Page 15 of That First Night
Looking at him and then looking back to me, she says, “This here is James. And he is too smart for his age and will pick up on everything that comes out of your mouth.” She laughs.
This little boy is the most adorable child I have ever seen. He looks to be a little short for his age, but the way he speaks, you would think he’s much older than a 3-year-old. He’s got the perfect little blonde hair brushed over to the side and deep blue eyes, like he could actually be a model for a toddler magazine. His smile hasn’t left his face either since he got here, and those little dimples, I swear, I could just eat them up and pinch them.
Crouching down to meet his eye level, I introduce myself, “Hi there James, my name is Peyton.”
“Are you related to the football player?” he asks.
I can’t help but chuckle at his cuteness. “No buddy, his last name is Manning. My last name is Kelly.”
“You have two first names?” he asks me with a questioning head tilt.
Emiline is right. This kid is too smart for his own good.
Laughing at him, I proceed to sit cross-legged on the grass in front of him to continue the conversation. “I guess you could say that. Some people have a last name that can also be someone's first name. I happen to be one of those people.”
He pauses for a moment to process what I just said and takes a seat right next to me in the grass. “There's a girl in my class named Kelly. She’s A-NNOY-ING,” he emphasizes. “You’re not annoying, are you?”
“I’d like to think I’m not annoying, little guy.”
“Hey, I’m not a little guy. I’m this many years old.” He puts up his thumb, pointer finger and middle finger to emphasize that he’s three years old and not alittle guy.
“My mistake. You certainly are the biggest boy,” I laugh.
“I am. My daddy is a superhero daddy. He says I am going to be a superhero too. But I want to be a dinosaur when I grow up.” He jumps up from his seat and assumes the position of a T-rex. “RAWRRRRR”
Emiline and I start laughing at him.
For the next half hour, I chase James around on the playground and learn that his favorite color is green. He wishes he could have breakfast food for every meal but loves broccoli, which is a new one for me when it comes to children his age. Christmas is his favorite holiday and it’s not because of the gifts. He says it’s because of the ‘super awesome movies they have.’ Oh, and he wants a puppy, but not just any puppy, he wants a fluffy one that he can snuggle with and dress as a dinosaur.
James and I make our way back to the bench where Emiline is typing away on her phone. I sit next to her and notice that his dad isn’t here yet. “Did you say his dad was coming?” I ask her as James continues to run circles around us, screaming dinosaur screams.
“Yes, he should be here any second,” she says checking her phone. “I should warn you before he gets here, though.”
Oh God. I don’t like that I need a warning before meeting James’ dad. Is he an asshole? Does he not want a nanny? Is he going to ask me 900 questions? I can feel myself starting to sweat again with nerves.
I didn’t realize I was sitting there in silence until she interrupts my thoughts with a light shoulder nudge.
“It’s nothing like that. Take a deep breath,” she laughs as if she can hear my thoughts. “Tommy is very protective of James. He is hesitant on getting a nanny because James has only ever had Tommy, myself and my two other brothers. He’s also been a little grumpy over the last 5 years,” she says with sad eyes. “Yes, even before James. But before that, he was the happiest guy. I don’t know what happened to him since, but he’s just gotten… how do I put it… angry? I don’t know how to even explain it. Not to James though, that boy is the only thing that can light up his life.”
I nod. “I understand.”
The more she talks, the more I am curious about who I am about to meet and his story. James is only 3 years old, so his dad’s grumpiness can’t be related to the fact that his mom is not in the picture.
I turn my gaze to see James still playing on the playground and find myself staring at him for a moment. Whoever his dad is, he must really be a superhero daddy because I can tell from the small interaction with him that he’s such a great kid. Kids are a direct reflection on the parenting they receive. So, whatever he’s doing, he’s doing it right and I applaud him for that.
“Oh, perfect timing, he’s walking up now,” she says.
I remove my gaze from James on the playground to turn around in the direction Emiline is looking, to get a look at James’ dad.
I swear, my world stops at that moment and I’m pretty sure my jaw is sitting on the grass.
It’s… him, I say to myself.
My one-night stand, if you want to even call it that. More like the most epic fucking orgasm from the hottest man I have ever met in my entire life. No joke. Since that night, I haven’t had an orgasm of that magnitude or even a relationship for that matter.
Please don’t tell me this is happening right now.
He's wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and a solid black t-shirt. It's a simple outfit, yet he still looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ Magazine. He’s got the faintest amount of scruff on his jawline that’s perfectly cut and shaped. His hair is longer and a little more rugged looking than the last time I saw him, but he’s still the finest specimen I have seen. I can tell he still hasn’t missed a day at the gym since becoming a dad.
