At least not until Jess came around. She’d arrived into my life at the right time, and now that Gina was in a stable place, it was time for me to do something for myself.
I tried not to expect much out of tonight as it was only a first date. I tried to channel the confidence I had at work before walking downstairs to meet with Jess.
Gina had cocooned herself in a bundle of blankets on the living room couch.
“Jess?” I called.
“In here,” she called back from the kitchen.
I walked through there to find her. I had about ten minutes before I had to leave to pick up Kimberly.
Jess opened the microwave, pulling out a bag of popcorn.
I watched her for a minute until she turned and flinched. “You scared me. How long were you standing there?”
I smiled, I couldn’t help it. “Not long. I see you have all of your provisions for tonight.”
She nodded. “If we start the movie now, I’ll have Gina into bed a little after her bedtime. If that’s okay?”
“That’s fine with me,” I said.
“You look lovely,” Jess said, brushing passed me.
“Thanks.” I followed her into the living room. She looked great too, but I didn’t say as much. Her long legs appeared even longer hidden under her gray leggings. She wore a thick woven pale pink sweater that covered down to her mid-thigh. Her hair was in waves tonight, and when she passed under the hallway lights, a red tint I only saw when the light hit just perfect flickered in the strands of her hair.
“I’m sure you will have a good time,” she said, sitting on the couch next to Gina, folding her legs underneath her.
Gina scooted next to Jess. Jess wrapped her arm around Gina’s shoulders, pulling her close. Jess picked up the remote and turned the television on.
I rounded the couch and sat next to Gina. “All right, honey. Give me a hug. I won’t see you until tomorrow.”
Gina leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Night, night, Daddy.”
I ruffled her hair and glanced up at Jess. I had the urge to kiss her cheek too. I blinked that thought away and stood up, distancing myself from the temptation.
“Have a good time,” Jess said.
“I will,” I said gruffly, trying to hide what I’d almost done. I left the room and gathered my wallet and keys by the door. The more distance I put between myself and Jess, the worse I felt. What had come over me? For one, Jess was my nanny, and that relationship was off limits. And two, I was about to go on a date with another woman. One that Jess set me up with. Kissing her, in any capacity, was a ridiculous thing to do.
I shoved my arms through my coat sleeves and left the house without another word to the girls. I needed fresh air to clear my head.
Kimberly lived on the outskirts of town in an apartment complex close to the highway. The GPS directed me into a large parking lot, and I had to squint through the low lighting of the street lamps to make sure I had the right building.
A woman came out through the entrance, and I did a double-take before getting out of my car. Even in the cooler temperatures, the blonde woman whom I assumed to be Kimberly wore a tight black dress that left little to the imagination. Even from that distance, I could tell her chest didn’t fit well under the fabric.
“Holy shit,” I said under my breath. Jess had set me up with an amazingly sexy woman. Maybe this date wouldn’t be so bad. I got out and walked over to meet her.
“Noah, right?” Kimberly said as she approached.
I opened the passenger door for her. “Yes. How did you know?”
“I Googled you. And with your net worth, I knew you’d have an expensive car.”
“Oh,” I said, taken aback by her honesty. I hadn’t thought to Google her. I trusted Jess’s opinion. Though I couldn’t see the two of them hanging out.
Her thick eyelashes lowered as she checked me out. “So, where are we going?”
I shuffled over to the passenger side and opened the door for her. “There’s this place downtown I’ve been meaning to try.”