All the butterflies in her midsection dropped as if sprayed with pesticide. “Are you saying you would be the right guy for me because we’ve figured out how to co-parent our kids?’
He nodded. “Yes.”
“But you did a cost-benefit analysis, and determined that taking me from friend to girlfriend is high risk?”
His eyes lit up as if appreciating that she understood where he was coming from. “You don’t think so?”
She didn’t know what to think. Here she was believing Elijah was attracted to her, but he just saw her as convenience. Elijah may have thought his words sounded sensible, but to her they made her feel foolish for feeling the way she did about him.She was divorced now because her ex-husband only saw her as a helpmate and not a partner. He didn’t respect or acknowledge her as a person, just a possession. She’d almost gotten caught up with that with Aaron. Would being with Elijah sign her up for a similar situation? What had she expected? A fiery admission of romance? A passionate embrace? The man admitted he didn’t have time for joy in his life. Without joy there was no passion. No fire. Of course, he wouldn’t view relationships as anything other than a problem to be solved via a cost-benefit analysis.
“It doesn’t matter what I think. Just do what you can to find some joy in your life. Sabrina’s watching, and she’s worried about you. That’s what matters.”
Chapter 4
“Beenie, come on, baby girl, we’re going to be late.” Elijah called down the hall. He pulled his sleeve back to check his watch. Seven fifteen, shit, they were already late.
“Dad, calm down. I’ll be just two minutes.”
“You said that ten minutes ago.” He grumbled before going back to the kitchen.
The breakfast he’d made had congealed into a cold, unappealing mess on the paper plate on the table. Sure, it had only been instant grits and pre-cooked bacon, but it was breakfast. He’d never been the best of cooks, but he believed in having breakfast before leaving the house to be prepared for the day. A month ago Sabrina decided that she no longer ate oatmeal, his go to breakfast staple for years, because she now wanted a “hearty breakfast like they have on tv”. Hence, the switch to instant grits and pre-cooked bacon.
He picked up the plate and put it in the microwave then checked is watch again. His stomach clenched. He was going to be late for work. He hated being late. Not just because he tried to lead by example for his employees, but because he hadn’t taken the time last night to look over the budget submissions Adam sent over. After hanging out and then talking to Layla he hadn’t been able to focus. The look in her eye when he’d said they shouldn’t be together had stirred something in him he hadn’t expected. She’d looked as if she’d been disappointed. He’d considered this attraction he had to be one-sided because she’d been dating that guy. That’s why he’d always assumed any action on his part would ruin their friendship. The look on her face when he’d said that had him reconsidering his stance.
“What do you think?” Sabrina said right after the fifteen seconds he’d put on the microwave to heat the food ended. He turned and had to press his lips together to keep his jaw from dropping.
Beenie stood in the kitchen, not dressed in the cute dress he’d picked out the night before, but instead in a pair of pinstripe pants that were a part of a suit his mother had purchased her two weeks before. A black t-shirt with the screenprint of Scar from the Lion King with the quote “I’m surrounded by idiots” was tucked into the pants. A red baseball cap turned back covered the braids in her hair and red and black Jordans covered her small feet.
“That’s different from what we picked out,” he said slowly. Trying to keep his voice even. “You said you wanted to wear the dress.”
She shrugged. “I thought I did, but when I woke up this morning this felt better.” Her brows raised and her eyes were questioning. “You like it.”
“It’s…different.” When she looked down he walked over and lifted her chin. “But you look beautiful. As always.”
She grinned and bounced. “You think so?”
“I do, but you may have to lose the hat when you get to school.”
She ran her hand over the hat and nodded. “Maybe, but I think it looks good.”
“If your teacher tells you to take it off then you take it off.”
She sighed and went to the table. “I know the rules, Dad.” She took her bookbag out of the chair and slid it onto her back.
“Good.” he pulled the warmed food out of the microwave. “I reheated breakfast.”
Sabrina pointed at the microwave. “We don’t have enough time. We’re late.”
“You can eat the bacon in less than five minutes.” He crossed the room and handed her the plate. “Hopefully, Ms. Layla won’t leave you.”
“She won’t,” Sabrina said before popping a slice of bacon in her mouth. “She likes me.”
Eli grunted before grabbing a piece of bacon off his pate. “Well, she doesn’t like being late.”
“Good thing she likes you, too,” Sabrina said in a sing song voice.
He ignored the way his daughter’s words made his heart do a weird flip. Sabrina was a kid talking in general. Just because he was starting to wonder if maybe Layla felt something for him didn’t mean he needed to go looking for signs from his daughter.
“She likes me because I drop you off on time,” he said easily.
