My Dirty Affair

Chapter Thirty Seven

"Matt, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Hidden behind me, Alice clung to the back of my leg tightly. She'd been shy around strangers but once she warms up to a new face, she was more friendly. I had to guide her to stand in front of me. She was so small, it was like watching Matt approach a grain of sand. He knelt in front of her and extended his hand. "Hi, baby." He smiled, lovingly.

"Why is your hair long?" Alice completely ignored his hand and reached for his hair. He'd taken it out of its bun to my request, some strands were curly and tangled like he'd just taken a shower before and let his hair air dry. "Are you a girl?"

"Alice," I chided.

"No, it's okay." He said, then turned to Alice. "No, I'm not a girl. I just like my hair this way."

"Me too," she said. "My name is Alice."

"Hi, Alice. I'm Matt."

"Matty!" Alice had a knack for creating nicknames for people she comes in contact with. "I have a dog, his name is Casper."

As if on cue, Casper came running into the house with a patch of grass attached to his mouth. He ran so fast that he nearly knocked my niece right off her feet when he came to a stop. Matt clapped his hands together and Casper immediately went to him and began licking his hands.

"He likes you." Alice commented.

"I like him too." Matt replied, trying to calm Casper as the dog energetically licked his face.

"Casper, stop." Alice placed her tiny hands on Casper then he started to calm down. "Do you have a dog?"

"Yes, I have two." He reached into his pocket to produce his phone. "I have a picture of them." He turned to a picture of him with two dogs, one was pale white with dark eyes, while the other one was black. "This is Cloud and Bas."

"Ooh, pretty!" Alice shoved her face in the screen and caused Matt and me to laugh.

"Ali, come say good bye to your friends!" Vincent shouted from the living room as he was standing with the neighbors by the front door.

"I have to go!" She quickly trotted to her father.

"She's adorable." Matt said. We watched her hug the neighbors daughter. "She reminds me of my niece."

"You have a niece?"

He nodded. "Scott's daughter."

I gasped. "Scott has a kid?"

"Yes, about two years ago. She's an animated little kid already."

"What's her name?"

"Nova."

"Do you think Emily knows about her?" Scott and Emily had been inseparable since he arrived. Emily was busy socializing which I should've been doing too, but I kept finding reasons to be alone with Matt. It was easy too, not that parents would notice or Lisa, whom I hadn't had time to speak to.

"No. Scott is very protective of Nova. He doesn't tell women about her."

"Oh." I hit my head with the palm of my head. "And I was prying, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I brought it up first."

"Still, I—"

"Matt, there you are." Kat showed up, hooking her arm around his. "Do you mind if I steal him for a quick second?"

Remember, you have to play the part of a married woman. "Sure, go ahead."

Matt expression was calm, but his eyes gave away his true intention which was to stay with me. I supposed I couldn't keep him all to myself the whole day.