I was in the bathroom when the door flew open, and a half naked man with a broom stood ready to strike. I screamed, and so did he. Then I laughed, and my Mom did the same from behind him. When I finally stopped laughing, my Mom walked in past him in a hot pink little sexy robe I had never seen and hugged me.
“What are you doing here?” her face started to turn red.
“Umm,” I looked up, “Let’s start with the obvious-- Professor Higgins how are you?”
“Well,” his face turned red.
“Good,” I looked at Mom and then back at him and laughed. “I’m exhausted, jet legged and all. You’re already exposed, have fun. You can both make me lunch when I get up. I’m going to text Dad and Cameron to tell them I’m here, and that I left and then I am going to sleep until at least noon”
“They don’t know?”
“No Mom, I just had to get out of there, she is a wretched woman.” I hugged her and went into my room, sent a text, put the phone on vibrate, looked one last time at Jase and all his glory, put on PJ’s and climbed in bed.
My phone rang and I answered it.
“You know I have this new picture that I am considering using as a picture ID when you call,” I giggled.
“I just sent you the picture I have of you, you may want to rethink that,” he yawned, “You’re home safe right?”
“Yes, hold on,” I opened the message he sent and gasped.
“Yeah so I took that in the hotel when I knew I was about to break two hearts. I look at it all the time.”
“Pervert,” I laughed.
“Says the girl who dragged me into the airport bathroom,” he laughed.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. So how is Miss Bella?”
“Wow,” his voice was a smile.
“That good, huh?”
“I was talking about you, asking about my daughter before asking about me. I kind of like that.”
“Get used to it, kids come first hot stuff. Now answer the question so I can ask how you are.”
“She is still asleep, kids sleep a lot. I’m good, but would be better if you were here.”
“Awe, I love you.”
He laughed, “I really love hearing you say that. What are you wearing?”
“Well, lavender…” he groaned and I laughed, “Let me finish, lavender bags under my eyes, not yet purple… but if I don’t get some sleep they will be.”
“I see, I’ll let you sleep, Baby. I’m sending you a phone.”
“As I said the first time we had this conversation, I have a phone and if you’re going to be a pain in the ass about it, send me the old one.”
“As I said before, I am going to talk to you or text you whenever I want. I’m not going to worry about pissing everyone off. And your old phone got its ass kicked, and then took a swim.”
I laughed, “Care to explain?”
“No.” And that was the end of it, no further explanation.“Alright then, I have to fly out to Denver for court in February, get this shit Baby—the fourteenth. I’m going to send you a ticket to meet me.”
“Custody?”
“Yeah. Bella is going to stay with Mom, and Charlotte isn’t going so it’ll be uncontested. Quick and easy. You’ll let me know what time class ends and I will plan accordingly. Two night’s doable?”
“Yeah,” my head was spinning, “I can get the ticket.”
“Carly, cut the shit. I have a job, you’re in school. When you finish and are making twice the bank I am you can fly me anywhere you want.”
“And Bella.”
He laughed, “Yeah, and Bella.”
“I really can’t wait to meet her.”
“Could have today,” he was being sarcastic.
“No, you two need time. Can I make a suggestion?”
“Shoot.”
“Daddy-daughter dates once a week. Just you and her.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, like dinner and a movie?”
“Kid geared dinner and movie, or a picnic in the park, or ice skating and hot cocoa.”
“No porn?”
“What?” I laughed out loud.
“I think I can be a good daddy Baby. I’m pretty sure I…” I heard a little voice in the background and Jase laughed, “Morning, beautiful.”
“I’m hungry.” I heard her laugh, “Stop tickling me.”
“Never,” I heard Jase laugh again, “Alright little Bell let me say goodbye.”
“Who you talking to?”
“Her name is Carly, you wanna say hi?”
“Sure, hi Carly,” her little voice was so sweet.
“Hello Bella,” I swear I wanted to cry.
“Are you Daddy’s friend?”
“Yes and you’re his little Bell?”
“Yeah, are you coming for breakfast?”
“No little Bell, I live far away.”
“Oh, well here’s Daddy.”
“Okay, it was very nice to talk to you.”
“Thank you, it was nice talking to you,” and she was gone.
“So you met her,” Jase teased, yes… stupid me was fighting tears. I was thrilled for him, “You still there?”
“Uh huh.”
“Are you crying?” he whispered.
“Uh huh?”
“Should have stayed,” Jase joked and I wanted to agree with him. “You gonna make it?”
“Yeah, you better go make breakfast.”
“Call me when you wake up?”
“Sure,” I sniffed loudly in the phone, real lady like.
He laughed, “I love you, baby.”
“I love you,” I hung up the phone.
I couldn’t sleep, I tried but all I could hear was that little girl’s voice and the love in Jase’s voice when he spoke to her. I threw my feet of the side of the bed and grabbed a pair of yoga pants and threw them on and walked out into the kitchen.
Professor Higgins looked at me, “Hello again, Sorry… where is Mom.”
“We, she,” he stopped as Mom walked out of her bedroom toweling off her hair.
“Did you have a nice shower?”
My Mom looked at me, “Yes, thank you.”
I looked at Professor Higgins and his face was crimson. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Carly,” my mom scolded me in a loud whisper and looked towards him as if he didn’t hear her, which made me laugh harder. She rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated groan.
“Okay seriously let’s get this out of the way. How long have you two been …”
They looked at each other and I laughed, “Okay I will rephrase the question, are you two dating, like officially?” They looked at each other again.
Professor Higgins cleared his throat, “Your mother thinks a few of our colleagues would have a problem with us having a relationship.”
I smiled, “Mimi?”
“No Carly, not just Mimi. I’m a bit older than Thomas, as I have told him since this summer…”
“Wait, is that why you chose me for the research program?” My Mom giggled.
“No,” he raised his eyebrow at my mom, “and no Carly… you are one of the top students in my class. Your English background was a definite…” Mom giggled again. “I give up.” He threw his hands in the air and walked into the bathroom and Mom laughed.
“Why are you laughing, Mom?”
“I asked the same questions and he acted appalled that I would ask such a thing,” she grabbed his glasses off the counter and put them on, “Katherine, I cannot believe that you think I’m that unprofessional.”
I laughed as she mimicked him.
“Really funny,” he walked out and took his glasses, “I’m going for a run.”
“Would you like company?” my Mom smiled.
“No,” he kissed her head and left.
“Mom don’t piss him off, I earn credits for this research project.”
“I know, do you like working with him?”
“It’s funny, Brad followed me home the night
he took us to dinner. He thought he was going to go all Professor Emerson on me.”
She smiled, “Do you miss Brad?”
“No, but I do need to tell you something.”
“You are really running home to stay away from Jase?”
“No actually, but I love him Mom,” I looked up at her cautiously.
“You what?” Mom almost choked on her coffee.
I explained everything that happened, leaving out the part about the airport bathroom. She looked at me with love and concern, “Carly, is that really what you want?”
“He is the only person I have ever felt this way about Mom.”
“What about Brad?”
“It’s comfortable, but not passionate, I don’t even miss him. I feel horrible and I have no idea what I’m going to tell him,” I looked to her for advice.
“I don’t know what to say Carly, I can’t make this decision for you. You will finish school, right?” she looked at me.
“Yes. He says the same thing Mom,” I sat back, “He loves me.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think so, yes…. a firm yes. He loves me,” I smiled.
“Just be careful, take it slow,” she hugged me.
“I’m going to fly to Denver to see him on Valentine’s Day, he has court.”
“Custody?”
“Yeah, she is so cute Mom.”
“Her father is very handsome,” I smiled and so did she. “Brad is, too.”
“Not like Jase.”
~
I avoided Dad’s calls and Mom gladly told him exactly why I had come home. At one point I heard her tell him to think with his brain and not his dick for once. I had never heard my parents argue, so it was a shock. Well at least I know where I get my feistiness from.
When Brad returned, he called me immediately and asked me to dinner. I told him yes, we needed to talk, and I made up an excuse to meet him instead of riding together.
When I pulled into the restaurant he got out of his car and ran up to me, picked me up, twirled me around and kissed me. No tongue action, just a sweet kiss, “I missed you, it was hell stopping myself from calling you every day.”
I’d never seen Brad like that. I smiled when he set me back on my feet. We sat at a table for two in the corner, and he held my hand and ordered from the menu for both of us. He knew exactly what I’d have picked, right down to extra dressing on the side.
“We went to Florida for a week,” he pulled out a little box, “I got you this, it reminded me of you.” He set the box on the table and I smiled at him, “Are you going to open it?”
“Brad, I have to tell you something,” this was way harder than I expected.
“Okay. You saw him right?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t planned,” I immediately needed to defend myself.
He sat back and smiled, “Okay, so did you hook up?”
“He saw me on a bench when I was waiting for a cab, Christmas night,” I began to tell him and stopped.
“Go on, I’m listening,” Brad leaned forward, and his eyes were blue and shiny.
When I finished telling him the waitress brought our food and he thanked her.
“Carly, do you really want all that, I mean your twenty years old.”
“Well maybe not right this second, but eventually yes,” I looked up at him finally.
“I saw my high school sweetheart, a girl I dated for three years, my first love. She and I talked, she kissed me. She wanted us to try the long distance thing. I didn’t. I wish things between you and I hadn’t started right away. I kind of held back I had no intention of pushing until you were over him. I needed to know my feelings were genuine. They are, I care about you. When I left I was not all that tore up. But as I looked at my life at home, I kept picturing you there with me, it was crazy,” he laughed, “We have two years left here Carly, that’s a long time.”
“I know it is….but it’s just…I have really strong feelings for Jase, I don’t want to hurt you. You’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had,” I rolled my eyes. “I may regret this but I need to see where he and I go from here.”
“Alright, I get it. Is he okay with you and I hanging out?”
“Oh, well he knows we have class together.”
“How does he feel about that?”
I smiled, “Not sure.”
“I see, Professor Higgins emailed me about the project, will you be continuing on?”
“Yes.”
“Perfect,” Brad smiled and then winked. “Take your time figuring it all out.”
Brad walked me to my car and smiled, “I am going to kiss you goodnight, don’t return it.”
Before I could object, his hand was on the back of my head and his lips were on mine, I know I should have pulled away, I really should have, but it was sweet an innocent. No tongue, no rush, no strings.
“Goodnight Carly,” he stepped back as I got in the car and he watched as I drove away.
~
When I got home I told Mom what had happened and she smiled, “He’s a great guy. Thomas likes him a lot. And he’s willing to wait for you.”
“No… that’s not what he said Mom, and it’s not what I want.”
“Okay.”
I called Jase and when he answered I could tell I woke him. I told him about what had happened. All of it except that I kind of liked it. I wouldn’t let it happen again, I couldn’t. I loved Jase Steel. And Jase Steel loved me.
Over the next month Brad and I worked diligently on the project. I didn’t go to dinner with him when he asked, and he treated me no differently than before. He was truly amazing.
I had even begun to meet a few friends. Janet was fun, she and I had a few classes together and she was interested in the same books as I was, (yeah, THOSE books). Brad was hanging out more with his swim team which was good, yes it was good. I missed him a little, but still not like Jase, not even close.
~
“You in bed, baby?”
“Yeah, very tired. How is…”
“Little Bell is great, she’s loving her new school, and even has a few new friends. Her birthday is the weekend before I see you so get this shit: I’m hosting a pajama party for five, five and six year olds. I mean seriously these parents are out of their minds letting some pierced, tattooed, single Dad keep their kid’s overnight. What the fuck is wrong with people?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, “I’m sure they can see through the piercings, and you only have a couple tattoos. It’s not like you look like Cyrus or Zandor.”
“Yeah, but what will they think when they drop their kids off and they’re here?”
“Well, who cares, right?”
“Never did before,” he chuckled, “But it matters now.”
“Okay, look… give me your brother’s numbers. All of them I will deal with them.”
“I got it, Baby,” he laughed, “Mom and Charlotte will be here and I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“I want to help, it’s a big deal.”
“That’s very sweet but I have it covered,” Jase yawned.
“Did you do decorations?”
“What?”
“Like a theme, what is the theme?”
“It’s a six year old girl’s birthday party, a sleep over.”
“Okay good, I’m going to….” I grabbed my laptop and Googled party themes.
“What are you going to do?”
“Give me your address,” I was excited.
“Why?”
“Party supplies, of course.”
“You don’t have to…”
“Jase, come on. Let me do something, please, please, please?”
“You could have been,” Jase stopped, “I’ll text you the address.”
“I could have been what Jase?” I have no idea why I asked, I knew what he was going to say.
“Nothing, it’s just hard to juggle two different lives. Look, I appreciate that you want to help and I shouldn’t have said anything. Shit just ch
anges, you know.”
“I know,” I also knew I was going to cry. I felt the heat in my eyes, stupid heat!
“Alright I am going to head to bed. School in the morning, no more sleeping in for me or Bella,” he forced a small laugh.
“Goodnight Jase,” I did the same.
“Goodnight, Carly.”
His life was changing and I felt this twinge of jealousy which made me sick to my stomach. I would not ever be that person, jealous over someone’s child. It was sick and I wouldn’t do it. I know it’s not jealousy, I just want it to be perfect for her, and for Jase.
So here I go down the dark path I never thought I would travel. A world only desperate women traveled. I grabbed my purse and dug out my wallet. I opened my laptop and took a deep breath before I headed down this dark road, emotional shopping boulevard here I come.
I loaded up the cart, streamers balloons, cute little hats, noise makers, and anything I could find that had anything to do with sleepovers and birthdays. Man did it feel good! Next I went on a birthday present rampage. I couldn’t believe how much fun this was! When I finished, I did a happy dance and then grabbed my phone to text Jase. I looked at the clock and decided it could wait for the morning.
~
I woke and looked at my phone, no ‘good morning’ text from Jase. Come to think about it, he hadn’t sent a text saying goodnight nor did he say I love you Baby at the end of our conversation. Well he was tired, and overwhelmed. Forgiven.
-Good morning…C
My phone rang immediately, “Hey, sorry,” he whispered into the phone.
“Don’t be sorry, and why are you whispering,” I whispered back.
He didn’t answer right away I heard a door shut, “Baby, do you know how much a five year old can vomit?” he asked sarcastically.
“Aw, is she sick?”
“Yeah,” he laughed, “Poor kid woke up right after I got off the phone with you and I heard her cry. I walked into a scene from the damn Exorcist, projectile vomiting all over the place.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah she’s finally asleep. I cleaned up puke for hours, her room was all fucked up. I have the windows open now, hoping to kill the germs in there. She’s all snuggled up in my bed. No fever, no more throwing up… she’ll sleep it off.”
“It’s not a hangover,” I laughed.
“I know, much worse: she cried, Baby.”
Jase Page 9
