THE BILLIONAIRE'S BABY (A Secret Baby Romance) (22 page)

Richard returned with shots for everyone on a tray. He handed one to everybody at the table, even the women we’d just met. He lifted his, gestured to Nikki, and shouted, “To this sweetheart right here, we wish you a happy birthday!”

A chorus of happy birthdays followed, and everyone shot back the tequila Nikki had chosen except me. Mel shivered as she swallowed the fiery liquid.

“Why didn’t you drink yours?” Mel asked.

“Somebody has to drive that idiot home,” I replied, using my beer bottle to point at Richard.

Mel threw her head back and laughed loudly, nudging Richard with her elbow. “Accurate description!”

“Birthday girl karaoke!” Richard yelled, ignoring the insult and shoving Nikki playfully towards the stage.

Her eyes widened. “I’m not drunk enough for that! Unless Mel comes with me.”

“I don’t sing. You know that,” Mel said. “You go. We’ll cheer you on from here.”

“Not without you,” Nikki yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.

I watched as they headed to the stage, indulging myself in a stare at Mel’s perfect ass encased in the skinny jeans.
She works out
, I thought as Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” began to play. As she and her friend sang about surviving after a heartbreak, I watched Mel closely, and the vague familiarity became a clear memory as she performed a little dance move here and there during the song. I jerked involuntarily when I remembered who she was.

Ms. Ulrich, my daughter’s dance teacher at school. I moved my eyes to Nikki and realized she was also a teacher at the high school my daughter attended. English, I was sure, though Cara hadn’t had her yet. A grin spread across my face. How had I not recognized her? I’d met her before, though briefly, at a parents’ meeting for all dance team members. Of course, she probably met tons of parents, so I wasn’t at all surprised she didn’t recognize me.

Throughout the evening, I attempted to flirt with Mel, but she didn’t really respond. I’m good at flirting, when I choose to do it, so her lack of response was a little frustrating. She seemed oblivious to it, and then it hit me. She didn’t realize I was flirting with her, which was weird. She didn’t know how beautiful she was, and I’d bet she thought that all the men hitting on her were just being nice. Richard tried to flirt with her as well, but she was completely uninterested in him, barely replying, even going so far as to move away from him. I was happy she at least didn’t seem to dislike me as she did Richard. A story was there that needed to be uncovered later.

After a couple hours of karaoke and flirting, most of the bar had cleared out. Richard and I had already agreed that a Whataburger run was necessary to end this night. Richard walked his trio of non-babes to the door while Mel and Nikki settled their tab, which was probably low, considering Mel hadn’t drank much and Richard had paid for most of Nikki’s drinks.

I hurried before they could get out the door. “Hey, why don’t the two of you join Richard and me at Whataburger?”

Mel and Nikki exchanged glances. “I’ve got practice in the morning,” Mel murmured to her, her eyes wide to indicate her meaning. She didn’t really want to go.

“What time is it?” Nikki asked as she tried to fish her phone out of her pocket.

I glanced at my watch. “Nearly one. Still plenty of time to sleep.”

Nikki laughed and winked at me. “That’s exactly right. Come on, Mel, I’m starving after all that singing and dancing.”

Mel rolled her eyes adorably at her friend. “Fine, fine. Lord knows I could use a breakfast burrito.”

“Awesome!” Nikki exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

“One of y’all is sober, right?” I asked, though I could tell Mel was.

“I am. Only had that shot. After that, just Dr. Pepper,” Mel explained. She waved a hand playfully at me. “But thanks for asking.”

I smiled at her. “Do you know where the Whataburger is?”

“No, but we’ll follow you,” Mel told me. She looked at Nikki. “Hey, I’ve got to use the bathroom before we go.” Nikki nodded and she turned to walk away.

Nikki stepped closer to me. “So, you like her, don’t you?”

I laughed. “Am I being obvious?”

“Not to her,” Nikki said, shaking her head despairingly. “The woman is completely unaware when men are attracted to her. But don’t worry, I’ll help you.”

“Help me how?” I asked, narrowing my eyes with worry.

“However I can,” Nikki replied with a wink. “She’s a lot of fun.”

“Why does it feel like you’re trying to convince me?” I teased.

“You don’t need convincing; I can tell,” Nikki said, laughing.

Mel rejoined us a minute later. “Are we going?” Mel asked, smiling her calm smile.

“Hey, give Mel your number in case we get lost,” Nikki told Mel before walking off to find Richard.

Mel’s forehead furrowed as she watched her friend walk away. She turned her eyes on me, and I smiled. “Give me your number and I’ll text you so you have mine.”

“Yeah, okay,” she answered and recited her number. I sent her a text immediately and waited for it to come through. The chime sounded, and she lifted her phone.

Will:
Lookin’ hot in those jeans!

She laughed and looked back up at me. “Whatever, you weirdo.”

“Call me a weirdo all you want, but you know two things. One, it’s true that you look hot in those jeans. And two, you like my sweet talking,” I told her, a grin so wide on my face it almost hurt.

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, nodding her head slowly. “You’re right. I do look good in my jeans.” She winked and walked to her car. “And now you’re staring at my ass as I walk away.”

“Yes, I am!” I called after her. “See you at Whataburger.” She lifted a hand and waved as she climbed in her car.

Mel

Will’s a funny guy
, I thought as Nikki and I climbed into the car after some breakfast burritos at Whataburger. He’d bought our breakfast before we could stop him, claiming a gentlemen always buys a lady’s breakfast. Richard looked like a chump next to him, frowning because neither Nikki nor I paid him much attention.

Will had made jokes and entertained us as we ate, and he’d laughed with Nikki when I threw some sarcasm on the table.
Intelligent, too
, I mused as I turned the ignition and Nikki mumbled something unintelligible before closing her eyes for a little nap on the drive home.

A honk sounded, and I turned my head. Will waved to me, lifted his phone, and wiggled it. I frowned and picked mine up. I had two missed texts from him. I lifted my phone and waved it, smiling, and he winked and drove out of the parking lot.

Will:
Hey, beautiful.

Will:
Wow. Thought we’d become friends, but no answer.

I chuckled.
He likes me
, I thought as a small thrill ran down my spine, pondering my answer. Smart ass? Funny? That’s always the way to go.

Mel:
We can’t be friends if you’re always so sensitive.

Will:
Are you texting and driving? That’s dangerous.

Mel:
No more dangerous than you doing it.

Will:
Who says I’m not home yet?

Mel:
You aren’t. Can I text you when I get home? I have to cart Nikki’s drunk ass inside.

Will:
Same with Richard. Don’t forget me, beautiful.

Mel:
Never.

So, he was a bit of a flatterer, but there was nothing wrong with that. The man was good-looking, intelligent, and funny, and my guess was he knew how to treat a gal right. A small fear niggled in my brain… Like Richard, what if he was hiding a wife? Richard had pulled the
we’re-getting-a-divorce-soon
bit, but he and I had gone on that date nearly six months before and no divorce had taken place. I hadn’t even looked at Will’s finger to check for a ring.

I reminded myself as I pulled into the driveway of my little house that just because Richard was a dick didn’t mean all men were.
Give the guy a chance before you make judgments,
I told myself as I looked at Nikki, who had begun to snore. With a sigh, I climbed out of my car and walked around to help her out.

Ten minutes of finagling later, I had her tucked into the bed in my spare bedroom. I put a trash can nearby as well as a large glass of water and some ibuprofen. She’d have a hell of a headache in the morning, and I had to get her up early if she wanted her car. I had dance practice at ten the next morning.

I stripped and put on my standard tee-and-shorts pajamas, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and settled into bed. The time stamp on the last text was nearly thirty minutes earlier, and I hoped Will had been able to get Richard and himself home.

Mel:
You make it home yet?

Will:
Just walked in the door. With Richard over my shoulder. Give me a few.

I laughed as I pictured Richard draped over Will’s shoulder in a fireman’s hold. Richard was no lightweight. Will must be stronger than his frame looked. He was at least six feet, maybe a little more. His body was long and lean, and though I could tell the man had muscle, he didn’t look like a man who could pick up a two-hundred-pounder. Impressive.

His hair was blond, but I bet in the sun, it had touches of red in it. He had little facial hair, but the five o’clock shadow had given him a rugged, cowboy look I liked. Boots, tight jeans—though not grossly tight—and an untucked t-shirt had given him the air of a man who didn’t care if he looked good, but who knew he did. I liked his confidence the most, though.

I stretched out in my bed and turned off the light after plugging in my phone. Like one of my students, I opened Facebook and did a little trolling, looking for his page. Apparently, he didn’t have one, which wasn’t surprising. Not all men do. I looked at the selfie Nikki and I had posted. We were adorable, making faces rather than smiling.

My phone dinged, and a silly grin split my face. I liked him, too, despite my initial misgivings that had nothing at all to do with him.

Will:
Did you fall asleep, gorgeous?

Mel:
No. I’ve been waiting impatiently for you to text.

Will:
Haha! Makes me a lucky guy.

Mel:
Hmmm, that’s true.

Will:
So, are you busy tomorrow night?

Cuts right to the chase
, I mused, smiling. I appreciated a man who didn’t play games. I was too old for that nonsense, and so was he. I flipped through my head to check for plans and had none.

Mel:
I’m free.

Will:
May I take you to dinner tomorrow night?

Mel:
I would love to go to dinner with you tomorrow. What time?

Will:
I’ll text you tomorrow. The place I want to take you may need a reservation.

Excitement pulsed through me. How fancy! A reservation! As a teacher in Texas, I didn’t make enough money to go to a place that required reservations, except maybe on my birthday.

Mel:
And where would you be taking me?

Will:
It’s a surprise.

Mel:
I do like surprises! But right now, I’m falling asleep as we text.

Will:
Same here. I’ll text you in the morning, if that’s ok?

Mel:
Perfect! Good night, Will.

Will:
Good night, beautiful. Sleep tight.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

***

The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed with enough time to shower, get dressed, make a cup of to-go coffee, and climb into my car. The twenty-minute drive to school was not enough for my hair to dry, so after parking near the football field, I pulled it up in a messy bun and secured it with a ponytail holder. I glanced in the mirror on the sun visor. Tendrils of hair had not been captured by the ponytail holder, and I looked like I might fall asleep in the middle of a dance move.

I climbed out of my car just as my phone dinged. Thinking one of my girls was trying to get out of practice, I sighed and glanced down. My stomach jumped. Will.