Chapter 13 Finn
FINN
Walking into Amelia’s, I spot Marcee already waiting inside. My heart swells at the sight of her; it has been way too long since I saw her in person. The last time I saw my daughter was Christmas break, when I flew her out to Dubai to visit. She rushes to me, hugging me tight.
Kissing her head, I hold her for a long minute. “Hey pumpkin, it's so good to see you!” I smile, feeling whole again. “Sorry we had to meet at a restaurant. The renovations on my new place should be done by Sunday, so maybe next weekend you can come out and help me get settled?”
“Of course, I would love that! It’s a long weekend coming up, so I can stay an extra day if you want.
” She smiles as the hostess leads us to our table.
I look around the restaurant; it's charming and the decor is very authentic.
As we get seated, Marcee grabs the menu and smiles.
“Lexie said the food here is amazing and that I have to try the risotto.”
Alexis, the girl that has plagued my dreams for months, shifting in my seat as my cock perks up just hearing her name. I clear my throat, trying to diffuse the desire rising in me. “She got in here quick. I thought it just opened a few weeks ago.”
“It did, but Kyle was able to get reservations on Friday,” Marcee says before looking at the menu. “Oh, don’t let me forget to get a cannoli for her. She was in such a hurry to leave that she skipped dessert Friday, and you know Lexie, that girl is all about the sweets.”
Something twists in my gut. Picturing Alexis on a date, in such a hurry to get back to her place with said date, suddenly has me losing my appetite as mental images of her with another man flood my mind.
I internally scold myself for being territorial over Alexis.
She’s my daughter's best friend—I have no right to be jealous.
Feeling like an idiot, I stare at the menu, not seeing anything as my vision blanks.
Trying to act nonchalant but having to know if she's serious with someone, I finally ask, “So, has she been with her boyfriend for long?” The word tastes sour in my mouth.
“Oh, God no!” Marcee laughs as she peruses the menu.
“It was a first date, and from the sound of it, the last one as well. He kept talking about his mom and asking her weird questions about having kids and marriage. Totally freaked her out. Tanner and I laughed for thirty minutes straight as she recounted the date. Oh, and apparently, the kiss goodnight was like kissing a Saint Bernard. She went straight to the shower saying she needed to wash him off her.”
The tension coiled in my stomach finally relaxes at Marcee’s words and the satisfaction coursing through me at her not being with someone else, is something I choose not to look too closely at.
I’m also not going to examine the possessive feelings I felt hearing she kissed someone else, because that is none of my business, even if I know my kiss wouldn’t be something she needed to wash off after.
I pick my menu back up, suddenly famished and feeling excited about the future. In the end, we both ordered the risotto and capped it off with some cannolis, and a to-go order for Alexis.