Page 24 of Falling for Her
I smile wide and hold my hands out for the little tyke. He throws himself at me, making me chuckle as I catch him.
“Hey, little man,” I say as I plop him on my hip and bounce him a little. Then I look at Mr. Jacobs, who is leaning against the desk, smiling, while the man, Cody—I think Esmerelda said his name was—crosses his arms over his chest and raises a brow.
“What can I do for you, Damian?” Mr. Jacobs asks while Levi grabs my silver chain.
“I came to ask you what Esmerelda’s favorite food is,” I reluctantly admit in front of her ex, “She’s accepted a date tomorrow.”
“Spaghetti and meatballs,” he says without hesitation, and I raise a brow because I thought I was going to have a fight on my hands. He shrugs and admits, “Since Aiden’s been born, Mer has put him before everything else. I saw how you looked at her but, more importantly, how she looked at you, and that is enough for me.”
“And me,” Cody adds. I look his way with a furrowed brow because I honestly thought the fucker wanted her back especially with how he looks at her. He just smiles sadly and admits, “I messed up with her when we were teenagers.”
“And by messed up, he means my daughter was a bet because she was a loner in school, and as soon as she gave him her virginity – something a father shouldn’t know – he dumped her and went back to his actual girlfriend, who also was the school bully and the idiot is lucky my daughter has a soft heart allowing him to be her friend,” Mr. Jacobs explains, and my eyes widen as Cody winces.
“Not my finest of moments,” he admits, “I knew I messed up, and for months, I apologized, and while I wanted to try again, I broke her trust,” sadness etches off him and my jealousy spikes until he says, “Whatever feelings she had for me died that day, and now she’s my best friend, and I just want to see her happy,” he gives me a pointed look, “Her last boyfriend was before Aiden was born. The ass butt dialed her while he was sleeping with my then girlfriend, so don’t hurt her, or you’ll have me to deal with.”
Well, my girl definitely hasn’t had any luck with men huh….
“She didn’t love Mark, and he never would have made it, Cody, you know this,” Mr. Jacobs says, catching my attention. He looks at me, “Her favorite movie is Lady and the Tramp, she hates olives with a passion and kids, as you’ve guessed are her soft spot because of her brother,” I smile and look at Aiden, who is playing with my chain as Mr. Jacobs finishes, “She’s currently taking a business class getting ready to take over the bakery fully, something she is nervous about and keeps trying to put off and is nearly done with culinary school. That is all you're getting, and as Cody said, don’t hurt her.”
I’ve never felt so fucking grateful as I did yesterday, and even though I hate that her ex is her best friend and clearly still holds a small torch for her, he wants her to be happy and knows it won’t be with him.
His girlfriend showed up with his lunch making his cheeks heat, which was fucking hilarious, but it was also good to know that he has a girlfriend, though the woman definitely celebrated way too loudly when Cody explained I was going on a date with his ex.
Guess she wasn’t happy about him being close to Esmerelda.
My phone rings, and I quickly grab it, looking to see it isn’t Esmerelda, or Mer, as her dad calls her. However, I scowl when I see it’s Bethany.
Fucking woman won’t get the hint.
Shaking my head, I decline the call and grab my truck keys, knowing Esmerelda is not ready for the Harley just yet, which is parked in the shed just outside the backdoor to my apartment.
Whistling, I lock up and descend the stairs, and instead of going out the back, I head towards the front to see how many clients I have tomorrow morning but pause when I see Bethany pacing the waiting area as Hammer talks rapidly and points to the door.
Yep, fuck that shit.
Wincing when she pulls the middle finger at him and his face turns red and I slowly walk backward refusing to even entertain that shit and head to the backdoor because, again, the woman won’t get the fucking hint.
“I’m sorry okay!” the waitress from the other day snaps as I walk into the bakery ten minutes later.
I raise a brow, seeing Esmerelda glaring at the other woman, her face red, and she snaps, “Sorry? You’re sorry? You started a physical altercation with a heavily pregnant woman after she called you out for trying to hit on her husband in front of her!”
Oh shit….
She points at the counter, and my eyes go to it, and oh holy shit…Glass is scattered everywhere.
“You smashed the counter, Trina, a counter you know my mother bought for this place!” Essy continues…
Huh, Essy… I like it.
The woman, Trina scowls, “She called me a whore!”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t act like one by hitting on a married man with his pregnant wife right there then telling said pregnant woman that you are most likely better in bed when she called you out!” my soon-to-be girl shouts then points at the door, “Leave before you lose your job!”
Trina winces as she eyes the smashed counter and seems to understand her fuck up. She mumbles, “I’m so sorry, Ess,” and grabs her bag before rushing around the smashed counter. She halts when she sees me, her hazel eyes teary, and I raise a brow.
She looks at Essy, then back at me, and clears her throat before continuing her path out the door. She rounds me without a word, which, by the looks of things, is the only decent thing she’s done today.
I hear a sniffle, and I quickly look at Essy. Her face is in her hands, and her shoulders are shaking.
