Twenty
Lorelei
My mom and Nick brought Hope home just as Stella was about to leave.
“Hey there, Hopester.” She high-fived her.
“Hey, Auntie Stella. What are you doing here?”
“Just visiting with your mom.” She bent down and gave her a kiss on the head. “I have to run. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.” She giggled and then ran into my arms. “Hi, Mommy.”
“Hey, baby. How was your day?”
“Good. We had a lot of fun.”
“That makes me happy. Why don’t you go put your bag in your room?”
“Okay.” She smiled.
I looked at my mom, who was grinning at me. “So how did your night go?”
There was no way in hell I was going to tell her what happened with me and Jack.
“The party was a lot of fun.”
“So you had a good time?” Nick asked.
“I did. It was a wonderful night out. Thank you again for keeping Hope overnight.”
My mom walked over and gave me a hug. “You’re welcome. You know how much we love that little girl. We have to get going, sweetheart. We’re meeting some friends for dinner.”
“Have a nice dinner and thank you again.” I kissed both their cheeks. “Hope, Grandma and Grandpa are leaving. Come say goodbye.”
She came running from her room and into their arms, hugging and kissing them goodbye. After we ate dinner, I helped Hope with her bath and we sat down on the couch and watched Cinderella .
As she was snuggled against me, she looked up. “Cinderella got her prince.” She smiled.
“She sure did.” I kissed the top of her head.
“Prince Charming never gave up until he found her.”
“Nope. He didn’t.”
“I wish you would find a Prince Charming.”
I tilted my head as I stared into her blue eyes. “Why, Hope?”
“Because you deserve one.”
My heart ached when she said that. “I had my Prince Charming, baby. Your daddy.”
“I know, but he’s not here anymore, so maybe there’s another Prince Charming somewhere out there. You don’t believe he was the only Prince Charming in the world, do you?”
“I don’t know what I believe, baby. But I do know that it’s time for you to go to bed.” I tapped her on her nose.
I tucked Hope into bed and kissed her good night. “Sweet dreams, little one.” I smiled.
“Good night, Mommy.”
I walked into my room and climbed into bed. I lay there and stared at the flowers that were sitting on my dresser. Picking up my phone from the nightstand, I sent Jack a text message.
“Thank you for the flowers. They’re pretty.”
I didn’t expect him to reply since it was a Saturday night and I was sure he was out. I was wrong.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I’ll see you on Monday.”
“You too.”
“Lorelei….”
“Yes, Jack?”
“I just want you to know that I really enjoyed our time together last night and I don’t regret what happened.”
“Me too. Have a good night.”
He said he had never been in love and that made me feel sorry for him. To be thirty-two years old and to have never experienced the beauty of love with someone was tragic. I couldn’t think about him anymore. Last night was a mistake; a beautiful mistake, but I wanted nothing more than to put it out of my mind and move on.
****
As I nervously walked down the street to the office building, the only thing I could hear was the sound of my heels clicking against the pavement. My belly was already flipping around at the thought of seeing Jack. Taking in a deep breath, I stepped onto the elevator and looked at my watch. It was seven fifty-five a.m. When the doors opened, I gulped as I stepped out and headed down the hallway to my desk. After setting my things down, I stepped into Jack’s office and let out a sigh of relief when he wasn’t in there. Setting his coffee on his desk, I took in a sharp inhale when I heard his voice from behind.
“Good morning, Lorelei.”
“Good morning, Jack.”
As I walked past him to leave his office, he reached out and lightly took hold of my arm.
Lorelei
My mom and Nick brought Hope home just as Stella was about to leave.
“Hey there, Hopester.” She high-fived her.
“Hey, Auntie Stella. What are you doing here?”
“Just visiting with your mom.” She bent down and gave her a kiss on the head. “I have to run. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.” She giggled and then ran into my arms. “Hi, Mommy.”
“Hey, baby. How was your day?”
“Good. We had a lot of fun.”
“That makes me happy. Why don’t you go put your bag in your room?”
“Okay.” She smiled.
I looked at my mom, who was grinning at me. “So how did your night go?”
There was no way in hell I was going to tell her what happened with me and Jack.
“The party was a lot of fun.”
“So you had a good time?” Nick asked.
“I did. It was a wonderful night out. Thank you again for keeping Hope overnight.”
My mom walked over and gave me a hug. “You’re welcome. You know how much we love that little girl. We have to get going, sweetheart. We’re meeting some friends for dinner.”
“Have a nice dinner and thank you again.” I kissed both their cheeks. “Hope, Grandma and Grandpa are leaving. Come say goodbye.”
She came running from her room and into their arms, hugging and kissing them goodbye. After we ate dinner, I helped Hope with her bath and we sat down on the couch and watched Cinderella .
As she was snuggled against me, she looked up. “Cinderella got her prince.” She smiled.
“She sure did.” I kissed the top of her head.
“Prince Charming never gave up until he found her.”
“Nope. He didn’t.”
“I wish you would find a Prince Charming.”
I tilted my head as I stared into her blue eyes. “Why, Hope?”
“Because you deserve one.”
My heart ached when she said that. “I had my Prince Charming, baby. Your daddy.”
“I know, but he’s not here anymore, so maybe there’s another Prince Charming somewhere out there. You don’t believe he was the only Prince Charming in the world, do you?”
“I don’t know what I believe, baby. But I do know that it’s time for you to go to bed.” I tapped her on her nose.
I tucked Hope into bed and kissed her good night. “Sweet dreams, little one.” I smiled.
“Good night, Mommy.”
I walked into my room and climbed into bed. I lay there and stared at the flowers that were sitting on my dresser. Picking up my phone from the nightstand, I sent Jack a text message.
“Thank you for the flowers. They’re pretty.”
I didn’t expect him to reply since it was a Saturday night and I was sure he was out. I was wrong.
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and I’ll see you on Monday.”
“You too.”
“Lorelei….”
“Yes, Jack?”
“I just want you to know that I really enjoyed our time together last night and I don’t regret what happened.”
“Me too. Have a good night.”
He said he had never been in love and that made me feel sorry for him. To be thirty-two years old and to have never experienced the beauty of love with someone was tragic. I couldn’t think about him anymore. Last night was a mistake; a beautiful mistake, but I wanted nothing more than to put it out of my mind and move on.
****
As I nervously walked down the street to the office building, the only thing I could hear was the sound of my heels clicking against the pavement. My belly was already flipping around at the thought of seeing Jack. Taking in a deep breath, I stepped onto the elevator and looked at my watch. It was seven fifty-five a.m. When the doors opened, I gulped as I stepped out and headed down the hallway to my desk. After setting my things down, I stepped into Jack’s office and let out a sigh of relief when he wasn’t in there. Setting his coffee on his desk, I took in a sharp inhale when I heard his voice from behind.
“Good morning, Lorelei.”
“Good morning, Jack.”
As I walked past him to leave his office, he reached out and lightly took hold of my arm.
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