Chapter 10
Hayes:
You make it through the day intact?
Layla:
Barely. Just walked in the door and desperate for a hot bath. You?
Hayes:
Horizontal. Watching a Halloween movie.
Layla:
Halloween movie? Already?!?!? Too soon!!!!
Hayes:
Not my choice. Benny is in the festive spirit and insisted on Hocus Pocus. Who am I to argue?
Layla:
Spoken like a good dad ;)
Hayes:
Did you eat?
Layla:
Yeah, soup. I was too tired to chew LOL Running the bath now, bubbles for days. Sexiest thing I’ve ever seen today.
Hayes:
No comment.
Layla:
What does that mean???
Hayes:
A bath isn’t the sexiest thing I’ve seen today.
Layla:
Oh? And what was?
Hayes:
The way you looked at me right before I kissed you.
Layla:
I . . .
Layla:
Don’t know what to say to that.
Hayes:
Then don’t. I was just making an observation.
Layla:
Your observations are . . . intense.
Hayes:
Occupational hazard. Everything I do is balls deep.
Layla:
Would you stop that?
Hayes:
Stop what?
Layla:
Making innuendos!
Hayes:
I wasn’t making an innuendo!
Layla:
**eyeroll** Sure you weren’t . . .
Hayes:
Have I once said anything inappropriate?
Layla:
Well.
Layla:
No.
Hayes:
If I wanted to flirt or say something sexual, I’d say it. I wouldn’t drop subtle hints.
Layla:
Oh.
Layla:
Good.
Hayes:
Glad we’re clear.
Layla:
Crystal.
Hayes:
Since we’re not doing hints: I want to kiss you again.
Layla:
Would you Stop Flirting?
Hayes:
This is not me Flirting. I’m stating facts LMAO
Layla:
Honestly, I find you kind of terrifying.
Hayes:
Only Kind of?
Layla:
Only kind of ;)
Hayes:
Anything else on your honesty list?
Layla:
You’re bossy.
Hayes:
Only slightly.
Layla:
But considerate . . .
Hayes:
True.
Hayes:
Having a daughter will do that to a person
Hayes:
Has anyone said anything about that kiss on Main Street?
Layla:
Um, yes. Everyone from high school and middle school have texted me, and my father is losing his mind. He wanted me to invite you to dinner once you were done at Fall Fest but I kindly took a raincheck on your behalf.
Hayes:
How kind of you.
Layla:
Trust me, you don’t want to have dinner with Veronica and Lane Monroe
Hayes:
And why is that?
Layla:
Because my mom will interrogate you. My dad will ask you a thousand questions about football because he’s obsessed with it. Throw in a cheese board and probably slideshow of my childhood haircuts even though I’ve only known you five minutes.
Hayes:
Shit. I would have loved that LOL.
Layla:
They’ll ask your “intentions.”
Hayes:
My only intention is to beg you to come to Arizona! WOO hooo!
Layla:
Who knew you were the kind of man to use “WOO hooo” in a sentence.
Hayes:
I am!!!! Also pls bring swimsuit, pajamas, and shorts and T-shirts. It’s warm here.
Layla:
Okay, who stole your phone.
Hayes:
This is Hayes!!! I enjoy emojis and I am very chill and I’m never going to find the love of my life sitting at home with my kid.
Layla:
Hi, Benny.
Hayes:
Layla:
Caught you. Evidence: Hayes would never use three exclamation points without legal counsel.
Hayes:
You should come to Arizona tho bc our pool is Elite and also I will make us dinner on the grill.
Layla:
Tempting.
Hayes:
Dad says I’m not allowed to beg you and make you feel bad about saying no, but I think he secretly wants you to come bc he keeps looking at his phone and smiling the whole time.
Layla:
Where Is your dad?
Hayes:
In the toilet. He just farted.
Layla:
He isn’t going to like you telling me he tooted LOLOLOL
Hayes:
Tooted! My new favorite word.
Layla:
I’m literally crying right now.
Hayes:
Shoot, he’s coming back Bye!!!!!!
Hayes:
I step away for sixty seconds and my reputation takes a nosedive into Dad Farted.
Layla:
You did toot, though . . .
Hayes:
A man never tells so I’m pleading the 5th. Also, hi again LOL I see she’s been busy brow-beating you into bending to her will.
Layla:
She is doing her best
Hayes:
Well I said before, if you want to get away to somewhere warm, Arizona is the place.
Layla:
I feel like, at this point, if I don’t, I’m going to be wracked with guilt for the rest of the month.
Hayes:
Until we’re a distant memory—or she steals my phone and messages you again, ha!
Layla:
I like Benny’s pitches, but I don’t want her to . . . I don’t know how to word this without sounding presumptuous.
Hayes:
Just say it.
Layla:
I don’t want her to get the wrong idea.
Layla:
We just met. I don’t want her tiny little heart to have hope for . . . you know. That I’m going to be around.
Hayes:
Benny’s heart is my job, not yours. If you come out, I’ll make sure she knows you’re a *friend visiting*, full stop.
Layla:
Still. She’s a girl . . .
Hayes:
What if you stay at a hotel?
Layla:
As lovely as that sounds, I can’t afford a hotel. I wish I could, but can’t . . .
Hayes:
No one is asking you to pay for a hotel. It would be my treat.
Layla:
There’s No Way I would let you.
Hayes:
Well, the only other option is my guest room. I already mentioned we have a guest room and the house is huge, so technically we wouldn’t even have to see one another if we didn’t want to
Layla:
Oh knock it off . . .
Hayes:
Scouts honor **holding up two fingers**
Layla:
Look, I appreciate the offer. I just don’t want it to be weird.
Hayes:
Us? Weird? Here’s the plan: you, guest room. Door that locks. En Suite bathroom. I cook, you judge my food. Swimming or floating or both. Possibly the zoo. Or a movie?
Layla:
You make it sound easy.
Hayes:
It is easy. I’m a dad—I handle logistics.
Layla:
Huh. These are all very reasonable sounding activities.
Layla:
When exactly are we doing this?
Hayes:
Benny has a volleyball game for her butterflies team Tuesday. Today is Saturday, we leave tomorrow. So Monday??? Or tomorrow?
Layla:
Tomorrow? Way too soon.
Hayes:
Monday it is. No bringing up the fart.
Layla:
No promises.
Hayes:
So . . . that means you’re coming?
Layla:
Sure. I’ll come to Arizona.