The tone of his voice almost sounds like he’s commanding me to go, and I can’t deny that it makes my body heat up even more than it was already when he walked through the door. But the idea of us spending time together without Remy there makes the line of our relationship grow even more blurred.
Uh, didn’t the kiss already do that, Elodie?
“Okay. I’d love to.” I’m smiling on the outside as I pick my spoon back up, but my heart is racing. “Thanks for the invite. That should be fun. It’s been years since I’ve been to a game.”
He scoffs, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. “Yeah, but then you’re also going to be subjected to my friend group in all its glory, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.”
“I already met Elliot and Rhonan at the winery, remember?”
“Yeah, but they weren’t on their worst behavior. When Rhonan doesn’t have Ellis and there’s a suite with endless booze involved, things can take a turn.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine, but I’ve been meaning to ask you something too. The next yoga night at the winery is coming up. Are you planning on going?”
He taps his phone on the table. “It’s been on my calendar since the last one.”
“That’s adorable. I’d like to go with you because it’s been a while since I’ve done it and would love to get back in the routine. Could we find someone to watch Remy that night? Maybe Carol?”
His smile falls as he stares at me, and I wish I could tell what he’s thinking right now. Fortunately, he blinks, returns back to his soup and we sit there, finishing our dinner while Remy watches us.
“Yeah, I can ask her. And Laney runs a good class so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.” Henley pushes his bowl to the side, rubbing his stomach through his shirt. “That was fucking delicious, El. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, would you like to see the ideas I came up with for Remy’s room?”
He wipes his mouth with his napkin and tosses it into the empty bowl. “Yeah. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Henley wasn’t able to finish painting Remy’s room Sunday night, but that gave me time to scour the internet to put together a few options for décor and a theme. Honestly, it took me longer than it should have because I kept getting inspired to write song lyrics, so I was wavering between the two tasks for the past two days.
“Okay, let me show you what I found online,” I say, pulling out my phone and scooting my chair closer to him, which only makes his scent hit me harder.
God, he smells like cedar and laundry detergent. Why is that combination so comforting and tempting at the same time?
Ignoring the effect this man’s scent is having on me, I start swiping through my phone and show the first option to him, a room withelephants. Next is a Victorian-style option, very princess-like. And the last one, which is my personal favorite for obvious reasons, has a forest theme with bears.
“What do you think?”
Henley casts his glance over to Remy as she lets out a yawn from her high chair. “I’m pretty sure it’s obvious.” His eyes find mine again. “The bears.”
We smile at each other, and seeing a genuine smile from this man makes me feel ten feet tall. “I thought so too but just wanted to give you options.”
Henley stands from his chair and grabs Remy. “I’m gonna get my daddy-daughter time in, put her to bed, and then I’ll be back out in a little bit.”
“Sounds great. Goodnight, Remy.” I watch him walk down the hall, admiring the way his jeans hug his ass, then snap myself out of my stare and clean up the kitchen, even though I know Henley will get mad at me for it.
As I scrub the pot I cooked the soup in, the disappointment I’ve been shoving down for the past few days makes itself known again.
Tonight felt like we were slipping right back into our routine, boss and employee, father and nanny, friends for lack of a better term. So I guess he’s just going to pretend like the kiss didn’t happen, which is fine. It’s probably better this way. Less messy, right?
When I’m finished, I grab my notebook and take a seat back on the couch, tucking my legs up underneath me and opening it back up to the page with the lyrics I was working on earlier.
Your eyes say more than your mouth
Your touch says more than your eyes
And each time you look at me
All I can think about is our inevitable goodbye.
A few more words come to me, so I add them to the page.
