Page 112 of Fierce-Trent

“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. Roni and I talked in the hall briefly. She felt it was a nice push that Eli gave for us to have dinner. I thought it was too. Maybe the start of him spending more time with me.”

“That does sound good. Then what is the problem?”

“Roni just texted that there seems to be some issues with Eli and Jeff lately. Jeff getting mad at Eli for asking things in front of other people and Eli thought he was in trouble right now.”

“Poor little guy,” Janine said. “But he is just a kid and they do that.”

“That’s not even the big thing,” he said. “That wouldn’t bother Roni. But it’s that Eli commented on me liking him and talking to him. Like he wants me to be his friend.”

“Oh,” Janine said. “So maybe if you are his friend, he won’t want his friend to date his mother?”

“Shit,” he said. “Yeah. I’m sure that is going through Roni’s mind. Mine too. Why is this so complicated?”

“Because kids are never easy,” Janine said. “Just go to dinner and have fun. See how it plays out.”

“It’s all I can do,” he said.

He went to his office and texted that back to Roni to just let the dinner play out and go from there.

She agreed and then said she’d see him soon.

He finished what he could and shut his computer off, put it in his bag and got everything ready. He’d get work done tonight while he was home. He’d see Roni tomorrow night when Eli went back to Jeff’s.

“All ready,” he said, coming down the stairs.

“What kind of pizza do you like?” Eli asked. “I like pepperoni and sausage. Mom eats it too, but I know she likes mushrooms the best.”

“Fungus,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “No one wants to eat fungus.”

“I said that too,” Eli said all excited. “Uncle Jax says fungus makes your toes stink.”

“Eli!” she said. “That’s gross.”

“No. What is gross is you eating fungus.”

Trent laughed. Roni almost blushed. “How about we get meat on our pies and your mom can get all the fungi she wants on hers. She can have her own so it doesn’t make ours stink.”

“Yes,” Eli said, putting a fist in the air.

Trent made his way to this car, which was a few down from Roni’s. She told him the place that Eli liked and he said he’d see her there.

They pulled out at the same time and he followed her a few miles to Eli’s favorite place.

When they walked in, they were given a booth and he sat across from Roni and Eli. Their drinks were ordered and he and Eli got their meat-loaded pizza and Roni decided to get a fungi-filled personal pan pizza, which caused Eli to giggle.

“I need to run to the bathroom. Can you behave for me, Eli?”

“Yes, Mom. Trent won’t let me run away and no one will take me. He’d fight them off, right, Trent?”

“Absolutely,” he said seriously.

When Roni was away from the table, Eli said, “Do you like my Mom?”

“I do,” he said. “She’s very nice.”

“Do you think she’s pretty?” Eli asked.

He hadn’t expected this and wasn’t sure what to do and then decided he was just going to be honest. “I do think she’s pretty.”

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