Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79509 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79509 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“So, you’re going to Sweden, sweetheart?” Margo asked.
Deacon pulled his gaze away from his son, not even noticing the way I stared at him. “Yes, next week.”
“It’ll be so cold,” Margo said. “Make sure you stay warm and don’t get sick.”
He went along with it. “I will, Mom.”
“It’s just you and a few people?” Margo asked.
“Three of my colleagues,” Deacon answered.
“You think you’ll win another Nobel?” Tucker asked.
Deacon shook his head. “I’m expanding off research that was already honored, so no. It’s just an opportunity to tell the community what I’m working on. It’s an honor, regardless.”
“You think you’ll win another Nobel in your lifetime?” Tucker asked.
Deacon shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not.”
I turned back to the table of kids, seeing a pizza fight about to break out. “Let me put this fire out real quick.” I left the table and moved to the kids, subtly bringing down the food fight about to take place so they wouldn’t go home covered in food stains and their parents would think we were imbeciles.
I could hear Margo at the other table. “Deacon, Cleo is very fond of you…”
He was quiet for a bit. “I would hope so.”
“I mean, that woman is stupidly in love with you,” she said. “You should see the way she looks at you.”
If Deacon was annoyed, he didn’t show it. “I do see the way she looks at me.”
I was a bit embarrassed that it was so obvious to his mother, but she obviously liked me and approved of me for her son, so it could be worse. I came back to the table and acted like I hadn’t heard anything. “Well, I stopped the next great war from happening.”
“Good eye, baby.” Deacon’s arm returned around my waist, and he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, not caring if his mother and brother saw him shower me in affection. “Looks like they’re almost done. We’ll have to break off into groups to do the activities. You guys ready?”
“Ready to take care of some dumb kids?” Tucker asked. “Bring it on.”
“These kids are smarter than you, Tucker,” Margo said. “So, watch it.”
“Smarter than me…” Tucker turned to Pria and shook his head.
Pria shrugged with a guilty look on her face.
“Oh, come on,” Tucker said. “Really?”
She shrugged again.
We spent the afternoon taking the kids to the different exhibits, putting them into smaller groups because there were thirty of them. Some places were just too small to accommodate them all at once.
After a few hours, we returned to the main hall to do cake and presents. Derek blew out his candles and then opened a pile of gifts from the other students, and that took another hour all by itself.
Deacon took pictures and videos on his phone, smiling like it was the best day of his life. He was a happy father, living in a memory he would cherish forever. The sexiest thing about him was the way he loved his son so selflessly, that he would make any sacrifice for that little boy without complaint.
He was such a good father.
I sighed and took another big bite of my cake.
Once the party was over and parents came by to pick up their kids, Derek politely said goodbye to each one, talked with their parents, and then took a seat at the empty table, which was covered with abandoned slices of cake and pieces of wrapping paper.
We went around and helped the crew clean up.
“Did you have a good birthday?” I took a seat beside Derek.
“It was so awesome,” he said. “But now it’s over…and I’m sad. It’s like Christmas all over again.”
I smiled. “Don’t be sad it’s over. Be happy that it happened. And there’s always next year.”
“But next year will suck after this.”
“Don’t say suck.” Deacon passed by, carrying a handful of trash to the garbage.
When Deacon was gone, Derek rolled his eyes.
I chuckled, keeping his secret. “So…I noticed there’s this cute little girl who is part of your group… Beatrice?”
“Yeah,” Derek said. “She’s awesome.”
“You like her?” I asked.
“I mean, she’s my girlfriend, so yeah.”
I stared at him blankly for a second, unable to believe what he’d said. “You have a girlfriend?”
“I think so.”
“You’re six…”
He shrugged. “She’s a girl and she’s my friend…so isn’t she my girlfriend?”
Okay, that made more sense. “Yeah, I guess. She’s very pretty.”
“She built her own drone. It’s pretty cool.”
“Wow…impressive.”
Deacon came back to the table and took a seat across from us. “What’s impressive?”
Derek turned to him. “My girlfriend built her own drone.”
Deacon stilled, his eyebrows rising. “Your girlfriend?”
“Beatrice,” I explained. “She’s a girl and she’s his friend—so, his girlfriend.”
Deacon nodded, visibly relieved. “Got it.”
I noticed the way almost all of the mothers had looked at Deacon when they picked up their kids, and quite a few of the fathers too. He was impossible to overlook, to not immediately lust after. Sometimes it bothered me, but I knew I had to accept it and let it go. How could I be with such a gorgeous man without everyone else wanting him too?