“What’s wrong?” her voice sounds a little panicked. “Was my suggestion too forward? I don’t want you to think I’m easy or anything like that. It’s just…”
A teardrop slides down her cheek. I quickly wipe it away. “Just what?”
She gulps. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a date. A really long time since I’ve felt this way about someone.”
I grin. “A little frisky?”
“You could say that.”
“Is it okay for you to have sex?” I blurt.
“Why would you ask that?”
“You had a baby…”
She laughs. “That was eleven months ago. Everything is back to normal down there.”
“Good to know,” I reply. “Just for future reference.”
“Of course.”
“Didn’t you take a biology class in high school?” she asks.
“I didn’t pay much attention in biology class,” I admit. The very attractive twin red heads who sat on either side of me were much too distracting.
“I’d better get going.” She places a quick kiss on my cheek. She seems to like doing that.
And I’m starting to really like it when she does.
“Date Friday night?” I suggest.
“Let me run it by my aunt and uncle. I’ll text you.”
***
“I need your help,” I tell Nellie as soon as I see her enter the kitchen.
She wipes the sleep from her eyes. “You’re up early.”
“I have a date with Abby tonight.”
“It’s nine in the morning.”
“I want to get her a present. Will you go with me? I’d like to get something for Sadie too. I have no idea what to buy for a baby.”
She gives me a cold stare. “What makes you think I know what to get for a baby?”
I swallow. “You’re a girl.”
“I’ve never even seen a baby in real life.”
“I want this date to be perfect. I don’t want to make any mistakes. Like buying the wrong presents.”
“Haven’t you ever heard the saying it’s the thought that counts?” She yawns.
Her yawn makes me yawn. I am up early. But I can’t stop thinking about Abby and our date. “I want to do everything I can to impress her.”
“Let her do the talking,” Nellie offers. “That’s a step in the right direction.”
“She works in a nursery, so I can’t get her flowers. I already got her a card. What about jewelry?’”
Nellie shakes her head. “It’s way too soon. You don’t want to scare her off.”
“Now you know why I need your help.”
She heaves a sigh. “Fine. I’ll help you. Just give me time to get some coffee and get dressed.”
***
After our third circle through the upscale shopping mall Nellie stops and turns towards me. “We’ve been here for three hours and you haven’t bought anything yet. What’s the problem?”
“I haven’t found anything perfect for Abby yet.”
She places her small hands on her tiny hips. “What about the baby?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. That’s why I brought you along. You’re supposed to help me decide on something.”
“Fine.” She grabs my arm. “Let’s go back to Baby Time.”
She drags me with her as she marches back to the baby store. Nellie’s a small person, but she’s strong when she wants to be.
This is our second visit to Baby Time. The first time I carefully looked at nearly every item, but nothing really grabbed me.
“This.” Nellie picks up a little sweatshirt. “Get this for the baby.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Are you sure?”
“Do you want me to go home?” She gives me the stink-eye.
I can tell she’s getting frustrated. I am too. But I feel like this is such an important decision. I don’t want to blow it.
I want Abby to like me.
“What about this?” Nellie holds up a ragdoll.
I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”
“You do want to go out with her tonight, don’t you? If you don’t pick something out soon you won’t actually make it to the date.”
I glance around the store another time until my eyes land on a gigantic teddy bear. The thing must be at least three feet tall. I would have loved to have a bear that big when I was a kid.
“That’s it,” I tell Nellie.
“Are you sure?” She doesn’t sound as enthusiastic as I am about the stuffed animal.
“Positive,” I tell her.
“You’re going to have to carry that thing.”
“It’s perfect.”
Once I pay for the bear and we exit the store I have an idea for a gift for Abby as well.
“Let’s go back to that gift shop that had all of the ceramics,” I suggest.
Nellie exhales. “It’s on the other side of the mall.”
“I’d offer to carry you, but my hands are already filled with this gigantic bear.”
“He is kind of cute.”
“It’s a girl bear.”
She frowns. “I don’t think stuffed bears have genders.”
“This one does,” I assure her.
Nellie follows me as I head over to a glass case filled with collectables.
“This is the one.” I point to a statue of a momma bear protecting a baby bear. “This reminds me of Abby and Sadie. Abby’s like the momma bear. She’s very protective of her baby bear.”
“Then get it and let’s get out of here,” Nellie urges.
“Are you getting cranky?” I ask.
She nods. “I haven’t eaten all day.”
“I’ll order a pizza for you and Roscoe before I leave. My treat.”
Four
The Sullivan’s house is right around the corner from the nursery. Even though it’s within walking distance I still borrowed Roscoe’s Jeep for the date. What kind of guy asks his girlfriend to walk for their date?
The house is small but well maintained. It’s not that much different from the house I grew up in. It’s a pretty typical place for a middle class family in California.
I’ve got the giant stuffed bear in one hand, the gift bag for Abby in the other, and no way to knock on the Sullivan’s front door.
After staring at the door for several seconds I decide to pound on it with my foot.
Abby warned me about her uncle. She said he’d be tough and give me the third degree, or maybe even the fourth.
When the door finally opens I’m surprised to see a short man with really thick glasses glaring at me. He’s definitely not the tough guy I imagined. He’s no Dirty Harry. He looks more like a computer geek, or an accountant.
“Chris Rhodes?” He looks me up and down.
“Yes, sir.”
“What’s that?” He points to the huge stuffed bear.
“It’s a gift for Sadie.”
The way he’s looking at the gift you would have thought it was a turd.
“Is that Chris?” I hear Abby call from inside the house.
Mr. Sullivan points a finger in my face. “I don’t want any funky monkey business. Do you get my drift?”
I don’t, but I’m too afraid to admit it. So I nod instead.
Then he moves in really close. He’s so close I can feel his breath on my face. “I have a gun,” he whispers.
Did he just say he has a gun?
“And I’m not afraid he use it,” he adds.
I’m not sure how to respond. No one has ever threatened to shoot me before. If he didn’t look like such a nerd I might actually be afraid of him. The fact that I’m easily five inches taller and twenty years younger doesn’t seem to faze him a bit.
“Uncle Brad.” I still can’t see Abby, but her voice is a lot closer. “Will you please let Chris inside?”
Mr. Sullivan narrows his gaze at me. He places two fingers up to his eyes then immediately turns the fingers towards me in an I’ve-got-my-eyes-on-you
gesture.
When he finally moves out of the doorway so I can enter I hurry inside.
Abby’s eyes light up when she lays eyes on the giant bear. “Wow, that’s quite a gift.”
“It’s for Sadie,” I tell her.
“That bear is ridiculous.” Mr. Sullivan remarks.
“Uncle Brad.” Abby glares at him. “I love it. Sadie will love it too.”
Abby’s aunt hurries into the living room and stands next to Mr. Sullivan. She eyes the bear for several moments, but doesn’t make a comment.
“It’s good to see you again,” Abby says cautiously.
“I bought this for you.” I hand her the gift bag.
The smile on her face grows even wider. “Thanks.”
She takes her time opening the wrapped box. When she finally removes the ceramic bear she beams. “How did you know that I call Sadie my little bear?”
“It just reminded me of you,” I tell her.
She throws her arms around me and gives me a hug. The contact of her body next to mine makes me start to think about things I shouldn’t be thinking about with her aunt and uncle in the room.
When she finally lets me go I’ve got to shove my hands deep into the pockets of my jeans to tame the dragon in my pants.
“That’s more than Dex ever gave her,” Mrs. Sullivan comments to her husband.
The more I hear about Dex, the more I’m starting to hate him.
When I glance at Abby I don’t think she heard the comment. She’s too busy inspecting the gift I gave her. “This was really expensive, wasn’t it?”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it,” she squeals.
“Then it was worth the price.”
“So where are you taking Abby?” Mr. Sullivan crosses his arms in front of him.
“Dinner and a movie,” I tell him.
He points his finger at me again. I wonder if he’s a pointy person, or if it’s just me that brings out the pointing in him. “Remember what I said. No funky monkey business.”
“Funky monkey business?” Abby frowns at her uncle. “What does that mean?”
“You know perfectly well what that means. No shaky, shaky baby-making.”
Abby rolls her eyes at him. “I’m almost twenty. I think I can make my own decisions about funky monkeying around.”
“She’s a good girl,” Mrs. Sullivan says. “Let her have some fun.”
“We’d better get going if we want to make it to dinner and a show,” I tell her.
She gives her uncle a kiss on the cheek. “If there is any shaky, shaky, I can promise there will be no baby-making.”
“Where’s your moped?” Abby asks as we head outside.
“Roscoe loaned me his Jeep.”
“It’s nice,” she says as we approach the vehicle.
“I always thought when I had the money I’d get a Jeep too,” I tell her. “Now I’m not so sure.”
She frowns. “Why not?”
“It’s not really the kind of car that’s good for a baby.”
She glances down at the ground. “You should get whatever kind of car you want.”
I laugh. “It’s a mutated point. I’m not going car shopping anytime soon.”
When glances back up at me she’s grinning. “I think you mean moot point.”
“That’s what I said. Moot point.”
“You may be the funniest guy I’ve ever dated.”
“How many guys have you dated?” I ask.
“Counting you?”
I nod.
“Two.”
“Just me and Sadie’s dad?”
“Dex was my high school sweetheart. And then I had Sadie.”
I open the passenger door for her. “I’m glad you decided to go out with me.”
“I’m glad you asked.”
After I help her into the Jeep I cross the front of the car and hop into the driver’s seat.
“Buckle up.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“It’s a surprise.”
She scrunches up her nose. “I don’t like surprises.”
“Roscoe told me about a movie theater he took Nellie to. They serve food and drinks to you while you’re watching the movie. I thought it would be cool to have dinner while we’re watching the movie.”
So maybe being cool isn’t the only reason I picked the place for our date. It will greatly reduce the amount of time that I have to talk. That means not as much time to make an idiot of myself like I did with mutated point.
“That sounds like fun,” she tells me. Unfortunately she doesn’t sound as excited about the idea as I am.
“Remember I’m only nineteen,” she reminds me. “I can’t drink alcohol.”
“You seem a lot older.”
“Being a mother will do that to you.”
We’re both quiet the rest of the way to the movie theater. I’m not sure what to say that won’t make me sound like a jerk. I do want to hear more about Dex, but that can definitely wait until later.
“The place looks nice,” Abby says when I pull into the parking lot.
The exterior is much nicer than the average movie theater. Hopefully the interior is just as impressive.
“Wait there,” I instruct her as I hop out of the car. Abby isn’t that tall and I don’t want her to hurt herself trying to jump out of the jeep.
Once the passenger door is opened I give her a hand and help her out.
“You’re quite a gentleman,” she tells me.
At least I’m doing something right. If I can’t impress her with my words, maybe I can impress her with my actions.
The place is as classy inside as it was on the outside. As Abby glances around the lobby I purchase our tickets for the movie. Luckily they have a romantic comedy showing. Perfect for a date.
When I take her hand part of me expects her to pull away. Normally I’m a lot more confident with girls, but Abby is different. This entire situation is different. I usually just take women back to my place and get busy. I can get right down to what I’m really good at.
Going on dates requires me to do a lot of stuff I’m not really good at.
The theater isn’t that crowded so we have our choice of seats. Abby points to a spot near the back where no one else is seated. “Let’s sit there.”
Once we take our seats I notice there are already menus placed in front of us.
“Are you hungry?” I ask.
“I could eat,” Abby replies.
I hand her one of the menus then open my own.
“Do you want to share something?” she suggests.
I remember how much she ate when we went to the Chinese restaurant and how little food I actually got.
“Order whatever you’d like,” I tell her.
When a server arrives Abby orders a hamburger with fries and onion rings, an extra pickle and a milkshake.
I order a burger with fries and a soda.
“So tell me something about you that I don’t already know.” Abby grins at me.
I give her question some thought. “My favorite color is grey.”
She frowns. “Seriously?”
“It’s relaxing. Kind of like a rainy day. Now do I get to ask you something?”
“My favorite color?” She raises an eyebrow.
I shake my head. “I already know that.”
Her lips tighten. “How? I never told you.”
“Easy. Every time I’ve seen you you’ve worn this.” I point to the green bracelet on her wrist. “I could tell it was your favorite color.”
“Very observant. So what do you want to know?”
“What’s your relationship with Dex?”
The expression on her face quickly turns from joy to sadness. I want to punch myself for asking the question.
She lets out a breath before she says, “It’s complicated.”
That’s not really the word I wanted to hear. Over would have been a much better one.
“What’s complica
ted about it?” I prod.
She bites her bottom lip for several moments.
“Are you two still together?” I ask. I’m not sure of a better way to ask if he’s still screwing her, and if she’s letting him.
She gulps. “We’re not together. I know he sees other girls when he’s away at school.”
“Does he still see you too?”
More lip biting. I know I’m about to hear something that I don’t really want to hear.
“When he comes home from school we sometimes get back together.”
I feel like she just stabbed me in the heart with a knife. “You mean like a bootie call when he comes home for breaks?”
“Something like that.” Her voice sounds small and weak. “I don’t want to be with him. I don’t even like being with him. I guess I thought I’d never meet anyone who’d want me because I’m a mother. And part of me thought that if I didn’t give him what he wants, he’d stop seeing Sadie.”
I resist the urge to leave the theater, get into Roscoe’s car, drive all the way to Yale wherever the hell it is, hunt the guy down, and punch him right in the nose.
“Are you disappointed in me?” Abby sounds likes she’s going to cry.
“You deserve a lot better than Dex.”
“Sometimes a girl’s got to take what she can get.”
“You deserve someone devoted to you and only you.”
She blinks back tears. “Guys aren’t exactly lining up to be with me.”
“I’m here.” I look right into her beautiful brown eyes so she can see how serious I am. “I’m right at the head of the line. Just waiting to be with you.”
She places the softest of kisses on my lips. My entire body responds to the contact.
That’s when I know it’s over.
My days of being a player are done. That’s the moment I realize I’ll be spending the rest of my life devoted to Abby.
When the server brings our food the conversation is over…at least for now. The burger and fries become the sole focus of Abby’s attention.
The girl doesn’t even slow down the take a breath. She’s got her entire meal, including both of her pickles, downed before I even have a chance to kill half of my burger.
When I see her eyeing my French fries hungrily I offer them to her. “Dig in.”
She doesn’t hesitate to grab half of them and put them on her plate. “Are you going to eat your pickle?”
Beautiful Abyss (California Dreamers #3) Page 6
