“Really? That’s nice.”
I could tell he was still distracted, and tried not to be disappointed at our mismatched levels of excitement. “Well, you let me know.”
We walked in silence for a few minutes, and I looked out over the Detroit River, holding my hair back from blowing in my face and wondering what he was thinking, why he’d suddenly gone mute. When we reached the foot of the Belle Isle bridge, I asked if he wanted to walk across or turn around.
He glanced into the stroller. “Turn around, I guess. She’ll have to eat soon, and it’s easier to feed her at home.”
I nodded, and we started walking back. After another ten minutes went by, I couldn’t bear the silence any longer. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” But his expression remained serious, his jaw clenched.
“Because you seem a little upset,” I went on, making an effort to sound friendly and not accusatory. “And I was just wondering if I said something wrong.”
“You didn’t.”
“Oh. Okay, good.”
More silence. I was about to lose my mind when he stopped walking. I got about four feet ahead of him and turned around.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. I am upset about something, but it’s nothing you need to worry about.” He pushed the stroller and caught up to me. “And I would like to take you out this weekend. Could you ask your sisters if Friday night would be okay? I still want to try to visit my mom on Saturday.”
“Of course,” I said, relieved it wasn’t me but concerned about whatever it was that was bothering him. “I’ll text them right now.” Pulling my phone from the pocket of my denim jacket, I messaged both sisters at once. Maren got back to me right away and said she’d be happy to do it, and Stella replied a few minutes later that she was supposed to attend a work function with Walter but would rather babysit with Maren, so she was going to try to get out of it.
“We’re all set.” I dropped my phone back into my pocket and grinned at Nate, hoping to cheer him up. “We have not one but two qualified babysitters anxious to give you some relief and us some adult time.”
“Great,” he said, giving me half a smile.
“What should we do?” I faced him and galloped sideways a few steps, thrilled at the prospect of an evening out with him by my side, holding a restaurant door open for me, taking my hand as we walked through a crowded room, sitting across a candlelit table.
“Leave it to me.” He sounded a little better, happier. “I’ll take care of everything. I want to treat you.”
My stomach fluttered. “I can’t wait.”
Friday night, my sisters knocked on my apartment door around six. I let them in, and they followed me upstairs to my bedroom so I could finish getting ready. Nate had made a reservation for seven o’clock, but he hadn’t told me where. He’d said I could dress up or dress down, whatever I pleased. Since he was the one I wanted to please, I’d chosen a bright red dress that showed off my legs and had a deep V in the front. But other than that, it wasn’t skimpy or provocative—it had long, blousy sleeves that cuffed at the wrist, a little belt around the waist, and a soft, flowing skirt. I’d noticed that Nate was turned on by things that were suggestive without being overly revealing. I liked that about him.
Now, what I wore beneath the dress was another matter entirely—a sexy bra and panties in cherry-colored lace.
“I love your dress,” said Stella, following me up the stairs. “It looks amazing on you.”
“Thanks. You can borrow it any time. It would look great on you too, with your runner’s legs.” I smiled at her over my shoulder.
“Thanks, but I don’t really go anywhere that would require a sexy little red dress,” she said wistfully. “I wish I did.”
“Make Buzz take you out dancing,” said Maren as we reached the top of the stairs. “Go to Cliff Bell’s and do the Charleston. It would be the bee’s knees.”
Stella smacked Maren on the arm as she and I snickered. “You guys should be grateful to Walter for letting me off the hook tonight.”
“We are,” I said, going into my bathroom to take one final look at my reflection. I’d curled my hair and let it swing loose around my shoulders. My makeup I kept minimal, a little blush, some black liquid eyeliner around my eyes, and red lips to match my dress. In my ears I wore tiny diamond earrings, and a cursive E hung from a delicate gold chain around my neck. After giving myself a couple sprays of perfume, I stepped into strappy nude heels and spun around for my sisters, who were sitting on my bed. “Well?”
“Ten.” Maren was confident.
“Eleven,” said Stella. “And I love how the shoes show off your red painted toes, but are your feet going to be cold?”
“Nate does a good job keeping me warm.” I grabbed a small black clutch from my closet and tossed my lipstick in it.
“Things are still going well for you guys?” she asked.
“Totally,” I said. There were times during this week where he’d gone a little silent and moody, but that could easily be blamed on sleep deprivation, the major changes in his life, and concerns about the future. Overall, he was the same Nate I’d always known—sexy, funny, charming, generous—just more human. I couldn’t get enough of him.
“That’s great,” Maren said as they followed me down the stairs. “I’m dying to meet him.”
“He’s excited to meet you, too, and I’m ready, so let’s do it.” I added a few more things—mints, some cash, my keys—before heading across the hall with my sisters, locking my door behind me.
Although I had a key to Nate’s apartment, I always knocked. I didn’t want to make any presumptions where his privacy was concerned, and besides, I always went a little breathless when he opened the door. I like that feeling, the rush of it, like cresting the top of the hill on a rollercoaster. Tonight was no exception.
“Hi,” he said, quickly scanning all three of us but bringing his eyes right back to me. They drank me in from head to toe and back again. “Wow. You look stunning.”
“Thank you. You look very handsome.” He wore a charcoal suit with a white shirt, no tie. His hair was neatly combed, his scruff trimmed, and since I’d insisted on going straight home last night after one (lingering) good night kiss, his eyes were clear and bright after a good night’s sleep. He’d texted this morning that even Paisley had gone six straight hours without waking up.
He kissed my cheek and stepped back, opening the door wide. “Come on in. I can’t thank you enough for doing this,” he said to my sisters, offering his hand. “I’m Nate, and over there in the swing is Paisley.”
Stella and Maren shook his hand and gave him their names with a smile before making a beeline for the baby. Immediately they started cooing over her, remarking on all her dark hair, her big eyes, and the cute little sleeper that I bought for her last Saturday at Partridge Creek. On the chest it said You got this, Dad and was covered with arrows labeled arm, arm, leg, leg, head, and snap here.
“There are instructions for making her bottles on the kitchen counter next to the can of formula. Diapers and wipes and pajamas are over there on the changing table.” Nate gestured left, then right. “Extra pacifiers are upstairs on the nightstand, and I left my cell phone number on the coffee table. Call if you need anything or have any questions.” He actually looked kind of nervous about leaving, which I found adorable.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” said Maren, pulling Paisley out of the swing. “Just go have fun.”
“Thanks.” Nate dropped his keys and his cell phone in his pocket. “She gets pretty fussy around nine or ten, but we shouldn’t be too much later than that.”
“You have no curfew.” Stella gave us a wave. “Enjoy your night out.”
Flashing my sisters a grateful smile, I took Nate’s hand, sensing he needed some reassurance that it was okay to leave her. “Ready?”
Eye contact with me seemed to do the trick. “Definitely.” He held the door open for me, and we walked out into the hall.
I could tell he was still distracted, and tried not to be disappointed at our mismatched levels of excitement. “Well, you let me know.”
We walked in silence for a few minutes, and I looked out over the Detroit River, holding my hair back from blowing in my face and wondering what he was thinking, why he’d suddenly gone mute. When we reached the foot of the Belle Isle bridge, I asked if he wanted to walk across or turn around.
He glanced into the stroller. “Turn around, I guess. She’ll have to eat soon, and it’s easier to feed her at home.”
I nodded, and we started walking back. After another ten minutes went by, I couldn’t bear the silence any longer. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” But his expression remained serious, his jaw clenched.
“Because you seem a little upset,” I went on, making an effort to sound friendly and not accusatory. “And I was just wondering if I said something wrong.”
“You didn’t.”
“Oh. Okay, good.”
More silence. I was about to lose my mind when he stopped walking. I got about four feet ahead of him and turned around.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. I am upset about something, but it’s nothing you need to worry about.” He pushed the stroller and caught up to me. “And I would like to take you out this weekend. Could you ask your sisters if Friday night would be okay? I still want to try to visit my mom on Saturday.”
“Of course,” I said, relieved it wasn’t me but concerned about whatever it was that was bothering him. “I’ll text them right now.” Pulling my phone from the pocket of my denim jacket, I messaged both sisters at once. Maren got back to me right away and said she’d be happy to do it, and Stella replied a few minutes later that she was supposed to attend a work function with Walter but would rather babysit with Maren, so she was going to try to get out of it.
“We’re all set.” I dropped my phone back into my pocket and grinned at Nate, hoping to cheer him up. “We have not one but two qualified babysitters anxious to give you some relief and us some adult time.”
“Great,” he said, giving me half a smile.
“What should we do?” I faced him and galloped sideways a few steps, thrilled at the prospect of an evening out with him by my side, holding a restaurant door open for me, taking my hand as we walked through a crowded room, sitting across a candlelit table.
“Leave it to me.” He sounded a little better, happier. “I’ll take care of everything. I want to treat you.”
My stomach fluttered. “I can’t wait.”
Friday night, my sisters knocked on my apartment door around six. I let them in, and they followed me upstairs to my bedroom so I could finish getting ready. Nate had made a reservation for seven o’clock, but he hadn’t told me where. He’d said I could dress up or dress down, whatever I pleased. Since he was the one I wanted to please, I’d chosen a bright red dress that showed off my legs and had a deep V in the front. But other than that, it wasn’t skimpy or provocative—it had long, blousy sleeves that cuffed at the wrist, a little belt around the waist, and a soft, flowing skirt. I’d noticed that Nate was turned on by things that were suggestive without being overly revealing. I liked that about him.
Now, what I wore beneath the dress was another matter entirely—a sexy bra and panties in cherry-colored lace.
“I love your dress,” said Stella, following me up the stairs. “It looks amazing on you.”
“Thanks. You can borrow it any time. It would look great on you too, with your runner’s legs.” I smiled at her over my shoulder.
“Thanks, but I don’t really go anywhere that would require a sexy little red dress,” she said wistfully. “I wish I did.”
“Make Buzz take you out dancing,” said Maren as we reached the top of the stairs. “Go to Cliff Bell’s and do the Charleston. It would be the bee’s knees.”
Stella smacked Maren on the arm as she and I snickered. “You guys should be grateful to Walter for letting me off the hook tonight.”
“We are,” I said, going into my bathroom to take one final look at my reflection. I’d curled my hair and let it swing loose around my shoulders. My makeup I kept minimal, a little blush, some black liquid eyeliner around my eyes, and red lips to match my dress. In my ears I wore tiny diamond earrings, and a cursive E hung from a delicate gold chain around my neck. After giving myself a couple sprays of perfume, I stepped into strappy nude heels and spun around for my sisters, who were sitting on my bed. “Well?”
“Ten.” Maren was confident.
“Eleven,” said Stella. “And I love how the shoes show off your red painted toes, but are your feet going to be cold?”
“Nate does a good job keeping me warm.” I grabbed a small black clutch from my closet and tossed my lipstick in it.
“Things are still going well for you guys?” she asked.
“Totally,” I said. There were times during this week where he’d gone a little silent and moody, but that could easily be blamed on sleep deprivation, the major changes in his life, and concerns about the future. Overall, he was the same Nate I’d always known—sexy, funny, charming, generous—just more human. I couldn’t get enough of him.
“That’s great,” Maren said as they followed me down the stairs. “I’m dying to meet him.”
“He’s excited to meet you, too, and I’m ready, so let’s do it.” I added a few more things—mints, some cash, my keys—before heading across the hall with my sisters, locking my door behind me.
Although I had a key to Nate’s apartment, I always knocked. I didn’t want to make any presumptions where his privacy was concerned, and besides, I always went a little breathless when he opened the door. I like that feeling, the rush of it, like cresting the top of the hill on a rollercoaster. Tonight was no exception.
“Hi,” he said, quickly scanning all three of us but bringing his eyes right back to me. They drank me in from head to toe and back again. “Wow. You look stunning.”
“Thank you. You look very handsome.” He wore a charcoal suit with a white shirt, no tie. His hair was neatly combed, his scruff trimmed, and since I’d insisted on going straight home last night after one (lingering) good night kiss, his eyes were clear and bright after a good night’s sleep. He’d texted this morning that even Paisley had gone six straight hours without waking up.
He kissed my cheek and stepped back, opening the door wide. “Come on in. I can’t thank you enough for doing this,” he said to my sisters, offering his hand. “I’m Nate, and over there in the swing is Paisley.”
Stella and Maren shook his hand and gave him their names with a smile before making a beeline for the baby. Immediately they started cooing over her, remarking on all her dark hair, her big eyes, and the cute little sleeper that I bought for her last Saturday at Partridge Creek. On the chest it said You got this, Dad and was covered with arrows labeled arm, arm, leg, leg, head, and snap here.
“There are instructions for making her bottles on the kitchen counter next to the can of formula. Diapers and wipes and pajamas are over there on the changing table.” Nate gestured left, then right. “Extra pacifiers are upstairs on the nightstand, and I left my cell phone number on the coffee table. Call if you need anything or have any questions.” He actually looked kind of nervous about leaving, which I found adorable.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” said Maren, pulling Paisley out of the swing. “Just go have fun.”
“Thanks.” Nate dropped his keys and his cell phone in his pocket. “She gets pretty fussy around nine or ten, but we shouldn’t be too much later than that.”
“You have no curfew.” Stella gave us a wave. “Enjoy your night out.”
Flashing my sisters a grateful smile, I took Nate’s hand, sensing he needed some reassurance that it was okay to leave her. “Ready?”
Eye contact with me seemed to do the trick. “Definitely.” He held the door open for me, and we walked out into the hall.
