My kid doesn’t quite know what he’s talking about, but nods anyway, mouth full of mushed-up burger and fries that he’s distracted with.
“Don’t ask my kid questions like that.”
Mae smiles at us from the bar, and she gives me a knowing look because my guess is that Flo informed her of her spur-of-the-moment date, and it’s definitely not a coincidence I’m here, too. I’m never here.
Flo and Sam finally walk in, and they immediately seat themselves at the bar, with Sam pulling her chair out for her like the gentleman he apparently is. Bet he won’t be much of a gentleman if he takes her to bed, though.
I gulp at the thought, fingers turning white as they grip onto the dark mahogany table. I wish I had some super glue to stick myself to this seat because I am so close to standing up and storming over there, especially when Sam tells her how great Flo looks this evening.
She doesn’t react to it much, eyes flitting over the menu before she orders a Sex on the Beach from her friend, lips quirking with amusement.
“Make that two of those, please, Mae.” Sam holds up two fingers, and Mae begins working on the drinks.
My fingers curl around the glass of beer I’ve barely touched, and I shift on my chair, realising how pathetic I must look to my teammates. At the grand age of thirty-three, I’ve been roped into spying on my nanny on a date—not that I put up much of a fight—even though I claim I’m not jealous in the slightest.
Flo’s hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail, with wispy bits sitting on either side of her face. She’s not dolled up or anything—she doesn’t even need to try—but the aura she emits is so natural. Effortless. Like she’s some kind of siren who loves the idea of having me wrapped around her little finger.
I know she doesn’t care much about what Sam thinks of her. I can tell by how she angles her chin towards me, allowing her eyes to slice over to our table for just a second, before she puts that knowing smile down and focuses on whatever Sam is saying.
Busted.
“Do you think she saw us?” Bennett whispers, and I turn to him with a deadpan expression.
“Of course she saw us, you idiot.” Taking a large gulp of my beer, I close my eyes for a few seconds and rub the spot between them.
“Man, no one’s gonna judge you if you get down and dirty with your nanny, okay? If you want her, go over there and show Sam he’s overstepping a line.”
“Did you just say get down and dirty?”
“I sure did. Now, stop changing the subject. Either you’re too jealous to watch Flo with another man, or you’re happy for Sam to make his move, and we both know his success rate when it comes to women.”
“Flo’s not like other women,” I remind him.
“You just proved my point, West.” Bennett turns to my son now. “Leo, will you tell your daddy to stop living withhis tail between his legs and to go and snatch Flo away from Sam?”
Leo blinks, gazing at Bennett with confusion.
“Leo,” Bennett tries again, “will you tell your daddy to go!”
My son grins at me, pointing in the same direction Bennett is, letting out a loud, “Go!”
It catches Flo’s attention, and she titters into her glass.
But then Sam reaches forward and places his hand over Flo’s spread one on the table. It’s intimate, and something pings inside me.
“Is that enough to make you go over there?”
My chair is already scraping back. “Yup.” I pop the ‘p’ and within a few strides, I’m invading Sam and Flo’s space, causing Flo to tilt her head up to me, a curve tugging her plush lips.
“Took you long enough, West,” Sam murmurs over the rim of his glass, glancing at his watch. “Six minutes on the dot. Stewed in your possessiveness enough?” He’s smiling now. “We’ll look after Leo for the evening. You’re welcome.” Standing, he pats my back and takes his drink with him to Bennett’s table, where he plonks his ass down next to my son and ruffles his hair.
Flo pivots towards me in her peeling leather stool. She looks somewhat surprised by Sam’s comment, but then she smiles, hitching an eyebrow up. “Possessiveness looks good on you.”
“I hated every second of that. We’re going home.”
Flo freezes mid-sip of her drink, glass frozen in the air.
Home.
