Page 35 of Dare You to See Me
“Oh, um. You know what, it’s not important. Don’t worry about. Have a goo–”
“Malik. You sounded urgent just a few minutes ago. It must be important so please, tell me.”
“So, ah, I was wondering…” I close one eye and scratch my eyebrow. “Are you busy this Saturday afternoon?”
“I…don’t think so?” Her answer comes out more like a question and her face says the same.
“You remember my friend, Dagen, from the beach day?” She nods. “She mentioned to Dahlia that she has siblings around her age and if I’m not mistaken, Dahlia was very excited by that. Well, she’s coming to town this weekend and her parents and younger siblings are joining her. So I was wondering if you and Dahlia would like to join us for a barbecue? You can invite Kyle and I’m sure Dahlia would have fun. If…if you want. Or not.”
She blinks then twists up her lips in a sweet smile, and her eyes are bright. “Absolutely. That sounds really great. I’m sure Dahlia would enjoy herself. As for Kyle…we’ll see.” She laughs, assumedly remembering the bar night.
“It’s just going to be those you met at the beach and Dagen’s family. A casual afternoon, nothing fancy. We’ll be at Hendrix’s house so you’ll want to bring bathing suits. He has a huge pool.”
“Okay. Sure. Um, do you want to give me the address or…?”
“I am more than happy to pick you up or give you the address. Whichever you prefer.”
She gives me a slow nod. “Maybe I’ll just get the address. Just in case Dahlia hits her wall and we need to leave before you’re ready.”
My chest falls, disappointed that I can’t extend our time together, my face gives nothing away.
“Great. I'llhave all the information for you at pickup.” A smile crawls across her gorgeous face until it’s beaming. “Have a good day, Soleil.”
“You too, Malik. And thanks for the invite. We look forward to it.” She gives me a wave before walking down the hall.
My eyes watch her the entire way and just before she pushes open the doors to leave, she turns over her shoulder and locks eyes with me. They sparkle and I think I see a hint of what I feel for her reflected in those gorgeous browns of hers.
She disappears from view and I hop back into class, excited and determined not to let kid’s talk about vomit or poop ruin my day.
SEVENTEEN
SOLEIL
“Holy moly,Mama. This house is ginormous!” Dahlia’s voice is full of wonder as we pull up to Malik’s friend’s house.
I absolutely agree with my outspoken daughter.
We pull up a long driveway that is almost hidden by trees, and a large modern home with straight lines and lots of windows greets us. It’s a home that you’d see in an architectural digest magazine, touting the name of some prestigious designer. It certainly doesn’t look like it belongs to a tattooed, grumpy biker.
A large truck and a flashy sports car sit next to an old blue truck that looks beat up by time and weather, and very out of place amongst all of this luxury. I pull to stop behind the blue truck and turn off the engine. Unlatching my seat belt, I turn in my seat to look at Dahlia.
“I want you on your best behavior today, okay.This is not our home so you can’t go running around like it is.”
“I know, Mommy,” she replies with a smile. “It’s like a museum. Look but no touchin’, and no hollerin’ like a loon.”
I chuckle with a smile and a shake of my head. “Yes. Just like that. Although I don’t know where you heard a word like loon.”
“From Poppa. He said Auntie Ky is a loon and that I shouldn’t spend too much time with her or I’ll be one, too. But I love her and want to be just like her.”
“Well, maybe notexactlylike Auntie Ky. Poppa might be a little right.” I hold my thumb and index finger just millimeters apart and squint one eye.
Dahlia laughs and swings her legs. When I reach back to unbuckle her, she quickly hops over to the front seat, careful not to crush the pasta salad and cupcakes that I made. She jumps out of the driver’s side behind me, and we move around to the back to retrieve the beach bag before gathering the food in my hands.
I push the door closed with my hip and realize I’ve left my purse along with my keys and phone inside.
“Shit,” I curse under my breath.
A little gasp escapes Dahlia’s mouth and she reminds me, “That’s a curse word. You’re not s’posed to say that. Now you owe me gummy bears.”
