by J. P. Comeau
“Do you go to a lot of different places?” Caley looked up at him as he placed her on the ground.
“Sometimes I have to travel, yes. And if you like barbecue, then you would love the competitions down south, young lady. That’s where a bunch of people try to win prizes for cooking the best food.”
“Mommy thinks it’s funny when I eat ribs and get sauce all over my face!”
All three of us laughed, and I proceeded to spread out the blanket and unfolded the chairs. Caley and I sat down while Jake finished cooking.
I looked around the park. “Not that I’m complaining, but there are plenty of picnic benches here, so do we really need the chairs?”
Jake glanced over his shoulder at me. “There’s a community movie showing tonight, and I thought we could all watch it. Don’t worry, it’s appropriate for children. But I’ll have to Google the title again.”
I smiled up at Jake. “That sounds wonderful. Caley loves movies, don’t you?”
Caley pulled out a bag of barbecue potato chips and began munching away, all the while nodding her head. “I’ve seen every Disney movie!”
“Yes, yes, she sure has,” I replied with a sigh.
Jake shot me a look that said he understood what I was getting at. Mommy needed a much-needed break from Disney. “Well, tonight’s movie isn’t Disney, but it’s supposed to be good. And don’t fill up on potato chips, Caley. You have to save room for this barbecue chicken. Oh, and I brought some corn on the cob too.”
We spent the afternoon eating and enjoying the park. Jake showed off his athleticism by playing frisbee, and Caley pretended to put on a fashion show for us. Some of the other families even watched and cheered her on.
There were a few moments where Jake put his hand on mine. It felt natural, as though we were two peas in a pod. I also saw Caley looking at us whenever that happened. “Ugh, get a room, you guys!”
My mouth dropped open, and I had to force myself not to chuckle. “Caley, where did you hear that?”
“I’ve head you say it, Mommy. What does it mean?”
Jake couldn’t stop laughing as I tried to reprimand her.
Finally, I sat back and enjoyed watching Jake play with Caley. He interacted with her much more than her father, even when we were living together as a regular family. Jake was acting like an actual dad, not some guy who was dating a woman who just happened to have a kid.
As happy as I was, deep down, I kept thinking about just how far it would go between the two of us. I kept reminding myself that Jake didn’t live in River Valley. He was a multi-millionaire playboy from San Diego.
Unlike a womanizer with money, he went out of his way to spend time with me after the hookup. He didn’t just up and leave town without at least saying goodbye. Not to mention that he didn’t even know my exact address, and yet he somehow found it and brought not one, but two bouquets of flowers.
A man who just wanted a one-night stand wouldn’t have gone that far.
In terms of any ulterior motives, it’s not like I had something else that he wanted. He didn’t know about the money I received when my husband left, and that would eventually run out. I was just a normal, middle-class single mom.
Was I kidding myself when I fantasized that our time together was actually something more than a brief romance? Or were we just two old high school friends reliving our past?
“Are you girls ready for the movie?” We were all seated at a picnic table, eating the fruit salad that Jake brought.
“What’s it about,” Caley asked in between bites.
Jake dramatically wiggled his fingers and lowered his voice. "According to Google, it’s about a young girl who develops magical powers that make her invisible."
“I wanna be invisible!” Caley held up her hand in defiance, causing Jake and me to laugh.
As the sun began to set, we set our chairs next to the picnic blanket and got ready for the movie to start. Caley laid down on the blanket in front of us using her jacket as a pillow. When the sun went down, and the park went dark, Jake reached over and held my hand, using his thumb to caress my skin.
I didn’t even try to hide the smile that wouldn’t go away until it was time to go home.
12
Jake
All three of us sat in our chairs, watching the movie on the big screen. There were families and couples all around us. Some kids were more interested in playing than watching, and at some point, Caley lost interest, too.
“Here,” I said while getting down on the blanket with her.
I pulled the Barbie I had purchased for Caley from her backpack and began watching her play dress-up with the doll. She was so adorable. Of course, I wasn’t up on the latest Barbies, so I took a chance. The doll was a hit. That particular Barbie seemed to be all about fashion which was right down Caley’s alley.
“She needs a new hat,” Caley said while reaching into the box that it came in.
Then Caley pulled out a bunch of plastic accessories and started playing. I helped her pick out a new bag and shoes for the Barbie, too. We dressed the doll and played a little longer before Caley yawned and focused back on the movie. After she laid down on the blanket and curled into a ball, it was only a matter of minutes before she was fast asleep.
I sat back down in my chair and held Julianna’s hand again, only letting it go whenever we thought Caley might wake up and glance up at us. But by the time the movie was over, Caley was lightly snoring.
As we stood up and began to gather all of our belongings, I heard a male voice call out. "Julianna?"
I looked up and saw a guy about our age, with his arm around a woman.
Julianna’s body immediately tensed up. “Cam.”
I went over and put my arm around Julianna’s waist. Hearing her father’s voice, Caley started to wake up.
“Who’s this?” Cam looked right into my eyes, and I could tell he was challenging me. Even though he had been the one to ruin their marriage, he still wanted to come out looking like the real man.
“I’m Jake,” I said while extending my free hand. He shook it but didn't introduce himself. I refused to let go of Julianna, who was holding Caley.
“I think I’ve heard of you. Jake Truman, right? I’ve read a few articles about you online. You live quite the life in San Diego.” He was trying to make Julianna feel insecure, to remind her that she was on a date with a womanizer — no doubt.
“Thank you, and yes, I do. I can’t take all of the credit for my success, though. My father raised me to be a… real man.”
Cam swallowed a lump in his throat as his girlfriend just stood there with a smirk on her face not saying a word.
“What exactly do you do for a living?” He asked with an attitude, as though I were hiding something from Julianna.
“I’m a businessman. You can Google it if you’d like. My life is an open book.”
“Kind of surprised to see you out here with so many families, Jake. Especially since you’re often surrounded by multiple women.” His girlfriend bit her lip and looked away, not wanting to let on that she found his comment funny.
“I think everyone goes through a party phase, Cam. It’s important to get it out before you settle down with the right one.” I smiled condescendingly at him.
The air was tense as we all stood there, none of us really knowing what to say next.
“When did you get back in town?” Julianna quipped, lifting Caley further up on her hip.
“I’ve just been swamped, Jules.”
I didn’t like the way he said Jules… presumably her nickname.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s Julianna, Cam. Please call me by my name.”
“Daddy,” Caley said while rubbing her eyes with her fists. “When are you going to come and visit me again?”
I could see both anger and sadness in Caley's expression. Her big, beautiful eyes were practically begging for attention from her father.
“Really soon, Sweetie.” He faked a smile as his girlfriend ran her fingers th
rough his hair.
Bullshit.
He’s living the life right now. No family obligations whatsoever. Just doing his own thing with his new girlfriend, completely forgetting about what he gave up for another woman.
“I wanna go,” Caley said as she leaned into Julianna, nestling against her shoulder.
The fact that Cam was so clearly uninterested in his own daughter enraged both of us. Finally, we turned around and left without even saying goodbye.
Since Caley was wide awake at that point, I asked Julianna if they’d like to go out for ice cream, and she said “yes.” Caley immediately got excited when I mentioned it, too.
During the car ride, Caley told me all about the day they got to make ice cream sundaes at school and how hers was covered in gummy worms. “It looked like dirt because I put cookie crumbs all over it too, Jake. It was this big!”
I glanced up in the rearview mirror and saw her stretching her hands apart. “Maybe you can get the same kind of sundae at the ice cream shop we’re going to."
“That would be so cool,” she exclaimed.
Her excitement made her mother relax a bit and smile. I wanted to reach out and caress her hand at that very moment, but I didn’t dare because of Caley.
We sat down at the ice cream shop by the window. It was crowded for a Sunday evening, and we recognized many families from the community movie night.
“You know,” Julianna said to Caley. “Jake and I used to come here a lot back when we were in high school.”
Caley dug her plastic spoon into her ice cream, which was covered in cookie crumbs and gummy worms, and said, “No wonder. This is so fun!”
After we finished eating, I drove them back to Julianna’s car and followed them home. Then I waited for Julianna in the living room. She was concerned about Caley falling asleep after having so much sugar.
“She’s in bed reading one of her favorite books,” Julianna said, walking downstairs. “Thank you for such a wonderful day.”
When she gestured toward the couch, we sat down together. I put my arm around Julianna’s shoulders, and she rested her head on mine. The moment felt so perfect and normal. The last thing I wanted to do was leave.
“I’m the one who should be thanking you.” I kissed her on her forehead, and she let out a moan. “And while I don’t want to leave, if I don’t go soon, something tells me that we won’t be getting any sleep tonight.”
She sat up and let out a giggle.
“It’s not my fault you’re so sexy,” she said.
The way the moonlight filled her living room and struck her hair, I wanted nothing more than to take her right there on the couch. But I had quickly come to realize that dating Julianna meant being mindful of Caley, and it meant an enormous amount of restraint was needed — and patience.
We walked to the front door, once again holding hands.
“Listen,” I said with my hand on the door. “I really meant it when I said that I wanted to see more of you. And not just you, either. I care about Caley too. You have no idea how much fun I had today.”
Her eyes lit up, and her breathing intensified a bit. “Oh, wow, um. I don’t know what to say, Jake."
“Look, I understand you may have to think things through and all. Especially with Caley.”
She nodded and looked upstairs. “She’s everything to me, so I have to talk with her first. She seems to adore you, but I have to make sure that she wants to see more of you too.”
“Yes, mommy!” Both of us looked upstairs at the sound of Caley’s voice.
“Caley Belmont, are you eavesdropping young lady?”
I quietly laughed.
When Caley didn’t reply, Julianna turned her attention back to me. “She’s getting to be a little too intelligent for her age.”
“Sounds like she’s okay with me,” I said as I gave her a kiss on the lips. “Goodnight.”
After I shut the door, I decided that I needed to walk around for a bit and clear my head.
It was like I was two different guys. I knew that it wouldn’t be long before I had to say goodbye and go back to San Diego. Of course, Julianna wouldn’t be able to come with me, since her job was here in River Valley and also because she had responsibilities as a single mother. Yet I was finding it hard to stay away.
I thought about all of the things I’d be giving up if I entered into a romantic relationship with Julianna, too.
The wild parties with women. Oh, so many women.
I couldn’t even remember how many threesomes I’d been in with models. If I were to date Julianna, my partying would all have to stop. And I’d would eventually become a father figure to Caley.
Any other guy in my position would end it with Julianna. So, why was I finding it impossible to stay away from my high school friend?
13
Julianna
After Jake left my house, I laid my head against the door for a few minutes, just trying to get my thoughts together. The whole day at the park felt like a fairytale. Jake had brought us food, a Barbie and frisbee for Caley to play with, followed by ice cream at the same parlor we used to go as teens.
To top it all off, Caley really liked him too. I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Mommy,” Caley called to me from her bedroom.
I walked upstairs and peeked around the door frame into her room. “Caley Belmont, it’s time for bed.”
She was on the rug playing with her new Barbie from Jake. I scooped her up, tucked her in, and placed the doll on her nightstand. “Goodnight, Sweetie.”
I turned off the lights before leaving her room, grabbed a big, fuzzy blanket from the hallway linen closet, and made my way downstairs.
After pouring myself a glass of red wine, I sat on the couch and called Annie. My mind was racing, and I needed to get so much off of my chest.
“And how was the date,” Annie said as soon as she picked up the phone.
“It was amazing, although I don’t think it counts as a date if it includes your daughter.”
“Date or not, I still think it’s great that all of you spent the day together. The fact that he’s going out of his way to get to know Caley, well, most men aren’t like that.”
I took a big sip of wine and nodded my head, thinking about how Cam had also been at the park.
“I wonder if he’d have even called me,” I said while swirling the wine around. “I mean, what if he was just looking for a hookup and thought well, she’s married, so I’m not gonna waste my time? Imagine if I hadn’t agreed to go out to the bar that night.”
“He would have called you, Julianna. You two go so far back.” Annie was way surer about it than me.
“And he’s turned into a womanizer,” I snorted.
“Maybe he’s changing his ways. I heard men do that sometimes. Didn’t he play dress-up with Caley?”
I smiled and thought about how I’d walked in on the two of them putting on a fashion show.
“It was so adorable, Annie. And you know that Cam never would have done something like that. It would have hurt his precious, so-called alpha male ego.” I downed the rest of my wine. “Speaking of which, guess who else was at the park today?”
Annie gasped into the phone. “What? Are you serious? You didn’t tell me he was back in town.”
“That’s because I didn’t even know he was back in town,” I said while resting the wine glass on the end table. “And you should have seen the look of hurt in Caley's eyes. Actually, it turned to anger pretty quick. I’ll tell you something that girl is more mature for her age than I was.”
“And let me guess, his girlfriend was there?”
“Of course, she was. I doubt Cam even goes to the bathroom without her.” I could hear Annie laughing into the phone. I was amused and saddened as I spoke the words. “She didn’t say a single word, either. She just stood there, holding onto his waist as though she were claiming her property.”
“Yeah, well, she can have him. You know what they say about men. How you g
ot him is how you’ll lose him.”
I smiled and thought about how satisfying it would be if one day, long after our divorce was finalized, I found out that he cheated on Lydia too. “If he ever does the same thing to her, I’m celebrating… talk about karma.”
“You know he will. And Jake seems like such a better father figure for Caley than Cam.”
I could feel that nerve in the pit of my stomach. “He is, and that’s what scares me. Annie, he’s going to have to eventually leave. Is it fair for me to bring him around and have her get attached, only to have him leave her the way Cam did?”
There was a long silence on the phone, the kind that only reaffirmed my fear that Jake would do the exact same thing to Caley because he’s a selfish man. “But what if he doesn’t, Julianna? What is your intuition telling you right now?”
I closed my eyes and thought over the past few days about everything that had happened. “You should see the way he interacts with her, Annie. But his job is so far away.”
“He just might stay, Julianna. He’s clearly smitten with you. I say keep seeing him and let your guard down a little bit.”
After I hung up the phone, I turned on the television and tried to just listen to the news. But my mind kept going back to Jake, Caley, and Cam. What really stood out to me was how I wasn’t hurt by seeing Cam at the park, even though Lydia was with him. If Jake hadn’t been there, who knows how I would have reacted. I had almost broken my phone after so many angry calls, yet seeing him with her didn’t make me depressed.
Except for the part about Caley, of course.
The more I thought about Cam, the sicker my stomach felt. The only good thing to come out of that relationship was Caley. Cam was nothing but a cheating, lying, selfish man and didn’t deserve to be with me. He had never deserved to be with me.
Why would I waste my time on a man, on anyone who treated me with such blatant disregard?
I went upstairs and ran a bath for myself.
As I watched the water fill the tub, I weighed the pros and cons of continuing to see Jake. Images of him with more than one woman at a time filled my mind and caused a blaze of jealousy. If I committed myself to him and he did what Cam did, I didn't know how I’d react.
