Page 10 of Detention with Daddies

I will stand under her scrutiny all day.

“I planned to walk.”

That prompts a new smile from me. “I’ll walk with you then. And maybe this time, I can get an answer to my previous inquiry.”

She hums, turns, and grabs her bag.

I stuff my notes back into my briefcase, ready before she can bolt on me. Not that I mind the chase. Not at all, sweetheart.

I’m down to play.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she doesn’t wait for me, leading the way with a confident sway of her hips, those slacks cupping her backside perfectly.

We’re silent as we descend the stairs, when I open the door for her, when the sunshine hits us, when we hit the sidewalk that will bring us to the center within ten minutes at this crisp clip.

I clear my throat, earning a look from her.

“Whenever you’d like to start, I’m all ears, Olivia.” My disarming smile doesn’t seem to have its desired effect on her.

Her eyes narrow, dissecting my intentions. Don’t you know already, sweetheart? We’re not so subtly dancing around my attraction, my mere enjoyment of being around her, battling with her verbally. Flirting.

“Does the professor tone usually work for you?”

And there it is, the exact kind of response I’ve come to expect. The kind I crave. The kind that makes me work for it.

“You’d be surprised.” Although I’m usually using it to shut this kind of behavior down, not encourage it.

“Mmm. Not as much as you might imagine. But, fine, I’ll tell you.” Olivia takes a deep breath, testing the tensile strength of that silk top again. “I’m studying the effects of exercise on overweight and obese individuals with sedentary lives.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Her eyes roll toward me. “What? You want to hear more?”

“I want to hear all of it.”

Finally, I get to see her features soften as she understands that she can take me seriously. That, yes, I’m flirting with her, but I am also genuinely interested. It’s not my fault I’m a bit over the top with her. She’s exactly my type.

Exactly.

I’ve always had a preference for bigger women, even though I didn’t marry one.

But look how that turned out. Lisa left and tried to take my daughter with her. Threw an absolute tantrum when Ruby chose me instead. And the guilt trips about how a girl needs her mother. How she could give Ruby more than soccer games and surfing. Like that’s all I have to offer.

I bite the inside of my cheek and refocus on Olivia, silently begging her to give me more.

“Well, my ultimate goal is to prove that being fat isn’t the only defining factor of someone’s health. That we’re worth more than being told to lose weight for every ailment we seek medical attention for. To do that, I want to test how regular exercise, how regular movement, can be used to improve one’s health.”

A small fire builds in me. Yes, I work primarily with athletes and sports teams, but their body types are not the norm. Her thesis hits on a topic that is very close to me. Why didn’t I get the chance to sign off on this? Why not seek me out to be her advisor? It’s my field. My niche.

Did she know that?

“Who’s your advisor?” I try to keep the jealousy out of my voice. It’s a good thing I’ve had a lot of practice modulating my tone.

“Dr. Wright.”

“Waylen Wright?”

“Yes.” Olivia gives me the side eye again, like a challenge.

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