Page 30 of We're Just Friends
“Mommy thinks it’s funny when I eat ribs and get sauce all over my face!”
All three of us laughed, and I proceeded to spread out the blanket and unfolded the chairs. Caley and I sat down while Jake finished cooking.
I looked around the park. “Not that I’m complaining, but there are plenty of picnic benches here, so do we really need the chairs?”
Jake glanced over his shoulder at me. “There’s a community movie showing tonight, and I thought we could all watch it. Don’t worry, it’s appropriate for children. But I’ll have to Google the title again.”
I smiled up at Jake. “That sounds wonderful. Caley loves movies, don’t you?”
Caley pulled out a bag of barbecue potato chips and began munching away, all the while nodding her head. “I’ve seen every Disney movie!”
“Yes, yes, she sure has,” I replied with a sigh.
Jake shot me a look that said he understood what I was getting at. Mommy needed a much-needed break from Disney. “Well, tonight’s movie isn’t Disney, but it’s supposed to be good. And don’t fill up on potato chips, Caley. You have to save room for this barbecue chicken. Oh, and I brought some corn on the cob too.”
We spent the afternoon eating and enjoying the park. Jake showed off his athleticism by playing frisbee, and Caley pretended to put on a fashion show for us. Some of the other families even watched and cheered her on.
There were a few moments where Jake put his hand on mine. It felt natural, as though we were two peas in a pod. I also saw Caley looking at us whenever that happened. “Ugh, get a room, you guys!”
My mouth dropped open, and I had to force myself not to chuckle. “Caley, where did you hear that?”
“I’ve head you say it, Mommy. What does it mean?”
Jake couldn’t stop laughing as I tried to reprimand her.
Finally, I sat back and enjoyed watching Jake play with Caley. He interacted with her much more than her father, even when we were living together as a regular family. Jake was acting like an actual dad, not some guy who was dating a woman who just happened to have a kid.
As happy as I was, deep down, I kept thinking about just how far it would go between the two of us. I kept reminding myself that Jake didn’t live in River Valley. He was a multi-millionaire playboy from San Diego.
Unlike a womanizer with money, he went out of his way to spend time with me after the hookup. He didn’t just up and leave town without at least saying goodbye. Not to mention that he didn’t even know my exact address, and yet he somehow found it and brought not one, but two bouquets of flowers.
A man who just wanted a one-night stand wouldn’t have gone that far.
In terms of any ulterior motives, it’s not like I had something else that he wanted. He didn’t know about the money I received when my husband left, and that would eventually run out. I was just a normal, middle-class single mom.
Was I kidding myself when I fantasized that our time together was actually something more than a brief romance? Or were we just two old high school friends reliving our past?
“Are you girls ready for the movie?” We were all seated at a picnic table, eating the fruit salad that Jake brought.
“What’s it about,” Caley asked in between bites.
Jake dramatically wiggled his fingers and lowered his voice. "According to Google, it’s about a young girl who develops magical powers that make her invisible."
“I wanna be invisible!” Caley held up her hand in defiance, causing Jake and me to laugh.
As the sun began to set, we set our chairs next to the picnic blanket and got ready for the movie to start. Caley laid down on the blanket in front of us using her jacket as a pillow. When the sun went down, and the park went dark, Jake reached over and held my hand, using his thumb to caress my skin.
I didn’t even try to hide the smile that wouldn’t go away until it was time to go home.
12
Jake
All three of us sat in our chairs, watching the movie on the big screen. There were families and couples all around us. Some kids were more interested in playing than watching, and at some point, Caley lost interest, too.
“Here,” I said while getting down on the blanket with her.
I pulled the Barbie I had purchased for Caley from her backpack and began watching her play dress-up with the doll. She was so adorable. Of course, I wasn’t up on the latest Barbies, so I took a chance. The doll was a hit. That particular Barbie seemed to be all about fashion which was right down Caley’s alley.
