I roll my eyes and corral Roman by tossing him onto my shoulder. “Thank you, Mom, for another great Sunday brunch and your hospitality.” I kiss her cheek. “Tell Grandma bye, Roman.”
He giggles, upside down over my shoulder as Mom kisses him goodbye.
“Tell Dad bye.”
“Oh, I will. The stinker already snuck out to his shop.”
We follow Dorothy to the driveway.
“Bye, Dorfee!” Roman yells next to my ear just as I set him down by the back door to my car.
“Bye, Romeo. See ya around.”
“Hop into your car seat, buddy.”
While Roman climbs into his seat, I meet Dorothy at the driver’s door to her car and lean back against it so she won’t run off quite yet. “Thank you. I know playing hooky, lying to your boss, eating with strangers, and letting Roman contaminate your food is probably way out of your comfort zone, but I really…” I lower my voice “…really enjoyed this brunch date.”
“Okay.” She grins.
“Okay …” I challenge her with my very own guilty-as-hell, shit-eating grin. “So, what’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?”
She glances at her watch. “Aside from keeping a close eye on Dr. Hawkins and his daily activity, not much. I’m supposed to be at work, so I might get some extra reading time in and gaming.”
“No studying?”
“Nah, I don’t have to study much. I mean sometimes I have to study, but nothing today.”
“Smart girl, huh?”
Dorothy shrugs. “I suppose. It’s just easy stuff is all.” She curls her hair behind her ears and stares at her feet.
“You know … Roman has never seen an emu up close.”
“Really?” She glances up at me, squinting against the sun.
“Really.”
“He’d love them.”
I nod slowly while she goes back to staring at her feet because I’m blocking her from getting into her car.
“If only I knew where he could see one … or two.”
“Mmm … hmm.” She nods a few seconds before snapping her head up to meet my gaze again. “Oh …” She laughs. “You mean Orville and Wilbur. You want me to show him my emus.”
I lift my shoulders, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “Only when it works in your schedule. Like on a day you’re unexpectedly home instead of at work.”
“Ha ha. Okay, I get it. You mean today.” She wrinkles her nose while nibbling on her lip. “I didn’t plan on visitors today.”
“You didn’t plan on not working today. But … so far so good, right?”
Dorothy studies me for a few seconds. “I suppose.”
“What happened in the bedroom deserves a higher ranking than I suppose.”
“Okay.”
“Okay we can follow you home?”
She nods.
“You’re sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Ha! This whole morning has been really uncomfortable.”
I frown. “I’m sorry. We can go home. We don’t have to impose on your day anymore.” Stepping away from her vehicle, I open her door.
“Dr. Hawkins—”
“Eli,” I say with more bite than I intend.
“Eli…” she repeats on an exhale “…I’m not the best at articulating things correctly. It’s hard to explain. I just express things differently. But I do want you to come to my house. And I do want to introduce Romeo to Orville and Wilbur, even if it’s been a stressful day. All my days are stressful in a way you can’t understand. Okay?”
“Okay.” I rub my lips together, studying her for a few seconds, trying to figure out if now is the right time to say something. “Warren said you have ASD,” I lie. He didn’t say it correctly.
“Dr. Warren?” She twists her mouth. “Huh … he wanted to screw an Aspie. Interesting.”
No. The interesting part is that’s her reaction. So Aspie is an okay term with her. Who knew?
“What do you think, Eli?” Her head cants to the side.
Is this a test? What does she expect me to say? And is it a reference to her ASD or Dr. Warren wanting to screw an Aspie? I don’t know, and it shouldn’t matter. There is no way I will stumble over her question. Brushing my fingertips over the palm of her hand, I lean down close to her ear and whisper, “I think you’re an extraordinarily spectacular human. Drive safely. We’ll follow you.” I let my lips graze her cheek, wondering if young eyes are watching and if Roman will say anything if he does see me so close to Dorothy.
Dorothy watches me, unblinking.
“Okay?” I ask.
After a few more seconds, she blinks and nods.
“I have a surprise for you, Roman,” I say, grabbing him from the floor of my car where he tries to hide from me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Me-yous
Dorothy
Interesting trait of most Aspies—we don’t multitask well. Not physically or mentally. I shouldn’t be driving home. My brain distraction has to be more dangerous than impairment from alcohol. But I have three things vying for my attention, my thoughts … my natural tendency to obsess.