by Naomi Niles
Chapter Eight
BETHANY
I arrived at work Monday morning, still high off my Friday evening date with Gavin. We had talked every day since then, but he told me that he was too busy for us to meet up. He had to entertain some business guests from overseas. I guessed that is why he had to sign up for The Right Click to begin with. I tried not to get my hopes up too high because of that. If he didn’t have time to see me, he probably wouldn’t have time for a relationship. April told me not to worry about that though and just take things a day at a time. “It’ll all work out if it is supposed to, but for now, just have fun!”
When I walked into the teacher’s lounge, Sharon was there, making herself a cup of coffee. “Hey, girl. You are lucky because Derrick just left this room about five minutes ago.”
“Oh, thank God. I don’t know what is wrong with that man. He just will not take no for an answer. It is sickening!”
“Girl, I don’t know why you are playing around. You may as well give him some time. It’s not like you are seeing anyone else right now. All you do is go home and read those corny love stories.”
“Well,” I said as I slid my lunch into the refrigerator, “That is where you are wrong. That’s not all I am doing these days.”
Her eyebrows lifted to the middle of her forehead, “Oh, really? Well, well, well, do you care to explain yourself, missy?”
“Um. Okay. I met this guy named Gavin off this website called The Right Click.”
“Oh, girl, I’ve heard about that website! You have to pay for it, don’t you?”
She grabbed a seat, then tapped the cushion on the one beside her, urging me to sit down. I obliged. “Yes, you have to pay for it, but I didn’t do it. In fact, I didn’t even want to sign up for it. My friend created my page and took care of all that for me.”
“Ugh! I wish I had friends like that.”
“Yeah, I am thankful for her. Anyways, she set my page up, and later that day, I got a hit. It turned out to be Gavin. This tall, sexy CEO from a watch company out here. I forgot the name of it, but so far, everything is good. I’m just taking it slow, you know? I don’t want it to turn out like my last relationship.”
“Well, I can tell you like him. You haven’t stopped smiling since you mentioned his name. Derrick is gonna be crushed once he hears you have another love interest.”
“Crushed? If he is, he will only be crushed because of his own actions. I told him that I wasn’t interested from day one, but he wanted to keep trying, so that is on him.”
Just then, the school bell rang. A few more teachers quickly stepped in and out of the teachers’ lounge, waving to us in the process. “Well,” Sharon said, “I need to get going before that second bell rings. I hope things go well with you and, um, Mr. Gavin. Find out if he has a sexy brother or cousin or something. Please?”
I laughed. “Sure thing, Sharon. I’ll ask.”
I went through the rest of my day thinking about Gavin and the things we could do on our next outing. I thought about planning something for the two of us to do with his son, but I figured that would’ve been too soon. I felt that when Gavin was ready to include me on something like that, he would bring it up himself. I didn’t want to cross any lines and make things uncomfortable. If they were going to happen, they had to happen naturally.
After work, I went to April’s house. She asked me to give her the details about my date since she was half asleep the night I called her. She was busy all weekend, so we couldn’t catch up the way she wanted to. I told her how much of a gentleman he was. “He held doors for me, pulled out my chair, and everything. But oh, that’s not even the most surprising part. When I expected a kiss on the lips at the end of the night, he kissed me on the cheek instead.”
“The cheek? Seriously? What kind of third-grade shit is that?”
I laughed. “No, it was fine. I mean, I wouldn’t have minded if he kissed me on the lips, but the fact that he went for the cheek showed me that he respected me. And you know, coming from someone who had a past like me, that is a big deal. I wasn’t ever respected in that industry, so it felt good that the first man I met since then treated me like a woman instead of an object.”
“Well, I guess you have a point there. I can’t remember the last time I was kissed on the cheek. Maybe it was like… second grade? It had to be Alex. That was my crush back then. I wonder what he is doing now…”
“Are you serious, April? You are thinking about your second-grade crush? I don’t know what’s worse: the fact that you are thinking about him or that you had a crush in second grade.”
“Oh, grow up. I think I’ve had a crush in every grade I’ve been in. Anyways,” she stood up from her seat, “I am going to start dinner. Come on; we still have some things to talk about involving Gavin.”
I followed her into the kitchen and helped her gather the things she needed to make dinner. April loved cooking, and she always tried to teach me a few things each time she started a meal. She believed that a woman should know how to prepare dinner for her family a few nights a week, and since she was always trying to hook me up with someone, she felt it was her job to help me iron out some of the wifely duties.
I wasn’t one of those women who felt that I always needed to cook and clean for my husband. I felt that those things should be balanced equally amongst a couple, but I didn’t mind learning a few tidbits here and there. She filled a pot with water and placed it on the eye of the stove, then grabbed a package of spaghetti noodles from the cabinet. “This meal will be easy tonight. You can make it in less than thirty minutes. Can you grab the salt out of the cabinet for me?”
I handed her the salt as she continued speaking.
“You want to sprinkle this in the water so the noodles don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. After that,” she grabbed a handful of spaghetti noodles and broke them in two like a pencil. “Drop these in there and let them cook until they are finished.” I took mental notes as she explained how to prepare the meal.
When she was finished, we sat at the kitchen table. “Okay, now about this Gavin. When is the next date?”
“Well, he said that he wanted to get together this weekend.”
“Really? Wow, he must know what he wants. That is a good thing. I guess I can remove my card from the website.”
Before I could respond, my phone lit up with a voicemail. It surprised me because I didn’t even hear it ring, but I hardly ever got a good signal at April’s house. I put my phone to my ear and listened to the message. “Hey, Bethany. This is Gavin. I know I told you that I wanted to hang out this weekend, but I didn’t realize that I canceled plans with my son last weekend because of business, so I wanted to make it up with him. However, you are more than welcome to come along if you’d like. I know it may be a bit early for you to meet him, but if you are okay with it, then so am I. Either way, call me back and let me know. Talk to you soon.”
I ended the call as April stirred hamburger meat into a separate pot on the stove. “So,” she said without looking my way, “what did he say?”
“Well, there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that he had to cancel our date this weekend.” She narrowed her eyes at me as the steam rose from the pot. “But, the good news is that he canceled it because he had to spend time with his son… and he offered me to go along with him.”
“His son? Wait, he asked you go hang out with him and his son? After a fucking week? No way, Bethany, that is way too soon for you to be meeting his children. You’ve barely even met him, and now he wants to turn you into a mother?”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, April, he is not doing that. I mean, I don’t think it is a bad idea. It’s best to get it out of the way up front, you know? I mean, if his kid doesn’t like me, chances are that we won’t go any further. I would rather find that out now than find it out later down the line when I really start to like him. Well, if it gets to that point.”
She turned off the eye on the stove. “No. That is my opinion, Bet
hany. No, and hell no. I think you need to wait a little bit before that happens.”
I held my phone in my hand while April expressed her disapproval of tagging along on a date with Gavin and his son. As she went on, I dialed his number, then held a finger in front of my lips so she would quiet down. “Hello, Gavin?”
“Hey, Bethany. How are you doing?”
“I am good. I um, I just got your voicemail.”
“Yeah, I am so sorry about that. I promised my son last weekend, and we didn’t go, so I would feel horrible if I took you out and the kid was still waiting to hang out with his old man. But, like I said, you’re more than welcome to come if you’re up to it.”
I looked at April as she sat close to me, listening in on our conversation. She lipped, “No,” and shook her head. I smiled. “I’d love to go with you and your son, Gavin.” She put her hand on her forehead and sulked in her seat. “Just let me know what time, and I’ll be there.”
“Great. Sounds good. I told him that we could go bowling and catch a movie or something, but we will just play it by ear.”
“Okay. I am looking forward to it.”
“Likewise.”
I hung up the phone as April stood near the stove, stirring the pot of spaghetti with one hand on her hip. “Welp, here we go. Do you want me to start calling you step-mom right now?”
“Stop it.”
“I am serious. You know how you are with children. One look at his son, and I bet you’ll fall head over heels for him.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
She turned towards me, pondering my question. After all this time of trying to hook me up with someone, it seemed as though she was going back on her decision. It didn’t seem like her. “Well, I guess it’s not. That’s what I signed you up on the dating site for, so yeah,” she turned back to the stove, “I hope it works out. I just don’t want you to get too attached so soon, you know? I don’t want you to go get hurt. I mean, he seems like a good guy so far, but I just want you to be careful. Move slow. That’s all.”
“Yeah, I know.” I walked closer to her and put my arm around her shoulder. “Thank you for caring. Thank you for everything. Seriously. I think I will be alright with this one, and if not, well, I still have that pepper spray that you gave me a few days ago.”
She laughed. “Yeah, you better. That shit cost twenty bucks.”
Chapter Nine
GAVIN
I told Vinny about the idea of bringing Bethany to hang out with us. At first, he was resistant to it. In his mind, he always felt like the place next to me would always belong to his mother. I had to explain to him that things wouldn’t work out between me and Karen because we just weren’t meant to be. “Son, listen, I love your mother. I do, but we are just not meant to be. It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. We just didn’t fit. I know that you want me to be happy just like your mother is, and you are mature enough to understand that sometimes, things won’t go the way you want them to. That’s a life lesson.”
I remembered his face when I told him that. He sat on his bed, looking off into the distance with a blank expression. I could tell he wanted to cry, but he kept his emotions in check. “Alright Dad,” he said, finally. “I understand. I don’t mind if she comes along. You are right. You deserve to be happy, even if it is not with mom.”
I hugged him, and after that, I called Bethany about the possibility of coming on the date with us. I was surprised when she agreed to it because, in my mind, it was a little too soon to ask her that, especially since I’d never introduced any other woman to my son since I split up with his mom. It was a big step for me, but I figured that since I was focused on settling down, Vinny would have to meet the woman eventually. Now was as good a time as any.
Saturday came in a blur. We decided to head to the bowling alley, and then get a bite to eat afterward. I tossed the movie idea out the window because that wouldn’t give us a good chance to interact with each other. I knew that Vinny was a well-mannered young man, but I was nervous about what his interaction would be with Bethany. It was going to make or break our chances of taking things further.
I arrived at her place just before 2 pm. I sat outside of her house and shut off the car engine. Vinny looked straight ahead, not uttering a word. “Well, son, here we are. Are you ready to meet her?” He nodded his head silently. I glanced at her front door. The house was smaller than I’d imagined it would be. The neighborhood was decent, but there were a few houses that had let their lawns get a little out of control. It was the type of area I had lived in before my business became successful, so I could relate to small beginnings.
“Dad,” he said, finally.
“Yes?”
“I hope she is nice.”
I smiled and tapped him on the leg. “Yeah, son, she is nice. If she wasn’t nice, I wouldn’t bring her around you. As a matter of fact, and this is between me and you, okay?”
“Okay.”
I looked him square in the eyes the way that a man would look another man during a business decision. “If you don’t like her… I mean, if you have any bad feelings about her, then I won’t see her again. Your input matters in situations like this, and I don’t ever want you to feel that I am choosing a woman over you. You are my son. If you aren’t comfortable, then I won’t be either. I just want you to understand that. Okay?”
“Okay, Dad. Thanks.”
Just then, I grabbed the handle and stepped out of the car. Vinny followed me to the front door. A cloudy blanket covered the sky above us as we rang the bell. It took a few seconds for Bethany to open the door, and when she did, Vinny’s eyes lit up. “Ms. Pope?”
She smiled, “Wow, this is some coincidence! Vinny?” She looked at me. “Vinny is your son?”
My brows wrinkled at their interaction. “Um. Yes. Now, this may seem weird, but how do you two know each other?”
Vinny walked forward and put his arms around Bethany. She smiled as they embraced. “Vinny is one of my favorite students at Morris Elementary. He is sooo sweet, and I always wondered who raised him because I never saw either of his parents at the school. I mean, I am just a secretary, so I am not there during the parent/teacher conferences, but I know a lot of the parents pretty well.”
“Oh, really?” I was embarrassed that I didn’t think to ask her what school she worked at. It may have been easier for me to let Vinny know that she was coming along had I known that information. “Wow. Look how things work out.”
Vinny released her, and with a smile on his face, he looked at me as he held her hand. “She is my favorite. I wish she was a teacher, but she only helps during recess, lunch, and after school.”
Bethany’s smile mirrored his. “Yeah, I told him that I am working on that part. But, for now, we’ll just have to stick with the arrangement we have. Times will change soon, though. That’s what I believe.”
“Well. Now that the so called ‘hard’ part is out of the way, I guess we can go.”
“Absolutely,” Bethany responded. “Just let me grab my purse, and I’ll be right out.”
As she walked away, Vinny and I stood on the porch. His snaggle-toothed grin gave life to me. “I like her, Dad. I really like her a lot.”
“Really? That is a good thing, then! A real good thing.”
It felt like confirmation that I was headed the right way with Bethany. I thought it was going to be tough to get him to warm up to her, but seeing as how he already adored Bethany, half the battle was already won. Now, I just had to focus on building more chemistry with the three of us as the day went on. A few minutes later, Bethany came back to the door with her purse on her arm.
With the initial surprise taking over the moment, I didn’t get a chance to see how she looked. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail that hung to the middle of her back. She wore jeans that hugged every curve below her waist and a pair of sneakers to cover her feet. Her t-shirt clung to her body like it was full of static. After she locked the door, she faced me, “O
k, I am all set.”
Her lips glimmered from the thick coat of gloss. The arch of her eyebrows looked sharp enough to cut someone. I was allured from the very first moment. “You look amazing.”
She glanced at her clothing. “Seriously? In this?”
“Yes, in that. You look amazing.”
She blushed. “Well, thank you, Gavin. You don’t look so bad yourself.” She looked down at Vinny, “And you? You always look handsome every time I see you. Now I know where you get your good looks from.”
He smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Pope.”
“Oh. While we are out, you can call me Bethany.”
“Okay, Ms. Pope,” he nervously corrected himself, “I mean, Bethany.”
After that, we all went to the car. Vinny opened her door before I had a chance to, then he climbed into the back seat. It seemed as though he had a crush on Bethany, and for a good reason. She was an attractive young woman who had a way with children. I wished that I had run into some attractive teachers or secretaries when I was his age. I may have done more to pay attention in school. I got into the car and headed to the bowling alley.
When we got inside, Vinny rushed to find a ball for him to use while Bethany and I stayed behind at the counter to pay for everything. “I am so embarrassed that I didn’t know you worked at his school. I should’ve known that.”
“No, it’s alright. I mean, we were just kind of talking about everything. I was just as surprised to see him, though. I didn’t expect that at all.”
“Yeah, me either.” I looked at Vinny as he shuffled through the balls on the rack, searching for one his size.
“Where is his mother? If you don’t mind me asking.”
I took a deep breath. His mother was always a sore spot for me, but I didn’t want to let Bethany know. “We just weren’t meant to be together. She is doing her thing, and I am doing mine. She is still active in his life though. We are just co-parenting. I feel that we are better with that than an actual relationship.”
