Page 17 of Daddy to Go

“Thank you,” I replied, pushing the brochure back at him.

That had to be the dumbest line I’d ever heard. But then again, whole towns are literally built off the backs of someone or some show that was famous. That was how they made their income. Tourists.

The car was already out front when I walked outside. I hopped in and the driver took off. The concierge took the liberty of telling him my destination so I didn’t have to deal with the Vincent’s debacle anymore.

When we got there, Vincent’s looked like a shiny diner. There was a lot of chrome on the outside with neon signs and a huge sculpture of an Italian man tossing a pizza out front. There were kids running around and families laughing, enjoying their pizza.

Any other time in my life I would have bolted in the other direction, but when a horde of kids parted, there she was. Abby stood, her hands in front of her, that thick dark hair in waves down around her shoulders. She was wearing a Baltimore Orioles t-shirt, a pair of jeans rolled up at the cuffs, and a pair of black sandals. Her toes were painted a dainty color pink that until that moment I hadn’t realized matched her fingernails.

Abby turned toward me, her cheeks rosy red, her eyes shimmering, and her lips plump and glossy. Her eyes connected with mine and I felt something jolt in my chest. As soon as she saw me her face lit up, a welcome I wasn’t used to getting. Sure, I get a lot of attention, but not for the right reasons. Mostly because I was a rich doctor with a nice car and good genes. Not because women were genuinely happy to see me.

But Abby’s smile was infectious and I immediately grinned back. As I walked forward, I almost took out three kids who darted in front of me. Across the way, Abby giggled, watching me stride toward her, maneuvering through the outdoor tables with large striped umbrellas.

Our body language was magnetic. Both of us reached for the other, feeling that solid connection between us. I pulled her in for a hug and breathed in her scent. She smelled absolutely amazing, delicious and sweet with her own female fragrance.

“You’re late,” she pouted playfully.

“Yes, well, no one would tell me where Vincent’s was,” I grumped.

She furrowed her brow. “What? Why not?”

I let out a deep dramatic sigh. “What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say, ‘Do you know where Vincent’s is?’”

She stared at me for a moment and then clapped her hand over her mouth laughing. Her eyes clenched shut and her nose wrinkled as she laughed silently at first, before bursting into fits. I stuck my bottom lip out and crossed my arms.

Abby patted the air, trying to breathe through the tears that formed in the corner of her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Oh man. I have to be honest, that was not on purpose. But now that it’s happened, it’s probably the best unintended consequence of inviting you to my world. I can still hear that little girl’s voice in my head.”

I let up on my fake frown and grinned.

“I haven’t seen it at all and I too hear that little girl’s voice in my head.”

Abby glanced over at the restaurant.

“Well, brace yourself. You’re about to learn all of that in a crash course. They replay that ad inside over and over.”

I reached out and opened the glass doors on the building, bowing in jest.

“I can’t wait. I’ve always wanted to be surrounded by creepy little girls while eating my pizza.”

She patted me on the chest as she walked through.

“Loosen up a bit. It’s beautiful out, and you’re with me. Vincent’s has amazing pizza. Did I mention, you’re with me?”

I walked in behind her, keeping my pseudo-sarcastic tone. “Nope. Don’t think you did.”

Abby giggled as we walked up to the hostess. I held up two fingers. “Two please.”

The hostess couldn’t have been more than fifteen years old. She looked me up and down like a steak and then tittered as she gathered the menus and walked us to our seats. She sat one menu down at my seat and handed Abby’s to her.

“Chrissy will be over in a minute to take your order.”

I smiled at my gorgeous date. We both opened our menus but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She was absolutely beautiful, with her flushed cheeks and curly hair. Suddenly, I knew this was more than a fling; this was something real.

9

Abby