by Ella Brooke
After work, I collected the information I had gathered for Noah during the day and carried it to my car. Instead of driving home, I headed in the opposite direction. I stopped at the store and picked up soup before arriving at Noah’s neighborhood. The houses were all large, the proof of money everywhere. I stopped in front of Noah’s gate and rang the intercom, looking at the camera lens that would show my face inside.
A moment later, the gate opened and I drove in. The house was breathtaking. A long, winding driveway led me through a luscious garden with a sparkling blue pool and a veranda on the side of the house. The lawn was immaculate, and even though it wasn’t fully dark yet, light shone against the house from between the plants bringing the whole garden to life. It was easy to see there was a lot of money here but Noah had always been very down to earth, and I respected him for that. I parked in front of one of the many garages.
“What a surprise to see you,” Noah said, coming out of the front door when I parked.
“I brought you work,” I said. “And something for Lillian.”
I held up the files and the soup. Noah smiled and that made his dark eyes warm.
“Come in,” Noah said and I followed him into the house. His shoulders were broad in the polo shirt he was wearing, and I forced myself not to look at his ass. I was here for business I told myself.
The house was as beautiful on the inside, tastefully decorated without any clutter. Beautiful paintings adorned the walls and shelves were filled with pictures of who I assumed to be Lillian.
“Do you want me to put that in the kitchen?” I asked, holding up the soup.
“No, let’s take it to her now,” Noah said. “I want to introduce you to her.”
I swallowed. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to meet his daughter, not after what we had done, but maybe I was making a big deal of it when it wasn’t necessary. So, I followed him down the passage and into the first bedroom.
The room was any girl’s dream, white and pink and filled with fairies and frills. In the middle of the room, in a bed that was much too big for her, Lillian was propped up against pillows, coloring. She looked up when I came in with deep blue eyes and dark brown curls that fell over her shoulders. Aside from her eyes, Lillian looked exactly like Noah. She was going to be a stunner one day.
“Lilly, this is a friend from work. Elena, meet Lilly.”
Lilly looked at me with those striking eyes of hers, and I sat down on the bed. The mattress dipped under my weight.
“Your dad told me you weren’t feeling very well,” I said.
Lilly nodded her head. “I went to the hospital,” she said.
“I heard. I brought you some soup to help you feel better.”
Lilly looked at Noah as if she was checking if it was okay before she took the soup from me.
“What flavor is it?” she asked.
“Chicken noodle,” I said. “Whenever I was sick, my mom would get me chicken noodle soup, too.”
“I brought you a spoon, gumdrop,” Noah said, producing a spoon he must have taken from the kitchen before we came to the room. He handed it to Lilly who opened the soup and tentatively took a bite.
“Are their veggies in here?” she asked. “I don’t like veggies, but I like this soup.”
I laughed. “I’m not sure, but if you’re feeling sick, veggies might help you feel better.” I glanced at Noah who pulled up his shoulders. I could imagine the fights over veggies when she had to eat in the evenings. Now that I was in the house, talking to his daughter, I could understand why he wanted to leave work to be home with her. He had a home here even though it was a little broken, and Lilly seemed like a wonderful girl. It made me admire and respect him for doing this alone so much more.
We sat in Lilly’s room a while longer until Lilly started to look drowsy, her eyes drooping.
“We’re going to sit in the living room, Lil,” Noah said. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
Lilly nodded and cuddled down under the covers. Noah pulled the blankets up to her neck and kissed her on the forehead before he turned around, and we left the room. He pulled the door closed until it was slightly ajar before we walked away.
“She’s sicker than she looks,” Noah said leading the way to the living room. “She’ll never go to bed without a fight, especially not this early. I’m worried about her.”
“It’s horrible when kids are sick, but I can see she’s in good hands. You’re doing a great job with her,” I said.
Noah smiled, and we sat down together on the couch in the living room. The room was decorated as beautifully as the rest of the house, with carpets that stretched wall to wall and wood trim and crown molding. A large flat screen television dominated one wall, and Lillian’s toys were scattered everywhere, proof of life.
“It’s a bit of a mess,” Noah said when he noticed me looking.
“Not at all,” I said, shaking my head. “This is how it should be.”
Noah nodded before taking the files I had brought him. He opened the first one and looked at the content.
“How was work in my absence today?” he asked.
“It was all right, between Doug and me we managed to get a lot done,” I said. “I postponed all your meetings, though.”
“That’s great. Thank you. Did you get along with Doug?”
I hesitated, not sure how to answer. “He’s capable. He knows what he’s doing, and I know he’s a good friend of yours.”
“But?” Noah asked, looking at me. He knew there was something I wasn’t saying.
“I don’t feel very comfortable around him. He kept staring at me. I’m sure it’s nothing.” I added the last bit hastily.
Noah’s eyes darkened. “If anything happens, you’ll tell me, won’t you?” He looked irritated or upset. It was almost like he was jealous, but why would he be? It wasn’t like we were exclusively a thing. At least, for him. I wasn’t the type of woman to sleep around. If I was giving it up to one man, he would be the only man.
“It’s nothing like that,” I said. “Maybe I’m overreacting.” I felt silly now. I wasn’t sure I should have brought it up.
Noah leaned forward and put his hand on mine. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry about anything.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Every time I thought I was being silly or reading too much into the situation, my Noah showed me that I was spot on. I wasn’t sure if it was jealousy or professionalism – I hoped for the former – but Noah made me feel like I had a right to my feelings. And him promising that he would take care of it made me feel warm inside.
“You’re a real gentleman,” I said, taking the chance for a compliment.
Noah grinned. “What can I say? You bring out the best in me.”
I was comfortable around Noah, in his home, and we spent a while chatting and flirting. When it was time for me to leave, Noah walked me to the door.
“Thank you for stopping by,” he said. “It means a lot to me, and I know Lillian enjoyed it too.”
“It was my pleasure,” I said. I turned away to walk toward my car, but Noah put his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. He kissed me without ceremony, his lips hot against mine, and I melted into his arms. When he let me go, I was dizzy.
“I don’t think I’ll make it to work tomorrow. I’ll let you know.”
I nodded and walked to my car. Iclimbed in, and Noah waved at me before I backed out of the driveway. I turned into the road and pointed my car home. I thought about the kiss and shivered. Noah wasn’t only attractive and assertive in a way thathad me hot and bothered. But he was also a genuinely nice guy and a good father. I felt more for him than friendship, but it confused me. What was I doing? Where could this possibly go? I worked for him for God’s sake. If something like this came out, it wouldn’t be good. And would he date me? I didn’t know if I could say yes to that.
Maybe I was playing with fire.
Chapter Nine
Noah
Friday was uneventful. I stayed with
Lilly, unsure if she was well enough for Diane to take over. Even though she wasn’t much better, she wasn’t worse. Small blessings. If I didn’t have to rush her to the hospital or call the doctor, I felt like it was a good day. Up until now, I had been lucky. This was the first time Lillian had become so sick. We made it through together, and I felt good about it. I hadn’t needed Cheryl. I hadn’t needed any woman.
By the afternoon, Lilly was almost back to her usual self. She had more energy and she ate all her food. She was talkative again, chatting away about her friends at school and things she had done with Diane during the week. I happily listened to her, relieved that she was doing this well.
“What are we going to do this afternoon, Daddy?” Lilly asked me after we had lunch together.
“What do you feel like doing?”
“Can we watch a movie?”
I nodded. “How about we make the microwave popcorn, and we get candy from the pantry and put lots of pillows and blankets on the floor?”
Lilly agreed, and we went about making it happen. She carried blankets and pillows from her bedroom to the living room while I made popcorn in the microwave. When the snacks were ready, and she had arranged our seats, we stood together in front of the DVD shelf to choose a movie.
“What about Wreck-It Ralph?” I asked.
Lilly shook her head. “I watched that with Diane the other day. Besides, it’s a boy movie. I want to watch Frozen.”
“But that’s a girl movie,” I said and pretended to pout.
Lilly made big eyes at me. “But I was sick, Daddy. It’s good manners to let me choose.”
I shook my head and chuckled. “Okay, but I’m not going to let you get away with that line forever. But for now, we can watch Frozen.”
Lilly laughed, proud of herself for winning the argument. I would have let her watch Frozen, anyway. It was her favorite movie of all time and we had watched it so many times I knew the lines by heart. When a grown man can sing Let It Go with his daughter on Disney singalong, it’s an indication that he crossed over to the daddy side. But if I had to watch Frozen, again and again, it was proof that Lilly was alive and well, and that was all I cared about.
We were about halfway through the movie – at the part where Olaf sang about the beach, to be exact – when Lilly rolled over onto her stomach and propped her chin on her hands.
“Can we go to the beach?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I think we need to wait until you’re completely better, Princess,” I said. The weather was perfect, and it would probably be all right for me to take her to the beach, but I didn’t want to risk her getting sick again. I had managed to get through it this time, but I wasn’t sure I would be able to handle round two so soon.
“Okay,” Lilly sighed. She didn’t try to argue me into this one which was an indication that she still didn’t feel one hundred percent up to it, either.
“I’m bored,” Lilly said a few minutes later.
“But we haven’t even finished your movie yet,” I said. Lilly’s attention span wasn’t long at her age.
“Can we invite Elena? She can watch the movie with us.”
I was surprised that Lilly was asking for Elena. She had only met her once, and all Elena had done was bring her soup. Lilly was usually quite shy, and she had never asked for anyone I had introduced her to, before. Not even Nicole who I had been dating, who had spent a lot of time at the house.
“I suppose we could arrange something, sometime. Maybe we should ask her to go to the beach with us next weekend.”
Lilly pulled up her shoulders and turned her attention back to the movie. I watched her lying on her stomach, kicking her feet.
“Elena looks like Anna,” Lilly said, referring to the female lead in the movie. “She’s pretty, too.”
I didn’t fully agree with her comparison. Elena had light brown hair that hung to her shoulders and green eyes that reminded me of spring whereas Anna had red hair and blue eyes. But Lillian was right about them both being pretty. In fact, Elena was beautiful.
After a while, Lilly reached for the remote and pressed pause.
“I need to pee,” she said.
“You mean you need to go to the bathroom. Ladies don’t announce what they are going to do there.”
Lilly shrugged andjumped up, running to the bathroom. I waited for her in the living room, chewing on some popcorn.
“Do we have more soup?” Lilly asked when she came back.
I shook my head. “We finished it last night. Did you like that?”
“It was yummy. Can we get more?”
I thought about it for a second before shaking my head. “I don’t know where Elena bought it. I don’t know which shop to go to.”
“Can you ask her?”
“I guess we can,” I said. “Let me find her.” It was Friday afternoon, so I knew Elena wouldn’t be very busy at the office. I was glad to have an excuse to phone her. I wanted to hear her voice.
“Lilly is asking where you bought the soup. I am under strict orders to find more,” I said when Elena answered the phone.
“I take it that means she liked it,” Elena said with a chuckle.
“Very much. She was happier about your soup than about any of the food I made her.”
“Well, if you can hold out a short while, I’m about done here. I’ll shoot to the shop and pick up some more soup before I come over to your place.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. I can go and buy more.”
“It’s not a bother, really. Besides, I’d like to see Lillian again.”
Only Lillian? I wondered, but I didn’t say it out loud. “Alright, I’ll see you soon then.”
I walked back to the living room to give Lilly the news.
“Is Elena going to stay for a while?” Lilly asked.
“Would you like her to?” I asked.
Lilly nodded, surprising me again. It looked like she liked Elena. Once again, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Lilly had never responded to other people like this. What did it mean? Or was it only about the soup?
“Are we going to carry on watching Frozen?” I asked.
“Let’s color,” Lilly said. “We can watch Frozen when Elena gets here.”
I smiled. Children aren’t often good at sharing. A baby is inherently selfish, and unless she is taught differently, she stays that way. I couldn’t remember ever having to scold Lilly for not sharing. It was something she had done easily from the start. She might have been shy, but she reached out to other people in different ways. That part of her had come straight from me. Cheryl had never been anything other than selfish.
The intercom went off about an hour later. I buzzed Elena in and walked to the front door to unlock it for her. When she arrived, I couldn’t help but let my eyes slide down her body. She wore a pantsuit that clung to her figure beautifully and a blouse that was low enough to get a peek but leave the rest up to the imagination. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, and she wore makeup that made her green eyes stand out. She was dressed for the office, but it made me want to rip the clothes off her. My cock stirred in my pants, and I tugged at my belt.
“Thank you for coming,” I said, smiling. Looking at Elena made me horny, but I would behave.
“Don’t mention it,” Elena said, smiling at me. I let her into the house without pulling her against me or kissing her or undressing her the way I wanted to. She handed me a container with more soup.
“Lilly will love you forever,” I said, taking the soup from her. “She’s in the living room. You can go on in there.”
Elena did as I suggested, and I followed her. Lilly smiled when she saw her and jumped up, running to Elena. She hugged her around the legs.
“You look like you feel a lot better,” Elena said, laughing. “It makes me happy to know.”
“Daddy said next weekend you’re coming to the beach with us,” Lilly said.
“I said we could ask her, Princess,” I said quickly. “That is if you w
ant to join us,” I said to Elena.
She smiled and looked at Lilly. “I would love to, but we will have to see how work goes. I promise I’ll try.”
When she looked at me, she was still smiling. Lilly seemed to enjoy Elena’s company. We sat down to watch the remainder of Frozen, and I watched Lilly as she told Elena what had already happened. Elena patiently listened to Lilly, gasping and laughing in all the right places, listening intently even though she couldn’t have been that interested. She was very good with Lilly. I wondered if Lilly liked Elena that much or if it was attention she was getting after being sick. My daughter had never been this open to anyone, and I was willing to consider that it was the latter. Still, it warmed my heart seeing her like this.
Elena glanced up at me, catching my eye, and we smiled at each other. We watched the movie together, chatting about things that Lilly was interested in. We had the kind of afternoon that I should have been having if I had been married to Cheryl, still. This was the life that I had missed out on because my wife had decided that drugs were more important than her family. It was strange having a glimpse of what a perfect family could be like. Most of the time, I put my head down and did what needed to be done. But I enjoyed today. I enjoy Elena’s company, and I enjoyed how Lilly was around her.
So few of my friends were interested in my home life. They always wanted me to come out if they wanted to see me, refusing to spend time at my house. But this was different. I imagined this was how it should have been.
Chapter Ten
Elena
With Beth’s wedding only three months away, there was a lot of planning to do and very little time. The most important thing, of course, was the wedding dress, so we met on Sunday morning to go dress shopping. I was excited to see my best friend and shopping for a wedding dress was the kind of thing you only did once. It was going to be a fun morning. Besides, I had a lot that I wanted to talk about.
We went to Amy Kuschel, a high-end boutique that had handmade gowns in designer styles at a fraction of the price. The moment we walked through the doors, reality hit home. Beth was getting married.
