Page 45 of True Honey
“Of course,” she said, straightening out.
“Hey, can you come here?” I asked over the phone, waiting a few seconds before getting an answer and then hanging up.
“Do you have a secret math genius living under your roof that I should have known about?” Drew asked, her eyes lighting up and leaving behind the sadness as Auggie's door clicked open and he joined us in the kitchen.
At the same time the basement door opened and Dean walked through. He was clearly getting ready to go down to the stadium when I’d called him, his duffle bag hanging over his shoulder.
“You needed me?” he said in a sleepy voice. “Hey Drew,” he added, realizing we weren’t alone.
“Drew, and her son August. They were at Arlo’s birthday,” I said.
“Right, Auggie?” Dean said, eyeing me weirdly. Thankfully he didn’t say anything about the dinner last night. “I heard he went to the stadium with them the other night… he’s quick, Cael slept like a rock that night. We couldn’t even get him off the couch.” Drew laughed and looked over at August who nodded at him in approval before quietly padding around the intrusion and rummaging through the cupboards. He retreated with a chocolate Pop Tart and joined his mom at the island.
“Auggie needs a tutor in Algebra. Do you think you have time to get him caught up?” I asked. Dean yawned, shaking off his sleep and held out his hand for the worksheet.
“Is this really how your teacher explained this to you?” He looked up from the sheet to August. “No wonder you’re confused. If Auggie doesn’t mind learning while I cook dinner, I can help. It’s my week on meals,” he explained, brushing his hand through his messy blond hair.
“I’m good with that,” August said with a shrug and shoved a piece of Pop Tart in his mouth. “That teacher’s been on my case all week.” He spoke with his mouth full.
“Auggie,” Drew scowled with a tiny laugh, the sound was like honey.
Dean was staring at me with a shit eating grin on his face when I broke the gaze I’d held on Drew and I just shook my head.
“Get out of my house,” I said to him.
“Ask nicely,” Dean replied, but when I shot him a dirty look he backed down like he always did and made his way back to the front door. “I’ll be home by six, meet me upstairs and bring a notebook,” he called to August before leaving.
“I have to get to the stadium for a meeting,” I said, “I’ll see you guys later.”
Drew watched me as I collected my things and August talked in her ear, her eyes thankful and soft. I gave her a wink, knowing the implication behind it, and snuck out of the house, weirdly regretful about leaving them behind. I would text her details later and even the thought of talking to her made me excited like a fucking school boy.
I threw my crap into my backpack in the garage and pulled my helmet over my head just praying that the vibrations from the bike and the fresh air in my lungs would clear my thoughts and give me a second to think rationally about all of this.
I just had to survive the day without tripping over my own feet, or running into Ella or Arlo. They’d be able to smell the sex on me and if that happened, I’d be screwed. Ella would make me talk about how my dick made a decision for me and now I was tangling in Drew and her innocent son in some sick game.
Arlo would remind me that I could get sex from anyone and that the fact that I had slipped so easily into Drew’s arms only meant that I was letting myself catch feelings for a woman I barely knew.
I didn’t need their speeches to know that I was acting like my father and screwing this entire fucking thing up because I couldn’t control myself. But I closed my eyes as the bike rumbled to life and a flash of her red hair crossed my mind, coupled with the sound of her giggles and moans.
Maybe I wanted to lose control with her.
“Fuck,” I swore and pulled from the garage to start my day.
By the time I got home Auggie was shoving homemade quesadillas in his mouth at the kitchen table while Dean and Van argued over the notes spread out across it. I watched them for a moment, almost choking up as I remembered when that used to be Arlo and I trying to help Cael with his schoolwork.
I slipped out and downstairs to get changed before the dinner party just hoping that I wasn’t going to have to convince Drew that we were strictly business partners and last night hadn’t ruined anything. Except for maybe every ounce of my resolve surrounding her and that guarded heart.
But I didn’t have to convince her of anything.
She was standing in the kitchen pushing earrings into her ears, her hair cascading down the back of one of the dark blue dresses she had chosen. It showed off her back, cutting low on her spine to reveal her perfect skin. She turned to look at me and scowled.
“Why aren’t you changed?” She asked.
“Going, going!” I raised my hands in the air and shuffled past her, pausing briefly to get my fix of her smell and to admire the high halter satin neckline that covered the hickey I had given her.
“It was the only one I picked that covered it other than the black one, but I wore that to dinner last time…” she started to explain and I stopped her.
“You’re beautiful,” I said and watched the pale complexion on her cheek turn rosy.
