8. Felix
EIGHT
FELIX
“Girls!” I look away from him, focus on my daughters, focus on their chaos and certainly not the chaos that erupted inside as soon as he approached me.
What is it about this man that gets me so on edge?
“Yay! You found it, Poppy!” Arya bounces up to me and takes the toy dog from my hand with delicate fingers as if she’s afraid to break the plastic toy. The same can’t be said about her fashion doll, which she’s holding by the hair and dragging all over the floor.
Kids. Make them make sense.
Elsa also approaches and takes the toy from Arya who in turn looks at Jack Hayworth and bats her eyelashes as if in awe of him.
“You’re pretty,” she says and I can barely manage to hide my chuckle.
“You are!” Elsa agrees and drops her hands, forgetting all about the tiny little doll accessory that had caused the biggest ruckus moments ago.
“Why thank you. I think so myself. What do you think?” Jack turns to me and raises an eyebrow, waiting for my response.
“Erm…uhm…” I start and desperate for something to keep me busy, I pick up the coats that have fallen on the floor and try to tidy them up. “You’re okay,” I mumble, if only to appease the staring girls.
“Aw such a charmer,” he bites back with a chuckle and I fight with myself not to roll my eyes.
“I’m Elsa.” My eldest stretches her hand and he takes it gently to shake it.
“Nice to meet you, Elsa. I’m Hayworth.”
“Hayworth?” Elsa frowns but before Hayworth catches me staring at them I get busy pushing the air out of the puffy coats over and over again. “What kind of name is that?”
“Elsa! That’s rude.” I glance at her but when Hayworth looks at me I bend over to pick up the bags from the floor and pin my gaze on their contents instead of him.
“It’s okay. It’s a good question. Well, my name is Jack, but I don’t like it, so everyone calls me by my last name, Hayworth.”
“I like it!” Arya beams and he turns to her.
“And who are you?”
“I’m Arya.”
“Well, nice to meet you both.”
As much as I try to keep myself busy I can’t help but look up. He’s standing before me, after all, like a tall glass of water and I’m thirsty for a sip. Or a gulp.
His offer from a week ago still circles my mind every now and then, when the lights are out and I’m in bed all alone with my thoughts and my hands as my only company but I couldn’t be happier turning him down.
We’re starting to settle down here in Maplewood and I don’t need to complicate things further. And complicated they would be if Maplewood Matters is anything to go by. According to the anonymous gossip blogger, Hayworth and another guy ambushed the second speed-dating event yesterday and caused an even bigger commotion than the first time. Apparently, they have been blacklisted from Valentine events for years but they always find a way to cause trouble.
Even if I didn’t mind gossip rags talking about me—which I do. I so do—associating with a troublemaker is not on the top of my list. Not when I’m trying to make this place our home. The last thing I need is everyone hating me and my daughters by association. No. The best thing I can do is to stay far away from dates and fuck buddies and definitely far, far away from Jack Hayworth.
“What have you got there?” he asks Elsa and she opens her palm to show the toy dog that made the last ten minutes a living nightmare.
Elsa had accused Arya of stealing it. Arya had accused Elsa and I had to remind them both that there was no stealing between sisters, which I’m not entirely sure is a great lesson to teach them considering their teen years are ahead of them and there’s most definitely going to be some stealing, but I’ll deal with that another day. Pick your battles and all that jazz.
“It’s Fashion Pup, Fashion Nelly’s pet dog,” Elsa says and pulls the doll up from the floor and out of Arya’s hands to show Hayworth.
I wince, waiting for Arya to whine, but she just smiles at the handsome stranger and nods along to her sister’s story.
“Oh, I see. So they’re both fashion icons and they need to stick together?” he says when Elsa is done.
“Yes. The TikTokers will drag them through the dirt if they’re seen apart.”
I stare at my daughter and blink.
One of these days I’ll understand how she knows so many words she shouldn’t but I doubt today is that day.
“Oh, of course. TikTokers are vicious.” Hayworth chuckles.
“They so are,” Arya adds but I doubt she knows what she’s talking about. Or I hope she doesn’t.
“So what’s Fashion Nelly’s and Fashion Pup’s agenda for the day? Press tour? Catwalk?”
“Kitties!” Arya exclaims.
Elsa rolls her eyes. “Cat-walk, Arya! Not kitties. Different things,” she says.
“Oh.”
“Anyway, Hayworth, can I ask you something?” Elsa says.
“Anything,” he replies and crouches to the floor so he’s at eye-level with both of them.
“You said you are handsome, right?”
I frown.
What is going on?
“Well, you said it. I just agreed,” he answers and pokes her nose.
I have to admit to myself. He might be a walking disaster of an adult male but he seems pretty good with kids—a major plus.
Why do I care?
I shake my head and focus on the conversation.
“Well then, would you also agree our Poppy is handsome too?” Elsa says and I choke on nothing.
“Elsa!” I yelp but have to cough again, trying to clear my throat.
“What? That’s not a rude question. Is it?” Both her and Arya turn to Hayworth and wait with bated breath.
“No. Not rude at all.”
“But inappropriate,” I croak but as soon as his intense gaze turns to me I bury my face in Arya’s bag, which smells a lot like bologna and despair.
“So? Do you agree?”
I take deep breaths but the more I do, the more asphyxiating it gets in the bag so I pull it away and stare at him.
He grins and his eyes go dark and sinful, causing another bout of coughing.
“Yes. He is very handsome.”
Arya and Elsa jump up and down, clapping their hands. I make a mental note to kill them when we get home.
“We think so too,” Arya says.
“We’re in agreement once again.” Hayworth nods.
“Does that mean you want to take our dad out for a date?” Elsa smiles so bright without a hint of shame or redness on her cheeks and I add to my mental note. She goes first.
“Oh. A date, huh?” Hayworth looks from her to me to Arya and chuckles.
“You don’t have to answer that.”
“Yes he does! He’s pretty!” Arya says and I grimace at my daughter.
What the hell does that have to do with anything?
“ Very pretty,” he adds and I roll my eyes at him.
“Come on, Hayworth. It’s Valentine’s Day soon. You have to take our dad out for a date or he’ll sit alone at home and cry with a tub of ice cream in his lap. Not a pretty picture!”
“Elsa!” I snap.
The cheek of my daughter to say that. I mean, it’s true, but she doesn’t have to announce it to the whole world.
“Well, in that case?—”
“I’m not a pity party,” I tell him. “And you two, leave Hayworth alone. You’re very rude.”
“But he doesn’t mind,” Arya says.
“To me!” I tell them.
“That’s okay, Poppy. You only think that ’cause you’re shy. If Hayworth takes you out you’ll be happy again and you’ll forgive us,” Elsa replies.
Yep. I’m killing her first.
“So, Hayworth? Will you make our Poppy happy and take him out? He likes red wine, pasta and pizza, although pizza is not very first date material, and chocolate!” Elsa grabs Hayworth’s hand and looks at him with pleading eyes.
“Who doesn’t like chocolate?” Arya comments, only to get a glare from her sister.
Hayworth smiles at both girls and I suck in my cheeks to keep my frustration at bay or I might die from embarrassment.
But then he looks at me, not with pity, but with a hunger only adults can recognize and my insides flood with air and something else. Something bright and hot that makes me a little dizzy.
A sunlight of passion shining in every dark corner of my body as if for the first time.
“I’d love to. Especially if there’s chocolate involved,” he says to me and I can’t help but lick my lips.
“Perfect. We’ll plan everything. Give me your phone,” Elsa reaches her hand out and Hayworth gives it to her without breaking eye contact with me.
I know he’s only going along with it because of the girls. I know when they talk date he’s probably thinking sex, and when they talk chocolate he’s probably thinking about licking it off my body, but you know what?
I don’t care.
Because I want it too.
And right now I’m struggling to remember why I should say no to this.
Hayworth, on a bed covered in chocolate? Sign me the fuck up.
Plus, the girls look so happy with this arrangement they’ve even forgotten about their quarrel. I could do with some peace at home even if my insides are at war with my very own being.