I could still hear that damn photographer guy hollering questions at Aaron.
“Aaron, whose little girl?”
“Aaron, was that the mom, and is this your secret love child?”
“Aaron, what’s her name? Introduce us.”
When my phone dinged to alert me my driver was here, I headed for the car and got in. I only lived about ten minutes away, so I was home in no time.
My phone rang, dinged, and beeped, all from Aaron. He’d tried calling, texting, and even sending an email, but I wasn’t in a mood to talk.
I had only been home about thirty minutes before my doorbell rang. I peered through the peephole and was not too surprised to see Aaron and Ireland standing on my front porch.
“Open up, Vivian, I saw your shadow move past the window,” Aaron said loudly, but not quite loud enough to be a yell.
With a huff, I opened the door, but there was no holding back my smile, because Aaron and Ireland were holding a box of pizza and pack of soda.
“We brought dinner,” Ireland announced. “Where did you go? I looked everywhere, I was worried that there were more of those photographers and one grabbed you.”
“Come on in.” I held open the door to my small house and then led the way to the kitchen. I grabbed plates and napkins as well as cups. “Ice?”
“Not for me, the Cokes are cold.” Aaron opened the box and pulled one out. “Here you go,” he said as he handed one to Ireland and then set one down by a third chair for me. “What happened back there?”
“Too much. You know that I hate the press. I couldn’t take it. I can’t imagine how you live like that.” I inhaled deeply and then went for a slice. “It isn’t something I could live with. Your life is way too public for me.” I tried to act nonchalant, as though I wasn’t calling a halt to us, because I didn’t want to alarm Ireland, but I needed him to know that this wasn’t going any further. Feelings for him be damned, I wasn’t doing that to myself.
“Tomorrow, I’m holding a press conference to let the media know a little of what is going on. After that, most of this should die down. I usually don’t have much of a problem shopping or going out. Occasionally, people will interrupt me and ask for an autograph, but they leave me alone for the most part. I promise that this isn’t the norm. It is simply reactions to what is going on. It will get back to normal, trust me, please.” I locked eyes with Aaron, he was offering me a life raft, and I wanted so badly to take it.
I wanted to trust him.
I nodded, and he slipped one hand around the back of my neck and pulled me in for a quick kiss.
“Not at the table,” Ireland moaned, and I cracked up laughing.
“So, Ireland, tomorrow do you want to talk with me?” Aaron asked.
“In front of people?” she asked.
“Yeah, it will be for the public,” Aaron explained.
“No. Can I just stay with Vivian? She and I could work on my room.” Ireland watched me and waited for my answer.
“I have to run into Sixes tomorrow and grab the books for payroll, but other than that, I’m free. So, I’m fine if Ireland stays with me. Maybe we can go get the paint?”
“Fine by me,” Aaron agreed. “Do you want to pack a bag and stay over at my house?”
“Please, Vivian, please. Then tomorrow we can go shopping again. We got all the stuff from that barn store, but we still don’t have a lot of clothes for me though.”
“Not enough clothes?” I asked, shocked.
“Nope.” Ireland mumbled as she shook her head, her mouth full of pizza.
“My god girl, you have more clothes than I do.”
“Maybe you two need to go shopping and get clothes for Vivian too,” Aaron added, but I ignored him. When he wasn’t getting anything from me about his last statement, he changed the subject. “Why don’t we get paint on the way home?” Aaron asked.
“Can we, please?” Ireland was super excited.
I mixed a bag of play sand into clear glaze for the bottom of the ocean wall while Ireland pressed blue painter’s tape around the baseboards. We had the television on and were waiting for Aaron to come on. There had already been a few teasers about big news from the NBA all-star.
“We interrupt this regularly scheduled show,” Channel Four News announced. I avoided Channel Two like the plague thanks to Bitchasaurus, Haley Loles, but this wasn’t something that would be picked up by national news anyway.
Ireland and I turned our attention to the screen.
“Thank you for coming today,” Aaron announced. “First, I’d like to address the events from yesterday. A photographer stalked and harassed my family. I do not and will not accept any member of the press treating anyone like that, let alone my family.” Aaron paused, and I was silently high fiving him. “Not only did it frighten a woman and a seven-year-old girl, but the police were called, and the single photographer cost taxpayers money because the police had to spend man-hours on him since he decided to break the law. Our fine men and women of Orlando Police Department have better things to do than babysit you. Please know that I will not tolerate any harassment of my family.” Aaron paused, his eyes scanned the crowd.
“Two weeks ago, I received devastating news, friends of mine were in a car crash and the only survivor was their seven-year-old daughter, Ireland. I am now the legal guardian of Ireland. She will be living with me full-time as my daughter.” Aaron took a long sip of water. “I have two people in my life. I love this seven-year-old girl who will be living with me. And I’m in love with the other woman who called
