tucked it back in my bag.
Not fifteen minutes later, the knock came. I turned on the light and let the waiter come in. When he sat two place settings, I felt like the biggest shit. This man had thought of me. I signed the bill with some scribble then went to tell Liam the food was here.
“Hey,” I said, popping my head in after knocking. “Your food is here.”
He nodded but turned back to the TV. Apparently, I was no longer interesting.
I’d eaten and wasn’t very hungry. Still the food smelled delicious, and I just had to look. There was chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans I wouldn’t have normally eaten, even though they looked good. What I couldn’t resist was the chocolate cake and scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Of course, he came in after I’d shoveled a mouth full of cake in my mouth. He didn’t comment only went to grab his plate. I tried to say Please stay. But with all the yummy goodness going on in my mouth, it sounded more like ease ay. I took a moment to swallow and then said, “Stay. Don’t go.”
His eyes narrowed, not that I blamed him. Reluctantly he sat. I waited for him to eat a few bites, but I started tossing questions at him. “Why are you in New York?”
“I came to see my father.”
“Did you see him?”
“I have.”
Maybe I should have left it alone, but I said, “And you’re still here.”
There wasn’t wine this time. Though he had a beer. He drank some before answering. “I met the man all of five minutes.”
“Did you say what you had to say?”
He nodded. “Mostly. It was a bit of a chaotic situation.”
“Was he everything you expected?”
“Considering he told my mother if she got a DNA test and it turned out he was the father, he’d take me from her. I’d say he was exactly what I expected.”
That was colder than even my father. He’d never denied me. Though he hadn’t wanted my mother to leave with me.
His statement had me curious. “What was that?” I asked.
“He denied me, of course. Said there was no way I could be his son.”
There was pain written on his face. “And you’re still here. Why?”
“I guess I’m not done.”
“Done what? You said what you said. He did the same. What more is there?” If I’d been in his shoes, I would have walked away with my head held high.
“I’m going to prove him wrong,” he declared and there was a look in his eye that made me a believer.
I nodded. “I get that. But couldn’t you leave a DNA sample and go home?”
“I could, but I want to see his face when they receive the results.”
He’d said ‘they’ not him. Was he looking for validation from his brothers too? “What does your Mom think about this?”
“She understands.”
“Your need to meet the man who helped give you life,” I finished for him.
He silently agreed.
“And everything else?”
“She wants no part of it.”
“So again, I ask why are you here? Do you need a father in your life?”
