“Are you kidding me?” Her eyes narrow in on me as I approach her.
I hesitate, as I’m not sure what’s going on. “With what?” Her arm splays out to the direction of the mixer. “Uhm, it’s a mixer.”
“It’s not just a mixer. This wasn’t here last time.”
“And?”
“It’s the one I mentioned once. It has like a gazillion different functions.” She walks to the red machine and begins to assess all the little features.
I might have ordered it with her in mind. It’s huge so will never fit in her kitchen, which makes me internally question why buying her supplies for my kitchen is coming so naturally. But I wanted to do something for her. We’re past flirtation, and we could be something longstanding. I’ve mentioned my intentions, but that doesn’t mean we need to make a big deal out of my gestures, though I’m sure my mother would call it sweet.
“No biggie.” I downplay this act because I need to. I can’t overthink this.
She slowly walks to me, step by step, ensuring our eyes hold, giving me a chance to stare at her soft lips stretching into a smile. “Now I’m going to have to replan the entire weekend menu,” she chides.
“My fault?”
She nods. “You never make it easy for me.”
“It’s no fun that way.” I welcome her into my arms. I miss having her in my kitchen daily. “Plus, I’m not a good guy.”
“So I thought,” she faintly replies, and it feels sentimental.
Her fingers claw my shirt, and I know her well enough now to know that she wants to ditch her kitchen plan and instead head upstairs, which I’m on board with.
“Going to join me in the shower or wait for me in bed?”
“Join you in the shower, for sure,” April purrs.
I lift her up at the same time she climbs me like a tree. We make it to the bottom of the stairs, but my phone goes off, and as much I hate to break the mood, it could be the mom who is letting Hadley play with her daughter.
“Babe, I need to check.”
She’s already reaching into my pocket with her hand, which causes her to feel my cock through my pants, but I’m sure that’s what she wanted. She pulls out my phone and wiggles it in the air with pride.
I read the screen and see the message that Hadley will be dropped off soon, as they're on the way back from the park.
Humorously, I laugh to myself because this is our luck. “We have ten minutes tops.”
“Doable,” she promises.
“That’s my girl.” I continue us on our path upstairs, very much aware that April may just be my girl.
* * *
Looking into Hadley’s room,I see she isn’t in her bed as promised, to wait for her bedtime story. Somehow April managed to get Hadley to eat tomato soup with grilled cheese that she cut into shapes, then we watched a Christmas movie. But it’s way past Hadley’s bedtime now.
Walking down the hall to the guest room, I spot the door open and hear Hadley.
“Why are you sleeping in here?” she asks, and I hear April crack a sound.
“Uh, why wouldn’t I?” April has doubt in her tone.
“Nova, my friend, said that you are a special friend of daddy’s. It’s what her daddy has too, because her parents don’t live together, so she has two houses.”
Clearing my throat, I swoop right into the room to end this conversation. “There you are, sweet pea, I thought I said wait in bed.”
“But I wanted to say good night to April,” she justifies and looks up at me so innocently.
