Read Online One True Theory of Love by Laura Fitzgerald - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Fitzgerald
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she’d left far behind.
On the way to Meg’s car, Ahmed caught her eye over Henry’s head and mouthed, Ice cream? Meg processed it as I scream and gave him a puzzled look. Ice cream, he mouthed again. As he did, Henry caught the exchange. “What’d you say?”
“I was asking your mother if we should take you for ice cream,” Ahmed said. “I know that mint chocolate chip ice cream always makes me feel better when I’ve had a rough day.”
“Ice cream?” Meg laughed. In retrospect, it was obvious what he’d been saying. “I don’t know—that’s really a harsh punishment. I mean, it’s not like Bradley lost an eye or anything.” The beginnings of a smile crossed Henry’s eyes.
“What were you thinking?” Ahmed said. “Hanging him upside down by his ankles?”
Meg loved being on the same humor wavelength with a person, and she and Ahmed definitely were. “Something like that,” she joked back.
Even as Meg was still embarrassed by and mad about what Henry had done, her heart melted when he laughed. As a mom, she constantly worried that some big trauma was going to come along and break his spirit. His laughter told her that this —getting kicked out of the soccer game—wasn’t it. His little psyche would survive.
They reached the parking lot and stopped in front of Meg’s car. “Can you imagine what Catherine would think if she saw us having ice cream after Henry just pounded on her kid?”
“Come on—please!” Henry said. “We’ll be done by the time the game’s over!”
“That’s not the point,” Meg said.
“I learned my lesson,” Henry said.
“Yeah, right.” Who did he think he was kidding? “Don’t think you’re getting off that easy.”
“Sorry,” Ahmed said. “I didn’t mean for him to hear.”
“I thought you were saying I scream ,” she said. “I just couldn’t figure it out.”
“I scream.” Ahmed laughed. “That’s cute.”
Meg blushed. It was as good as if he’d called her cute.
“I know!” Henry said. “We’ve got Popsicles at home. Can Ahmed come over and have one?”
Whish. The idea of Ahmed in their apartment felt dangerous. Delicious, yes. But dangerous, too.
“That still doesn’t seem like a punishment,” she said.
“Please?” Henry said. “I won’t have any fun. I promise!”
“I won’t, either.” Ahmed’s smile was sexier than hell. “I promise.”
Hoo-rah.
Meg considered. It would be letting Ahmed in, which was one thing in and of itself, but even worse were these wild impulses she kept having where he was concerned. The entire past week, she’d seen her storage closet at school or the laundry room at the apartments or even her kitchen counter, and she’d gotten lusty little thrills and thought, There’s a nice place I could shove him up against. She wasn’t sure she trusted herself where he was concerned.
She shook her head. “That won’t work.”
“Come on! Why not?” Henry said.
“Because first of all, you misbehaved,” she said. “And boys who misbehave don’t get treats.”
“Ahmed’s not a treat.” Henry stuck out his lower lip in a pout.
Oh, yes, he is. Meg carefully avoided looking at Ahmed because he’d know exactly what she was thinking. And he’d be very, very amused.
“My mind’s made up,” she said.
“What’s the second reason?” Henry asked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You said first of all . That means there’s a second of all.”
“Oh, right.” Meg glanced at Ahmed before answering. “We don’t know Ahmed well enough to have him over.”
“We do so,” Henry insisted.
Meg shrugged an apology to Ahmed. “Sorry, but I’m protective when it comes to my son.”
“As well you should be,” Ahmed said. “How about I’ll take my leave here. But can I call you sometime this week?”
“You have to,” Henry said. “You have to show me your tips and tricks, remember?”
“Oh, right. So you can help Bradley.” Ahmed’s eyes twinkled. He turned his
On the way to Meg’s car, Ahmed caught her eye over Henry’s head and mouthed, Ice cream? Meg processed it as I scream and gave him a puzzled look. Ice cream, he mouthed again. As he did, Henry caught the exchange. “What’d you say?”
“I was asking your mother if we should take you for ice cream,” Ahmed said. “I know that mint chocolate chip ice cream always makes me feel better when I’ve had a rough day.”
“Ice cream?” Meg laughed. In retrospect, it was obvious what he’d been saying. “I don’t know—that’s really a harsh punishment. I mean, it’s not like Bradley lost an eye or anything.” The beginnings of a smile crossed Henry’s eyes.
“What were you thinking?” Ahmed said. “Hanging him upside down by his ankles?”
Meg loved being on the same humor wavelength with a person, and she and Ahmed definitely were. “Something like that,” she joked back.
Even as Meg was still embarrassed by and mad about what Henry had done, her heart melted when he laughed. As a mom, she constantly worried that some big trauma was going to come along and break his spirit. His laughter told her that this —getting kicked out of the soccer game—wasn’t it. His little psyche would survive.
They reached the parking lot and stopped in front of Meg’s car. “Can you imagine what Catherine would think if she saw us having ice cream after Henry just pounded on her kid?”
“Come on—please!” Henry said. “We’ll be done by the time the game’s over!”
“That’s not the point,” Meg said.
“I learned my lesson,” Henry said.
“Yeah, right.” Who did he think he was kidding? “Don’t think you’re getting off that easy.”
“Sorry,” Ahmed said. “I didn’t mean for him to hear.”
“I thought you were saying I scream ,” she said. “I just couldn’t figure it out.”
“I scream.” Ahmed laughed. “That’s cute.”
Meg blushed. It was as good as if he’d called her cute.
“I know!” Henry said. “We’ve got Popsicles at home. Can Ahmed come over and have one?”
Whish. The idea of Ahmed in their apartment felt dangerous. Delicious, yes. But dangerous, too.
“That still doesn’t seem like a punishment,” she said.
“Please?” Henry said. “I won’t have any fun. I promise!”
“I won’t, either.” Ahmed’s smile was sexier than hell. “I promise.”
Hoo-rah.
Meg considered. It would be letting Ahmed in, which was one thing in and of itself, but even worse were these wild impulses she kept having where he was concerned. The entire past week, she’d seen her storage closet at school or the laundry room at the apartments or even her kitchen counter, and she’d gotten lusty little thrills and thought, There’s a nice place I could shove him up against. She wasn’t sure she trusted herself where he was concerned.
She shook her head. “That won’t work.”
“Come on! Why not?” Henry said.
“Because first of all, you misbehaved,” she said. “And boys who misbehave don’t get treats.”
“Ahmed’s not a treat.” Henry stuck out his lower lip in a pout.
Oh, yes, he is. Meg carefully avoided looking at Ahmed because he’d know exactly what she was thinking. And he’d be very, very amused.
“My mind’s made up,” she said.
“What’s the second reason?” Henry asked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You said first of all . That means there’s a second of all.”
“Oh, right.” Meg glanced at Ahmed before answering. “We don’t know Ahmed well enough to have him over.”
“We do so,” Henry insisted.
Meg shrugged an apology to Ahmed. “Sorry, but I’m protective when it comes to my son.”
“As well you should be,” Ahmed said. “How about I’ll take my leave here. But can I call you sometime this week?”
“You have to,” Henry said. “You have to show me your tips and tricks, remember?”
“Oh, right. So you can help Bradley.” Ahmed’s eyes twinkled. He turned his
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