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“I had nothing to do this afternoon, so I decided to just stop by," I tell her.
"Youhad nothing to do?” She cocks an eyebrow in disbelief. “You? The busiest man in all of the world?”
“I know, right? You must feel so special right now.”
“Oh, I’m practically fangirling.” She rolls her eyes when she says it, and I can’t help but grin at her cheekiness. I also notice she’s holding onto that robe for her life which makes me think that maybe there’s nothing underneath there.
And with just a few small tugs she'd be standing naked in front of me with that perfect strawberry-speckled skin exposed.
Get your mind out of the gutter,I think but I can't help it. The gutter is my mind's favorite place.
"You’re underdressed,” I comment, ignoring the growing hunger.
She glances down at herself. "Yeah. I'm not ready to leave yet, I was trying to get Mimi ready so she can leave with—" She's interrupted by two sets of footsteps descending the stairs. We both turn to see Mimi emerging from the steps holding hands with none other than my sister.
Chloe stops in her track when she sees me. Her expression goes through a series of comical shifts, starting with a welcoming smile, then surprise, then immediately confusion.
“You,” she says.
“Me,” I chorus and her gaze swings from me to Ava. Her confusion is exacerbated by Ava’s clothing status and relative comfort in it. I wink at her when she looks at me.
She seems to be putting together the pieces slowly. Suddenly, she pins Ava with an uncharacteristic look—one of betrayed shock.
“How could you not tell me?”
“He told me not to,” Ava responds. "I'm so sorry, Chloe, but he made me sign a contract and everything. Said he would tell you himself."
Chloe turns her incense to me and I shrug. “I thought Mom told you.”
“She told me you were dating someone but she didn’t bother mentioning the name. She was too angry about the fact that you never cleared it with her first and I got tired of listening to her rant. You mean to tell me you've been dating my best friend this whole time? Are you guys even dating or is this just fooling around? How did you even—" Chloe shut her eyes, takes a deep breath, in and out, then shakes her head. “You know what. It’s fine. I don’t want to know. The less I know about what’s going on, probably the better. Just be careful, Ava. I love him, but my brother can be a real bastard to the women he dates."
"Hey. I resent that remark."
"And you…” She turns to me and gives me what she thinks is a warning look. “Don’t hurt her."
“No promises," I say. Then I consider the little girl who has been watching me throughout the whole conversation.
“Hello,” she says in the monotone voice I’m coming to recognize as a unique staple of her personality.
“Hello,” I repeat. “You look very pretty, today.”
“Thank you." She runs her hands over the skirt of her dress self-consciously. Then she glances at me consideringly and then nods and says definitively, “You’re handsome.”
I'm taken aback. I’ve never received a compliment so direct before, not even from adults. “Thanks. I had my doubts because my hair was all over the place today.”
I say it as a joke but Mimi takes it seriously. “You should use mousse. Mr. Grant from gym uses mousse and his hair doesn’t move at all. But Mrs. Lucy doesn’t like it. I heard her laughing about it with Mr. Oviedo. I tried to tell Mr. Grant not to use it anymore during gym but he got mad at me instead and sent me to nap time.”
Punishing a child for your insecurity? How mature. "Adults can be pretty dumb sometimes.”
She nods solemnly. “Yes. But Mommy says we shouldn't say that. And also, you shouldn’t use the mousse.”
“You think your mommy wouldn’t like it?”
“It seems like the majority disapprove of the mousse. Majority means—"
“It’s fine, I know what it means.” I glance at Ava who is staring at her daughter and shaking her head. But there’s pride in her gaze. She already explained to me that her daughter is very smart and isn’t shy about it. She always shares her little factoids and uses complex vocabulary for her age, all without shame.
Good.
