As Evil As Ignorance

AEAI 12

My phone vibrates as I’m putting on my coat to leave the station. It’s just after six and I have enough time to get home, change, and head out the door to get to the restaurant. But per usual, Dad made other plans.

The text is from Pops phone, but it’s definitely Dad. ‘The car will pick you up at 7. The reservation is for 7:30. If I can’t make your date special, you better do it yourself. And call me tomorrow to tell me all about it. Love you.’ Replying with, ‘Thanks. Love you,’ my phone goes back in my pocket and I’m heading out the door to our apartment.

Come to think of it, this is even better. Now, I can take a quick shower and be a little more presentable. I send Henry a quick message telling him I’m on my way home and that he has to be ready by seven.

When I walk into the apartment, I hear our shower running for a few seconds before it shuts off. I hang my coat on the wall hooks as Ella walks out of her room.

“Hey babe,” she chirps with a smile. “I’m bored and Maya is over at her parent’s house.”

Smirking, I nod and throw my keys on the counter, “Can’t chat. Have to get ready.”

“Ooo,” her eyes get bright as she follows me into my room, “what’re you getting ready for?”

When we get into the hallway, the bathroom door opens and Henry comes out with damp hair and a towel around his waist, “Is there anything in particular I’m supposed to wear?”

“Just a suit,” I can’t help the smile that comes over my face. He looks amazing in just a towel, but really I’m more excited about the date we’re about to go on, “It’s a fancy place.” He nods with pink cheeks and starts to head to his room when I say, “Ella can help you pick something out, if you want.”

“That would probably be best,” he admits a little timidly. He looks to El and says, “Give me a few minutes and then I’m ready for you.”

“Okay,” she agrees. I’m pretty sure she’s doesn’t know what’s going on, but I also know she’s going to help anyway. My suspicions are proven correct when Henry’s door closes and Ella turns back to me, “What’s going on?”

Motioning for her to follow, I head into my room and close the door, “We’re going to Del Posto tonight and you have to help him pick something out to wear.”

“Yay!” She squeaks as she claps her hand. “I have the perfect new dress.”

“No,” my hand rests on her shoulder to hold her in place, “not ‘we’ as in all of us. ‘We’ as in Henry and I.”

Her lip pouts for a moment until she realizes what I just said. Then she gasps and leaves her mouth hanging open for a second before she yells, “You’re taking him on a date?!”

“Shh,” I chuckle as she bounces around. I start to methodically strip down to my boxers as we talk, “And yes, I’m taking him on a date. Could you be a little quieter? He actually lives in the next room.”

“Technically, the bathroom separates you,” she reminds me stilling momentarily, but then continues hopping around. “So there is something between you?”

I nod and walk over to my closet to look through my suits, “I guess you could say that.”

“What are you wearing?” she asks as she joins me.

Shrugging, I scan through them, “I’m not sure. I was thinking just a black suit and tie.”

“No,” she shouts as she pulls out one of the garment bags I have in the back, “you should wear this grey one. It fits you so well; hugging your body the way it does.”