“You don’t have to be a bitch about it,” Alfie said.
Viv gave him the glare that could bring an army to its knees and cocked her head. “Walk away, little man, walk away.”
They grumbled under their breath, but walked away and I was once again awed by my best friend. “You are fearless.”
“Not really. I just hate assholes. They embolden me.”
I chuckled. “That’s weird, you know that, right?”
“Absolutely.” She grinned, finishing her water. “Let’s dance.”
For the next hour, we danced, we drank, and we laughed at nothing. It was one of the best nights I’d had in a long time.
* * *
Saturday afternoon, I picked Felix up from my parents, hanging out for about an hour in order to spend some time with my dad. I saw him the least because he was a workaholic, so I took every opportunity I could to see him.
Dad gave me a bear hug and kissed my temple. “How’s my baby?”
“I’m good, Papa. How about you?”
“Livin’ the dream,” he retorted.
I chuckled. My dad worked for a large human resources company in Colorado Springs. He’d been there for thirty years and would be retiring in just over a year. He was really good at what he did and still in high demand, so I wondered if a year was a pipedream. Knowing my dad, he’d probably stay longer than he should, but time would tell.
“When am I taking you out to dinner?” he asked.
Dad and I tried to go to dinner once a month, just the two of us. He always said he needed to show his girls how a man should treat them, so he took us out once a month, alone, while Mom took Luca. My parents were incredible parents, so it was even more tragic that Maria’s life spiraled.
“I can do next Tuesday. Luca has Felix.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
Stoney would be getting to my home in an hour, so I bid my parents goodbye and took Felix home. Stoney arrived early as usual, and he walked in looking edible.
“Stop,” he warned.
“Stop what?” I asked.
“Stop looking at me like you want to strip me naked.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You have no idea that’s what I want to do.”
“Oh, sorry, that’s me.”
I chuckled, my face heating. “Oh my god, you’re impossible.”
He grinned, kissing me quickly, then followed me into the kitchen where Felix was coloring.
“Hey, bud,” Stoney said.
Felix grinned for a second, then focused back on his task. “Hi. I’m drawing you a picture.”
“You are?”
Felix nodded. “You and me on your bike, see?”
