“Perhaps,” I reply. Although spending time in the water with the woman who just wrapped herself in a towel may not be such a good idea. There are things I want to do to her that wouldn’t be appropriate with my son in the vicinity. I shift to adjust the cut of my pants and move into the light.
“Hello,” she says, almost shyly. Her tone makes me want to shake out the shyness and have her crying out in pleasure. “Are you done with work for the day?”
I give a nod. “Some calls to make later, but I can do it from here. Thought I’d spend a bit of time with Dani.” I smile at my son. It’s not entirely true. I love every minute with my boy, but I have other motives today. “What have you been up to, little man?” I ask him. His grin could brighten a room.
“Zio Raoul brought me home from school, and Sister Lovie was already waiting for me! We had lunch and went over my homework, then played dodgeball and shot some hoops. Oh, and we jumped on the trampoline,” he says. I raise a brow to show I’m impressed. “And then it was hot, so we went for a swim.”
“Sounds like a busy day,” I say, surprised either of them is still standing.
“Can we have a movie night, Papá?” he asks eagerly. “I showed Sister Lovie the cinema room, and she told me she really loves popcorn.”
I glance at her. “Do you now?”
She shrugs and splays her hands. “Always loved a night at the movies,” she says. “We just never did it much.”
I nod, not pressing for more. I don’t need to get to know her. Don’t need to learn about her fucked up childhood or the hardship she may have endured as a kid. This is not meant to be a relationship. She’s here for my pleasure. And to take care of my son.
“It’s a date, then,” yells Dani, gamboling around like a fool.
“A movie night,” I correct him. “A date is different.” Nikki’s looking out at the pool, clearly seeking a distraction.
“How is it different?” asks Dani.
“A movie night is when friends or family get together to enjoy a show. A date is when two people share time together to get to know each other.” Exactly what I’ve just decided I don’t want to do with this woman.
“Well, there you go! We’re spending time getting to know each other,” insists Dani.
“We’re watching a movie,” I reiterate.
“And getting to know each other!” he insists. I heave a sigh. The kid is as pigheaded as I am sometimes.
“Sweetie, let’s just choose a movie, okay?” Nikki breaks in. “What’s your favorite?”
I roll my eyes. I know what’s coming next.
“A Dog’s Journey!” Dani says emphatically.
“Okay, let’s watch that,” says Nikki.
“No,” I say sharply. She gives me a strange look.
“But I love it!” Dani persists. “It always makes me cry,” he adds, turning to her. I shake my head. It’s ridiculous. I don’t know why he insists on doing it to himself. All that mush. It’s not manly. But I guess at six, he has a while to get that right.
“Papá never cries, though,” he goes on. She shoots me a side-glance. “He’s super tough. When I’m big like him, I won’t cry neither.”
She ruffles his hair. “There’s nothing wrong with tears, Dani,” she says, not meeting my eye. I want to disagree. Men in my family don’t show weakness. But this is a discussion I hadn’t prepared for. Nor do I ever intend to have it with her.
“No, Dani. Pick something else,” I put my foot down. The damn movie will have her blubbering too, and I can’t face the thought of that.
“Secret Pet of Lives!” he says brightly.
“Secret Life of Pets,” I correct.
“That’s what I said,” he replies. I shrug and chuckle. There’s no sense in arguing with the boy. I raised him after all…there’s no winning.
“Fine, get Manuel to set it up for you. I’m going to change and make some calls. I’ll meet you down there in an hour,” I say, heading to the stairs that lead to my room.
When I return, I’m in shorts and a snug t-shirt. I see Nikki glancing at me occasionally, as if unsure what to make of this. I don’t have to give her answers. When I’m with my boy, I can let my hair down. And right now, he’s holding out a tub of popcorn that’s big enough to dive into. We make the short trip to the private theatre and settle in quickly. Dani and I have our regular seats, deep plush recliners that allow us to stretch back and stare up at the vast screen. Nikki finds a chair at the far corner and sinks into it.
