At my house, I had Bebe pull out her homework while James practiced his spelling words. “If you get everything done, you can play Nintendo.”
The promise of screen time worked like a charm. Just as we were finishing up, the doorbell rang.
“Mommy!” Bebe and James shouted in unison when Natalie walked in.
“Hi guys!” She said and gave them each a hug.
“Hey,” I said, my chest tightening at the sight of her. “Welcome to the party.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “Guess what? The sisters have a friend who’s a baker. She wants to see that corner space tomorrow.”
“Wow,” I said, genuinely impressed. “I should hire you. Two deals in one day?”
Her cheeks flushed, and she gave me a small, bashful smile.
“Mommy, can we stay and play Nintendo?” Asked James.
Natalie looked at me and said, “Only if it’s okay with Mr. Parker.”
“Of course,” I said. “Let me set it up for you guys. Follow me.”
After I got them situated, Natalie and I were alone in the kitchen.
“Want to stay for dinner?” I asked. “The kids already ate, but I was thinking of grilling some steaks.”
“Fancy,” she teased.
“How do you like it?”
“Bloody as hell,” she said, laughing.
“Okay, Mia,” I said with a wink, referencing “Pulp Fiction.”
“Don’t be a square,” she shot back, drawing an imaginary square in the air.
God, I think I loved her even more in this moment.
While I grilled, my phone buzzed. It was Lori, and I put her on speaker so I could keep cooking.
“Natalie’s really bringing my vision to life,” Lori said. “I appreciate the introduction.”
When I hung up, Natalie looked at me, her eyes soft. “You told Lori about me?”
“She asked who designed my place,” I admitted.
Natalie stepped closer, her hands lightly brushing my arms. “Thank you,” she whispered. She cupped my face, her lips pressing softly against my cheek.
I froze, wanting to pull her closer, but then my phone buzzed again. This time, it was Blake.
Natalie noticed the name on the screen and immediately stepped back.
“I should take this,” I said reluctantly.
“Hey,” Blake said cheerfully. “I was thinking of coming over tonight to finish what we started last night.”
I hesitated, trying to think of a quick lie, like the dickhead I was becoming. “I’ve got some work to catch up on, how about tomorrow?”
“Sure,” she said, sounding a little disappointed. “I’ll be thinking about you, Goodnight, William.”
