Ugh! But *I* don’t want to. :(
His lips quirked. Knowing Jax had been looking forward to today as much as he had soothed his disappointment.
Me neither. But brunch will still be here after you have helped your sister.
Good.
Ari waited for more—Jax was rarely taciturn—but after a few minutes of silence, Ari put his phone back on the nightstand and rolled over for a few more winks.
When he woke again, it was almost nine and his phone was vibrating on the nightstand once again.
Breakfast with my new date isn’t nearly as enjoyable.
I should hope not.
He dropped his phone and headed for the shower. Several minutes later, clean and hungry, he brought his phone to the kitchen. He was nibbling on some of the fruit he’d bought the night before when he checked his phone again.
At least she’s entertaining, Jax had written and then shared a series of pictures—a Caucasian toddler sitting at a kitchen table with her face smeared in a combination of crumbs and berry juice, the same toddler sitting in Jax’s lap for a selfie, her fluffy golden hair and bright blue eyes a match to Jax’s own.This is Alice.
God, they were cute. He tapped to enlarge the photo. Jax was smiling at the baby, ignoring the camera, while she was reaching for it, clearly eager to play with the toy. A few old friends had complained about their kids’ desire to play with the phone, and it looked like Alice was no different.
Alice. Huh. What a coincidence.
Ari looked at the adorable chubby face. The sizzling, popping sensation of creative inspiration bubbled in the back of his brain. He crossed the room in quick strides, searching for his notebook. He needed to make some adjustments to his lyrics.
JAX WOKEup early, deliberately took his pill when his phone chimed, and was contemplating the best outfit for a booty-call-slash-brunch-date when his phone rang.
“Hi, George. What’s up?”
“Are you doing anything today? I mean, I know you’re working later, but what about right now?”
There was a tinge of desperation to his voice, and Jax bit his tongue. “Why? What’s going on?”
“Sam’s at work, all sorts of new employee stuff, and I was meant to be taking it easy today so I could watch Alice. We don’t have a day care yet.” He huffed.
“And?”
“And someone fucked up—at my work, I mean. Royally. And the client is baying for blood, and my boss needs me on it, only it’s several hours of work and I can’t—”
“Say no more. Do you want me at yours or to bring her here?”
“Jax, you’re a life saver,” George said eagerly. “Normally our place would be easier, but there are boxes everywhere…. Calvin won’t mind you having a kid at home all day?”
“George, if you didn’t figure out that Hobbes won’t mind a kid, then I don’t know what to tell you.”
He laughed. “Good point. Okay, give me a few to pack her up and I’ll be there soon. Like, thirty minutes?”
“Do you need me to come get her?”
“Your bike doesn’t exactly have room for a car seat, not to mention the several bags a toddler comes with.”
He had a point. “See you in thirty, then,” Jax laughed and hung up.
Only now he had to cancel on Ari.Fuck.Last night, Jax’s dream self got plowed into the mattress with his ankles around his ears, but it looked like his waking self would have to keep waiting.
He texted Ari and was careful to make the message sound appropriately apologetic and disappointed. Then he went to the kitchen to find breakfast for himself and a baby.
George looked ready to kiss him when Jax accepted Alice and her bags. “I can’t thank you enough. Normally I might tell him to deal without me, but they’re a bit nervous about me having moved so far away, even though it was their decision to go remote permanently.”
