by J. P. Comeau
Asia blinked. “Brown? That’s boring. I don’t like boring.”
Camila held up her finger. “Ah, but do you like chocolate milk? Because that’s definitely how you get chocolate milk.”
My daughter gasped. “Daddy, really? Is that true?”
When Eva’s laughter erupted from beyond her lips, the sound stopped me in my tracks. It was as if the heavens had opened up and a choir of angels had started singing just for me. The sound washed over me like warm, lazy ocean waves. It reminded me of summers spent with my family up in Myrtle Beach back when I lived a low-key life in the impoverished country hills of South Carolina. It was refreshing and effervescent. It took on a life of its own as she started to snort, and that made everyone laugh just a little bit harder.
It was the most endearing sound I’d ever heard in my life.
I am so fucked with this woman.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” Eva said.
I watched both her and Camila wipe away tears from their eyes as Asia continued rattling off insane questions.
“Jell-O or cotton?”
“Ice cream or marshmallows?”
“Italy or snowball fights?”
The more questions my little girl asked, the more ridiculous their answers became. And soon, all four of us were laughing around the table with our lunches half-eaten and our drinks barely touched. I knew I had made the right decision with these two, and I hoped this was the start of a wonderful dynamic that came together for one common good—helping my daughter become the best version of herself.
Now, all I have to do is notify Marissa of the changes.
I wasn’t looking forward to that phone call, but it had to happen. It was my responsibility to keep my ex-wife abreast of any dramatic changes in Asia’s world, even if she didn’t want to give me the same courtesy. I had half a mind to take her to court and get full custody of her, though.
“Crap,” Camila murmured.
My head snapped over to her. “Everything okay?”
She stood from her seat. “I’m so sorry to cut this short, but there’s an emergency at the hospital, and it’s all hands on deck.”
I stood to my feet and held out my hand. “Then, by all means, do what you need to do. Thank you for joining us while you could, and I look forward to seeing you Monday morning.”
She quickly shook it. “I appreciate the opportunity, and I’ll see you bright and early at six that morning.”
Eva stood and gave her a quick hug before Camila rushed out of the room. Then, there were three of us. Asia started slurping her noodles through her lips as I made my way around the table, finally giving in to the gravitational pull I felt between our bodies. I gazed down into her emerald-green eyes as she smiled up at me. I wanted nothing more than to pull her against me and crush our lips together just so I could finally know what she tasted like.
But, I resisted the urge. “If you need to head out as well, please don’t feel bad. We accomplished so much more than I thought we would, so you’re free to go.”
Eva nodded slowly. “I suppose I do have a few things I need to get in line to prepare for Monday.”
“Here, let me get someone from the kitchen to watch Asia. I’d like to walk you out to your car.”
She shook her head. “No, no. Let Asia eat and hang out here. I can get to my car just fine.”
I held my hand out. “Then, let me at least walk you to the exit. It’s the least I can do.”
“All the way downstairs?”
I pointed to the door leading out of the room. “That door.”
She snickered. “That’s more like it.”
I liked that she didn’t want to pull me away from my daughter. With my hand between her shoulder blades, I escorted her over to the door and opened it for her. I ushered her outside and stepped through the threshold, leaving the door just barely cracked open behind me.
And when Eva looked up at me, I felt my gut clench.
“Thank you for taking the time to come to lunch,” I managed to spit out.
She licked her lips. “Thank you for letting me come out.”
I blinked. “I, uh…”
She shook her head. “No, what I meant was—I just, I just meant thank you for letting—no, that’s not right, either. I just meant thanks for the invitation to come and for thinking of me. Platonically, of course. Just—oh, boy.”
My smile ached my cheeks as it continued to spread. Eva’s eyes fell to her feet, and I watched a blush of embarrassment taint her skin. She had nothing to be uncomfortable about, though. She was the cutest thing I had ever laid eyes on and hearing her stumble over her words only made her more endearing.
I wish she didn’t have to go. “Let me know when you get home safely.”
Her eyes found mine again. “I can do that, of course.”
I reached behind me for the door. “And again, thank you for coming. You’ll be at the house around three on Monday, right?”
She nodded. “Right. Three o’clock, sharp.”
I stepped back into the room. “Wonderful. I’ll see you then.”
“See you then, Gavin.”
And as I closed the door, putting a physical barrier between the two of us, I felt my own flush creeping its way down the back of my neck.
Though, it certainly wasn’t one of embarrassment.
8
Eva
All night, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Gavin had stared at me yesterday. All through lunch, I had felt his eyes on me, as if he were attempting to peer into my soul. It made me feel exposed but beautiful in an odd way, and I hoped to heaven on high that Camila hadn’t caught me staring the way I thought I was at Gavin over lunch. Because if she had, the entire spa would know about it come Monday morning.
Nevertheless, I yawned and stretched my arms above my head. I reached for my phone on my bedside table and noticed I didn’t have any missed calls or texts, so maybe I had gotten off scot-free in terms of Guadalupe’s niece seeing a little too much. Not that there was much to see. Oh, no. Just a lonely girl, gawking at a Hollywood dreamboat while he onboarded me to be his nanny.
“What a fucking life I lead,” I whispered as I set my phone against my chest.
Suddenly, my phone lit up. It started vibrating against my pajama shirt, and I tossed my arm over my face. For a split second, I thought maybe the jig was up. Perhaps it was one of the girls calling to fill me in on my own gossip, or possibly it was Gavin letting me know that he wouldn’t be needing my services. Something—anything—to burst my delightful bubble.
I didn’t bother seeing who was calling. “Hello?” I asked groggily. “Eva, I know I told you that you wouldn’t be working Sundays, but Camila just called out sick.”
Once I heard his voice—and the panic inside of it—I bolted upright in my bed. I shook my head. “So much to unpack with that.”
“I know it’s early, and I’m sure I’ve woken you up, but I called Camila last night and asked her to work some overtime for me because of a work emergency today. She agreed but then called this morning mid-vomit to tell me—”
I waved my hand in the air and interrupted him, “Weak stomach, sorry. But, I get the point.”
He sighed. “I’ll make the overtime well worth it. But, I need someone to watch Asia while I’m gone for the day. Can you get here in an hour or so?”
I drew in a sobering breath. “Give me thirty minutes, and I’ll be knocking on your door.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
I nodded. “See you soon.”
My mind focused on only one goal as I hung up and tossed the covers off my body—getting to Gavin. He sounded almost frightened. And while I had no idea why, I certainly didn’t want his daughter catching the brunt of that insanity. I washed the critical parts of my body down with a washcloth before throwing my hair into a bun. Then I pulled on the comfiest clothes I could find. Thunder boomed in the distance, and the sun was quickly swallowed up by dark clouds forecasting a lovely a
fternoon of rain and fog to punctuate the weekend. And as I grabbed my to-go bag that I was thankful I had packed the other day, I slipped into some house shoes and booked it out the door, racing to Gavin’s to get there within the specified timeframe.
“I’m so sorry for this,” he said as he opened my car door, “there’s just been a shit-ton of wrenches thrown—”
I held my hand up again before I eased out of the car. “You get going. Let me take care of things here. Any time when you might be home so I can let Asia know?”
He walked me up to the front door. “Sometime around dinner. Six, at the latest.”
I walked into his foyer. “All right, sounds good to me. We’ll be here!”
“Eva.”
My eyes met his. “Yes?”
He smiled softly. “Thank you for this. Really.”
I reached out and placed my hand on his shoulder. “Go, Gavin. I’ve got this.”
I watched his body lean in toward mine, and my heart leaped into my throat. Is this man really about to kiss me? I wondered what might happen if he actually did. If those wonderful, impeccable lips that had kissed so many leading ladies might actually want to kiss my own. But, as fleeting as the motion was, his back stood straight again, and he moved away from my touch.
Before waving at me as he jogged off toward his multi-car garage.
Wheeze. “D—Daddy?”
I whipped around at the sound of Asia’s struggling voice. “Hey there, pretty girl. How are you?”
Her eyes widened as she wheezed again. “Daddy’s gone?”
I closed the door and rushed over to her before I scooped her into my arms. “Just for a little bit. But, I promise I won’t leave your side. Okay?”
Asia clung to me, and it broke my heart. I felt her chest jumping with a need for air as her wheezing got worse. I walked over to the massive staircase and sat her down, then crouched in front of her and took her hands in mine.
Then, I peered into her panicked eyes. “With me. As slowly as you can. You’re safe, Asia. Daddy’s gonna be back around dinner, and we’ll all share a wonderful meal. We can even cook it ourselves; how does that sound?”
Tears lined her eyes. “Promise?”
I nodded. “Promise, promise.”
I walked her through the calming techniques I used in Radcliffe’s and had her settled down within a few minutes. Her breathing was still a bit labored, so I tracked down her inhaler in the half-bathroom and gave her a little squirt. Nothing big, just enough to relax her the rest of the way. And when Asia took her first big, unimpeded breath, I smiled.
“So, I have a question.”
She looked up at me. “Okay.”
I smiled. “How do you feel about snacks and Disney movies?”
Her eyes lit up. “Can we watch Ariel? I love Ariel. She swims a lot.”
I giggled. “You like swimming?”
She nodded. “Mhm. When it’s not rainy.”
“Well, why don’t we go into the kitchen, scrounge up some yummy snacks and drinks, then put on some Disney movies? We can cuddle and giggle. Maybe color while we watch after we eat.”
“Daddy doesn’t let me color on the couch with markers.”
I grinned. “What about gel pens?”
Asia took off down the hallway, giggling and yelling to no one in particular about the incredible day we were about to have. And as thunder cracked and lightning flashed, we hunkered down for a lazy Sunday. I turned on Disney+ and put on The Little Mermaid while we curled up beneath a rainbow-colored blanket Asia had pulled off her bed. And as we dipped our hands into a massive bowl of caramel-coated popcorn, we played one movie after another.
Beauty and the Beast.
Cinderella.
The Princess and the Frog.
Brave.
Then four o’clock rolled around, and it was time to start figuring out dinner.
“So, what do we want to eat in a couple of hours?” I asked.
Asia stretched. “Pizza?”
I gasped. “That is a fantastic idea. But do we want to make it or order it?”
She giggled. “Order it. Then, we can watch another movie.”
I pointed at her. “I like your style. What movie do you want to watch before bed?”
She smiled so big, her eyes closed. “My favorite. Mulan.”
I gawked. “I thought your favorite was Ariel! My favorite is Mulan!”
Asia got up and started jumping on the couch. “Be a man! Be a man! Be a man!”
She jumped into my arms, and I swung her around before we collapsed back against the couch. We turned on the animated version of Mulan, and the sweet little girl was so attached to the television that she didn’t even register my singing. I shot a text off to Gavin, letting him know about our plans to order pizza for the evening, and when he texted back his order, I wrinkled my nose.
“Ew,” I murmured.
“What?” Asia asked.
I peeked down at her. “Your father eats olives on his pizza.”
She stuck out her tongue and shook her head, making both of us laugh. This girl really had an outgoing personality once someone was able to peel back those hesitant layers. It hurt my heart to think she had lived so much life that she felt she had to conceal her true self from the world for fear of, well, whatever frightened her. It also made me fall in love with her even more.
Don’t get too attached. Not a good sign.
Still, we cuddled and enjoyed the movie, and around five, I placed our order. Ham and mushroom for me, grilled chicken and veggies for Gavin, and extra cheese with pineapple for Asia. Complete with dipping sauces, breadsticks, and cinnamon bites for dessert.
However, the delivery guy showed up before Gavin did.
“Where’s Daddy?” Asia asked.
I thanked the man for his delivery, tipped him well, and carried the food into the kitchen. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. But, even if he doesn’t make it for dinner, guess what?”
She sighed. “What?”
I set all the food onto the kitchen table. “That means we get to eat on the couch and watch another movie.”
She gasped. “I never get to eat on the couch! Let’s do that.”
I bent down. “You have to promise me one thing, though.”
“What’s that?”
I bopped her nose with my finger. “Make sure to rub it in Daddy’s face in the morning because he’ll be eating cold, day-old pizza instead of hot, fresh, cheesy goodness.”
She nodded. “I can definitely do that.”
Her sentiment made me bark with laughter, and soon we were back on the plush microfiber couch with platefuls of pizza, cups full of soda, and yet another movie on the screen. I hadn’t had a day like this in a very long time, and I could tell by how relaxed Asia was beside me that she needed time like this as well.
I made a mental note to team up with Camila to give her one day like this a week. One day to relax and not care about anything in the world.
Around seven o’clock, though, Asia started to yawn. She leaned against me as Frozen 2 played in the background, but we didn’t even get halfway through the movie before her soft snores fell from her precious little lips. I moved her, allowing her to lay against the couch so I could clean things up. And after putting all the dishes into the dishwasher and the pizza into the fridge, I did my best to scoop up Asia so I could walk her upstairs before tucking her in for bed.
“Mmmm, Daddy home?” she mumbled.
I laid her down in bed. “Not just yet. But, I’ll send him up here to kiss you when he gets back.”
She yawned. “Can I brush my teeth tomorrow?”
I slid her shoes off. “Of course, honey. But, make sure you do it first thing, okay?”
She licked her lips. “Mhm.”
I got her shoes and socks off before I slid her comforter up her body. I tucked her in tightly and handed her a rainbow-colored unicorn stuffed animal she was reaching for. And after a soft kiss on top of her head, I turned off her lig
ht and closed her bedroom door behind me.
“Can I sneak in really—”
“Ah!”
Gavin’s voice came out of nowhere, and I almost peed myself. I whipped around, my eyes wide as I peered through the darkness of the upstairs. But, no matter how dark it was, I saw his piercing blue eyes staring back at me with something akin to sorrow in his eyes.
“Daddy?” Asia called out.
I stepped off to the side. “I’ll be downstairs. Want me to heat you up some pizza?”
He cracked open her door. “More like a glass of wine, if you’re offering.”
I nodded. “Two glasses of wine, coming up.”
It wasn’t my job, but the man looked haggard. He slipped into his daughter’s room, and I made my way back into the kitchen, where I rummaged around for wine glasses and a nice, strong bottle. However, I couldn’t find the wine glasses. All I saw were old sippy cups that had been discarded in a random cabinet, foggy glasses that looked more like tumblers, and coffee mugs.
So, I settled on wine in coffee mugs.
“Asia tells me you two ate on the couch.”
I turned around and offered him a mug of wine. “Sorry, all I could find in your cabinets.”
He took it and chuckled. “Depending on the day, I don’t even bother with glasses. Cheers.”
We clinked our mugs together before he leaned against the countertop. And as I studied him, I saw his shoulders slumped a bit. His eyes had bags beneath them as if he hadn’t slept in a few days. His legs crossed at his ankles, and he took long pulls of wine until he walked over and topped it off with more of the luscious red I had found in the fridge.
Then, he drew in a deep breath. “How did things go today?”
I sipped my drink and shrugged. “They went well. We had a Disney movie marathon and snacked it up all day.”
He snickered. “Sounds like my kind of day.”
“Maybe you can join in on the next one.”
His eyes met mine. “I’d like that.” He set his wine mug off to the side. “Can I ask you something?”
I couldn’t read the expression on his face. “Sure, of course. What is it?”
He licked his lips. “Have you ever had one of those days where there’s only one thing you can think about doing, but you’re not sure what will happen if you do it? But, you know you need to do it in order to end your day on a good note?”
