Chapter Ten
Zack
Jack’s laughter filled the room, and it was almost contagious as Michael, who laughed just as loud. The whole table ended up laughing, but then I saw movement from my side as Denise leaned over and buried her face into his neck, kissing him after she kissed his cheek and making him giggle even more. “I should get going,” Denise says from the side when she finally stops giving Jack kisses.
She pulls out her phone and starts typing on it when Max looks at her. “Why don’t you get a ride with Zack?” Then he looks over at me. “Would you mind?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. Grabbing my phone, I call Marco. “Hey, Marco, we are done.”
“Perfect,” he says, “I will be there in twenty minutes. I’m already on my way.” I hang up the phone and look at Denise.
“He’ll be here in twenty.” I look over at Denise.
“Hey, remember when you gave my sister all those rides,” Matthew starts talking to Max, “and the whole time you were dating her.”
“We aren’t dating,” Denise says, and Matthew puts up his hands.
“I’m just saying it would be funny as shit if the tables were turned.” He slaps the table, laughing while Max glares at him and then turns to me.
“I’ll order her a car myself,” he says and looks at Allison. “Where is my phone?”
“Why don’t you ask your daughter? You gave it to her to watch Peppa Pig.” At the name of the show, Alex looks up at her father, grabbing his face with her hands to make him look at her while she drools all over him.
“Peppa,” she says, and his eyes go soft as he picks her up and she stands on his legs. “Dada, Peppa.”
“Where is my phone, angel?” he asks her, and then she turns around and looks around at all of us.
“Phone?” she says and looks around the table at us like we know where his phone is.
“I do not need you to call me a driver because, unlike you two,” Denise says, pointing at me and then her, “we are not anything but patient and doctor.”
“He’s not your patient,” Vivienne starts. “He’s the father of your patient.” She winks at her and then looks at me. “I’m okay with bending the rules, you know,” she says, now winking at me.
“All right,” Denise says, leaning forward and getting up. “This has been a great, great night.”
I hide my smile while kissing Jack’s head because seeing her flustered a little is funny. “Now I’m going to get a ride with Zack and Jack, and this week, you two”—she points at Allison and Karrie—“will come over to my place, and we will organize all of this.”
“I want to come,” Vivienne says. “I mean, I can help.”
The three women roll their eyes at her. “She can pour the wine,” Karrie says under her breath.
“That sounds like a plan,” Denise says, and then I get up with her.
“Let’s get our things together,” I tell Jack, “and get ready for Marco.”
We walk to the front entrance, and I grab Jack’s jacket and help him put it on and then my own. Denise grabs her own jacket, and Max comes to the front door with Alex in his arms. “You sure you don’t want to come back to our house and”—he looks at me and then at his sister—“I can drop you off tomorrow morning.”
“I have to be at work at eight, so that is a big no,” she says, smiling as she takes Alex from his arms. “Give your aunt a kiss, and I’ll give you back to Dada,” she says, and Alex puckers her lips, kissing her, and then turns back to Max.
“You,” he says, pointing at me, “don’t even think about it.” I just shake my head and laugh at him. Even if I wanted to, which I do, I couldn’t do that to her. Looking down and then up again at her, I can’t help but smile. Literally smile just looking at her.
“I promise nothing will happen,” I tell him, then look at Denise. “Scout’s honor.”
“You’re not a scout!” Matthew yells from somewhere in the house, and Denise looks down at her shoes and then up again laughing.
“The car is here,” she says, looking out the window and seeing the headlights coming up the driveway. “Jack, honey, put on your hat.”
She hands him his hat that was on the floor by his feet.
“Okay,” he says and bends to put it on. “Let’s go, guys,” he says, grabbing Denise’s hand, then mine. “Daddy, let’s go.”
We say goodbye and walk outside where Marco greets us. “Mr. Morrow.” He opens the door so I can get in with Jack.
Jack steps into the car first, and I follow him, but Denise is already buckling him in, and he gives her a big smile with a yawn. “Rest those beautiful blue eyes, baby boy.”