Page 28 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
Her eyes slowly moved to me. “I enjoy parts of it. Like the money.”
I smiled. “That’s how I feel about my job.”
“About the job you always dreamed of? That’s a shame. And a big waste of time and money.”
I grinned. “You’re right.”
She looked away and sipped her wine. I couldn’t help but stare at her full bottom lip, pressed to the underside of her glass. God, I missed kissing those lips of hers. So pillowy soft. And she always tasted like peppermint. Or strawberries. Or, sometimes, blueberries. She had a thing for blueberries.
I sighed and let my eyes wander around the gymnasium. People were starting to mingle. When I’d first arrived, everyone stood in clumps, like no one was willing to break away from their comfort zone, even now. They huddled together like herd animals seeking out their safe place, and then they stayed there, one of them always on the lookout for predators. Now, an hour later, people were finally realizing that nobody was the same as who they were in high school. Those petty differences were gone. We were adults. We had bigger fish to fry than upholding our childish grudges.
Except for Lina, of course. Although she was entitled to still be angry with me.
“I can’t believe it’s already been fifteen years,” I said.
“It hasn’t. There’s still six more months until it’s technically fifteen years.”
I chuckled. “You’re right.”
Lina continued to stare everywhere but at me. Her gaze lingered on Kelli, who was off chatting with Jordan, the guy she dated for a while before senior year started. She was giggling, and Jordan was leaning toward her.
“They’re hitting it off,” I said.
“Apparently,” Lina muttered.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“I only came because I thought you wouldn’t be here. Kelli dragged me.”
“I came because of David.”
“So, I owe him a thank you,” she said dryly.
I laughed again. Every jab she took at me felt good for some reason. I knew I deserved it. I wanted her to keep going. If being mean to me made her feel better, I would sit here and take it all night long. “I think David would flee if he saw you coming.”
Her light green eyes slid back to me. “Then he would be smart.”
I put my drink down and decided to switch tactics. “I have a son. He’s five.”
Lina blinked, and then she shifted to face me more directly. She licked her lips. “What’s his name?”
“Asher.”
“Asher.” Her lips softened into a curved line that might have been the beginning of a smile. “That’s a cute name.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone to show her a picture of him. I held it out to her, and she took the phone from my hand, her finger tips grazing my palm. She held the phone in her lap and looked down at it. Then a real, genuine smile stretched her cheeks. “He looks just like you. And he looks happy.”
“He is.”
She flicked through a couple photos before handing my phone back. Her gaze lingered on the gold ring on my left hand. “And I see that you’re married.”
I didn’t say anything about my wife. Instead, I put my phone away. “Asher’s a great kid. I think you’d like him. He’s got a funny sense of humor, like you. And he loves animals. Like you.”
Lina didn’t say anything. She just stared at me.
“Are you in town for the holidays?” I asked.
Lina stood up and ignored my question. “Well, it was nice seeing you, Cal. It sounds like you’ve built a good life for yourself. I’m happy for you.” It didn’t sound like she was all that happy for me. “I’m going to go home. I shouldn’t have come tonight. Tell Kelli I’ll see her back at the house.”
