“You’ll have to be patient and stick around to find out.”
“I bet you’re lying. I bet you a homemade apple pie that I already know all your secrets.” I wink at him.
“I still have one or two up my sleeve. Might want to go ahead and start baking that pie, sweetheart.”
“Well.” I need to change the topic before I decide to rip off his clothes right here and fuck him on the table. “Thanks to the little stunt you pulled the other day, my mother has been nagging me about the details of our relationship. So, you’re being forced to join in these festivities and go to dinner with us next week before camp starts. And don’t argue, you’re going.”
“Hmm. Looks like I should have thought that one through, huh?”
He laughs, and I know he’s joking because he knew exactly what he was doing when he took my phone from me. “I’ll go as long as you come to the party I’m throwing before camp.”
“Party? Like half naked girl party? Sure, love too.” I roll my eyes. Great, the famous Carson Lee parties that I’ve heard about. Naked chicks, beer kegs as the far as the eye can see, and sex in every available spot. Sounds like a dream.
“It’s not a half naked girl party. It’s surprisingly more family-oriented. There will only be half naked people if they want to get into the pool.”
“Well, considering how you threw me in with clothes on, I won’t take all of that to heart. Nonetheless, you’ve opened a can of worms with my mother, and I can’t get it to close. I’m surprised she hasn’t come to your house yet for you to try on wedding tuxedos.”
“Wedding tuxedos? To be sure, she doesn’t think you’ll marry the first guy you’ve told her about in a while, especially when that guy is me.”
“She actually likes you. Apparently, you’ve made a good impression on her. Although I don’t know why?” I continue to tease him.
“I may have turned up the charm a bit too much for her. It’s better that she does like me than not, I’m assuming?”
“Well, obviously, I would prefer that my parents like the guy I’m dating. But I think you can’t turn off the charm, can you?”
“Do you not remember meeting me for the first time? My charm isn’t always on.”
“And you’re still a pain in my ass.” I smile.
The conversation dies down when our food comes, mainly because we both are so hungry. Carson asks if I’m coming back to his place, and I would love to but the work is beginning to pile up.
“Be there Saturday for sure, okay?”
I nod unsure of what secret he’ll reveal to me next.
~
My boss is over overjoyed with the campaign and now the press is buzzing about our fall line. Fashion week kicks off in September, and even though it’s still the middle of July, it doesn’t leave much time.
I haven’t seen Carson since he dropped me off two days ago. I can’t seem to unbury myself from the emails, photos, layouts, and clothes that are piling up around me. However, I promised I could take a small break, and that I would come to the house today.
I pull up to his driveway and punch in the code for the gate to open, noticing several black SUVs in the driveway. I park near the garage door and notice yellow rope leading to the back. I’m not sure what to think, but I follow it, and it leads right to the hockey rink.
My first thought is, he wants to have sex in the hockey rink. Albeit, a first for me, but it might be cold overall. When I open the door, the echoing sounds overtake me. There are about twenty kids on the ice, various ages, and there is Carson in the middle of it all, laughing and joking with them.
What the hell is this?
I see two older ladies sitting on the bench and I walk over to them, while trying to get Carson’s attention and have him explain this to me.
“Are you Kinley?” the darker hair lady asks.
“Yes,” I confirm confused on what’s going on.
“I’m Opal. I’m the director of the group home. It’s great to finally meet you. Carson said you would be by today.”
Group home?
“I’m Shelby. I’m her assistant.” The darker blonde sticks out her hand and I shake it.