skinny dipping could be a nice way to spend the evening.
“Okay. I will.”
“I’ll text you the address. Bring your toothbrush.”
I hung up and looked around the house. It wasn’t like it was messy. I had a housekeeper that came in three days a week, but she had not come in today. I put away the stuff from my coffee earlier that morning and tidied up a little. I changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a casual T-shirt. Then I sat and waited with a great deal of anticipation.
I opened the door to greet her and was immediately presented with a bottle of wine. “I didn’t want to show up emptyhanded,” she said.
I laughed and took it. “You could have shown up naked and I would have been okay with it.”
“Thanks, but I didn’t think that would be appropriate.”
“Come in,” I said and walked across the open floor plan to the kitchen that stretched out in a long, open rectangle. I opened the wine and poured her a glass. “I was going to order dinner. Hungry?”
“I am. What were you in the mood for?”
I smiled. “I’m not sure that would satisfy your physical hunger.”
“Ha, ha. Food first and then we’ll talk about the rest.”
I pouted. “Fine. What would you like to eat?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a Friday night and I can live footloose and fancy-free for the next twelve hours. What do you think about a loaded pizza with all the veggies and toppings?”
“That’s living footloose?” I teased.
“I haven’t gotten to eat real pizza in years. It makes no sense to order two pizzas. Jace only does cheese, which means I only get cheese. I’m craving something terribly fattening and good.”
“Pizza, it is,” I said with a laugh. I quickly ordered a pizza and then gave her the grand tour of my house. It wasn’t a mansion, but it was big enough.
“It’s nice out,” she said when we went out on the patio. I turned on the patio heaters and the soft lighting.
“Have a seat,” I told her. “I’ll refill your glass.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can.”
“Sit. Stay.”
She laughed. “Should I roll over?”
“If you’d like. That’s something we haven’t done recently.”
She waved her hand at me. “Get out of here with your sexy talk. I’m hungry.”
I laughed and carried our empty glasses inside. I had just finished topping off our glasses when the doorbell rang. I grabbed my wallet, pulled out a hundred-dollar bill, and collected our pizza. The delivery man was very happy with his tip. I took the pizza out first and then went back for plates, napkins, and our drinks.
“Oh god,” she moaned around a mouthful of pizza. “So damn good. I have longed for this forever.”
Watching her enjoy the pizza was making me want her. I had to let her eat or she would probably push me in the pool if I tried to make a move on her. I picked up a slice and took a bite. “It is good.”
“Don’t tell me you only eat caviar,” she teased.
“I don’t only eat caviar, but I don’t eat a lot of pizza.”
“I love pizza,” she said. “I could seriously eat pizza three days a week. Good pizza. Not the shitty frozen cheese pizzas Jace loves.”
“How was his week at school?” I asked.
She nodded. “Good. He didn’t get expelled, so I’m counting it as a win.”
“No more problems with that punk?”
“Not yet, but this has happened before. There is a lull and then it picks up again. I think he’s in a better place. Like you said, he’s more confident and not such a big target.”
“Good.”
“Did you know he would be picked on less if he was more confident because you experienced it?” she asked.
I wiped my mouth. “Yes. I was a lot like Jace until I was probably about fifteen or sixteen and I finally managed to grow a few inches. I put on some weight and started working out. I got bigger and I got a lot more confident.”
“Did you still get in fights?”
“I got in a few, but that was more about me being a cocky shit and running my mouth,” I said with a laugh.
“Was your lack of self-confidence because your dad left?”
I scoffed. “Quite frankly, after he left, I started to gain some confidence. He destroyed me when I was little. I never felt like I was good enough. He acted like I was a pain in his ass. I tried to be good. My mom always tried