Pizza Party Part IIÂ
By the time the giant pillow fort was built and the kids settled inside it with their pjs on and flashlights in hand, January was ready for her own bedtime.Â
“Hey,” Gulliver crawled out backwards from under the fort, “their flashlights are cool. They make shapes on the ceiling.” He reached out and flattened her hair on her head which wasÂ
staticky from being too close to the blankets they were using. “You must be ready for bed too. You’ve had a long emotional day.”Â
She was looking at him with his T–shirt bearing a handprint of pizza sauce from when Kaylee had grabbed at him earlier and his hair tousled from the exertion of making the fort. His feet were bare and his five o’clock shadow was long beyond the time, and it was thick and stubbly on his cheeks.Â
All the other adults were gone now. Glenn thrilled with the rare opportunity for a night off of parenting had accompanied Ford and Thisbe to the lounge in the hotel and Grandfather was off toÂ
his own suite to get some rest.Â
“Let me call down to the front desk and get someone to bring up a room key for you. Thisbe dropped off the bag of clothing for you whenÂ
you were helping Kaylee with her bath,” he motioned to the bag packed to the brim near the door. “She mentioned Something about a bath bomb.”Â
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Her eyes were trained on him as he spoke and she nodded. “You’re sure you’re okay on your own with her?”Â
“If you’re volunteering to stay, I’m not going to shoot a gift horse in the mouth, but I also understand this is my turn to take care of her for the night. If anything goes sideways, I need to figure out how to deal with it, however I’d really like you to stay.”Â
“I feel like I’m intruding again.” She muttered as she listened to the giggling coming from inside the tent.Â
“I really want you here,” he let his hand rest on her shoulder before sliding down her arm to her hand. Holding her fingers in his he gave them a squeeze. “Tell you what, take the bedroom Kaylee was supposed to sleep in. Go take a hot bath and bring a glass of wine with you. If you to go right to sleep, crawl in and go ahead. If, however, you want to come sit with me,” he pointed to the other bedroom, “I’m going to hop in the shower and then watch a movie in my room. You can come join me.”Â
“That sounds good,” she exhaled as her fingers wrapped around his gratefully. “You’re right. I did have a horrible late afternoon and I’m grateful that you’re being so kind to me.”Â
“It is my pleasure to be kind to you. My father once said the reason he was so good to my mother was so that Thisbe would grow up knowing the way a man should treat a woman and she wouldn’t settle for less. I will never disrespect you, January. IÂ
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made mistakes in the past and for those I am deeply sorry but moving forward you can count on me, if for nothing more than a deep friendship.”Â
She stepped closer to him and kissed his cheek, “thank you.”Â
He smiled at her actions, “anytime, my love. Go take your bath. If you want to watch a movie let me know. I’ll put my horror movie away and put on a rom com for you.”Â
“Wow, pulling out all the stops.” She giggled as she walked away from him, her fingers trailing through his palm as he released his grip on her.Â
“I’d be a fool if I didn’t try,” he smiled back.Â
She grabbed the bag Thisbe had packed up for her and headed to the bathroom, shooting a look over her shoulder. Gulliver was watching her with a tender smile and then a loud squeal from the tent made them both freeze.Â
“I got it,” Gulliver reassured her. “Go. Take your bath.”Â
She disappeared into the bedroom and opened up the bag and looked into it. She was grateful that Thisbe had packed practical pjs, clean underwear, a bralette, and a sundress for the next day. She found the little paper bag holding the bath bomb and she opened it and inhaled and sighed with happiness. A whiff of yender floated around her as she carried the things neededÂ
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to the bathroom and she turned the faucets in the tub on.Â
She’d bathed Kaylee in this bathroom earlier while Glenn had used Gulliver’s bathroom to bathe Mitsos. The kids had met after their baths, their cheeks glowing and their pajamas matching which made them both excited. It was a great evening, and she was so happy that Kaylee was thriving in a situation with a new family where other children might have been stressed to find themselves.Â
January chuckled as she considered how Grandfather boldly asked Kaylee if she wanted to learn how to fight and Kaylee screamed yes. There was no doubt in her mind someday Kaylee would be whatever the female equivalent to vovoi of a Greek mafia is and would do it with panache.Â
She’d just pulled her top and bra off when a knock on the door made her jump. Pulling a towel to her chest, she pulled it open and looked at the man standing there. “What’s wrong? What happened? Did something happen and that’s why she was screaming?”Â
“If by something happening does your daughter have gas from the pizza and is finding it hilarious as hell that it makes Mitsos gag, then yes, something happened.”Â
She bit her lips together to stop herself from laughing aloud and then noted the glass in his hand.Â
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“I created an air vent in their tent. I decided I needed a glass of wine and thought you might like one while you soak.” He held it up to her his eyes fixed to her face.Â
When she took the glass, her mouth already watering at theÂ
notion.Â
He turned on his heel and then rotated his torso a fraction, “the towel meant well but maybe next time double check it’s covering everything.”Â
She looked down and noted that her entire left breast was not covered by the towel and as he walked away chuckling, she slammed the door shut and leaned against it.Â
“Smooth, January. Smooth.”Â
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