Layla frowned. "Bye, Daddy. I'll miss you."
I forced myself to smile like it wasn’t killing me to let her go, cupping her cheeks. "Me too, baby. I'll call you tomorrow morning and ask about your dream, so don't forget it."
She rolled her eyes but nodded. "Yes, I know, Daddy. I'll remember. I'm not a kid anymore."
I laughed at that and caught Desiree covering her snort. Layla ran inside and Desiree took a step back before I stopped her. I should have chosen a better time, but I came right out with it, not able to control myself. "Don't bring other guys around Layla. It confuses her." My words sounded harsher than I meant.
As her face twisted into an angry scowl, my eyes widened. Oops. "Excuse me? What I do with my daughter is my own fucking business." She scoffed then stepped out again, closing the door behind her. "We divorced three years ago, Stephen. When is it okay for me to move on? Am I supposed to mourn forever? I don't want to be sad and lonely-"
"You shouldn't feel lonely. You have Layla."
She laughed, but not because she thought what I said was funny. "Of course. Layla's existence is going to solve all my problems. I'll just continue to live in denial. Never moving on. Great plan, asshole."
She opened the door, disappeared inside, then slammed it behind her. I stood frozen on the steps, realizing I should have handled that a little better. After all these years, we still had trouble communicating.
My hands stuffed in my pockets as I turned away and headed back to my car, fuming over our confrontation. I pulled off the street and down toward the highway.
Desiree had every right to date someone else. The only problem was I didn't want that someone else around my kid. Including me, Desiree's taste in men was pretty bad. I didn't want that type of male influence for Layla. If she was gonna’ bring boyfriends around, I needed to meet them first.
Or maybe not. Desiree is an adult and actually a wonderful mother to Layla. Maybe I was being too harsh, too overbearing. She always said I was controlling, and she's probably right when it came to the women in my life. I worry. I try to stay in control even when I'm not around.
I pulled out my phone at the stop light and texted her.
I'm sorry about what I said and the way I acted. You're a great mom.
I didn't check my phone again until I parked at my condo. Thanks. was all I got in return.
Leaning back in the seat, I let out a heavy sigh. Back inside my lonely apartment was the last place I wanted to be. I already missed Layla. I wanted to hear her cute little voice again but it was well past eleven, and she'd be asleep by now. Also, a phone call would piss Desiree off, and I was already on thin ice with her.
I grabbed my wallet and took my keys out of the ignition before heading to the building.
Once entering the lobby, I spotted her. The dog-walking girl. She stood at the elevators, waiting with her arms crossed. She kept looking down, kicking at the carpet with her foot. Her lips were a thin line as her eyebrows scrunched together in contemplation. I was slow as I approached her, hoping the elevator would come, and she'd get on without ever noticing me.
Luck wasn’t on my side as she looked in my direction. Her eyes widened in that same way they always did. My lips turned into a friendly smile with the neighborly head nod. Her expression softened as she returned it like always.
We waited for the elevators together, side by side. She wouldn't look over again and kept her gaze down to the floor. Was she upset? That wasn’t my business. I wanted to let it go, but my stupid brain thought she might need help. It was late on a Sunday night. "Are you okay?" I finally asked. "It's a little late to be out. Do your parents know where you are?"
Her head snapped up, looking forward at the closed elevator door. Her eyebrows drew together as she turned her head to face me, narrowing her eyes. "What? How old do you think I am?"
My eyes widened. Great, I successfully pissed off two women in one evening. I shrugged, wanting to defend myself. "I don't know. High school aged?"
She closed her eyes for a second and let out a breath. Okay, I guess I was wrong. Once she opened them again, I felt like I actually saw them for the first time. She had beautiful big brown eyes. Her full lips drew my attention next as she wet them with her tongue. "I'm not in high school. I go to Miami Dade."
"Oh." The elevator doors finally opened. A drunk couple came stumbling out, rearranging their clothes. We stepped in after them and stood on opposite ends. She went ahead and clicked both of our floors. I was curious now. "How old are you?"
She glanced at me, shocked. Was I really that scary? I almost told her nevermind until her expression softened as a cute tantalizing grin appeared. "You first."
I actually laughed. She had to still be on the younger side if she worried about how large our age gap might have been. I leaned back against the wall, crossing my arms. "I'm thirty-six."
Her eyes widened before she looked away. They darted all around the elevator before she finally answered with a small voice, "Eighteen."
Shit. "Are you really eighteen or are you just saying that?"
It was her turn to laugh. "Yes, I'm eighteen! Why would I lie?"
I shrugged. "Show me your license." The doors opened on my floor, and we both stepped out.
She stared at me for a minute before the corners of her mouth turned up. Looking particularly amused, she fumbled around in her purse before finally pulling out a familiar card and passing it over. I glanced at the date. Didn't feel like doing the math. I already trusted her. Why would she lie? Her birthday was in March, so she'd been eighteen for a while. I handed it back over with lifted eyebrows, unsure of what to say next.
She took it from me and stuffed it back in her purse. "Satisfied?" she asked without looking up, her face flaming.
I didn't respond to her question. After a second of silence, she finally looked back up at me with those heavenly eyes. God, those eyes. "Well, Emilia," she bit her lip, trying to hide how much it affected her as I said her name, "you never answered my question."
Her head tilted to the side. "What question?"
"Are you okay?"
She didn't expect that. "Oh." She shrugged, laughing self-consciously. "Yeah, I guess. My night was kinda shitty."
I leaned against the wall, hoping no one would come out of the elevator to cross between us. I knew I shouldn't be talking to her, but I didn't want to go back to my empty apartment. Eighteen. She was eighteen and giving me those eyes. "What happened?"
She looked away for a second like she didn't want to talk about it, but she did anyway. "Just… my family. My dad had his boss over to watch the game, and he brought his son. We're kinda the same age, and he's been trying to get with me for like forever. I keep making it clear I'm not interested, but that doesn't stop him."
She glanced at me, and I nodded for her to continue. "Then my aunt got too drunk. Started stumbling all over the place. Then she disappeared into my parents' bathroom and threw up everywhere. I took her home just now, and she acted weird… I feel bad for her."
Studying her somber expression as she relived the night, memories of my parents before they died came flooding through. I knew how she felt. My dad drank too much, and my entire family suffered for it. "Sorry to hear that."
Her eyes met mine with urgency. "Oh, no, don't feel sorry. Shouldn't have unloaded all my drama like that. I'm sorry. Stupid family stuff. It'll all blow over by tomorrow."
"Well." I should stop myself from offering. "If you ever need an escape from your family or someone to talk to." Quit right now, Stephen. "You know where to find me. Stop by anytime."
Her eyes lit up. She put on this pretty, bright smile before hiding it away and nodding. "Thanks, I appreciate it." Her head tilted. "What's your name?"
Right. I forgot we didn't actually know each other. "Stephen."
Something flashed in her eyes as she repeated my name back to me. I almost melted at the way she said it. I wasn't sure why, and I didn't like it. I n
eeded to leave now before I said something I couldn't recover from. "Well, see you later, neighbor."
I punched the up button on the elevator for her then turned and walked down the hallway. I felt her stare on my back as I walked. My eyes found hers one last time before I entered my apartment, and she smiled one last time, biting her lip before looking away. This wasn't good.
Chapter Five
Emilia
Rain usually put a damper on the whole dog-walking thing. My schedule always got completely out of whack. Dane and I would sit in the living room with the curtains open, so I could glance outside every half hour. If the sky was clear around one of my walking cycles, I'd rush to put Dane on a leash then get to the next dog on my list. Sometimes I'd even get emergency texts from people who simply didn't want to go out in the rain.
I understood why. Dogs were picky about where they did their business. Humans aren't much different. It can get frustrating to force a dog onto the wet grass where they're too prissy to get their paws wet. They'll stand there, glaring, until I finally give up and bring them back inside. Then they'll have the audacity to cry for a walk a few minutes later. I hated rainy days, and it went on like this all week.
Day four of horrible rain, and my phone chimed in my hand. Assuming it was another customer either canceling or adding onto my workload, I opened it. As the name Tony popped up, I groaned, not wanting to rehash anything.
Hey, Mia, how are you? I just got back into town Monday, and I'll be staying through the break. I don't like how we ended things, and I'd really like to see you and talk. Text or call me when you get a chance. Hope your semester went well. Later.
I frowned as I read it over three more times before throwing the phone onto the chair away from me. Dane curled at my feet, taking up a little more than half the couch. He let out a weighted sigh. I scratched his ears. "Me too, buddy."
Thinking about Tony put me in a terrible mood. We hadn’t spoken in months. Not since he admitted to cheating on me his first week away at school. Four years of commitment wasted. Apparently, a week was just way too long to go without busting a nut in some random girl from his dorm. The idea of meeting up with him or having him touch me again made me shudder, not in a good way.
Now that he had successfully pissed me off again, I needed to do something active. Burn off some steam, and sitting around the apartment wasn't solving anything. Dexter was next on my afternoon walk list, so the timing was ideal. Alright, maybe a little too ideal since I wanted to stay as close to my usual time as possible, and get my chance to see Stephen again.
Our first conversation sparked a deeper interest in his gorgeous mind. I imagined the way his voice would sound for so long, and when I finally heard it, I almost fainted. The way he looked at me that night sent shivers down my spine. I needed to see him again. Hear him say my name… Nobody called me Emilia, and it sounded so good coming from his luscious lips.
Newfound energy surged through me as I jumped from the couch. Dane's ears perked up. He dashed to the door. Sorry, pup, not this time. Four walks were enough, for now.
Glancing out the window, the rain had let up a bit, and the sun was even beginning to peek out. Excellent timing. I rushed down the hall and onto the elevator. I checked my watch, making sure the time was right. As the elevator doors opened, my breath caught because he was standing right in front of me.
He looked up, saw me, and smiled. Oh, my god. Those soft blue eyes stared right into mine, gluing me to my spot. His perfect full lips made my heart stutter. He styled his hair and wore that suit like destiny had draped it across his tall muscular body.
"Hello, Emilia." Ah, the way he said my name made me want to melt away. I stepped off the elevator, and he stayed on the floor with me, letting the elevator go down without him. "I was afraid I wasn't gonna get to see you today."
My eyes widened as this dopey grin spread across my face. He wanted to see me. The man from all my dreams and secret fantasies wanted to see me. I cleared my throat, trying to push the butterflies away. "Why would you say that? I'm right on time." I flashed him my watch.
He glanced at it then back at me, still smiling. "Sure, but I was early. I have a meeting today, so I wanted to head out a little early."
I nodded. Meetings. Work. Adult stuff. "Well, good luck." I tried way too hard to sound casual and mature. "Maybe I'll see you next Thursday."
He tilted his head, holding my gaze hostage in his. "Well, actually, I had something I wanted to ask you." I waited, trying not to blink, so I wouldn't miss a second. My crush was out of control. He was a thirty-six-year-old man. "My little sister’s going out of town next week. She's bringing her dog by tomorrow, and I wondered if you’d add him to your workload. It would be for afternoons Monday thru Friday."
I blinked at him, hoping my disappointment wasn’t written all over my face. I pushed that disappointment away after about a second and realized I wanted to say yes so bad. I was already going to be spending each night in the apartment next to his. Now I'd have an actual excuse to talk to him? See him? What did I expect to get out of this? At the most, I'd get an endearing pat on the head from him with a `Good girl,' attached. Eh, fuck it. I’d do anything to see him more often. "Sure. I don't mind. Is he good with other dogs?"
His eyebrows came together. "I don't know. He's a nice dog and everything, but I haven't spent that much time with him."
"Oh," I shifted my weight, "Well, that's kind of important. I need to know if he can be walked in a group or if he needs to be walked alone."
Stephen thought for a moment. "Well, then, you should come see for yourself tomorrow. That German Shepherd is yours, right?"
I nodded.
"Bring him down, and we can figure it out then, if you don't mind. I get home around seven."
I shook my head, eager to be inside his apartment. "I don't mind at all," I said, almost breathless.
He winked. "Great." He checked his watch. "Well, now I'm right on time." He pushed the elevator down button. "Have a good evening, Emilia."
I couldn’t hold back my grin. "You too, Stephen."
❣❣❣
Dad wasn't happy with Mrs. Petterman. I'd finally broken the news to them that night over pizza. "She needs you to stay downstairs for ten days? I don't know if I like the idea of you spending the night alone in an apartment for ten days." He looked to Mom for help while she sipped her water. She glanced at him and shrugged. She didn't seem to care either way. She might even prefer if I weren't around for a few days.
Dad's eyes zeroed back on me from across the table. I cleared my throat. "Dad, I already accepted. I'm eighteen years old and a college girl now. I can stay two floors down for a few days. If anything happens, you're right upstairs. I'd still have my phone and everything."
Dad shook his head, obviously unable to see reason. "I don't see why you can't bring the animals up here."
Mom spoke up, thankfully. "Uh, no. We have enough animals in this house. I don't want another dog plus a sick cat. Do you really want it to smell like cat piss in here?"
Dad blinked before letting out a heavy sigh. I ate my pizza, keeping quiet. He knew it'd be completely rude to back out on Mrs. Petterman now. He's always big on teaching me responsibility or keeping my word.
After a painful minute passed, he finally spoke again. "Okay. You already promised Mrs. Petterman, and it's not like this is a reoccurring thing so, it's fine for now. Just… make sure to end your nights at a reasonable hour, and double lock the doors."
I nodded for his benefit. It wasn't like I was an adult or anything who could do what I wanted. "Yes, sir. I'll be responsible."
We were quiet for another moment before Mom said, "It'll be good practice for when Emilia moves out on her own." She gave me an encouraging nudge with her elbow.
Dad sighed, shaking his head. "Don't remind me."
❣❣❣
Friday morning had me feeling eager from the moment my eyes opened to the sound of my alarm. I w
as seeing my super sexy neighbor again today. Twice in one week. I'd be going into his apartment and meeting his sister's dog.
I'd spent last night daydreaming about his sexy voice. He'd tell me that there was no dog, but he actually just wanted to get me alone. Then I imagined his big strong manly arms around me as he'd kiss me roughly with those soft lips.
I needed to stop. Nothing like that could ever happen. I'm sure he saw me as a cute little girl from the building. He'd never even checked out my body. He just stared directly into my eyes with this charming smile I couldn't get enough of. He was an addiction. This evening would be my one and only chance to win him over as a friend then I could talk to him more. Visit more. Invite him up here for parties.
Wait, was he married? A man his age usually had a family and children. But I never saw anyone coming in or out of his condo except him and only on Thursday afternoons. I didn't notice a ring, but had I even looked? I needed to check. Not like it mattered since he'd never have any interest in me anyway, but just to know. This evening, I could ask him. Maybe. I definitely needed to get out of bed now, though.
The rest of the day dragged on into oblivion. Amy called me to complain about how no one wanted to hang out with her on a Friday night, and how she's almost thirty, and her life super sucks or whatever. I listened, giving her the most encouraging words I could. "You're the best," she told me before saying she needed to let me go because she arrived at a lunch date. It didn't sound like she was as lonely as she complained.
Mrs. Petterman had her bags all packed and ready when I came down for Dexter's afternoon walk. Her son and grandson were there, helping her pack some last-minute things. "Thanks again for doing this. I really appreciate it."
I nodded. "No problem. Have a good time. Dexter and Jasper will be in good hands."
She put her hand on my shoulder, giving me this genuine smile. "I know. I wouldn't have asked anyone else." She reached into her purse and pulled out a check then handed it over. "Here's your pay in advance. I completely trust you, and I'll see you in the new year."
No Expectations Page 3