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When she takes it, my large hand wraps completely around hers, and a video of our night together flashes in my mind. Without a doubt, Brooke and I have a rare connection. So rare that I’ve never had this feeling, even though I can’t count the number of girls I’ve been with.
“Thanks. How did you know where I was?” Her voice is tender, and her words hesitant.
“Reed Bauer, Private Investigator.” She cracks a smile, finally. “May I come in, or are you… meeting someone?"
“Just me.”
Relief floods my lungs, and breathing gets easier. She gestures for me to come inside. It’s a small suite with a couch, sitting area, a mini bar, and a jacuzzi in the bedroom. It seems like she would be meeting someone or else what a waste.
“Would you like a glass of wine? My dad brought me the good stuff as long as I promised not to drive after I opened it. Did you follow him after film session?”
There’s a mirror above the wet bar, and we have a stare off as I nod.
“So, you’re majoring in counterintelligence?” A smirk plays on her lips as she looks away bashfully.
I love it when she smiles. My worries and concerns seem to slip away. Outside the sliding glass door is a balcony, so I walk over to drink in the view. The sun may be hidden by heavy, gray clouds, but the light snow flurries stick to the forest behind us.
“He’s cute,” I say as I stare at the frosty, glittered landscape.
“Who?”
“Your son. The photo on your phone screen is cute.” I turn to see her face, and her expression is soft, but her pupils enlarge, and I wonder if she’s as scared as I am.
“Thank you. He’s my whole world.” Brooke reaches for my hand but doesn’t grasp it or hold it. Instead, she twiddles with my fingers. “I tried to tell you many times. I didn’t intend on hiding the truth.”
I close my eyes for a hot second, but then I peer into her soulful eyes. “It was different when you didn’t know I was a hockey player, and your dad was my coach. Neither of us knew. But when I came to the dance studio, you knew this wasn’t a one-time hookup. If it had stopped at the bonfire, then yeah, you wouldn’t owe me any explanations. But we studied. We texted. And then I came to you at the ballet studio or daycare center. You had the opportunity to tell me everything.”
She finds an interesting spot on the floor, swiping one foot back and forth. “Maybe I would have if you didn’t stop.”
“Have men always treated you like shit? Is that why you expect me to do the same?”
A spot under her eye twitches, and she closes her body off, folding one arm over her waist and chewing on her finger. “One man. Caleb’s biological dad.”
For reasons I haven’t uncovered, she’s still holding something back, so I say, “I was trying to slow down to twenty-five instead of ninety miles per hour. I didn’t want you to be a hookup.”
“Didn’t?” She looks up at me under her eyelashes.
I walk to the couch and sit on the edge, bringing her with me, but she sits on the coffee table, facing me. Her head drops into her chest. She’s wearing a chunky cable-knit sweater, the color of burnt sienna, and the wide neck exposes the curve of her shoulders. She pairs it with leggings and suede boots. Brooke Dulce is the epitome of the casual beauty. I don’t know what to say. “I didn’t then, and I don’t now, but I’ve had one, extremely lopsided relationship, and it ended with me transferring here. Your father gave me a third chance. He probably wants the best for the two of you, and I promise, I am not the one he wants to see dating his daughter.”
“Reed, he’s my dad and wants me to be happy. We’re close, but he doesn’t control me. I refused to take any monetary support from him, and he doesn’t have a say in who I date. Will I listen to his opinion and concerns? Yes, but I’m making my own way. I just didn’t know how you would react.”
“Honestly, I’ve had time to calm down. When I heard your phone buzz and realized you were gone, I was disappointed you didn’t give me the opportunity to drive you home, kiss you goodbye, and promise to call you after practice. But then I saw the preview message pop up from your dad and fuck, I was in shock.”
Water covers her eyes, and her head tilts in understanding. Apprehensive to be the one to declare it’s over, we stare at each other, the floor, out to the balcony. Do either of us want to move forward?
“At the bonfire, I was trying to be a normal college student and just get a tiny glimpse of what it would have been like. But when you walked into the café, I knew I wanted more with you. But you’re so out of my league. And you left our study session early and then at the ballet studio, well, I just couldn’t believe you actually liked me.”
I scoff, “I’ll take that glass of wine now.” She saunters over to the wet bar, pouring a glass for me and refilling hers. I move behind her so when she turns, there’s no more than a few inches between us. I take the glass, sipping and letting the full-bodied red, soak in my mouth before swallowing. “Nice. Coach has good taste. Maybe I’ll get him a bottle before he buries me.”
“Do you hate me?” she asks before her lips press against the glass, and I watch the wine flow down her throat. She takes another drink, hiding behind the wine, waiting for me to answer.
I place the glass on the stone countertop. The atmosphere is heavy with tension, as we both grapple with the vast unknowns that lay between us. We find ourselves standing at the precipice, uncertain of how to forge trust without delving into the depths of our darkest secrets. While it's possible that Brooke may not harbor any hidden shadows, I’m acutely aware of the murky corners within myself.
I slide my arms under her sweater, lacing my hands on the small of her back. “No. I’m so into you. I thought we could move forward.”
Her eyes strain as a watery film washes over them and if it’s possible, her eyes are even more beautiful. “But you don’t want to date a girl with a child.” Her voice falls to the hush of a funeral home. A long exhalation comes from her before she drops her head into her chest.
“Don’t put words into my mouth. Your dad took a chance on me and if I blow it… let’s just say, I don’t know what I would do or where I would go.”
