I nod, suppressing the annoyance that stretches in the pit of my stomach. I push nagging thoughts of Caine away as I step back behind the bar.
“Okay, back to work,” I say, trying to lift the heavy silence.
With a deep breath, I wipe the bar top, forcing myself to concentrate on handing out drinks, but thoughts of Caine interrupt another order I try to take. The way he’d looked at me—like I mattered, like I was worth knowing.
As the night drags on, I can’t shake the feeling that this is just the beginning of something I’m not quite ready to face.
CHAPTER FOUR
I scrub the roasting pan, watching soap bubbles form and pop, letting my mind wander. Is it just me, or am I always scrubbing pots and pans? I suppose this is what we call ‘adulting’. I sometimes wish there was less ‘adulting’ and more ‘playing’ in my life.
The sound of Reeves’s deep voice drifts from Liam's room, readingI Love You to the Moon and Backfor what must be the hundredth time this month. He never tires of it, always begging for just one more read.
His voice rises and falls with the story's rhythm, and his tone is uncharacteristically soft and sweet. My heart swells despite my exhaustion. For all his faults—the late nights, the temper, the endless pool and jam sessions with his buddies—he's an amazing father. Liam adoreshim, especially during story time when he brings his favorite stories to life.
Once Liam is finally tucked in, Reeves appears in the kitchen, vape pen in hand, his long dark hair tied back loosely. "Need to unwind?"
I hesitate, then nod, my shoulders screaming. "Just a little." The weekend was brutal at the pool hall, and my body aches from carrying drink trays through the crowded room for hours.
The doorbell chimes, and Liza bounces in wearing her ridiculous SpongeBob PJs, arms loaded with enough junk food to feed an army. “Movie night!”
"You're terrible," I laugh, eyeing the family-size bag of Cheetos with equal parts desire and guilt. "You know I'm trying to lose weight."
"Live a little.” She dumps everything on the coffee table in a colorful avalanche. "Now, let’s dish about Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Mysterious,” she whispers. “What's up with this Tuesday meeting?"
I grab us two glasses of red, and sink into the worn couch cushions, pulling my feet under me. "I have no idea. He was so... intense about it. It was so weird.”
"Maybe he's secretly in love with you," she wiggles her eyebrows playfully. "I mean, I know he barely knows you, but have you seen how he looks at you when he thinks no one's watching?"
"Stop it." But my cheeks warm at the memory of hispiercing green eyes. "He probably just wants to discuss business. The pool hall's been struggling. We’ve been late on our rent more than once.”
"Business doesn't look at you like that." Liza takes a long hit from her vape, blowing mango-scented clouds toward the ceiling. "He's different, you know? Like he exists in his own world. All slow and controlled and..." She waves her hand vaguely.
The opening credits ofDirty Dancingroll across the screen, but my mind keeps drifting to Tuesday. What could Caine possibly want with me? The uncertainty makes my stomach flutter in a way I'm not entirely comfortable examining.
I settle deeper into the couch, my gaze drifting toward the garage. I can hear Reeves and his bandmates in the garage, the rough strumming of Reeves’s guitar, his voice weaving a raw, magnetic energy through the room.
A flicker of appreciation hits me; he's so fiercely passionate, and in these moments, he shines like the man I fell in love with. I try to focus on him, but thoughts of Caine's intense eyes intrude, sparking a strange mixture of excitement and guilt.
I get up and close the mudroom door, the sound fading.
When I get back to the sofa, I’m still distracted, my brain full of this mysterious man I barely know.
Liza's voice pulls me back to the moment. "Jenna! Are you even watching?"
I snap my eyes back to the screen, but my mind flits.Why does he look at me like that?The image of his full lips curling into a soft smile, his slow laughter that feels almost intoxicating, invades my thoughts again. I bite my lip, trying to dispel the warmth pooling in my stomach.
The movie ends, and I feel like I haven’t watched it at all. Between a few puffs of vapes and thoughts of Caine, my mind was completely somewhere else. But my stomach was completely present—I think I’ve eaten half the bag of Cheetos.
Liza and I sit in the garage with the boys like the groupies we are. As Reeves strums the guitar effortlessly, I admire his uninhibited energy. I want to cheer him on, to revel in the essence of who he is—the father, the husband, the man I adore. But then the memory of Caine flickers through my mind again, and I’m shocked by how a single man, a stranger essentially, can affect me so.
My heart races as the sound of Reeves’s voice wraps around me, creating a perfect backdrop, yet it seems almost muted compared to what I'm feeling inside aboutCaine—who really is no one to me. I glance back at Liza, who’s a little too busy flirting with Sam, blissfully unaware of my turmoil.
Shouldn’t I feel guilty? Shouldn’t I be focused on my husband? I want to chase these thoughts away, the excitement, the thrill of it all, but to do so would mean denying a part of myself I’ve kept buried so long.
It’s not just about Caine; it’s the thrill of something new, something forbidden. Every time I think of our conversations at the pool hall or the shared glances, my pulse quickens. It’s exhilarating and terrifying, and I don't know what to do with these feelings.
“C’mon, Jenna,” Liza's voice pulls me back again. “You’re daydreaming again. Let's go dance!”
