Page 12 of Roleplay at Randy's
I nod as he walks off toward the counter with a terse smile, and then I plop back into my seat with a pointed look at Hannah.
‘You didn’t tell me this washiskid.’ I swing my arm toward Elias but quickly drop it back down so as not to attract his attention.
Hannah smiles. ‘I didn’t? Whoops.’
I sigh and scrub a hand down my face. ‘Is he married?’
Because that’s just my luck that the first guy in years to make me feel something would be taken. I already thought I was pushing it because of the bi-curiosity.
Hannah shakes her head. ‘No. I've never met Cal's mom, but his dad is painfully single.’
She gives me a look. One that makes all those old, self-conscious thoughts rear their ugly heads. ‘What does that mean?’
‘That I've never seen him look at anyone with that sort of open attraction. I think someone has a crush.’
My cheeks are hot now, blazing. Hannah’s grin turns sly and sneaky, and she leans across the table, hands close to my face.
‘One that might be reciprocated?’
As much as I like the idea, I sigh. 'He has a kid.’
She raises her brow. ‘So?'
‘So! I’d make a horrible parent.’
Hannah’s laugh is loud enough that it echoes through the diner, and I glance over at Elias looking back at us with curious amusement. I quickly look away, afraid he’ll see the pounding of my heart in my eyes.
‘No one is asking you to marry the guy and be the kid’s other dad. But if you like him, I don't see why you can't explore a little bit.'
I fold my arms on the table and lean my head on them, watching Elias and Calum out of the corner of my eye. They’re both smiling, and even though Elias rolls his eyes at some of his son’s antics, he’s still calm and affectionate with him.
I really shouldn’t get involved. I bet his situation is complicated; most parents’ is, but when he turns with his milkshake in hand, eyes finding mine, they radiate a pure, scorching happiness.
Who am I kidding?
I’ll go home with him, and even though I tell myself I absolutely won’t step foot inside, if he asked in that low, kind voice with his hand literally anywhere on my body, I’d cave in a heartbeat.
4
ELIAS
“I’m sosorry to ask you to do this.”
It’s become routine for Matty and I to chat late at night, usually when I’m walking home from work, but last night I had to call him back not twenty minutes after we hung up—and the poor guy sounded half-dead to the world at two in the morning—to ask him for a monumental favor.
“It’s no problem.” Matty stands in my living room, arms crossed with a patient smile as he takes the place in.
It’s tidy enough I suppose; the couch is covered in Calum’s stuffies, all lined up and ready for the next time he decides to play “they all rolled over, and one fell out.”
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever brought someone I’m interested in back to my place. There were a few late night hookups after work that never went anywhere, and I went on a few dates with a girl when Cal was small and easy for the sitters to handle.
Unfortunately, that’s not what Matty’s here for—not that I’m in any way ready to try sex with a guy just yet—and I have to bite back the urge to apologize again.
“His usual sitter is apparently going out of town for afuneral, and she said she might not be up to watch him for a while, and I have no idea what to do because finding someone he clicks with and who can handle him is a task all by itself, but I can’t afford to miss work today?—”
Matty puts his hand on my arm, and that cuts off my rambling train of thought, just knocks it right off the track.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind watching him for a little while.”
