Popcorn Love (34 page)

“Uh-huh.” Macy tossed the ball back. “I’ll just go
out and buy the booze for your wedding next week.” She leaned up to
stick her tongue out at her roommate. “Tell hot-pants I’ve got it
covered.”

“You’ve never even seen her pants.”

Macy rolled over laughing at that one. When she
finally caught her breath, she said, “Oh, you’re right. She
probably wears skirts.”

Allison rolled her eyes, chucked the ball back at her
friend. “
Anyway
!”

“Right, right, back to whatever the hell it was we
were talking about.” Macy rubbed at her eyes with a snort, letting
the ball fall to the floor. She glanced toward the window and saw
the first bits of morning light streaking the sky.
Christ, we’ve
been up all night.
She didn’t mind, though. She enjoyed teasing
Allison about the date, but, most of all, she was genuinely
overjoyed to see her best friend so giddy about something.

“Nora.” Allison wiggled around to get more
comfortable, curling up around her pillow and turning on her side
to face her roommate.

“Right.” Macy yawned. “Anyway, not the Mum’s fault
that you’re too obsessed with her daughter to leave once the date
is actually over.”

“Hey! It’s not like Elena ever actually tried to take
me home or even mentioned anything about wanting me to go. She
never even hinted. So, I’m pretty sure she wanted me to stick
around.”

“I’m pretty sure she wanted you to stay the night.”
Macy made her point with waggling eyebrows.

“Seriously.” Allison groaned. “I think we might both
explode if we don’t sleep together soon; then again, we might
explode if we
do
.”

Macy snorted. “You’re the one who keeps putting it on
hold.”

“It was the
first
date! You know how I am
about this stuff. I mean, I’m trying to be like a gentleman, uh,
woman or whatever.”

Macy laughed and shook her head. “Yeah, well, be a
gentleman and give the lady an orgasm, why don’t you?”

Allison flushed from her ears to her collarbones.

* * *

The butterflies that relentlessly assaulted Elena’s
stomach throughout her entire date survived into the next day. As
she and Lucas made their way through various art galleries for
their Sunday outing, they found themselves talking about Allison
more than once. Lucas pointed out all the works that incorporated
bright splashes of various shades of green and how much ‘Alson’
would love them. Elena’s smile grew with each mention, those
butterflies stirring, and she had to force herself not to text
Allison to join them.

Surely it would seem a little too eager to want to
spend yet
another
full day with her after having just done
so the day before. Yes, Elena told herself, it would be better to
wait. She didn’t want to come across as too desperate or obsessed.
Elena was not about to take any risks. What they had was new and
delicate, and God help her, she really wanted it to work. It
certainly didn’t stop her from babbling on with her son about
Allison, though. They talked about having her around more often, to
which Lucas clapped and agreed.

“I share my dinosaurs with Alson,” he told her more
than once, nodding firmly as if such an offer was sure to keep
Allison coming back to see them time and time again.

Given how much Allison seemed to love Lucas, Elena
wouldn’t be surprised if it did. She kissed her son’s head. “That’s
very generous of you, munchkin. I’m sure Allison would enjoy
that.”

“She can have sleepovers,” he added.

Elena’s stomach flipped and she smiled. “She
certainly can.”

They visited two more galleries before lunch. They
had plans to meet Elena’s father at a nearby restaurant, and Lucas
was ecstatic.

“Where’s Pop?” he asked on the way.

“We’re not there yet, Lucas,” Elena laughed.

“Oh,” he sighed. He waited only about ten seconds
before asking again, “Where’s Pop?”

* * *

“She asked me if she could plan the second date.”
Allison yawned. “I’m a little nervous that it’s gonna be something
fancy and I’m not going to have any clothes that are appropriate to
wear.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Macy told her, hating the
insecurity lacing Allison’s voice. She knew Allison was a bit
unnerved about dating a woman who was socially and financially the
complete opposite of her. “It’s obvious Elena doesn’t care about
any of that, Alli. She would’ve ended up with one of those rich
blokes if that was the case.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Allison whispered, but
her facial expression remained warped with concern.

“Hey,” Macy said, “stop worrying. She obviously saw
something in
you
, exactly the way you are. Whatever kind of
date she chooses, it will be fine. Just be yourself.”

“Myself is a broke orphan with secondhand clothes and
not a damn clue which fork is the salad fork and which one is the
dinner fork,” Allison told her, laughing despite the fact that her
voice cracked.

“Who the fuck cares about fork etiquette?” Macy
scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Elena might.”

“No,” Macy argued. “Elena cares about
you
, and
even if you
are
a broke orphan with secondhand clothes,
you’re a wonderful one that any damned woman would be lucky to
hook. Understand?”

Allison smiled, eyes glossed with tears, and nodded
against her pillow. “Yeah, I hear you.”

“Good,” Macy replied, grinning over her blanket.
“Though again, let me just reiterate that a good orgasm can only
increase your chances.”

Allison burst into loud laughter, tears finally
breaking at her lids and slipping down her cheeks.

* * *

“Look Lucas! There’s Pop!” Elena pointed across the
restaurant as she patted Lucas’s bottom where he was propped on her
hip.

“Pop!” Lucas squealed, waving so dramatically that he
nearly tipped Elena over. She held him a little tighter and made
her way through the maze of tables to the small window table where
her father waited for them.

Lucas Sr. offered them both a wide smile, wrinkles
forming around his eyes and mouth, and stood to greet them. Lucas
gave no warning before launching across the small space and into
his grandfather’s arms. The elder man laughed heartily. “Whoa,
there’s my big guy.” He squeezed the toddler and patted his
back.

Lucas hugged his little arms around his grandfather’s
neck and happily squealed. “Hola Pop!”

Lucas Sr. chuckled again. “Hola.” He leaned over to
wrap Elena in a one-armed embrace around the toddler still clinging
to him. “Mija,” he greeted. “You look beautiful.”

Elena kissed her father’s cheek and patted his
shoulder. “Hi Daddy. Thank you.” She smoothed her hand over the arm
of his suit. He had always been a very well-dressed man. “You look
pretty dapper yourself.”

“What ‘bout me, Momma?” Lucas asked, pulling his face
away from his grandfather’s neck. “Am I dapper?”

Elena reached out to pat his cheek. “Yes, munchkin.
You look very handsome today.”

Lucas, who had insisted on dressing to match his
mother, had ended up in a dark purple button-up shirt with khaki
shorts. It went quite well with the deep purple of Elena’s
dress.

“I ordered some stuffed peppers for an appetizer,”
Lucas Sr. informed them. He settled Lucas into a high-chair before
he and Elena dropped into their seats. “How does that sound?”

Elena hummed in delight. “Delicious.”

“Delicioso!” Lucas chirped from his high-chair. His
pronunciation was a little off, but it made Elena proud
nonetheless.

Once seated, Elena pulled a few of Lucas’s dinosaur
figurines from her bag as well as a juice box and placed them on
the high-chair. He began crashing the toys together while Elena
looked over her menu.

“Where’s Mother?” Elena asked after she placed her
order with the waiter.

“Meeting with one of her many organizations.”

“You don’t know which one?”

Lucas Sr. ran a hand over his short gray hair and
then over his trim goatee. “Of course not. She is involved with far
too many charities and organizations for me to keep track of them.
You know she only keeps me around to be her arm candy at all the
banquets.”

Elena laughed loudly at that.

“So, your mother seems rather smitten about your new
love interest,” Lucas Sr. said, smiling. “That’s rare. I take it
you are just as smitten?”

“Almost sickeningly so.” Elena ducked her head a bit
and smiled. “I’ve hardly been able to think of anything else.” She
then tilted her head in her son’s direction. “It seems Lucas hasn’t
been able to either.”

“There is nothing wrong with that, dear. Love is a
beautiful thing.”

“I don’t know about love.” Elena sighed. “I think it
might be a bit early for such terms.”

“An open mind is as important as an open heart, dear.
Love can be fast or even immediate. It’s us who have to catch up to
love, not the other way around.” He laughed when his daughter
blushed and reached over to pat her hand. “So, when will I get to
meet this young lady?”

“Respectfully, Daddy, I would rather spare her having
to meet yet another parent, at least for a while. Mother caught us
both completely off guard, and Vivian certainly didn’t help. I’m
surprised Allison even agreed to a second date after that.”

“Well, from what your mother said, she seems like a
resilient young woman. I’m sure she’s more than up to the
challenge.”

“That is true.” Elena nodded. “I’m sure you will meet
her soon, but let’s at least wait until after the second date. You
will love her though. She loves music as much as you do.”

“Ah, well, there’s my vote.” Lucas Sr. chuckled.
“Does she play any instruments?”

“Mhm.” Elena took a sip of her water. “She plays
guitar incredibly well, and she hasn’t even fully performed for me.
But, from what little I have heard, I think it would be safe to
assume that she has quite the voice as well.”

“Oh, well, in that case, we will have to have a
concert.” At Elena’s cautious look, he put his hands up. “I know, I
know. You want to wait on the family matters.”

“I don’t want her to feel rushed. I’m already toiling
over when to contact her about the second date. I want to have an
idea in mind, though, before I do. I haven’t a clue where to take
her.”

“No ideas?”

“Not even one. You know I abhor the cliché dinner
dates. I doubt Allison would enjoy something like that either.”

“Then what do you think she
would
enjoy?”

“I’m unsure. I hate that I feel so nervous about
planning this date. The mere thought of messing this up makes me
sick to my stomach.”

“Well, you’ve always been a perfectionist,
Elena.”

“Is it so wrong to want to plan the perfect date? I
just want this to go well. Do you think I’m being ridiculous?”

“Not at all, dear. It is natural to be a little
nervous when you want things to work with someone new, but I think
you will be fine. You just need to relax.”

“That is easy for
you
to say. You aren’t the
one attempting to court someone who is entirely your opposite.” She
rested her head in her palm as she leaned her elbow on the table
and reached for her water.

“Elena, do you know how it is that your mother and I
have remained so strong all these years?” Lucas Sr. reached across
the table to pat her hand. “We have always shared everything with
each other. We share our likes as well as our dislikes with one
another. We share our passions. We share the things we love most
with each other.”

“Like your music,” Elena offered, grinning. She
always found it so endearing to listen to her father talk about her
mother and their marriage.

“Yes, like my music. And your mother’s passion and
eye for art, our love of travel, our interests in business and
politics, our complete lack of trust in the government seventy
percent of the time.”

Elena chuckled and shook her head back and forth. She
melted, though, when her father added, “And our love for you,
Elena.”

“And me!” Lucas dropped his plastic triceratops to
look up at his grandfather.

Lucas Sr. laughed, the sound booming out from their
corner of the restaurant. He reached over to ruffle his grandson’s
hair. “That’s right, Lucas. Gram and I love you very much.”

“Love you, Pop.” Lucas ducked his head, grabbing his
dinosaurs. He crashed his triceratops into his pterodactyl while
making shrieking sounds that made Elena’s eye twitch. She placed a
hand over Lucas’s arm.

“Not so loud, munchkin.”

“Sorry Momma.” He lowered his voice and
whisper-shrieked as he continued to bash his dinosaurs
together.

“So, what exactly are you suggesting then, Daddy?”
Elena asked, turning back to her father.

“I’m suggesting, dear, that you don’t overthink
it.”

Elena grunted. “Easier said than done.”

“If you want something real to develop, mija, then
stop thinking in terms of wooing the girl and just be yourself.
Show her your passion instead. It’s part of what makes you so
special. Show her the things you love and why. Share them with
her.”

A bright smile painted itself across Elena’s face
when she looked up a moment later and said, “I think I have an
idea.”

Allison woke up with her stomach completely in knots.
She had expected time to drag, but even with the anticipation of
the second date, the week had flown by. She had been grateful for
the distraction school provided, keeping her mind off her buzzing
nerves.

She rubbed bits of crust from her eyes as she rolled
over in bed and glanced at the flashing red digits on her alarm
clock. Elena had told her to be ready by nine in the morning, so
she still had plenty of time. Allison had never been invited on a
morning date before. She wasn’t even sure if a morning date was an
actual thing that couples did, but whatever. She was fairly certain
she would show up anyplace at any time Elena asked her to. The
woman was quickly becoming an addiction.