What the hell are you thinking?
But him flirting with Caroline right now, considering the current circumstances, is a little weird. I mean, yes, Caroline is gorgeous, but they just met. And his apartment smells like dirty diapers.
“Actually no,” she says. “Mine’s hot pink. Oh, and I have a black one. But they basically serve the same function.”
I watch as Grayson’s gaze moves over Caroline from head to toe. Then he nods. “I bet they do.”
Yep. He’s flirting with her. Blatantly. In a stinky apartment. Despite the fact that he clearly can’t handle his life.
I am irrationally irritated by this.
I step forward and thrust a garbage bag toward him. “We cleaned up a little while you were busy.”
That pulls his gaze from Caroline, and he looks down at the trash bag. Now he at least looks a little sheepish.
“I would’ve taken all of this out, of course. But Evelyn doesn’t like when I’m not with her, and I can’t take her to the trash chute with me.”
“She seemed fine with James while you were in the other room,” Caroline pipes up.
Grayson looks over at his daughter. She’s sucking on the knuckles of her hand, watching us. Frowning. Until she sees her dad looking, then she gives him a big smile.
I grin. That is one cute little girl.
“Wait, why can’t you take her to the trash chute with you?” I ask.
“Because she might fall in,” he says in a tone that indicates this should be obvious.
I exchange a glance with Caroline.
She’s watching Grayson with a half-amused, half-puzzled look.
“You think you might drop Evelyn in the trash chute accidentally?” I ask.
“It could happen,” Grayson insists. “What if I have it open, and I’m trying to put the trash in with one hand, and I’m only holding her in one arm? Then she gets squirmy, and I lose my grip? She could tumble right in. She’s top heavy.”
“Surely you have a better grip on her than that,” I say.
“Does she wiggle that hard? And try to get away from you?” Caroline asks.
It’s clear she’s fighting a smile.
Grayson frowns, and I’m struck by how much he looks like his daughter.
“Well, no,” Grayson admits. “Evelyn prefers when I hold her and never tries to get down.”
His tone makes it clear that her never wanting to be put down is somewhat of a pain in the ass, actually.
“Well, we are happy to help you take your trash out,” Caroline says sweetly.
That might be a little flirty too, as a matter of fact.
Since when is talking about trash, or talking while surrounded by trash, flirtatious?
“Sure,” I say. “Or you could just put Evelyn in the swing or the playpen for the two minutes it takes to take the trash down the hall.”
Grayson shakes his head immediately. “She doesn’t like when I leave.”
“So you let the trash pile up rather than let little miss be upset for even two minutes?” Caroline asks, her smile breaking free this time.
