A Little Warning

Since our intimate moment the other night, it seems that every time I turn around, I catch Reed staring at my breasts! I know there was nothing wrong with what we did but I can't help but feel very embarrassed when I catch him staring at them. When I asked him once to stop it, he gave me this funny look and told me he wasn't looking at them any more than before. Could I have just never noticed how much he perved on me before? And if I never noticed him staring before, what else haven't I noticed him doing?

I was very curious to find out the answer to that, so I asked him. He tried to tell me that there was nothing else that I missed but I knew by the smile he gave me that there was something. So now I've been trying to catch him in the act of whatever it is that he is doing when I'm not looking.

Does that sound messed up to anyone else?

Yesterday I was talking to Nadine at work and she mentioned how her husband was taking her to The Dive on Friday (tomorrow). The Dive, despite it's name isn't a crappy place, it's apparently a very nice bar. "Why don't you and Reed come out with us?" She asked, "It would be nice to have someone there to talk too besides hubby's friends."

"I don't know," I told her. "I'm not sure if Reed would want to do that."

"Then leave Alexis with him and come without him, I'll show you a good time!" Nadine laughed.

I told her I'd think about it and we both got back to the kids, we were setting up the materials for them to do a picture for their dad's for Father's Day. I made my way over to Alexis' little group of friends and told them we were ready for craft time. While all the other kids took off for their table, Alexis stayed where she was.

"Do you want to make a picture for daddy?" I asked her. She held out her hands to me, which used to mean, 'pick me up' but lately it meant, 'give me your hands, I want to walk'. So I moved behind her and let her wrap her tiny fingers around my fingers and then I helped her off the floor. Together, one shaky step after another, we walked over to her friends and sat down with them.

Since Alexis was much younger than the other kids she needed more help with her picture than they did. But unlike every other time when the girls would tell me I could help her, Nadine came over and told me that she would look after Alexis' table. At first I felt a little upset that she would do that, I asked her if there was a problem with me helping Alexis. She told me there was no problem but it would be a good idea of both Alexis and I interacted with all of the other people in the room too. "You spend so much time with Alexis when you aren't here, it's my turn now," she joked.

I made my way over the of group of kids that Nadine would've been looking after. I knew Nadine was only doing her job, spending time with all the kids but I felt a little put out by that, I started to wonder if Charlie had a problem with the amount of time I spent with Alexis. Does she think I'm not doing my job? I noticed Charlie looking in every once in a while but she never did stop to say anything, if there was something wrong, she would tell me, right?

I must have looked really worried because Nadine excused herself from the kids and came over to me, "Amber I didn't mean to upset you. You are doing a great job here, the kids love you and they all love Alexis. I just thought that you might have wanted a little break from having to worry about Alexis for a few minutes."

I did understand, I knew that it would be good for Alexis to do her own thing without me hovering over her but it was so hard to let that little bit of space between us since it was only us for the longest time. I smiled at her and then looked at the kids staring up at me, waiting for me to pass out their papers. "Ok kids..." I knelt down with them and got all of them started on their pictures. I glanced over at Alexis once all my kids were drawing, she was busy coloring, she didn't seem to mind that Nadine was there instead of me. And that almost make me cry.

But she'll be looking for you in a few minutes, I told myself as I turned to answer the little boy who asked me a question.

Later yesterday, Devon showed up to spend a few minutes with the kids. When he told them that he didn't have the time to tell them a story, they seemed so upset. "But I do have a few minutes to play," he said as he lurched towards the group. The kids who have been around for a while, all started to scream and scattered so he wouldn't catch them but Alexis, who didn't know what was going on, stayed sitting there with her hands folded in her lap, looking around as the other kids screamed, 'run Alexis run! He's going to get you!"

Alexis slowly turned back to look at Devon, who was now on his hands and knees in front of her, waiting. It looked as if he was about to pounce on her. She held out her hand to him, he butted her hand with his nose and she giggled. He did it again, this time growling a little; she jumped and giggled even harder. When he did it the third time, she just laughed and fell over onto her back, kicking her feet in the air and catching him on the chin; he bit his tongue.

"Ow!" He called out, scaring Alexis to tears. "I didn't mean to do that," he told her as she cried but it did nothing to calm her down. All the kids gathered around them asking if Alexis was alright. Alexis rolled onto her stomach, her little eyes searching frantically until she saw me, she went to get up to crawl over but Devon grabbed her off the floor. "Please stop crying," he begged, he tired to hold her to him but she struggled.

I quickly made my way over to them, taking Alexis from Devon to hold her against me. "Shhh, it's alright Alexis, it's alright." I stepped away from the group and made my way over to one corner to sit down. I didn't know until I sat down that Devon had followed us, he knelt on the floor at my feet looking at Alexis as she cling to me.

"I didn't mean to scare her Amber," he lifted his hand to her back and softly stroked it. "Please don't cry Alexis."

Her sobs had quieted some what since I first took her in my arms, she looked up at me when Devon touched her back. "It's ok," I told her. "Devon didn't mean to scare you, you took him by surprise." She looked over her shoulder at him, rubbing her eyes as she stared at him. I guess she must have decided that he was ok again because she slipped out of my lap, smiled at him and then crawled over to her friends.

"Huh," Devon stared after her. "If only it was that easy with all women."

Before I could stop myself, I said what probably was the stupidest thing ever. "They all cry when you get them on their backs?"

Slowly he turned to look up at me, with a smile on his face he replied, "Of course, I'm just that damn good." I rolled my eyes at him. "I never heard any complaints Amber, ever."

I shrugged, shifting uncomfortably in the chair, "Not really something I need to know Devon." Inside I was still kicking myself for saying what I did.

He was quiet for a moment. "How is Janie?" He asked me finally.

"Happy," I told him. It wasn't a lie, she was happy. It was only the night before that she came over and spent a whole hour just gushing about Cary but I got the feeling she was over doing it. It was almost like she was trying to convince herself that he was totally awesome.

"Will she be at Reed's party on Saturday?"

I nodded, "Yes she'll be there with Cary." Devon rolled his eyes when I mentioned Cary. "Listen," I leaned down and gripped his arm. "Saturday is Reed's birthday and I want it to be the best one he's ever had. That means you'll stay as far away from Janie as you can and if you happen to be either bit close to her or Cary, you'll be the nice, polite guy that I know must be hiding in there somewhere. Do I make myself clear?"

Devon stubbornly started at me, I didn't think that he was going to agree at all. "Devon," I sighed and sat back in the chair. "Please don't ruin Reed's birthday. If you have to be an ass, do it another day."

"Real nice Amber," Devon shook his head. "I can control myself but can Janie? Did you have this little talk with her as well?"

"Yes," I told him. "And she told me there would be nothing to worry about, she doesn't plan on being anywhere near you ever again." She also went on to tell me that she hated him and wished him a long unhappy life with his cold heart bitch of a fiancee...but I didn't think he needed to know that little bit.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," he said as he got to his feet. Without another word to me, he turned and left the room.

I have a feeling that Saturday is going to be a little stressful...maybe really stressful. When I was talking to Reed last night, I told him this and he reassured me that he would deal with anything that came up. "And I'll do it happily too because I'm celebrating the way I want too and with the woman I want."

Oh, I found something that I think would make Reed's day. It's actually something that I meant to tell him a while ago but I never found the right time to tell him. I think his birthday would be the best time.