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But Brandon looks unfazed as he pops another fry into his mouth. “Don’t be sorry,” he says, taking my hand and squeezing it. “It’s a completely valid question, and I’d ask too if I were in your shoes.” He smiles reassuringly, and I manage to smile back. “My ex-wife and I got divorced ten years ago,” he continues. “I’ve dated several women since then but none of them have seemed right. A lot of potential partners have just used me for my money, or have been more interested in the lifestyle I can provide. Dating is hard, especially when you’re divorced, and especially when you have a teenage kid. I just prefer hiring escorts to keep things simple.” He looks at me, caressing the back of my hand with his thumb. “Does that bother you?”
“No,” I say, a little too quickly. “Well, sort of. I mean, do you use escorts a lot?”
He looks thoughtful for a moment.
“Define a lot.”
I stammer and blush again.
“I don’t know! Maybe once a month? Once a year? Once a week?”
He smiles and looks deep into my eyes.
“It varies depending on my mood. But what I think you’re asking, sweetheart, is if I’m still using escorts now. And the answer is no. While we’re dating, I don’t have any intention of hiring a professional.”
The air goes out of my chest and my shoulders sag because I didn’t even realize that I’d been holding my breath. Relief washes over me, and I nod gratefully.
“That’s good,” I murmur, smiling. “I’m glad because I’m not using escorts either.”
Brandon throws his head back and laughs, showing off a gleaming white smile.
“Sweetheart, I didn’t think you were,” he says. “But I’m glad you’re not using professionals, come to think of it. What do they call those guys? Gigolos?” He shudders. “I can’t believe such a man exists. But while we’re on the subject of our sex lives, I want to say that I know what happened with Jasper and that Celine girl. My son’s a total douche, not to mention an idiot.”
I can’t help but giggle to hear Jasper referred to in such a manner. “Oh, it’s okay,” I say. “It sucked at first but I’ve moved on.”
“I’m sure it was hurtful,” Brandon says empathetically. “And no one deserves to be cheated on, least of all you.”
Suddenly he takes my other hand, so that he’s tightly holding both. “I want you to know, Lucy,” he murmurs, “that I would never do something like that to you. I care about you too much, and you’re too special to me.” He lightly touches the side of my face with his fingertips, and I can’t help but lean into his warm touch. “We just started dating, but I promise I’ll never hurt you, baby girl.”
His blue eyes, searing into mine, blaze with silent passion. My heart flutters like a caged bird. I know this is only our first official date, and I know that he’s the father of my ex-boyfriend. But could what we have actually be something real?
6
Lucy
When the radio plays my favorite song, it’s like the whole universe has aligned. The ditty is a popular new one, so of course it gets a lot of airtime, but it still feels like it’s being broadcasted just for me. Whenever it comes on, the whole world stops. It’s just me, my air guitar, and the music.
So when my favorite song starts to play on my way to my favorite restaurant in town to meet my best friend, it’s like I’ve achieved nirvana. I immediately roll down my car windows and turn the radio way up.
“Yes!” I shout, pumping my fist into the air as the opening guitar riff licks the airwaves. This is definitely going to be a perfect day. I get to see Sarah to catch up, and I have sooo much to tell her.
After all, things have been going swimmingly well. I passed my exams with flying colors; I’ve barely seen Jasper in the halls at school; I’m having plenty of good hair days; and, most importantly of all, my relationship with Brandon is like something out of a movie. We’re keeping it on the downlow, of course, because neither of us is ready for the gossip that would ensue if someone knew I was dating my ex’s dad. But that hasn’t stopped our relationship from blossoming into something truly beautiful.
Even more surprising, things are really serious. When I first told Brandon I loved him, about a month ago, we were on a walk by a pond a few towns over. He’d brought a loaf of bread and was tearing chunks off to feed to the ducks. Seeing this gorgeous, successful man kneeling by the water, grinning as ducks frantically swam up to him, made my heart melt. He’s somehow strong, commanding, and yet gentle all at the same time.
