Page 17 of Blind Date with a #FIREFIGHTER
“The ratio of staff to children is above national standards. There are several kids his age to play with. He'd meet kids and make friends.”
I twist my soda in the water ring on the table. “They have a security guard, and everyone is checked off before being allowed in. She shouldn’t be able to get to him.”
“Sounds like it could be fun for a kid as well as being safe,” Brad says.
“But it’s not home. Not like we were raised. Is it too clinical, structured?”
“Spark, we ran wild as hell and are lucky to be alive. If we hadn’t been grounded, we’d have been with Ben when he… We know first-hand that not all kids make it out.”
“Yeah. I think about that.”
“How many sitters have you had since Ce-she left?”
“Too many. And Mrs. Snore just gave notice.”
“Do you know the turnover rate at the daycare?”
“They’ve only been open a couple months. Some of the staff have their own children enrolled. Thea say’s it’s a benefit that helps retain employees.”
“What’s it going to hurt for you to try it? Hell, you’re replacing sitters on a regular basis anyway. What did Aaron think of the place?”
“He liked it and wanted to know when he could go back and play with his new friend Nicci.
Leaning to the side, I check my son in the other room. He’s fully absorbed in puppies and kitties on the TV.
“I want to date her.”
“Huh? Nicci or Mrs. Snore?”
“Thea. I want to take her on a real date.”
Brad holds up a hand. “Back up. A real date? In contrast to a fake date?”
“Aaron and I took her to dinner yesterday as a thank you for helping out.”
“You were on a date with her that night, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t real. It was for some charity and to help Nan out. You know Nan from the Book Nook. She does not take ‘no’ well.”
Brad leans back in his chair. “I’ve got to text Marie. She’ll never believe that Spark the monk is shedding his robes.”
“Shut it, asshole.”
He laughs. “So, the real problem here is, if you get down with the director and it doesn’t work, what do you do then. Theanswer to that is the same thing every couple does, you move on. She’s going to have the same concerns. Take it slow and give it a chance. This may be the best thing that’s happened to you and Aaron.
“Look, with your hours you’ll probably have minimal interaction with her at the daycare, so it won’t be as big a deal as you think if the dating doesn’t gel.”
“But Aaron will see her almost every day.”
“Alex, you’re overthinking. Take a chance. You both deserve it.”
We chat a little longer and he leaves, wishing me luck.
I fill out the application and text Thea asking if we can start next Tuesday.
She gets back to me in thirty minutes that all the paperwork looks great and that Tuesday morning will be perfect. She’s on duty that morning to make it even easier for Alex to transition.
Taking a chance, I call her. “Hi. Do you have a minute? I have a couple questions?”
