Simmer

by Stephanie Rose

  “Yay!” Victoria lifted her arms in victory. “Netflix and chill.”

  I sputtered on my coffee before I lifted my gaze to Sara’s. She bit her lip, holding in the same laugh as I was.

  “You know what that means?” She giggled at the crinkle in my brow.

  “It means watching movies and vegging on the couch. Why? Does it mean something else?”

  “Not to you.” I snickered at the gruff tone in Sara’s voice.

  “All right, lunch and movies for your next to last day with us.” I couldn’t peer into those innocent green eyes and say, “Netflix and chill,” although it meant something totally different to her. “Sound good?”

  “Sounds great!” Victoria popped out of her seat and scurried back into the living room. I loved how easy she made herself at home here. She didn’t complain about sleeping in a strange room, not even searching for her mother after the lights went out. Sara and I made quick and quiet love behind a locked door while her daughter was in the next room in case she wandered out. I guessed if we shared an apartment, this was how it would be.

  Maybe most guys my age would see it as an inconvenience—a chance wasted to have your girl all to yourself, having your way with her anytime you wanted versus inviting her young daughter to stay with you. But I loved every moment I spent with them. I loved the private jokes Victoria and I shared from texting back and forth since Christmas, and I loved how purely happy Sara was when she had both of us in the room. With her daughter so far away, Sara always had a glint of sadness in her eyes because of how much she missed her. This week, she had both Victoria and me, the two people in this world who saw her for the amazing person that she was and loved the hell out of her for it.

  The more time the three of us were together, the more I wished it was always like this. If my post-graduation plans came to fruition, it very well could be.

  Sara leaned over to pick up Victoria’s plate, and I took that opportunity to pull her onto my lap.

  “You’ll still be here Wednesday afternoon, right? I wouldn’t mind a little Netflix and chill then—naked,” I whispered in her ear before biting the lobe.

  “How are you not sick of me yet?” She giggled as she turned and flung her arm around my neck.

  “Sick of you?” I huffed. “I may hide your clothes, so you can’t leave, and change the locks so those tools can’t get back in.” I cupped her neck and pulled her in for kiss.

  “Mommy.” I held in a groan and dropped my head to Sara’s shoulder when Victoria burst in from the living room. My frustration was my own fault, but it was hard to be around Sara without my hands all over her. Victoria’s visit was an exercise in restraint.

  “Your phone is ringing.” She handed the phone to her mother before turning back into the living room. Sara stayed on my lap as she grabbed it and accepted the call.

  “Hello? Oh . . . hi, Aaron.” She glanced at me with a wince. Tension seized my body at the mention of that fucker’s name. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, but I was certain he had no good reason to call her at ten o’clock in the morning on her day off.

  “My daughter is here, I can’t work the whole day.” Her eyes clenched shut before she lifted them to the ceiling. “If you’re in a jam, fine. Only four hours though. I’ll come in at twelve and leave at four. I’m sorry, but she’s only here for a couple days. I cleared this with your father.”

  I leaned in but couldn’t hear anything cohesive from the babbling on his side. He knew she was off and was with me. This was graduating from an annoying crush to a growing obsession. I’d waited for her after work plenty of nights that he kept her late for some bullshit reason.

  “Hold on,” she blurted into the phone before turning to me. “Can you stay with her for a few hours? I’m not staying a minute past four. I promise.”

  “Sure, baby. We’ll come pick you up at four,” I answered much louder than I had to and kissed her lips with a loud smack. Sara’s mouth flattened at my attempt to piss around her over the phone.

  “All right. See you at noon.” She ended the call and threw the phone onto the table.

  “If I didn’t love this internship so much, and need it, I’d tell that big baby to screw himself,” Sara scoffed before standing. “Are you sure you don’t mind taking her for the afternoon?”

  “Not at all. Hey, Victoria!” I called into the living room. “Want to visit my comic book store?”

  She came barreling back toward me. “You have a comic book store?”

  “Well, it’s not mine. But it’s where we go to pick up stuff. We’ll stop by while your mom has to work. Deal?”

  “Deal!” She launched herself at me and tackled my neck with a choking hug. I hugged her back just as tight.

  “And I could show you the rest of that story!”

  “What story?” Sara asked as she studied us with a perplexed gaze.

  “I wrote a superhero story for the writer’s program at school. I let Drew see the first part. I would show you, but you wouldn’t get it.”

  Sara’s eyebrows shot up as she glared at the both of us. I offered a shrug, holding back the twitch of my lips.

  “So, you guys have what, your own comic club?”

  “Well, not exactly our own,” I tapped my chin. “If you learn, we could let you in. Right, Victoria?”

  “Yeah . . . we could.” I burst out laughing at Victoria’s reluctance.

  Sara shook her head before backing away. “I better get ready for work, wouldn’t want to get in your way or anything.”

  “Thanks, we appreciate it.” I winked, loving the glower on Sara’s face before she made her way down the hallway.

  “Okay, pretty girl. You got your wish. You can watch a movie for a little bit before we go out.”

  “We can show Mommy the story. I wouldn’t want her to feel bad. You can read first and tell me if it’s good.” She leaned against the table, fidgeting with the drawstring on her pajama pants.

  “If you wrote it, it’s always good.” I kissed her forehead. “Go.”

  She rewarded me with an ear-splitting grin and settled herself back in the living room on the couch.

  The strangest thing about Victoria’s visit, or about how well we all fit together, was that . . . it wasn’t strange at all.

  I spent double what I would normally spend on comics for an afternoon, but I couldn’t help myself. Victoria was so excited it was infectious, and the bewilderment on her face made me buy anything she looked at for more than two minutes. She was easy to spoil, never asking for a single thing but so thankful for everything. That along with her beauty was a trait passed down directly from her mother.

  “Hi, there!” One of the McQuaid’s waitresses greeted us at the door. I vaguely remembered her from Valentine’s Day. She was nice, if over-attentive. “You must be Victoria. I’m so honored to meet you. My name is Corinne.” She held out her hand to Victoria.

  “Hi.” Victoria took her hand with a sheepish smile. “How do you know my name?”

  “Your mom talks about you all the time. And what a pretty girl you are! How about two loaded brownies for both of you? The kitchen is quiet, so it’ll only take me a few minutes!”

  “Quiet,” I snickered to myself. That’s why Sara had to come in on her day off. I exhaled the rage building in my system for Victoria’s sake.

  “What’s a loaded brownie?”

  “A brownie covered in ice cream and fudge.” I raised an eyebrow and laughed at the slow smile stretching her lips. “How about one brownie and we’ll split it? It’s big and we still have dinner later.” I squeezed her shoulder and she nodded without turning around. Wow, when did Phil get here? I was taken aback by the stepfather-like words falling from my lips. I felt . . . responsible for Victoria. I didn’t mind it; it was a tad unnerving how natural it was.

  “So, did you have fun? Cool place, right?”

  “Yeah. I think my dad has to build an extra shelf in my room. I should tell him and Bri later.”

 
The happy kid from a few minutes ago seemed to slip away under my radar.

  “I’m sure he won’t mind. Something wrong? I thought you had fun.”

  “I did.” She whispered a thank you when Corinne set a glass of water in front of her. “Mommy talks about me a lot?”

  “She sure does.” I nodded back. “All the time.”

  “She looks happy. Happier than she used to be in our old apartment. She used to be sad a lot.”

  My heart sank at the crestfallen expression on her face.

  “Well, that’s because she was working extra hard, and I bet she was really tired. All she ever talks about is what a great kid you are and how she can’t wait to graduate and find a good job, so you can have an even better apartment. She’s happy because after she leaves school, you guys are going to have an awesome life. She loves you more than anything in the world, so don’t ever think you were the reason she was sad.”

  “She loves you too, I think. She always smiles when you’re around.”

  “That’s because I act like a clown and make her laugh.”

  I managed to get a giggle from Victoria.

  “Do you love her?”

  “Yes,” I replied without hesitation. “Your mom is . . . beautiful. On the inside and out.”

  “Do you want to marry her?”

  My jaw clammed up as my mouth went dry. I’d been trying to figure out a way to stay together, but I never thought about marrying her—at least not in the official sense. Sure, in the future, some day. Marriage was in the same slot I’d put children, an “of course I want it, but not right now.” If I wanted Sara, kids were part of the picture, but it never had the chance to fully sink in until that moment. Did I want a whole gaggle before I turned thirty? Maybe not. But I found myself wanting this one. This shy-at-first little girl who had enough energy to light the sun when you got to know her captivated me as much as her mother did. Did I want to share a bed with Sara every night? God, yes. When I fell in love with Sara, no other woman in the world existed. She was all I needed. The thought of leaving her in May twisted me up so much, if I let myself ponder life without her for too long, a blinding panic laced through my system.

  “Yes,” I whispered with the same certainty as before. “Yes, I do.”

  “Oh, sorry, Sara. I didn’t know you were standing there.” My head jerked to Corinne’s voice and a shell-shocked Sara gawking at me. Shit. How much did she hear?

  “Hey, Corinne, would you mind sitting with Victoria for a minute?” I popped off my seat and grabbed Sara’s hand, pulling her to the entrance of the empty restaurant.

  “Drew,” my name fell from her lips as a gravelly whisper as she brought her hand to her chest. “I don’t know what to sa—”

  I put my finger on her lips. “You don’t have to say anything. Look,” I cradled her face in my hands. “You have to know how I feel about you by now. I love you. I want it all with you. Just you, and I can’t see that changing.”

  “You’re twenty-five. Do you really want all this now? Wife, kid, obligations?”

  “You’re the love of my life, not an obligation. And maybe not today or tomorrow or next year, but I meant what I said to Victoria. How I feel about you isn’t going to fade. It’s permanent, no matter what my age is or will be. And I know that’s why you’re getting upset lately—graduation and figuring shit out—but I’m begging you this time, just trust me, okay?”

  She latched onto my wrists, my hands still framing her face. “I love you, too. So much. But I don’t want you to get stuck—”

  “I’m not stuck, Caldwell. I’m in love.” I kissed her lips, lingering for a long minute before I pulled back. “Even at twenty-five, I know the difference.”

  Sara

  “I’LL CALL YOU from the train, once I get on, I guess.” I wrung my hands in my lap as Drew’s car arrived at the train station. “God, I’m so fucking nervous.” My hand raked through my hair, pulling at the roots.

  He pulled into the parking lot and cocked his head to the side. “Really? I couldn’t tell.”

  I jabbed his arm before unbuckling my seat belt. “This is important. The one restaurant that seemed willing to give me a decent salary and flexible hours. If I don’t get it—”

  “This . . .” Drew reached over the passenger seat to squeeze my arm and pull me toward him. “This is a formality. You had two interviews when you were in the city the last time. I bet they’re bringing you in to make an offer.” He pressed a kiss to my temple and cupped my cheek. “They’d be crazy not to hire you.”

  The corners of my lips lifted despite the crippling nerves. If only the rest of the world saw me through Drew’s dazzling dark eyes. The adorable bastard had me almost optimistic at times. It was surreal to have someone so dedicated, so in your corner for every little thing, I wasn’t sure how I survived back when I had no one.

  “You’re the crazy one, Kostas.” I cradled his face in my hands and kissed his lips, savoring him for a moment before I pulled back.

  “I’ll pick you up tonight. And good luck, even though you won’t need it.” He picked up my wrist and planted a quick kiss to the inside of my wrist. “I love you.”

  I sucked in a quick breath and opened the car door. “I love you, too, baby.”

  “Wait.” Drew grabbed my wrist before I could step out of the car. “What did you just say?”

  “I love you,” I scoffed, holding back an eye roll. “I’ve said it a few times now. This isn’t like . . . one of those big moments. We’ve had those already. Can I go get my train now?” I nodded to the empty track across the lot.

  “You called me baby.” He inched to the edge of the driver’s seat and slid his hand to the nape of my neck.

  “So? I’ve called you baby before.”

  “Eh.” A smirk curled his lips before he offered a shrug. “What you say when I’m between your legs doesn’t count.”

  I laughed before I could help it. My head fell into my hands, my cheeks on fire. I’m sure I said a lot I didn’t remember pre and mid-orgasm.

  I groaned, exasperated but still smiling. “You’re impossible.”

  “Maybe.” His lips made a wet trail from my jaw to behind my ear. “Say it again.”

  “I love you, baby.”

  Drew growled in my ear, and my neck lolled to the side before I could stop myself. I shrugged Drew away and forced myself out of the car.

  “What am I going to do with you?” I asked Drew before shutting the car door.

  “I can think of a few things, but you can start by buying me dinner when you get this job. Which you totally will.” A slow smile curved his mouth, and as usual, my insides melted. The intensity of what Drew and I had together knocked the wind out of me at times. It wasn’t only the connection we had or the combustible attraction. He believed in me and truly cared about me. He was the one I ran to when I had good news and who I would seek out when I was upset.

  “Hey,” he called out before I stepped into the station.

  I turned with a wry half smile.

  “I love you.” The heat that flashed in his gaze traveled all the way to my toes. All three words were drenched in sincerity and truth. It shocked me every time in the best way.

  I shook my head and continued on. Right before I made my way through the door to the station, I craned my head to Drew, the smile still lingering on his beautiful face.

  “I love you, too . . . baby.”

  His head fell back as he mock clutched his chest. I laughed, exhaling a happy gust of air. This man was my everything.

  It was wonderful and scary as fuck at the same time.

  I rushed into the restaurant even though I was ten minutes early. Every time I came here, I obsessed over every single detail of my appearance. When I noticed a white stain on my black skirt the last time I was here, I was sure I’d fucked up any chances of making the impression I’d intended. I was acing all my classes at school and learned so much from Loretta at McQuaid’s. There was no doubt in my mind I’d be perfect
for the assistant chef’s position, if only I could get my shit together.

  There were other restaurants I’d applied to, but I had my heart set on Blystone. It was the eclectic but traditional restaurant I’d always dreamed of cooking in. Plus, they were still interested after I inquired about flexible hours. Sure, I shared parental responsibility now with Josh and Brianna and wouldn’t have to miss a day of work when Victoria wasn’t in school or couldn’t go to school. Part of the new life I wanted to give her was to be her hands-on mother again, especially after being away from her for so long.

  “Sara, so nice to see you!” Aida, the head chef, came out of the kitchen to greet me. “I know it’s a trek from upstate.”

  “No problem at all.” I shook her hand and then wiped my sweaty palm on my hip when she led me into the back office, too scared to bring my eyes down and see if I had another white stain. I was so close; it would be heartbreaking to screw it all up now.

  I took a seat across from her, exhausted from hiding the shaking in my hands and fighting the urge to let my knee bob up and down. I knew better than to let myself want something—or at least, I used to. I had less than a minute before I screamed, “are you going to hire me or not?” Put me out of my damn misery already.

  “Sorry, Sara. George wanted to be here, but his daughter was sick. You know how that is; they always get sick at the worst possible time.” Aida was a beautiful Hispanic woman, I guessed in her late 40s, with black hair slicked back into a low bun. The crinkles around her eyes when she smiled only enhanced her natural beauty. She had a commanding, yet maternal way about her. Blystone had reservations booked two months out, and while the decor was beautiful, food is what made customers come back to a restaurant. Even if the place is shitty and the workers were nasty, if the food was good it was surprising what customers were willing to tolerate. I’d waitressed in a few of those places. I was anxious to learn from her. Hell, I was anxious period. A drop of sweat dripped down the nape of my neck.