“What more do you want from me? A letter of appreciation?”
It was a good question. I didn’t know what more I wanted from her. I wanted to blow my load and I wanted her to be the recipient. I got exactly that, but I still didn’t want to leave.
“From the moment we met, you have done nothing but made me suspicious of you. You act cagey around me, you push me away, run away. And at the same time, it’s pretty obvious to me that you want me to fuck you. So, what is the problem?”
Rosalie’s eyes grew wider and wider as I spoke. She knew she couldn’t hide anymore. I’d sussed her out exactly.
“My thoughts and feelings have nothing to do with you. What happened last night…was supposed to be a one-time quickie at the back of the bar. Now you’re here. You’ve violated my privacy by coming to my apartment. But I gave you what you wanted. Isn’t that good enough for you?”
Somehow, it wasn’t good enough.
I pushed my hands into my pockets.
“Sure, it’s good enough, but only temporarily. If you want to make this problem go away permanently, you need to tell me what’s going on with you.”
“And why should I do that? What makes you think you can just command me? We are not a part of each other’s lives.”
“Because I don’t appreciate being lied to. I know you’re lying to me. Something’s going on that you’re not telling me about.”
Rosalie pursed her lips together in anger. I knew she had a lot more to say, to criticize me, but maybe she couldn’t find the words.
The more she stared at me that way, the more convinced I was that I’d seen her somewhere before. I racked my brain but couldn’t place her.
“You want me to disappear? I will. Right after you tell me the truth,” I added.
She opened her mouth to speak, and I finally thought she was going to come clean with me. But then we both heard a door being slowly opened, and a little boy’s voice said, “Mommy?”
What the fuck was going on?
Rosalie had a kid?
This was a turn in events I wasn’t expecting.
“Davey!” Rosalie almost screamed in surprise as a little boy walked into the room. His hair was all disheveled and he was in a pair of dinosaur printed pajamas. He’d dragged a big teddy bear along the floor with him.
“Mommy?” he said again while he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes.
Rosalie flashed me a worried look before she went running to her son. She scooped him in her arms and turned away from me. Like she needed to protect him from me with her own body.
“What’s the matter, honey? Did you have a bad dream?” she asked. Her voice had changed completely. She wasn’t snippy and angry with him the way she was with me.
She was warm and loving, wrapping him close to herself while she cradled him in her arms. I could see for myself the close bond they shared.
So she was a single parent? How old was this kid? How old was Rosalie?
I definitely hadn’t pegged her to be old enough to be a mom.
I was weirded out.
Instinctively, I took a step back.
Children made me uncomfortable. I didn’t know how to be around them. I didn’t know what a kid would expect of me and I sure as hell wouldn’t be able to provide it, whatever it was.
I wanted to get out of there.
“I think so,” the kid replied. “I woke up and I was scared.”
“It’s okay, honey, I’ve got you now. Mommy’s got you now. There’s nothing to be scared of.”
I watched as Rosalie rocked him in her arms. I clenched my hands into fists in my pockets, feeling at a loss for what to do next.
“Who is that?” Davey asked, pointing straight at me.
I was in the spotlight now and I could barely make myself look at him. Rosalie turned to me finally, still trying to shield her son from me for some reason.
“That is…he’s someone I work with. He is just about to leave,” she replied.
Davey stared at me sleepily as I backed away to the door.
Minutes before, I refused to leave without an explanation from Rosalie. Now, I was practically halfway out of the door already. Kids had that effect on me. Rosalie was lucky she had a kid, because that meant she would get the space from me she’d been asking for.
“What’s your name?” Davey asked as I opened the door. It was funny he wanted to know that just as I was leaving.
“I’m Brendan, and it’s nice to meet you, Davey,” I replied. I could feel my forehead breaking into a sweat already.
He waved at me, smiling from ear to ear now.
“Goodnight, Brendan,” he said, and I had to admit I loved the way he said my name. It was adorable.
Eleven
Rosalie
When I woke up the next morning I realized I’d spent the night in Davey’s room. His bed was too tiny for the both of us so I’d ended up sleeping on the floor. I woke up groggily and checked my watch. We were going to be late.
I jumped up and went to the kitchen to get breakfast going. Then I went in to wake him up.
He looked so peaceful and sweet as he slept that I was almost tempted to let him sleep a while longer. I wished I could take liberties like that. But if he stayed home from kindergarten that day, I would have to take off from work and that would mean a serious loss of income which we couldn’t afford.
I gently stroked Davey’s hair until he fluttered his eyelids open.
“Mommy?” he murmured. I pulled him up in my arms and kissed his face.
“Hi, honey. Good morning. We’re going to be late so we have to hurry, okay?”
He nodded his head quietly as I took him to the bathroom. We stood at the basin
