Chapter 11

Chapter 11 - Lilly pov.

The rest of the afternoon passes quietly. I got to know the children and the other employees better and better.

Several times, I catch myself that my mind wanders to Dex. To his beautiful smile and his muscular arms that were clearly visible through his clothing. Embarrassingly, I have to admit that more than once, I imagine myself when he holds me in his arms. I shake the thoughts out of my head when Lucy comes back into the room. I scolded myself for my thoughts. What kind of friend thinks of their friend's boyfriend like that? Fortunately, she doesn't seem to notice anything.

At the end of the day, when all the children have been picked up, we chat with the other girls while we clean up.

"So, be honest. What did you think of the big boss?" One of my new colleagues asks while wiggling her eyebrows meaningfully. I am startled by her question, not knowing what to answer. There is a chuckle from the other side of the room. "You have to admit, he's a treat for the eye." Says one of the others. "He sure is." Says the person who asked with a broad grin, just as Lucy returns. "Who's an eye candy?"

"Your boyfriend." One of the two answers without shame, and Lucy grins.

"He certainly is. so incredibly sweet." She says with a mischievous look in her eyes. "But you will never know, because I am the only one who can enjoy his delicious taste." She winks, and I feel my cheeks turn red. The rest just chuckle and seem unimpressed by her sexual comment.

"Get used to it, Lilly. She's always like this when it comes to Dex," Rose says when she sees my red cheeks. "That's so not true!" Lucy protests, but she can't hide her smile. "Oh, come on Lucy. Your one horny bitch and you know it." Daimy notes with a laugh. "Yeah, well, you would be one too if you had such a handsome boyfriend." She defends herself, and I shake my head laughing.

“Oh, I think she will be worse when she meets her mate,” Rose says, grinning.

"Probably yes. But I can blame the mate bond. She, on the other hand, can't. She just has a dirty mind." Daimy replied with a crooked grin.

"I told you, I feel in my heart that Dex and I should be mates. The Moon Goddess is also a human being, she makes mistakes." Lucy says. Rose and Daimy briefly exchange a look. I can guess what they are thinking.

"So, Rose. Have you met your mate yet?" I ask, drawing attention away from Lucy. "No, not yet. But I have faith that the moon goddess will eventually bring us together." She says with a small smile.

When everything is ready again, we say goodbye to Rose and Daimy, and I prepare Claire to go home. We drive back to the B&B in silence. Claire is so tired from all the impressions that she falls asleep almost immediately when Lucy drives out of the garage.

"So, I think I know the answer, but just to be sure, would you like to come work for us?" Lucy asks as she puts the car in park in front of the B&B. "I would love to," I answer.

"Great!" She says enthusiastically as she fishes paper out of her bag. "I have already drawn up a contract for you." She says, and I take a stack of papers from her. "Read it carefully tonight; if you have any questions about it, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you, will do. So, same time tomorrow?" I ask as I resolve to take Bruce's offer to show me around the city this weekend so I can buy a new phone. "We can go a little later tomorrow. I wanted to go a little earlier today so I could show everything at the building. I'll be there around 7:30," She answers as I lift Claire out of the car seat, carefully so she doesn't wake up. The poor thing is completely exhausted. I quietly close the car door, thank Lucy again for this opportunity, and make my way to the front door.

When I open the door, the delicious smell of a freshly prepared meal hits me. My stomach rumbles in response.

"I don't know what it is, but it smells wonderful," I say as I walk into the kitchen. To my surprise, it is not Beth cooking, but Bruce. I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"What? Never seen a man cook before?" he asks jokingly. "Um, yes." I stammer. "Brent was the one who always cooked with us. I just didn't expect YOU to cook." I confess.

He looks at me semi-indignantly. "What? You just don't seem like the type to stand behind the stove." I say as I put my things on the floor. Claire is still sleeping in my arms. "Why don't you put her down for a moment. I put a playpen in the living room." He says, and gives a nod towards the living room. "A box? You didn't have to do that!" I respond in surprise as I walk to the room next door. Tears well up in my eyes when I see the box. The gesture is so sweet. I carefully place Claire on the mattress. I place her favorite cuddly toy against her cheek and place the blanket they have prepared over her. I wipe the tears from my cheeks before walking back to the kitchen.

"You guys are so sweet. Thank you." I say gratefully and hug him tightly. "It's nothing. Everything for little Claire." He says with a smile. “Is your mother having dinner with us?” I ask as I start setting the table. "Nope, just us," he answers. For some reason, that gives me butterflies in my stomach. In a nice way.

What's wrong with me? I don't want to think about other men that way yet. I'm still far from over Brent. A feeling of guilt washes over me. I try not to show it and continue setting the table.

"Is something wrong?" Bruce asks. I don't have to look at him to know he's looking at me with concern. I feel his eyes boring into my back. “No, just hungry.” To reinforce my lie, my stomach growls, and he chuckles. "Then it's a good thing dinner is ready." He finishes our plates and sits across from me.

I groan as I take the first bite. "This is so good!" I mumble before taking the next bite. “Told you.” He says with satisfaction. "Claire isn't the only one getting something today." He says mysteriously, and he gets up to get something from the cupboard. I look at him questioningly as he hands over a small wrapped box.

Curious, I open it. My mouth dropped open in surprise. "This is too much. I really can't accept this." I say in disbelief and look at him in shock.

"Of course I do. I insist." He says, smiling. "How else am I supposed to reach you?" I don't know what to say. "I'll pay you back, I promise." I stammer, still in disbelief. "You shall not. I don't want it," he says.

"But..." I splutter. "Of course, it is also a bit of my own interest. I took the liberty to put my number in it." He smiles smugly. "And Beth's and Lucy's, of course." He adds.

Curious, I try to turn on the device. A picture of me and Bruce appears on the screen, and I chuckle. "I don't know what to say," I confess and try to swallow the lump in my throat.

"Say yes. Go out with me tonight." He says, the confidence in his voice replaced by uncertainty and hope. “I…What?” I ask, but the penny doesn't drop. "Go out with me tonight. My mother promised to babysit Claire."

Only then did it dawn on me that he was asking me on a date. I open my mouth to answer, but no sound comes out. I'm too shocked, I didn't see this coming.

"I..." I stammer. "Don't know." He looks pained. "Why not?" He places his hand on mine. "You can't deny there's chemistry between us." He says softly. Indeed, I cannot deny that. "I don't know if I'm ready. I don't know if I can do it so soon after… after Brent." I confess. His gaze softens, and he takes my other hand as well.

"Go out with me tonight. To celebrate getting a new job. No strings attached, I promise." He says and looks at me hopefully. I bite my bottom lip softly.

I look back doubtfully at Claire, who is sleeping in the playpen. How much harm can it do? Just a night out. With a friend who happens to be a very handsome guy.

I deserve a night out. I smile. “How can I say no when you've already done so much and arranged a babysitter?” He gives me his best smile and gently squeezes my hand. “Why do you think I went to all that trouble before asking?” he says and smirks at me.

I'm attacking my food again, it is the tastiest pasta I've had in a long time. And that's saying something because Brent was a pretty good cook.

"I think this is my new favorite dish," I say as a compliment when my plate is as good as clean. "Wait until you try my lasagna; my mom says it's even better." He answers as he clears our plates. From the living room, I hear Claire babbling softly, as if she senses that we have finished eating. "Shall I watch Claire while you get ready?" He asks while walking towards Claire. “What time did you tell your mother we were going?” I ask, already thinking about what to wear. Before he can answer, I ask, "Where are we going?"

He doesn't answer right away, as if he still has to figure out what we're going to do.

"Well, I planned to go to the movies and then show you the city. When it's dark, the city is breathtaking," he says. "But if you would rather do something else, go to the club, for example, to celebrate your job, we can do that too." He tries to hide it, but I can see that he prefers to go with his original idea. I smile. "A movie and a walk sounds nice." Although I enjoy having a drink and dancing, this doesn't seem like the best time to do so. That's more fun with a group and not something you would do on a date. I have to remind myself that we're just two friends going out to do something. I said I'm not ready to date yet. And yet, I can't help but melt a little when he lifts Claire out of the playpen and hugs her. I can't help but have an image in my mind of Bruce taking on the father role, although I will make sure Claire knows who her real father is, of course. I smile endearingly at the sight before me.