I smiled. I had a good idea where this was going. “You’re all alone?”
“I am. What are you doing?”
“I am drinking. Alone.”
She hesitated for a very long second. “Do you want company?”
“I do,” I answered. “Why don’t you come to my place? Like I said, I’ve been drinking.”
I looked at the glass of liquor I had barely touched. That wasn’t the point. I wanted her to come over to my house. I wasn’t trying to impress her, but I had a hot tub and a pool. A little skinny dipping could be a nice way to spend the evening.
“Okay. I will.”
“I’ll text you the address. Bring your toothbrush.”
I hung up and looked around the house. It wasn’t like it was messy. I had a housekeeper that came in three days a week, but she had not come in today. I put away the stuff from my coffee earlier that morning and tidied up a little. I changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a casual T-shirt. Then I sat and waited with a great deal of anticipation.
I opened the door to greet her and was immediately presented with a bottle of wine. “I didn’t want to show up emptyhanded,” she said.
I laughed and took it. “You could have shown up naked and I would have been okay with it.”
“Thanks, but I didn’t think that would be appropriate.”
“Come in,” I said and walked across the open floor plan to the kitchen that stretched out in a long, open rectangle. I opened the wine and poured her a glass. “I was going to order dinner. Hungry?”
“I am. What were you in the mood for?”
I smiled. “I’m not sure that would satisfy your physical hunger.”
“Ha, ha. Food first and then we’ll talk about the rest.”
I pouted. “Fine. What would you like to eat?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a Friday night and I can live footloose and fancy-free for the next twelve hours. What do you think about a loaded pizza with all the veggies and toppings?”
“That’s living footloose?” I teased.
“I haven’t gotten to eat real pizza in years. It makes no sense to order two pizzas. Jace only does cheese, which means I only get cheese. I’m craving something terribly fattening and good.”
“Pizza, it is,” I said with a laugh. I quickly ordered a pizza and then gave her the grand tour of my house. It wasn’t a mansion, but it was big enough.
“It’s nice out,” she said when we went out on the patio. I turned on the patio heaters and the soft lighting.
“Have a seat,” I told her. “I’ll refill your glass.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can.”
“Sit. Stay.”
She laughed. “Should I roll over?”
“If you’d like. That’s something we haven’t done recently.”
She waved her hand at me. “Get out of here with your sexy talk. I’m hungry.”
I laughed and carried our empty glasses inside. I had just finished topping off our glasses when the doorbell rang. I grabbed my wallet, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, and collected our pizza. The delivery man was very happy with his tip. I took the pizza out first and then went back for plates, napkins, and our drinks.
“Oh god,” she moaned around a mouthful of pizza. “So damn good. I have longed for this forever.”
Watching her enjoy the pizza was making me want her. I had to let her eat or she would probably push me in the pool if I tried to make a move on her. I picked up a slice and took a bite. “It is good.”
“Don’t tell me you only eat caviar,” she teased.
“I don’t only eat caviar, but I don’t eat a lot of pizza.”
“I love pizza,” she said. “I could seriously eat pizza three days a week. Good pizza. Not the shitty frozen cheese pizzas Jace loves.”
“How was his week at school?” I asked.
She nodded. “Good. He didn’t get expelled, so I’m counting it as a win.”
“No more problems with that punk?”
“Not yet, but this has happened before. There is a lull and then it picks up again. I think he’s in a better place. Like you said, he’s more confident and not such a big target.”
“Good.”
“Did you know he would be picked on less if he was more confident because you experienced it?” she asked.
I wiped my mouth. “Yes. I was a lot like Jace until I was probably about fifteen or sixteen and I finally managed to grow a few inches. I put on some weight and started working out. I got bigger and I got a lot more confident.”
“Did you still get in fights?”
“I got in a few, but that was more about me being a cocky shit and running my mouth,” I said with a laugh.
“Was your lack of self-confidence because your dad left?”
I scoffed. “Quite frankly, after he left, I started to gain some confidence. He destroyed me when I was little. I never felt like I was good enough. He acted like I was a pain in his ass. I tried to be good. My mom always tried to point out the good things I did, and he would either ignore it or say it wasn’t good enough. Looking back, I can see where things started to really fall apart. I remember about a year or so before he left, he was always telling her I was her responsibility, not his.”
“Like you weren’t his son?” she asked.
“I wish he wasn’t my father, but unfortunately, he is. My mom was a good woman and wouldn’t step out on him. Plus, sadly, the resemblance between us is uncanny. My mother tried to use that to earn points with him. She always said Aarons genes were strong. Everyone always said I looked just like my dad.”
She looked away, pretending to be really interested in a pepper slice on her pizza. “And then he abandoned you?” she asked softly.
“He did.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I assume that’s where this attitude of yours comes in, right?”
“My attitude?”
She nodded. “You told me way back when that you didn’t want a family.”
“I don’t.”
“But do you think it has to do with your father leaving you?” she pushed.
I blew out a breath. “If you want to get in my head and look for an excuse to explain my asshole nature, then I suppose yes. I don’t get close to anyone. I have trust issues. In general, I’m one fucked-up guy.”
“I didn’t say that,” she said with a smile. “We all have baggage. Our childhoods help shape us. I guess I can understand you a little better now. I know what makes you tick.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?”
“I’m not sure,” she said. “However, nine years ago, you walked out of my life.”
I didn’t pick up anger but there was something there. “I did.”
“You told me you didn’t want a family. You were certain I was trying to tie you down. I wasn’t by the way. But then you went off and got married. What was that about? Was it me?”
“No,” I said. I owed her an explanation. I had avoided it, but she deserved to know.
“You could have just told me,” she said. “For what it’s worth, I wasn’t trying to trap you or lock you down.”