She grew quiet and turned away from me to stare through her window. If she didn’t start talking now, we wouldn’t be able to finish the conversation because we’d be at the park already. But before I could prod her, she finally answered me. “When she took me to the clinic on Tuesday, she told me about her miscarriages.”
“Well, I can’t speak for her, but I don’t imagine she told you in private that day because she wants to have a conversation about it today. So I’m pretty sure she’s not expecting you to sit down and bring it up. Just act normal. Talk about whatever else you two typically talk about. Have you heard from her since Tuesday?”
“Yeah. She’s sent me texts asking how I was feeling, but that’s about it.”
“Then you’re fine. She’s clearly not avoiding you, and she seems concerned about your health. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.” After turning into the main entrance, I reached over the center console and took her hand in mine, holding it in her lap. Pride filled my chest. She’d taken the reins and had started to slowly form deeper relationships with her family. “Whatever you do, don’t act weird.”
“Why would I act weird? Uncomfortable, maybe. Or a little standoffish. But I don’t think I’ll be weird.”
I pulled into an empty space close to the entrance, only releasing her hand to shift the car into park. Just after we both took off our seatbelts, I twisted my body to face her, staring intently at her with as much seriousness as I could muster. “I know how badly you want me. It’s in the way you look at me, how your pupils get all big. How you lick your lips, imagining they were mine. But you can’t act on your desires for the next few hours. Okay? That means you can’t follow me into the bathroom or touch me in inappropriate places while we’re in the pool. You shouldn’t corner me behind a tree when no one’s around, and if you can, you should definitely avoid trying to eye-fuck me.”
“Oh, please.” She lost the fight against the smile curling her lips. Just before climbing out of the car, she mumbled beneath her breath, “You wish.”
When I met her around the front of the car, I took the beach bag from her and carried it on my arm with my towel tucked against my side. “I’ll try to keep my shirt on as long as possible, but I will have to take it off at some point. So we should probably come up with an excuse now.”
After a long pause, she finally asked, “Excuse for what?”
“The drool. We could tell them you have a toothache, or maybe the strep did something to your tonsils and now you’re having issues swallowing your saliva. You just let me know what story we’re gonna run with, and I’ll back you up.”
She shoved me while laughing beneath her breath. “You’re the one who won’t be able to deal. You might want to stay in the pool most of the day to conceal your…you know, your erection. Because once you lay eyes on me in my bikini, it’ll just be one constant salute.”
“Considering what I’m packing…it’s virtually impossible to hide it, even under water.” I couldn’t help myself. Ever since she made the comment about assuming I was small after Vegas, I made it my goal in life to remind her just how wrong she was—every chance I got.
Out of nowhere, someone sidled up next to me. “Impossible to hide what?”
My neck almost kinked at the way I jerked my head to the side, recognizing Christine with a coy grin on her face. “The hard, hot sausage in the fridge. Janelle can’t get enough of it. Isn’t that right, Jelly? I swear, if I’m not watching her, she’ll take the whole thing.”
Janelle’s cheeks turned fiery red, but after a second of astonishment, she managed to pull herself back together. “Then I guess it’s a good thing you only brought the Slim Jim with you, because I could do without that.”
I couldn’t even form a response, because anything I longed to say would give us away in front of Christine, and Janelle made it very clear she didn’t want anyone to know about us. I shook my head and kept walking toward the pavilion her parents reserved while Christine and Janelle made small talk. I couldn’t shake that word. Us… I wasn’t even sure if there was an “us,” or if this morning was just an itch she needed scratched.
The three of us made it to the pavilion near the pool and restrooms where the entire family had already gathered. The one reason I hated to be the last one to show up was the number of people all crowding around to greet you. I loved them all, but try having sixteen people come at you all at once, and by the time you’ve made it through, you’ll be looking for a fifth of vodka and a smoke.
Luckily, everyone seemed rather dispersed into small groups rather than one large mob—probably because we were at a park versus the family home. Janelle joined the women, who appeared busy around the picnic tables getting everything organized. The five older kids ran around in the field while Rachel’s three-year-old daughter sat unfazed on a picnic table with an ice-pop in her hands.
“He lives!” Matt shouted as he clapped me on the back with his large, burly hand. “I almost forgot what you look like. It’s been forever since I last saw you.” Then he elbowed me in the side, and with a disapproving shake of his head, he said, “And from the looks of it, you’ve put on weight.”
I slapped his arm away, laughing along with him. “I’ve been lazy this week, only got in two runs. Well, one was more of a pitiful jog, but I powered through. Give me a week and I should be back to where I was. Then I’ll be able to kick your ass again.”
“Oh, and before I forget, you have papers on your desk at the office. I found them sitting on the fax machine when I went to use it, and I had no idea what it was. Looks like terms of a lease. You’re not leaving the firm, are you?” His concern would’ve been believable had we been anyone else, but it was understood neither one of us would ever screw the other over.
“Nah. Before Janelle got sick I had taken her to look at a few places. Must be from that.” I wanted the conversation to end before anyone could ask questions. Until I had a chance to talk to Janelle about it, no one else could know about the lease I’d signed without her being aware of it.
Just then, she slid up next to us with a cold can of soda in her hand. She didn’t act out of the ordinary, so I took that as a sign she hadn’t heard the conversation she practically walked into. “Did you want anything to drink? I’m still taking the antibiotics, so I won’t have anything, but if you’d like a beer, I can drive us home.”
“And what makes you think I’d let you drive my car?”
“That’s your call, buddy. I just thought I’d offer.” She shrugged it off like it didn’t faze her. Then she lowered her voice, and with a devious smirk, added, “But if you have an issue with me driving your car, then maybe I shouldn’t let you in mine anymore.”
“We hardly ever go anywhere in your car.” I didn’t want to insult her, but it really was a clunker.