Katie: Of course! That’s part of the job, I imagine.
* * *
Harlan: Dad apparently = water fetcher, among other jobs. She’s back in bed now. But enough about me. Tell me more about this apron you want to return, Cinderella.
My heart does a cat-cow pose, stretching joyfully. Nerves begone. He’s flirting. He’s definitely flirting. But still, it’s best to ask for pertinent intel.
Katie: I will. But first. Are you still as single as the day is long?
* * *
Harlan: Woman, would I flirt with you like this if I weren’t single?
And now I can’t resist.
Katie: Are you flirting with me?
* * *
Harlan: If you can’t tell, you ought to be put over my knee and spanked with the whip you left behind.
A shiver runs down my back as I head to my bedroom, flop down on the soft pillows, and bask in his messages.
Katie: Was that an official offer to spank me?
* * *
Harlan: Put on that apron and I will make my request official.
* * *
Katie: And things are getting hot.
* * *
Harlan: But seriously, it is holy fucking good to hear from you. And since I’m a gentleman, I’m going to do something right now.
Before I can tap out a reply, my phone rings.
Settle down, woman. Be cool. Don’t let on you’re in high school again and the hot guy is calling you. “Hi.”
And it comes out like Minnie Freaking Mouse.
Real smooth, Katie.
“Hello, sweetheart. I’d love to administer a good spanking, but first things first. I’ve got a game this weekend, so how about I take you out for foosball and dinner on Tuesday?”
I nearly dance. “A Tuesday night redo?”
“More than seven years in the making.”
“I’m game,” I say.
“It’s a date,” he says, sounding pleased. I feel pleased. As freaking punch. “How have you been?” he asks, sliding right into chatter again, as easily as we’ve always talked.
Yup, this is good timing. Good fun.
“I’m pretty darn good,” I say, relieved to mean it wholly.
“Yeah?” He asks the question not like he doubts me, but more like he’s sure glad I’m saying so.
“I am,” I confirm. “I’ve spent lots of time with my friends and my sister and my dad over the last few months. It’s been good for the soul.”
“You’re close with them?”
“Definitely. All of them. My dad has always been my rock. Ever since I was growing up. He was the one who was there for me whenever I needed someone.”
“That’s awesome. What’s he like?”
Ah, that’s an easy question, and one I love answering, since I admire my father so much. “He’s great. He’s always believed in me, supported me. When I was younger, he told me I was strong and independent. He instilled in me a belief from a young age that I could do anything I set my mind to. Fine, maybe anything didn’t include flying to the moon or singing opera, but still.”
Harlan chuckles. “If you can fly to the moon, I want a ticket on that ride.”
“And I’d give you one,” I say, right as Harlan slides into a croon, singing a little of Frank Sinatra’s tune of that same name.
Oh. My. Stars.
The man can sing too. “Now you really have an unfair advantage,” I say.
He chuckles. “You and your list of unfair advantages.”
“Hey! You started it, having all these pros,” I toss back.
“Would you prefer cons, woman? Sheesh,” he says, then shifts back to the dad talk. “Also, I like your dad already.”
I laugh. “You don’t even know him.”
“But that’s how it should be with a dad and his daughter. That’s how I am with Abby. Do I think she’s the most adorable creature to ever grace the face of this Earth? Hell yes. Do I tell her that every day? No way.”
“What do you tell her instead?”
“That I think she’s smart and kind and friendly. That those are the things that matter.”
A loopy smile takes over my face. I’m not even sure I want to have kids, so why is it so damn sweet how good this guy seems to be with his girl? But then, the answer lies in why I see my own dad a lot. “That will make a difference for her. I love having a good relationship with my father, and I think it’s great that you focus on those things with Abby. My dad taught me to believe in who I was on the inside, not on the outside.”
“Sure seems like it worked. You’re full of spit and fire,” he says, emphasizing each word with his very Harlan-like panache.
“Hey, are you saying I’m a spitfire?”
“The very definition and that’s a damn good thing.”
I’ll take that, thank you very much. “I believed in myself too, and I chased after my dreams with the tenacity of a lion going after a gazelle. Sort of like how you are on the field.”