We’d been here for two weeks, and I still hadn’t found the time to take Noah anywhere. We hadn’t even been out to eat.
He must be bored out of his mind.
“I think I’m going to work until noon today and then take a few hours off,” I suddenly announced as I made my way to my office door.
“Okay, Mr. Reid. I’ll clear your schedule. Anything special planned?” she inquired.
“I think my son and I need to spend some time getting to know our new city,” I answered.
“You picked me up early?” Noah said in amazement as he got into the car.
“I did,” I said as I did the same.
“You never pick me up early.”
His stunned and confused expression left me feeling happy and ashamed in the same breath. I was glad my job was flexible enough that I could take a few hours of my day to finally spend some much overdue time with my son. At the same time, I was sad that it had taken me so long to realize how necessary it was.
Had I really neglected Noah so thoroughly that an afternoon off from work was that much of a shock?
“So, what are we going to do?” he asked, his eyes trained on the leafy green trees whizzing by.
“I thought we’d walk around, check out different areas of the city. Liv said we’d never feel at home here until we explored and made this place our own, so that’s what I thought we would attempt today. Sound good?”
“Better than craft time at camp. Crafts are for babies…and girls,” he answered.
I tousled his hair and laughed as he ducked away from me.
As we turned onto the block leading to our street, he turned to me in question.
“We’re just stopping at home, so I can ditch the suit. Ten minutes, tops.”
He gave a nonverbal answer as we pulled up next to the curb. His car door flew open, and I watched him bounce down the lawn toward the front door. Within seconds, he had his key out, and he was walking through the front door.
A car drove past, and I turned to find Liv parking her little blue Prius along the curb. She pushed the door open and stepped out, her eyes colliding with mine instantly.
“Playing hooky today, counselor?” She smiled.
“Might say the same thing about you,” I replied, stepping through the grass to meet her halfway.
“I had taken a half day to spend the afternoon with Mia, but her son, Asher, came down with a cold, so it looks like I’m flying solo.”
“Can I hire you as a tour guide for the afternoon?”
Her eyes darted to our front door where Noah had just reappeared.
“Finally taking my advice I see?”
“Yeah,” I answered, “but I have no idea where to start.”
Taking a leisurely gaze down my body, she grinned. “Start by stripping off that monkey suit, and I’ll handle the rest.”
“Deal.”
~Liv~
As soon as I saw Noah meandering out of the house in his I Heart Football shirt, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them. First, I wanted to make a few stops and show them the Richmond I loved.
We also needed to eat. I was starving.
Our first stop was one of my favorites, second to the farmers’ market. I loved Carytown. Here, you could shop the world, eat pretty much anything, and spend hours discovering new talent. It was the heart and center for art, music, and food in the area, and it was where I felt most at home. With brightly colored buildings and funky shops on every street corner, it was the one place in the city I never felt different.
“So, what do you boys feel like eating?” I asked as I took the first available spot in the parking garage.
“What’s good?” Jackson asked.
Everyone hopped out of the car, and we began our journey.
“Pretty much everything. There’s an awesome Thai place a block or so that way.” I pointed down the street. “Oh, and there’s a killer Mexican place right there,” I said, motioning to the brightly painted sign.
Noah squinted his eyes and frowned. Jackson didn’t look too excited either.
“Sushi?” I asked.
Their faces fell further.
I was beginning to guess my Charleston neighbors were not the adventurous eaters.
“Um…pizza?” I suggested.
Their eyes instantly lit up, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Okay, pizza it is!” I announced.
We headed to the right in search of pizza. The place I selected was well known, a Richmond tradition for years, and had some of the best pizza in the area. I hoped my guys wouldn’t be disappointed.
Once we were seated, a hush fell across the table as everyone’s attention fell to the menu.
I peeked up over the top of mine and stole a glance at Jackson. His eyebrow rose, and a small smirk appeared at the corner of his lip.
“Stop staring at me,” he whispered.
“What are you ordering?”
“A cheese pizza.”
I snorted and shook my head.
“What?” he asked.
“I just would never have believed the super fancy lawyer ate like a five-year-old.”
“I do not. I just enjoy basic food.”
“You mean, boring food?” I quipped.
“As opposed to whatever the hell—heck,” he amended, looking quickly over at Noah, who was still buried in his menu, “you eat. What was it you suggested? Thai food?”
I nodded. “Just you wait, Jackson. I’m going to get you to love Thai food.”
“Not in this lifetime, sweetheart.”
Whenever he said sweetheart, his accent would grow thicker, and my panties would simultaneously grow wet.
Smug bastard.
The waitress came by to take our orders, faltering when her eyes stumbled on Jackson. She quickly righted herself when she saw me. She must have assumed Noah, Jackson and me made a happy little family. I didn’t bother correcting her. She could keep her eyes to herself.
She needed to learn to be professional. That was the only reason I wanted her to stop eye-fucking Jackson, and damn it, I was sticking to that lie.
Both men ordered a slice of cheese pizza, and I managed to keep my snicker to a minimum.
“And for you, ma’am?” Miss Perky asked.
“I’ll have the veggie calzone,” I answered.
The waitress finished up and walked away. I couldn’t help but look up to see if Jackson was watching her very obvious saunter into the kitchen.
His eyes were trained on me, and it gave me chills.
“So, you don’t eat meat? Like, ever?” Noah asked, breaking our connection.
“Um…what? Oh no. I haven’t for years.”