She isn't married to me

CHAPTER 10: Car issue

ADRIA

I suppose I was expecting him to ask me a straightforward question, after all he has already given me some straightforward comments before. But I don't know what to say because I haven't thought if I like him or not, do I? I find him handsome. He is tall, not too skinny, not big muscles on his arms,but he has a nice and strong body. He is what I have always liked in a man, except that womanizer side of him.

"I guess I like you, Andrew. Don't get me wrong, I say I guess because I haven't thought about it. You're handsome and your personality is appealing, but I'm married. I like to talk to you every time I go to the restaurant, it's like talking with a longtime friend. I don't have to pretend with you, I can be me." Oh my, where all these words came from? It was like my mouth has its own life and my mind wasn't thinking what my mouth was going to say, this is so embarrassing.

"Wow, you don't say your truths normally. I like to hear you speaking a lot. You find me handsome ha? I like that." He has a smirk on his mouth. I'd love to... No, don't even think about it!

And what should I do with my face? It's all red and he can't take his eyes off of me. He knows the effect he has on me. I haven't been able to make him blush so far, a bit unfair I may say.

"Andrew, come back to earth! I'm not trying to make you feel good, not the opposite either, I'm just trying to explain my feelings and you are not helping me." I cover my face with my hands. I'm beyond embarrased. What is it going to happen now? This is so incorrect in many different ways. "We should go before somebody sees this the way is not." He doesn't move, he wants to say something, I know.

"Please, just let me say something else and I won't bother you more at least today." He says and I nod shily.

"If you weren't married, would you be interested in date me?"

No, no, no, not that question! Why? We have this age gap of 6 years, things could never work out between us, or... Would I like to be his Priyanka and he, my Nick? "I don't know, Andrew. I haven't thought about it either."

"Can you think about it and let me know the answer when you're ready? I'm not in a hurry, I can wait for you forever if it's necessary."

Oh my gosh, did I hear correctly? I have a lump in my throat while I'm staring at him, I have to swallow it and he is watching at my hands, he sees I'm trembling. He takes my hands with those huge hands of him and I... I want to kiss him. "It's time to go Andrew, it's getting late, time to take Sophie back home."

I thought the ride back to his parents' house was going to be awful and awkward, but no, it is the opposite. He seems comfortable and it makes me feel the same way. I didn't want to sing this time because I wanted to scream, I feel something I hadn't felt before.

On our way to the ice cream shop, I heard my favorite song on the radio and I couldn't hold myself, I had to sing. I haven't sung like that in years, and with him things go so easy. I used to sing back in school, I even had a pop rock band, I wrote the songs and we used to play in many bars here in the coast, but everything was over once I met Fred and his jealous type of guy.

"A penny for your thoughts." I hear Andrew saying to me, he has this sweet face and a pair of puppy eyes.

"I was just reminding something, nothing important." Wow, when did we get to his parents' house that I didn't notice it?

"Look, Sophie is waving from the door" he says.

I hop off the car and my daughter runs to my arms "Mom, come, I have so many cool things to tell you, but before that, can I come back next weekend, please? I feel better with them than in my grandparents' house, they do want to play with me and talk to me and the food is so delicious."

Wow, this is a surprise, I knew Fred's parents don't care about her, but how can I tell her she can't come here whenever she wants? I'm speechless, suddenly I hear Andrew and his mom say in unison.

"You can come back whenever you want, Sophie." I laugh, everybody laughs, it's funny and sweet to know they are on the same page about my daughter. Sophie's starts to scream and jump and hug everybody. My heart melts. Andrew hugs her, spins around with her and I.. I feel my heart beats so fast I think Andrew's dad can hear it because he gives me a polite face and nods as if he agrees with me. Am I thinking at loud?

"Let's go my baby, time to go home". We head to the car. I sit Sophie on her seat, Andrew is behind me saying goodbye to Sophie one more time. As I close the door, he follows me, I open the driver's door, hop on the car, and let the window down. Andrew wants to say something to me. I'm trying to start the car, but something is wrong, it doesn't turn on, I try three more times, but nothing.

"Is there something wrong?" Andrew asks.

"I don't know, I have never had any problem with this car before, maybe it's the battery."

"Let me see, my dad has taught me a lot about cars."

I wait while Andrew's dad gets closer to him. They talk and Andrew laughs, I don't know why but it doesn't seem a conversation about cars, why Andrew has a naughty smile on his face? Am I not seeing something here?

Andrew comes back and explains to me "Hey, well in fact it is the battery, but in these kind of cars, the battery it's a delicate thing, we can't do what we do with other cars, if you know what I mean."

I'm sure Fred is the responsible behind this, every time he gets home, he leaves the fog lights on. 

Andrew continues "But my dad has an idea, what if you leave your car here for the night, tomorrow my dad fixes it, I take you and Sophie back to your place, and tomorrow my dad takes your car back to your place."

That's quite an idea and since I have no other choice. "That sounds fine, I guess. Let's go."