“Yeah, that was my dad. He wanted to see if I wanted to grab lunch before heading to the field.”
“Call him back and invite him over.”
“What?” she shrieks. “Are you crazy?”
“I’m going to have to meet him eventually, Paisley.”
“Whoa, let’s back this up a little. We are not meeting the parents.”
“Actually, my mom will be here for the game tonight. I was hoping to introduce you to her after the game.”
“Cameron, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why?” I can see her searching her mind for a good excuse, and there aren’t any. I’m into her, really into her, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. I want her to meet my mom. My mother is the most important person in my life, and that will only be rivaled by my wife and kids, and I think Paisley is a good contender for that title. Yeah, I know it’s early, but I really like her. I want to see where this goes.
“We barely know each other.”
“You keep saying that. That’s what dating is for. I want her to meet you. I won’t push you to introduce me to your family. I’ll wait until you’re ready, but, babe, I’m ready for you to meet my mom.” I shrug.
“Why is it impossible to say no to you?” she asks as I place a plated omelet in front of her.
“Because I’m irresistible.” I grin, placing a kiss on her forehead before plating my own omelet and taking a seat next to her at the small dining table.
“You’re something, Cameron Taylor,” she says, shaking her head, before digging into her breakfast.
The conversation is light as we eat, and once we’re finished, Paisley insists on cleaning the kitchen, but I don’t let her do it alone. Instead, we do it together. It’s very domestic and not something I’ve experienced with a woman before. Until I met Paisley, there wasn’t a woman I wanted to spend this much time and effort on. My gut tells me that she’s different.
“Well, thanks for lunch, or brunch, or whatever we just had. It was great.” She grabs her keys and her phone.
“Where are you going?”
“Back to my place.”
“Let me get dressed, and I’ll come with you.”
“Don’t you have some kind of pregame ritual or something that you need to do before the game?”
“No. The only thing I need to do is spend time with you. We can do that here or at your place.”
“What if I had something to do today?”
“Well, I don’t think that you do. You told your dad you were going to do laundry. So, if we need to go to yours so you can do that, we will. Otherwise, we can stay here and maybe watch a movie or something.”
“You’re not sick of me yet?” She raises her eyebrows. It’s more than a question. It’s a statement, one she thinks she’s going to get a reaction to, but she’s wrong.
“Never.” My voice is steady, and my reply is quick.
“What kind of movie?” she questions, placing her phone and her keys back on the counter.
“You pick.”
“You’re letting me pick?” she asks in disbelief.
It takes me three steps to stand in front of her. “Yes, you get to pick. You see, my agenda here isn’t the movie, Paisley. It’s you. I just want to be close to you. I want to spend time with you and get to know you. I want you to see that when I tell you that I want you, it’s not just your body I want. I want you in my life. I can’t explain it, but you’re different, and I want us to see where this goes.”
“Wow.”
I can’t help it. I have to kiss her, so I press my lips to hers. It’s just a quick peck, but I need to feel her lips against mine. “I’ll set the alarm in case we fall asleep. Go pick out a movie while I grab my phone from the bedroom.”