by Lisa N. Paul
“Hell no,” Rori said at the same time.
“So I’ll suggest just meeting at Amore?”
The three women nodded at once as the lounge began to fill.
Chapter Seven
Don’t Test Me
“HERE YOU GO, sweet boy.” April set a plate with triangular cuts of peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Doritos on the table in front of Elijah. “Let me get you a glass of milk.”
“Thanks, Mommy.” Eli plucked a triangle off the plate and took a four-year-old’s equivalent of a huge bite.
April couldn’t hold back her smile—she never could with him. Her son brought her so much joy, even in the beginning when there was nothing but sleepless nights and hormonal breakdowns, even now when she was completely exhausted and he wanted “just one more story” before bed. He was her sweet when life felt ridiculously sour.
She set the cup of milk next to his plate and planted a big, noisy kiss on the crown of his head. “Your head is so delicious, I think I’m gonna eat it like an apple. Nom nom nom.”
“No, Mommy.” Elijah’s high-pitched voice giggled. “If you eat my head, I’ll die.” This was their game, and it made him laugh every single time. “Go get a real apple, Mommy. It keeps the doctor away.”
“Okay.” She stretched out the word, feigning disappointment, and went back to the refrigerator to grab the crunchy fruit.
“Mommy, can we watch Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 again?”
Crunch. Thank God I took a large bite, April thought as she used the few seconds to chew and swallow the bit of fruit in her mouth. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 was Eli’s favorite movie, one that they viewed almost daily, and April could recite the lines verbatim. That being said, she’d never say no to a movie with such a nice message behind it, and she did have quite the affection for the talking baby strawberry.
“You finish up, and I’ll go get the movie started.” Since the family room and the kitchen were attached, she could keep an eye on her little guy while cueing up the DVD.
Once he was settled on the sofa, she went back to the kitchen to collect her half-eaten apple and her cell phone. It was nearing three o’clock, and she still hadn’t heard from Decker. In fact, she’d texted him the previous night, and he’d never responded. In the nearly two weeks since they’d been chatting, this was the longest they’d gone without any contact at all. Disappointment zipped through her. Was he getting bored already?
Crunch. The apple’s crisp flavor pulled April’s attention away from her thoughts just long enough to notice the text indicator blinking on her phone.
Decker: Hey there, sorry I didn’t get back to you last night. Got held up at work and then had dinner with my mom, Ford and Charlie.
Hmm, she thought, taking another bite of the dense fruit. She scrolled to the next missed message.
Decker: By the time I put her to bed and sat my ass on the sofa I fell asleep.
Decker: <<
His self-deprecating comment had her grinning as she tapped out a response.
April: No problem. I wanted to talk to you about tonight.
Decker: Actually, I need to talk to you as well.
April: ?
Decker: Would you mind if we met at Amore tonight?
April read the question. Twice. “Why would he want to meet me at the restaurant?”
“Mommy, did you say something?” Eli called to her from the sofa.
“Oh, no, baby, I’m just texting with Aunt Ember. I’ll be in with you in a few minutes.”
Eli didn’t respond, already sucked back in to the animated talking food.
April: Nope
She knew her response was uncharacteristically short and would most likely grab Decker’s attention, but that wasn’t why she’d kept it brief. No, it was more because his request took her by surprise, and frankly, it upset her. The logical part of her brain chastised her for being ridiculous. After all, she had been going to make the same suggestion. However, her irrational side, the side that feared rejection, the side that questioned whether or not Decker had already begun to lose interest, that was the part of her that screamed the loudest.
Decker: Are you sure it’s okay?
April: Yep
* * *
DECKER STARED AT the screen on his phone. Two one-word replies? That was not like April at all. The woman texted like most people spoke—in full sentences. Even though he teased her about it, he found it endearing. There was something going on, and he had no idea what it could be. He only had about five more minutes left of the intermission, then he wouldn’t be available for a while. But there wasn’t any way he’d be able to stay focused when he was worried about April, so instead of texting, he called her number.
“Hey,” she answered. Her aloof greeting confirmed the call was exactly the right move.
“Hey to you.” He moved away from the crowded lobby so he could listen not only to her words but her tone. “I only have a couple of minutes, but I wanted to hear your voice. I can’t wait to see you tonight.” Thoughts of being close to her, getting to spend a little time with her without the chaos of the gym, call waiting, work, even their kids getting in the way had been absorbing all his extra brain space since the minute she accepted his invitation.
“Me too,” she responded, her tone lacking all enthusiasm.
Decker’s chest tightened. What the hell had happened to turn her from hot to cold so quickly? He’d done the whole bait-and-switch thing with his first wife, and there was no way he’d tolerate it again. “April”—he heard the edge in his voice but couldn’t smooth it out—“did I do something to offend you? Because I’m lost here.”
A beat of silence hit the air waves, then he heard her pull in a shaky breath.
“No, Deck, it’s not you, it’s me. Fuck, I mean, fudge… shit.” The frustration he felt began to melt as he listened to her fumble with her words. “Okay, first, I can’t believe I just used the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ bullshit. I’m sorry about that.”
He rolled his neck from side to side, relieving tension from his shoulders. “No prob, but what’s the deal?”
He heard her let out a long sigh. “Umm, you don’t want to pick me up for our date tonight and—”
“Wait, no, that’s not it at all.” Shit, he thought, slapping himself on the forehead. Of course that puzzled her. He’d dropped that on her without explanation. “I guess I forgot to tell you Charlie’s dance recital is today. She takes two classes. One of the shows was this morning, and the other isn’t until four o’clock. I usually take her for ice cream afterward, then I thought I’d have time to shower and pick you up—” April tried to interrupt, but Decker continued speaking. “However, as with all things little girl, the whole show is running behind. It’s not a problem though. I’ll take her for ice cream then come straight to you.”
“Oh my God,” April whined, “Deck, I’m a horrible person. No, absolutely not. Keep your plans as is, and I’ll meet you at the restaurant. I’m so sorry for making you feel bad.”
“Babe, it’s fine.” Hearing her embarrassment through the phone, Decker could practically see her cheeks flaring, and the image sent a burst of excitement through his body.
“No, Decker, it’s not fine. I actually texted you last night to suggest we meet at the restaurant.”
Her words drained his arousal like a cold bath in mid-January. Why wouldn’t she want him to pick her up?
April continued, “And when you didn’t respond, I began to wonder if maybe you were having second thoughts.”
“Ah, so when I asked if we could meet at Amore—”
“Yep,” April finished. “I thought you were trying to let me down easy.”
“April, I told you, that’s not gonna happen, but…” Decker needed to know why she was going to suggest meeting for their date. “Why didn’t you want me to pick you up at your house, babe?” Silence hit his ear long enough that Decker had to look at the screen to make certain the call was still connected
.
Finally, April spoke. “Well, there are two reasons, actually.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “The first is that I’m quite protective of Elijah. I don’t let just anyone meet him. I told you I haven’t dated since he was born, and I won’t allow people in his life who aren’t going to stick around. He doesn’t need that kind of pain.”
Decker understood all too well about not introducing random women to his daughter. He’d kept his dating, or should he say sex life, separate from Charlie. But he also knew the value of a passing stranger and a temporary friend, a person who entered one’s life for a moment but impacted it for a lifetime. He kept those thoughts to himself. “So what’s the second reason you didn’t want me on your doorstep?”
“Umm, that one is easy—my mother is babysitting. There is no flipping way I’m letting you meet her unless…”
April didn’t finish her thought, which had Decker practically dying to know what exactly was going to come out of her mouth. “Spill it, dimples. Unless what? If you don’t tell me, I’ll make certain Charlie’s group gets moved up to an earlier spot, and I will be on your doorstep with a copy of the first text you ever sent me. You know, the one that started our communication. The first text.”
April gasped. “You wouldn’t.”
“Don’t test me.” Decker’s smile was so broad, his cheeks hurt from the effort.
“Fine,” April conceded. “I was gonna say I wouldn’t let you meet my mother unless you were completely in love with me. Because otherwise, there’d be no guarantee that you wouldn’t run for the hills. Happy now?”
Yes, he was happy. The woman kept him on his toes but didn’t make him question whether or not he was worthy. In fact, it was quite the opposite. “You have my word, April. I’m not running anywhere.” An announcement was made over the intercom, requesting the audience to return to their seats. “I do, however, need to get back to the auditorium. But we’re okay, right?”
“Yes, and I really am sorry, Deck.”
“Don’t be sorry, dimples. Just be at Amore by seven.” He had the phone in his pocket and a smile on his face as he reclaimed the seat next to his mother.
Just as the lights dimmed and a hush fell over the audience, his mother whispered, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed all that grinning you’ve been doing lately, son. I look forward to hearing all about her… real soon.”
Trying his best to squelch the smile, Decker shot a glance at his perceptive mother, whose eyes were locked on the empty stage. “Not sure what you’re talking about, Mom.”
Without saying another word, his mother patted his arm and nodded. As if on cue, the music started, and groups of little girls took the stage, making their parents and their tutus proud.
Chapter Eight
To Be That Spoon
“WOW.” DECKER WHISTLED quietly as he appraised April from head to toe. “You look incredible.”
He’d felt her presence from the moment she walked into the restaurant, as if there were a magnetic pull that drew her to him. The large swallow of vodka did nothing to moisten his throat that went desert-dry the second she’d slipped off her coat and revealed a black, V-neck fitted sweater over tight, dark rinse jeans. It took another swallow of the cool liquid to mask the groan that rose in his chest when his gaze drifted to the high-heeled leather boots that rested just under her knees, showcasing her long legs and firm thighs. Sure, he’d seen her countless times over the past couple of months, but each time had been at the gym. While he’d never deny finding her attractive as she pushed her body to new limits, dripping sweat and shaping her muscles, those instances didn’t hold a candle to the image that currently stood before him.
With his heart pounding behind his ribs and cock pressed firmly against the zipper of his jeans, he rose from the bar stool he’d acquired ten minutes earlier, upon arriving at the restaurant. Decker’s hands, as if acting on their own volition, reached out and caressed down the cashmere that covered April’s arms, not stopping until they linked through her fingers. There was no hiding the anticipation that danced in her soulful green eyes, an invitation that Decker accepted by connecting with her skin to skin. Even though the move was middle-school-aged at best, when he pressed a kiss on her warm cheek, the world around them faded to black. Her fruity scent cloaked him like an embrace, much more intimate than what they were engaged in at the moment. Her silken gold hair grazed his cheek as he pulled back and watched how it cascaded down her shoulders, curling just over the swells of her breasts. Fuck me, she’s gorgeous.
“You clean up pretty well yourself, big guy.” She wagged her sculpted brows, acknowledging that he’d spoken and not thought about his previous comment.
While her words were playful, he could tell by her tone that she may be feeling a bit timid or apprehensive. After all, she had said this was her first date in years. Hopefully it would be the first of many for them.
* * *
TRYING TO MAINTAIN her composure after nearly turning to jelly from just the slightest brush of his lips against her skin, April inhaled deeply through her nose before releasing the breath from her mouth. Placing her purse on the bar, she noticed the half-empty glass he’d been holding upon her entry sat sweating on a cardboard coaster. She checked her watch then the clock behind the bar. The times were identical. Being a teacher, she was neurotic about punctuality, so how could he be halfway done with a cocktail if she was ten minutes early for the date he’d informed her that he’d arrive to at the exact time of the reservation?
“The clocks are correct,” Decker acknowledged as if reading her thoughts. “I, however, got here about fifteen minutes ago, and that drink was exactly what I needed.”
While the man looked ridiculously sexy in his gray button-down shirt and black jeans, the furrow between his dark brows said that the hours since their chat had been filled with more than just tap shoes and tights. He gestured for April to take a seat at the bar. When she did, he resettled in the one he’d been occupying when she arrived. With time to spare and nerves to settle before their table would be ready, April ordered a martini while Decker explained how the rest of his afternoon played out.
“Just like always, Charlie did want ice cream. However, she opted for a homemade milkshake… made by my mom… at her house.” Decker ran his hand through his thick russet-brown hair, a grin so faint only a fellow parent would notice it lingering behind the curtain of chagrin. “So I changed our plans, which led to a misunderstanding between you and I, all so I could continue a tradition with my little girl, one that she’d been talking about for weeks, mind you, and in the end, she didn’t even wanna hang out with dear old dad anyway.” He lifted the glass, swirling the ice in the clear liquid. “I’ll tell you, April, I love my daughter, I do.” He snickered before swallowing a small sip of his beverage. “But tonight was one of those rare times when I wanted to sell her to the circus.”
“Oh, believe me, I get it,” April admitted. “Kids can be tough. I’ve often thought Elijah would make a perfect clown, but it just so happens that the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus don’t come around that often.”
A comfortable silence fell over them as they savored their drinks.
“What are you thinking about, Deck? You’re smiling.” April placed her small hand on his thick forearm.
“I was thinking about something my mom used to say to me when I was younger. I never quite understood it back then, but with each year that passes, the damn statement rings clearer and clearer.” April could have sworn she saw Decker’s memory playing in his chocolate eyes. “Man plans, God laughs.”
* * *
“AIN’T THAT THE truth?” she agreed.
Her sexy voice and soft giggles ignited tingles through his body, while the flash of her deep dimples gripped him like a firm stroke to his lengthening cock.
Then a gentle softness, an understanding only another parent could feel, settled on her beautiful face. “I’m sorry that you got stood up for your ice cream date with Charlie.
Those little traditions probably mean more to us than to them.” Her eyes lifted to the left before resting back on his. “And I’m sorry that I assumed the worst with you. It’s just—”
Looking into her celadon gaze, Decker didn’t need any more of an apology. This whole thing was new to both of them, and they were both bound to make mistakes. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know: she was sorry, she was happy to be there with him, and it was time to move on to a better part of their date.
“Dimples, the only thing you should be apologizing for is the condition of the lower part of my body.” Watching her face transform from contrite to zealous did nothing to ease the condition he’d just mentioned. “Seriously, April, every time you move I smell apples.” Decker leaned in, closed his eyes, and breathed in her sweet, fresh scent. “I’ve never smelled anything more intoxicating.”
April threw her head back and laughed. “Um, you’re sweet, big guy, but I’m thinking your nose is just extremely grateful for my apple-scented lotion. After all, I’ve smelled like a sweaty pile of laundry each time you’ve seen me in the past.”
Before he could respond, the hostess arrived to lead them to their table.
“No, babe, that’s not it,” he murmured in her ear just before they took their seats. “It just so happens that your brand of sweaty laundry has been one of my favorite smells over the last month or so.”
Her rounded eyes and winking dimples made the strange look he received from the hostess well worth the effort.
Over a shared grilled calamari appetizer and separate meals, veal scallopini (Decker) and eggplant parmesan (April), the conversation flowed smoothly and the laughs came easily. Two people who’d never spent time alone together seemed as if they’d never been apart.