Page 51 of Holly Freakin' Hughes

Ben,I learned, didn’t read, so he didn’t find any enjoyment in spending hours at abookstore. He didn’t particularly care for cats, despite caring for them everyday of his work life, and didn’t seem to find any interest in my job as achild’s caregiver. Yet, while I found myself growing exceedingly irritated bythis, I couldn’t say I had been any better. I knew all of the things he didn’tlike, but I couldn’t think of a single thing he enjoyed.

Well,besides sex, his crockpot, his daughter, and dogs.

Still,though, I kept reminding myself that neither of us had signed up for anythingserious, and we were certainly having fun.

“I’mat the park right now, but I’ll be home at noon.”

Theyoung woman with the two kids raised her voice, and I turned to find herstanding over them. They sat on the wooden edge of a sandbox, their heads inhands, elbows on knees with pouts plastered on their little round faces.

“Youneedto stop! Do you understand me? If you don’t, I am going to tellyour mother that you were both little brats for me, and then she’ll punish you.Do you want that?” she shouted at the kids—two little boys, who couldn’t havebeen more than Anna’s age.

Isquinted in her direction, neglecting my pushing duties as the disgust rose inmy throat. I couldn’t recall the kids doing anything that would have warrantedan outburst like that, and I couldn’t imagine whatever was on her phone to bethat important.

Oneof the boys began to cry and the apparent babysitter groaned, stuffing herphone into her pocket. “Oh, here we go with this now. I can’t do this! Ican’t.We’re leaving. Happy?” This announcement caused the other to start crying, andshe grabbed them by the hands. “Come on, get upnow. We’re leaving.”

“Excuseme, is everything okay?” I called before biting my tongue to keep myself from tearingher apart from the start.

Sheturned in surprise that someone else was there, and flashed me an obligatorysmile. “Oh, yeah, everything is fine. You know how kids are—because like, youhave one.”

Iflashed her my own wry smile. “Oh, I do. My kid actually broke my face aboutfour weeks ago, and you know what? I would still never talk to her the way youjust talked to those boys.”

Hersmile faded, replaced by guilt as she pushed her long dark hair from her face.“It’s my first week with them and it’s been a long one. My patience isnonexistent at this point.” Her eyes fell to the two little boys attached toboth of her arms and sighed, her lower lip puffing out.

“Youwant a tip?” I asked dryly, feeling only a sliver of sympathy for her. Iunderstood long weeks. Hell, I understood long months, but that was no excuseto scold them for doing nothing.

Shegave me a small nod, and I said, “Stay off your phone and pay attention tothem. They’ll respond a lot better to you and treat you with respect if you showthem some.”

***

“Youshould have seen me,” I smiled, reminiscing as I clasped my bra and pulled myt-shirt over my head. “It was like I actually knew what I was talking about. Ifelt … I feltproud, for probably the first time in a long time, youknow? I think that maybe I, uh—Ben?”

WhenI didn’t receive a response, I glanced over at him, sitting upright with myblanket across his naked lap, his back against the headboard. His phone was inhis hands, thumbs tapping the screen as his brows worked together, deepeningthe line between them.

“What’swrong?” I asked flatly, pulling my underwear up as my mouth twisted withirritation.

Heput the phone down on the blanket and looked up, his forehead lining withsurprise as though he had just remembered where he was and who he was with.“Huh?” I repeated myself, and he shrugged, “Oh, it’s nothing. Just discussingThanksgiving with my mom. She wants to know what we’re doing.”

“We?”I swallowed hard, taken aback by the sudden interest in possibly moving therelationship forward from having sex and eating lunch. After only a coupleweeks of sleeping together, meeting his family for Thanksgiving seemed like anenormous jump when maybe we should have been considering a smaller step, likediscussing what we were to each other.

“Yeah,we—Kaylee and me.” He gave me a hard look as though that should havebeen obvious, and I realized my shoulders had tensed as they relaxed. Bennoticed then that I had gotten dressed and he pouted. “I have a half hour beforeI have to get back.”

“Don’tyou want to eat something?” I balanced on the edge of the bed, too small tocomfortably accommodate us both.

Heplaced a hand on my thigh, fingers sliding upward to the juncture between mythighs. “I’d be fine with this,” he insisted, but I looked at him knowingly andhe groaned. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be starving if I don’t eat, butshit,I wish I got a longer break.”

ButAnna still wouldn’t have a longer nap.

Hethrew the sheet off himself, revealing very plainly that he could’ve gone foranother round. I could have maybe entertained the idea, providing that Anna hadremained asleep, but since that panic stricken moment of thinking he wanted usto be a more serious item, I had lost any desire for rolls in the hay.

“Hey,uh, did you actuallywantto come to Thanksgiving?” Ben asked as thoughreading my mind. I hadn’t been aware we had that type of connection, or anyconnection for that matter, and I gawked at him as he slid his scrub bottomsover his boxers. “I just didn’t really think to ask, because we haven’t reallytalked about, you know ...”

“Oh,well,” I said, my voice carrying on a loud exhale. He turned to me, shaking outthe long-sleeved shirt he wore under the top of his uniform. I had the suddenneed to divert my eyes, looking distractedly at Camille on a pile of dirtylaundry. “I don’t really know.”

“It’sfine. I just didn’t know if you expected it,” he replied indifferently, pullingthe shirt over his head and covering the chest I had only minutes before had myhands against. The top of his scrubs came next, and then the nametaghe kept clipped to the front pocket. “Where are mysneakers?”

“Um,I think in the living room,” I said, welcoming a reason to get out of the roomthat seemed to be closing in on me. I opened the door to abandon him in myroom, my socks sliding easily along the floor of the hallway and living room,and I spotted his black sneakers next to the couch. “Got ‘em.”

Benhad followed me and leaned against the wall. “Are you alright?”

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