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Chapter Five
Alice
I’m watching him really closely as he speaks. I’m sure he doesn’t realize the way his face softens when he discusses surgery. Or the way he talks faster when Ivy is brought up. I’m learning his tics, and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.
But the things that scare me the most is the calculating look on his face right now, the way his eyes flash with a decision, and the way he’s not responding to me.
“I’m sorry, what were you saying?”
“That I really enjoyed having your daughter in class.” I sound stilted and robotic.
This feels unnatural—not like a conversation of two people getting to know each other, but more like a conversation of two people who know each other vaguely and are put off.
“Tell me, what have you been doing this summer so far?”
I’m thrown by the conversation change, not understanding where he is going with this.
“Well, I have been reorganizing my apartment, decluttering and all of that fun stuff. I’ve also been doing quite a bit of reading with my free time.”
“So, no work?” he asks, and I frown.
“Well, I help Desi, my cousin, with her dog-grooming business. But that’s it. What about you?”
I bring a bite of pasta to my mouth, suddenly hungry. Simon hasn’t touched his plate, his attention fully on me.
“Work mostly. It takes a lot of my time.”
I vaguely wonder what he means by a lot. Does he mean he works a few extra weekends here and there? Or maybe he’s gone the majority of the time? I only ever saw him during our parent-teacher meetings. Vicky always picked Ivy up from school and dropped her off in the mornings. Sadly, that’s not unusual for our school. There’s a lot of full-time nannies doing the things parents should want to be doing.
“What do you like to do for fun?” I briefly point my fork at him before sticking it back in my half-empty plate of pasta.
“Fun?”
“Yeah, the thing where people go do something for the sake of having a good time.”
“I know what fun is. I’m trying to come up with something,” he says with a scowl.
“That’s really sad.” I shake my head, frowning back at him. “You don’t even have one thing that you like to do for fun?”
He looks uncomfortable and shifts a little in his seat. This might be the first time I’ve seen him fidget. So, he’s not as unshakable as he always seems.
“I do other things than work, if that’s what you are asking.”
“It is. But that’s too vague of an answer. I need details.” I smile.
“I take my daughter places—the park, movies, the aquarium.”
“And that’s what you enjoy doing?” I know I’m pushing him, but at this point, I really want to know what sort of hobbies the grump is hiding from me.
Maybe he’s a closet BDSM lover. Or he participates in satanic rituals.
All things I need to know, don’t you think?
“I enjoy seeing the happiness that it brings out in my daughter.”
“Very commendable.” I nod once and then let my eyes wander, not wanting to stare at him while I’m thinking.
“I have a charity that I spend a lot of time on,” Simon says, pulling my gaze back to his.
