by Emma Roberts
“You’re absolutely smoking, babe. Now, go knock him dead,” she grinned, reaching out to adjust my hair a bit before walking me to my car. “Call me with all of the dirty details, alright? I expect to hear that my girl got some, with as much effort as we put into this outfit,” she grinned, waving a bit as I shifted into the driver’s seat of my car. I gripped the steering wheel tightly, whispering a quiet prayer that things went as well as planned — or maybe even better. Then, shifting into gear, I began the tortuous trip to the cafe where David and I were planning to meet. I was going to be early, of course, but that was nothing new. It would give me time to touch up my makeup and make sure I was poised just so in the dining chair. As I drove, I continued to self-consciously check my reflection out of fear that a renegade pimple might mysteriously pop up. Upon finally pulling into the parking lot, I glanced at the mirror a final time before getting out of the car and brushing myself off. I’d expected the cafe to be busy, but not as busy as it actually was. Fortunately, there was an outdoor table available, and it was a lovely day, so I was swift to snatch it up.
Settling into the cool metal chair, I crossed my legs primly as I waited for the waiter or waitress to appear with a menu. Of course, it would be more prudent to wait for David before ordering anything, but I thought I could get us started with some beers at least. I looked at the drink menu that was already placed on the table, humming under my breath as I looked over my options. When someone approached the table in my peripheral vision, I was startled, but I figured it was just David arriving early. I was much less pleased to see my ex looming over the table, his hands shoved into his pockets. He smiled at me when I noticed him, and I felt my good mood begin to diminish almost immediately.
“Kimmy, baby! It’s been too long,” he announced, leaning in to embrace me. I stiffened, leaning as far away from him as I could without falling out of my seat. He tilted his head, chuckling under his breath as he took a step back. “Come on, baby. Don’t be that way. I’ve been meaning to call you, you know. I’ve evaluated my life, and you know, maybe kids aren’t the best choice for me. And when I realized that, I knew I had to find you. I mean, what better than a broke pussy to call home when you’re not looking for a family life?” he crooned, reaching down to grip my chin in his hand. I couldn’t help but stare at him with how outlandishly rude he was being. Tears pricked my eyes as I began to notice other people in the area watching the exchange.
“I’m done with you, Chad. I’m not broken, and I don’t need you to convince me of such ever again,” I said coolly. He raised a brow, looking as if he didn’t quite believe me. After a moment, he chuckled, throwing his head back as if I’d told the most hilarious joke in the world.
“You think anyone besides me is going to want you? Come on, baby. I knew you were delusional, but this brings it to a whole new level,” he said with a toothy grin. I felt my eyes begin to water more, hating myself over the effect he still had on me. I wasn’t some wimp for him to just throw around, was I? I mean, there was a chance David would be interested. “Come on, baby. Come fuck around for a while,” he leered. Before I could answer, I was vaguely aware of another figure in my peripheral vision. I didn’t even have time to process that thought before a fist collided with the side of Chad’s face, sending him sprawling across the floor. I looked up, my heart pounding at the sight of David with bloody knuckles and a bouquet of a dozen red roses. I was vaguely aware that there was a bit of a fuss going on all around us, but I couldn’t think beyond how handsome David looked in the smart suit he was wearing.
“Hey. You want to get out of here? It’s a bit… noisy,” David said quietly, looking a bit chagrined at the attention we were receiving. I smiled, taking him by the hand and rising from my seat.
“Sure. Why not?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
David
As we walked away from the restaurant, I pressed the flowers into her hands with as much gentleness as I could muster. It wasn’t really in my nature, but she looked as if she could use softness for the time being. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and I cursed myself for not punching that fucking idiot even harder.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she muttered, her hands nervously twisting around the plastic of the bouquet. I raised a brow, not quite sure what she was referring to.
“I thought flowers would be a nice gesture for our first date,” I managed, wondering if I’d already made a mistake. She laughed a bit breathlessly, shaking her head and reaching out to rest her palm across my bloodied and bruised knuckles. Realization dawned on me, and I chuckled a bit at the reverence in her eyes. “Oh, you mean… yeah, well. He deserved it, and it didn’t look like anyone else in the cafe was going to get off of their fat asses and do anything. I am sorry for causing a scene on our first date, for what it’s worth,” I explained, feeling a bit meek for perhaps one of the first times in my entire life.
“It was worth it, I’d say,” she grinned, taking a moment to inhale the scent of the roses I’d purchased for her. I felt rather proud of myself, or at least grateful that she didn’t have some sort of an allergy.
“Well worth it,” I agreed, my arms swinging freely at my sides as we walked in the direction of the park. She hummed under her breath — a tune I didn’t quite recognize but was soothed by just the same. The beautiful woman seemed a bit distracted, and I considered pressing her for answers. However, after walking for a while, she came to a stop and stared down at the roses in her hands.
“No one has ever stood up for me like that before,” she said quietly. I almost couldn’t believe my ears. Who in their right mind would allow such an angelic woman to endure any sort of pain on their watch? I grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her along with a stern expression.
“Well, you’ll never have to worry about that again. As long as I’m by your side, no one had better try any funny business,” I said firmly. “No one deserves to be treated that way by some douchebag of an ex, but especially not you. I may be a bit biased, though,” I teased. Her cheeks flushed almost as red as the roses in her hands, and a soft little giggle spilled past her lips. I felt proud for having caused that reaction, as modest as it may have been.
“I take it you don’t just say that to all of the girls,” she grinned.
“Oh, of course not. Only the prettiest, and you’ve claimed that title by far,” I replied with a sly wink. She laughed, a melodic sound, and I realized in that moment that I wanted nothing more in the world than to kiss her. I also realized that it was far from the best time to try to lock lips with her, especially considering how upset she had been over her ex. So I managed to swallow my feelings as we strode through the park, making our way to the small pond in the middle.
“You know, I feel like I owe you something for your heroism,” she pointed out as we reached the old, crumbling fencing that kept people from jumping in the pond. It only worked a small percentage of the time, but it was better than no safety measures at all, I supposed. She gingerly leaned on the fence, staring out onto the pond with an intense expression. I remained silent, allowing her a bit of time to process her thoughts. “But what do I give a man who could have anything in the world? A gold medal? A key to the city?” she rambled a bit, and I smiled, drawing her in close and resting my chin on top of her head. She stiffened initially but began to loosen up after a moment and return the gesture in full force. Having her pressed flush to my chest felt… right, somehow. I couldn’t tell her as much, though, because I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, and I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the feeling myself.
“A hug is plenty enough for me,” I murmured, trying to keep my expression from turning awkward as she beamed up at me.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll think of something else eventually. I know this sounds really immature, but… do you want to maybe hang out on the swing set? Feel free to say no; I just thought it might be fun for the two of us to loosen up a bit,” she suggested shyly. I hesitated for a moment, wondering what my stuffy father
would think if he could see me stuffed into a child’s swing with a financially unstable woman at my side. Then, deciding I didn’t really care, I took her by the hand and led her deeper into the park. She skipped, actually skipped, alongside me with a vibrant smile on her face. Fortunately, there were no children in the so-called ‘big kid’ swings, so we plopped side-by-side into two swings and began to sway back and forth slowly. Her expression was serene, and it sent a pang of… something… deep into my chest.
“You really like this park, don’t you?” I asked curiously, and she giggled a little breathlessly, offering me a wry grin.
“I’ve always thought about bringing my kids here someday. I know it’s a silly fantasy, but… I’ve always wanted to be a mother, first and foremost. Things just rarely have a way of working out the way you’d like, you know?” she explained, and I found myself quietly nodding along. Though I’d never wanted kids of my own, and had never really thought about it, it seemed like just as valid a dream as anything else.
“Well, it’s a bit soon to toss that dream in the can, don’t you think? I mean, you just started coming to the fertility clinic, and—”
“I want to give this a chance. You. Me. Us. Maybe it’s a bit presumptuous, but if the time we spend together is anything like the mind-blowing sex we had and your charming efforts today, I can’t imagine it would be a bad experience for either of us,” she said somewhat nervously.
“You… want to be with me? As in a relationship?” I asked mildly, somewhat tickled by how red her face got.
“Well, I mean, it was a thought. You obviously don’t have to agree. After all, what would a guy like you see in a woman like me…” she trailed off, laughing a bit sadly.
“Your wit? Your kindness? Your brilliance? The fact that you’re drop dead fucking gorgeous? I can think of plenty of reasons a so-called ‘guy like me’ would want to be with you. As far as that goes,” I paused, reaching out to take her by the hand, “I’d be thrilled it give it a whirl. What could it harm, after all?” I said, trying to offer my most charming smile. It seemed to do the trick, as she looked absolutely starry-eyed about the whole thing.
“Wow. Really? I wasn’t expecting it to be so easy,” she muttered, drawing her hand away from mine and beginning to tap her fingertips together. I found myself smiling at how inadvertently adorable she was being — not that I wanted her to be nervous, but it was so damn precious.
“Well, I guess I’m full of surprises,” I chuckled, hopping up from the swing as I checked my watch. Still plenty of time to figure out some sort of fun activity for the two of us. I didn’t want her first date with me to be a disappointment by any means, but I also worried that I might be trying too hard. I could only hope that she didn’t notice how nervous I was. I never got nervous. Never.
“We could go to the sandbox,” she suggested idly, continuing to slowly swing back and forth. I raised a brow, looking at the bustling inner section of the park where it seemed like dozens of children were having the time of their lives. I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to deal with a bunch of screaming children, but she looked so hopeful that I was reluctant to say no.
“I’ve never been much of a sand person. It tends to get in uncomfortable places when you’re at the beach,” I explained, offering my hand just the same. “But I’m willing to make an exception for you, Miss Anderson,” I added with a sly look. She nearly squealed in excitement, gripping my hand and all but dragging me toward the center of the park. Perhaps the most difficult part was avoiding the many children it seemed we would smack into at any given moment. However, we soon emerged victorious, treading to the abandoned sandbox and climbing in. Obviously, it was rather small compared to us, but Kim seemed happy to busy herself with digging little holes in the sand, making paths for the ants that would invariably make their way into the little kiddie attraction. I pressed my palm to a particularly smooth spot of sand, drawing it away carefully and smiling at the picture perfect indentation that was left. Kim looked pleased that I was playing along, grabbing a handful of sand and placing it on my shoe.
“I bet those were expensive. Do you think the sand will ruin them?” she inquired, obviously concerned. I shrugged, pretty positive that the answer was yes but not particularly caring about losing one pair of shoes.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” I said a bit dismissively, piling another handful of sand on top of the one she’d left. She giggled, pressing her shoulder against mine and breathing a happy little sigh. I watched her from the corner of my eye, warmth blooming in my cheeks when it struck me, once again, how absolutely beautiful she was. She looked up at me, her expression innocent at first but turning briefly thoughtful. She shifted a bit at my side, tilting her head up in an attempt to meet my lips. The position was awkward, but God, did her lips look so kissable. I leaned in to close the distance, just barely brushing our lips together before a sudden squeal sounded just to our side. Kimberly jerked back as if shocked, touching her fingertips to her lips with a silly little smile.
“Miss Anderson! Miss Anderson! I haven’t seen you at the park in so long. I missed playing with you,” a young child rambled, grabbing Kim by the arm and staring up at her with big, sad eyes. However, the boy seemed to notice me a moment later and pressed close to Kim’s side. I wasn’t sure if he’d witnessed the kiss… well, the pseudo kiss, but I felt remarkably like I was being appraised by the kid in some way. He looked me up and down, seeming nervous for a moment before his eyes lit up with delight. “Oh! Is this your husband?” the child asked abruptly. Kimberly turned as red as a tomato. I grinned a bit, ruffling the boy’s hair and leaning in to speak in a conspiratorial stage whisper.
“Not yet. But we’ll see, okay, kid? You’ll be the first invited to the wedding. The best man, I’d go as far as saying,” I said teasingly, resisting the urge to laugh as Kim buried her face in her hands. The boy squealed with delight once more, clapping his hands together before running off to presumably find his mother, all the while screaming about his future position as best man.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Kimberly
I couldn’t believe what a shameless flirt David was being, especially in front of one of my students, but I suppose it wasn’t entirely all that surprising. He seemed the type to get a laugh out of making a woman blush like a schoolgirl. It wasn’t a bad thing, per se, but I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to keep from throwing him to the ground and kissing him all over. Maybe that would be a bit soon; it wasn’t like I was in love. It was undeniable that I felt something for the handsome doctor, however. Something deep and nearly all encompassing.
“Nice kid,” he said after we’d sat for a few moments in silence. I giggled, slapping his arm and using my free hand to try to rub the blush off of my face.
“You’re too much. He’s going to tell the whole class, you know,” I gently chastised, but he only continued to grin, much like the cat that caught the canary.
“Let him. It’ll be kind of funny, don’t you think? Maybe I can even pay a visit to your class sometime. The kids would really go batshit, then,” he teased, reaching out to poke my side. I rolled my eyes, standing up and brushing the sand off of myself. He watched me curiously, arching a curious brow as I offered him my hand. “You actually think you can help me up without getting pulled back down?” he deadpanned. I scoffed, but just the same, I took a step back and simply watched him rise to his feet. He was much more covered in sand than I was, which was a bit funny considering I’d been the one to suggest the sandbox. Truthfully, I didn’t expect he’d go for something so childish, but David Strowman was full of surprises.
“You want to go for a walk? I need to stretch my legs after being squeezed in there for so long,” I murmured, giving my leg a little shake as if to demonstrate. He smiled, nodding and holding his arm out. I stared at him in confusion for a moment before realizing he wanted to link arms. He was adorable, sexy, and smart — what more could a woman want? I took his arm, allowing him to take the lead and guide
me through the park. There were several beautiful, winding paths stretching across the entirety of the park, although he seemed to just pick one at random. The sidewalk was a welcome change from getting my heels all caked in dirt and grass—not to mention sand—and I could only hope he didn’t notice the sad shape of my footwear. Not that he was doing much better on that front himself.
“I used to jog these paths every morning. I always felt so free. Like nothing could stop me; no one could contain me. I was sure that no matter what happened, I would always be a loner,” he began a bit awkwardly, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “Honestly, I’ve… never really dated anyone. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure my experience in the bedroom was pretty obvious—” he paused, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes a little.