“Ok…” He said as his head continued to bobble. “Cool. Right. Do you need me to give you a ride to the movies or a mall?” He asked weakly as he nodded and blinked at Audrey and she slid Royce a concerned look.
“No, daddy,” she replied carefully then said a silent prayer. “She’s got her license and she said she’d pick me up,” Audrey explained quietly.
“Oh…” Grant whispered. Royce slid Grant’s coffee mug in front of him then smiled at Audrey.
“That’s really great,” he said then pushed Grant’s hand to the mug. Grant picked it up and took several gulps. Royce gestured for Audrey to ignore him. “If you have any questions, your father and I are both here for you,” he started then hissed as he tilted his head conspiratorially. “While neither of us shop in that particular department, we will do whatever we can to find the answers or put you in contact with someone more knowledgeable,” he said behind his hand and Audrey rolled her eyes and shook her head but her cheeks were a bit pink.
“Marcy already talked to me about safe sex and she knows that I like girls,” she told him and Grant’s jaw fell.
“You told Marcy first?” He sounded hurt.
“I knew you’d already be freaked out about me dating, I didn’t know how you’d handle the rest of it,” Audrey explained and Grant frowned.
“Because you like girls? Why would I…? I’m…”
“I know! But it’s just one more thing for you to worry about because you know how other people are,” she said quickly. He nodded but he still looked confused.
“Ok but… It’s not Ashley, is it?” He asked and Audrey recoiled.
“What? No!” She yelled and he held up his hands.
“I’m sorry! She just got her license and I didn’t know you hung out with anyone else and you spend the night there more than you do here,” he said defensively. “I’m fine with dating but it’s way too soon for that sort of sleepover,” Grant explained poorly. Royce appreciated Grant’s quandary. Knowing Audrey liked girls added a new dimension to future sleepovers with her female friends. Grant wouldn’t allow her to spend the night with a male friend, if she was straight. Audrey pulled a face as she shook her head.
“I know I’m not ready for that. Ashley’s in love with her brother’s best friend, Carson, but I think he’s secretly in love with Ashley’s brother,” she informed them in a hushed voice and Royce wished young Carson luck.
“Do you like the young lady you’re seeing tonight?” Royce asked, getting the conversation back on track. Audrey nodded. “Excellent,” he stated as he gave her hand a squeeze. “You understand how consent works and that you can call me or your father if you ever find that you don’t feel comfortable or safe, correct?” He said and she nodded again.
“I really like her. Her name is Mikayla and she’s so pretty. She kind of looks like Tessa Thompson,” she babbled as she twisted her napkin and Royce thought she was just as adorable as Grant when he was flustered. Grant noticed and he visibly melted.
“She sounds great, baby. Where are you two going?” He asked as he found his footing and gave her shoulder a gentle nudge. She blushed as she poked at her eggs and Grant flashed Royce a grateful smile.
“She’s taking me to her favorite sushi place and then we’re going to The Six Beans. She’s bringing a chess board and her Pokémon cards,” she said and Grant’s brows jumped as he sat back and crossed his arms.
“That sounds like your perfect evening,” he murmured and she gasped.
“Isn’t it? I have to show you the pictures or her kitten! Her name is Vida and she’s very dramatic and Edgar would die!” She exclaimed and Grant chuckled as he hugged his mug then took a sip.
“I’d like to meet her, if your date goes well and you think you’ll be spending more time with her. We can have her over for dinner and we’ll grill and you two can hang out in the pool,” he suggested then hissed as he looked at Royce. “After we’ve figured out what this new development means,” he said and she snorted in agreement.
“It would be really awkward if she was here and a spy fight broke out,” she laughed but Grant shook his head.
“No. We’re not having a spy fight here,” he stated as he gave Royce a loaded look. Royce made a pffftt! sound as his hand flailed.
“I don’t think it will come to that but I’ll do my best to prevent any spy fights from happening,” he said dismissively but Royce felt a twinge in his gut that he didn’t like. He steered the conversation away from spy fights and back to Audrey’s date and Grant was encouraging but had fun giving her a hard time. Royce thought Grant handled it well. He stumbled a bit when he realized his little girl was turning into a young woman but he caught up and said all the right things. Royce felt blessed to be included in such a special moment and he was so absurdly proud of Grant and Audrey.
“Are you crying?” Grant accused as he pointed at Royce.
“No. I got a tickle in my throat,” he said as he coughed and reached for his coffee. “It’s probably my allergies,” he muttered as he sipped but Royce had a feeling they weren’t buying it.
“While we’re still sort of on the topic…” Audrey started very nonchalantly. “Have you considered deleting the footage from the KissCam on the porch?” She asked and Grant’s eyes flared.
“What?” He squeaked but his eyes went to the back porch. “Oh, God,” he breathed before he dove out of his seat and bolted from the kitchen. Royce raised a brow at Audrey and she squeezed an eye shut as her teeth dug into her lip.
“Dad forgot that he set up a security camera on the front porch. We’ve both got apps on our phones that lets us watch the stored video,” Audrey explained sheepishly. Royce’s lips pursed as he looked toward the front porch. He recalled the many goodnight kisses they shared and his cheeks became warm as his lips twitched into a smile. “There’s a camera on the back porch too,” she added and the color drained from Royce’s face.
“Oh, God.”
“Don’t worry, I couldn’t see anything and I stopped it as soon as it looked like it was about to get R-rated,” she told Royce but he still felt like he owed her an apology.
“I’m going to make sure Grant doesn’t need help with that,” he said then fled the kitchen.
Chapter 29
Dad
How did it go?
Jelly Bean
I had the best time! You’d love the sushi place. I can’t remember the name but we have to go with Royce. Mikayla loved The Six Beans. We didn’t get to play a lot of chess because we were too busy talking.
Dad
That sounds like a perfect first date. I’m so happy for you, Jelly Bean.
Jelly Bean
It was. She’s going to the flea market with us tomorrow. I’m back at Marcy’s and we’re about to watch a movie.
Marcy
I met Mikayla! She’s stunning and very sweet. Smart and extremely polite. Our baby has excellent taste. We’re going to the flea market tomorrow and I will do more digging!