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“Well, thanks for being honest. Can I give you some advice?” he offers, looking at me in a way that I feel that my father would if he bothered to give me any fatherly advice when he was alive.
“Best you leave now and not get too attached to Emily, because if your firm wins, I can guarantee you that you will lose. We all will.” His warning sends a chill down my spine, his eyes serious as they hook on to mine. He doesn’t wait for a response as he walks toward the hallway, just as Emily and Rosie exit the bathrooms, and he takes Rosie’s hand.
I let his advice sink in before walking over slowly and joining them.
“Ben, come for lunch!” Rosie practically jumps as I get near them and reaches out her other hand for me. I look at it, and then my eyes flick to George who is staring me down. But like the idiot I am, I still believe I can have my cake and eat it too, so I take her hand. When I meet Emily’s sparkling eyes, the weight is immediately lifted.
I am not sure what will happen, but swimming lessons and lunch on a Saturday may just be my new favorite thing.
* * *
The four of us have lunch at Mona's, a local diner not far from the pool, and I must admit, the food is pretty good. Everything is homemade on-site, no mass-produced sandwiches or day-old pasta here. I watch as Emily takes care of Rosie, putting her needs first. I have been watching her for the past five minutes help feed Rosie her soup, something warm after the swim, but I am in awe as this woman feeds her blind daughter while her own lunch goes cold. She’s the kind of mother every child should have, one I didn’t have the fortune of experiencing. George and I have both finished our meals, while Rosie is only halfway through, and Emily hasn’t started at all.
“Rosie, would you mind if I fed you so your mom can eat her soup before it gets cold?” I say, not knowing the first thing about feeding kids, especially ones that have no sight.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that…” Emily starts and appears shocked that I am even offering.
“Here, let me do it.” Leaning over, I take the spoon from Emily’s grasp. My fingers brush hers, and her eyes meet mine across the table. I give her a small nod, wanting her to know I’ve got her, and she lets go of the spoon, letting me take it without argument.
“Ben, did you get soup too?” Rosie asks as Emily sits and watches our interaction with interest.
“Eat your soup, Doubtfire. We’ll be fine,” I mumble to her. I know she is hungry because I can hear her stomach agreeing from across the table.
She nods, not saying anything, and starts to eat her soup while Rosie and I chatter to ourselves, but I don’t miss the glances she gives George, or the feeling of his eyes drilling into my back.
We finish in record time, as it appears I am a pro at supporting Rosie. I grab her wrist and fist-bump her once we are done, realizing that we beat Emily, who finishes up her soup a few minutes later and asks for the bill.
“Okay, Rosie, let’s go!” George says, standing.
“Bye, Ben, I hope you come again next Saturday!” Rosie says excitedly, before her arms reach out to me, and I hold her to help her find her way. She takes a step in my direction and her little hands wrap around my neck as she gives me a hug. It is unexpected, and I stop breathing for a moment. She is so tiny in my arms. I’ve never held a child before. I get my bearings once again and give her a little squeeze before handing her over to her mom. Standing from my chair, I shake hands with George, once again feeling his disapproval in his grip.
“Rosie is having a sleepover at George’s tonight,” Emily explains as she pulls a small backpack from the large swimming bag. If Rosie is having a sleepover, then Emily is going to be home alone. She looks at me for a beat, and I swallow roughly. My thoughts have gone straight to the bedroom, hers obviously doing the same if the pink in her cheeks is anything to go by.
“Yes, we have a new audiobook to listen to. This one is Beauty and the Beast!” Rosie hugs her mom with a giggle, and we watch them leave.
“So you are on your own tonight then?” I ask Emily as I throw cash onto the table for lunch, at which point, she stops, gathers it up, and tosses it back at me.
“My town, I pay,” she says as she reaches into her purse and pulls out some cash to cover it. It feels weird; I always pay for everything. No woman has ever refused my money. Before I can protest, she answers me.
“Depends…” she says with a coy smile and a shrug, and we step out of the diner to begin our walk back to her place, no longer needing the bus with Rosie not with us. It feels weird to walk, as it is not something that would happen in the city. Ralph drives me in my Bentley everywhere I need to go.
“Depends on what?” I ask, playing with fire.
“If I get a better offer,” she quips, a smile tugging at her lips. One I return easily.
With her swimming bag over my shoulder, I reach out my other hand and curl my fingers around hers. It has been a long fucking time since I did this. Walked hand in hand with a woman. Since Sasha, I have never been on a date with the same woman more than once, and never, ever have I held hands. But my body is itching for contact with her. I can’t stop myself from wanting her.
“Does Rosie stay over with George a lot?” I ask, interested to know what support systems she has in place, especially since Rosie’s dad isn’t around.
“George is like a father to me. Rosie refers to him as Grandpa because we are all so close. He has done so much for me that I will never be able to repay him.” She looks ahead, not meeting my gaze or giving me any more insight. She is smart. I have a job to do and so does she. We are fighting on opposing sides and so the “right” thing to do would be to walk away. But I don’t. I can’t. I am too far gone. All I want to do is get this woman home and show her exactly how much I want her. Her grip in my hand tightens, and I feel my heart thump in my chest the closer we get to her building.
By the time we approach her street, it is late afternoon. The whole day was spent together, and it still wasn’t enough. My need for her has only grown stronger. Any city stress left my body the moment I saw Emily. When we finally reach her door, I am doing all I can not to grab her and never fucking let her go. I wait as she unlocks the door, walking through, and I stand watching her, my eyes dropping to my favorite sight.
“Are you coming in, or are you just going to stand there looking at my ass all day?” she sasses, smiling through a laugh, and I know I shouldn’t, but fuck it. This is happening. I drop the swimming bag on the floor at her front door and grab her around the waist, spinning her around to face me.
“I can’t help it. You have an incredible ass,” I grit out, thankful to have my hands on her. But I’m almost at my breaking point.
"Really? Tell me what else you like,” she teases me, and little does she know how hot the flame is burning under my skin. Every word that leaves her plush lips stokes the fire within me.
