by Parker, Ali
“I’m going to go,” she said and jumped to her feet. “I do look forward to the tour.”
“I’ll walk you out,” I offered.
“Thanks.”
I walked her all the way to the car. She paused, staring into my eyes as she stood outside her car. I wanted to kiss her. A quick gentle kiss, no pressure. I saw her eyes drop to my mouth and knew she was feeling what I was. She wanted me just as I wanted her.
“Mae,” I said, asking for permission.
She hesitated for a second before she stepped away and opened the car door. “I should go. I’ll see you Monday.”
“I look forward to it.”
She smiled and got into the car. I watched as she drove away. I hated that I was a coward. A strong, confident man would have asked her out. A man that wasn’t afraid of getting his heart trampled would tell her how he felt. I couldn’t bring myself to kiss her, let alone ask her out. Deep down, I knew if I didn’t make a move, she would forget all about me. She would never make the first move.
It was easier for her to walk away. She had a family waiting for her. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman and would move on. I would be stuck pining for her and kicking around my museum filled with things that were supposed to make me happy. All of my treasures meant nothing. I would gladly give it all up if it meant I could have her.
I walked toward my waiting car and climbed in the back. Ready to go home and drown my sorrows with a stiff drink.
Chapter 37
Mae
I stepped out of the shower and quickly toweled off before slathering on lotion. I caught a glimpse of myself in the foggy mirror and stopped to look closer. I turned left, then right, seeing myself as Tyson saw me.
I knew all women had some insecurities and even some men. I stood facing the mirror, rubbing my hips that I always thought were too wide, too fleshy. Tyson always paid so much attention to my breasts and hips. He kissed and groped and acted like he loved the little bit of extra I carried.
I reached out, rubbing my hand over the mirror to clear it. My green eyes stared back at me. My wet hair hung around my shoulders. Tyson was a handsome man. Gorgeous, really. I didn’t think I was beautiful. He always called me beautiful. He made me feel beautiful. I smiled as I remembered some of his words. He did have a way of making me feel like I was the sexiest woman on the planet.
I decided I was going to dress with him in mind on Monday. For now, I needed to stop staring at my nudity like a vain woman and get dressed. Hayden would be chomping at the bit to get to the party being held at Carrie’s building. The residents were having an outdoor barbecue in their courtyard. Hayden’s friend would be there, and the girls wanted to hang out. I was looking forward to spending some time with Carrie as well. Since I had the museum, I was always busy. No more impromptu visits in the middle of the day or hanging out at a café.
“Mae!” Hayden shouted from outside the bathroom.
“I’m coming,” I called. “Fifteen minutes.”
I finished dressing and ran a brush through my hair. Hayden was in the kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal. I put my hands on my hips. “You rushed me, and you are still eating?”
“I wasn’t eating then,” she said. “You took so long I decided to have another bowl of cereal.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fifteen minutes. Finish eating and I’m going to throw in a load of clothes.”
She jumped up from the table. “No!”
“No?”
“I’m done. If you start doing laundry you are going to get busy and we will never get out of here.”
“It’s a barbecue. It isn’t like there is a set start time and if you are late they forbid you from entering.”
She scowled at me. “We are already late.”
“Then let’s go.”
We made it to Carrie’s building. I struggled to find somewhere to park. It seemed everyone in the city was at the barbecue. Instead of going up to Carrie’s apartment, we made our way out back. I was glad I had the foresight to stop and pick up several bags of chips. I hated showing up empty-handed.
We quickly spotted Ben and Carrie and made our way over to them. We had barely sat down on the blanket with them when Hayden saw her friend and abandoned me in a hurry.
“How are you?” I turned to Carrie.
“Good. I wasn’t sure I would recognize you.”
I laughed. “I’m sorry. The museum is taking a lot of my time. I’m sure once things settle down, I will have a lighter schedule.”
“Do you want a lighter schedule?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You threw yourself into work so you wouldn’t have to think about all of it.”
I bit my lip. “I hate that you know me so well.”
“What’s your answer?”
“Maybe in the beginning, but it isn’t so bad now. My heart doesn’t sting.”
“Good. I’m glad it has helped.”
“It has immensely.”
“What about your hot man?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows.
“I don’t have a hot man.”
“Liar. You know who I’m talking about.”
I looked at Ben, who seemed preoccupied, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk about the situation in front of little ears. Carrie must have understood and sent the little dude to play nearby. I watched him for a few moments and wondered what my child would look like. I felt a bit of panic when I realized I was picturing a child with Tyson. That was not going to happen.
“Tyson is trying to be nice,” I finally said.
“Trying? Is he failing?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “No. He isn’t failing. Not yet. I’m sure he will.”
“Way to be positive.”
“He doesn’t have a great track record. But we are giving museum tours on Monday for Hayden’s class.”
She raised a brow. “We?”
“Me and Tyson,” I said with a grin. “I asked him if he would be willing to provide the class with free admission for their field trip. We will start with mine and then they will go to his. I’ve invited him to tag along.”
Her smile told me exactly what she was thinking. “Interesting.”
“Don’t say interesting. Tell me what you are thinking.”
“I’m thinking it sounds like you guys have a connection. You asked him to join you?”
I shrugged. “I want to make sure the kids have a good experience. I am not too big to confess my museum is not nearly as grand as his.”
“You two are a perfect couple,” she commented.
“We are not.”
“Yes, you are. You have to see that. Some couples have matching cars or matching tattoos. You have matching museums.”
I smirked. “Not exactly.”
“It’s cute, and one day, you will see it.”
I brushed her comments to the side. “Speaking of couples, Hayden has a crush.”
“What?” she squealed. “Tell me everything.”
“I’m hoping to see the young man on the field trip. I want to check him out and threaten his life if he messes with her.”
She burst into laughter. “You are turning into a mama bear.”
“I have a great example. We can be co-pilots in our little helicopters.”
We both giggled at the image. “How convenient for you and Hayden. Should I pack tissues for you guys?”
“Tissues?”
“Because you are both going to be drooling. I don’t want you to embarrass yourselves.”
I rolled my eyes. “You are ridiculous.”
“Am I? Do you know you have a glow about you when you talk about him?”
I waved a hand. “You are being ridiculous.”
“I’m not. I’m serious. He makes you happy.”
“He infuriates me!”
She slowly shook her head. “If you truly wanted nothing to do with him, you could just walk away. You took a museum that was his direct competition? Isn’t that a way to stay connected to
him?”
“No, it is a way to be a thorn in his side,” I retorted.
“Ah, but that would prolong your connection. If you wanted to be away from him, you could have taken a job anywhere else.”
I shrugged. “The museum is the perfect place for me to put my statue.”
She laughed again. “Which he wanted. Again, you have yet another connection to him.”
I wasn’t going to win with her. “It’s business. It was only natural for me to gravitate toward something I know and love.”
“Benjamin sure is a godsend. He walked into your life at exactly the right time.”
I smiled. “Yes, he is. I guess pitching a fit in public is one way to get noticed.”
“What will you do after the field trip is over?”
I was confused. “What do you mean?”
“What will be your next excuse to associate with him?”
I let out a long sigh. “You are not going to let this go, are you?”
She grinned. “Nope. Not until you admit what you want.”
“I liked him at one point and we have had some great sex but that does not mean I want the man to be a permanent fixture in my life. The only thing between us is business. We work well together.”
She nodded. “You would make a great team. You should join forces.”
“No thanks.”
“Let’s go get some food,” she said and got to her feet. She grabbed Ben’s hand and led him to the tables that were set up with an assortment of food.
I followed her into the line, picking up my paper plate. “Did you decide what you were going to do with Ben next school year?”
She groaned. “No. I am torn. I want to keep him with me always. I feel like I’m the only one that can protect him. How can I trust teachers and the school to keep him safe?”
“Because they would single your child out of the thousands of other kids that have survived kindergarten?”
“Where’s your boyfriend?” she shot back.
I quirked an eyebrow. “Did I touch on a sensitive nerve?”
“Shut up. You know I hate when you call me out on being too protective. I can’t help it. He’s all I have.”
“I know. I don’t mean to tease but I do think you have to give the kid a little leeway. He needs to gain some independence.”
“I cannot wait until you have your own kids. I’m going to make so much fun of you.”
“I don’t think kids are in the cards for me,” I told her.
“Why? I thought you said you wanted kids one day.”
“I did until I figured out that required a man in my life.”
She laughed and leaned close to me. “Not necessarily.”
“True, but I think my destiny has been decided. I will be Hayden’s mom. She’ll grow up, get married, and have a family. I’ll get to be the cool aunt slash cooler grandma. I get a double pass to spoil her kids.”
We carried our burgeoning plates back to our spot near the edge of the courtyard. It was then I realized the chosen spot was well out of the way of the raucous crowd. It was obviously an effort to keep Ben from getting trampled.
“I think you will have a handful of kids before you know it, especially if you keep up these clandestine meetings with your hot archeologist.”
“Oh my god. You are a dog with a bone. Drop it.”
She pushed on as if I said nothing. “Does Hayden like him?”
“She doesn’t know him.”
“Yet,” she quipped.
There was no point in arguing with her. Truthfully, it was pointless to argue in general. I was starting to feel like I was arguing with myself. I was trying way too hard to convince myself that I felt nothing for Tyson. It was a fight I was losing more and more often. My long list of excuses about why I couldn’t be with him was growing shorter by the day. If he persisted with the nice thing, I was going to be picking at the little things to try and keep myself from wanting him.
“You should bring Ben by the museum one of these days,” I told her. “He can give me some ideas about what kids his age want to see.”
She scoffed. “He is into dinosaurs right now. If you have dinosaur bones, he will be thrilled.”
“Nope, no dinosaurs but I have some images from Pompeii.”
She looked horrified. “No! I don’t want him seeing that stuff! I have seen it and it is horrifying. Those images and casts of dead children are awful.”
“It’s history,” I reminded her.
“Find something less violent.”
I slowly shook my head. “Unfortunately, the Romans weren’t known for being docile. There is death and violence throughout history.”
“Then I will be keeping him out of museums.”
“It’s not all doom and gloom. It’s about how they lived. Please, bring him. I have an idea I want to test on him.”
“Are you going to make him into a mummy?”
“Wrong museum. I want to make a Roman kitchen. We have some replicas of kitchen tools. You know how kids have toy kitchens. I want to set up a little market and they can have baskets and go shopping.”
She was smiling as I talked. “You are so good at what you do.”
“Thank you.”
Chapter 38
Tyson
I pulled out my Air Pods and tucked them in the pocket of my Nike joggers. I was breathing hard as I walked up the driveway to my house. The run made me feel alive. A little dead but definitely alive. My muscles twitched and burned. I strode through the door and made my way into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water, and went upstairs to my bedroom suite.
I needed a shower. I was sweaty and stinky, and my muscles were begging for the soothing massage from the water. I spoke aloud, cuing up the music from my home entertainment system and began to sing along to CCR.
I put my face up to the water, and my eyes closed as I thought about Mae. She claimed to like my physique. I was going to work very hard to keep in good shape for her. I thought about the way she touched me, kissed me, ran her tongue over my chest. I couldn’t wait to spend time with her on Monday. Even if we were going to be surrounded by a bunch of teenagers that were probably going to be bored out of their minds.
I wanted to be near her. I wanted to catch her scent in the air. I wanted to see her smile when she saw something that amused her. I got out of the shower, deciding not to shave for the day, and pulled on a pair of faded black sweats.
I was starving. I went back to the kitchen in search of food. That was the problem with running. Once I showered and my heart rate slowed, I was always ravenous. It defeated the point of exercising, but I couldn’t help myself.
I tore into one of the frozen burritos I nuked in the microwave. I took several large bites before finally coming up for air. The ringing of my phone prevented me from digging in for another enthusiastic round of scarfing.
“Hello?” I answered with my mouth still full.
“Tyson! It’s Patrick!”
I was surprised to hear from him. The last time we talked had been in the diner. I wasn’t sure I could call him friend, but I hoped to one day. Assuming he was okay with me seeing his little sister. That was non-negotiable.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Are you working today?”
“Nope. I’m stuffing my face at the moment.”
“Come out on my boat with me,” he said.
“Your boat?”
He laughed. “Yes, the boat you bought for me.”
I chuckled. “Where are you?”
He told me the marina. I knew it and promised him I would be there within the hour. He ordered me to bring beer, which I happily agreed to do. I changed into shorts and a tee, packing along a jacket just in case it got chilly.
Just as I stepped out the door, I had a thought. Did he know? Was he inviting me out on his boat with the plan to ambush me? Patrick could be scrappy when he wanted to be. I wasn’t exactly a weakling, but I wasn’t interested in sporting a black eye when I gave my mu
seum tour on Monday. If he wanted to talk like adults, I was game. If he thought to threaten and bully me like he did all the other men who dared date his sister, I wasn’t going to put up with it.
My driver dropped me off at the marina. It didn’t take much to find the boat which was just shy of being called a yacht. He was spending the money in a hurry. I only hoped he was being smart about it. I didn’t notice a Ferrari in the parking lot, which was a good sign.
I put up a hand and waved. “Aye matey!” I shouted.
Patrick looked up from whatever it was he was looking at. He waved back. “Ahoy!”
We sounded like a couple of fools. I stepped aboard. “Damn. This is nice. I never knew you were one for sailing.”
“I never knew it either. I’ve always thought about it but never got the chance. Thanks to you, here I am.”
I held up the small cooler with the beer I brought covered in ice. “Is this the maiden voyage?”
“It is, and lucky for you, I won’t be at the helm.”
“You’re not driving your own boat?” I questioned.
“No, as it turns out, you’re not supposed to drink and drive any type of vessel.”
I laughed. “I can’t imagine why,” I teased. I opened the cooler and handed him a bottle of the light amber ale. “I guess there’s no reason for you not to have a few drinks then.”
He took the beer and quickly opened it with an opener he carried in his pocket. He opened one for me before letting the hired captain know we were ready to set sail. When he came back, he gave me the short tour before we settled in on a pair of very comfortable chairs on the deck. We both put on our sunglasses and settled in with our cold beers.
“I take it life is treating you well now?” I asked him.
He grinned and held up the beer. “Very well. I’m sure the honeymoon period will be over soon, but for now, I’m enjoying the freedom. I’m sure I’ll get bored or realize I have no purpose in life. Not for a while though. I have worked since I was thirteen. This is the first real vacation I have taken. Ever.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“How is the museum business? Have you incorporated our stuff into your displays?”