by Jacob Chance
“Hey, I feel like I owe you an apology for what happened back there.” I jerk my head toward the direction we came from.
“Oh, you mean that guy? What the he… I mean heck was up with him? He was creepy as fudge.”
I smile at her almost slip ups. Having a toddler, I’m used to watching what I say, but she’s not. “That’s Chuck for you, and you’re right, he is creepy. I’m a dude and I sense it. It doesn’t help that he has a horrible reputation for being inappropriate with students. I didn’t want to introduce you, but I really couldn’t ignore him either.”
“Why doesn’t the university fire him?”
“I’m not sure. He’s only been working there for a couple of years, but they probably need a long paper trail documenting his screw ups before they can get rid of him.”
“Ew, I hope I don’t have any professors like him. If I do, I’ll be switching out the class ASAP.”
“Unfortunately, he can turn on the charm when he needs to. He’s an expert ass-kisser and he loves to blame everyone else’s jealousy as the reason why there are so many complaints about him from other professors.”
“So he’s a self-important a.s.s.h.o.l.e. in addition to being inappropriate?”
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“The biggest complainers are usually the ones at the root of their ‘so called problem’.”
“That’s very true. You’re pretty wise for someone your age.”
“My parents have always said I’m an old soul, but I think they use it as an excuse to explain why I’m so boring.” She snorts, but she doesn’t look like she’s joking. “I’m not sure if old souls even exist, but I like the thought of having more than one life. I wonder what I was before? I hope it was something exciting and daring. Maybe that’s why I’m such a rule follower in this one.”
“If it’s any consolation, I don’t find you boring, and I’m around students your age all the time. I wish more of them had your maturity. My job would be much easier.”
“I like to have fun as much as other people my age, I just prioritize my education. It’s a stepping stone to my future, and I want to be successful.”
“How do you measure success? Is it a monetary thing for you, or do you mean personal satisfaction with your work related tasks?” I’m not sure why I’m asking or why her answers matter to me.
“Hmm, I guess it would have to be both. Money isn’t the most important thing to me. My parents have shown me how to stretch a dollar and to not be materialistic, so I don’t need a huge salary. The personal satisfaction of helping others is important to me and will play a big part when I make a decision of what career to settle on.”
It’s attractive to see someone so young with her head on straight, and still be comfortable enough to let her hair down when it counts.
“You have plenty of time, don’t rush.”
“Not really. I don’t want to waste time.”
“You can take your core classes first while you figure it out. I also think it’s helpful to choose a couple of classes that are related to the fields you’re interested in. Learning more about the subjects can help you make a more informed decision, which means you’ll be less likely to regret it later.”
“Yeah, I’ll try to do that.” Her face shows real interest, even though most teenagers couldn’t give a shit about the stuff I’m talking about.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go on about this.”
She laughs. “I guess you can’t switch off the professor side.” And from the way she leans into me, I can tell she doesn’t mind one bit.
“Daddy, want to play,” Joey fills us in on his plans. I smile and lean forward to kiss the top of his head.
“You’ve been such a good boy. What do you want to play?”
“Swings and slide.”
My gaze locks with Sophie’s and I grin. “I guess you know what you’ll be doing next. I’m going to see if I can find the people I need to check in with. I don’t think my boss would like it if I didn’t spend a few minutes with him, and I know the dean is here somewhere. Why don’t we plan on meeting at this table in an hour? Does that sound doable?”
“Sure. Go do what you need to. Joey and I are going to have some fun, right, little man?”
He throws his fist in the air. “Yes. Fun.”
“If you need more time, just drop me a text. I’ve got my phone in my pocket,” Sophie suggests.
“No problem. I really don’t think I’ll be that long. It’s so hot here, all I can think about is diving in the pool when we get home. Do you have a bathing suit with you?”
“I actually have it on under my clothes. I wasn’t sure if I’d need it while we were here.” Fuck. Now I’m going to try to guess if she’s wearing a bikini or not. And what color it might be.
I swipe my forearm over my head to remove some of the dampness. “You should be fine until we get back to my house and then you’re obligated to stay and swim.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because Joey likes having you around and I don’t mind either.” I wink at her and jerk my thumb in the direction I need to go. “Duty calls.”
11
Sophie
“Do you need some chapstick?” I yell out.
He stops and spins around. “Why would I?”
“In preparation for all the ass-kissing.”
He shakes his head and flashes a quick grin before turning his back to me once more. My eyes stay locked on his broad-shouldered frame as he walks away. He moves with a natural athleticism that has me curious about what sports he played in school. If I had to guess, I’d say soccer or lacrosse; maybe even baseball. He doesn’t have the bulk of a football or hockey player.
What was he like back in college? Was he the ladies man that his good looks suggest? Or was he more studious than I imagine? I’d love to learn the answers to all these questions and many more, but I’m not going to. Focusing on school needs to be my priority. I cannot handle any distractions, and that’s what Miles is; a complication wrapped in a shiny, gorgeous package.
Once Miles is out of sight, I turn to Joey. “Are you ready to go have some fun? Maybe we can find some swings.”
“Swings fun,” he shouts.
“You’re right, they are. And maybe there will be a slide too.” I rise from the bench and slip my backpack strap over my shoulder. Collecting our trash, I throw it in the barrel next to the table and scoop Joey up from the bench. I place him on his feet, so he can walk and get plenty of exercise. “Come on, bud, let’s go see what we can find.” I hold out my hand and he places his little one in mine. We head in a different direction than Miles and my eyes scan ahead of us in search of a play area. After strolling along for a few minutes Joey lets out an excited cry.
“Slide, slide.” He high steps in place, trying to run, but I’m still holding onto his hand. “Run, run,” he orders, and I laugh.
“Hey, how do you ask nicely?”
“Please.”
“Right. You always need to say please and ask me; don’t order me. Say ‘Sophie, please run to the slide.’”
“Sophie, please run slide.”
“Very good. Let’s go.” I take off at a slow jog, pulling him along with me, and he squeals. We spend the next fifteen minutes climbing up and sliding down. Sometimes he sits between my legs and we slide together and others he goes alone, shouting, “Wheeee,” all the way down.
“Swing.” Joey points to the swing set. “Please.” He grins proudly at me.
“Great job, buddy. Nice manners.” I grab my backpack and let him lead me over to the area where the swings are. Setting my bag down on a nearby bench where I can see it, I call out to Joey, “Which one do you want?” The seats on this swing set are all different colors. He looks them over and seems like he can’t make up his mind. “Do you want yellow, red, green, or blue?” I call out the color names as I point them out.
“Blue.”
“This one?” I point to make sure he chose the
corresponding one. His head bounces up and down in emphatic agreement. I might as well educate him while we’re having fun. My hands cup under his arms and I raise him onto the seat. His fingers immediately grip the thick chains. “Good boy. Hang on tight.” I draw him back toward me and then release, adding a little extra oomph at the end.
Joey giggles with each push I give and he flies higher. To him it probably feels like he’s soaring above the ground, when in reality, I’m being careful not to get him moving too fast or too high. I don’t want any injuries happening on my watch. I can imagine how horribly Miles would react and I know I don’t ever want to see that in real life.
“Again,” Joey urges me on. The fingertips of both hands press against the back of his seat, maintaining the momentum. We keep this up for at least another ten minutes before I let the swing slow down enough for me to halt the movement altogether and help Joey climb down.
After a successful bathroom break, I lead him over to a shady patch of grass. He sits and I sink down beside him. “Are you hungry?”
“I eat.” He holds his hands out to me looking for his snack. I rifle through my backpack, removing a bottle of water and some apple slices in a ziploc bag. Cracking open the small bottle I pour out the top couple of inches and hand it to him. He places his pudgy hands around the plastic and lowers his mouth to the opening.
I giggle. “Joey, you have to tip the bottle a little.” Placing my index finger on the bottom, I help him to angle the bottle correctly. A little water spills down his shirt, but it’s almost ninety degrees out today, so that’s a good thing. I’m tempted to dump a bottle on myself.
When he’s done, I take the water from him, placing the cap back on and set it aside. “How about some apples? Do you like them?”
“Hmm apples.” He smiles. I hand over a slice, cautioning, “Take little bites.” Leaning back on my hands, I watch Joey’s obvious enjoyment as he chews each bite. I wish I could remember what it was like when each food was still new enough that I relished each bite. It must be awesome.
“Where’s Daddy?”
I tug my phone from the front pocket on my shorts and check the time. We still have another twenty minutes until we need to meet up with him. Dropping my phone on the grass next to me, I answer, “Your daddy is doing some work stuff now, but we can go find him soon.”
“Sophie?”
My head twists to the side and I glance up, finding my ex-boyfriend standing beside me.
“Clay,” I shout, springing to my feet. I’m in his arms within a second and he spins us around twice before setting me on my feet. Still in his hold, I glance up into his dark eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
I step back from his embrace and gesture to Joey. “I’m babysitting. And you?”
“I’m here for a family reunion. You should come over and say hi to everyone. I know they’d all love to see you.”
Wrinkling my nose, I shake my head. “I have to watch this guy.” Joey isn’t the only reason I don’t want to see his family. I really don’t want to deal with a hundred questions and have everyone drop hints that he and I should get back together again. I lower onto the grass once more.
Clay squats down and settles beside me. “You can bring him with you. My little cousins are here and they’d play with him.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t. I need to head that way in a few minutes and meet his father.” I angle my head in the direction where Miles is.
“Can I walk you guys back to him? I’d like to get to talk to you for a little longer.”
I smile. “Of course you can. I’d like to catch up. I can’t believe I haven’t seen you since last August.”
“You look great. Even more beautiful than I remembered,” he compliments.
“Aww, thanks. You’re biased, though.”
“I mean it. There’s a maturity about you that wasn’t there before. I bet you have all the guys after you now.”
Face flushing, I tuck my chin. “Ha, you’d lose.”
“If you don’t, I’m sure it’s because you’re too busy to notice.”
I ignore his remark and focus on Joey. I’m not comfortable with him paying close attention to me. It’s awkward and I’d rather avoid it.
“Joey, have you had enough apples?” He nods. “You want some more water?”
“Please.”
“Great manners.” I uncap the bottle and help him to hold it between his hands. He takes a few small sips and one extra large gulp that ends with him wearing half the bottle on the front of his shirt and pants. His eyes go wide at the cold temperature and he giggles.
“He’s cute. Whose kid is he?”
“He’s Miranda’s nephew.” I twist the cap back on the bottle and throw it in my backpack.
“Miranda, your boss?”
“Yep, the one and only.” Grabbing the baggie of apples, I hold it up to Clay, silently offering him one. He shakes his head and I shove the remainder into my bag.
“How’s she doing?”
“She’s great. She’s trying to convince me to keep working for her once school starts.”
“Won’t you?”
“I’m not sure what my schedule will be and school has to be the priority.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“Speaking of school, how was your year?”
“Well, if you’d have answered any of my messages you’d know.” His tone is teasing, but the expression on his face shows his hurt.
“I know and I’m sorry I didn’t. I felt like it was the best for us to make a clean break. I didn’t want to hold you back from having fun and meeting new girls.”
“Maybe I didn’t want to meet a new girl.”
“I never said you wanted to, but I know that things happen at college, unintended things, and I wanted to avoid you having to explain to me when something did.”
“Well, you wasted an entire year that we could’ve been together.”
“You didn’t meet anyone else you wanted to date?”
“I tried. You broke my heart and I was a mess.” He rakes his teeth over his bottom lip and stares off into the distance as if he’s afraid to meet my eyes. “At first I did a lot of moping, but after a few months of my roommate getting after me and kicking my ass, I decided to see what would happen if I dated someone else.”
“What was the result?” Why am I asking this? Do I really want to know? Yes, I do.
“The few who I took out on dates weren’t you. They seemed so immature and selfie obsessed.”
I snort. “Selfie obsessed or self-obsessed?”
“Both.” He grins.
“They had to have some redeeming qualities.”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t stick it out long enough to find out.”
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
“I’m not, because you’re here with me now. Can I see you while I’m home for summer break?”
“Sure, we can hang out.” I don’t want him to get the false impression that this is going anywhere. While I missed Clay, I didn’t long for him as if a piece of me were missing. As inexperienced as I am with that emotion, I’m pretty sure if you’re separated from the person you love it should be painfully difficult. And when he went off to college and we parted ways, it wasn’t. At least not for me.
Rising to my feet, I brush the back of my shorts clean and pick the backpack up.
“Here, let me carry that.” Clay removes it from my hand.
“Thank you. That’s a big help. Little man here is probably getting tired and I’ll need to carry him.”
“I not tired,” Joey retorts, knowing exactly who I meant. Clay and I laugh.
“He’s ridiculously bright.”
“I can tell.”
“Okay, Joey. Time to find your daddy.”
He raises his arms for me to pick him up and I laugh, glancing at Clay. “See.” Complying, I lean over and scoop him up, situating him on m
y right hip. “We have to find his father. You don’t have to come along. Get back to your family. I feel bad for keeping you from them.”
“Are you kidding me? I didn’t want to come here in the first place. Seeing you has been the only good part of my day. I’m going to drag this out as long as I can.”
We amble along, keeping the conversation going. He tells me what his roommate at school is like and I share what Tenley has been up to.
“I ended up having a good year, but it would’ve been better if I knew I was coming back to you.” He puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to his side.
I glance up at him. “We’re talking now, so all is good.”
“Sophie?”
My head snaps forward to find Miles staring darkly at Clay.
“Daddy,” Joey squeals, lunging toward his father. It’s all I can do to hang onto him and Miles steps in, taking him from me. Pressing a kiss to the middle of Joey’s forehead, he beams down at him. The power of his smile rushes through me like adrenaline. Who could say no to him when he’s looking at them with so much love?
“Hey, did you have fun?” He runs a hand over Joey’s head.
“Yes. I swing and slide.”
“Whoa, lucky you.”
“Miles, this is Clay, an old friend of mine,” I cut in, hoping to get the introduction over with. If he hadn’t seen me with Clay, I doubt I would’ve mentioned seeing him, but since he did, now I’m obligated to.
“You didn’t tell me you’d made plans to meet up with anyone.” He sounds annoyed.
“No, no. We didn’t make plans. Clay just happened to be here.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Miles. You’re lucky to have Sophie as a babysitter. You won’t find a more responsible one.”
“And yet the two of you have been yukking it up while she’s supposed to be watching my son.”
“Hey,” Clay begins, prepared to defend me, but I waylay him by placing a hand on his arm and shaking my head. The motion stops him from saying more.