“Good to see you too. You remember my wife?”
“How could I forget? Great to see you, Samantha.” And it is great to see her. I have no idea how a dud like Winston wound up with a woman like that. She’s a gem.
“Great to see you too, Joshua.”
“And who might your guests be?” Winston says, as he looks Diana’s way. “Aren’t you Dave’s daughter?”
Snooping…Winston’s specialty.
“I am. Nice to meet you Mister Mayor.”
“Are you two…together?”
“We’re enjoying a nice meal,” I say.
“But you’re…” Winston says. The thought hangs as his eyes dart from Diana to me and then back, as he’s making the connection. He doesn’t even seem to notice Brianna. I guess children don’t count in his world. They can’t vote, so they’re no use to him. Jerk.
“And you’re going,” I say to Winston. “Nice to see you, Samantha.”
Samantha replies and grabs Winston by the arm, leading him away. His body may be going one direction, but his eyes are clearly still on us.
“Who was that, Joshua?” Brianna asks.
“That’s a child that never grew up.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“You’re right, honey. No it doesn’t.” I pause to take a drink. “And you’re more of an adult than he’ll ever be.”
I put my hand on Brianna’s shoulder and look into those eyes of hers. My troubles don’t need to become her troubles, but I also don’t want to hide anything from her. If there’s one thing I know about kids, it’s that they’re aware of a lot more than we adults sometimes give them credit for.
No use in trying to sugar coat anything or pull the wool over her eyes. I want to build trust with her, and the easiest way to do that is through honesty and transparency.
“Time for dessert?” I say, wanting to get us back to enjoying our evening.
“Yes, please!” Brianna says.
The good thing about being a kid is how quickly your mind shifts gears when you hear the magic word…dessert. Our interruption is quickly forgotten.
But one person who won’t be forgetting is Winston. I can imagine he’ll be blabbing his mouth soon enough, if he hasn’t started already.
But it’s not me I’m worried about. I don’t want Diana or Brianna dealing with any gossip nonsense.
I need a plan.
CHAPTER 12
Diana
“Thanks again for this evening,” I say.
“My pleasure,” Joshua says as he enters the living room with two Cokes and three glasses.
He bends over to set the cups on the coffee table and begins pouring our drinks. From my angle I’ve got a perfect view of his tushy. Did he plan it that way?
It doesn’t matter. All that does matter is me keeping my hands to myself. I want to jump up and grab it.
When he finishes pouring he turns toward me.
“That was the nicest restaurant I’ve been in. Ever,” I say.
“Me too. I don’t usually go eat in places like that…ever actually. But tonight I wanted to celebrate a special event. I want to say it’s because of a business event, but it’s really something more human.”
I’m not sure if I should pry. He hands me a glass of the fizzy deliciousness. Oh, how I love Coke. Did he remember from those times he was at my house, or did he just get lucky?
“But the real event is you.”
“Me?”
“You,” he says, staring right at me. His confidence is unwavering. His eye contact unbreaking. “Ever since you came over with that Halloween candy, Brianna’s been doing much better. I owe you a huge debt of gratitude.”
“It was nothing. Really. She’s a great kid. I enjoy hanging out with her.”
“I’m glad, because I hope we all get the chance to hang out a lot more in the future.”
His word choice doesn’t go unnoticed. He’s standing above me. Just a few inches from me in the area that separates the coffee table from the couch.
From my seated position I’m reminded how much bigger, stronger, powerful, and dominant he is. And it’s not just to little ol’ me, but to other guys in general. They just don’t have his presence. The way he takes up space. The way he says things with such directness and self-assuredness when he’s making a point or being serious. I like that he can be easygoing most of the time, but when he wants to emphasize something, he certainly does so.
And a big emphasis on how he feels about me would be if he sits down next to me on the couch.
He turns to do just that, and I quickly slide to make room for him.
“Beat ya!” Brianna says, as she darts right into the position he was about to take.
Brianna cuddles up next to me, and I have to say it feels nice…but I was hoping to be the tiny body who cuddles up to the bigger body…not the other way around.
Joshua rises from his squat, and looks back at me. He smirks, letting me know we were outdone by a seven-year-old.
First my dad. Now Brianna. The world is conspiring against us getting close.
The anticipation is driving me crazy with desire, but I’m done with the two steps forward one step back game we’ve been unexpectedly playing.
How much longer will this continue? These interruptions?
I remind myself to be patient. This isn’t regular dating. Joshua is a single dad, and that carries extra responsibilities.
A relationship with him wouldn’t just be about us. It would be about all three of us.
And as much as I’d give anything to be with him and only him right now, I’m falling for his Brianna just as much as I’m falling for him.
I pull her in tight and grab a blanket from off the back of the couch.
Joshua lights a fire.
Brianna asks me something, but I don’t even hear it. I’m too busy checking out that tushy of his again.
CHAPTER 13
Diana
“Not only can we have popcorn, honey, we will have it and it’s almost finished popping.”
“Yeah!” Brianna says.
“Everything okay?” Josh says, as Brianna darts off to the kitchen.
“Perfect. Why?”
“Brianna asked you about popcorn three times and you didn’t answer her. I looked and it was like your head was in the clouds.”
“I was…thinking about something else.”
“Care to share what that might be?”
“Maybe later,” I say, giving him a wink. He knows exactly what I was thinking about.
Brianna comes walking out of the kitchen with the biggest pot she could find…full of popcorn. It’s so adorable, and I’m definitely glad she’s sitting next to me now.
Joshua hits some buttons on the remote and I see a whole catalog of Disney movies load on the screen.
Joshua goes to the kitchen and brings back another bowl of popcorn.
“How much popcorn does your popper make?”
“A lot,” he says. “When I’m watching a movie I don’t mess around when it comes to popcorn.”
“I can see.”
“Any preference on the movie choice?”
“Beauty and the Beast!” Brianna says.
“Does that work for our guest?”
Brianna turns and looks at me with those big eyes of hers. How could I ever say no to them? Why would I want to?
“That sounds perfect.”
Joshua hits play.
“Over here, Brianna,” Joshua says.
Just as Brianna turns she’s greeted by a single popcorn from out of the sky. She barely has to move for it, as it goes right into her mouth.
“Terrific toss!” I say.
“Do you think if we train her the circus might want her?” Joshua jokes.
“I want to see lions!” Brianna says.
“Well you’re in luck,” Joshua says. He points to the screen and the opening credits for The Lion King play.
“Yay!” Brianna says. She takes a single popcorn
from her and throws it into the air, catching it in her mouth. Seems like she’s forgotten all about Beauty and the Beast now. With Disney, how can you lose?
“You’re pretty good at that,” I say.
“Thanks.” She reaches down and picks up another popcorn. She holds it a few inches from my face. I tilt my head back just a little, and she drops it right on my tongue.
“I want in on the fun,” Joshua says.
Brianna and I both send a fluffy popcorn Joshua’s way at the same time. He tries to catch them both, but manages just one.
The whole room bursts out laughing, and soon we’re doing more popcorn tossing than we are moving watching.
Ding dong.
“I’ll get it,” Brianna says.
“It’s late honey. Let me,” Joshua says.
He goes to the door and turns the deadbolt. He turns the handle and just as the door opens wide enough to see who’s standing there I feel my chest drop into my stomach.
CHAPTER 14
Joshua
“What are you doing here, Diana?”
“I—,” Diana begins.
“Everything’s fine, Dave. Brianna’s just spending some time with us this evening.”
“Us? It looks like one big happy family over here. And what do you mean by this evening?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, Dave.”
“Word’s spreading that the two of you were out having dinner at some fancy pants restaurant.”
“Actually it was the three of us.”
“Same difference.”
“I’m babysitting, dad.”
“Seeing that Josh is here I don’t see the need for a babysitter.”
“It’s not that simple,” Diana says.
“Dave,” I say, motioning with my hand to slow down. I turn back towards the girls. “Brianna, can you go up to your room for a little bit? I’ll come and get you real soon and we can watch the rest of the movie.”
“Is everything okay, Joshua?”
“Everything is fine. We just need to talk about some things for a minute. Adult things that aren’t nearly as interesting as the movie. Better if we restart it in a few minutes anyways.’
“Okay.”
There’s an awkward silence as Brianna goes up the stairs to her room. I can hear the creaks of the stairs and I feel like I can also hear the steam whistling out of each of Dave’s ears. He’s so mad his face is turning red.
“Don’t tell me the two of you are up to something,” he says as soon as the door shuts.
“We’re not up to anything, Dave. The three of us went to dinner and we finished earlier than expected. Now we’re back here watching a movie.”
Dave’s gaze shifts to Diana. He’s looking holes right through her.
“What?” she says, as she lifts her palms toward the ceiling.
“I don’t like this.”
“Me watching a movie with a little girl who has no other female figures in her life?”
“So you’re her female figure now, huh?”
“Dave,” I say.
“Shut up and let me talk to my daughter!” he says, turning to look at me. He looks back at Diana. “Are you sleeping with him?”
“Oh my god. Dad!”
I raise my hand toward Dave’s chest.
“I’m sorry, Dave. I know we’ve been friends for a long time…forever really, but you’re out of line. I have to ask you to leave.”
“You’re throwing me out of your house?”
“I’m just saying this is a little too heated right now, and Brianna’s upstairs. We can talk about this another time, but there’s really nothing to talk about.”
“That’s not what I hear. Everybody’s talking from what I hear.”
“People like to gossip. We ran into the mayor and his wife at dinner. Actually we didn’t run into them. He came over and started prying right away looking for a headline to take the attention off the poor job he’s been doing since he took office.”
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
“Not now, Dave. Please. Just go.”
“Let’s go, Diana.”
I turn back and look at Diana. “It’s your decision.”
“Are you trying to tell my daughter what to do?”
“She may be your daughter, but she’s an adult. She can make her own decisions.”
“Now Diana!” Dave says.
“I’m shutting the door, Dave.”
I begin to move the door, but he doesn’t budge. This is escalating fast, and I don’t need a scene. This would be an absolute parenting fail if I handle this situation with violence, especially with Brianna just upstairs.
“Wait! I’m coming,” Diana says.
“Diana, you don’t have to—”
“I know. I, I, I just should go,” she says as she jumps up from the couch and shoots toward the front door.
She darts past Dave and I and is running across the grass in no time flat.
“See what you did?” Dave says.
“Good night, Dave,” I say.
He stares at me one last time, before turning to walk away.
I look down at the remote which controls the sprinkling system in the front yard.
I put my thumb on the button, but then quickly drop the remote.
“What’s gotten into me? What’s gotten into Dave?”
It’s obvious. Diana’s not his little girl anymore, and he feels a power struggle. It’s only complicated by the fact that I’m his best friend…and it’s not hard to see there appears more going on here than we led on. Appears to be going on that is, because nothing’s happened…yet.
CHAPTER 15
Diana
I run into the house and up the stairs, straight to my room. I slam the door, take two steps, and fall face first on my bed.
“Uhhh!”
I jump up and lock the door. Just in case my dad decides he has more questions. I’m not in the mood at all.
I lay down on the bed, and look up at the ceiling.
My left hand reaches for a spare pillow, which I quickly find and then use to cover my face.
And then the tears start flowing.
Everything was going so perfectly until dad had to get involved. What’s wrong with him? Why can’t he just be happy for me?
I know he loves me and he just wants to look out for me. He’s been so protective ever since mom died.
I think Joshua and I are the only two people he’s got left who are really close to him. Seeing us together like that must scare him and confuse him at the same time. It makes sense, but still…this is my life and I need to be able to do what I want to do.
But he’s not going to budge easily. This is going to be almost impossible.
Suddenly I start laughing in-between the tears. I remove the pillow because I’m sucking in big gulps of air on my laughs. Now I’ve got the hiccups.
I’m telling myself that Joshua and I have something, and we haven’t even done so much as kissed yet!
I’m acting like Joshua and I hit a home run and we’ve barely just stepped up to bat.
But it doesn’t matter. I know. He knows. It’s just a matter of time. We can’t be stopped.
And that’s what makes my dad’s interference so terrible. I know he’s going to try and do everything he can to stop us from being together. I have confidence in Joshua, but I sure hope he doesn’t give up if my dad makes this too difficult. I know Joshua doesn’t want to lose his best friend if this turns into a nightmare induced by my dad.
Just the thought of it all makes me start crying all over again.
I roll over and bury my head in the pillow. I just wish this would all go away.
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