AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What’s Bo like about a little violence at the club?” I asked as casually as I could.
“Very intolerant,” she replied with a grin.
Damn it!
I blew out a heavy breath. I could do this. I wasn’t a Neanderthal. I prided myself on being a woke and evolved man. Surely I could tolerate one day at Celine’s club without losing my mind. I refused to think about why I would lose my mind because that was a pointless exercise. Suffice to say that I knew I would.
I spent a restless night in Celine’s spare room, knowing she was fast asleep in the next room, her bed separated from mine by just a wall. I could hear her sing Rose to sleep and wondered if she could hear me tossing and turning in the next room.
Was she as aware of my presence as I was of hers?
I tried counting sheep, but somehow they morphed into the smattering of freckles on her face, and I wanted to count them up close. I turned my pillow over and wished she’d start snoring loudly. Maybe that would break this hold Celine had over me.
Somewhere between counting sheep and straining to hear the soft sounds of her breathing, I must have fallen asleep. I woke to the sound of Celine’s morning alarm - little Rose. I checked my phone groggily and saw that it was already seven am.
I had a text from Aunt Fee asking why I hadn’t been home in two days. I texted her back saying I was staying with a friend for a few days. I knew she’d have many questions, but I’d deal with that later. When I came out of my room, Celine was getting Rose ready for the day.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked.
“Very,” I lied. “And you?”
“The same,” she replied, not looking at me, and I knew she was right. I’d heard her tossing and turning as much as I had done. Maybe we would both have slept better if we’d been in the same bed, but I had a feeling neither of us would get much sleep if that ever happened.
“I need to drop Rose off at daycare. The coffee is on. Help yourself to whatever you want for breakfast,” she said. “Can you watch her for five minutes while I brush my teeth and run a comb through my hair?”
I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down next to Rose’s high chair at the dining table.
“Good morning, Rosie Posie. How are we today?”
She babbled a long reply, and I listened intently, nodding in all the right places. When Celine came out of the bedroom, I was reading the latest stock prices of all our holdings to Rose, who cheered happily every time I mentioned a rise.
“Your daughter is going to be a Wall Street genius,” I informed Celine. “She knows her stock market.”
“Over my dead body,” replied Celine, sounding aghast. “It sounds very boring.”
“She can cry about that all the way to the bank,” I retorted.
“Stop putting capitalistic ideas in my baby’s head,” scolded Celine, as she picked Rose up and planted her on a hip.
I grabbed her big bag and carried it to the car over her protests. I waited as she strapped Rose into the car seat and waved goodbye until they were out of sight. And then, just for kicks, I waved at the car that was parked at the end of her lane. The man at the wheel ducked behind his newspaper while his partner flipped me off.
Celine was back within twenty minutes. Meanwhile, I drank my coffee in peace, with sunlight streaming in through the windows. I made a mental note to go shopping at the nearest farmer’s market and stock her fridge with healthy veggies and fruits. Celine would kick me out if I threw out her cans of soup, but I was determined to provide her with healthier meal options.
When she got back, she barely stopped to make herself a green smoothie before she threw on her shoes again.
“I’m off to the gym, Marcus.”
“Okay. But what about breakfast?”
“I’ll eat something after my workout. This smoothie is good enough for now.”
I wanted to tell her that she needed to eat something to fuel her workout, but I bit my tongue. Celine was an adult. And she knew her body best.
“Alright. How far is the gym?”
“It’s on the next block. I usually walk there,” she said.
“Great! I might go for a run myself after I finish some work. And don’t worry about lunch. I’ve got it handled,” I promised.
