by Karen Pokras
When Tessa finished explaining, Sophie shrugged and said, “Okay.”
For some reason, she expected her daughter to have a million questions. Instead, she rambled on about a book they had read in preschool the day before. It was about a mouse named Jason who sang all these silly songs. Smiling, Tessa watched as her daughter skipped and sang songs for the remainder of the walk.
Todd was already waiting for them when they arrived. She was a nervous wreck. Before they left, she’d changed her outfit at least a dozen times. He, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease. She supposed that was a good sign.
Sophie hid behind her leg as she introduced them. Besides her uncles, Max and Ben, and her grandfather, she didn’t have a lot of men in her life. Tessa knew she’d be shy and cautious, and perhaps as Holly suggested, even protective.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Sophie,” Todd said, squatting down so he could look her in the eyes. “Your mom told me so much about you. She even told me pink is your favorite color.”
She nodded and stepped out a bit, while still keeping one arm securely wrapped around her mother’s leg. Sneaking out for a peek at the pink gift bag Todd was holding, she quickly took to hiding again.
“Oh, you didn’t have to get her anything,” Tessa said, feeling a little embarrassed. Was he trying to buy her affections? Or was this just part of his niceness?
He smiled. “I know that, but a funny thing happened yesterday. I was at a meeting downtown, and as I was walking back to my car, I passed a store where something in the window caught my eye. I don’t have any little girls myself, so I thought it was odd I noticed it at all. However, it was so beautiful, and I thought, I’ll bet Sophie would like this.” He handed the bag to her.
“For me?” she asked, still clutching her mom’s leg.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Go ahead, it’s okay,” Tessa told her.
He put the bag on the ground in between them as a peace offering and waited as Sophie slowly approached. Reaching for the bag with widened eyes, she carefully took out the pink tissue paper lying on top.
“Mommy! Look!” She pulled out a beautiful doll dressed in a pink dress; the exact color of the flower Todd gave Tessa on their first date. “It’s Princess Aurora!”
“Is it?” he asked. Tessa caught his eye just as he winked at her. “She’s very beautiful, just like you. I hope you like her.”
“I do, I do!” She twirled the doll around in her hands, unable to take her eyes off of her perfectly styled golden hair and bright, silky clothes. Seemed poor Daisy would be getting shelved for a while.
“Sophie,” Tessa said, “what do you say?”
“Thank you!” she shrieked. “I love her.” She gave the doll a huge hug and smiled coyly at Todd, no longer feeling the need to hide behind her mom’s leg.
“You’re very welcome.” he said, standing back up. “It’s such a nice day, what do you think about going to the zoo after we play here for a little bit?”
“Can we, Mommy?” she begged, still clutching her doll. “Please?”
Tessa beamed. She couldn’t believe he’d made such a perfect suggestion. Princess Aurora was somewhat easy, incredibly thoughtful, but easy. She had told him early on that Sophie loved her. Although she was more than impressed he actually remembered since she’d only mentioned it once three weeks ago. She figured he would have filed that under can’t be bothered to remember. But the zoo? She never mentioned that her daughter’s favorite place to visit was the Forest Hills Zoo. Not once. She also never mentioned they hadn’t been there in ages … not since they raised their rates. It was too expensive for Tessa.
Of course, didn’t most kids love the zoo? Maybe he wanted to find something to do that wouldn’t involve much interaction with her; something where she could run around, look at the animals, and seem happy. Sophie in a good mood certainly would make him look good, too. No. Stop trying to find something wrong with him, and enjoy the fact that you really did find an amazing guy.
“Yes, sweetie. I think the zoo sounds like a wonderful idea,” she replied, feeling as though the day might just work out all right after all.
Chapter 25
“So,” Ben said as finished setting the table, “I hear you’ve got a man in your life now. A single guy this time.” He winked.
It was Sunday night, the day after the zoo outing with Todd. Tessa had wanted to call her sisters as soon as she got home from her amazing day, but something had kept her from being overly excited about it. Damn walls. Instead, she waited for Ava and Holly to call her the next morning. When she was light on details, Holly invited her over for dinner, presumably to try to get more out of her. She wondered if Ava was in on the plan, too. Probably. She wouldn’t be surprised if this entire get together was Ava’s idea.
“Very funny, Dad,” Tessa teased as she took a seat. “Don’t worry, he’s from a very respectable family. As far as I know, his father gets out of prison next year, and his mother only has to work the streets every other weekend.”
“Ah, he sounds like a fine chap,” he continued, joining her, “a stellar member of society. Excellent work. We’re all so proud.”
“Actually,” Holly explained, placing down the salad bowl, “from what Tessa has told me so far, he’s a true gentleman.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. So no action in the bedroom yet, huh, Tess?”
“Benjamin!” Holly glared at her husband and threatened him with the dishtowel she loved to swipe him with. “That’s none of your business. Oh, you men are all the same.”
“So … how about this weather, eh?” Tessa asked, taking a gulp of water and trying to control her blushing cheeks.
“Just ignore him,” Holly said, peeking around the corner to where Sophie sat playing on the floor with her new doll. “She looks happy. I take it everything went well yesterday?”
Tessa smiled. Here we go. “Yes, it was very nice.”
“That’s it? Very nice?” Holly asked. “That’s all you’re going to give me?”
“Ben, can I ask you a question?” she asked, taking another long sip of her drink.
“Shoot,” he replied.
“If you were meeting the three year old child of the woman you were dating for the first time, what would you have planned for the day?”
“Well,” he said, rubbing his forehead, “let’s see. I guess if it’s nice out, we could try to find a park with a playground or something. Maybe bring a Frisbee or a soccer ball so I could play with her child for a while … you know, so we could try to bond and get comfortable with each other. Afterwards, we could go to a family friendly restaurant for some lunch. One of those places where they give the kids a couple of crayons and a placemat with activities on it—that way, the little one is happy, and I can enjoy a nice meal with the mom.” Ben sat back in his chair seemingly proud of himself.
Tessa looked at him and smiled.
“You’re not saying anything,” he remarked with a concerned expression. “Is that an okay answer? Did I pass?”
Walking over to her husband, Holly gave him a kiss on his cheek. “I think that sounds wonderful, honey. Just don’t let me ever catch you dating any women with three year olds, and we won’t have any problems.”
“Does that mean I can date women who don’t have three year olds?” he asked with a big smile on his face. He ducked just as the dishtowel came flying through the air.
“And what about Princess Aurora? Do you know anything about her?” Tessa asked Ben, ignoring the playful banter between her sister and her husband.
“I never touched her! I swear!” He looked at Holly and shielded his head.
“How about a gift?” Tessa continued, trying to stay serious to get a straight answer out of the one male beside her father she really trusted. “Would you think of bringing the three year old you were meeting for the first time a gift?”
“No. To be honest, that thought didn’t cross my mind, but it’s a nice touch.”
Holly finis
hed placing the last of the dinner preparations on the table and grabbed her own drink before sitting down at the table. “So what’s with all of the questions? Are you going to tell us what happened yesterday?”
Tessa smiled. She filled her sister and brother-in-law in on the significance of Princess Aurora and Todd’s choosing of the zoo. “At first I thought maybe he picked the zoo because it would keep Sophie occupied, and he wouldn’t have to interact much with her, but it wasn’t like that at all. To be honest, I kind of felt like the odd man out.”
“How so?” Holly asked.
“Well, for starters he didn’t hold my hand or kiss me once the entire time the three of us were together. I guess he didn’t want Sophie to feel uncomfortable. His attention was one hundred percent on her all day. He stopped with her at every exhibit, teaching her about each animal, reading the plaques to her, explaining their habitats, and answering her questions. He was like her own personal tour guide, and she totally ate it up.”
“Wow, he put my hypothetical date to shame,” Ben said, shaking his head.
“Well, he did do the playground thing also before we left for the zoo. At the one in my neighborhood Sophie loves so much. He pushed her on the swings and went on the slide with her. He even went on that spinning thing.” Tessa cringed. “He looked a bit green after, but he was still laughing. So was Sophie. They were so engaged with each other. It makes me wonder if maybe I don’t give her enough attention.”
“No, of course you do, sweetie,” Holly reassured. “Kids are just funny that way when they’re around someone new. And the fact that she even allowed him to play with her is huge. I think it’s great they seemed to enjoy each other’s company so much. In fact, it’s the best possible outcome for the day.”
“I know,” Tessa said, smiling. “She’s already asking when we’re going to get together with him again. Now I’m doubly afraid.”
“Why?” her sister asked, looking confused.
“Aunt Holly!” Sophie came skipping into the kitchen holding out her doll. “Did you see my new Princess Aurora doll? Mommy’s new friend, Todd, gave her to me. We went to the zoo yesterday and saw the baby monkeys. They were so cute. I hope we get to go back again soon. I had the best day ever!”
Tessa watched as Sophie skipped back into the other room before continuing. “Because now he has the power to break two hearts instead of one.”
Chapter 26
“More flowers?” Mr. Abbott stepped inside of Tessa’s office with a scowl on his face.
He’d been going out on client visits less and less over the last two weeks, which—unfortunately for Tessa—meant Todd had been stopping by less and less. They’d decided it was best for him not to drop by when her boss was in the office, knowing it would just cause trouble for her.
“This guy is getting to be a bit much don’t you think?” her boss continued.
Was she supposed to answer that? And how? The question seemed ridiculous. Did he think he could control every aspect of her life?
Todd had been sending flowers every few days since their first date six weeks ago. It was as if he had a standing order with the flower shop to know exactly when the last batch would begin to wilt. Each order was different, but was always pink and had card that was just one line—usually something about enjoying the time he spent with her. They were never signed, which was a good thing, because on more than one occasion, she’d caught her boss sneaking a peek at them, no doubt trying to figure out who this mystery man was. Mr. Abbott had no idea the flowers were from his biggest client’s financial assistant. Neither of them was sure how he’d react to her mixing business with pleasure, especially where his most lucrative client was concerned. The same went for Mr. Schilling, who didn’t know about their relationship either. While Todd thought he would probably be more tolerant of their connection, Tessa didn’t want to risk the chance that he might say something about it to Mr. Abbott. Todd agreed not to mention anything to him. So far it seemed their secret remained under wraps.
Speaking of Todd’s boss, the all-important quarterly meeting was now a pre-quarter meeting, and it was quickly approaching. Apparently this Schilling guy was feeling antsy about missing the last consultation and didn’t want to wait until the quarter end for someone to reassure him that his millions of dollars were still collecting boatloads of interest and dividends.
Tessa still had so much work to do. As was the case before she’d met Todd, many of the statements were sent over electronically. He was unable to hand deliver them now with her boss back in the office regularly. Well, he could have hand delivered them; it wouldn’t have been completely out of the ordinary. After all, he was Mr. Schilling’s assistant and delivering statements wasn’t out of the realm of his job duties. Tessa and Todd were just worried they wouldn’t be able to hide their feelings for each other in front of Mr. Abbott, should he suddenly appear. Even with her theater degree, there was only so much acting she could manage.
She decided to ignore her boss’ last remark and change the subject. “I believe I have everything I need to finalize Mr. Schilling’s projections. I should have the preliminary reports for your review by the end of the day tomorrow.”
“I would hope so,” he commented. “Lord knows you’ve had plenty of time to work on this. Or have you been too busy with flower arrangements?”
So it was going to be one of those days.
“No,” Tessa replied smugly, “the flower shop takes care of that for me.”
Mr. Abbott narrowed his already beady eyes and stated, “Three o’clock tomorrow and not a minute later. Our meeting is on Thursday, and if these reports are anything like your last batch, you’ll need time to redo them all.” He turned on his heels, but quickly turned back around to face her again. “On second thought, you might as well clear your evening schedule for the next few nights. I have a feeling you’ll be working late. And arrange for a babysitter now. I don’t want you bringing that kid of yours around this time.” He spun on his heels once more and stormed away.
Oh how she wished she could storm out as well … forever. Of course, she wasn’t going anywhere at the moment. Besides the fact she had nowhere to go and had too many bills to pay, she knew that leaving days before a big conference would put a huge strain on Todd’s job, since he relied on her reports from the meetings as Schilling’s right hand man. However, once this was over, she wasn’t going to let Mr. Abbott’s post-meeting shift in personality slow down her job hunt. She needed out. Her job search plotting ended at the sound of her phone ringing.
“Good Morning, Abbott and Associates,” she answered, putting on as cheerful of a voice as she could manage after that infuriating exchange.
“Good Morning, beautiful. Can you talk?”
Her anger and hostility instantly left her body at the sound of his voice. “I’m so sorry,” she replied, trying to sound professional, “I’m still working on that, but let me see what I can do.” She began typing on her keyboard, well aware that Mr. Abbott was listening to her every word. In actuality, she was looking at her boss’ calendar for the day. “Ah, yes, here we go. It looks like the calculated yield on that bond is 3.5%. Did you want me to check on any dividends for you?” Tessa smiled, proud of the code she and Todd put together. Bond yields corresponded to appointments when Mr. Abbott would be out of the office, while stock dividends meant he’d be in meetings or conference calls in the office. A 3.5% yield told Todd he’d be away at 3:30.
Todd sighed. “Oh, I’d like nothing more than to calculate some yields with you at 3.5%, but I’m afraid I’m going to be in a meeting myself. How about dinner instead? I can bring something over to your place tonight?”
“Yes,” she replied, trying to control her fluttering heart. “I think that sounds fine. It was very nice speaking with you. If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to call. Have a great day.”
“You too, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see you.”
She hung up the phone and smiled. Might as w
ell enjoy dinner tonight since it seemed inevitable there would be long nights of work ahead later in the week. Picking the phone back up, she called Ava to make arrangements for babysitting—just in case.
Chapter 27
Tessa couldn’t help but chuckle as she opened her apartment door. Todd clumsily balanced four grocery bags in his arms, with another two resting against the door.
“You know there’s only three of us here, right?” She helped take the packages out of his arms before their dinner wound up all over her apartment floor.
“I may have gone a little overboard,” he said, “but a new gourmet market opened downtown, and they have all of these pre-packaged fresh meals. I’m afraid I’m not much of a cook, and everything looked so good. I couldn’t decide, so I bought one of everything.”
Placing the bags on her small kitchen table, she couldn’t believe the amount of food being brought in for one night. Her eyes widened as she lifted out each container. He must have spent a small fortune. She’d have to work a month or two to afford all of this gourmet food and forgo paying any other bills such as rent or utilities. She and Sophie would be homeless, but well fed.
“Chicken Parmesan, Shrimp Scampi, Beef Enchiladas, Striped Bass, Lamb Chops, Lobster Tails … Fillet Mignon? Did I mention I decided to become a vegetarian today?” she teased.
Todd smirked. “No problem. In this bag,” he started, pulling out more containers, “we’ve got grilled zucchini, honey glazed carrots, sautéed green beans with almonds, baby potatoes roasted with garlic and rosemary, some sort of lentil salad, and,” he hesitated as he tried to read the label, “queen-ie-o-a? I’ve personally never heard of it, but it’s apparently the new trendy thing that everyone’s eating these days. I’m a little afraid, but hey, I’m willing to try anything once. Like that kale stuff you made me last week.” He made a face that looked like he was being tortured. “That stuff was awesome. Loved it.”