Single Dad's Surrogate

by Annie Young

  She gathered her things, making sure to toss her cell phone and some breath mints into her purse. She took one last look in the mirror and then headed out the door.

  Lily's heels clicked against the tile floor as she walked out of the elevator and across the front room of her apartment complex. On the way, she passed a couple of guys. They were all dressed up in sports attire and looked like they were getting ready to go to a baseball game. Both of them did a double take when she walked by and Lily saw their jaws dropped.

  “Holy shit,” one of them whispered, his eyes locked onto Lily.

  Her cheeks tingled as she blushed. She wasn't used to getting this kind of attention from the guys. It definitely had something to do with the three thousand dollar dress. It probably didn't hurt that her cleavage was pouring out of it either.

  The best part about the two random guys checking her out, wasn't because she needed the validation. It was because it showed her that all of the work of getting ready for this date was not in vain. She did look good. Really good. She couldn't wait for Wyatt to see her like this either.

  Lily continued walking and made her way outside toward the parking lot. It didn't take but a few seconds to see what Wyatt was talking about when he had mentioned that he had a surprise for her.

  Oh my God, she thought, stopping in her tracks to take it in.

  Parked along the curb, directly in front of the apartment complex, was a limousine. Not just any regular limousine, though. It was a Hummer version. A giant, extended SUV with huge tires and an engine that rumbled the ground as it idled. It was bright white, with black wheels and windows tinted so dark that she couldn't have seen someone inside even if their face was pressed against the glass.

  “No freaking way,” she whispered.

  The driver's side door opened up and a man in a suit stepped out. He had thin, graying hair and little round glasses that were barely held up by the tip of his nose. He nodded at Lily and then walked toward the back of the vehicle, opening the furthest rear door to reveal Wyatt sitting in the back seat. He glanced over toward Lily and then got up to step outside.

  His jaw hit the ground as soon as he saw her.

  “My God,” he said, causing Lily to blush.

  The way he looked at her was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. He was genuinely attracted to her and it was obvious. Lily could see it in his eyes that he was being genuine. He strolled up to her and shook his head.

  “Lily, you look incredible,” he said.

  “You don't look so bad yourself,” she replied, with a flirtatious wink.

  She wasn't kidding either. Wyatt was wearing a dark gray suit with a blue dress shirt underneath. The top couple of buttons were undone, revealing a little bit of his chest. He was wearing a silver watch and a silver necklace, both of them were clearly expensive and of the finest quality.

  “Are you ready for the best sushi you've ever eaten?” he asked.

  Lily nodded. “Yes, but first, where on Earth did you get a Hummer limo? This is insane.”

  Wyatt chuckled. “Do you like it? I wasn't sure if it was a little much for our first date. At the same time, I wanted tonight to be memorable and I figured that this would be one way to accomplish that.”

  “I love it,” Lily said.

  “Really? You're not just saying that to make me feel better?” Wyatt asked.

  She shook her head. “No, this is perfect. I mean, going to dinner in the Lamborghini would have been fun, too. But this is something else. I've never been in a regular limo before, let alone a Hummer one.”

  “Well then, I'd say it's time to check that off your list.” Wyatt held out his elbow.

  Lily smiled and slipped her hand through the little triangle shape that he had created with his arm. She held onto him and the two walked toward the limo.

  “Is this your date, sir?” the limo driver asked. “You weren't kidding when you said that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.”

  Lily's jaw dropped in surprise.

  “Lily, this is Don,” Wyatt said. “He'll be our driver tonight.”

  “Hi, Don,” Lily said. “Good to meet you.”

  “And you as well,” he replied, as he held the rear door open for her. “Please, make yourselves comfortable. It's only a fifteen minute ride to the restaurant, but if you like, we can cruise around for a few minutes beforehand.”

  “You know what? Let's do that,” Wyatt said. “We'll have a glass of champagne before dinner. How does that sound, Lily?”

  “I'm up for anything tonight.” Lily lifted the bottom of her dress up a bit. Just enough so that she could step inside the limo without tripping over herself. When she got inside, she glanced around and nearly fell over from shock.

  My God, this car is ten times nicer than any place I've ever lived in, she thought, as she sat down at the bench seat located at the very back of the vehicle.

  Where she now sat gave her the perfect view of the interior. One the right side was a huge bar, complete with a thick glass counter top. It was lit up by blue lights that were underneath. It looked like the bar was well stocked, complete with several bottles of whiskey, vodka and some expensive-looking champagne.

  On the left side was more seating. The center part was big and open, enough to have a mini dance party if one were so inclined.

  Wyatt stepped into the car and took a seat next to Lily. Don closed the door, leaving the two to themselves.

  “This is amazing,” Lily said, shaking her head. “Seriously. I can't believe you did this.”

  “I'm glad you like it.” Wyatt sat by her, but not close enough for them to touch. It seemed like he was feeling a little awkward from the encounter the week before. He wasn't the only one feeling kind of out of place, though. Lily wasn't used to being trucked around in the back of a limo while wearing a three-thousand dollar dress. That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy it, though. It was just something that she knew would take a little while to get used to.

  “How about some music?” Wyatt asked.

  Lily nodded. “Yeah. You pick this time.”

  “Alright,” he said. “Don't make fun, though.”

  “I would never,” Lily said, with a chuckle. “I mean, maybe I would. Just don't play polka or something.”

  “I love polka,” Wyatt said, with a completely straight face.

  For a fleeting second, Lily almost believed him. He finally smiled again, though.

  “I'm joking,” he said.

  “Whew.” Lily pretended to wipe sweat from her forehead. “You had me worried there for a second.”

  “I do love jazz, though,” he said. “I'm not joking about that.”

  “Jazz is great,” she replied. “Who is your favorite artist?”

  “I'd have to say Miles Davis.” Wyatt pulled the arm rest down between the two. Installed on the rest, was a small touchscreen. It illuminated the second he pulled it down.

  “What's that?” Lily asked.

  “It's how we choose the music,” he said.

  “I feel like I'm on a spaceship all of a sudden,” Lily said.

  She felt the limo lurch forward as Don pulled it out of the parking lot and onto the street. She noticed a few people getting out of their cars and glanced toward them. They looked just about as surprised to see a limo like that in their neighborhood as she had when she'd first walked out of the apartment building.

  Wyatt tapped the touchscreen and a moment later, the music started playing on the speakers. It was a slow, but rhythmic beat. It had her tapping her toes almost immediately.

  “This is good,” Lily said.

  “He's the best,” Wyatt said. “Miles Davis was arguably the greatest jazz musician to ever live. He changed the face of the entire genre. Just something about his sound. You can just tell it came from his heart, you know? It so obvious that making music was what he was meant to do.”

  Lily was surprised by how much she enjoyed the tunes. She was also a bit surprised by how much Wyatt seemed to know about m
usic. Clearly, there was much more than him than she had realized.

  “Champagne?” Wyatt raised his eyebrows.

  “Yes, please,” Lily said, with a smirk. “Sounds great.”

  Wyatt stood up and walked toward the bar. Lily relaxed into the seat and just watched him. She admired the way he moved and the way he looked in that suit. He'd gone the extra mile getting ready. His dark hair was combed perfectly, with a clean part that went down the side of his head. He'd trimmed his facial hair, too, leaving just enough stubble to give him that masculine look that she loved so much.

  Seeing how much effort he had already put into this date made Lily feel even better about the whole thing. It made her feel so special. They hadn't even gotten to dinner yet, and Wyatt had already spoiled her more than any other guy had. It was almost too good to be true.

  If I'm dreaming right now, I don't want to wake up, she thought.

  Wyatt grabbed a towel and then used it to twist the cork out of the champagne bottle. Then he filled up two glasses with the gold-colored liquid, before strolling back toward her. She watched him intently, as though she were attempting to absorb everything about him with just her eyes. She couldn't get enough of him. Her desire for Wyatt was insatiable and this date was already making her want him that much more.

  “I've got to say,” Wyatt said, handing one of the glasses to Lily. “That dress you picked out, is stunning. That's the only word I can think of that does it any sort of justice.”

  “You really like it?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he said bluntly. “First off, that color of blue looks amazing on you. It matches your eyes and makes them even brighter than usual. It's like it was made for you.”

  “I thought the same thing,” she said. “As soon as I saw it in the store, I knew that it was the one for me. That's saying something, too, because I was pretty sure I wanted every single dress they had their.”

  Wyatt laughed. “Caroline used to say the same thing about that place. It was by far her favorite store. They do have some really nice things in there.”

  “Yeah, I'd say so,” Lily said. “I have to admit, I felt a little out of place there, though.”

  Wyatt sat down and cocked his head to the side. “How do you mean?”

  Lily shrugged. “I don't know. Just seemed a little fancy compared to what I'm used to. I mean, this is definitely the most expensive dress I've ever worn, let alone owned.”

  Wyatt lifted his glass and gently clinked it against hers. “Well, here's to experiencing the finer things in life.”

  “Here's to that,” Lily said, then took a sip from her glass.

  The wine was tasty and smooth. It went down so easily. It wasn't too sweet and wasn't too dry. It was perfect balance of flavor.

  The two rode around in the back of the Hummer for a little while, just relaxing and making small talk. After about twenty minutes, Wyatt phoned up front and asked Don to take them to the restaurant.

  “Our reservations are in a half an hour,” Wyatt said, glancing at his watch. “We don't want to be late, or they'll cancel on us. This place gets crazy busy, especially on a Friday night.”

  “I can imagine,” Lily said, taking down the final swig from her third glass of champagne. “If it's as good as you say it is, I'm sure people line up for it.”

  “They fly in the fresh sushi two times a day, just for this restaurant,” he said. “I'm glad you like sushi, because you'll be able to notice just how good this place is. It stands above the rest, and I've eaten sushi from all over the world.”

  “I can't wait,” Lily said. “I'm so hungry and also, so excited to have a meal with you that isn't drenched in salt or overcooked.”

  Wyatt laughed. “I'm just excited that you agreed to go out with me tonight. I wouldn't even care if the meal was horrible. This is a good night already.”

  Lily nodded in agreement. “You know what? You're right. This night is already a win.”

  The two gazed an each other for a moment. Lily melted right there in the seat, wondering if she should lean in toward him for a kiss. It seemed like a good time.

  Just a kiss, she thought.

  Right when she was about to lean toward Wyatt, though, the limo came to a stop. Don's voice came over the speakers.

  “We've arrived,” Don said.

  Lily's lips tingled in anticipation for a kiss, but the interruption kind of killed the moment.

  “I guess we're here,” she said.

  Before Wyatt could reply, Don came around to the back door and opened it up.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Wyatt said, flashing a wink. “Come on. Let's go have dinner. It's going to be great.”

  Chapter 26

  Lily

  Lily sat across from Wyatt at the table. They were seated at the very back of the restaurant, right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving them the perfect view of the sunset as it dropped below the horizon. The sky was dark orange, and the ocean reflected the amazing colors.

  “It's so pretty,” Lily said, with a sigh as she gazed at the view.

  “So beautiful,” Wyatt agreed.

  After a moment, she glanced back across the table to find that Wyatt wasn't even looking at the ocean at all. He was sitting there, gently gazing back at Lily. She bit her bottom lip and pushed a strand of hair over her ear.

  “Thank you for taking me here,” she said.

  “You're very welcome.” Wyatt placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward a bit. “Thank you for coming with me.”

  The waiter walked up to the table. He looked to be in his forties, but was clean shaven and had his hair slicked back. He was dressed in a three-piece suit and carried with him a bottle of champagne.

  “Are you two ready to order yet?” he asked, in a thick English accent.

  “Yeah, I think we are,” Wyatt said. “I think we're both going to have the sushi platter.”

  “Ah, yes,” the waiter said. “A little taste of everything. Excellent choice.”

  While he spoke, the man poured Wyatt and Lily some champagne. Then he set the now half-empty bottle onto the table.

  “I'll have your order out momentarily,” he said, then spun around to leave.

  Lily lifted her glass of champagne. “Here's to our first date?”

  Wyatt smiled. “Yes, here's to that.”

  Their glasses clinked and they each took a sip.

  “So, how are things going at your house?” Lily asked, not too sure of where would be the best place to start a conversation.

  “Things are going well overall,” Wyatt said. “I mean, Mildred is doing fine with Maggie.”

  He paused and it was almost like he wanted to add something to what he had said, but he didn't.

  “Is Maggie still practicing her numbers like I told her to?” Lily asked.

  “I'm not too sure to be honest.” Wyatt took another sip from his champagne, then set the glass down again. “I've been at the office all week and have pretty much only come home to try to catch a few hours of sleep. I feel horrible about it, but sometimes I feel like if I'm not at work, then my entire business will fall apart.”

  “Do you really think that's true?” Lily asked, swirling the bubbly champagne in her glass.

  “I guess I don't know if it's true, because I'd never let that happen,” Wyatt said. “I do feel like if my business get my attention, then nobody will take care of things there. It's frustrating, but I also think that's just something you have to deal with as a business owner.”

  “You don't want to work yourself to death, though, Wyatt,” Lily said, then immediately wondered if she had overstepped her boundaries by suggesting something that really had nothing to do with her.

  “I know,” Wyatt said. “It's just hard. I guess my work is the one thing that I feel like I have some control over. I try to be home as much as I can but sometimes it's impossible. When that happens, it makes me feel like the worst father in the world. It's like I can't win. I'm either a great business owner or a great father
. I can't seem to make it happen so that I'm both.”

  Lily listened closely. She was sad to hear Wyatt was troubled, but also happy that he had chosen to open up to her. This was exactly what she had wanted on this date. She wanted to know the other side of Wyatt that she had never seen before. She wanted to learn about who he really was, to dig deeper in finding out what made him so amazing and so complex.

  “For what it's worth, I think you're an amazing father,” Lily said.

  Wyatt lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Yeah?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Maggie adores you, Wyatt. I know that, because I see it in her eyes. She looks up to you. She sees you as a hero. In her mind, you're invincible, you know that? I know that sometimes it's hard to see things like that, but trust me, it's true. You should never kick yourself because you think you are doing a good job of raising her. You're doing a better job than most men do, and you've had to deal with some things that most men haven't. You shouldn't be ashamed. You should be proud.”

  Wyatt's face relaxed. “See, this is why I like talking to you. You always make me feel okay about things. It's funny, but I don't know anybody else who is able to do that.”

  Lily couldn't help but to smile at the comment. It made her feel really good. “I just tell you what I know is to be the truth.”

  He sighed, and took a slowly sip from his glass. He set it down and unwrapped his cloth napkin, before placing it on top of his lap. “Well I really appreciate it, Lily. I do.”

  “So how has the house felt different without me there?” she asked.

  Why did I just ask that? She thought. Dammit. I didn't mean for that to just spill out. I'm such an idiot.

  Wyatt nodded slowly. “It has, actually.”

  “I didn't mean to bring all of that up again,” she said. “I don't know why I even said that.”

  “No, it's okay,” he assured her. “I think it's a fair question. I told you a little bit over the phone, but not everything.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

  Wyatt ran his fingers through his hair. It was almost like he was a little nervous. “You're going to think I'm crazy.”