30. Felix
THIRTY
FELIX
It feels good. Having everything out in the open. To know Hayworth likes me back. He more than likes me actually. He’s in love with me just like I am in love with him.
I don’t know how on earth that happened, I don’t know what deity intervened and whether his bow and arrow had anything to do with it, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
There are still so many things to figure out. So much to find out about each other and what we both want and need from a relationship, but at least now we both know where we stand.
At least now we don’t have to both pretend it’s all fake.
“When are we going to see Hayworth again, Poppy?” Elsa asks as we get out of the car and cross the street to the green city park.
“I don’t know, honey. Probably this weekend. He had to pop to Burlington for business yesterday but he was supposed to drive back today. I’ll call him later, okay?”
To my surprise, Hayworth reassured me his business meeting had nothing to do with his dating business. Not that I would have stopped him if it had been. I’m a grown man. I can separate work from personal. But no. Apparently Hayworth has an investment portfolio and he was called in for a board meeting of a startup he’s supporting.
Every day I find out something new about him. But isn’t that the process of dating someone? Genuinely dating someone? Just because we have feelings for each other doesn’t mean we’re going to move in together in a week, or get married in two. This is real life, not some insta-love romance novel where everything magically works out in a flash and the couple lives happily ever after together.
The difference is, now we have a chance. Now that we both know how we feel about each other. And that’s what matters.
“Can we get a pet today, Poppy?” Arya asks as we pass the big red festival banner that reads Love-a-Pet Adoption Day .
The park is filled with carousels, playpens, and face-painting booths amongst the dozens of areas set up with all kinds of animals up for adoption.
There’s a small fenced area where chickens and ducks walk around nipping children’s fingers, some ponies that are up for rides in exchange for a donation to the shelter, and naturally, a lot of dogs entertaining kids and adults alike.
“Oh come on, Poppy. It’s adoption day. We have to. It’s a requirement of the festival.”
I roll my eyes and stare at my eldest who stares right back at me.
“Are you going to walk a dog six times a day and play with it all day long until it runs out of fumes and sleeps for the night?”
“Yeah,” Elsa says and nudges her sister so Arya starts jumping up and down too.
“Sweethearts, you can barely go an hour without losing your dolls. Do you really think you can look after a living creature?”
They jump up and down again, clapping and screaming for joy, completely ignoring my questions.
I hate how selective their hearing is when there’s a shiny new thing around them. Good thing I’m not so easily distracted. I’ve got enough stuff to take care of on my own. I don’t need another child in the mix.
I wonder if Hayworth wants children.
I wonder if he’d be open to adoption or if he would want a surrogate to carry his flesh and blood. I certainly can’t anymore.
“Oh look! Kitties!” Arya shouts and runs toward the cat enclosure.
Elsa runs after her and I follow them but when we reach the enclosure, it’s not the orange kitten that steals my attention, but the tall, handsome man standing by the door holding a gray tabby cat in his arms that’s sleeping through pets, scratches and a lot of cooing from the bystanders.
“Hayworth!” I call out to him with a wave and he approaches us with his entourage of cat aficionados.
“Felix!” He smiles at me and stops opposite me. Even if he wanted to get closer, the people fawning over the cat in his arms won’t allow it.
“What are you doing here? I thought you hated all Season of Love events. Oh shoot, wait. Are you here to steal all the cats?” A few people glance at me and frown before looking back at Hayworth who laughs aloud.
“No. I’m not here to steal all the cats, although I’m tempted to take Mrs. Lacey here.”
He looks down at the tabby and she nuzzles his fingers without opening her eyes. I don’t know who I’m more jealous of. The cat for being held by this sexy man of mine, or Hayworth for being the recipient of such affection.
“I’m volunteering at the shelter,” he adds.
“But the festival?—”
“The festival doesn’t count when it’s about these little innocent creatures, does it Mrs. Lacey? Oh no it doesn’t! ” he coos at the cat as if she’s a baby and my heart flutters a little.
Could I love him any more? Apparently the answer is yes, because I didn’t know he had a soft spot for animals.
“So you’re not against love anymore?” I ask and thankfully, the crowd around him clears a little so I can step closer to him.
“Hmm. I’m working on it. Hi, girls,” he says to Elsa and Arya who hug him but return to trying to get the attention of the cats in the enclosure.
“Working on it, huh?” I take another step and lift my hand going for his face but before I even touch him I drop my hand on Mrs. Lacey’s cheek.
“Yeah. See, I used to be against love but things are…changing.” He wiggles his eyebrows and flashes me a pearly white smile that makes me chuckle.
“Used to? What happened?”
I stroke the cat and get so close to him if anyone was watching they’d think we’re both holding the cat together. But I don’t care anymore. I don’t care who watches. Because this is real.
“Yeah,” he says. “See, I met this guy who made me believe in love again.”
“Okay, Cher .”
He scoffs. “Okay, Sonny . Although I should point out the lyrics are believe in life after love and that’s not what I said so…”
“So you’re not Cher.”
“I can be, if you want me to,” he murmurs and I purse my lips to hide my grin.
“Are you going to kiss me, or what?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” he says and leans forward.
“I don’t,” I answer and he stops inches from my mouth.
“I was talking to Mrs. Lacey.”
“Of course,” I whisper, staring into his beautiful chocolate eyes that make my heart beat faster and the blood rush to my head, and I feel almost dizzy.
And to think when we first met I couldn’t tell the color of his eyes and now…
Well, now I would know them in a sea of people.
“I hear no objections,” he murmurs and finally traps my lips with his.
I can’t help but lean against him, close my eyes and savor this moment as if it’s the most precious thing in the world.
Because it is.
Of all the men on this planet, Hayworth fell for me and I fell for him, and well, isn’t that something utterly unique? Something that needs to be cherished, like any other love?
We both breathe in before we let go and when I open my eyes I realize it’s awfully quiet. Hayworth raises his eyebrow and blinks until we both turn to the girls.
I would have expected them to be gushing about their daddy kissing his boyfriend. But no. They’re too busy chasing a cat back and forth from the other side of the enclosure.
“Well,” Hayworth starts. “That’s disappointing.”
I sigh.
“The goldfish generation. They move on so fast. I’m so not looking forward to the day they get addicted to TikTok.”
Hayworth chuckles and wraps one arm around me and brings me closer to him and the cat. Mrs. Lacey opens her hazy eyes and slow-blinks at me. And then she starts purring so loud I can feel it in my bones.
“So, are you adopting this young lady?”
“This old lady, you mean, and I sure as hell am. Where else am I going to get such superb cuddles?”
I clear my throat and pout, looking up at him.
“Oh. That’s right,” he says and he kisses me again.