Page 41 of When Alec Met Evie
You can just say it, Alec. I have a mom vibe.
Alec
Apparently, I have a grandpa vibe, so…
Evie
We make quite the pair.
Alec
How are you?
Evie
Been better? I just tried to have lunch with my new boss, and Juno had a total meltdown. She cried, then I cried, then I left the restaurant without my food, and my new boss probably thinks I’m a hot mess.
Instead of texting back, Alec calls.
“Is this a pity call?” I say as I answer. “It’s fine if the answer is yes.”
“Can we call it a cheer-you-up call instead?”
“Yes, definitely,” I say. “Cheer me. I want to be cheered.”
“Hmm. Let me think. Okay, right now, Nathan is asleep on the bus, and his girlfriend Summer is standing behind him putting dozens of tiny braids in his hair.”
“He’s sleeping through that?”
“He can sleep through anything,” Alec says. “This is nothing. Hang on. I’ll send you a picture.”
My phone buzzes when the photo arrives, and I pull it away from my ear long enough to quickly look. “Oh wow,” I say through a smile. “That’s going to take him forever to undo. Does Summer work for the team?” She must, if she’s on the bus, so I’m not surprised when Alec confirms.
“She’s legal counsel. She doesn’t always travel with us. Just sometimes.”
“Lucky for Nathan.”
“He gets all kinds of crap for it. Logan, too. His girlfriend also works for the team. So what’s up with Juno? Why is she having such a rough day?”
I breathe out a sigh. “She’s teething, apparently. I didn’t notice until we came outside, but her front tooth just poked through her gum.”
“That’s big, right?” Alec asks. “First tooth? You should send me a picture.”
“You want a picture of my daughter’s first tooth?”
“Do I need to remind you what happened last night? I’m hooked on your kid.”
I close my eyes for a brief second. He has no idea what he’s doing to me. What it means to have him interested in Juno’s life. It’s taking monumental effort not to turn this into something it isn’t, but when he’s saying and doing everything that my heart wants, how can I not?
Across the parking lot, Victoria emerges with two to-go boxes in her hands.
“Hey, I’ve got to go,” I say. “My boss is coming. But thanks for calling. I’ll text you a picture in a bit.”
“Let me know if you need more distractions,” he says. “I’ve got six more hours on the bus before we get where we’re going.”
“Are you sureyou’renot the one who needs a distraction?”
There’s a smile in his voice when he says, “Maybe.”
