“Nothing,” we answered at the same time and then burst out laughing once again.
Augusta’s green eyes narrowed before her lips curled into a grin. “Oh, that’s not suspicious. Not at all.” She rolled her eyes and took in the food on the grill, the tongs in my hands and Ollie’s. “I just stopped by to say hi, Dad, but I see you’re busy, so I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
“No, stay! Please,” Rosie pleaded.
“You’ll stay,” Ollie insisted in a tone that brooked no argument.
Augusta’s reddish gold brows dipped low. “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.” I could see curiosity burning in her eyes at the scene before her, but my connection to her father wasn’t my business to tell.
“Course I’m sure,” Ollie grunted. “You can judge who makes a better fish filet.”
I laughed at her father’s indirect challenge. “There’s no contest, obviously mine is better.”
“Don’t be so sure, boy. I know all your tricks, Mr. TV Personality.” He chuckled at his sometimes nickname for me.
“I’m not on TV,” I reminded him. “Or is your memory not what it used to be?”
Ollie let out a loud bark of laughter. “You’re in my house. Augusta set up my whole TV so it’s all internet based, including your channel.” He flashed a proud smile at Augusta, who stared back in wide-eyed shock. “Pretty cool, ain’t it?”
I watched the curious play of emotions on Augusta’s face before she realized she had my full attention and turned to me. I winked, and Augusta rolled her eyes. “It was nothing, Dad. Really.”
“Sure was something to me. Got way more stuff to watch than we had in my day.”
“Who knew you had so many talents, Augusta? Maybe you can help with mine?”
“Maybe,” she shrugged. “But I’m sure one of your YouTube friends could help.”
I laughed because I wouldn’t let her out of this little corner so easily. “Why would I ask them when I have you right here?”
Augusta wasn’t happy that I pushed, and she took advantage of Rosie’s need for freedom to collect herself. She stood and put her hands on her ample hips. “Fine. When I have time I’ll come around and walk you through it.”
Just the acquiescence I needed. “We could do it now. It won’t take long to fry the fish, and those potatoes will need some time on the grill.”
“Yeah!” Ollie’s shout visibly startled Rosie and Augusta. “That’s perfect. Princess Rosie can prove she doesn’t live a life of leisure by being my chef assistant.”
“Sous chef,” I offered with a grin.
“Yeah, that’s it, you can be my sous chef.”
“’Kay!” Rosie was eager to please, more so when she felt like she was being helpful. It was normal the child psychologist said, but I had a feeling it had something to do with the time she spent with Trishelle.
“Oh, fine. Come on, then.” Augusta drove, even though my house was only three blocks away, probably hoping to speed things along or avoid three blocks worth of conversation.
“You didn’t have to do this,” I told her, my eyes glued to her ass, high in the air while she bent over to inspect my modem.
Holy hell when she turned a glare over her shoulder at me, I could picture her in that same position, only naked and telling me how she wanted to be pleased. “Don’t give me that crap after you painted me into a corner just to get me here.”
She was right, of course. “I just asked. You said yes because you secretly wanted to help me out.”
She snorted and shook her head as she stood. “Whatever you need to tell yourself, Ricci.” Augusta kept her green eyes on the television, typing in a series of letters and numbers with the remote, testing and re-testing the internet connection. “There. All done. YouTube. Netflix. Roku. Whatever your thing is, there it is.” She pointed to the screen with a small but satisfied grin.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” She folded her arms, the move pushing her tits up and right into my line of sight. “When did you and my dad become friends?”
“A few months ago,” I shrugged. I answered her question without giving her the answer she really wanted.
“How did you meet him.”
“At the community center.” The truth, but not the whole truth.
She rolled her eyes again, but this time a small smile curved her lips into a half circle. “He loves that place.”
“It’s a good place.” Ollie helped people there, and in the process helped himself, but for some reason he didn’t want Augusta to know.
“I guess.”
“I know,” I told her as I stepped closer to her. The air between us crackled with electricity, making the hairs on my arms stand up.
“Antonio,” she whispered and put a hand to my chest, intending to give me a shove, but that never happened. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what, Augusta? Don’t touch you?” The words came out soft and I took a lock of her hair between my thumb and forefinger, and followed the crinkle of her wave all the way down to the end. “Don’t kiss you? Because I want to.”