Page 25 of My Girlfriend is Not the Father

The small white rambler-style home was cute. A cedar fence surrounding an overgrown garden, hanging plants, a swinging bench on the front porch, a one-car garage. The front step creaked under her foot as she made her way to the door. She inhaled and lifted her fist to knock, but the door swung open.

A fresh-faced Lucy in a T-shirt and black cotton skirt opened the door with a wide smile. Her long brown hair cascaded down her shoulders. Jade figured she had mentally exaggerated how beautiful Lucy was. That somehow, the vision of Lucy in the coffee shop with her pink mouth and curvy body and those dark brown eyes Jade wanted to swim in was enhanced in her mind.

She was wrong.

‘Hey! You found it okay.’ Lucy bounced up for a hug, and Jade was caught off-guard. ‘Oops. I’m a hugger. Sorry.’

Jade squeezed tight and pretended that Lucy’s apple-scented shampoo wasn’t having the effect on her that it was.

‘Roooorooo …’ A moan echoed behind Lucy.

Lucy stepped back and held the door wider. ‘Yes, my little man. Chucky, meet Jade.’

The sweet golden-haired dog with a wrinkled face and patches of grey on his scruff looked up at Jade. She crouched, held out her hand for him to sniff, then scratched under his chin. ‘Glad to finally see you in person, Chucky.’

She took another step. The house was even cuter on the inside. Hardwood floors, a large, overstuffed couch, a huge wooden coffee table with a smattering of books, remotes, and chargers. The walls, in soft orange and yellow, were surprisingly colourful for Jade’s taste, yet they suited the space. A small kitchen island, a tiny circle table, and so many dog toys it looked like Lucy ran a doggy daycare. Pictures of what she assumed were family and friends had been framed and hung in what seemed like no particular way.

Jade lifted a bag. ‘Cheese, crackers, cookies. And grapes. ’Cause, fruits, you know?’

‘Let’s make sure Chucky doesn’t get into those,’ Lucy said as she closed the door. ‘He’s a sneaky little old man. Grapes will make him do unsavoury things to the floor.’

Jade slipped off her shoes.

‘You can keep shoes on, unless you want your socks covered in dog hair. I sweep every day, but by the end of the night my feet look like Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street.’

Jade followed Lucy into the kitchen and set the bag on the island. ‘I haven’t seen that in forever. The shaggy monster?’

‘Yep.’ Lucy opened the fridge and pulled out a few items, as Jade tried to get a handle on her heartbeat that was thudding so loud in her ears, she was sure that Lucy could hear it.

Stop freaking out. This was a friendly get-together, nothing more. They’d been talking daily for a while now and had built such a casual rapport. So why did being inside Lucy’s home, with its warm feel and even warmer smells, seem anything but casual? ‘Can I help with something?’

Lucy bumped the door closed with her hip. ‘Nope. Take a seat. Can I make you a drink?’

‘What do you have?’

‘How does homemade strawberry lemonade sound?’

‘Like actually homemade?’

‘Yep. Stirred it from the powder myself.’ She grinned and plopped strawberries in a colander. ‘I’m sure I have some vodka in one of the cupboards if you want a shot.’

A drink sounded kind of nice, but Jade needed to remain on her A-game tonight. Her nerves were already shooting through her, and after a few drinks she’d either get super anxious, want to dance on the kitchen floor, or fall asleep. None seemed like appropriate options. ‘Thanks, but if I have one, then I’ll want two, then I won’t be able to drive home, and I don’t think we’re quite ready for a sleepover yet. I don’t even have pyjamas.’

If she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn that a blush swept Lucy’s cheeks.

Jade sank into a barstool, sipped the lemonade, and watched Lucy’s delicate fingers arrange the cheese slices, meat, and crackers on the plate. She spread jelly on top of the brie and stuck a knife in the middle of the cheese.

‘That’s quite the spread,’ said Jade. ‘I usually end up with PB&J or leftover Thai for dinner.’

‘Thai does heat up pretty nice. But I like this stuff. Cooking, having friends over.’ She folded a piece of prosciutto. ‘I’ll make sure my meats don’t touch your cheeses.’

‘Glad you’ll be keeping your salty meats to yourself.’

Lucy stopped mid-slice and started giggling. ‘Oh my God, why does that sound so dirty? My maturity level is perpetually stuck in junior high.’

Can she be any more adorable?

The sugary strawberry lemonade slid down Jade’s throat, and she stood to look at the backyard. A hammock swung between two trees, a wind chime flickered golden magenta with the evening sun, and leaves swayed in the late summer breeze. The entire yard looked like relaxation, and she verged on asking if she could come over and take a nap there someday.