Earning Yancy (NSFW #2) Read online

  Lunch was quiet after that, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I realized that I hadn’t told any of the girls about Cooper showing up Wednesday night. Honestly, I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. Since I had no idea what his motives were for appearing out of nowhere, I didn’t want to have to deal with the inevitable questions that I couldn’t answer.

  After we finished eating, Tanya seemed to cheer up a bit. She looked at me and asked, “So, when are you gonna let that handsome hunk of man into your bed?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “I don’t know and I’ll thank you to keep your opinion on the matter to yourself.”

  “Spoilsport,” she muttered.

  Relieved that Tanya was talking again, I blurted, “I want to, but it just feels too soon. I mean, we’ve been to lunch three times, to dinner once, and I cooked for us Wednesday, then we just chilled out and watched a movie, but I feel like I need a little more time.”

  “He came over Wednesday night?” Tanya asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah. It was fun.” I felt my face heat when I remembered our make-out session on the couch that had almost gotten out of control.

  “What’s with the blush?” Lucy asked, smirking.

  I shot her a dirty look. “Nothing.”

  She giggled. “You made out with him, didn’t you?” she asked. “What base did he get to?”

  I rolled my eyes. “What? Are we in high school? It’s none of your damn business.”

  She shrugged. “I tell you everything,” she said.

  I sighed. “Yeah, but because you want to, not because I ask.” I glanced at my watch. “And as much as I would like to continue this wonderful conversation, we need to get back to work.”

  Pleased I averted the uncomfortable topic, we all stood and went to the front to pay our tab. The walk back to our building was filled with an intense discussion of what constituted the ‘bases’ when talking about sexual activities. Though I couldn’t care less about it, Chelsea, Lucy, and even Tanya were arguing about what counted as first or second base, and, thankfully, all three were distracted from the topic of my love life.

  When we reached the lobby, we all went our separate ways: me to the stairs, Tanya, Chelsea, and Grier to the elevators, and Lucy back out to the parking garage so she could go home. As I climbed to the fourth floor, I thought about Tanya’s obvious distress. Something was going on with her and she was avoiding it. That worried me. Tanya was the kind of woman who faced things head on and didn’t mince words, despite her big heart. I decided to contact the other girls and set up a girls’ night as soon as I could arrange it. She needed to talk about what was going on, even if she didn’t want to.

  I went into my office and emailed all the girls about my plan as soon as my computer booted up. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon focused on work. Finally, at five, I saved my work and shut down for the day. I was beyond ready for the weekend after the craziness of the last few days.

  I drove home on autopilot, my brain shifting from one topic to the next. First, I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner, then I found myself wondering what in the hell Cooper was thinking, before my mind moved on to Charles and how incredible his kisses made me feel, how careful he was with me, and how considerate he could be.

  The first few weeks after we met, I thought he was an arrogant ass. Now, I realized that he was a lot like me. He behaved that way to keep distance between us, to protect himself. Then, when he realized that I was single, he immediately set about correcting the first impressions he’d created. Maybe his behavior wasn’t perfect, but he was human. Kathy had been correct. People made mistakes and, sometimes, they would disappoint me, but Charles’ actions matched his words.

  I was glad I’d given him another chance.

  I arrived home to find that I didn’t have to worry about dinner because Kathy had made pot roast. I resisted the urge to fall to my knees and kiss her feet. After the last few days, having one less thing to worry about was something I deeply appreciated.

  I changed into jeans and a sweatshirt before Kathy left, popped open a beer, and sat down to have a nice, quiet dinner with my daughter. I talked to her while we ate, telling her about my day. She laughed and ate her meal, then threw her plate and remnants of her dinner on the floor. As I cleaned up the mess, I explained to her that she couldn’t throw her food on the floor just because she was finished eating. Of course, she just laughed at me and squealed as I threw away the mess.

  I managed to avoid checking my phone after dinner and focused on playing with Lena, bathing her, and enjoying our special time in the evening. Spending time with her and seeing her so happy kept me grounded and helped me let go of the stress of the week.

  Once I had her settled into bed, I got myself another beer from downstairs and took it to the reading nook at the front of the house. I settled down to read for a little while, losing myself in an old-fashioned bodice-ripper.

  Just as I was beginning to feel a little hot and bothered, my cell phone rang. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Charles. Smiling, I set my book to the side and answered.

  “Hi,” I said softly.

  “Hi, babe. Whatcha doin’?” he asked.

  I liked the babe a lot more than I should. In the back of my mind, I could hear Tanya’s voice saying that Babe was a little pig, not a grown-ass woman, but I ignored it. She might not like pet names like babe, baby, or honey, but I did.

  “Reading. You?”

  Charles sighed. “I’m lying on my couch, drinking a beer, and talking to you.”

  “Sounds nice,” I said, smiling.

  “The best.”

  My heart rate sped up. He sounded completely sincere and it made warmth spread from my chest out to my limbs. I liked that he made it clear he was more than happy to pay attention to me in even the smallest ways, like a phone conversation or funny little texts that he would send all day. I knew that he was thinking of me and it felt wonderful.

  “So, tomorrow. Can you be here around 11:00? It’ll take a little while to get to the park and get set up,” I said.

  “Absolutely. Can I bring anything? Wine? Beer?”

  I laughed. “No. No alcohol. We’re eating in a public park and I do believe they have laws about open containers there.”

  “How about dessert?”

  I smiled. “Just bring yourself. Let me take care of the rest.”

  I could hear the smile in his voice as he answered, “Okay.”

  We chatted for another thirty minutes, but I could tell he was fatigued. Finally, I said, “You sound tired, baby. Why don’t you go to bed?”

  There was a pause. “Yeah. I think I will. I just missed seeing you today.”

  I felt that same warmth I felt earlier spreading throughout my body again.

  “One thing first,” he said.

  “Sure.”

  “Call me baby again.”

  I grinned. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who liked terms of endearment. “Okay, baby.”

  He chuckled. “I like that. But maybe you should refrain from calling me that at the office or when I’m not with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because now I want to kiss you and see what I have to do to get you to call me that again.”

  The warmth became pure heat and shot to the area between my legs. Charles might be considerate and well-mannered most of the time, but I also found that I liked the roguish side of him as well.

  “Well, maybe you can find out tomorrow,” I murmured. I couldn’t believe that I had the audacity to say it, but I was rewarded by his groan.

  “Does Carolena still take an afternoon nap?” he asked softly.

  “Yes,” I whispered, unsure why I lowered my voice.

  “Then, challenge accepted.”

  My heart picked up speed. Though I told my friends I was still hesitant about the physical side of my budding relationship with Charles, I still enjoyed his kiss and his touch and I looked forward to it.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Y
ancy,” he said in that low voice that made goose bumps break out on my arms.

  “Good night, Charles,” I murmured.

  After I hung up, I lifted my book from the table beside me and stared blankly at the page for a few minutes. With a sigh, I tossed the book back on the table and drained my beer. There was no way I could focus on anything at the moment. All I could think about was how creative Charles might be when he followed through on his challenge of what it would take for me to call him baby again.

  The upside of my distraction was that I no longer felt nervous about what might happen at the picnic tomorrow.

  Chapter Fifteen

  THE NEXT MORNING, I got up before Carolena, took a quick shower, and began making food for our picnic. I knew that my daughter wouldn’t remember today, but I was determined to make it special for myself. To me, this was a big deal.

  I drank my coffee and focused on making potato salad. I would make the chicken salad and deviled eggs later, once the baby was awake. I had just put the container of potatoes in the fridge when I heard Carolena stirring.

  After I got her up and fed her breakfast, I let Carolena play in the floor with a couple of pots and a wooden spoon while I made the eggs and chicken salad. On a whim, I decided to make some fruit salad as well. I cut up grapes and strawberries and I would slice the apple and banana right before we left for the park and toss it with a citrus dressing to keep the fruit from turning brown.

  “Ready for a bath?” I asked Carolena after I put the fruit in the fridge.

  “Ducky!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands.

  I laughed at her enthusiasm and scooped her up from the floor. I put her in the tub and let her play and splash for a while. When she was done, I checked the weather report on my phone and saw that the day would be in the high fifties, so I dressed us both warmly in jeans, long-sleeved shirts, and hoodies.

  At eleven, the doorbell rang. My heart picked up speed as I carried Carolena to the door with me. After Cooper’s unexpected arrival on Wednesday night, I peeked out the window to be sure that he wasn’t the one standing on my porch. Charles saw me and winked.

  Smiling, I opened the door. “Hey.” I stepped back and let him inside. I looked at Carolena. She was staring at Charles with wide eyes. She hadn’t spent a lot of time around men other than my father and brother-in-laws. “Carolena, this is Charles. He’s a friend of Mommy’s.”

  Charles, bless him, seemed unfazed by her intense scrutiny. “Hi, Carolena. It’s nice to meet you.”

  She put a finger to her mouth, lips pursed, as she continued to study him like a bug under a microscope. Finally, she laid her head on my shoulder, her eyes still on Charles.

  I sighed. “She’s going to pretend she’s bashful for a while,” I joked.

  Charles shrugged. “Hey, when my niece was her age, she used to scream every time she saw me, even though I spent time with her at least once a week from birth. This is preferable.”

  I chuckled. “That sounds about right. You’re just in time to help me pack up the cooler.”

  I led him into the kitchen. I placed Carolena on the floor by her pots and pans and started loading up the large blue cooler. I directed Charles to the fridge to get a small bottle of milk, a pitcher of iced tea, and a few bottles of water while I gathered everything else we would need for the picnic.

  Charles insisted on carrying the cooler out to my car and I found myself hypnotized by the sight of his muscles bunching under his henley as he hefted the burden from the kitchen counter. I planted Carolena on my hip, grabbed my bag and keys, and followed him out to the driveway. I popped the trunk for him and buckled the baby into her car seat while he settled the cooler into the trunk, along with a blanket I’d gotten out that morning.

  The day turned out to be warmer than forecasted, and the temperature was in the mid-sixties when we reached the park. I immediately stripped both Lena and myself out of our hoodies. Charles grabbed the food while I handled the baby and the blanket. Once we sat down and I began to dish out food, Carolena inched closer to Charles, obviously curious.

  At first, he acted as though he didn’t notice her, letting her get closer and closer to him. When she was near enough, she reached out a chubby hand and fingered the material of his jeans near his calf.

  That was when he looked at her and smiled. “Hi there.”

  Carolena’s head cocked to the side as she considered him. She patted his leg. “Pwetty.”

  The expression on Charles’ face made me laugh and relax simultaneously. He seemed at ease around my little girl, which told me he hadn’t been exaggerating when he said he spent a lot of time with his niece and nephew.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  Carolena beamed at him. In an effort to distract her, I snapped a bib around her neck and fed her a bite of potato salad from my fork. I gave her bits of fruit and part of a deviled egg as Charles and I ate and talked.

  As we finished eating, my vision seemed to sharpen and it was as if my brain became hyper focused on what I was seeing, hearing, and smelling. My daughter’s blonde head seemed to glow in the bright sunshine. I could smell a faint trace of her baby lotion mixed with the fresh tang of Charles’ scent. The cool breeze carried the sound of children playing on the nearby playground. Again, I was struck with the certainty that I should remember this moment because it was important. I wanted to take a three dimensional snapshot of the day and tuck it into my heart.

  My thoughts suddenly stopped when I realized why this day seemed so special. This was the kind of memory I imagined for myself when I was married. The three of us at the park on the weekend, eating a picnic and playing together. These were the things that made a family, made a life. While Coop had never given me anything like this, Charles seemed to enjoy it.

  Carolena’s squeal broke through my reverie and I blinked down at her. She clapped her hands and pointed at the swings fifty feet away.

  “Sing!” she exclaimed.

  “I’ll clean this up and meet you over there,” Charles said, gesturing for me to take my daughter to the playground that now held her rapt attention.

  I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

  My face stayed close to his, our eyes locked despite the fact that we were both wearing sunglasses. Suddenly, I felt a little hand against my stomach and I realized that Carolena was standing between us, trying to push us apart.

  I leaned forward and placed a loud, smacking kiss on her cheek. She giggled, pressing a hand to her cheek. Then, to my utter shock, she grabbed Charles’ shirt and put her face against his chest in a toddler parody of a kiss. She hadn’t yet mastered the gesture, but I knew what she was doing.

  I could see Charles was confused. Before I could explain, Carolena smacked his arm. “Kiss!”

  My chest felt tight as I watched Charles lower his face to give her an exaggerated version of a kiss on her cheek. The same warmth I’d felt before suffused my body. Every time this man did something sweet or unexpected, it took my breath away.

  I lowered my face to hide my reaction and walked with my little girl to the playground. Immediately, she began to chant, “Sing, sing, sing, sing.”

  I lifted her into the baby swing and began to push her. Five minutes later, Charles joined us, leaving the cooler beneath a nearby bench. Carolena played on the swings for a while before I pointed out the slide. She decided that the slide was what she wanted next.

  Charles would help her climb the ladder on the shortest slide and I would catch her as she reached the bottom. After thirty minutes, she began to wind down, rubbing her eyes and yawning. I caught Charles’ eye and snatched her from the bottom of the slide, making her scream with laughter.

  I knew she was ready to go home when she lowered her head to my shoulder. I rubbed her back gently. “You want your monkey?” I asked.

  She burrowed closer and made a noise that I took for agreement. Charles seemed to understand what was happening because he grabbed the cooler and we began to walk to the car.


  By the time we pulled out of the parking lot, Carolena’s head was bobbing as she fought to keep her eyes open. When we reached my house, I saw that she had succumbed to exhaustion.

  “I’ll get the cooler,” Charles said softly. “You go ahead and put her down.”

  I nodded and gently pulled my baby out of her car seat. Her eyes popped open, but stayed glazed as I carried her into the house and up the stairs. I managed to strip her out of her shirt and pants without fully waking her and laid her in her crib, putting her stuffed monkey within arm’s reach. Before I even straightened, she was asleep again, her plump cheeks flushed in sleep and her long eyelashes fanned over them. My heart swelled with love at the sight of her. It was the perfect ending to a beautiful afternoon.

  I snuck out of her room and grabbed the baby monitor from my bedroom before I headed back downstairs. When I reached the kitchen, I found Charles pulling a beer out of the fridge.

  “Want one?” he asked.

  I nodded and smiled gratefully as he opened one and handed it to me. “Thanks. Wanna go chill out on the couch for a bit? I think I’m as tired as Carolena.”

  He grinned, that dimple popping in his left cheek. “Sure.”

  We went into the living room and I turned on the television. March Madness had begun that week, so there were a ton of basketball games on. Since I knew he preferred basketball to other sports, I handed Charles the remote.

  “You choose. I just want to veg out,” I said.

  That damn dimple returned, wreaking havoc on my heart. “Thanks.”

  After he found a game he wanted to watch, Charles placed a pillow in his lap and patted it. If any other man had done that, I would have been wary. Instead, I rested my head on the pillow and sighed as the fingers of his free hand tangled in my hair, running through the strands. I wanted to purr like a cat at the sensation of being petted.

  “You were great with Carolena today,” I mumbled, feeling drowsy from the beer and the physical activity.