Page 82 of Play With Me
“Don’t forget your special glasses.”
She purses her lips. She’s hiding a smile. But she takes the bedazzled frames Cap chose for her and sets them onto her face.
“You look like a hot version of that mean office lady inMonsters Inc.”
This time she’s the one turning away, her shoulders shaking. “I’ll just put these in my purse for safekeeping,” she says, sounding short of breath.
A few minutes later we’re walking down the hall together and it’s all I can do not to take her hand in mine. It feels natural, given we’re going out to dinner. Especially when we pass Gunther, who looks like he swallowed a golf ball when he sees her.
“Gunther,” she says sweetly.
He turns a bright shade of pink and chokes out a sound I’m not sure is in French, German, English, or Pig Latin. Then he ducks out an exit door like he’s going to combust.
She looks at me, mildly concerned. “You don’t think—”
“He was picturing your tits,” I say matter-of-factly.
“Jesus, Jude.”
“I don’t blame him.” I lean in because we’ve entered the lobby and there are people everywhere. “They’re beautiful.”
Now, she’s choking.
I chuckle.
“You laughed,” she says finally in her quiet little voice. “I win.”
Dammit, she’s right. I suddenly want very badly to bring her around the corner, press her up against the wall, and tell herNo. I win.Maybe urge down the top of her dress and see what I only got hints of yesterday. Take one of those nipples into my mouth and—
But we’re approaching the restaurant now, where I can see my little guy standing with Farrah, waiting for us.
The last thing he needs is to see me acting like a fool for his…whatever Nora is to him.
He spots us and comes sprinting over.
Despite her fancy dress, Nora gets down on one knee, never too bothered to give Cap all the attention he deserves. “My best guy!” Nora says, laughing as he nearly knocks her over with a hug.
Nora pulls away, holding him gently by the shoulders. “You okay? It’s only been a couple hours since we saw each other!”
“I’m great. I just missed you, is all.”
My chest contracts a little. What’s it going to be like when we have to leave her behind again?
I want her to be my mom.
I wrote it off before as just an awkward kid thing. But watching them together now, and earlier today, her arms around him as they sped down the hill shrieking with laughter—it’s enough to make my breath hitch.
“Hey, what about me?” I ask, throwing my hands up in the air.
Cap sighs. “I live with you, Dad.”
“Unbelievable.”
Still, he takes pity on me and throws his arms around my waist. “Fine. I missed you too, Dad.”
Nora laughs and I throw her a mock glare.
Then, to my surprise, Cap wraps one arm around her waist and one around mine and guides us to the restaurant as one little unit.
