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“I didn’t order anything,” I blurted out, a bit perplexed.
“Bought and paid for already, miss. I just deliver the food,” he smiled.
“Will you carry it up for her, dear? She needs to carry the baby,” Irma replied. Her eyes were sparkling again.
“Did the person who ordered this leave a name?” I asked.
“No. But the girl that took the call said he sounded Irish,” he explained.
Irma laughed behind the counter.
“Not interested, my butt,” she said under her breath.
I blushed and pushed the stroller to the back of the shop. I grabbed my bag, threw it over my shoulder and picked up Emma, who now had chocolate all over her face. I opened the door to the hallway that led upstairs and carried her up. The delivery guy followed. I fished my key out of my purse and unlocked the door. I put Emma down and she ran off, probably to get chocolate over everything I own.
“Go wash your hands and your face,” I called out.
“Where should I leave this?” the man asked.
“On the table,” I replied. I fished into my pocket. I didn’t have much money, but I should tip the guy at least.
“No need for a tip, miss. I’m under specific orders not to take anything,” he said quickly.
“Oh. I… I don’t know what to say. Thank you,” I responded.
“No problem, miss. Hope you like it!” he called out. He turned and left the apartment. I closed the door behind him and leaned against it.
Maybe Irma was right. Maybe he was interested after all.
* * *
The pizza that night was delicious. There was far too much food. In addition to the large pepperoni pie, there was a pan full of meat-stuffed lasagna, a portion of spaghetti and meatballs, as well as an antipasto that looked as delicious as it was fresh. There was a loaf of freshly buttered garlic bread too. By the time I unpacked everything, my kitchen smelled like an Italian restaurant.
Emma was in heaven. We didn’t have the chance to get delivery like this very often, so this was a special treat for her. She stuffed herself full of a little bit of everything. By the time she was done, she was happy, sated, and had a face covered in tomato sauce. I laughed and wiped it off with a damp washcloth.
“I think it’s bath time, don’t you?”
“Yes! Can I play with my rubber duckies?”
“Of course,” I smiled.
“And what about my Barbie? Can she go for a swim too?”
“Why not? Let’s make it a party,” I teased, and she ran down to her bedroom with a delighted shout of glee. I shook my head and went to the bathroom. I turned on the water and tested it with my fingers until it was the perfect temperature for her complete with a healthy dose of bubble bath. She would especially like that. I went back to the kitchen, packaged up the food, washed the dishes, and put everything away before going back to the bathroom.
Emma had collected her things and had taken it upon herself to undress. I offered her a hand and helped her climb in before handing her toys to her.
“Why don’t you play for a little while and then I’ll come back to help you wash your hair?”
“I can do it, Mom,” she announced.
“Well, if you need help, just let me know, sweetie,” I answered. She was entering this new phase in which she liked to do things herself, like picking out her clothes, brushing her hair and her teeth, as well as washing herself. I wasn’t in a rush to get to work tonight, so she could hang out in the bath all night if she wanted to.
I, on the other hand, felt fidgety. I sat down in the living room on the brown canvas couch and tried to read a romance book, but I couldn’t focus for the life of me. I eventually gave up and tossed it aside, instead settling on watching another episode ofFriendsthat I’d already seen. To be honest, I wasn’t really watching it either. I was thinking about Kieran.
It had been less than a day, but already it felt like he’d turned my world upside down. I switched the channel to something else. There was a romantic comedy on, but that didn’t really hold my attention either.
I looked at the clock. It was almost Emma’s bedtime.
