I have a boyfriend.
I have a boyfriend and he’s hot.
“My phone will be on silent, but if something happens or you need me, text.” He tucks his shirt in and heads for the door, turning back once. “And Josie.”
“Yes,” I respond, looking up from Emma.
“Don’t leave the apartment.” And then he keeps on walking right out the door.
Men.
“Areyou sure this shirt looks okay?” I ask, pressing down on the wrinkles I just noticed in the long pink T-shirt I put on to wear to Ridge’s work meeting. The shirt is long enough to cover my butt because since having Emma I haven’t quite gotten my ass cheeks to fit into a pair of jeans properly. I also have a baby, so there was never enough time to go jean shopping.
Nate stops walking, using a few seconds to grab Emma from my arms and bounce her on his hip. It’s probably the safest choice because I’m not sure I should be trusted to hold the baby, walk, and get creases out of clothing while talking at the same time. “Baby, you look amazing. Stop covering up that ass. It’s a sight to see.”
I stare up, puzzled. “My ass?”
He leans back, staring at my rump, and then licks his top lip. “One day I’ll bite it.”
My eyes widen, a bit in worry and a lot in excitement. I wonder what that would be like?
“Josie! Over here,” Winnie yells from the front door of Ridge’s home before I get the chance to ask for more details.
“This won’t be one of those parties where you abandon me to go hang out with your girlfriends. Is it?” Nate asks, smiling… so he’s not upset about the possibility.
I nod. “Probably.” And that’s wonderful. I can’t remember the last time I had more than one friend at a time. It seems crazy, but I belong to a group. I have friends with ans.
Nate holds the door open and Emma pushes her favorite baby doll into the side of his neck. Ridge’s home is splendid. We walk up into the large two-story colonial home where I’d expected to see lots of wood in traditional features, but it’s the opposite. I can still see some original features of the house, like a big strong staircase made of dark wood, but the rest of the home is modern with open spaces and large rooms. It’s like every East Coast girl’s wet dream of a house.
I gasp when we get to the kitchen. There’s white and stainless steel everywhere with a long island separating the room and the countertops glistening. They’re all covered with dishes others have brought. A few store-purchased items are mixed into the lot with homemade options right beside them.
Nate drops the bag of potato chips we brought, our lackluster combination looking very pitiful next all the covered casserole dishes. I’m just impressed he’d been able to handle Emma and the chips with neither one of them ending up flattened. He’s only been helping me out with Emma for a few weeks and already I feel like he’s better at this whole parenting thing than I am at times.
Nate’s height puts Emma right at Tabitha’s eye level, and she gets as close to her face as possible, talking in all the cute baby terms about how adorable she is. Emma stares at her and then looks at me as if she’s had enough and it’s time for me to remove her entourage.
“Nate, you can go out with Ridge and the other guys in the yard. We’ll take care of Emma.”
Nate eyes Tabitha skeptically. “I’ll take her with me,” he says bouncing Emma a few more times as she smiles and laughs. My child loves him too. “You want to watch the grill. Don’t you?” he asks, and her little face perks up into a smile.
Tabitha looks to me for help but I only shrug. What can I say? Emma likes the man.
I watch as Nate walks out the door and notice the smattering of men in the backyard. Ridge has a large deck with a grill set up on the side, and two men hover over the area. Beyond that, in the huge green space of his yard, is a plethora of men — all tall, muscular, and hunky. There has to be at least fifteen people out there.
Tabitha shakes her head watching me. “Katy will be so upset she missed this. Ridge has done a lot of hiring.”
“Katy isn’t coming?”
“She doesn’t come if it’s a couple’s thing. She’s worried about it. I don’t know. I keep telling her it’s no big deal, but she doesn’t listen.”
“Ridge won’t let Tabitha anywhere near the grill, so we’ve been stuck inside keeping the side dishes warm,” Winnie says with a laugh and changing the subject.
Tabitha pulls a non-covered casserole dish — what looks to be macaroni and cheese — from the oven and places it on the last bare spot on the counter. “It is for the best,” she says, raising one shoulder in a half shrug. I get the impression this is an argument they’ve before and she’s just given up.
“You promise there wasn’t a camera in the bathroom?” Anessa asks, walking out from a small powder room off to one side of the kitchen.
A camera?
“He promised the bathrooms and bedrooms are clear,” Tabitha says not paying attention as Anessa dries off her hands, whipping them on the top of her jeans.
