“Well, I guess if Leo isn’t here, we’ll have to go to the movies without him tonight, which is a shame sinceWhisker Wheelers 2 just came out in 3D,” Flo sighs, shaking her head.
“I’m here! I’m here!” My son bursts out of the pile, clutching a few pairs of pants that no longer fit him, and throws them at both of us, which makes us laugh. And suddenly, we’re all in a full-blown clothing-throwing fight.
Pyjamas are thrown my way, and I retaliate with a few pairs of socks to the face. But then a hooded sweater hits me, the zipper tapping my cheek slightly, and I clutch it with scrunched brows. “Ow! Oh my God!”
Flo immediately gasps and rushes up to me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that one had a zipper.”
With half of my face covered away from Flo, I offer my son a wink, and he shoots me a devilish smile.
“Evan, let me see.”
“Got you,” I call as I pull a balled-up black shirt from behind my back and throw it in Flo’s face.
She immediately narrows her eyes at me, hair now all fussed, and mutters a low, humorous, “I hate you.”
“What was that, trouble? Say that again for me?” My expression is daring as my lips flick up, tapping on my ear.
She remains silent, rolling her eyes and pushing down a laugh.
“That’s what I thought.” Lifting my son into my arms, I blow a raspberry onto his stomach after pulling up his layer of many sweaters. He reaches for Flo, begging her to rescue him, and she giggles, taking a step back.
“You started this, Leo. There’s no saving you now.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop.” I pinch the white sweater. “Now, take all of these off before you melt and we miss the movie.”
23: Evan
My parents always raised me right. To say please and thank you. To treat others with respect. To not cut in line and wait for my turn. They also taught me not to lie, and until the other night, I thought I’d done them proud.
We’re doing this once. This will get it out of our systems,I’d told myself over and over again.
I knew the second I’d said it that I wasn’t being honest with myself, because doing it once with Flo McKenna hasnotgot it out of my system, nor did I actually believe it would.
Fuck me, all I can think about is seeing her come apart for me. Maybe it was crossing the line, pushing the boat out just a little too much, but never has a woman made me feel the way she does. It’s almost as if she has this witchy control over me. Like, she’ll give me one of her sassy little smirks and I’ll melt into a puddle on the floor by her feet.
It felt like we both needed what happened the other night, though. There was so much pent-up frustration that only the other could fix. Only, it hasn’t helped in the slightest because I want her.Allof her. And not just whenit comes to sex. I’m not sure what it means forus, but I know I want her to stick around. I care about Flo a lot. She makes me feel valued and appreciated. Sure, I get that from my sister and mother, but it’s different when coming from someone who’s not a family member. From someone who doesn’t have an obligation to stick by you.
Flo McKenna makes the world feel lighter and brighter. Sheseesme, and I see her for the loving, brash and independent woman she is. I know that whoever ends up with her in the future will be a very lucky man.
It’s unfortunately just not me.
My cleats bite into the grass as I push myself off the line back in our home stadium during practice, run straight towards Bennett, and do my best to dodge him. Only, he barges his body into mine, sending us both tumbling to the ground, leaving the ball rolling off in another direction. All I hear is my heartbeat, like a drum, but Bennett’s smiling face grounds me as he grips my arm and pulls me up along with himself.
“Better luck next time, West.”
I grumble, frustrated with how my head is rolling today. I can’t think straight because my mind is full of thoughts of my firecracker nanny.
Silly me thought I’d make her blush with my comments, and even though I noticed how her eyes hazed over and her ears tinged the tiniest bit, she wasn’t much fazed by my flirting.
In fact, she met me right there.
Then, my eyes were drawn to my son wearing the cheesiest grin I’ve ever seen, sporting a mini jersey that looked just like mine, and I immediately knew Flo had made. She loves that kid. I see it in the way she looks at him. When he smiles, so does she, and it’s almost like they have some kind of telepathic connection.
“Alright, gentleman! Let’s call it a night with practice. I’ll see you all bright and early Thursday.” Coach turns to me. “Except for you, Evan. Have a great birthday.”
I throw my coach a glance that silences him because I don’t want to be reminded of how I’m turning thirty-four in two days, but he simply chuckles as he walks away.
“Evan, can I ask you a question without you taking that big stick you keep up your ass out and stabbing me with it?”
