Page 72 of Love Me Like It's Real
“Of course not. Nothing wrong.”
This is why we’re doing this after all. For the girls who have seen their daddy go through hell with their dad and want him to fall in love and be happy again. It doesn’t matter if Felix wants that. If he wants to fall in love and be in a relationship again—that’s what his daughters think he needs and that’s the whole reason for this whole charade.
I take a couple steps forward, bring my hand up to cup his cheek and give him a small tender kiss that has no right giving me goose bumps, but it does, without remorse.
Felix stills against me and when I pull away his gaze follows me as if he’s still in shock. As if he didn’t expect that.
The girls coo and I give Felix a half smile for a moment before I drop my hand and step back.
The girls are watching us with pink cheeks and bright smiles and it tugs at something in my chest. Something I don’t even want to unspool, but it does remind me of Mom’s words from a couple of days ago.
“Isn’t he supposed to protect his daughters from people like you?”
“When are you going on your next date?” Arya asks.
Felix hisses and looks at me, pressing his lips from side to side. “We haven’t actually decided yet,” he says.
“You can come with us now!” Elsa suggests and we both turn to her.
“Come with you now? Come with you where?” I ask.
“I think Hayworth is busy, sweetie,” he says at the same time.
“Are you busy, Hayworth?” Elsa asks, pushing a strand of her long blonde hair off her face so she can pierce me with her green-gray eyes she’s inherited from her dad.
I stumble in my own thoughts. “Erm…uhm…no. I’m just going to the gym.”
Arya jumps up and down and she drops her cute little sunglasses that are so out of place in the middle of the winter but suit her so well. She drops to her knees making her skirt fall to the ground in a circle around her and Felix groans.
“You can come with us then and you can go to the gym later!” Elsa says and takes my hand which makes it even harder to say no.
“Sweetie—” Felix starts, while helping Arya off the ground and dusting dirt from her dress.
“Please, Hayworth. Please please please!” Arya starts and the begging intensifies as Elsa chimes in.
“Okay. Where are we going?” I ask, picking up my gym bag.
Arya takes my other hand and both girls drag me down Morgan Street while Felix follows.
“I’m so sorry. You can just say no you know. I’m sure you’ve got things to do,” he says and I turn to look at him.
“It’s okay. Time with you guys sounds way more fun. What are we doing exactly?”
“We’re going to the Romcom Movie Marathon!” Elsa exclaims and I bite my tongue.
Gosh. What have I just agreed to?
“That’s…great.” I try to hide my discomfort and I think I’m successful, only a glance at Felix’s smirk tells me not entirely.
I don’t know how long this marathon will last but I’m supposed to be in Montpelier in the evening and it doesn’t sound like I’ll make it. Third job I’ll have to cancel this week alone. If I go on any longer I’ll lose all my clients, but…
How can I say that to those little girls who haven’t realized how awful love is and who think I’m dating their dad?
I can’t. So I shut up. I’ll have to excuse myself later so I can inform my client and hope they can reschedule.
We reach the Playhouse and we all get a program and popcorn and sneak into the auditorium in the middle ofThe Parent Trap. The girls make sure Felix and I are seated next to each other and dig into their snacks while I and Felix contemplate the fact they weren’t even alive when the movie came out.
That doesn’t stop them from relating to the double-trouble Lindsay Lohan if their sneaky glances, whispering and giggles are anything to go by.
