Chapter 54
Chapter Fifty-Four
Renthrow
I dip a spoon into the sauce for the grilled fish and taste it. “Is it too bland?” I smack my lips to assess. “I think it might be too bland.”
Picking up the seasoning bottle, I prepare to sprinkle more when I second-guess myself. What if I put too much, and it’s over-seasoned, and Cordelia hates it?
Mom’s car rumbles to life outside, and I look up quickly. I did my best to subtly chase her out of the house before Cordelia arrived, and now, I regret that choice. Should I call her back?
“Gordie!” I call.
Her tiny feet appear on the stairs, and then it’s followed by the rest of her. I turn to my daughter, chuckling when I see the glitter all over her face.
“Why do you have glitter everywhere?” I ask, dropping the spoon and reaching out to dust her hair.
“Grandma was helping me make a card for Cordelia.”
My eyes widen, and I turn pale. “You…told Grandma Cordelia was coming tonight?”
“Mm-hm.” Gordie bobs her head.
I wince and think back to the last hour that I was scrambling around the house, cleaning every wooden surface, shining the mantle with furniture polish and spraying all the pillows and curtains with air freshener.
“What are you doing?” Mom had asked the moment she saw me frantically dusting the rugs. “Is someone coming?”
“Does someone have to come over for me to clean my own house?”
Mom had narrowed her eyes and carried on to the second floor where she met Gordie in her room.
I smack my forehead.
“Should I not have told her?” Gordie asks, shrinking back.
“No, no. It’s alright.” I kneel in front of her and place my hand on her hips. “I know you’re excited about Cordelia coming over—”
“Aren’t you excited too?”
I clear my throat and massage the smile off my face. “That’s not the point. We have to be normal. We don’t want to pressure Cordelia or make her feel uncomfortable.”
“Why would she feel uncomfortable?”
That’s a good question.
Gordie giggles. “Daddy, you’re acting weird.”
She’s right.
In my defense, I haven’t been on an actual date since Gordie was born. I’m nervous that though we’re the same age, I might be a bit old-fashioned compared to Cordelia.
I have a child, and I’ve spent most of my time focusing on raising Gordie. A lot could have changed in the dating world since then. There may be new rules I’m not aware of.
Somewhere deep in the house, my phone rings. I set an alarm to mark the time when I should get myself and Gordie ready for the date tonight.
“Alright, pumpkin.” I scoop Gordie up and tickle her belly as she shrieks with laughter. “Time for a bath. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I help Gordie with her bath, and then I allow her to pick out an outfit. She chooses a Hello Kitty T-shirt, a bright blue skirt, and leggings.
I love watching her personal style evolve.
Sure, right now we have very…unexpected color coordinations, but I remember a time when I was dressing her in hockey-themed onesies just because I could.
The moment Gordie could dress herself, she started gravitating toward Hello Kitty and wore clothes of every color in the rainbow.
“Is everything okay at school?” I ask, pulling the shirt over her freshly washed hair. There are still a few stubborn pieces of glitter after the bath, but at some point, I had to give up.
“Mm-hm.” She turns the motorcycle Cordelia gave her around and around.
“And are you still having good thoughts in class?”
“Mm-hm.”
“No bad thoughts at all?”
“No.”
“Remember, you can talk to Miss Potts if you ever feel scared or overwhelmed.”
“I know. Miss Potts is really nice. She’s always asking if I’m okay.”
“That’s good.”
Gordie pushes the motorcycle over her vanity and around her Hello Kitty lotion bottles. “And she says she wants to go to the arcade again!”
I cringe. I’ve been trying to subtly reject Gordie’s teacher for weeks. I didn’t want to be harsh and cause Miss Potts to treat Gordie differently. But it seems like a straightforward conversation is the only way to make things clear.
I finish helping Gordie get dressed and then do her hair.
“What about Vinnie?” I use a bit of hair cream and scoop one half of her hair into a ponytail. “Is everything okay with you two? I haven’t heard you mention her in a while.”
Gordie freezes. “Yeah, me and Vinnie are still best friends. But she doesn’t sit with me as much anymore. But that’s okay because I have my friends from Star Club.”
“Is there a reason Vinnie isn’t sitting with you anymore?”
Gordie shrugs.
The desire to push further wells in me, but I get the sense that Gordie doesn’t want to talk about it.
“You know Daddy’s here to listen and be there for you.”
Gordie bobs her head.
“No matter what happens, I love you more than anything.”
“I know.”
I do the next ponytail, smooth everything down with a brush, and then press a big kiss to her cheek.
The kiss tilts her sideways, and she complains, “Daadddy, your face is prickly.”
“Is it?” I scrub a hand down my cheek. I shaved this morning, but it looks like I’ll need to do it again.
I check the time as I hurry to the bathroom. I’m playing it close, but I manage to shave, shower, and change into a chambray shirt and jeans.
I stop in front of the mirror. Is this too casual?
I’m brushing my hair up and then down and wondering if I should change the pants when I hear Cordelia’s bike rumbling down the lane. It’s so loud that all my neighbors know when she’s coming.
An excited squeal erupts from downstairs. “She’s here! She’s here!”
I sprint down the stairs.
Gordie bolts off too.
The race to the door is on. My kid beats me to it by a hair, but I’m taller and can reach the lock more easily.
I swing the door open.
“Delia!” Gordie screams gleefully and throws herself at the mechanic.
Delia’s smile rivals my daughter’s as she gives Gordie a big hug. “Hey, Gordie.”
“Oooh! What’s this?” Gordie notices the bag in Cordelia’s hands.
“I was, uh, told it’s polite to bring flowers.” Her eyes dart to me and away. “But you seemed like the type who’d appreciate something else.”
My smile widens as I remember saying something similar when I picked her up the night she wore that glorious black dress.
Cordelia hands over a gift bag. “It’s nothing fancy.”
“A Hello Kitty tube purse? Aaah!” Gordie lets loose a high-pitched scream that has the neighborhood dogs barking. She flings herself at Cordelia again. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
“You’re welcome,” Cordelia says, looking proud of herself.
“Gordie, why don’t you give Cordelia your gift?”
“I left it upstairs.” She gasps. “I’ll go get it.”
As my daughter launches up the stairs, I push the door wider and admit Cordelia inside.
“Only Gordie got a gift?” I ask, faking a pout. “You didn’t get any for me?”
Cordelia looks both ways and then rises on her toes. Her sweet, soft lips press against my cheek. It’s a quick peck, but it’s enough to send warmth exploding through me.
When she pulls back, I slide an arm around her waist, ready to pull her in to me for a proper kiss.
Gordie’s footsteps thunder, and Cordelia pushes me back. She flashes her eyes at me as if to say “behave”.
I release her as my daughter approaches with the card she made.
“This is for you.”
“Oh! Wow! It’s lovely!”
As Cordelia gushes about the glitter bomb of a card that Gordie hands her, I reheat the sauce.
“Gordie, go wash your hands for dinner.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
Cordelia wanders into the kitchen, and I can’t help staring at her and grinning like an idiot.
It’s no surprise that she looks amazing tonight.
Her hair is pin straight and swishes whenever she turns her head.
She’s wearing a bright red blouse under her leather jacket and tight leather pants.
The outfit is a mix of hard and soft, dangerous and fragile, which feels exactly true to her.
“Whatever you made smells amazing,” she says, looking eagerly at the dishes on the counter.
“Thanks. I was wondering if the sauce needs something more. Do you mind…?” I dip a spoon into the pot and offer it to her.
She draws so close that I can smell her flowery perfume mixed with that ever-present scent of bike gears and sunshine. Even the way this woman smells is unique.
Cordelia leans forward. I watch her mouth open and close over the spoon, and my body buzzes. Did she mean to make that move so seductive, or do I just have a roaming mind?
Cordelia pulls back, licking her lips and staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully.
“Well?”
“It’s amazing. It doesn’t need anything else.”
“Are you sure?”
“Very sure. Here.” She dips the spoon in again. “What more could you add to this?”
I look at the outstretched spoon and then at her. Moving swiftly, I close my fingers around her wrist, pull her forward, and kiss her. She stiffens for a moment, but then she relaxes into me.
The heat in the kitchen boils over as I move my mouth slowly over hers. I take my time, making sure to suck at her bottom lip to taste the fading flavors of the sauce.
“Mm,” I whisper, easing back. “You’re right. It’s not bad.”
Cordelia’s eyes flutter open.
I smile when I see the blush spreading across her face.
“Daddy, I finished washing my hands,” Gordie says, sprinting back into the kitchen.
Cordelia steps away from me and pats at her lips as if to hide the evidence of our kiss.
“Let’s eat.” I take a step and feel something slippery beneath my Hello Kitty slippers. I look down, confused. There’s an orange splotch on the floor.
How did the sauce get down there? And then it hits me. Cordelia must have turned the spoon over while we were kissing.
She notices the mess, and her blush gets even deeper. “I’ll clean it up.”
I grab her wrist, taking a chance to subtly caress her pulse point with my thumb. “I’ve got it.”
“It’s my mistake.”
I nudge her out of the kitchen. “This is my domain. You don’t lift a finger.”
“But—”
“Gordie, what does Daddy always say about how ladies should be treated?” I interrupt.
“Daddy says that ladies are princesses, and any boy who wants to date me should treat me better than my daddy does.”
“That’s right. Now let me set a good example for my daughter, and go sit down. I’ll bring the food over.”
Still looking shell-shocked, Cordelia moves away.
“Daddy, can we watch a movie while we eat?” Gordie begs. “Delia hasn’t seen Frozen.”
I grab a napkin and wipe up the mess. “No movies on a school night, pumpkin. You know the rules.”
“But, Dad, it’s Frozen.” Gordie hops on top of the bar stool and presses her elbows against the counter. Earnestly, she fights her case. “It’s, like, the bestest movie. We have to show her.”
I look to Cordelia. I don’t think she came over intending to watch an animated children’s movie.
Cordelia lifts her shoulders in an I-don’t-mind gesture.
I tilt my head as if to say, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.
She smiles. “I’m curious what a movie about an ice queen whose parents lock away her powers looks like.”
“See?” Gordie gestures to Cordelia as if it’s evidence that’ll win the case.
“Fine.” I sigh. “But just this once.”
“Yes!” She pumps a fist. “I love when you come over, Delia!”
Gordie drags her to the living room, and I bring the food over. As the movie starts, I pretend to huff and frown, but the truth is…my daughter and I are alike.
I love it when Cordelia comes over too.