Page 23 of Dating the DILF
“I am too.” Lulu tilts her head to the side and flattens her mouth.
Charlie’s alarmed eyes fly to mine. “Yes, you are.”
“I know.” She shrugs. “I like your bracelet.” Her fingers reach out to touch the delicate silver thread on Charlie’s wrist. “Can I wear it?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” Lulu’s mouth drops slightly, along with my stomach.
“Why?”
Charlie crosses her legs and shifts until she’s comfortable. “Because it was a gift from my nanna and poppa and it’s very special to me.”
Lulu’s eyes light up. “My gramps gives me presents too. Look!” She sticks out her wrist where a gaudy bright pink plastic watch rests.
“Oh, uh, it’s very nice.”
“Yup. It’s my favorite.” And just like that, Lulu plops herself in Charlie’s lap and begins chatting away. I have to fight back a laugh at the startled look on Charlie’s face.
“Here you go.” Gray sets down some cans of soda on the table and takes a seat next to Adelaide.
“Were you guys settling in for a marathon of… what is this?” Adelaide asks, staring at the blaring television.
“It’sThe JoJo and BowBow Show,” I manage to get out. The show is fucking ridiculous, but Lulu is obsessed with it at the moment. “And, no. We had a deal, she got the TV until the pizza arrived and then it was ours for the night.”
Lulu stops her chatter and glares at me, before going right back to extolling the virtues of the Barbie Dreamhouse she has asked for, for her birthday.
“It was Miles’ turn to pick the movie tonight, so you’re in for a treat,” Gray teases.
“Actually, I’ve changed my mind.” I run a hand through my hair nervously and glance over at Charlie to see her watching me with eyes alight with humor.
“Oh, no, don’t change your mind on our account.” She laughs. “I have a feeling I’ll get so much enjoyment from your choice. Play it, Grayson.”
“As you wish.” It’s my turn to glare now as he pulls up the movie and Charlie bursts into giggles when the opening credits forWhile You Were Sleepingstart rolling.
“It’s a good movie,” I grumble.
An hour later, Lulu is fast asleep on the sofa and we are in the middle of debating the merits of Jack and Peter and who Lucy should have chosen.
“I’m never going to agree with you all. Peter was an upstanding dude and Lucy was making him a better man. She should have gone through with the wedding,” Gray insists. “And don’t even get me started on that meddling Saul. He should have kept his nose right out of it.”
Adelaide throws popcorn at him with a groan.
“What about you, Charlie? Please tell me you’re on the side of right and agree that Jack was the only choice?”
She takes a gulp of soda before answering. “He’s the rational choice, and I judge anyone who disagrees.” She quirks an eyebrow at Gray.
She has impressed me tonight. After some initial awkwardness she relaxed enough to enjoy a laugh with Gray, and I loved watching her with Lulu. She didn’t talk down to her or baby her at all, which is a mistake a lot of people make. Lulu is around adults the majority of time, so she’s used to being treated like a miniature grown-up. She doesn’t respond well when she’s suddenly treated like the kid she is. Right or wrong, it’s the way it is and it’s as though Charlie instinctively understood that.
“Okay, now that the kid is asleep and we’ve had a bit of a laugh, I think it’s time to get a bit serious.”
We all turn to Adelaide as she spouts off her ominous warning and she looks me dead in the eye.
“You were quite the prick on that show.”
“It definitely appeared that way.”
“Appeared? You’re saying it wasn’t a true depiction of you?”
“It wasn’t.”
