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Her smile and excitement were contagious, and I couldn’t help my grin as she told her story. I was grateful there was noDaddy is a dickheadincluded in the tale.
Alana was smiling just as much. She’d gotten to go on the rides. She saw cute boys and Joe hadn’t embarrassed her in front of them, and she had a new swim suit for the water park.
I blew them kisses over Facetime, easily squashed the minuscule bit of disappointment that their dad was showing them a good time while I was stuck working, and wished them bothsweet dreams.
I should put aside work for the night and relax, but the day’s crisis and disappointment had me wound up, even at almost eleven at night. If I put in a little more work, I could finish things early and maybe get the second half of my week off.
There would be no beaches waiting for me as a reward, but a few days of sleeping in, mimosas, and afternoon reading in the sun sounded like an okay substitute. Not great, but I was looking for the positive in all this.
The scenery in my office—four windowless walls and as many cluttered whiteboards—was tired though. I grabbed my laptop and headed up to the living room. A few minutes later, I had a bottle of beer and a bowl of carrots. I made myself comfortable in my favorite corner of the sectional, and tucked my legs under me, feet to the side.
As long as I kept the sound on the TV low, I shouldn’t disturb my guests. Lucky for me, Baywatch was on. No sound required. Was I really watching this just for the pretty people running on the beach?
For the most part.
Did I care?
Nope.
I gave my half-hearted attention to my spreadsheets and frequently glanced at the screen, appreciating the hard bodies.
One of the bedroom doors clicked open. It wasn’t a loud sound, but I had years of listening for the same with the girls, and their rooms were a floor higher.
Colin wandered out, and we exchanged friendly smiles and nods. He headed into the kitchen and I tried to turn back to my work. But the real life hard body walking away from me made for a much better view. His shorts hung low on his hips, and hinted at the ass underneath.
He stepped to the other side of the island, cutting off part of the view. When he opened the fridge door, back lighting himself, shadows rolled across his arms with the ripple of muscle. He bent to grab something, completely vanishing for a moment, and I took the opportunity to tear my gaze away.
Whew. So pretty to look at, even if both men were hands-off.
“Do you want anything?” His soft call carried toward me.
You. Naked in front of me. We can figure the details out from there. “I’m good, thanks.” Except I was apparently a lot horny. I had solutions for that upstairs, though.
Colin wandered back into the living room, bottle of water in hand, and took a seat on the couch, not far from my feet. “You’re really dedicated to your work.” He sounded more awed than judgmental.
“It pays the bills. Besides, this is the menial stuff to numb my brain so I can sleep.”
“Same for the TV show?Therewas the hint of judgement.
I didn’t mind. “What? No.” I feigned surprise. “I’m watching this for theplot.”
“Hmm.” He furrowed his brow and kept his attention on the TV. “What’s the plot of this episode?”
“That guy there, in the red trunks?” I gestured vaguely. “He’s got to run into the water and save someone. And then there’s some drama. And some more running.”
He still hadn’t taken his gaze off the screen. “In slow motion even.”
“See? You get it.”
Colin shook his head with a laugh. “I guess we all have our guilty pleasures.”
“I don’t feel guilty about this.” I felt guilty about not spending enough time with the girls. About poorly balancing home and work. But not about enjoying Baywatch. “I know exactly what I’m watching and why. I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
“Fair point.” Colin was fixated on the screen again.
A creaking that I both heard and felt greeted me when I rolled my neck. I was getting too old for hunching over my laptop on the couch and trying to work. I reached a hand to the spot where my neck met my shoulder, and rubbed, wincing at the ache that pulsed in the muscle.
“Let me,” Colin said.
