by Tara Brent
“I’m pleased to meet Callum’s teacher too,” I say, giving her one of my lopsided smiles to impress.
I must keep her in mind for future reference, but for now, I’m here as a proud father.
Picking up my boy I hold him close to me, forgetting all about his seductive teacher. Despite him being in this world for five years without me, our bond is strong. I never wanted children. Actually, that's not quite true, I just never thought about having them. Now, I have a son and it's given my life a whole new meaning. I want to plan his future and be a part of his life. While Tiffany has this fear that I’m going to take him away from her, it seems impossible for any of us to move on.
“Is mommy at work?” Callum asks as his teacher leaves us to talk to another parent, though not before giving me a wide smile and a little wink.
What! Since when did teachers wink at parents? Isn't that a bit forward? I quite like that in a woman. I’ll have to get her number sometime. Who am I kidding? I’m in love with a red-head!
I explain to Callum that his mommy is at work and he gives me a sad face.
“She’s always at work. I miss my mommy,” he tells me.
I suppose being a single mum was never going to be easy and I suddenly feel sorry for both of them. It can't have been easy for Tiffany. If only she'd come to me. It could be so much better for everyone if she’d let me into their lives.
Time to cheer up this little scamp, I want no sad faces on my watch.
“You know what, little buddy, there’s a great ice cream parlor right around this corner. You fancy ice-cream?”
“Yes! Yes. Yes,” he almost dances in my arms then he puts on another serious face “Does Grandma know where I am? I always have to tell her where I’m going.”
“She sure does. It was her idea to go for ice cream. She tells me your favorite is peanut butter and chocolate. Yuk!” I pull a face and Callum bursts into laughter.
“I do, I do and Mommy does too. Can we save her some?”
“Sure, we’ll take a tub home for her, how about that?”
“Yay!” He whoops, waving his arms around in excitement over ice cream.
Oh, to be a kid again!
Chapter 22
An Important Question
“You have to stop meeting me like this!” I say as once again Calvin is waiting for me at the end of my shift. He insists that we go for coffee and promptly orders two Latte’s as we take our seats.
“Mom phoned me earlier and said Callum returned home quite excited tonight. You impressed me by going to his school. Did you meet Jasmine, his teacher?” I watch for a reaction and I’m not disappointed.
“Uhmm yeah, I met her,” he replies, coughing as if to clear his throat.
“Oh, it’s okay, Calvin. Jasmine has that effect on most of the dads. She sure is a looker, but she’s a great person with it,” I inform him. “If she winked at you, don’t worry, she does that to everyone.”
“Is that the sort of teacher you want for our son?” He asks me.
At first, I thought he was joking but the serious look in his eye soon put me right.
“She is an amazing teacher. Fabulous with the children. I’ve never met anyone so open and honest. I wouldn’t want anyone else teaching my son, he's blossomed under her tutorage.”
“Does she follow the curriculum?” He asks, acting as if he knows what he’s talking about.
“Of course she does, what a silly question. Look, let me get this out of the way. Jasmine is, or should I say was, a he,” I explain to him.
“What? My son’s teacher is a...”
“Yes, that's right Calvin, Jasmine is a transsexual. She’s had the op and I swear I’ve never met such a nice person in all my life.” I defend my son’s teacher because she is that fantastic. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“I...erm...just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all,” he stutters. I’m being a bit harsh on him because I know the real Calvin won’t be bothered by such a thing, but I’m enjoying seeing him squirm. “So long as he...she’s safe and teaches our son well, then I’m good.”
“Safe! She’s as safe as any other teacher. Stop squirming,” I laugh. “I’m winding you up.”
“Do you mean it’s not true?” He asks with a puzzled look, poor man.
“Oh, yes, that bit's true, but I’m teasing you because you look so shocked,” I tell him.
“I’m not used to schools and teachers and worrying about my own child,” he attempts to explain himself. “I only want what’s best for Callum.”
“Oh, then believe me, Jasmine is the best. She’s a natural with kids. There's nothing to worry about, Calvin. Now then, tell me why you’re here? This is getting to be a bit of a habit.”
He doesn’t reply straight away because our coffee arrives.
“Do you think we’ll get to finish this one?" I smile at him.
“I hope so because I want to ask you something to help move things on for us,” he finishes, taking a sip of his coffee.
This is the same as Ali, saying they have a secret and then holding on to it. I wonder what he’s going to ask me. Do you think it might be THE big question? Should I say yes, or no? What am I thinking!? He’s not going to ask me that, I am sooo stupid! Deep down though, I kinda wish he would. Oh, come on, Calvin, ask me...
An Important Answer
“Okay,” I say, feeling nervous at pushing things as far as I’m about to. “I’m aware that you don’t want me to rush anything.”
At this point I pause, so I can check on how she’s reacting. Looking into her eyes I recall how much I enjoyed being with this woman. That’s why I’m trying to take things slower, so I don’t scare her off. Will she agree to my suggestion or not? I’m hoping she does.
I take hold of her hand because she looks on edge. She’s obviously thinking I’m going to demand something she’s not happy with, so here goes...
“I’m aware that you’re not keen on my doing things with Callum if you’re not there. So, I want to invite you all on a short vacation with me?”
I watch her eyes and I'm sure I see a hint of disappointment in them. Am I asking too much too soon?
“We could go up the coast on the boat. There are some amazing beaches and lots of places where Callum will have a fantastic time. I thought if you and your mom were there, we could all relax from the tensions of the past few weeks. What do you think? Will you say yes?”
Her eyes drop to the table, so I squeeze her hand.
“It will give us all time to get to know each other. There are no strings attached, Tiffany. I make no demands, only to be with my son.”
“It’s okay, Calvin, you don’t need to explain yourself,” she says, smiling, but pulling her hand away from mine.
“We could certainly do with a vacation. After the tremors, Callum has become a little bit clingy. He doesn’t like me to go to work, and that’s not like him. I have to tell you, Calvin, mom and I have discussed moving out of San Francisco. So yes, you're right, it will be a nice break from all the tensions.”
“Are you agreeing?” I ask, not sure of her answer, and frankly, I now feel concern at the news she's just divulged to me.
“I am, Calvin. Thank you for inviting us all. It makes things so much easier and Callum can get to know you better by being a family setting.”
“We must talk more about these concerns for Callum, and wanting to move,” I add. I'm hoping she might tell me more.
“We’ve talked about it before because I’ve never been sure I want Callum to have a city upbringing. Since the tremors though, he’s become a little jumpy at loud noises. Nothing too serious but I don’t want him to end up becoming a nervous child. He used to love a good thunderstorm, but he’s suddenly afraid of them, in such a short time.”
It feels good that she’s sharing something so important with me.
“What about your job?” I dare to ask.
“Oh, I’ll secure a position before we move. We couldn’t move otherwise. I do need to
be working. That’s why it’s going to take time,” she replies being quite honest with me.
“Can I help?” I ask, unsure if should.
“No, Calvin. This is something I need to do. But, you can help Callum find his confidence again. I did speak to his teacher to see if any of the other children his age were experiencing the same problem. She wondered if it might be down to all the changes happening in his life right now. You know, getting a new daddy is quite a big step for a little guy.”
“I hate to think I’m partly to blame for this,” I tell her, now worried that I’m the one who’s unbalanced my son.
“No, it’s not like that,” she assures me. “But I think he’s worried about losing you. His teacher could be onto something. We need to let him see how much we all love him and that life goes on as normal, even with a new daddy in it.”
“This vacation will give us all some time together. How soon can you get away with regards to your work?” I ask her, keen to go like...erm...yesterday.
“Next week. I’ve accrued lots of holiday time because I rarely take it. The money I earn is always more enticing than time off. It will be worth it this time because I’m looking forward to it, Calvin, thank you.”
I say no more but inside I’m ecstatic. Round one is over and done with. Now I have to gain the trust of my son, his mother and, I suppose, his grandmother too.
Chapter 23
An Important Announcement
“It’s almost time for me to go back on night shifts again,” I announce at the dinner table the next evening.
“No! Mommy, I like you home at night. I don’t miss you when I’m at school, but I do at night time,” Callum is quick to make his point.
His speech has come along in leaps and bounds since he started kindergarten. Sometimes he talks like a little wise old man.
“You don’t have to worry about it yet because I have an even more important announcement to make. I thought we’d take a vacation first. Yey! What do you both think about that?”
Even mom looks surprised as I haven’t had a chance to speak to her about it.
“Actually, it’s all thanks to your daddy, Callum,” I tell him.
His arm goes high up as he punches the air, “Yes, I knew he had superpowers, mommy.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know about that but it's very exciting. We’re all going on a cruise.”
“What’s a cr..ooo..z?”
“A cruise, baby, is a holiday on a boat on the sea. Your daddy owns a big boat and we will be sleeping on it. It has a small swimming pool too. We’re going to see some amazing places. To start, we’re going to an Aquarium for you. And, for grandma, we’ll go to an amazing beach.”
“Oh, will I see sharks?” Callum gets excited about the trip and he and mom do a high five. I knew mom would be pleased, she deserves a break as much as any of us. One thing about my mom is that she never asks me too many questions, never pries too deep into my private life. She shows no shock about Calvin owning a boat. Though Callum runs around shouting out, “My daddy owns a boat, my daddy owns a boat!” It's not that he fully understands what that means, but it does excite him.
“Yes, Callum, you’ll get to see sharks,” I add.
As he runs away from the table, I look over at my mom and we laugh together. It’s been hard on us both since my pa passed away, and she never lets me see her grief.
“Is this what you want?” She asks as she takes my hand in hers.
“I want us all to be happy, mom, that’s for sure. We all need this break and then we can talk about moving when we get back if you still think we need to do it.”
“I do. Although that little boy needs his mommy around a lot more. But then, you already know my thoughts on that,” she says and stands up to clear the table away.
I follow her into the kitchen to help with the dishwasher. We say no more on the subject but she never has liked me working full time. Not that I have much choice; bills need to paid and food on the table. These things don’t come for free. Luckily, I’m on a decent salary, but it does mean that my son doesn’t see much of me. I thought shift work would work out better, but I’m usually so exhausted all I do is sleep.
Ah well, I’m going on a vacation and that’s all I want to think about right now. Oh, and I want to think about the hunky Italian who’s taking us, but I'll keep those thoughts to myself.
All Because of a Woman
“You’re going to make a great father, trust me, I can tell,” Mia assures me as I tell her of my plan for a vacation.
“I want to get on well with his mother though," I tell her my fears. "What if she pushes my buttons and I end up losing it?”
“Well, dear brother-in-law," she says. "The best advice I can give to you is to learn how to give in, or should I say, learn to compromise."
“You know I’m not good at compromising. That’s why I’m such a successful businessman. I push to get the best deals.”
“And therein lays your problem. Negotiating a business deal is not the same as building a relationship with a woman, Calvin. You should have learned that by now.”
“I know, I know, and that's the main problem. I do treat women as though the relationship is for my benefit only. I bargain hard to get the best deal for myself. But Tiffany's different. If she was anyone else I’d have given up on her long ago.”
“You did, Calvin, and there lays the other problem,” Mia scowls back at me.
She’s got baby Lily asleep on her chest as we sit out on the balcony and watch the world go by. I’ve never stayed away from the business this long, but I know it can all run perfectly well without me. I need to concentrate on becoming a good father.
“You keep forgetting that you left her," Mia decides to remind me of this fact. "How can you expect Tiffany to trust you when you showed no interest in her?’
She’s right, of course, she has a wise and beautiful head on her shoulders, Ethan is a very lucky man.
“I’m working on it,” I tell Mia.
“Do you feel anything for your redhead?” She asks. “I mean anything other than she’s a stunning woman to look at?”
“I sure do," I reply. "Though she somehow manages to annoy me almost constantly because she knows exactly how to get under my skin. Despite that, I desperately need her in my life and it's not because of Callum. There's something very special between us. I’m sure she feels it too. Well if our performance in bed together is anything to go by, then we're a perfect match. We argue, we make love, isn't that perfection?”
Mia laughs, “That’s a start, I suppose. If you end up making love every time you argue, that makes her pretty special, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. She is a special woman,” I agree. “A special pain in my ass.”
“Is that a nice kinda pain though?”
“We’ll see how our time together goes and I’ll give you an answer to that question when I get back.”
Lily stirs and Mia takes her inside. I’m left alone pondering on my thoughts of Tiffany. It’s a kinda pain I haven’t felt before. It’s frustration and annoyance and some overpowering emotion I suppose must be love, all rolled into one. Is it love? Or am I chasing something that seems to be out of reach all the time? Let’s put it this way, I find myself wanting to be with her more and more and I'm not looking at other women. That's got to be a good thing.
“I’m heading off to the gym,” I tell Mia who’s sat breastfeeding Lily. I’d never thought of it before, but a woman doing what comes naturally to sustain and develop her child is a wonderful thing. It must be this newfound paternal instinct in me.
Time to go burn off some of this energy and testosterone that keeps building up inside. All because of a woman called Tiffany Miller.
Chapter 24
Vacation Time
“You think he enjoyed the boat ride?” Calvin asks me as we step on to dry land for the first time today. “I don’t want him to get seasick.”
“Stop worrying about him. He’s a tough cookie,�
�� I reply. “Besides, when he gets in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, he’ll have forgotten all about the journey.”
“Yeah, it's years since I’ve been but I remember it as being pretty amazing,” Calvin informs me. “I’ve booked us a tour guide because this place gets packed out. Plus, it means our little man can get some education from his visit.”
“Well, I’ve no complaints about that, and I’m pleased you’re thinking like a father already. I hope this special treatment in the aquarium doesn’t make us stand out though. I don’t want Callum thinking that money means he can have everything he wants.”
“You’re doing it again,” Calvin reminds me, although he is smiling. “We’re on vacation, remember?”
He’s right, of course, I can’t help myself. I’ve raised my little boy single-handed, other than with my mom. It's not easy allowing someone else to make decisions on his life.
Sometimes, when I’m with Calvin, I want to smother my Italian stallion in passionate kisses and let him do anything he likes. Then, other times, I want to run away from him and his different way of life. It scares the bejeezus out of me. I’ve always struggled with making ends meet. For my whole life, money has always been tight. Pa was a cab driver most of his life and mom worked in various stores to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I’m an only child because they believed it was sensible not to have more kids than they could afford. I never felt poor but when I think back, we had a few hard times as a family when it came to paying medical bills and the like.
I suppose that's why I’m wary of those with money. It could have been a peer group thing. Both Ali and I won scholarships. We got to go to a private girls' school, and that’s where I gained most of my “wealth prejudices.” We were always the odd ones out. It never bothered Ali. For me, though, it was different.
Ali always had her own brand and she was comfortable with it, whether others liked it or not. Me, I wanted to dress up in the latest expensive fashions so I didn't stand out, but I never could. We didn't own a car, like the other girls. Instead, we got around on an old motorbike of Ali's. Stuff like that caused others to make fun of us. It could have been a lot worse if Ali hadn't have been there with me. We had been determined to win those scholarships, but I did regret it. You know, it leaves a hard impression on a young girl if she doesn't fit in. Most of the parents of the other students were politicians or CEO’s, some even minor celebs. Neither of us had parents who had such money growing trees.
