The second indication that the inside of the home isn’t as I pictured occurs when the door swings open. I let out a yelp of surprise when I’m faced with a tall man wearing a fuzzy pink onesie and with something green smeared all over his face.
“Oh!” I shriek, taking an involuntary step back. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I think?—”
“Jordie?”
My eyes widen. That’s Phoenix’s voice coming from the… whatever this is. I blink. Then blink again, harder this time to make sure my vision isn’t deceiving me.
Upon closer inspection, I realize this is indeed the man I’m here to see. Phoenix has some sort of mud mask on his face. And pink bunny pajamas. And a floral terrycloth headband holding his hair back.
What the actual fuck is going on here?
“Phoenix?” I reply, just to make certain.
“Yeah, hey. What are you doing here?” he asks, completely unconcerned about his bizarre appearance.
Stumbling over my words, I say, “I—you—didn’t you say to come here Friday at seven? The whole contract thing?” I point at my tote bag for emphasis, even though he can’t see inside it.
His eyebrows raise, causing the mud to crack on his forehead. “I sent you a text later that night to change it to Saturday. I realized I had plans for tonight.”
Footie pajamas and face masks? Weirdest plans ever, if you ask me, but whatever. I pull out my phone and scroll down to his name, finding—yep—a text message changing our meeting to Saturday night at the same time.
“Crap. My family group chat was blowing up that day about a birthday party, and I guess yours got buried. I’m so sorry.” I take another step back. “I can just come back tomorrow because you’reobviously busy with all… this.” I wave a hand up and down his tall, pink, fuzzy form.
“Daddy, who’s at the door?”
I look down to see a tiny person in yellow, also with green mud on her face, squeeze past Phoenix. She’s in footie pajamas as well—obviously a duck—and a matching headband to hold back her dark-brown curls. Phoenix’s hand immediately goes to her head in a protective and affectionate stroke.
“Reece, I’ll be back inside in a minute, honey.”
Reece?Thisis Reece? The person I thought was his spouse or girlfriend? Well don’t I feel like an idiot for jumping to conclusions.
But the little girl doesn’t go back into the massive home because she’s staring up at me with the roundest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Eyes that perfectly match… her daddy’s?
“Oh. My. Stars!” she exclaims, her voice pitching into a squeak as she attempts to climb her father’s leg. He scoops her up with a fuzzy pink arm and places her easily on his hip while she continues to gape at me. “Jordie McNamara! Daddy, you got Jordie McNamara to come to our spa night?”
This kid is freaking adorable. And wait… how does she know me?
“Reecie,” Phoenix hedges, his eyes darting between me and his daughter. “I, ummmm…”
But she doesn’t let him finish, instead throwing her tiny arms around his neck and hugging him fiercely. “This is the best surprise ever, Daddy. Jordie’s my favorite Dragon. I love you so muchly for inviting her.”
His mud-covered face goes mushy and sweet, and my heart feels like a boa constrictor has wrapped itself around the organ. I’m pretty sure he’s blushing beneath all the green crusty stuff.
“I love you so muchly too, sweetie, but Jordie is here for…” His eyes turn pleadingly toward me before looking at his little girl with a mixture of love and panic. “She just stopped by for…”
He’s struggling to get the words out, and there’s no way I’m letting him disappoint his daughter. It seems like it would destroy him.
So, on a whim, I wave cheerily with both hands and say, “I just stopped by for spa night! Your dad told me it’s super fun.”
My eardrums vibrate and almost burst with her delighted squeal, and Phoenix shoots me a look filled with gratitude. Then he turns to Reece, his voice gentle but firm.
“Can you please properly introduce yourself instead of just screaming at our guest?”
She giggles as he sets her down, and I take her small hand when she holds it up to me. “So nice to meet you. I’m Reece Annette Hale.”
Dammit, she is freaking cute. Shaking, I reply. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too. I’m Jordan Ann McNamara, but I prefer being called Jordie.”
Her little body wiggles in excitement. “Our middle names are almost the same! That is the coolest.” Then she steps back and swings her arm in a welcoming gesture. “Please come inside. Can I get you a juice box? We have apple and grape.”
