The Art of Attraction

Chapter 9

Roger walked into his house and walked to the security alarm to override the alert.

"It's just me!" he called out. Letting his kids know it was only him when the front door opened. He saw Charlotte peer out the kitchen entryway at him. Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail and she still had her pajamas on.

"What are you doing home?" she questioned. "I thought you went back to work today?"

"I did." Roger confirmed as he pulled off his coat and hung it up. "But I've decided to take some time off." he told her. She appeared concerned.

"Is it because of the divorce?" she asked him as Roger came her way. She went back into the kitchen as Roger followed.

"Kind of." Roger admitted. "Mostly I find that I really need a break." he told her. Charlotte sat down at the kitchen table in front of her mug of tea and a bowl of cereal. "I've not had a real holiday for years and I've decided to accept an offer I received for a trip to Spain." he disclosed.

"Who offered you a trip to Spain?" Charlotte inquired. Curious about his traveling companion.

"My friend Brian..." Roger answered. He tried to maintain an expression that did not give away how excited he was about the trip. Not smiling too earnestly.

"Hmm." Charlotte commented as she seemed to be thinking. "You've been spending a lot of time with him." she said as she picked up her cereal bowl and walked to the sink.

"Yes." Roger confirmed. "He's become a really good friend." he said and planned to keep it at that for the time being.

"He seemed pretty nice." Charlotte replied as she rinsed out her cereal bowl. "He is certainly more interesting that some of my college professors." she said as she turned off the water. Roger thought about the lunch Brian had shared with him and his children back in early December.

"He's fun and he has a friend with a house in the south of Spain that he is using and he invited me along." Roger said casually. He felt there was nothing wrong in saying it as friend would certainly invite other friends on a holiday.

"So is it just you two or a group of friends?" Charlotte asked as she resumed her seat at the kitchen table. Picking up her phone.

"Just us two." Roger responded truthfully. Hoping his daughter didn't make any presumptions from the information. He watched as she typed something in her phone and then looked back up at him.

"When do you leave?" she asked him next.

"Thursday." Roger replied as Charlotte smiled at him. Seemingly happy.

"I guess you better start packing." she said as she got distracted again by her phone.

"I'll be back on Tuesday." Roger quickly informed her. "So I will see you both before you head back to school." he told his daughter. She made an exaggerated sigh as she typed on her phone.

"You know you're leaving both of your children alone in the house for an entire weekend." she stated as she continued typing. She then looked up at him again with a wry smile. "Aren't you worried we might have a party?" she asked him with amusement.

"As long as nothing goes missing or is broken while I'm gone and the house is clean when I return, I really don't care what you do." Roger replied as he walked from the kitchen. He enjoyed giving her permission to have some fun. His kids were both level headed so he trusted them to not wreck the house in his absence. He went to his bedroom and reached under the bed for his long neglected suitcase.