by Jacob Chance
“He really is. I don’t even feel biased saying that because he’s astonishingly adorable. And smart as a whip. He speaks better than any other kid his age that I’ve come in contact with.”
I nod in agreement. “His vocabulary is impressive. Maybe with his dad being a professor, he’s predisposed to being ahead of schedule developmentally,” I suggest.
“I think it has to do with how much time Miles spends with him. He’s never spoken to him like a baby. I think from day one, he’s had regular conversations with him. I keep telling Miles that Joey will be one bored student when he does go to school.”
“I know what that’s like.” I sigh. “Not that I’m some brainiac, but I like to learn and have done a lot of reading on my own for pleasure. Most of the books we had to read for school, I’d already knocked off my ‘to be read’ list.”
Miranda tips her head in contemplation. “First of all, you are a brainiac. You don’t get a full scholarship to King University unless you are. And secondly, you had a ‘to be read’ list in high school?”
I nod. “Of course. I had one in middle school.”
“Well, I know you do now, but I didn’t realize you started so young. That’s just another reason why I love having you as an employee. You’re well informed about so many genres and helpful to the customers. Please don’t quit when you start college.” She holds her hands together prayer-style in front of her. “I need you.”
I roll my eyes. “You have a waiting list of people who want to work here. I bet you’d have my replacement within a day or two.”
“Sure, I could hire someone qualified, but that doesn’t mean they would be the same fit that you are.”
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen once school starts. I can try to stay on a couple nights a week. But look on the bright side, you’ve still got me for the next two months.”
By the time I step out of my car, Miles and Joey are ready to go.
“Sophie here,” Joey calls out with an unadulterated grin on his face.
Miles lets Joey run to me and I catch him in my arms, placing a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Come on, buddy, why don’t you help me carry my stuff to your dad’s SUV.”
“Okay.” He nods enthusiastically. I hand him a beach towel I brought in case there’s a pool or a sprinkler. I grab my purple backpack and zip my car keys inside the front pocket before slipping it over my shoulder. I’ve got a little bit of everything tucked inside this bag, from extra clothing to snacks. You name it and there’s a good chance it might be in there. I pride myself on being prepared for every situation that could potentially arise. If I ever get caught off guard, it won’t be for lack of effort, that’s for sure.
“Joey, let me have that,” Miles orders, holding out his hand for the towel. Joey hands it off without complaint and then runs over to me. I take hold of his tiny hand and open the back door of the black Explorer.
“Kiddo, let’s get you in your seat so we can get to the picnic.” Picking him up, I set him down and fasten the straps. Stepping back, I close his door and move around the rear of the vehicle where Miles is busy loading up the hatch.
“Hey, Sophie. How’s it going?” He turns to flash a broad smile at me, and I’m momentarily struck dumb. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the full force of his grin and I’m a little weak-kneed as a result. Threading his fingers through the dark thickness of his hair, he brushes it back from his forehead.
“Hi,” I finally answer. “Do you need me to do anything?”
“No, just hand me your bag and I’ll find a place for it.” He gestures to the cargo area.
Passing the backpack off to him, I move back a step, letting my eyes wander over the rear view of him. His broad shoulders are encased in a fitted navy blue t-shirt, and from what I’ve seen so far, it makes his eyes seem even more dazzling. The tan cargo shorts hanging loose on his hips and black Chucks on his feet give him the appearance of someone my age, instead of the thirty-something he is.
Lowering my mirrored sunglasses from the top of my head, down over my eyes, I hide my thorough perusal of him. But judging from the smirk twisting his lips as he turns around and glances my way, I have a feeling he knows exactly what I was doing.
I scurry around to the passenger side door and climb inside his SUV to avoid any embarrassment. If my cheeks were to pinken in front of him, it’s as good as an admission that my thoughts were inappropriate. We don’t need to start the day on that note. My plan for our time at the picnic is to avoid Miles as much as possible. And when I do need to be around him, I’ll have Joey and other picnic goers nearby to keep things professional.
Technically, he’s my boss and I need to remember that. It doesn’t matter that I’m working for him at his house in an informal setting. The same rules need to apply. The saying “don’t get your meat where you get your bread and butter” comes to mind, but the word meat makes me think of something I shouldn’t be and my cheeks instantly burn.
Miles slips inside the open driver’s side door and settles on the black leather seat. “I think it’s going to be a scorcher today. Did you put sunscreen on?”
“Yes, I did. I always wear some when I’m outside during the daytime. If I don’t, I burn to a crisp.”
He turns his head my way and smiles. “Is that why you have those cute freckles across your nose?”
My hand raises and I rub at the area he mentioned, as if I can make them disappear. If only it were that easy, they would’ve been gone long ago. I groan. “Don’t mention them. I’ve despised having freckles for most of my life.”
“Why? They’re adorable.”
I point at him. “That right there is why. Newsflash, grown women don’t want to be adorable.”
“I hate to break it to you, but you are, so I think you have to deal with it. It’s meant to be a compliment not an insult.”
“That may be, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
He starts the engine and turns the air conditioning on full blast before backing out of the driveway. Now that we’re officially on our way, butterflies flurry around inside my stomach. I hope the picnic is fun and I won’t have to interact with too many people I don’t know.
“How did your friends take you bailing on them today?” Miles breaks the silence.
“They were fine. We ended up getting together last night instead.”
“What do you like to do in your spare time?”
“What spare time?” I laugh.
“Miranda told me how busy you are.”
He was talking about me with Miranda? My insides quiver at the thought, but I know he was probably asking her questions about my dependability and nothing more.
“Yep, I am, but it’s better to be busy than bored, right?”
“I’d agree with that. You only live once, so you might as well cram as much into each day as you can.”
“Are you and Miranda close?” I don’t usually ask personal questions, but if he was speaking about me with her, then why shouldn’t I?
“As close as siblings can be, I guess. She drives me crazy and I do the same to her, but it’s all done out of love.”
“Do you guys have any other siblings?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “It’s just the two of us. But we were enough for our parents.”
“How long have you been teaching at Alexandria University?”
“I’ve been there for a few years.”
“What subject do you teach?”
“Mostly criminal justice courses.”
“Were you a police officer, or did you ever want to be one?”
“No, I wanted to be behind the scenes educating others. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“The life of a cop isn’t easy. Especially in this age of social media.”
“You’ve got that right. I’m thankful every day that I went into education instead.”
“Teachers often get a bad rap, undeservedly,” I state.
“Yeah, they do. But that happens i
n any profession. I just put my hours in and do the best I can.”
I turn in my seat and glance back at Joey. He’s out like a light. “He’s asleep. Will his schedule be screwed up from this nap?”
“He should be okay. We’ll be there soon and then he’ll be running around plenty.”
“I’m sure he will.” I study Miles’ masculine hands capably gripping the black leather. Enraptured, I watch as he flexes his fingers around the steering wheel, guiding us in and out of weekend traffic.
Shaking my head, I tear my gaze away and look for signs of where we’re headed. I don’t recognize the area we’re in and I haven’t been paying enough attention to figure out our location. “Where is the picnic being held?”
“Georgetown Waterfront Park. Have you been there?”
“Nope, I haven’t.”
“I think you’ll like it.” In my periphery, I notice his head swing in my direction and then focus on the road once more. “Thank you for coming with me. I appreciate how you changed your plans to help out.”
“Eh, I need the money,” I answer honestly, raising my palms up.
He chuckles. “The life of a college student.”
“The life of this college student anyway. I don’t know about most, but I deferred for a year, so I could save up as much money as possible.”
“You couldn’t get a scholarship?”
“I’m going on a full scholarship, but there’s still so many extras to pay for and my parents aren’t in a position to take care of them. I’m trying to tuck as much cash away as I can before school begins. I don’t think I can keep up with my workload if I have to maintain a job too.”
“Right.” He nods his agreement. “And you want to be able to enjoy yourself. It’s great to work hard, but make sure you don’t overdo it. A lot of college students get burnt-out pretty fast. And you have four years to make it through.”
“I have no intention of letting that happen. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity and there’s no way I’m going to screw it up.”
He signals before pulling into a large parking lot. We drive around through the rows of vehicles until we find a shady spot to park in.
“Don’t be afraid to get me if you or Joey need anything. I’m hoping we can be out of here in a couple of hours.”
Reaching in the pocket on my shorts, I pull out my chapstick. I pluck off the cap and pull down the mirror, watching as I liberally coat my lips. “You don’t need to concern yourself with us. We’ll be just fine. I’ve got everything we could need in my backpack.”
“Is that why it’s so heavy?”
I laugh. “You know it.” I snap the cap back on and tuck the small tube into my pocket. One final glance in the mirror at my appearance and I flip the visor back.
“Are you sure it’s not too much for you to handle carrying the bag and Joey?”
“Miles,” I say his name and realize it’s the first time I’ve said it so comfortably. As if we’re friends and not just employer and employee. “I grew up with two older brothers. I may be small, but I’m tough. You don’t need to worry about me or Joey while we’re here.” I roll my eyes, placing my hand on the door handle. “Let’s get going. You need to mingle and kiss all the asses.”
10
Miles
Sophie sniggers at her ‘ass-kissing’ remark and I shake my head.
“I’ve never been very good at ass-kissing to get ahead. That might be why I’m just a lowly professor and not a department head.” I open my door and slip outside. A wave of heat and humidity slams into me and I’m tempted to climb back inside the Explorer where it’s cool. I hope this park has some shady areas. If not, we won’t last here long.
I open the back door to wake Joey, but Sophie’s beat me to the punch. She’s already got him unstrapped and is drawing his sleepy form into her arms.
“Hey, little man. It’s time to wake up. We’re at the park and you and I are going to have so much fun.” He rubs his eyes and nods before resting his head on her shoulder.
Clicking the button to open the hatch, I walk around to Sophie. “Here, why don’t you let me carry him for now?”
“Are you sure?” she questions.
“Am I sure if I want to carry my own son?” I quirk a brow, annoyed at her inquiry. Since when haven’t I wanted to hold Joey or take care of him? “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything bad by that. You’re paying me to be here, I figured I should earn the money.”
“Don’t worry about it. There will be plenty for you to do while we’re here.”
She nods, handing Joey off to me. Moving to the back, she grabs her bag, hooking it over a shoulder. I tuck the keys into my pocket and make sure I have my cell phone with me before shutting the hatch.
“Come on. We might as well get the introductions over with and then you guys can do whatever you want.”
“I have to meet people?”
“Yeah, is that a problem?”
“Not really. I didn’t imagine that scenario, but I can be sociable when I need to be.”
“Good, because you’re going to need to be.”
“If you want me to speak to your coworkers you need to pay me extra.” A small smile teases her plump lips.
“I’ll buy you dinner on the way home, how’s that?”
“Pizza?”
“Whatever you want.”
“How about beer?”
“Are you twenty-one?”
“Close enough.”
“I’ll give you one beer.”
“Okay then. Pizza and one beer works for me. I can be bribed.”
We come upon a small group of people standing around, drinking water and soda. I introduce Joey and Sophie to each person, and judging by the blank look on her face, Sophie’s not listening. I talk with the people for a few minutes while she smiles, giving an occasional nod as if she’s paying attention to what’s being said.
I take hold of her arm, leading us away from the group.
“How did I do?” She looks up at me as if she’s waiting for positive reinforcement.
“You were fine. You had no idea what was being said, though, right?”
“Nope.” She giggles.
“Let’s see how you do with this bunch.” I draw her over to Tom and Chuck, two professors from the history department, standing next to a long table that’s filled with food. “Hey, what’s up?” I call out.
“Miles, good to see you, man. How’s the summer going?” Tom, the older of the two questions.
“No complaints.” I draw Sophie closer to my side. “This is Sophie, and this little man is my son, Joey.”
“I didn’t know you were married.” I meet the sly gaze of Chuck. He’s an attractive guy and never lacks for female attention. I sure as hell don’t like how he’s looking Sophie over. His gaze is conniving and calculating.
“We’re--”
“I don’t talk about my private life much at work. You never know who’s listening and I like to keep my two worlds separate,” I cut Sophie off before she can mention we’re not married. Slipping an arm around her shoulders, I pull her close to my side. Brushing the tips of my fingers up and down the bare skin of her tricep sends a buzzing energy through me.
“Well, if I had a hot, young thing like Sophie at home, I’d keep her a secret too.” Chuck winks at me, and I want to pop him in the face for his ignorance. I know she’s not mine, but if she was, guys shouldn’t be flirting with her, especially right in front of me. This dude is creepy to me and I’m a guy. I know he must be even more so for Sophie. And I also dislike that he called her by her name.
“I’d also keep her at home,” Chuck guffaws, amusing himself.
I’m sure he would keep his woman at home. And probably locked in the basement too. A shiver rushes through Sophie. She leans into me for reassurance. I breathe in her floral scent and enjoy the soft feel of her form standing next to me.
Joey reaches his arms out for Sophie and I transfer him to he
r without a word. Hugging Joey tightly, she buries her nose in his soft hair. Is there a person alive who doesn’t love the smell of baby soap?
“It was nice meeting you, Sophie,” Tom acknowledges with a grimace. I’m sure it was awkward for him too.
She smiles. “Likewise.”
“I hope I see you again, Sophie,” Chuck states with a lecherous grin.
“No chance,” I comment, leading her away. We head over to an empty picnic bench that’s shaded by a large oak tree. I sink down onto the wooden seat, my legs straddling it, so I’m facing Sophie. She sets Joey down next to me before straddling the bench, facing me.
“I have some snacks if it’s okay to give him one.”
“What do you have? I might want one too.”
She unzips her backpack and draws out two bottles of water and a large baggie with chocolate chip cookies inside.
“Are those homemade?” My eyes are as wide as the cookies themselves.
“They are. I had some time this morning to bake them and figured I could bring some along.”
“Cookie,” Joey shouts, holding out his hand.
“Where’s your please?” Sophie questions before I can.
“Please.”
“Now that you remembered your manners, you may.” She hands over a perfectly symmetrical cookie.
“How did you get them to come out so perfectly? My mother’s cookies are always lopsided. They still taste great, though.”
“It’s a secret recipe from my family. You only learn how if you’re a Gardner or marry one.” She hands me a cookie. I bite through the chewy surface and groan as the chocolate bursts on my tongue.
“Access to these cookies would be reason enough for someone to marry you.”
She laughs. “Good to know. If I get desperate I can start pimping my cookies.”
Jesus. I swipe the back of my arm over my forehead. Hearing her innocent remark about pimping her cookies has me sweating. I’m pathetic. Cookies are not a euphemism for her tits and pussy.
We settle into a few minutes of silence as we enjoy the remainder of our snack. I hold up the water bottle to Joey’s lips and he washes the cookie crumbs down as he swallows. He also leaves a ring of them around the outside edge of the bottle. I use my thumb to clear them away before I take a sip.