Chapter 24 #2
“Here it is. Option number two.”
She took the second, appropriately cooked marshmallow in her mouth and let out a little moan of pleasure. “Oh my gosh, that is so good. It’s the not-burnt one, isn’t it?”
“It sure is. So which one was your favorite?”
She ripped off her hat blindfold, and shrugged. I could see the internal struggle playing through her mind. She’s trying to decide if she’s going to have to commit to a lifetime of subpar roasted marshmallows so she won’t have to admit defeat.
“Well, I like them both, but the second one had a better texture and taste.”
“It sounds like the second one is the winner, and if you accidentally burn one in the future, you can still eat it. This is where the second half of your life begins, Linden.”
“Can you help me make another one?” she asked.
Ben chimed in and said, “I think you’ve had enough sugar for tonight, girly.”
“But, Dad, it’s for science. That’s what Cassie said,” she argues back.
“We have to respect your dad’s wishes...but it is for science,” I replied, batting my eyelashes at Ben.
He stared back at me, trying to be stern and failing. He said, “Okay, since it’s for science. But this is the last one, and if there’s any vomit tonight, Cassie has to come clean it up as part of the experiment.”
“Deal!” Linden said at the same time I said, “Ew, no way.”
We never came to an agreement on that, but I never got called back for puke patrol.
I lay in bed smiling to myself about the unexpected turn of events that night.
Ben really wears his heart on his sleeve, and I can see him envisioning the future when he sees me with his girls.
He is not good at hiding his feelings, and man, that is attractive.
I’m trying to avoid thinking too deeply about this because we haven’t been dating that long, yet flirting with the idea is tempting.
He’s so good that it makes it hard not to go there in my mind.
I heard my phone vibrate just as I was about to roll over to go to sleep.
Grass Daddy: I think you might be perfect.
I smiled to myself—a sweet message to round out a sweet night.
Me: You don’t know me very well yet.
Grass Daddy: I know. I just wanted to get with you because you're so hot, but damn, girl, that personality is almost as sexy. You're the best. Good night.
I giggled and burrowed under my covers. I was on cloud nine and didn’t want these warm, fuzzy feelings to end.
Today, when I finished working, I ventured outside to check my mail.
That’s code for standing in my front yard, seeing if someone will come talk to me.
I’m one of them, now. Holy shit. I just realized why the old ladies have so many flowers.
It’s so they can spy on the neighbors while watering them.
Dammit. I need flowers. I was outside for about thirty seconds when Linden yelled over at me from her yard.
My besties have a really wide age range.
“Cassie! Will you come play with me?” she shouted across the street.
“Um, sure? What are you playing?”
“Dad got us this weird toy. He said it’s from his youth. It’s called a “Skip It." I’m trying to practice.”
I laugh out loud. “I'm familiar with that toy from my youth, as well. I think you might be impressed with my skills. I practiced a lot when I was little.”
I made it over to her, and she handed me the Skip It.
A wave of nostalgia took over me. I thought about all the time my sister and I spent playing with our Skip It in our driveway.
Since she was younger than me, she was never any good at it, and it pissed her off to no end.
That could be the only reason I remember being so good, because she was so bad.
I’m going to call Cora tonight and remind her she sucks at Skip It. I have to keep her humble.
“Do you know how to jump rope? It’s pretty much the same idea. You just get a rhythm going and start jumping. “Watch,” I tell her, praying internally that I’m still able to do this nearly thirty years later and not about to be majorly humiliated.
I pull the ring over my left foot and get my bearings. Rotating my ankle, I got the Skip It in motion and started jumping. Just like riding a bike, I am once again the Queen of the Skip It.
Linden screams. “HOLY COW! You’re so good at this, Cassie! Let me try again.”
“Don’t I get time to break your record first?”
She pouts and says, “Well, that will be easy because I’ve never been able to do it yet. But, I think I get it now. Let me try. You can’t hog it all day.”
I stop jumping and disengage from the Skip It to hand it to her.
She suits up and starts attempting to get it in motion.
As I’m watching her and trying to give tips, I get engulfed in a big, sweaty, but fresh-smelling side hug.
Looking over to my right, I am shocked by this public display of affection from Ben.
We have been doing a lot of private displays of affection, but we have been trying to keep things under wraps around the kids.
He leans into my ear and says, “I’m sick of only getting you for an hour every night. I talked to Brook today.”
I am shocked. “About me or us…or what?”
“I asked her how she would feel if I went on a date. I told her it’s been a while since her mom died, and I would maybe like to have an adult to spend time with again.”
“How did she take it?”
He laughs and says, “I think she was okay with it. She was a little upset in the beginning, but she came around.”
“Why are you laughing?”
He smiles to himself and then stares at the ground, kicking a rock around the driveway.
“She said, ‘Well, I hope you ask Cassie on a date because everyone knows you have a crush on her.’”
“No?!”
“Yes. Apparently, I'm quite obvious about who I am crushing on.”
“It wasn’t obvious to me!”
He gives me a side-eye. “I think if you paid closer attention, you would have picked up on it. I don’t think I caught your eye until you learned of my sparkling personality and sexual prowess.”
I laugh-yell at that statement. “Is that what you call it? Prowess?”
He elbows me on my side and says, “Hey! I’m still sensitive about that, and I thought I made it up to you. In fact, I know I made it up to you. Several times in one night. Are you going to tease me about this forever?”
I glare at him and gesture to the child, somewhat successfully Skip It-ing ten feet away, and he just shrugs. He knows well enough to know when a child isn’t paying attention to an adult conversation. I’m still learning.
“So, now what?”
“I was only worried about Brooklyn, and she was surprisingly chill about it. Maybe when it actually happens, she will have more feelings about it, but I think I did what I needed to do as far as a conversation. Taylen is too young to really get into it with, and currently you're Linden’s favorite person. I think I'll just talk with the girls at supper about inviting you over sometimes to hang out, because I like spending time with you. If it blows up, I’ll let you know. If not, maybe you can come over and have supper with us tomorrow night? Just kind of ease into it. What do you think, Toots?” he asks, pulling me back to his chest and planting a sneaky kiss on my forehead.
“Sure. I think that would be fine. And just to be clear, I’m dating you. I’m not trying to be any type of person to your girls other than a friend. I wouldn’t even know how to do anything else.”
“All my girls want is someone to listen to them and someone to play with them. And you're pretty damn good at that already.”
Our first supper together went okay. I could tell Brooklyn was feeling a little awkward, but she seemed to warm up by the end of the night.
Linden was excited to show me all of her things, and Taylen just wants someone to get the tangles out of her Barbie’s hair.
Spending time with them is a far cry from my evenings alone watching TV or reading a book.
It’s loud and chaotic. And it feels really nice.
So, that is how the next few weeks go. A few nights a week, I go over and help them make supper. We eat together, we play together, and then when it is their bedtime, I go home.
And then after they are in bed, I sneak back in so Ben and I can play together in the downstairs spare bedroom. Ben calls it the sex dungeon.