by Ford, Mia
I talked to my mom on the work phone a few times a week when things were quiet. She’d moved to Oregon to be with my stepfather and seemed content in the beautiful coastal town. I lived with them for a little while and that was probably why I loved Mendocino so much when we moved there. I told her all about the job and the new apartment. I sent her pictures of Seattle, but she’d been here. It wasn’t terribly too far to visit when the time was right. I just wanted to give it a little more time.
We talked mostly about Lindsay, but she slowly started asking about friends in the city. I admitted that I spoke to a few of the girls in the office here and there but spent most of my time working. My team was great and we all got on fine, but they were all single and went out after work.
I couldn’t do that.
When she asked if I met anyone that I liked as far as men, I hesitated. Mom had her wilder times and understood lust and attraction. She’d told me some stories, but they were all before she had me. I needed to focus on my little girl, but I had needs. “Mama, I’m just trying to work and get my feet on the ground. I can’t think about introducing Lind to anyone yet.”
“I didn’t say that, Sol. I just think it would be nice to go out to dinner. You have help there.” Mom assured me as I closed my eyes in my room. “You deserve it.”
“I’ll get there. I’m just learning how to mom right now,” I told her sadly, still feeling the pain of Keith leaving us. He was a controlling jerk and I was better off but I guessed that every young girl had dreams of raising her baby with the father. I’d heard about him when I still lived in Mendocino since we had mutual friends and even saw him a few times. I avoided him as much as possible and once rumors began that he was moving back to open a business with a friend, I knew I had to leave. I couldn’t risk living in the same place with Keith and feel like Lindsay and I were safe. She was little then but eventually she would be in school and out of my sight more than she was now.
Starting over was the right thing and I made friends swear that they wouldn’t tell him where I was. Keith’s temper was well known in his circle of friends and they wanted to protect me. I had a great life here in Seattle and wanted this good luck to last.
It turned out that the client loved the idea for the winery and I worked mostly on that with Alex while still working with my team in the afternoons. The group consisted of two guys and two girls, all a little quirky in their own right. The girls were blonde and red-haired respectively with gorgeous faces and vibrant personalities. Millie and Brie were their names and while I was slightly closer to Millie, I liked Brie.
We were packing up to leave for the night when Millie pulled her hair into a messy bun. ‘Want to grab some dinner?” She asked me with a warm smile as I smiled weakly. Rosie was cooking at home and I had plans to do some shopping with Lindsay.
“I’m sorry. I have to get home. Unfortunately, my life isn’t that spontaneous.” I slipped my purse over my body and we headed towards the elevator. I’d made a habit of closing everything down at my main desk when I came over to the group to save time. I still saw Alex near his office, talking to Brent about something. I knew that I turned pink and looked down, hoping that it wasn’t noticeable.
“You do?” She asked as I nodded. Millie looked at me as we passed the guys and I pretended that I had no idea they were there. “What’s it like working with him?”
“With whom?” I asked blankly, trying desperately to not know who she was referring to,
“Alexander. He’s gone through a lot of assistants, but everything seems better with you,” she told me as I shrugged.
“He’s brilliant when it comes to the job. I think we might be working together more than he did with other assistants. I’m not sure though.” I kept my tone light as I waited for her to speak. I’d been dying to ask about him but didn’t want to seem too curious.
“Maybe. He was just always the jerk to the others. That or they wanted more from him than he was willing to give. Well, apart from Elizabeth. They slept together for a while, but she quit after a year. There were pregnancy rumors, but people talk a lot here.” Millie shrugged casually, and I forced myself not to react.
“That was it? She’s just gone?” I asked as Millie led the way to the elevator.
“As far as I know. I don’t deal with Alexander too much apart from projects. It’s very professional.” She stepped onto it and I looked out as we moved down to the lobby. “So, are you married or something?”
“No, nothing like that,” I chuckled as I smiled. “I have a daughter who is four. It’s just us apart from my nanny.”
“Oh, wow. That sounds tough.” Millie told me as I smiled at her.
“I guess. I just don’t go out a lot because of it.” I replied and looked through the window. It was getting dark out and I dreaded walking to the apartment. I felt my phone in my purse and reached for it as we walked outside. “Maybe we can plan ahead. That sounds like fun.”
“Perfect. How do you get home?” Millie asked as she looked at me with a curious gaze.
“I just live a few blocks down. It’s close.” We said our goodbyes and I sighed as I reached for my phone. So far, so good. I looked down at the screen to see that it was Alex sending me a message.
A: Where did you go?
S: I walked out with Millie tonight. Are you still inside?
A: Want a ride? We can get ice cream for your little girl on the way home.
My heart melted everywhere as I read the words over. I waited for him and Alex walked me to his car, taking me to an old ice cream store where we picked up a few pints. He paid and drove me home, kissing me gently out in the dim parking lot. I wanted to ask him about Elizabeth so badly, but this wasn’t the time. I got out and walked to my apartment, smelling pasta cooking in the kitchen. “Hi. It smells great in here!”
Lindsay ran to me and I told her to pause as I set the bag with the ice cream on the floor. “Mommy!” She jumped into my arms and I spun her around as my life fell into place. This kid was my life and I craved the idea of introducing Alex into it. He spoke kindly of her and the ice cream stop wasn’t the first thing he’d done for Lindsay. There were dinners and tickets he’d get to local events as well. “What’s in the bag?”
“My friend got us ice cream for dessert,” I boasted as I grabbed the bag and took it into the kitchen. I popped the containers into the freezer and helped Rosie finish dinner, thinking about Millie’s invitation. It would be nice to have a friend again. I had one back in Mendocino but when she still talked to Keith, I left her behind as well. It seemed so normal to have friends and go out for dinner and drinks. I glanced at Lindsay as she carried silverware to the table, following with plates.
“How was work?” Rosie asked as I tore off a piece of the French bread to dip into the sauce.
“Busy. I’m working on some great ads right now. It’s refreshing.” I smiled at Rosie, enjoying the glow that she had after moving here.
“I’m glad. You’re talented, Soledad. So young and moving up so far.” I laughed. “Aren’t you on one of the best teams there?”
“I am but still new to the company. I have some work to do before I get promoted to anything.” I took a bite of the thick sauce and noodles, moaning my appreciation. “Oh my gosh. This is so good.”
I did the usual routine with Lindsay, giving her a bath and watching as she played. Before I knew it, she would be in school. She’d grow up before my very eyes and I’d have to learn to live without her. I felt tears in my eyes and blinked to stop them. Every part of this process was going to happen whether I cried about it. We had ice cream after the bath and then I tucked her into her gorgeous purple room. Lindsay loved it. She still came into my room on the weekends sometimes but slept well in her bed most of the time. Once I got used to sleeping alone, I enjoyed it. I also blamed that on the fact that Alex tired me out nearly every night on the phone.
When we weren’t having sex at work, we were sexting and having phone sex. It was always late at night an
d hushed but I came all the same. I got to love my scattered, addicting nights with him. It challenged me to balance everything and charged me up to know that I was the one that he wanted.
We ended up working late a few weeks after the winery ad, coming up with an idea for an important client that was opening a large sports center in the city. We bounced ideas back and forth after having crazy sex on the couch the moment the building emptied out.
We managed to finish quickly, and he was hungry when we left. We went to get hamburgers after cleaning up and walked into a little diner, laughing about something. I looked forward, seeing Millie with two other girls at a booth before I grabbed Alex’s arm. “Look,” I hissed as he glanced forward.
“We work together. It’s just dinner,” he murmured as a woman told us to sit wherever we wanted. I dropped my hand, sighing in relief when he took me to a table across the room from the girls, nearly out of sight of them.
“I don’t know if we should be seen like this,” I told him once we ordered coffee. I knew it would mess with my sleep, but it was Friday.
“We worked late. It’s okay to eat afterward. You’re lucky I’m not sitting on the side with you, so I can smell myself all over you,” he told me in a low voice as I shivered. He made me want to allow him to take me right here on the table. I came to my senses, reaching for the cup the waitress brought over. We ordered burgers and fries and I leaned back, nibbling on my lip. “Do you talk to all of the women at your company like that?” I meant to sound teasing, but he raised a brow at me.
“What did you hear?” Alex asked me as I felt my face heat up. “She’s nice but I’ve seen Millie with the other women in the break room. What did she tell you?”
“She mentioned someone named Elizabeth.” I sighed.
“Of course,” Alex said in a cool voice as he brushed his hair back. “I was involved with one assistant. Elizabeth was aggressive, and it happened so fast. It wasn’t half the way I feel about you, but I went for it. She left within a few months.”
“Was she pregnant?” I whispered as he paused with the coffee cup in his hand.
“Jesus. Is that what they’re all saying?” Alex looked riled and glared in the general direction of their table. “She was not, at least that I know of. She got a bit salty when I wanted to end things and we butted heads. It got to where she left and hopefully found a better life. I gave her a good recommendation just to get rid of her, though she was a smart woman.”
“Is that what’s going to happen with us?” I asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I don’t want it to.” Alex stared at me. “I want more from you. I want to… I want to meet your daughter, Soledad. I want to be a part of your life.” I remained silent as I stared at him, thinking about the nights I’d imagined that. It had been about a month and a half since we got involved but I felt like we’d grown closer. The attraction was undeniable, but he was compassionate beyond that. He did a lot to make my life easier with Lindsay and never shied away from talking about her.
“I want that as well.” He smiled, letting out a long breath as the waitress set our food down. “What about work?”
“Technically, there isn’t a rule about that. As long as business is business, nobody should have a problem.” He grabbed a fry and took a bite, chewing it thoughtfully. “People will talk. You know this, Soledad. Can you just focus on us and what’s between us? Can you trust in that?”
“I’d like to try.”
We managed to go under the radar that night. Millie and her friends did not see us as we went over the ways this was going to work. Alex admitted that he’d seen me with Lindsay already and thought she was beautiful. We made plans to meet at a park near the apartment and go out to lunch if everything went well. Alex dropped me off and I moved to kiss him deeply, feeling something break inside of me. I wanted this man after four years of running away from relationships and a strong gear of men. I had trouble pulling away from him to go inside but I knew there was tomorrow.
I went inside and smiled at Rosie and Lindsay on the couch. I could see that my daughter was tired and tucked her in when she asked me if she could go to sleep. I poured two glasses of wine and sat down with her on the couch. Rosie was as close to a mother that I had here, and I wanted to talk to her. “I have something to tell you.”
Chapter Eight
Alexander
I woke up early to go for a run in the morning light. I thought about Soledad all night and what we were embarking on. I was meeting her daughter in a few hours and knew that it was the first time for Soledad to take this step. We’d discussed the situation briefly with her dad and I knew that he wasn’t in her life, nor was any other man since she split up with him. I sensed that she was shy and even a little scared at times, but she was laughing more with me these days. She was also all over me whenever we were alone, and I hoped for nights at her place soon, even at mine.
I didn’t like women at my place. I usually went to their house and left when the sex was over. There were a few cases where things got more serious, but nobody was like Soledad. I wanted to hold her in my arms as much as I could when we slept and if things went well, I’d get up and make breakfast for her and her daughter.
I groaned as I rounded a curve. My thought process was all over the place with her and I tried to focus on the five miles I still had ahead of me. After that, I was going to shower and work on my project for a bit before leaving for the park.
I sipped coffee after my shower, staring at the screen as I wondered what might happen today. I worried about the gossip getting to Soledad because there would be some of that. There weren’t a lot of people at work that knew me like Soledad and Brent. They speculated about me and when I heard that they said Elizabeth was pregnant, I wanted to rip all their heads off. What would they say about Soledad?
Elizabeth quit and that was all I knew about her. She wanted more than I was willing to give her, at a time when I’d known it was a mistake to get involved with her. It ended badly but there was no other way for it to happen. I was always careful when sleeping with a woman and doubted that any accidents happened. I would be that way until I settled down and found the right woman to have a family with. Hell, I might not ever want kids since it was never something I considered in the past.
I dressed in jeans and a gray Henley with boots to the park. I arrived after they did and parked before looking over the grass, seeing Soledad running across the grass after the little girl. It made me smile to see her so happy as I watched them, feeling a warmth in my chest that was new to me. I exited the car, walking towards them as Lindsay screamed her mom’s name with laughter bubbling out of her. Soledad tackled her, and they rolled over the grass as their dark hair combined on the green grass. I paused a few feet away from them as they laughed, relaxing for a moment.
Soledad looked at me and smiled before she rose. She reached a hand down to Lindsay and pulled her up before walking my way, her eyes locked on mine. I swear she looked more beautiful with this little girl that looked so much like her apart from her blue eyes. Everything else was all Soledad. “Lindsay, this is my friend Alex. I work with him.” I knelt and greeted Lindsay as she looked curiously over me.
“Hi, Lindsay. How are you?” I offered her my hand and she shook it, glancing up at her mom with a shy smile. “I drove by and saw you. I thought I’d stop and say hi.” Soledad grinned at me as she tucked a strand of wild hair behind her ear.
“Do you make commercials with Mommy?” Lindsay asked as I chuckled.
“I do.” It sounded good enough for the four-year-old and I asked her what her favorite part of the park was. It seemed like no time at all that I was pushing her in a swing as she told me all about her life. She was enthusiastic and talked a lot as Soledad rolled her eyes at me playfully. We watched her run up the steps to the big structure with slides and poles, joining a few other kids as I stroked Soledad’s lower back. “She’s great.”
“I know. She’s the light of my life.” Soledad
looked at her for a long moment before gazing at me. “I think she likes you. More than that, I think she thinks you’re handsome. I know that smile too well.”
“Too bad. I already have my eyes on this hot woman, so I might have to break her heart. Think she’ll survive?” I joked as she laughed softly. I slid my finger up her spine, watching her shiver as she licked her lips. I thought ahead to tonight where there was a chance I’d be in her bed with her, worshiping that gorgeous body.
“I’m certain of it.” I was pleased when Lindsay told me that she loved burgers and agreed to go to lunch with me. I drove us in Soledad’s car since it had a seat for Lindsay, smiling over at her as we headed into the city. I knew a great place on the water that served amazing food. Lindsay was still talking in the back and I listened as I stroked Soledad’s thigh gently. “Where are you taking us?”
“A new place. I need to impress you girls.” I grinned as I turned and pulled into a small parking lot. Soledad looked at the tiny restaurant before she hopped out and caught Lindsay in her arms. I led the way as she carried her in to read the menu, their faces close as they talked. Soledad was an amazing mom. That much was obvious. We placed our orders and took a seat by the window where Lindsay could see the lake. While she was eager and enthusiastic to talk, she was also well-behaved. She sat on the seat or her mom’s lap and when the food came, ate calmly. I watched her with some awe. I’d never dated a woman with children at all. It never crossed my mind. It probably made me run screaming before now but there was something about their relationship that held my attention.
We left the restaurant and walked over to the wall overlooking the water. It was a deep blue and I considered taking the ferry just for the ride as I smiled down at Lindsay. I thought about a lot of things we could do together as I felt someone brush my hand. I looked over to see Soledad smiling at me with a hungry look in her eyes. I felt the same way and touched my fingers against hers as she licked her lips slowly.