“I’ll be good! I promise!” He started running towards his room, yelling something about the Fair the whole way.
“Are you sure this is wise? I know it is what he wants...” Ms. Ruth took a seat and looked over at me.
“I don’t know. Maybe I can take him during the day or early in the evening when there are less people there. I’ll figure it out. How can I tell him no? He doesn’t understand why he isn’t like other kids.” I let out a sigh and rubbed my eyelids with my thumbs.
“I know. He’s such a sweet boy. We should try taking him a few more places and get him used to the crowds. He does well during our weekly grocery store trips as long as he sits in the cart. We’ve even stopped for ice cream a couple of times and he’s been fine with the lines because they weren’t too long.” Ms. Ruth picked up her coffee cup and sipped the steaming brew. “How would you feel about me taking him to a daycare and sitting with him while he spent time with the other kids? I could bring him home immediately if there are any issues.”
“Yeah, I think that would be a good idea. Thank you.” I stared at the floor.
“We definitely need to let him meet new people and spend time with other kids. With school back in session, most of the daycares will have after-school programs. Letting him interact with some children his own age is going to be crucial.” Ms. Ruth continued to sip her coffee and I nodded in agreement.
I got ready for work while Benjamin ran around the house talking about the Fair, telling me all of the rides he was going to go on and all of the new treats he was going to try. I checked the date and saw it was a month away—it was going to be a long month with an overly enthusiastic child that couldn’t wait to find out what it was like to go to the fair. I certainly remembered my first time going—I was about his age when my father took me. Considering how much of a serious, fun-hating old bastard he was, it was a surprise he took the time. I didn’t want Benjamin to look back on his childhood and see the same thing in me.
Chapter 17: Abby
My life with Max went into cruise control. He showed up on my doorstep every evening at six o’clock to ravage and pillage my body. Sometimes it was sweet, like two lovers that just wanted to enjoy each other, and sometimes it was rough, like a savage caveman who had discovered pussy for the first time. I was too much of a coward to ask where it was going. I didn’t want him to tell me it was going nowhere and the end was around the corner. I enjoyed living in the moment with him—even if I did have to look back on him as Mr. Mistake before it was all done. He never stayed the full night, but he held me until I was asleep. It became so routine that several weeks passed in what felt like the blink of an eye.
“THE FAIR IS HERE TOMORROW!” Mary-Katherine had clearly had too much coffee as she bounced around my kitchen with excitement.
“I know.” I stared at my laptop and looked over some final proofs for the Energy Enhanced launch. “We can’t go the first day though; there will be a million people there. We’ll go later in the week.”
“Why aren’t you more excited? Hey, do you think Max would want to do a double date with me and Rolando?” Mary-Katherine leaned against the counter. “I haven’t even met him yet.”
“I don’t think he’s really the type to go on dates—especially double dates.” My face twisted into a scowl and I shook my head.
“Maybe I’ll just show up here one night when you’re not expecting me and meet him then.” She grinned.
“Don’t you dare.” I looked at her and narrowed my eyes. “I’ll send Sebastian after you.”
“Sebastian loves me.” She giggled and looked at my laptop screen. “Isn’t that the company that made that kid in Ohio sick?”
“What?” I turned towards her quickly. “Energy Enhanced?”
“Yeah, I think...” She shrugged her shoulders. “Or maybe it was some other energy drink. I remember something about vitamins...”
“I think we would have heard about it...” I dismissed her concerns and closed my laptop. “Okay, I need to get to work.”
“Working on a Sunday? That’s no fun.” She tapped her fingers on the counter.
“The launch is tomorrow. I need to make sure things are in line.” I picked up my phone and saw I had a text message from Max.
Do you want to go to the Fair tonight?
“Are you sure the Fair starts tomorrow?” I looked over at Mary-Katherine who was gathering her things to leave.
“Yeah, I’ve been waiting a whole year.” She smiled and nodded enthusiastically. “Why?”
“No reason...” I shrugged and started typing.
I said goodbye to Mary-Katherine and got dressed in some fairly casual clothes for a Sunday visit at the office. I knew a few members of the team were working through the weekend, so I wanted to at least stop by. I sent a message to Max asking if he was serious about the Fair and he assured me that he was. When I suggested that it didn’t start until the following day, he told me I should just trust him and offered to send a car. His whole demeanor seemed to be off, but I had too much going on with the launch to focus on it, and I knew it was hard to read emotions through a text message. I finished my visit at the office and headed home to get ready for whatever the evening held.
“Mommy has a real date tonight, Sebastian.” I poured him some food after changing my outfit for the fourth time.
I really wasn’t sure what I should wear to the Fair. If it was a date, I wanted to look presentable, so I couldn’t just throw on a t-shirt and jeans like I normally did when I went with Mary-Katherine. I finally settled on a summer dress and a pair of shoes I could walk in. They didn’t perfectly match the dress, but none of the shoes that did would be appropriate for the Fair. I was still applying make-up when I heard the car outside. I rushed through the last bit of it and grabbed my purse. It was getting dark and I could see the last line of the sunset on the horizon. I climbed into the passenger seat and stared out the window as the driver carried me towards my destination.
When we got close to the Fair, I could see that all of the lights were on, but there were no cars in the large plots of land they normally used for parking. The driver took me to the gate and when I stepped out of the car, I saw Max standing by the entrance. He was dressed down from the suit he normally wore with a pair of dress slacks and a button down shirt that was opened at the top. He looked hot as hell and I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He kissed me and I felt the same tingle I always did—a literal explosion of bliss that made me immediately desire something more than just his lips. When he finally pull
ed his lips from mine, he kept his hands around my waist.