Page 38 of Play Dirty
“The good, the bad, and the ugly.”
“That’s giving them a lot more credit than I think they deserve at five, three and one.”
She shakes her head. “It’s not a conscious thing—children simply sense good and bad people. They know instinctively whom they can trust. And if they trust Stevie, that means something.”
“She’s great. What’s not to like? Beautiful but also a bit fragile, like she needs someone to handle her extremely gently.”
“And do you?”
“Of course.”
“And she just wants to be friends?”
She didn’t kiss me like a woman who just wanted to be friends, but I also don’t know the depth of her ex’s abuse so it’s hard to comment on that.
“She asked me to kiss her tonight.” I explain about the music video.
“How was it?” she asks.
“The kiss? It was great.”
“But you wanted more and she didn’t.”
“I think she did, but for whatever reason, she’s not allowing herself to want that kind of thing. Like I said, she suffered a lot of abuse.”
“It was all over the papers,” Mom says, nodding. “He threw her over a second story landing and she had a miscarriage.”
Why didn’t I know that?
Shit.
“I didn’t know that,” I admit. “I knew he pushed her down some stairs or something and it resulted in surgery, but I didn’t know she lost a baby… she doesn’t talk about him much.”
“She sounds lovely,” Mom says thoughtfully, “but the timing may not be right, son. You’re still married and she’s still…struggling. At least, that’s how it sounds from the outside looking in.”
“You’re probably right. Which is why I didn’t let her know I wanted more than just a kiss.”
“Are you going to see her again?”
“I’m sure I will. We don’t have any specific plans, though.”
“You didn’t ask or she said no?”
“Neither. When I asked her out tonight she was clear that it wasn’t a date-date, and despite sharing what I thought was a great kiss, I don’t think she wants it to be anything more.”
“If you put everything else aside—your divorce and her trauma and all of it—would you want to date her?”
“Absolutely.”
She smiles. “There he is—my strong, confident son.”
“I’m not strong or confident because I’m trying to respect a lady’s wishes while navigating an ugly divorce and custody battle?”
“My strong, confident son wouldn’t let those little things stop him from going after what he wants.”
“Didn’t youjusttell me that the timing wasn’t right?”
“That never stopped two people from falling in love.”
