“Making you two breakfast isn’t a good enough reason?”
“Drew, come on. It’s enough.”
He poured more red wine into my glass. Our plates had already been cleared, and we were lingering at our corner table on the front patio. The meal probably cost more than my monthly rent.
“I want you there all the time, Jules. I’ve had enough of doing it this way. I want you in my bed, sleepy and droopy eyed when I get home from the gym. And I need my daughter in my house. It’s my job to protect and take care of her.”
“I want that too.”
It was the first time the words had fallen from my mouth. They were quiet and hesitant, almost ashamed to make themselves known. I blamed the wine, but in reality, Drew had won. Just like I predicted would happen.
“So, let’s do it. Let’s tell Darla. She’s smart, resilient. She’ll be fine.”
“What will this mean for her massive crush on you?”
“Only one girl for me. In that way.”
I laughed; I couldn’t help it. He knew what happened when he got silly cheesy with me.
“I wonder what all the girls from the team at Hafton would say if they knew about us?”
“So, that’s a yes. We’re going to do this.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Say yes.”
“To what?”
“To everything.”
“Everything?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“I don’t even know what that means.” I guzzled the last dregs of my wine.
“It means we become a real family, make it legal and all that.”
“Nope. Not ready for that.”
“It’s your game, Jules. The ball’s in your court. Every advantage is yours ...”
“Stop! No more lines. Yes, I’ll consider moving in after we tell Darla.”
“When we get married, we should invite the old team to the wedding.”
I almost spit out my wine. “No, just no.”
“Why not? I wonder what happened with all of them.”
“Who, Stacia?”
I couldn’t help myself. Here I was sitting across from the man at a chic five-star South Beach restaurant, paparazzi and Ferraris lining the sidewalk, and while he begged me to move in with him, I wasjealous. Insanely, stupidly jealous.
“Not Stacia. Only one tennis coed for me, Jules-y,” he said and winked.
“Um, no Jules-y needed.” I laughed like a giddy girl. This was fun. More fun than I’d had in years.
