Thank you all for your support. It means so much to me. I hope you enjoy the chapter. I will have another one for you next Friday. Have a great weekend. :)
(Blaine)
I pulled into the driveway shortly before five-thirty. Parking in front of the garage, instead of inside it like I usually do, I grabbed my briefcase from the passenger seat and got out.
I made a beeline for the door, letting myself into the house. I set my briefcase and keys on the small table near the door and headed to the kitchen, where I found Hayden drinking from the carton of orange juice.
"Don't do that," I scolded him.
Hayden lowered the carton and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "The carton is almost empty. I'm going to finish it."
"Where's your grandma?" I asked, loosening my tie.
He pointed at the ceiling. "Upstairs."
"And your brother and sister?"
Hayden shrugged. "Don't know, don't care."
I sighed heavily. "What are your plans for tonight?"
"I have a date." He took another drink of juice. "I'm taking Jennifer to a movie. After that I thought we'd hookup in the backseat of my car."
I knew he was trying to get a rise out of me, and I was determined not to take the bait.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" he said, smirking.
"Sit down," I said quietly. "We need to have a talk."
"If it's about sex, we've already had that talk."
"We're going to have it again." I moved around the island, pausing before him. "Are you having sex, Hayden?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you, Dad?"
"I am trying to have an important conversation with you," I said calmly. "I would appreciate it if you would take it seriously." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Look, I'm not going to forbid you from having sex. I could, but at the end of the day it's your life and you have to be the one to make the decision. Besides, forbidding you would make me a hypocrite. I was around your age when I became sexually active."
"Does Grandma know that?" he inquired.
"Yes, and for the longest time she was disappointed in me." I cleared my throat. "She eventually got over it. Are you having sex? I won't be disappointed if you say yes."
Hayden looked into my eyes and said, "No, I'm not having sex."
I hid the relief I was feeling behind a blank expression. "When you do decide to have sex remember to wear a condom. Condom's aren't one hundred percent foolproof against pregnancy and STDs, but they're far better than nothing at all."
"I know, Dad," he said.
"Sex is not something to be taken lightly." I squeezed his shoulder. "Just be careful, Son. Every action has a consequence."
He nodded.
Leaving the kitchen, I walked through the entrance hall and up the stairs. I ran into Jonah on the landing. "How was school?" I asked.
"Can't talk, Dad," he said. "The guys and I are going to grab something to eat before the movie."
"Be home by-"
"Ten-thirty," he tossed over his shoulder, as he hurried down the stairs. "I know."
"Have fun, but be safe," I told him.
"Will do, Dad."
I checked my watch and then moved up the hallway.
"Hello, dear," Mom said, emerging from her bedroom. "How was your day?"
"Busy." I dropped a kiss on her forehead. "How's Piper doing?"
"She's doing better," Mom replied. "She's on the phone with Tawny."
Tawny was her best friend. They met in the first grade and became fast friends.
"You said last night at dinner that you had plans for tonight," Mom said. "What kind of plans?"
"I have a date," I responded.
Her eyes lighting up, Mom embraced me. "Honey, that's wonderful. What's her name? How did you two meet? Where are you taking her?"
I chuckled. "You sound like Piper when she gets excited about something."
"I can't help it," she said, gazing up at me. "This is the first date you've been on since the divorce. It's a big deal."
"It is," I agreed. "Her name is Colleen. She's the doctor that treated Piper's ear infection. I ran into her at the grocery store when I was getting Piper's ice cream. I asked her to dinner and she said yes. I'm taking her to Marlowe's."
"It's too late to get her flowers," Mom mumbled. "That's a shame because you should never show up empty handed on a first date."
"I sent her roses earlier today," I said.
Mom gave my cheek a pat, beaming at me. "That's my boy."
I rolled my eyes.
"Now stop rolling your eyes at me and go get yourself ready." She gave me a gentle shove toward my bedroom. "You don't want to be late picking her up."
I went into my room, closing the door behind me.
I rang the doorbell, took a deep breath, and wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. Now that I was here, standing at her door, I was experiencing an attack of nerves. As Mom had put it earlier, this was a big deal. Going on this date meant I was ready to move on from Vanessa. It was a fresh start for me.
The door opened, at that moment. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of her. She was wearing a lacy blue dress that hugged her body. She had pulled her hair back, drawing attention to the graceful curve of her jaw and the column of her neck.
I uttered softly. "You're beautiful."
Colleen smiled. "Thank you, Blaine, and you look handsome."
"Thank you," I said.
"Let me grab my things and we'll go." Colleen disappeared inside and came back a few seconds later with her purse and a black medical bag.
"Let me carry that for you." I took the bag from her. "Are you expecting an emergency?"
"I take my bag with me everywhere I go." She locked the door and slipped her keys in her purse. "I hope that I won't need it."
"But it's there if you do," I said.
"Exactly."
I placed my hand on the small of her back and we walked to the car.
"I always put my bag in the trunk," Colleen informed me. "I have a fear of someone breaking into the car and stealing it."
I opened the door for her. Once she was settled, I closed the door and moved to the trunk. Opening the lid, I placed the bag inside and then shut it. Moving to the driver's side, I slid behind the wheel and reached for the seat belt.
"Thank you for the roses," Colleen said. "They're beautiful."
"It was my pleasure."
"How is Piper?" Colleen asked while we studied the menu.
"She's doing better," I replied. "She was on the phone with her friend when I left. She's probably still on the phone. I have no clue what two girls could be talking about for hours."
"Boys," she muttered.
I shuddered at the thought. "God, I hope not."
Colleen laughed. "She's at that age, Blaine. She's going to want to start dating soon."
"Not until she's sixteen," I stated. "That's the rule for all my children. I don't want Piper to ever accuse me of being unfair or sexist so I made it a rule that Hayden and Jonah have to wait until they are sixteen to date too. Hayden turned sixteen a few months ago and is dating now."
"That is going to drive you crazy," she said.
"I know," I said.
Just then, the server showed up. She wrote down our orders, took the menus from us, and left the table.
"Tell me something, Colleen," I said, picking up my glass of wine. "How old were you when you started dating?"
"I was fifteen," she answered. "I was allowed to start dating at thirteen but that didn't happen, thanks to my two overly protective older brothers."
I smirked. "Scared the guys away, did they?"
"Yes," she sighed. "I know they meant well, but it drove me insane. How old were you when you began dating?"
"I was sixteen," I said. "Tell me about your brothers."
Colleen took a sip of her wine and set the glass down. "My oldest brother, Lance, who is thirty-six, lives in Arizona. He's a landscape architect. He's flying in tomorrow for the weekend. Chase, my second oldest brother, is thirty-three. He owns Avery's Bar & Grill."
"I've taken the kids there for dinner a few times," I said. "The hamburgers are the best I've ever had."
"I prefer the chicken wings," she said.
"Piper too," I said. "The last time we were there she ate so many she got sick."
"Poor thing," Colleen said. "Do you have siblings?"
"I had a brother, but he died when we were kids." I swallowed hard. "He was rock climbing with friends. There was a rock slide. He and two others were crushed to death."
A look of horror crossed her face. "Oh, Blaine, I'm so sorry."
"So am I," I said. "Let's talk about something else. What made you become a doctor?"
"My dad." Colleen smiled. "He's a doctor. I wanted to follow in his footsteps and make a difference."
"Is his field family medicine like yours?" I inquired.
"No," she replied. "He's a pediatrician. What line of work are you in?"
"I'm an accountant," I responded.
"What does an accountant do?" Colleen wanted to know.
I shifted in my seat. "An accountant serves clients such as businesses, individuals, nonprofit organizations, and government organizations. We prepare, review, and audit clients. We do tax work, for example income tax returns, estate and tax planning. We consult and offer advice involving accounting systems, mergers and acquisitions. The list goes on."
"You have to know your math, don't you?"
"You do," I said.
She grimaced. "Math was my worst subject in school."
"Mine was science."
"Science was my best subject."
"Math was mine," I said.
"I hated history."
I grinned. "So did I."
We were almost to Colleen's house when I received an incoming call from Vanessa. I didn't want to take the call with Colleen in the car, but I knew there would be hell to pay later if I ignored my ex-wife.
I jabbed the button on the steering wheel. "Hello, Vanessa," I said.
"Don't hello me," she growled. "How could you not call me and tell me my child was sick? I had to hear about it from her."
I swore silently. "I apologize. It slipped my mind."
"That's your excuse?" she said coolly. "It slipped your mind."
I tightened my grip on the wheel, my anger springing up inside me. I forced myself to stay calm. I wasn't going to lose control in front of Colleen. "I don't know what you want me to say, Vanessa. I forgot to call you and let you know Piper has an ear infection. I'm sorry."
"Don't let it happen again," she said. "I'm going to be in town next weekend. I want the kids."
Before I could say anything she hung up on me. I pushed the button on the wheel, disconnecting the call. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Colleen said.
I waited for her to ask me about Vanessa. When she didn't I let out the breath I hadn't realized I had been holding in.
Pulling into Colleen's driveway, I parked behind her car and shut off the engine. Getting out, I retrieved her medical bag from the trunk before opening her door for her.
"Thank you," she said, climbing out of the car. "Would you talk to my brother, Chase? He never opens a door for me. Come to think of it, I'm the one opening doors for him."
"Give him my number," I joked, shutting the door.
We walked to her front door in a comfortable silence. Under the porch light Colleen dug her keys out of her purse. She unlocked the door, opened it, and turned to face me.
"I'd invite you in for a drink, but I imagine you want to get home to the kiddos." She took her bag from me and set it just inside the door. "Thank you for dinner, Blaine. I had a nice time."
"I did too," I said. "May I call you?"
Colleen smiled at me. "I would be disappointed if you didn't."
I leaned in slowly, giving her time to move, and brushed my lips against her cheek. Stepping back, I looked at her and was relieved to see she was still smiling. I hadn't overstepped any boundaries.
"Good night, Blaine," she whispered.
I wished her a good night, waiting until she was safely inside before leaving.