“We just happened to get home at the same time. She was actually on a date with someone else.”
“Well, from where I was watching, she wished she was on a date with you.” She patted me on the cheek before dropping her yarn into her tote bag.
“You’re letting your imagination get the best of you,” I said before grabbing the bag that Steve had sent for her and handing it to her. I opened the door and left it open as I walked her the short distance to the edge of her backyard, where I could watch her step inside.
“Maybe you should be a little imaginative too, Charlie. You’re young. You don’t need to be so serious.” She chuckled before waving and stepping inside the house.
I wasn’t always serious. But yeah, I had a pretty routine lifestyle. I was raising a child all on my own, which required a certain responsibility.
I glanced at the guesthouse, saw that the lights were still on, stepped in my house, and grabbed a beer. I put the to-go food away in the refrigerator and moved down the hall to check on Harper. She was sound asleep, and I kissed her forehead, pulled her comforter up to her chin, and moved back out to the living room. I opened the note from my daughter, where she asked if I could make her pink pancakes sometime and then wrote that she loved me more than all the pink pancakes in the world.
I glanced down at my phone, wanting to text Violet, and I found the perfect excuse.
Me: Hey. Where does one find pink pancakes?
Firefly: Are you talking dirty to me?
I laughed, just as another text came through.
Firefly: You can make pancakes any color you want with food coloring. Does Harper want pink pancakes?
Me: Yes. Is food coloring safe for me to put in her pancakes?
Firefly: Oh Charles, you clueless man ... there is food coloring in lots of food that we eat.
Me: Shit. I didn’t know that. Thanks for educating me. How do I know how much to put in the pancakes?
Firefly: How about I handle it for you. Just let me know when, and I’ll make them. Because if you do too much, they will be red. And that’s a whole different vibe.
Me: Ah ... thank you. Did you have fun tonight?
I leaned back on the couch, then took a long pull from my bottle before setting it on the coffee table. I wasn’t much of a talker usually, but there was something different about Violet.
I always wanted more.
Even when she was pissed at me, I wanted more of it.
More of her.
Firefly: The food was good. He was fine. I just wasn’t feeling it.
Me: He seemed like a good guy. Why do you think you weren’t feeling it?
Why the fuck did I just ask that?
Firefly: I don’t know. It’s all about a connection. Why do you think you weren’t feeling it with Julia? I mean, she was willing to look past the limp penis and the doll collection.
Me: She doesn’t do it for me. And I think you can vouch for me ... my dick is anything but limp.
He agreed by springing to life the minute she mentioned him.
Firefly: Ahhhh ... the kiss that we shall not speak of.
Me: Looks like we’re speaking about it now.
Firefly: It was a good kiss, Charles.
Me: It was a fucking amazing kiss.
