Page 8 of The Summer Arrangement
The moment he releases her, she flings herself at my leg and squeezes me as tight as a toddler can. “Bye, Iz. I play with you next time.”
Before I can say a word, Dianne calls her to what I assume is their garage door, and they’re gone.
Tension remains strong, and there’s a long moment of silence.
Suddenly, Cameron breaks it by barking out a loud laugh as he asks, “Is this really happening?”
Elizabeth’s mouth drops and for the longest time, it’s as if she’s been stunned into silence.
This situation is awkward enough, and there’s no need to prolong it.
Gathering my swirling thoughts, I go with an obvious one. “So… Seaside’s where you’re spending the summer.”
Soon after meeting, we quickly found we were both leaving Portland. I was persistent in wearing her down to even consider a date. We had one amazing night together. Expecting there to be no future, we both agreed to just enjoy that night—and fuck, it was one of the best nights of my existence—even though we clearly didn’t know much about each other’s personal lives.
Hell, I didn’t even know she was still in school. An image of our dinner pops into my mind. I clearly remember her asking for a soda instead of wine.
Ohmigod! I knew she was younger than me, but fuck, is she even legal?
Running a hand down my face, I need confirmation. “Uh… Let’s pause this interview for a moment.”
“Okay,” she says, pulling her lower lip into her teeth.
Sighing heavily, I realize there’s no polite way to say this. Abruptly, I blurt out, “Please tell me it was legal for me to be with you.”
Her beautiful laugh fills the room. “I’m not legal…” She pauses, and I nearly have a heart attack. But then she adds with a mischievous grin, “To drink…”
Seeing the look of horrification on my face, she shakes her head and pats me on the shoulder. “Relax, Gramps. I turn twenty-one next month.”
Sighing heavily, I nod. “Okay.” That’s a relief. Then another thought hits me. “Wait. Did you know this interview was for a job with me?”
A mixture of relief and nerves wash over me as she shakes her head. “No. I truly had no idea. I just know you as Cameron, the charming, sexy man I kept running into at the coffee shop.”
Sexy. She thinks I’m sexy. That’s never a bad thing to hear.
Fuck, man, get it together. You need her to take care of your child, not make your wildest fantasies come true.
Her cheeks darken, and she pushes her hair behind her ear before adding, “I guess… We… uh… didn’t get into many details on our date.”
“That’s true,” I admit, feeling foolish for asking. “I’m just as guilty in that respect, I suppose.”
Elizabeth closes her eyes, and her spine straightens as she braces herself for impact before she locks her gaze on me. “Look, I’m not sure what you think about me, both personally or professionally. This…” She looks around the room. “Well, this…is beyond awkward… I’m completely out of my depth for how to proceed.”
“So am I,” I admit as a million thoughts zip through my thoroughly fucked brain like a hummingbird on speed.
Personally, I still think she’s the most beautiful person in the fucking world.
My attraction to her goes beyond the physical though.
She’s funny, charismatic, and has the most generous heart.
From the moment I laid eyes on her in that coffee shop months ago, she’s always had my attention. If I’m being honest with myself, that hasn’t changed. I’m still as attracted to her as the day we met.
Professionally, fuck—I’m at a loss, too.
Watching her now with my daughter before I even knew about our connection, I know without a doubt she is a great fit for this job.
It’s clear Emilia likes her.
