“Brooke?”
Turning, I saw Rebecca approaching me.
Benjie trailed off from talking and took my hand when I waved to Rebecca. “Hi. Did you just see something or are you going into one now?”
She smiled and briefly glanced down to Benjie before training her eyes back on me, ignoring the boy at my side. It rubbed me the wrong way.
“I’m going into one in a moment with a friend. What about you?”
“Benjie and I just saw the new Disney one.” Looking down, I grinned at Benjie and swung our hands at our sides. He beamed up at me.
He looked to Rebecca. “It was awesome. There was—”
“That’s nice.” Rebecca smirked at him before looking back at me. My imaginary hackles rose. I knew I mentioned I didn’t have any kids when we’d met at the bar, but it didn’t mean she could brush off a child I was spending time with. “I was going to call you this afternoon. I’m hoping you’ll go out on a date one night this week?”
After seeing the way she acted around Benjie, there was no way I would want to see her again.
“Sorry, I can’t. I’ll be busy with Benjie.”
Her nose screwed up. “You said you didn’t have any kids.”
“I don’t. He’s my friend.” I grinned down at Benjie who returned it.
“You’re picking him over going on a date with me?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze narrowed. “I thought you were different.”
Snorting, I shook my head. “I thought the same about you.” Turning to Benjie, I asked, “What do you want to do next? Lunch or the arcade?”
“Arcade!”
Laughing, I ruffled his hair. “Let’s go have some fun.” I didn’t bother saying goodbye or even looking to see if Rebecca was still there. She showed she wasn’t worth my energy by showing her distaste for children. While I’d mentioned I didn’t have any, maybe I should have asked if she even liked kids. It didn’t seem like it. I was glad I found out now though.
As we walked through the arcade doors and the noise hit us, Benjie tugged on my hand. “That lady wasn’t very nice.”
“No, she wasn’t.”
My phone rang, and I quickly pulled it out of my pocket, seeing Dustin’s name flash up on the screen. “It’s your dad.”
Benjie brightened. “Can I talk to him?”
“Of course. Hang on. Hello?”
“Hey, darlin’.”
My stomach tingled, and of course my mind took me back to the conversation in the kitchen.
“Here’s Benjie,” I blurted and thrust the phone at his son.
“Daddy. Hi…. No, we just got out of the movie and now we’re in the arcade…. I’ll try and let her win.” He giggled. “What else has happened? Well, there was this lady and she asked Miss Brooke out on a date.” Dear God, kid, no, no, no. Yet, when I reached for the phone, Benjie skipped out of the way. “What? Oh no, Miss Brooke said no because she’s gonna be busy with me.” He lowered his voice to say, “Daddy, the lady didn’t seem nice…. Yep, okay, I’ll put her on. Bye, Daddy…. Love you too.”
I cleared my throat, my hand shaking slightly when I took the phone from Benjie. “H-Hello?”
“Brooke, Brooke, Brooke.”
“Benjie, take this money and go get some tokens. But don’t go anywhere else and come right back here. I’ll be able to see you from here.”
“Yep.” He took the money and skipped off to wait in line, turning back to smile and wave at me.
“I didn’t mean for that to happen in front of Benjie.”
“Are you bisexual?” He choked, coughed, and quickly added, “Not that you have to tell me. I didn’t mean to ask it like that. Jesus.”
My eyes widened over the bluntness, and I would have told him it was none of his business, but he seemed just as shocked by his question as I was. Although, did he seriously want to have this conversation now? Shrugging, I told him, “Yes, but I’m not quite sure the relevance my sexuality has. I know I’m looking after your son, and the last thing I want is for Benjie to hear someone ask me out, male or female, but—”
“Brooke, I don’t care Benjie heard. But let me get this straight. You have more of a chance to be asked out by both sexes?”
My head jerked back, confused and a little shocked. “Yes?” I said hesitantly, only it sounded like a question.
His sigh was very audible. “Go out with me?”
I choked on my own saliva. “What?”
“Will you go on a date with me?”
Was he insane?
We couldn’t do that. If things went bad, I wouldn’t be able to see Benjie again, and that meant more to me than Dustin and his good looks, his sweet body, his charming and funny personality…. No, staying as we were was better. I couldn’t be distracted by him.
“No.”
“Brooke—” A voice in the background called his name. “Fuck, I have to go, but we’re not done discussing this, darlin’.”
“We are.” We had to be, or I feared I’d cave, and I couldn’t let that happen.
“Brooke—”
“Benjie’s coming back. I have to go.”
“Talk soon, darlin’.”
Ending the call, I dropped the phone back in my bag and shook my head. There was no way I would talk to Dustin about going on a date. That was crazy.
Why would he suddenly ask me in the first place?
It didn’t make sense.
I wasn’t his type.
Also, he’d gone out with another woman right in front of me.
He was crazy.
Benjie approached. “Ready?”
“I am, but what was that you were saying about you trying to let me win? Be prepared to lose, sucker.”
A giggle bubbled out of him. “I’m not the one who’s gonna lose, Miss Brooke.”
Taking his hand, I led him over to some machines. “We’ll see.”
“What were you and Daddy talking about?” Talk about a quick change in subject.
“Just how the movie was.”
“Oh, okay.”
The rest of the afternoon we played about ten different games and then went to lunch at a burger place. By the time we made it back home, Emily was already there. She must have heard us pull up outside because as we approached, she stepped out with the phone to her ear.
“Yes, they’re here.” She waved to me as Benjie ran to her for a hug. “Okay, I’ll put her on.”
Drawn brows, I asked, “Who is it?”
Her lips twitched. “Dustin.”
Crap.
He’d called a couple of times as I drove, but I didn’t answer, and luckily my car was an old one and there was no Bluetooth in it, so Benjie couldn’t see his name flashing.
“Hello?” I stepped away as Benjie told his mom all about our day.
“Darlin’, go on a date with me?”
Turning my back on the others, I scrubbed a hand over my face. “No, thank you. I have to go. Bye.”
Facing them, I noticed Benjie had disappeared and only Emily was there. I handed her back the phone. “I should get going.” I prayed she didn’t ask what that conversation was about, or I would feel more awkward than I already did. What was he thinking asking me out again while I was at his ex’s house?