He laughed and went on to talk about how his day went. I enjoyed listening to him. He was just as driven as I was; his love of journalism was evident every time he spoke. After chatting for ten minutes, we agreed to meet up after eight for a bite to eat.
I packed my bag and headed out the door. It was dark out, the cab lights brightening the streets. I waited on the sidewalk and hailed the next cab that drove past. It was my lucky day as it halted suddenly. I rushed over and climbed in. It was Monday night and like always, I took the cab to Rocky and Bull’s apartment.
“Cha Cha, it’s you!” He threw himself at me as I walked through the door. God, I loved this kid. He was like a son to me. Hearing him call my name reminded me that I was his first word. Not Mommy or Daddy—it was Cha Cha, and it had stuck. With his head nestled on my stomach, I pulled him away so I could examine his face. His jet black hair was a replica of Rocky’s but it was his cornflower blue eyes that made him the spitting image of Bull’s. Tiny freckles covered his nose, his big smile contagious with his missing top teeth. I planted a kiss on his nose and embraced him again.
“Of course it’s me, silly.”
Like his dad, Will talked a mile a minute, from everything about school and what happened to his best friend’s dog, to the latest episode of Star Wars. It was an overload of information, especially from a six-year-old. Monday night was our night. I would come over after work, spend some time playing with him or doing homework and then reading a book to him in bed. Tonight’s activity was math. Most kids dreaded doing homework, but not Will. He was a freak of nature. He loved math, but I on the other hand did not care for it one bit. I saw the invention of the calculator as a godsend. This whole carry-the-number-over-here bullshit was so old-school. Yet here I was again, pretending to know what I was doing; thankfully Will was a genius. It only took him ten minutes to complete his homework before he climbed into bed where I took my usual place beside him.
“What’s this book about?” I asked as he handed me a book.
“A prince who loses his princess and has to search everywhere to find her.”
Great, one of those stories. I put on a smile and opened the book to Chapter One. By the time I got to Chapter Four, Will’s eyes were drooping. I knew the signs that he was close to falling asleep.
“Cha Cha, do you believe in fairy tales?” he mumbled half asleep.
“You’re never too old to believe in fairy tales,” I whispered back.
“Do you hope your prince will find you one day?”
I closed my eyes for a moment, not wanting to explore the question. With a knot forming in my stomach, I quickly answered, hoping to veer off this topic. “I don’t know if I need a prince, maybe just someone who will love me.”
With his eyes drooping further and a yawn escaping his mouth, he murmured his last words of the day before falling asleep. “I love you, Cha Cha. I’ll be your prince if you can’t find one.”
It was moments like this that melted my heart. The love from a child was unconditional; it was the most precious gift anyone could give you. I wasn’t one of those needy women wanting to find a man, get married and get knocked up, but
there was a part of me that ached for that type of love—with the right man. Placing a kiss on Will’s forehead, I put the book on his nightstand and covered him with his blanket. I switched off the lamp, then tip-toed to the door and watched him. He looked so peaceful, his eyes fluttering every so often. His tiny snore could barely be heard. My heart wanted to burst with how much love I felt for this kid, a love tinged with longing. As the knot grew in the pit of my stomach I closed the door and went in search of Bull’s.
“Your kid is going to be a math genius, you know?” I said as I walked into the kitchen where I found Bull’s washing the dishes.
“Yes, well, he gets that from me. Remember how I tutored Rocky? That’s how we first met.”
“Oh that’s right, you tutored him and in return you said he went down on you and gave you mind-blowing orgasms.”
“Something like that.” She giggled.
I hugged her tight around the waist as she stood there with gloves on, her elbows deep in suds. I said my goodbyes and left to go meet Julian at a small Italian restaurant downtown.
…
“You smell good,” he murmured as he leaned in and placed a kiss on my cheek.
“Is that how we’re greeting each other now? Because if we are, you smell good too,” I teased back.
He leaned in further and whispered, “If I greeted you the way I wanted to, we would be kicked out and arrested for indecent behavior.”
“Oh c’mon, let’s try that,” I said. “YOLO.”
“Eric is warping your mind.”
“I know. It was his word of the week last week, but let’s get back to you taking me on the table…”
“Don’t tempt me.”
Pulling away, he grabbed the menu. I did the same, covering my smile as his words lingered. Damn, I was all kinds of hot and bothered now.
Enzo’s was a small restaurant on the Upper East Side. It was a traditional Italian trattoria with checkered tablecloths that adorned the small tables. Candles were lit and soft piano music was playing in the background. The waiter had a mustache that would put Mario and Luigi to shame.