17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Jackson
Juggling the bags of hot food I had picked up at the Main Street Diner in one hand, and a drink tray in the other, I smiled gratefully at the daycare’s receptionist as she hurried to open the door for me.
“Thank you.” I smiled my thanks at her, while getting a firmer grip on the bags.
She pulled the door firmly closed behind us, before heading back to her side of the large reception desk. “Aiden has told everyone you were bringing him lunch today. He’s so excited.”
“I’m glad I’m able to do it.” I couldn’t help from scanning the large open room for Robert, my eyes finding him in an instant. He was reading to a small group of children, Aiden included, who were all seated at his feet, listening to his soft voice intently.
“Do you know where you’re going?” The receptionist, whose name I could never remember, asked.
Giving her a sheepish smile, I said, “Not really.”
“Follow me.”
Today was Aiden’s fifth birthday, and the daycare allowed parents to bring their child lunch and eat with them. He had asked me if I would do that, and I had gladly cleared a few hours from my schedule. I’d been worried about missing the time, since we were flying out tomorrow to go visit my parents, and I would be missing Friday and Monday. When I had voiced my concerns to Brendan, he had waved my worries away. The man was truly committed to what he called a life/work balance, and once again I was happy with my choice of changing jobs.
Following the young woman past Robert and the kids, his eyes lifted from the book and held mine. Giving him a heated look, and a huge smile, I winked as she shuffled me by them, waving at Aiden with the bags of food.
He jumped up, the crown he was wearing slipping over one eye, but Robert caught him by the arm and spoke quietly to him. I couldn’t hear what they said but I saw Aiden nod from the corner of my eye.
The young woman led me into a brightly lit break room. “Sit anywhere. I’ll tell Robert you’re here and he’ll bring Aiden back. ”
Setting the bags and drinks down on the nearest table, I said, “I think he saw me.”
She smiled at me, “Great. I need to get back, but there are paper plates in the cabinet if you want to use them. Help yourself to utensils, and there are condiments in the fridge if you need them.”
“Thank you for your help.”
I busied myself getting some plates from the cabinet she had indicated, and putting our food on it. Chicken fingers and fries for Aiden, along with some apple slices to be healthy. A bacon double cheeseburger and onion rings for me, and a grilled chicken sandwich for Robert with a side salad because I knew he liked to eat healthier. That hadn’t stopped me from getting us all thick, creamy milkshakes.
I hadn’t told Robert I was bringing him lunch also, but wanted to surprise him. That and I liked feeding him. It made me feel like I was taking care of my omega in a tiny way.
“Daddy!” Aiden ran into the room, all smiles, his eyes shining brightly.
“Happy birthday, baby.” Hugging him, I kissed the top of his head, avoiding the pointy ends of his birthday crown so I didn’t get poked.
He slid into a chair, popping a fry into his mouth. “Not a baby. I’m five now.”
“So grown up. ”
“I’ll leave you two to enjoy your lunch together,” Robert told me quietly, turning to leave.
“Wait, I brought you lunch.” He turned to look at me in surprise. “I thought you might want to eat with us.”
Aiden looked from me to Robert, blissfully unaware of the unspoken conversation taking place between us. “Eat with us, Mr. Robert.”
“Yeah,” sitting down, I pointed at the empty chair across from me, “eat with us, Mr. Robert.”
Robert looked uncertain, glancing at the doorway, then back at the food spread out before us on the table. “I got you a grilled chicken sandwich and a nice, healthy salad.” Picking my chocolate shake up, I took a strong pull on the straw. “And a shake. Because it’s Aiden’s birthday and we should have some ice cream.”
Aiden grinned around his chicken finger, nodding his head. I wasn’t above using my son as a ploy tactic if it got Robert to eat with us.
“It does smell good, and I am hungry,” he hesitated, but I could tell the moment he gave in. “Let me go see if someone can watch the rest of my kids for me.”
He scurried away, and I grinned around my straw.
“Daddy, do you like Mr. Robert?” Aiden’s innocent question had me nearly choking on my shake.
“Ah, Mr. Robert is very nice.”
“Is he your friend? He’s my friend. ”
Nodding, I coughed, taking another sip of the cold ice cream and buying myself a few seconds reprieve.
I knew I was going to need to sit down with Aiden and discuss with him that I was dating his teacher. It was becoming harder and harder for me to act like I didn’t have feelings for Robert whenever he was near me, and I found myself wanting all of us to spend time together. For Aiden and Robert to get to know each other outside of the daycare. For us to begin merging into…into a family, I realized.
Yes, I wanted us to become a family.
When we got back from seeing my family, I would sit down with Aiden and broach the subject. He was getting used to me “going out with friends”, but I had never dated anyone his entire young life. While I knew he liked Robert, would that change when we told him we were dating?
That we were more than dating. That we were fated mates. I didn’t even know if Aiden knew what that was. Maybe I could ask Robert for some tips on talking to a five-year-old. He spent all day with young children and seemed to magically know how to speak to them.
Robert came back into the room, his cheeks flushed with a rosy glow. Taking a seat, he reached for the salad first.
“Wyatt is watching my kids for me,” he told me, forking some greens into his mouth. “Thank you for lunch. Though I should get some water.” He stood up, looking towards the refrigerator. “I don’t need the calories from the shake.”
Placing my hand over his, I stopped him before he could take a step. “If you are worried about your weight, please don’t. Drink the shake. You look bea–” glancing at Aiden who was watching us intently, I caught myself from saying beautiful. “You look perfectly fine.”
“I really shouldn’t.” But his eyes glanced at the shake longingly.
“You really should.” Taking another sip of my shake, I moaned loudly as the ice cream melted on my tongue. “So yummy!”
Aiden giggled at my noises, then reached for his own shake. “It’s really good, Mr. Robert. They have the bestest shakes there.”
“They really do.” I agreed, grinning impishly at Robert. “Sit. Eat. Enjoy the ice cream.”
He sat, taking the most delicate sip of his shake I had ever seen anyone take. His eyes closed in bliss as the cold chocolate hit his tongue, and he let out the tiniest little moan of pleasure. And fuck, if that sound didn’t go straight to my dick, waking him right up.
Shifting my legs beneath the table, my eyes devoured him hungrily. Blinking his eyes open, he caught my heated gaze, his own eyes widening. Licking his lips with his tongue, I saw the flare of fire in his brown depths. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing to me .
Taking another slow, long pull of his straw, his eyes never left mine, and he made another obscene moan. “Soooo good.”
My nostrils flared, my dick throbbing, and I casually put my hand under the table and squeezed my cock. I needed to get myself under control, before anyone else came into the break room. Thank goodness the table blocked my son’s view, and he had no clue what was happening between Robert and me as he happily ate his fries.
“Aiden tells me he’s excited to see his grandparents tomorrow,” Robert casually said. I had no doubt he knew exactly what was happening under the table.
Aiden nodded vigorously. “I can’t wait to see Grandpa George and Grandpa Devon, and Grandma Michelle. And my aunts and uncles, and all my cousins.”
Robert smiled warmly at him, and my heart thumped in my chest for a completely different reason. Because seeing Robert look at my son the way he did, with such genuine affection, made my heart melt.
“I’m sure they’ve missed you, too. You’re going to have a wonderful time.”
I wanted to tell him I was going to miss him. As much as I was looking forward to seeing my family, I didn’t want to be there without him. But I knew it was way too soon for me to say that.
Giving me a soft, almost sad look, Robert told us, “We’ll miss you while you’re gone. ”
“I’m only going to miss two days here,” Aiden reminded him. “Friday and Monday. Right, Daddy?”
Giving Robert a soft smile, my heart nearly burst out of my chest. Because in his words I heard what he had actually meant to say.
I’ll miss you.
“That’s right, bud. We’ll be gone for four days total, but just two days from the daycare because of the weekend.”
Four long, lonely days and nights.
Making sure Aiden was concentrating on dipping the last of his fries in his ketchup, I caught Robert’s eyes with mine.
I’ll miss you, too , I silently mouthed.