Chapter 3
Layla’s doorbell rang at ten fifteen. She was surprised that Elijah stayed out that long.
She’d expected that he might stay out a few minutes after he said he would, but not much.
She obviously had underestimated the man’s need to get out and have some fun.
She wouldn’t mind helping him loosen up a bit, but he was so formal with her.
Not once had he crossed a line or given any indication that he was interested in her in any way other than the mother of his daughter’s best friend.
So she followed his lead. No one was going to accuse her of being thirsty.
Like Elijah, her divorced left her as a single parent.
The friendship that had sprung up after she and Jasmine moved in next to Elijah was a blessing.
He was the one consistent person in her life right now.
Even though she was happy being single and fine being alone, it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be open to a relationship.
But she wouldn’t use their kids’ friendship to try and hit on him.
She opened the door and had to fight not to smile like a love-struck fool when she saw him.
Okay, so what if she was as thirsty as a mermaid in a desert.
Elijah was smart, rigid, devoted to his daughter and fine as hell.
He was right at six feet tall, with golden brown skin, honey-colored eyes, and a solid build.
When she’d first met him she’d expected him to be an asshole.
Men that fine typically were. Instead, she’d quickly learned that he was too distracted by work and fatherhood to care about the effect his smile had on people.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said sounding completely sincere.
“I’m surprised you made it past ten,” she answered honestly. “Come on in. The girls took baths about an hour ago and are laying down in Jasmine’s room.”
He followed her in. “Why are you surprised?”
She shrugged. “You were at a fraternity meet up. I expected you stay longer catching up with your brothers.”
“I did have fun, but promised to be here sooner. I didn’t plan on staying out so late.”
“It’s not too late. Besides, the girls were excited about the possibility of having a sleep over. If you get Sabrina now, I think she’ll be disappointed.”
He looked ready to argue before sighing and nodding. “You know, you’re right. I usually say no sleepovers during the week, but I guess I can make an exception today. If it’s not a problem with you.”
His quick agreement surprised her. He didn’t typically agree to change his plans so easily. “It’s no problem at all. Sabrina is like a sister to Jasmine. I love having her around.”
“How was Sabrina tonight?”
“She was great. She and Jasmine are excited about the upcoming pageant.”
He reached toward his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “How much did you spend on the costumes? I can send you the money.”
She held up a hand. “Don’t worry about it tonight. I’ll send you the amount tomorrow.”
His shirt stretched across the muscles of his chest as he put the phone back in his back pocket. “That’s fine, but don’t forget. I don’t like to owe people.”
“Don’t worry. I know where you live. I’ll track you down if I need to,” she said with a wink.
Elijah froze and blinked before clearing his throat. Heat spread across Layla’s cheeks. She sounded foolish.
“Is there anything I need to do for the pageant?” he asked.
“What does your schedule look like? They’ve got a few afterschool rehearsals we’ll have to work around.”
He frowned and shook his head. “We’re going into budget season. I’ll have a lot of late nights.”
“Same with my job. The CEO is working on an upcoming acquisition and we’ve got a lot of meetings with the board of directors. I’ll have to make sure everything is set up.”
She worked as an IT manager, for the Leisure Hotel Group. If the technology wasn’t in order before a board meeting then the CEO tended to have a meltdown. Layla’s goal was to make sure there were no meltdowns.
Despite the occasional chaos, Layla loved her job.
She’d quit college after getting pregnant her sophomore year and married her ex who’d been a senior.
Her ex-husband’s engineering degree meant he’d quickly found a job, but then expected her to stay home with their child.
When it became clear the marriage wasn’t going to work and she would need to find a way to support herself, she’d chosen IT technology because of the flexibility offered.
She’d been able to get her certifications and land a job despite dropping out of college.
An accomplishment she was very proud of.
Her job was close to Jasmine’s school and made it easy for her to be there if her daughter needed her.
“I’ll share my calendar with you so you’ll see when my after-hours meetings are so we can coordinate.”
“Sounds good. I’ll share mine, too.”
He nodded then looked around as an awkward silence filled the space. “Well, if Sabrina is spending the night, then I’ll go.” He shifted to walk toward the front door.
“Do you have a second?” Layla asked quickly.
He stopped and turned back to face her. “Sure, what’s up?”
She hesitated, wondering if she was about to cross a line. She and Elijah’s relationship was that of friends and parenting partners, but they rarely got personal. But after overhearing something Sabrina had said earlier, Layla was about to get personal.
Elijah looked at her expectantly. She’d already asked him to stick around. No need to keep quiet now. “It’s something I heard Sabrina say today when she was talking to Jasmine. She said she thinks you’re depressed.”
Elijah blinked several times. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and rubbed a hand over his chin as if he were trying to gather his thoughts. “Why would she think that? I’m not depressed.”
Layla shrugged and threw out her hands helplessly.
Elijah always appeared calm and confident, but she wasn’t in his house.
What if Sabrina’s fears were true? She hated even bringing this up, but if Elijah had heard Jasmine say something similar then she’d hope he would be honest with her.
Plus, she understood that if Sabrina believed her dad was depressed, it could lead to a lifetime of internalized pain.
Her mom had suffered from depression, and Layla used to think her mom’s sad times were her fault.
“She says you quit your job and took a job you always complain about to spend more time with her.”
“I did take the job with the City to have more time, but I don’t regret that.”
“She also says that you never seem happy. She’s worried that you’re lonely.”
Elijah looked at the ceiling. “Fuuucck.” Elijah drew out the word in a long, resigned groan. “Not Sabrina, too.” He focused back on Layla. “Why does everyone suddenly think I’m lonely?”
Everybody? Who else said this to him? “Are you? Because, I’ll be honest, you don’t seem very happy. You seem dedicated and committed to doing what’s right. I know you’re principled and like to abide by the rules, but I don’t see you as joyful.”
“I don’t have time to be joyful,” he said as if the word itself meant irresponsible.
“And Sabrina has noticed.”
He sighed and sat heavily onto the arm of her couch. His shoulders slumped and the little bit of light that had been in his eyes when he’d arrived was washed away by worry. “I was just talking to my frat brothers about this.”
“About not being joyful?” That was not something she would have expected to come up at a fraternity meet up.
“No, about...” He let out a heavy breath. “Nothing. Sabrina doesn’t have to worry. I’m not depressed. I’ll talk to her about that.”
His resigned tone made her cringe. “Don’t sound like that when you do talk to her.”
His brows drew together. “How do I sound?”
“Like a boss about to lecture an employee. She’s a kid. She wants to see her dad happy and enjoying his life.”
“Are you saying she needs to see me out partying or dating?”
A vision of Elijah out partying, his muscles flexing as he stepped with his fraternity brothers and sweat pouring down his naked chest filled her mind.
She shook her head and focused before the vision took her down a dangerous path.
“I mean, I don’t know, maybe it wouldn’t hurt.
You don’t have to be so rigid that you don’t get out and enjoy life. ”
His back straightened. “You think I’m rigid?”
She could see he was ready to go on the defensive. She held up a hand. “Just don’t try so hard to be there for Sabrina and your job that you lose sight of what’s important.”
“What’s more important than that?”
“What do they tell you on the airplane before every flight? Put your face mask on before assisting others. If you don’t check in and make sure you’re happy then you won’t be able to be happy with anyone else. Kids are way more insightful than we give them credit for.”
It’s why she chose to show Jasmine that her mom worked hard, but had a life outside of work.
She wanted her daughter to see her with friends, having hobbies, and exploring interests.
Learning to show up for herself without apology had taken her too long.
She didn’t want Jasmine to be in her thirties before she realized the same.
“Are you happy?” he asked bluntly. “Do you have joy?” Again, he said joy as if it were some irresponsible habit. The way this conversation was going she understood why.
She nodded and crossed her arms. “Yeah, I do.”
His gaze dipped to where her arms were crossed under her breasts before jumping back to her face. “Is it because you’re dating Aaron?”
She scoffed and cocked her head to the side surprised at the mention of the guy she’d recently dated. “Excuse me? What does he have to do with this?”