Page 152 of Seasons of Love
“No.”
“Do you want to bring Sara and spend the day at the lake with me?”
He looks up to meet my eyes and smiles.
“I’d love to. I might have to ask her personal assistant though. Her schedule is quite busy, you know?”
I slap his ass, and he groans.
“I probably should go,” he says. “Florrie will wonder why I’m so late.”
“Just tell her you were busy blowing your boss.”
I like Milo’s carefree smile and the fact I put it there. I like it a lot.
If I’m not careful, he’s going to melt the ice around my heart and make me question the decision I made when I moved away from Boston.
21
MILO
Walking on air, floating on a cloud, being carried by hundreds of butterflies.
That’s how I feel on the way home, yet somehow, none of those words are good enough to describe it.
Ellis drives me because we ended up falling asleep together after I finally got confirmation that the shower soap he’s given me to use in the shower downstairs is the same brand he uses. A small inconsequential fact, but I like it even more now that I know the smell I've been using to fantasize about Ellis is the one he uses for himself.
We didn’t wake up until his sister called to ask about his plans for tomorrow.
I had to put my finger over my lips and point to his phone to remind him she couldn’t see us. Once his face returned to a healthier color, it was nice to watch him speak to his sister, who apparently also had a multitude of other things to talk about.
After convincing her that he genuinely had other plans for his Sunday, Alice let him go, so we got dressed and left his place.
“What are you smiling about?” he asks, giving me a quick look when we stop at a light.
“Just the way you and your siblings are with each other. It’s…”
“Weird?”
I laugh. “No. It’s endearing.” And then it’s his turn to laugh.
“That wouldn’t be my choice of word,” he says.
He parks in front of my gate. “Can I come say hi to Sara?” he asks.
“Of course.”
Be still my beating heart.
I take a deep breath and get out of the car. Florrie is outside in her front garden with Sara, so it takes approximately three seconds for Sara to see me and call Dada.
“Hello, baby girl. Did you have a good day?” I hold out my arms, and Florrie hands Sara over to me.
“She did indeed. Lots of walking practice, and we read a few books. Then she cleaned the house while I took a nap,” Florrie says. “Oh wait, that was the other way around, and then one of us pooped all over our clean clothes.”
“You didn’t have time to run to the bathroom?” I joke.
Ellis snorts, which is when Florrie seems to notice his presence.
