“Can we have a princess tea party?” Lexi asks.
“Sure.”
“Yay!”
She pulls me off the sofa, and tugs me upstairs to her room. She starts pulling things out of her dressing-up box, including a pink sparkly dress that she throws at me. It’s adult-sized. I saw it in a charity shop and grabbed it so I could play dress-up with her. She’s tried to get Archie and Corey to wear it a couple of times, but they refused. I pull the dress on over my clothes and put on the wings and tiara she hands me. While she gets herself ready, I check my phone again.
Calvin:Do you both want to come to my place?
Gabe:Unless we can go to Blake’s?
Blake:No way, my house is out of bounds.
Shit, I’d better explain that.
Blake:I live with my brothers and niece. We have a house rule of not bringing hookups here. It’s not great for Lexi to see lots of strange people in the house.
Gabe:Fair enough. Lexi is your niece?
Blake:Yup. We’re about to have a fairy princess tea party.
I take a selfie and send it to them.
Calvin:You look gorgeous, princess.
“How do I look?” Lexi asks, twirling around.
“Beautiful.”
She grins at me. “Can we put some make-up on?”
“Sure, why not.”
We go up to my room, and I put a little bit of pink eye shadow on her, some blusher, and the tiniest touch of lipstick. Then I use a blusher brush to apply some sparkle powder.
“I look so pretty!” she squeals as she looks at herself in the mirror. “Your turn!”
I apply copycat make-up to myself. I take another photo and send it to Gabe and Calvin. They might as well know that I have no qualms about looking silly if it makes my niece happy.
Gabe:Is that what you’re wearing tonight, baby boy?
Blake:LOL! Only if you want me to.
I wonder if I should have added ‘Daddy’ to the end. I’m not sure how any of this is supposed to work. I’ve never even considered hooking up with someone more than once before. Let alone exclusively. Is it what I want? Really?
Calvin:Dress pretty.
I don’t know why his message makes me smile like the Cheshire Cat, but it does. I guess that answers my question. Yes, I do want to be theirs and no one else’s. I just hope they want the same thing.
Blake:I can do pretty.
“Let’s go play!” Lexi says, tugging my arm.
“Okay, okay.”
Blake:Tea party time. When and where tonight?
Calvin:Six again?
