“She likes that you only have one eye. She told me it’s one of the things she loves about you. You’re being silly if you think she’d be better off without you. She’s happy with you. Why don’t you just stop being stupid?” she makes it sound so damn easy.
“I don’t know how to give her what she wants without her leaving me.”
“Sounds to me like you don’t have each other now, so what’s the difference?” Kimmy shrugs and she has a slight lisp on her S’s and C’s, which makes her voice so damn cute.
“When did you become so smart? That sounded like decent advice, Squirt.”
“I’m a kid. I’m not dumb.”
I actually think she’s much further along mentally than a lot of her peers. She needs to be in different classes. “No, Kimmy. You’re far from dumb. You’re smarter than me. I never even thought about it like that.”
“You’d think falling from a Ferris wheel would knock some sense into you,” she says on a tired breath, shaking her head as if she is disappointed in me.
I can’t help it. I laugh, I bend back, and slap my hand against my chest. “Stop sounding so damn smart. Do your homework.” I get up from the chair and ruffle her hair, leaving it in a mess on her head. “You want one of Arrow’s juice boxes?”
“Yes! Did you know he spends over one thousand dollars on juice boxes per month? At least, that’s what his checkbook said.”
That’s a lot of damn juice. “He buys in bulk. It makes sense.”
“Daddy.” She deadpans me, leaning to the left with her hand on her hip. “Nothing about that makes sense.”
“You sounding so grown up doesn’t make sense. Get to work.”
She gives me a toothless grin and picks up her pencil to get back to finishing her homework. If there is one thing I’ve learned so far today, it’s a seven-year-old is smarter than me.
I’m not sure how I feel about that.
I tap angrily on the keyboard, muttering to myself. “Men are so stubborn.” I punch the keys a little harder. “Unbelievable. One thing. Just one. It’s all I wanted. I mean, a favorite color would have been nice. Would’ve been better than nothing.” I deepen my voice to mock him. “‘My name is Quin, I’m silent and strong and stubborn as hell.” I let out a frustrated groan, which reminds me of the sounds that Quin made me make during our quick, amazing, rough, hard… long, thick…
I blink a few times when I realize my train of thought went from dirty to dirtier and look at my screen to see random numbers and letters typed out on the page.
“Stupid amazing sex,” I grumble next, plucking the backspace button harder than necessary. “Short circuits my brain. I need to just stay away. Stupid freaking handsome—”
“—Well, someone sure is a little hateful today,” Mr. Lancer teases as he leans against the front counter, crossing his arms and grinning at me.
I don’t know what it is about him lately, but he’s been different. Happy and less moody, ever since I told him about Kimmy’s day at school. He’s been more patient too. Mr. Lancer knew I was a single mom, so I don’t know where the kindness is suddenly coming from. I’m going to run with it instead of question it.
Mr. Lancer is a handsome middle-aged guy. His hair is black, sprinkled with bits of silver, and he has pale skin with bright blue eyes and a constant five o’clock shadow. The sense of style he has is simple, professional, and fashionable too. He wears long-sleeved shirts and dress pants with a belt that has a gold buckle. Today, he’s wearing a salmon-colored shirt with light grey trousers. Not many men can pull off the color pink and wear it willingly, but he does.
“I take it someone made Ms. Price a bit angry?” He twists his wrist to check the time, then lifts his brow to stare at the door. He has a patient coming in.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Lancer.” I drop my head in my hands to hide the blush of shame on my cheeks. “It’s unprofessional. I had a…” sexy, thrilling, orgasmic “…rough morning.”
“Want to talk about it instead of abusing the company keyboard? I don’t think it deserves that kind of treatment. What did it ever do to you?”
I chuckle and lean back, dropping my hands from my cheeks. “You’re right. I’m sorry. And no, it’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it. Plus, you’re my boss. It’s not professional.”
“I can be your boss and your friend, Alicia. I don’t plan on ever crossing the line if that’s what you are worried about.”
My eyes bug out. “Oh god, no. I wasn’t worried. I just didn’t want you to think you had to listen to me go on and on about my stupid love life.”
“You have a love life? Lucky you,” he teases with a smile.
I spin my chair in his direction and grab a pen from the table, tapping it on the table as I try to figure out my next question. “No wife? No anything?”
“Wife? No,” he scoffs with a big grin. “I wouldn’t want a wife.”
“Ah, bachelor-for-life type? I can understand why. It can be a lot.”
He shakes his head and tucks his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “No. I am, uh… listen, Alicia. Before you work here longer, you should know, I’m gay. I like men.”
I’m mid-sip of my coffee when I nearly spit it out, not because of disgust, but because a very naughty, not-safe-for-work image just popped in my mind. Would Mr. Lancer be a top? He likes control, but I bet he’d like to give it up too.
Oh god.
Am I thinking this?
I am, and the images are amazing.
“Sorry, you took me by surprise. I don’t care at all that you’re gay. Wait, that didn’t come out right. I care, but not in a bad way. I’m very supportive of the gay community. Love is love,” I ramble.
It makes him laugh, but there was a tension around his eyes that isn’t there anymore. I wonder if he was distant before because he thought I wouldn’t want to work here anymore if I found out he was gay.
“I understand. I’m glad you don’t mind. It isn’t easy finding people I can be upfront about it with.”
“Well, you should be able to be yourself. Screw everyone else.”
“Thank you.” He takes off his glasses and leans his elbows on the counter. “Now, tell me your issues.”
“Ah, I don’t know. It’s a long story. Maybe another time.”
“Well, I’m going to this speed-dating thing later, maybe you’d want to go? We could get drinks before and after… depending on how well it goes.”
“I don’t know how much speed-dating I’ll do since I don’t know if I’m single or anything and I wouldn’t feel comfortable at a table to look for a date. I’ll be your wingman though.” I grin, reaching for the phone when it begins to ring. A car pulls into the parking spot right out in front of the door. “Um, I’ll need to see if I can find a sitter first. Let me make some calls.”
“Sounds like a plan, just let me know.” He unlocks the door and when I pick up the phone, the line goes dead. “Hey, you want to watch your first adjustment? It’s such a satisfying sound when they snap and crack.”