Popcorn Love (6 page)

Cheeks flushing a bright red, Lucas popped up on his
feet and whispered, “I peed.”

Allison had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing,
because it was obvious that the little guy was fairly embarrassed
about his accident, but his pink cheeks and quiet admission were
incredibly cute. She tucked a finger under his chin and pushed it
up so he would look at her. “Hey, that’s okay, Lucas. Everybody has
accidents.”

“Even you?” he whispered.

“Even me.” She was certain she hadn’t peed her pants
since she was in diapers, but he didn’t need to know that. “It was
my fault anyway, okay? I shouldn’t have tickled you so much.”

Lucas nodded, but he still didn’t raise his voice
above a whisper as he held his hands over the wet spot on the front
of his pants and said, “Okay.”

“Okay, let’s go get cleaned up then. It’s bath time
before bed anyway, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Lucas nodded and then shyly took one of
Allison’s hands. He walked with her down the hallway and toward the
large bathroom across from his bedroom.

Once Allison got the water to a decent temperature
and the tub filled about halfway, she shut the water off and turned
to Lucas. He had already stripped down to nothing and stood shyly
in front of her with his hands over his privates and his lip tucked
between his teeth. His round belly poked out over his hands and
Allison saw that he was an outie. She’d had a foster brother with
an outie belly button too. As weird as other people sometimes found
it, Allison thought it was very cute.

She poked it with her index finger as she asked,
“Okay bud, you ready?” He nodded and held up his arms so that she
could pick him up. She lifted him over the high edge of the tub and
settled him slowly down into the warm water.

He was a shorty, even for his age, Allison noted as
the water rose to his chest and she looked him over. His hair was a
dark brown, just like his mother’s, and his eyes were brown too,
though they were lighter than Elena’s. Elena’s eyes were a deep
espresso, while Lucas’s were a brighter, more golden brown, like a
sun-soaked field of wheat. He had puffy cheeks slightly fairer in
color than the rich olive tone of his mother’s skin, and they had
the same slender nose and full, pouty lips. His chin, however, was
entirely his own, and that made Allison wonder if he had gotten it
from his father or perhaps a grandparent.

Lucas quickly regained his confidence as they played
with his floating rubber boats, and by the time Allison carefully
tilted his head back to rinse away his shampoo, he was jabbering up
a storm about all of his favorite things.

“No way,” Allison said, splashing a little water at
the boy. “Green is
my
favorite color too!”

“Dinosaurs are green!” Lucas shouted.

“Yeah!” Allison gave him a wet high five before
pulling the plug out of the drain. Lucas stood up and shivered as
Allison grabbed a small towel to pick him up with. Once she got him
out of the tub, she dried him off and helped him into his pajamas,
which of course were covered in dinosaurs. Sitting on the closed
lid of the toilet seat, she watched as the boy stood in front of a
small mirror his mother had obviously installed just for him and
carefully combed his damp hair. Afterward, he brushed his teeth
with expert precision, rinsing his mouth with a Dixie cup and then
smiling so wide at Allison that she could see his gums.

“Whoa!” she gasped. “Great job! They’re super white
and clean.”

Turning, Lucas ran out of the room and into his
bedroom. He cannonballed into his bed, pulled his blanket up onto
his head like a hood, and laughed hysterically when Allison came in
after him.

Seriously,
she thought as she sat down to read
him a story.
Could this kid get any freakin’ cuter?

* * *

Leaving the restaurant with Brice was even more
uncomfortable than
being at
the restaurant with Brice. Elena
walked silently beside him until they reached his sports car where
he opened the door for her to slip inside.

“Thank you,” she said before gracefully sliding into
the low-set seat.

When Brice dropped into the driver’s seat and the
engine roared to life, Elena’s thoughts were dominated by a single
mantra.
Please let traffic be minimal. Please let traffic be
minimal.
Of course, Elena knew that the hope was not even a
long shot. It was a complete impossibility.

A Saturday night in New York City? Not a chance.

As the car crept through the busy city streets, Brice
cleared his throat and asked, “So, have you been on many blind
dates?”

Elena stared out her window as she quietly responded,
“I have not.”

“I would have guessed that,” he chuckled. “You seem a
little on edge, perhaps a little uncomfortable. It takes a while to
get used to. I would guess from your reaction at the restaurant
that you don’t date much at all. Not quite used to being pampered?
That’s a shame for a woman as beautiful as you.”

“Pampered?” Elena could hardly mask the disbelief in
her voice.

“Mm,” Brice hummed and turned to flash a smile that
reminded her of the shark in
Finding Nemo,
a movie she’d
watched countless times with Lucas. That smile was predatory and
smug. She wasn’t facing him, but she saw the bright white
reflection of it in the glass pane of her window.

Elena wasn’t even going to touch this conversation
with a ten-foot pole. If this man actually thought that making
blatant assumptions and speaking
for
her rather than
to
her or with her were the equivalents of pampering, then
what was the point of even bothering with a response?

“Turn here,” Elena snapped bluntly, pointing to the
right turn quickly approaching. She scratched at the side of her
nose and avoided looking at the man in the driver’s seat as she
added, “It’s faster.”

That must have been enough of a hint for Brice,
because he said nothing else for the remainder of the ride back to
Elena’s house.

* * *

Lucas’s long, dark lashes fluttered as he tried to
keep his eyes open, but his breathing had grown deep and heavy, and
Allison knew that the kid was a goner. He hadn’t been nearly as
hard to put down as Allison had been expecting, though he put up a
good struggle. She stopped reading and laid her hand on his belly
over the covers, rubbing in small circles. Within seconds, he was
out. She leaned over and kissed his forehead before quietly
slipping out of the room.

“What to do?” she muttered as she checked the time on
her cell phone and saw that it was barely after eight. She probably
had quite a bit of time left before Elena would be home. She could
kill some time on homework. Grabbing her backpack from the foyer,
she carried it into the kitchen and pulled out a bag of
microwavable popcorn and a few small bags of Reese’s Pieces candy.
She popped the popcorn in the microwave and poured it into a large
bowl she found in one of Elena’s cabinets before pouring all the
bags of candy into the popcorn and mixing it all up.

Carrying her backpack and the large bowl of popcorn
into the living room, she pulled out one of her textbooks, a
notebook, and a pen and began jotting down notes while she stuffed
her face. She fully expected to be at it for another few hours, but
it was only about thirty minutes later that Allison heard the front
door open. The soft clicking of heels on a hard floor then echoed
through the house.

* * *

The soft click of the front door closing behind her
sent a wave of relief through Elena’s body. She let out a heavy
sigh as she leaned against the heavy wood, thanking God that that
horrid date was finally over. The large ornate clock on the wall in
the foyer told her it was nearly fifteen ‘til nine. Lucas would be
long asleep by now. Still, she wanted to check on him.

Walking as quietly as possible, which wasn’t easy
with heels, Elena made her way to his room and peeked in. A smile
settled across her lips as she saw his little face in the light
spilling in through the open door. His thumb was stuck firmly in
his mouth as he slept. She watched him for several long moments
before closing his door again and seeking out the babysitter.

The living room coffee table was littered with
textbooks and notes, the homework laid out in front of the couch
where Allison sat with a bowl of popcorn in her lap. She looked up
as Elena came into the room, glanced quickly down at her cell, and
then back up at Elena. “Ouch,” she said as she tried to fight a
laugh. “Not even nine yet. I’m guessing the date didn’t go so
well?”

Elena rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed huff as
she slipped off her high heels. “That is the understatement of the
year.”

Chuckling, Allison set aside her popcorn and rose
from the couch. “Sit down,” she told her. “I’ll be right back.”

The couch cushion sank with a gentle sigh as Elena
settled in, wrinkling her nose in disgust upon looking into the
bowl Allison left behind.

When Allison returned, she carried a hot cup of
coffee. She set it down on a coaster on the table in front of Elena
and asked, “Sugar or cream? I guessed that you’re a black-coffee
kind of girl, but I can grab some if you prefer. Or I can drink the
coffee if you’d rather have wine or something.”

Elena just smiled as she shook her head. “No, thank
you. You guessed correctly, but you certainly didn’t have to do
that, Allison.”

“Yeah, I know.” She shrugged as she stepped around
the small table in front of the couch and reached for her
popcorn.

Grabbing the coffee with her left hand, Elena used
her right to gesture toward Allison’s snack as she settled back
into the couch. “That looks terribly fattening.”

Allison completely surprised Elena when she lifted up
the front of her tank top to expose a rigid set of perfectly toned
abs. “I think I’m good.”

Heat surged through Elena’s cheeks, turning them red.
She cleared her throat roughly and shot her gaze back up to
mirthful, green eyes. “I suppose you are.” She quickly brought her
coffee cup to her lips, distracting herself by blowing on the hot
liquid and avoiding eye contact with her incredibly shameless
babysitter.

Clearing her throat roughly, Elena asked, “How was
Lucas?”

“Best kid ever.” Allison settled back into her spot
on the couch. “He
did
have an accident, though.”

“Really?” Elena was surprised. “That is a rare
occurrence.”

“Yeah, well it was my bad. I was tickling him, and he
was pretty embarrassed. But I just told him that everybody has
accidents and then gave him a bath. He cheered right up.”

“How did he do with the bath?” Elena was pleasantly
surprised that Allison had even bothered with a bath. She had
assumed that she would simply keep Lucas entertained and then put
him to bed. This only made Elena further approve of her. “He can be
rather shy.”

“Nah, he did great,” Allison beamed. “Babbled on the
whole time and then combed his hair like a perfect gentleman,
brushed his teeth, and climbed right into bed.”

Elena smiled, and Allison just stared at her until
Elena cleared her throat. The sound seemed to break Allison’s
trance, and she blinked and glanced quickly away, her fair skin
flushing.

“Oh shit,” Allison blurted out. “I’m sorry. I didn’t
even ask if you wanted to hang or whatever. I can totally go now.
I’m sure you’re tired or something. Sorry.”

Elena considered her options. She wasn’t necessarily
tired. She never went to bed this early, though after that date,
she was more than ready to bury her head in her pillow and sleep
until the new day, when she could put it all behind her. Yes, that
seemed like the perfect plan; or perhaps a nice bubble bath and
then bed. Oh yes, that sounded even better.

However, when she opened her mouth to tell Allison
that she would show her to the door, she found herself saying
something entirely different. “No, it’s quite all right, Allison. I
would not mind actual
bearable
company, considering my date
was anything but.”

She barely masked her surprise upon hearing the words
spill from her own lips. However, they were already out of her
mouth, and Allison’s bright smile was enough to keep her from
taking them back. She could spend a bit of time with the
babysitter. Why not?

“That blows.” Allison got comfortable on the couch
beside Elena, putting her popcorn down on the table and tucking her
sock-clad feet up under her so that she could turn on the couch to
face her new boss. “Was it the lotion? He was a total creeper,
right?”

Elena laughed out loud as she ran a hand through her
short, dark locks and took a sip of her coffee. A satisfied hum
vibrated between her lips at the bitter, familiar taste on her
tongue and the heat of the liquid as it slipped down her throat.
Exactly what she needed.

“He was a dissatisfactory date, to be sure,” she
said, “though he managed to avoid any mentions of lotion,
thankfully.”

“Only because you didn’t go home with the guy.”

“Of course I didn’t go home with him, Allison.” Elena
turned an expression of disbelief onto her. “I only just met the
man. What sort of woman do you think I am?”

“The kind that guys
really
like.” Allison
waggled her eyebrows. “No, you’re right. You’re a classy bitch, and
classy bitches don’t do that.”

“Oh?” Elena asked, amused by the label. “And what,
may I ask,
do
classy bitches do?”

“Well, wouldn’t you know? I mean, you
are
a
classy bitch after all.”

Elena snorted into her coffee, which only made
Allison laugh harder, saying, “Classy bitches always drink their
alcohol out of fancy glasses.”

Agreeing, Elena gave an appreciative nod and hummed
her approval.