Page 15 of Soothe Me, Daddy
“Yes. Nice to meet you…” He held out his hand in greeting.
“Arianne.”
“Nice to meet you, Arianne. Is Henley ready?”
“Almost. Bear with us for a couple of minutes more.” Her heels clicked against the wooden floor as he watched her walk into a room to the left.
Unsure what to do, he followed, hesitating in the doorway.
“You can come in if you want to. I won’t bite.”
Isaac chuckled and stepped forward. He wandered around the living room, looking at the photos on the walls and resting on the shelves, many depicting Henley’s large family at different stages of their lives.
“Henley said your destination is a surprise for him. He doesn’t have any allergies, so you should be fine no matter where it is.”
Isaac refrained from smiling but only just. “Is that your polite way of asking where we’re going?”
Arianne’s cheeks flushed under her flawless appearance. “Yes,” she replied with a smile.
“The Italian on Church Street. Nothing fancy.”
“Ooh, nice. I’m jealous.”
“Jealous of what?”
Henley’s voice had Isaac pivoting around, finding himself as speechless as he had been the last time he’d picked Henley up for a night out. Their gazes locked, and Isaac felt something pass between them.
“Jealous of your destination, which I am not going to tell you about.” As Arianne spoke, Isaac pulled his gaze away and saw as she mimed zipping her lips and throwing away the key.
He met Henley’s gaze again when Henley said, “Oh, that’s how it is, is it? You’ll tell my sister, but you won’t tell me. I see. I’m going to have to keep my eyes on you both.”
Isaac moved towards Henley. “You look magnificent,” he stated, watching the blush work its way down Henley’s cheeks and neck.
“Thank you,” he mumbled, looking at the floor.
“Let’s go.” He rested a hand on Henley’s back, guiding him to the door.
“Lock up for me, please, girls,” Henley called over his shoulder as he grabbed his keys from the table in the hall.
“Sure thing.” Ariel waved as they exited the house.
Isaac opened the passenger door for Henley, leaning over him to fasten his belt after he was seated, closed the door and hustled around to the driver’s side. As they got on the road, he studied Henley from the corner of his eye.
“Are you okay?”
Henley glanced across at him and smiled. “Yes. I’m excited.”
“You’re quiet, though.”
Henley was silent, and Isaac quickly peered over at him, seeing him biting his bottom lip until he sighed. “I want this date to go well. I keep thinking that I talk too much, and so I’ve been trying to not say a lot.” He hesitated before licking his lips and straightening his spine. “I want this to go well. I wantusto go well together.”
Isaac’s mouth curled up. “I understand. But I want you to remember something.”
“What?”
“I askedyouon a date, not someone you think I want you to be.You.”
“Oh!”
