Chapter 2 – Erin
Haley and I opt for Chinese this evening. We order online, and while we wait for our food to arrive, I bring out my laptop and we sit together on the sofa with our stockinged feet propped up on the coffee table, ready to scour the Internet for dress ideas.
Lizzie paces back and forth between the two of us, purring loudly as she begs for attention. When she walks across the keyboard, Haley laughs as she snatches the cat up and holds her in her arms.
“All right, let’s see what we have here,” I say as I open up Pinterest and search for homecoming dance dresses .
Haley is going to the Homecoming dance with Philip Underwood.
Well, sort of. They are going together, but there are strict limitations on their time together.
Haley isn’t allowed to date Philip until she graduates from high school.
That will be in six months. But in the meanwhile, her parents have agreed she can attend the dance with Philip if he meets her there (he can’t pick her up).
Mack will drive her to the dance, and Haley’s mom will pick her up and take her home afterward.
And she is not allowed to leave the school grounds at any time, for any reason, unless it's with one of her parents.
All the heavy-handed chaperoning is due to the fact that Mack and Chrissy know very well what happens between young people when they find themselves alone and unsupervised.
Unplanned pregnancies happen.
And nine months later, a baby happens—in their case, Haley.
And Haley’s parents don’t want that happening to their daughter.
“Ooh, how about this one?” I ask, pointing at a floor-length burgundy satin gown.
Haley stares at the image on the screen. “It’s gorgeous, but it’s a bit too formal for Homecoming, don’t you think? That’s more of a Prom dress.”
I save the image to a newly created Pinterest board named Haley . “You’re right. Let’s save that one for Prom.”
“Ooh! What about this one?” Haley points to an image of a young woman wearing a super short, cream-colored satin dress with a scooped, low-cut cowl neckline and spaghetti straps. “That’s pretty, and it’s more casual.”
It looks like a nightgown. A very short nightgown.
Mack would have a heart attack.
“Um, Haley, don’t you think that dress is maybe a bit too short?”
She studies the image. “It’s so pretty, though.”
“Yes, it is, but consider your father. He’s driving you to the dance, so he’ll see what you’re wearing.”
“Oh.” Her smile disintegrates. “Yeah, you’re right. He would lose his shit if I wore something like that.”
“Maybe we can find something similar, but with a bit more, um, fabric.”
Haley sighs. “I guess so.”
We keep looking and eventually Haley spots an emerald green satin dress, knee length, with a more modest squared off neckline and cap sleeves.
“What do you think of that one?” she asks.
“I think it would look fantastic on you. It would complement your dark hair and eyes.”
Haley nods. “I could go for a dress like this.”
“Why don’t we—” I’m about to suggest we go dress shopping this weekend when my phone rings. I glance at the screen and note that it’s the front desk calling. “Hello?”
“Ms. O’Connor, your food order from The China Wok has arrived. Is it okay if I have a staff member bring it up to your apartment?”
“Yes, please.”
This apartment building is secured, which means delivery persons aren’t allowed to come up to the units.
They have to leave deliveries at the front desk.
And in my case, Shane McIntyre made arrangements that building staff members will bring my deliveries to my door so I don’t have to go downstairs.
If Mack were here right now, he’d go down and get the food himself, but he’s not here. And the front desk knows it.
Yes, I get special treatment. I wish I didn’t have to, but I’m not comfortable going down to the lobby alone. Not after what happened.
“Our food’s on its way up,” I tell Haley. “I’ll get us some drinks.”
Haley follows me to the kitchen, and we grab two Cokes from the fridge. A moment later, just as we’re settling back on the sofa, the doorbell rings.
When I answer the door, our order is sitting on the welcome mat.
I bring the huge bag in and set it on the coffee table and start removing the individual cartons. “Dinner is served!”
We put YouTube on the TV and watch guilty pleasure videos while we eat. Halfway through our meal, a knock on the door makes me jump practically out of my skin.
“Are you expecting someone?” Haley asks as she puts down her chopsticks.
“No.”
She stands. “I’ll get it.” She walks to the door and peers through the peep hole. Then she turns to me with a huge smile on her face. “It’s Philip!”
“Let him in,” I say, feeling both relieved and excited. I love playing the role of chaperone with these two love birds. Philip lives in our building, on our same floor, and somehow whenever Haley stops by, he seems to know.
Haley opens the door, and Philip walks in. Haley is tall for a girl, probably five-eight, but Philip towers over her. He’s a clean cut, handsome boy-next-door-type with his brown hair and eyes.
“Hi, Hale,” he says as he reaches out to snag her hand. “How’s it going?”
He pulls her close for a hug. As she lays her head on his chest, one of his hands slips up to cup the back of her head. It’s a short, sweet, and poignant hug.
I have a lot of respect for Philip for honoring Mack’s wishes.
Yes, he and Mack are friends, and yes they work for the same company.
But Philip seems to be going out of his way to abide by the letter of their agreement.
I think it’s because he really cares about Haley, and he’s thinking about the long term, not just the next few months.
He doesn’t want to injure his relationship with Mack, who might end up being his father-in-law one day.
Mack once told me, “If Philip really cares about Haley, waiting a few more months for her to graduate is nothing. I would wait a decade for you if I had to. Hell, I’d wait forever.”
“Hi, Erin.” Philip gives me a wave as he releases Haley. “How are you?”
“Good,” I reply. “Would you like to join us for dinner? I ordered plenty, so there’s more than enough.”
“Thanks, but no,” Philip says. “I’ve already eaten.” He reaches for Haley’s hand. “I heard you were here,” he says to her. “I just wanted to pop in to say hi. I’m actually meeting Liam and Jason upstairs in the penthouse so we can do some sparring in the ring. So, what are you girls up to?”
“We’re browsing for dress ideas,” Haley says. “For Homecoming.”
“Just five more weeks,” Philip says as he squeezes Haley’s hand. “I’m counting the days.” After giving Haley a kiss on her cheek, he leaves.
Haley floats back to the sofa on cloud nine. She is obviously crazy about him, and I can’t blame her. Philip’s not just handsome, he’s also a sweetheart. He’s as tall as Mack, built like a tank, and made of solid muscle. But where Haley is concerned, he’s just a giant puppy dog.
“It won’t be long now,” I say.
“Until what?” Haley asks.
“Until you graduate high school. And then Mack and your mom will honor their agreement, and you’ll be able to date Philip without a chaperone.” I wink at her.
Haley sighs. “It feels like we’ve been waiting forever.”
They have been waiting a while, ever since they met last year at a McIntyre family event. It seems like it was love at first sight between them.
“My dad is so overprotective,” she says with a sigh. “All the girls at school have been dating since middle school, and a lot of them date older guys.”
“Yes, but they’re not Mack Donovan’s daughter. He just wants to protect you, honey.”
Haley drops down onto the sofa with a huff. “I know. It’s just so frustrating. We can date without having sex, you know. But they won’t even let us do that.”
“You have only a few more months to go, so just be patient. It’ll all work out in the end.” I pat her leg. “Now, let’s finish our food so we can get back to online dress shopping.”
* * *
When Mack returns from having drinks with Shane, he gives Haley a ride home. By the time he makes it back to our place, I’m already in my PJs, ready for bed. I’m lying on the sofa reading, Lizzie curled up on my lap, when he walks in.
“How was your evening out?” I ask him.
“Good. Shane sends his love.”
Mack joins me on the sofa and puts my feet in his lap. He smiles with amusement at my fuzzy pink bunny socks.
“Guess who came by this evening,” I say.
Mack frowns. We don’t get a lot of unannounced or unplanned visitors. “Who?”
“Philip.”
He rolls his eyes. “That’s a shocker.”
“Stop it.” Laughing, I swat his shoulder. “He was on his way up to the penthouse for a workout session with Jason and Liam when he stopped in to say hi.”
“I suppose he knew Haley was here.”
“Doesn’t he always?”
Mack starts rubbing my feet. “That boy must have spies in the building.” It’s not a surprise since most of his friends live on our floor.
“He’s hardly a boy, Mack. And yes, he has built-in radar where Haley is concerned. Some would say you have the same for me.”
“Yes, but that’s different. We’re adults. We’re a couple .”
“And you don’t think they’re a couple?”
He gives me a wry look. “They’re not even dating yet.”
“Come on, Mack. You’ve seen how they are when they’re together. Of course they’re a couple. He dotes on her, and she’s smitten with him.”
Lizzie walks down the length of my legs and climbs into Mack’s lap. She rubs her face against his short beard, and absently he starts scratching her behind her ears.
“Haley is practically an adult, babe,” I remind him. “I think you need to catch up.”
“I know.” He sounds resigned and far from happy.
Mack pulls off one of my fuzzy socks and starts massaging my foot. His touch feels so good—just the right amount of pressure as he presses his thumbs into the tender sole. I moan. My other sock soon ends up on the floor as well.
Mack hauls me onto his lap so that we’re facing each other, and I’m straddling him.
One of his warm hands slides up my back, and he pulls me close for a kiss.
His free hand cups my cheek. His mouth is gentle and coaxing as his tongue licks its way into my mouth.
We share lazy kisses for a while, until he finally pulls back.
The way he’s looking at me takes my breath away. And it’s impossible to miss his growing erection beneath me.
Mack kisses the tip of my nose. “Ready for bed? Because I sure am.”
I smile. “Yes.”
Without another word, he stands, lifting me with him. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he carries me down the hallway to the bedroom. With each step, my anticipation grows. I know where this is going.
Suddenly, I find myself chuckling.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“I’m just thinking how glad I am that we don’t have a chaperone.” Because the gap between our ages is even bigger than the one between Haley and Philip.
“Don’t even say that.”