them crinkled and her lips downturned.
“I’m sorry about your loss. What happened?”
“Aries, I don’t really want to talk about it right now.”
He nodded. Getting to his feet, he decided to make his way out of there and check on his boy.
“Holler if you need anything.”
He could still feel her pain with each step he took. That woman’s broken heart emitted invisible orbs of sadness, the kind of sorrow that choked one’s comfort and made them gasp for air.
“Aiden!” he called out. He paused, hearing the movers’ voices upstairs. “Aiden!” No answer.
He returned to the kitchen and checked out each and every room on the camera monitors. His father had had the place watched from practically all angles. Aiden wasn’t in the dining room, living room, sitting area, or media room. He looked at the upstairs cameras and sighed with relief when he saw his son messing around with an old pool table in a storage area. He pressed the small button below the camera. “Aiden…” The boy suddenly looked up, clearly startled. “That’s right, I can see you, you little troll,” he teased. “Just making sure you’re all right.”
“I’m okay, Dad. You should see this pool table. Can we keep it?”
“Maybe. I’ll check it out before we go.”
“Okay!” He looked at the camera in the library. Lauren was still sitting there, only unmoving. A book lay open on her lap while she stared into space. Moments later, she slowly stood up and began to place books into one of the boxes he’d given her, like a robot on autopilot. She kept going until the entire damn thing was full, then opened her bottle of water and drank from it. Having his fill of spying, he made his way back to the library. When he entered, she smiled at him. It was a sad one though, not the kind of smile that made you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
“Look, Lauren.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’ve been real nice to me. Good to me. I didn’t approach you courteously when we first met. I then asked you to meet me for dinner and talk to me about my father. You could’ve told me to take a hike. Instead, you let me pick you up, take you out, and not only did you talk to me like a friend would; you were nice and offered advice, even though I didn’t want it.”
She hugged herself.
“You were hurting, even though you didn’t know the man. I don’t allow people to talk to me any ol’ way, Aries, but I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
He cleared his throat and drew closer to her.
“I know. I appreciate that. I took you home after dinner… after flirting with you all night, and I made a move. I don’t regret kissin’ you goodnight.” Her cheeks deepened. “But… the last thing I wanna do is make you feel uncomfortable. You came here today and then even told me you wouldn’t try to be slick with the books. I have bit my tongue many times this afternoon… wanting to say things to you that I probably shouldn’t.”
“Then you’re basically telling me that you’re not being yourself around me?” She put her hand on her hip and smirked.
“I can’t be. It would be impolite. I’m not cultured. I’m not stylish and I’m okay with that. I’m blunt and sometimes angry for no damn reason. Every blue moon, I get a chip on my shoulder. I’d tear this whole damn world up for my son. I’ve got little patience and I want what I want, when I want it.”
She smiled authentically this time and shook her head.
“Aries Creed, you are a very interesting man.”
“I know. And you’re a very interesting woman.” She bit her lower lip as they stared at one another, drifting closer until they were mere inches apart. “You’ve got a lot of books there and I doubt you’re even half way done. That’ll cost you a pretty penny. This is my last time asking. I told you that I want what I want, when I want it.”
“You did.” She chuckled.
“And I want you to go out with me. For fun this time, not to try and squeeze ya for information.”
“I told you I’d think about it. You can add aggressive to that laundry list about yourself.”
“I wanna get to know you better.” He leaned in closer… then closer… His mouth brushed against hers and before he knew it, his arms were around