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“The third t
ime I’m going to go home, go to bed, and really try hard not to think about you laying the other side of the wall.”
21
“You keep glancing at your watch,” Jeannie said, as she passed two cones to a waiting customer. “Got somewhere else to be?”
Megan pulled her eyes away from her wrist, feeling guilty. “Nope. I was just wondering if my parents were going to be late picking Isla up.”
Jeannie smiled as her customer slipped a bill into the tip jar. “Thank you,” she said, then turned back to Meghan. “I thought they were picking her up at five.”
“They are.”
“That’s half an hour away. You’re going to get a sore wrist if you keep bending it like that.” With a smirk, Jeannie turned to clean up the scoops, leaving Meghan to serve the next customer.
She’d been jittery all day. Not because her parents were keeping Isla for the weekend again, but because of what would happen once her daughter had gone to White City.
A weekend of debauchery. That’s what her father would call it if he ever found out she intended to spend the next two nights in Rich’s bed.
Which was a very good reason for him not to find out.
Thankfully the next thirty minutes flew by, in a whirlwind of teenagers and children coming in after school was out. By the time her parents walked awkwardly through the door, she’d managed to get herself under control.
She and Rich had been messaging all week, but it was no substitute for actually seeing each other. On Wednesday, when she’d taken the trash out, he’d walked out of his apartment at the same time and stalked over to her with dark eyes, taking the trash bag easily from her hands and pushing her into the elevator.
Their kiss had been full of pent up frustration. He’d been hard against her as his lips plundered her mouth, his hand lightly holding her neck as though he was afraid she’d run away.
And then the doors had opened and it was over. He’d stalked away with a half smile and headed to his car while she’d shakingly put her trash into the dumpster.
Talk about love them and leave them.
“Isla, Granny and Gramps are here,” Meghan called into the office where Isla was coloring at the desk. Isla immediately jumped up, her face shining as she grabbed her weekend bag.
“Oh boy!” Isla cried out, giving her bag to her gramps and throwing herself into her grandma’s arms. “We are going to have F.U.N. this weekend.”
“We sure are, little one.” Meghan’s mom ruffled Isla’s hair. She was so different as a grandma. And Meghan was glad, because she never wanted Isla to go through what she went through as a child.
But it also made her feel wistful. Like they’d missed an opportunity for a different life.
“Mommy, you’ll have fun without me, right?” Isla said, as though she was worried about leaving Meghan.
“Of course, sweetheart.” Meghan nodded. “I’ll be working here tomorrow, that’s always fun.”
“If you get bored you could have Rich over for dinner. He loves tater tots.” She looked at her grandparents. “Do you like tater tots?”
Meghan’s dad frowned. “I have no idea what they are.”
“You guys should get going. I’m guessing the roads are busy out there.” Meghan wasn’t planning on extolling the virtue of tater tots to her traditional father. “And I need to help Jeannie serve some customers. Come here, sweetheart.” She reached for Isla, giving her a big hug. Her daughter rested her soft cheek against Meghan’s, and for a moment tears stung at her eyes.
It was just a weekend and she’d see her again. It wasn’t the first time Isla had gone to stay with her grandparents, after all.
But it was the first time Meghan couldn’t wait for them to leave. And that made her feel like a bad mother.
“Bye Mommy,” Isla said, pulling herself out of Meghan’s grasp. “Be good.”
Jeannie caught her eye, biting down a smile.
“I’ll try,” Meghan promised.
