Page 89 of Suddenly Entwined

“Oh, Dad’s here!” Her voice is high pitched. “Did you take a peek at my cake yet, Berg?”

For Christ’s sake.

I pat my stomach. “Nah, I think I’ll lay off the cake.”

To my horror, Tamara reaches out to poke me over my shirt. “Seems hard to me!” More peals of laughter escape her. “Well, you know what’s excellent exercise? Dancing! C’mon.”

Without even waiting for my response, she loops her arm around my elbow with surprising strength and tugs me to the dance floor. I have my mouth open to turn her down, but I can barely hear myself as we get closer to the speakers that are set up around the makeshift dancing area.

“I really am glad you found that nanny, Berg,” she says, getting in close so I can hear her.

My teeth grit at the way she refers to her. Even before we got intimate, Caro was never just ‘that nanny’.

“And why’s that?”

I kind of get the sense she wasn’t a big fan of Caro.

“Well, it’s obvious you needed a little help.”

Oh. My jaw flexes and I take a step backwards when I feel her breasts brush my chest, trying to maintain a respectable distance.

“And maybe you’ll have more evenings free now?”

“Caro works during the day. When the kids need her and stuff around the house needs doing. Evening is when I spend time with my children.”

I can’t help but think about all the nights Caro has stayed to hang out once the girls are in bed. Those simple hours where we talk are some of the best.

“Right, obviously! But you need to have fun and relax too. It’s about balance, Berg. All work and no play, you know?”

I glance up and see Caro standing in the spot she left me a few minutes ago, two pop cans in her hands, looking around for me. Right when she catches my eye, Tamara runs her fingers up the centre of my chest in a gesture that probably looks very intimate in the dim lighting. A hurt expression flashes across Caro’s face before she drops her gaze to the drinks. Taken aback by Tamara’s boldness, I whip my head back to face her where she’s staring me down with shining eyes.

“I think a date between us is long overdue, don’t you think? Successful single mom, lonely dad. It’s a match made in heaven.”

I’m shaking my head in an instant.

“I’m not interested in you romantically. Do you understand that?” I hold her at arm's length, firmly by her shoulders, and watch her saccharine smile fade.

“Maybe I should have made that clearer to you before now. I’m not some lonely, inept, sad sack. My daughters are my life and it’s perfect. If we choose to add someone to our family, it won’t be because we’re empty, or something is missing, it’ll be because they bring extra happiness. Extra love.”

Her chin dimples in the centre. Making a woman cry on the dancefloor is not my finest moment, but her subtle flirtations have gone on too long. I let it go on.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” I say, tugging on the back of my neck with both hands as I step away to find Caro.

I only glimpse her back, blonde curls tumbling down it, as she slips out of the gymnasium, into the night.

“Fuck.”

An hour ago, she was naked on my bed. Mere minutes ago, I was pressing her about feelings for me. And now she saw Tamara with her paws running up and down my chest. From where she was standing, I’d imagine it looked bad. Really bad. The metallic door clangs as I push it open with force, going after her.

I’m relieved when I find her leaning against a wall. One side of her face lit up.

“I needed some fresh air before the cake auction,” she says, voice thick as she tries to come off nonchalant.

“Caro.”

“I understand. I really do.”

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