start talking, I put down the remote and asked, “What’s up, baby girl?”
“Um, I was just wondering,” she began, twirling her hair around her finger in what I knew was a nervous gesture. “Are you happy?”
“Yeah, baby, of course,” I assured her, my hand going to her shoulder. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, when we got back to Dad’s house after camping, there was someone waiting there. Dad said she’s his girlfriend.”
I schooled my features even as my stomach clenched and replied, “Elena, your dad and I have been separated for almost a year now, it’s normal for him to start dating again.”
My precious girl bit her lip and looked at me with a worried expression.
“He said they’ve been together for a while, but he waited to introduce her, as his girlfriend, until they were serious.”
“They’re serious, huh?” I asked, not really wanting to know about The Douche’s love life, but needing to for my children’s sake.
“They’re moving in together,” she said softly.
Oh, Hell no…
Elena was watching me closely, as if she was worried this information was going to hurt me. It didn’t, but it did piss me off. First he gets an RV to show off for the kids, and now he’s moving in some chick and introducing her to our kids without even talking to me about it?
This went against everything we’d discussed when we split.
We didn’t agree on much, but we’d both said we wouldn’t subject our children to random people unless we entered into a serious relationship. And if that happened, we were going to give the other person a head’s up.
I guess that agreement flew out the fucking window, although what did I expect? If our vows didn’t matter to him, why would a random promise.
Hoping I was successfully keeping all emotion off my face, I pulled my lips into the best smile I could manage and said, “Okay, baby girl, I’ll talk to your dad about it. But I’m sure if he’s serious enough to move in with her, she must be a nice person.”
Unless he was moving in with Slutty Shirley Finkle. It didn’t even bear thinking, and I was going to try and hold off on getting upset until I talked to him myself.
“Thanks for talking to me about it, Elena. You know I’m always here no matter what, okay?”
When she got up and started to leave the room, I added, “And you don’t have to worry about me, okay? I’m happy.”
As I watched my daughter walk away, that worried expression still on her face, I thought, Damn, looks like I have to make another trip to the bank .
“Who’re you here to spy on this time?” The Douche asked as I entered his office, not even bothering to rise from his desk.
“What?” I asked, confused not only by his question, but by his demeanor.
“C’mon, Delilah, give me a break … I know you think I’m a jerk, but do you really think I’m stupid enough not to know what you’re doing?”
“What am I doing?” I asked, trying to give attitude to cover up the fact that he’d thrown me.
“Working with that PI, sneaking around and taking pictures of people to get them in trouble,” he answered calmly, his hands together on his desktop.
“How do you know?” I asked, no longer playing coy.
“I’ve heard chatter. About people getting caught cheating and stuff, then I noticed you slinking around by a motel one day when I was driving home. But when you came in here the other day, finally ready to give me the opportunity to explain myself … Well, that confirmed it for me. I saw you run out as soon as Tracey left on her break.”
I mentally kicked myself for not being a better actress, then felt the need to assure him, “The kids don’t know. No one really does, at least, I thought no one did … I guess I wasn’t being as discreet as I thought.”
“So, what are you doing? Working as a PI with that jackass Moose?”
“No, I’m an Investigative Photographer,” I made that up off the top of my head, and really liked the way it
“Um, I was just wondering,” she began, twirling her hair around her finger in what I knew was a nervous gesture. “Are you happy?”
“Yeah, baby, of course,” I assured her, my hand going to her shoulder. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, when we got back to Dad’s house after camping, there was someone waiting there. Dad said she’s his girlfriend.”
I schooled my features even as my stomach clenched and replied, “Elena, your dad and I have been separated for almost a year now, it’s normal for him to start dating again.”
My precious girl bit her lip and looked at me with a worried expression.
“He said they’ve been together for a while, but he waited to introduce her, as his girlfriend, until they were serious.”
“They’re serious, huh?” I asked, not really wanting to know about The Douche’s love life, but needing to for my children’s sake.
“They’re moving in together,” she said softly.
Oh, Hell no…
Elena was watching me closely, as if she was worried this information was going to hurt me. It didn’t, but it did piss me off. First he gets an RV to show off for the kids, and now he’s moving in some chick and introducing her to our kids without even talking to me about it?
This went against everything we’d discussed when we split.
We didn’t agree on much, but we’d both said we wouldn’t subject our children to random people unless we entered into a serious relationship. And if that happened, we were going to give the other person a head’s up.
I guess that agreement flew out the fucking window, although what did I expect? If our vows didn’t matter to him, why would a random promise.
Hoping I was successfully keeping all emotion off my face, I pulled my lips into the best smile I could manage and said, “Okay, baby girl, I’ll talk to your dad about it. But I’m sure if he’s serious enough to move in with her, she must be a nice person.”
Unless he was moving in with Slutty Shirley Finkle. It didn’t even bear thinking, and I was going to try and hold off on getting upset until I talked to him myself.
“Thanks for talking to me about it, Elena. You know I’m always here no matter what, okay?”
When she got up and started to leave the room, I added, “And you don’t have to worry about me, okay? I’m happy.”
As I watched my daughter walk away, that worried expression still on her face, I thought, Damn, looks like I have to make another trip to the bank .
“Who’re you here to spy on this time?” The Douche asked as I entered his office, not even bothering to rise from his desk.
“What?” I asked, confused not only by his question, but by his demeanor.
“C’mon, Delilah, give me a break … I know you think I’m a jerk, but do you really think I’m stupid enough not to know what you’re doing?”
“What am I doing?” I asked, trying to give attitude to cover up the fact that he’d thrown me.
“Working with that PI, sneaking around and taking pictures of people to get them in trouble,” he answered calmly, his hands together on his desktop.
“How do you know?” I asked, no longer playing coy.
“I’ve heard chatter. About people getting caught cheating and stuff, then I noticed you slinking around by a motel one day when I was driving home. But when you came in here the other day, finally ready to give me the opportunity to explain myself … Well, that confirmed it for me. I saw you run out as soon as Tracey left on her break.”
I mentally kicked myself for not being a better actress, then felt the need to assure him, “The kids don’t know. No one really does, at least, I thought no one did … I guess I wasn’t being as discreet as I thought.”
“So, what are you doing? Working as a PI with that jackass Moose?”
“No, I’m an Investigative Photographer,” I made that up off the top of my head, and really liked the way it
Similar Books
