Page 57 of Written By a Woman

“I love you, too,” I replied, returning his kiss with one of my own, “I’ll see you at the next dinner.”

“I look forward to it.” With that, my dad stole another sip of his wine and headed back into the kitchen, the double doors swinging behind him as he disappeared. I felt better about going out of my way to spend time with my dad when I hadn’t made a lot of effort to do so the last few years.

I double-checked that Signe’s to-go meal was right where I left it, on the end of the bar top next to the kitchen doors and made my way to my car. I liked the idea of spending more time with my dad at his restaurant again, but I needed to approach Brandon more seriously about my stepping down for that to happen.

I also just needed to be better at not becoming immediately distracted as soon as I saw the gorgeous red-haired woman every time I walked in and out of work.

ChapterTwelve

ZAID

Gettinga text from Salma two hours before I stood on her doorstep, letting me know that Signe had to bail on babysitting was just what I needed tonight. Instead of sitting at home, spiraling about what Signe was up to while she played with my nephew, I got the chance to go play with the little guy myself. That, and I would be too busy playing with Zeki to let myself wonder too much if Signe was okay. If she canceled on Salma because she was sick, or had an emergency, or anything else that was none of my business.

However, when I knocked on Salma’s door to a sheepish but stylish-looking Ben, I immediately grew suspicious.

“What is it?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at my brother-in-law.

“Salma being Salma,” Ben wouldn’t meet my eyes as he waved me through the threshold, giving me space to toe off my sneakers before I heard squeals of laughter from Zeki himself.

“You’re so fast!”

Thatvoice, however, made me halt my steps and shoot a wide-eyed look at Ben. He tried his hardest not to smile, but he patted my shoulder as he continued our walk to the living room.

“My love,” Ben called to his wife when we entered the space. Signe was chasing little Zeki around the couch, making him cackle almost maniacally while my sister stood off to the side, bending over to slip on her heels for date night.

“Yeah?” She turned towards her husband and gave us her wide-eyed surprised look. The way she dropped her mouth and froze her movements for a bit was so convincing, that I almost believed the act she was putting on for Signe’s benefit. Signe, who had picked up Zeki after successfully catching him, also stiffened a little bit at my unexpected presence.

“Ayre,” Salma murmured, standing straight, and pressing her palm to her forehead in false distress, “I forgot to let you know that we didn’t need you.”

“Oh,” I nodded, narrowing my eyes at her the slightest bit before shoving my hands in the pockets of my sweatpants and shrugging. Sweatpants, I was wearing fuckingsweatpantsin front of this woman.

She was wearing casual clothing too, leggings and a baggy shirt that—wait—was thatmyshirt?

“Hi Zaid,” Signe smiled, setting a wiggling Zeki back down on the ground when he struggled out of her hold to run straight towards me.

“Hey Z,” I grinned, bending low and wrapping my nephew up in a hug before spinning him once. His peals of laughter were contagious, and I found myself chuckling a little bit as he kept patting my arm to encourage me to toss him up in the air.

“I’m so sorry,” Salma was rubbing the back of her neck, and her expression was a perfectly practiced one of remorse. She was such a good liar, “I didn’t mean to schedule you both.”

“Oh, it’s no worries,” Signe played with her fingers nervously, before nodding and smiling at my nephew in my hands, “I can take off if Zaid wants to babysit tonight.”

“No, it’s okay. I can leave,” I shook my head as I set Zeki back down, only for him to shake his head and wrap his arms around my legs desperately.

“No!” Zeki whined, digging his forehead into my shins as if I was seconds from disappearing on him.

Signe’s expression warmed at the sight of Zeki clutching to me so desperately, and I felt immediately uncomfortable at the situation my sister had put us in.

“It’s alright,” Signe, grinned, waving at Salma and Ben as they continued to get their coats and Salma’s purse, “Maybe I can come play with you another time, yeah?” Signe brushed her fingers through Zeki’s hair as she made her way to pass by us, making him lift his head from my shins and reach out to grab her—actually my—t-shirt.

“No!” Zeki cried, now holding both of us captive in his tiny little fists. He tugged and Signe stumbled into my side a bit at the movement, grabbing onto my bicep to catch herself before tripping over my nephew.

“You can both stay, if you want,” Salma casually spoke over her shoulder as Ben helped her into her coat. I lifted my head to glare at my sister because this was very much overstepping, except Signe had already turned to look at me with a casual shrug of her shoulder and a friendly smile.

“Would you be okay with me staying here too?”

Her hand had just released itself from my bicep, and the loss of heat from her touch made me instinctively lean closer to her. Hopefully, the movement could be written off by Zeki’s death grip on the both of us, but I hardly ever got this physically close to Signe, and now my body was humming with energy at the reality of this situation.

“Of course,” I glanced down at my nephew with a grin, wondering if Salma had somehow put her three-year-old up to this, “I don’t think Z’s giving us a choice anyway.”

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