by Tia Wylder
“You always look nice, Kelly,” he asserted, pausing at the look she gave him. It was a look he had not seen in some time, and it sent pleasant shivers down his spine. “But, of course, I’m willing to give you some time. I’ll have to arrange things with Roberta, in any case,” he said nervously, shifting away from her. She watched him go, an almost predatory gleam in her eye.
“Until six, then,” she called out.
The next three hours passed in something of a whirlwind, with Paul agonizing over his appearance and calling Roberta in for a late shift. He wasn’t sure how to answer when she teasingly inquired as to how late he would be, simply muttering that it was a wait and see sort of situation. She had laughed, but agreed to be over as soon as possible. James seemed to catch on to the shift in his father’s demeanor almost immediately, and as soon as Kelly stepped out of the house in a nice cocktail dress, the two young boys seemed to put the pieces together.
“You two are going on a date?” James demanded, an altogether excited look gracing both of their young faces. Jeffrey grinned, bouncing on his heels as they waited for an answer.
“If… if that’s alright with the two of you. I probably should have cleared it up first,” Paul mumbled, fidgeting with the wrinkles on his one nice pair of pants.
“Of course, it’s alright! Mom always seems so sad and kinda lonely, and we both really like you, Mr. Stalone! I think it’s great,” Jeffrey said loudly, just as Kelly approached behind the two boys. She quirked a brow, considering her son with a faintly embarrassed expression.
“Good to know we have your approval,” she said somewhat blandly, glancing towards Paul with an apologetic look. Jeffrey wrang his hands, laughing nervously under his breath.
“I didn’t mean that she’s always sad and lonely. She has me, after all! Who needs some… some really super awesome, and super nice guy?” The youngest boy tried to amend, but Kelly simply laughed, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek.
“Alright, alright. I think you’ve done enough damage. You and James behave yourselves for Miss Roberta, okay?” She murmured warmly, pulling her son into her arms. He squirmed, not wanting to seem uncool in front of the other ‘men’.
“I’ll keep an eye on him, Miss Carpenter,” James grinned, cheekily. Jeff groaned, but Kelly smirked, sweeping James up into her arms as well.
“What a sweet boy,” she crooned, much to the boys’ mutual humiliation. She laughed aloud as she released James, and Paul could only watch on with a content smile on his face. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so complete, and seeing Kelly dote on his son only served to stoke the fire inside of him. “Well, Paul, I guess we should be going?” She inquired shyly, seeming a bit too nervous to meet his gaze. He smiled warmly, looping her arm in his own and leading her towards his car.
“You guys behave! We shouldn’t be out too late,” Paul called out.
“We won’t wait up,” James called after him. The two adults reddened, but said nothing as Paul opened the door for Kelly. She slipped into the car, fastening herself in. The navy seal braced himself as he circled around the car, unable to believe that he had actually scored a date with the woman he so adored. He fought the goofy smile that threatened to alight his face once more, sitting in the driver’s seat and adjusting his mirrors.
“I can’t believe we’re actually trying again,” Kelly murmured, reaching out to rest her hand on the center console. Paul smiled, resting his hand on top of hers.
“We’re going to have a great time. I can feel it,” he said soothingly, as they pulled out of the driveway. A quick shift of gears, and he was driving in the direction of one of the fancier restaurants in town. He’d managed to snag a reservation in spite of how late notice his call had been, but he only viewed that as another sign of the gods smiling down upon them. As Kelly gently squeezed his hand, he wondered how their date could be anything but wonderful.
A pleased gasp drew itself from the woman’s lips as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot, and Paul quickly moved to open the car door for her once more. He grinned, guiding her towards the door of the establishment with all the grace of a royal couple. She couldn’t hide her delight even if she tried, at that point, and for once, Paul felt as if he had done something right.
They were immediately led to their seats upon stepping inside, and Paul leaned in to speak quietly into her ear.
“Money isn’t an issue. Get what you want, I’ll cover it,” he asserted. She blushed, glancing towards him with a bit of uncertainty before nodding her head. The two each ordered a mixed drink to get the evening started, and Kelly clinked her glass against his with a sly smile.
“To tonight, and hopefully many more,” she purred. Paul couldn’t deny the desire that flooded his veins, and if only to abate it just slightly, he tossed back his drink. He immediately ordered another, almost expecting Kelly to get upset. Instead she only giggled, sipping her first drink.
“So… Jeffrey seems like a nice kid,” Paul murmured, feeling the drinks ignite a bit of courage within him. He waved down the waitress, ordering yet another drink. Kelly was beginning to look a bit disconcerted, but he needed all the confidence he could get.
“He’s a sweet boy. He’s never really had any men in his life, but…,” she trailed off at the strange look in Paul’s eye.
“He turned out alright for it,” Paul murmured, glancing over the menu. As much as he didn’t like to think about it, he had been considering Jeffrey’s age, and potential time of conception in the time he’d been waiting for Kelly to get ready for their date. He’d come to some rather startling conclusions, thoughts that drove a bitter and cold pike straight into his heart. It would do little good to make himself miserable over it, however. Just because Kelly probably hadn’t been as true to him as she’d said when they first met. Granted, he knew she was a virgin when they first made love, but he was feeling less certain that he’d been the only man she was with from that point onward.
“What do you mean, alright for it? Jeffrey is a wonderful young man, and… well, you can’t always count on a man to be there when you need them,” Kelly said, somewhat sourly. Paul’s eyes widened, and the implication hit him like a ton of bricks. It was clear that she was still upset that he had left her behind. If she was going to brood over the past, two could play that game.
“I mean, as far as letting some random guy bed you, it couldn’t have worked out any better,” he said brusquely, his eyes narrowing upon the menu. A look of shock crossed Kelly’s face, though Paul seemed a bit too wrapped up in his own thoughts to notice. When he glanced towards her, he was torn between satisfaction and despair at the look of sorrow in her gaze. However, the sadness shifted to something much more bitter and acrid, relatively quickly.
“Some random guy…?” She repeated, tightening her grip on her glass.
“It just seems strange that you would shack up with some guy immediately after I left. After all, the date of conception… hell, you were probably seeing this guy while you were claiming to be in love with me,” Paul muttered, finding himself growing sluggish and irritated. He hadn’t intended to say that, but the woman was pressing every good nerve he had left in his body. If she wanted to know the root of the problem, he was more than willing to discuss it. He doubted she would be particularly forthcoming, however. She never had been. His annoyance was but a drop in the bucket, however, when he looked up and met Kelly’s gaze. She looked torn between being unimaginably hurt and unspeakably angry, tossing back her drink and moving to shift out of the booth. “Where are you going? We need to talk about this if we have any chance of moving forward,” Paul asserted. Kelly laughed, slamming her glass down on the table.
“I thought we had already moved on, Paul. You’re the one stuck in the past! You’re the one who can’t get past this idea of… of owning me,” she shouted. Paul could feel the eyes of everyone in the restaurant upon them, and his first instinct was to get belligerent. However, he knew just how well that’s worked for him in
the past. Instead, he allowed the alcohol to settle in his gut as he tried to think of a way to properly resolve the dispute. Before he could come to a conclusion, however, Kelly was already stalking towards the door. Desperation formed a deep pit in his stomach, and he couldn’t believe just how thoroughly he had managed to screw up the date.
“Kelly, wait! I can… Please! Let’s just talk,” he cried out, staggering after her. She turned around, considering him for a long moment before offering him the one finger salute. A collective gasp washed over the nearby tables, and the other patrons began to whisper amongst themselves.
“Have fun with your hand tonight,” she called back. He stopped dead his tracks, an embarrassed flush alighting on his cheeks as she walked out the door. As much as he wanted to follow her, he knew it would do more harm than good at that point.
As such… he turned back to their table with a defeated sigh, settling back in the chair he’d been seated in. He gulped back his drink, wishing that somehow, someway, he could just get things right for once. It seemed the gods weren’t as in on his plot as he thought. Oh, well. At least he had tried.
Chapter Six
When he came home alone that night, Paul wasn’t particularly surprised by the news that Kelly had picked Jeffrey up early, offering little explanation as to why the date had ended so soon. He wasn’t particularly thrilled to divulge such information to his son, either, but he knew it was bound to come up at some point. For the time being, he simply wanted to drag himself off to bed where he could properly feel sorry for himself.
He hadn’t intended to be so callous when he first asked Kelly out. He supposed the idea of the woman he loved in another man’s arms had wounded him more than he liked to think. He genuinely liked Jeffrey, regardless of who the boy’s father might be. In spite of the way he acted, he was still rather fond of Kelly as well. He’d never been one to handle his drinks particularly well, and he should have known that dipping into the heavy liquor on the first official date would end badly.
“Dad, Miss Carpenter looked really upset,” James piped up, trailing behind his father. Paul simply groaned, leaning against the wall and pressing his face into his palms. “What… what happened?” The young boy inquired gingerly, reaching out to touch his father’s hand.
“We got into a bit of a… dispute, regarding Jeffrey’s father,” Paul admitted, wishing he could take the words back as soon as they spilled past his lips. James considered him with wide eyes, looking from the older man, to the pillow fort he had likely been playing in a mere half hour prior.
“Why does that matter? Jeffrey is a good guy, and Miss Carpenter seems nice enough. It sucks that he doesn’t know his dad, but…,” James trailed off, looking as if he wanted to say more. Unlike his father, however, it appeared that he knew how to keep his mouth shut.
“I’m going to bed, son. I’ll head next door and apologize tomorrow, but going over tonight is only going to make things worse,” Paul muttered, continuing to slink in the direction of his bedroom. He could feel his son watching him, and while he was certain his dignity had long flown out the window, he didn’t particularly want his son spying on him while he moped.
After all, moping was the entirety of what he planned to do that night. While the previous day had seemed as if it would hold more promise, and he had carried the hope of not sleeping alone that night, things seemed to rarely work out as they should.
Shrugging off his button-down top, some minutes after agonizingly trying to unbutton it, he flopped face first into his mattress, sighing softly under his breath. He liked to think tomorrow would turn out better, but at that point, he just couldn’t be sure. He resolved that he would certainly apologize to Kelly for the tragic misstep he had made. He simply had to get through the night. Surely, it wouldn’t be that difficult.
As his eyes fluttered shut, his final thought was of holding Kelly in his arms. Pain lanced through his body like electric shocks, but all he could do was grit his teeth against it. He wouldn’t give up. Not quite, not yet.
The morning found him feeling even less confident than the night prior, and even his son seemed to be holding some sort of grudge against him. James considered him with an obvious pout as Paul descended the stairs, and it was all the man could do not to shout. He rolled his eyes, pouring himself a glass of orange juice and sitting at the dining table with the young boy. Roberta busied herself with washing up some dishes, but it was obvious she was dying to know what had gone so wrong the night before. Paul wasn’t about to indulge his housekeeper’s little fantasy world right now, however. Roberta always assured the navy seal that the perfect woman would fall into his lap someday; it was only a matter of time.
For a time, he had believed her. It had to be clear that his confidence was on a downwards slide at that point, even to her. He ignored the baleful stare of his son, glancing out the window. Rain seemed to be pouring pretty steadily from the clouds, an ironic change in weather considering how beautiful things had been for the weeks prior. Paul grumbled under his breath, continuing to sip his orange juice until James loudly and obnoxiously cleared his throat.
“Is something on your mind, son?” Paul said, pointedly. James frowned, but nodded his head in the affirmation.
“I called to see if Jeffrey could come play today, at our house. Miss Carpenter said that he didn’t feel well, but I feel like they’re mad at me. You said you would apologize today,” the young boy said pointedly, folding his arms over his chest. Paul snorted, gesturing towards the window where rain continued to steadily pitter patter.
“I’m not going out in this weather. I should at least wait until the rain slackens up a bit, shouldn’t I?” The blue-eyed father demanded. If possible, James’ frown seemed to intensify. “I need to give her a bit more time to cool off, son. I said some… pretty horrible things to her, and I can’t just saunter on over there and expect everything to be okay,” Paul tried again.
“It sounds to me like you’re making excuses,” James said, bluntly. Paul frowned, but Roberta hummed as if to agree with James. He narrowed his eyes, resting his head in his hands as he agonized over the icy treatment he was receiving from his family of sorts.
“I know you’re eager to get a word in, so go ahead,” the man said coolly, glancing towards his housekeeper. She raised a brow at him, considering him for a long moment before returning her attention to the dishes. “Come on. Have at me. You wouldn’t hold out any other time, why start now?” He prodded, rising from the table and shifting towards her. Roberta turned quickly, turning a suds covered finger towards him. She pointed almost accusingly at him, jabbing her wet gloved finger against his chest.
“You love this woman, Paul. I can see it in your eyes. She may be angry at you, and that anger may last some time. But it is the least you can do to offer her an apology. You’re a better man than this. I know it, your son knows it, and you should know it as well,” Roberta boomed, continuing to jab Paul in the chest, as if to punctuate each sentence. Paul grunted with each jab, looking downright sullen when she was finished. She set the soapy dishes in a sinkful of water, removing her gloves and crossing her arms.
“A good man wouldn’t have said the things I said,” Paul said, grimly.
“I said you were good, Paul, not perfect,” Roberta said, a bit more kindly than her previous statements. He hummed, nodding his head slowly. Glancing towards his son, he offered the young boy a smile before shuffling to the downstairs closet and grabbing his rain jacket.
“I’m going to go apologize. If she finds it agreeable, I’ll see if Jeffrey can come over while she and I talk things out,” he offered. James smiled, bouncing in his seat and giving his father two thumbs up. No one seemed to make note of the fact that Paul was still clad in the pants from the night before, and he could only hope that Kelly didn’t clue in on the fact either. A shower seemed less pressing than the need to make things right with her; at least, for now. Slipping out the door, he walked barefoot across the rain soaked grass to his neighbor�
�s yard. The curtains were drawn on all of the windows, but he could still see a bit of light ebbing from inside, presumably from a television.
Stepping up to the door, he knocked loudly in order to be heard over the rolling thunder. For several long moments, he received no answer. However, after a bit of waiting, a small and round face peeked out the window nearest the door. Paul waved nervously, and Jeffrey seemed to light up upon seeing the man. He drew away from the window, and the man simply waited on the doorstep until his son’s friend opened the door for him.
“Mr. Stalone! I was hoping you would come by,” he whispered, glancing furtively over his shoulder. “Mommy has been pretty upset, but wouldn’t tell me why. I was hoping you could cheer her up. She won’t even let me go to your house to play with James,” he mumbled. Paul frowned, gesturing for the boy to step aside. The blue-eyed man took a step into the house, the sounds of melancholic country music resonating through the house. He smiled sadly to himself, leaning in to speak quietly to Jeffrey.
“You go ahead and run next door. I’ll tell your mom where you are, okay?” Paul murmured. Jeffrey hesitated, glancing from the door to the stairs that led to the next floor. He drew his lip between his teeth, reaching out to take Paul by the hand.