Perfect Mistake ✓

Twenty-Six........Office Relationships (II)

"And where exactly are we?", I asked.
"You'll see. C'mon in.", Blaire invited. I shrugged and followed them inside.

A bell dinged as we opened the door. Soon a little girl came running in from the back door and Blaire crouched to her level to hug her.

"How was school today?", Blaire asked.
"It was great!", the girl started rambling about her adventure, as she called it, in school.

"You seem pretty enthusiastic about school, which is pretty rare.", Parker chipped in.
"Parker!!", she screamed as they walked towards the counter and I followed looking polite.

"How's the one and only?", he asked.
"I'm fine.", she said and turned to me. "Hello. I'm Cheryl.", she said.
"And hello to you too. I'm Riley.", I said. She seemed bubbly.
"Is Parker your friend?", she asked.
"Yes. He is my very good friend."

"Very good friend, does that mean he's your boyfriend?", she asked and I smiled.
"No that means that I'm like his sister.", I explained.

"Phew.", she said putting her hand over her chest. "Because no one should take away the chance Aunt Blaire has with him.", she said and my eyebrows shot up.

"Woah! What did I tell you about talking too much? C'mon. Go get them something.", Blaire said and she left. "Mischievous little thing, my brother's daughter.", she said with a nervous laugh. I gave her a cautious look.

Blaire went behind the counter and a man with grey hair came out from the back door.

"Blaire, you're back early today."
"Hi Dad.", she said and pecked his cheek.

"Hey Parker.", the man said.
"Hello, Mr Callin. We got a ride from our friend here. Mr Callin, this is Riley, Riley this is Mr Callin, Blaire's dad.", Parker introduced.

"Nice to meet you sir.", I said extending my hand to shake him. He shook my hand but there was some flour on it.

"Pardon me, I just came out from the kitchen.", he said and turned to Blaire. "Would you at least not offer them something or are you and Parker playing another game.", she said and Blaire laughed, but I noticed the small blush that crept up her cheek.

She liked Parker.

I turned to Parker and he was too busy laughing with Cheryl, he didn't notice.
"Make yourselves comfortable.", he said to us and left.

I stood and went to start looking at the pictures. There was one of all of them together in front of the diner, probably the day they opened it.

"My family diner. Though not everyone's around now. But Parker has met all of them.", she said.

He has even met her family!

"Right now, it's my dad and Cheryl. Her mum abandoned her when she was born.", she whispered.

"Why?"
"She has dyslexia. But she's pretty enthusiastic about learning, though it's always hard for her. She's currently going to a special needs school, you know even the disabled are enrolled there.", she said.

"That's really nice of you all.", I said and looked at a picture. It was one of Blaire and a man who was holding a baby. "Is that your husband?", I asked pointing to the man in the picture.

"Oh no, that's my brother, and Cheryl in his hands. That's my sister.", she said pointing to a girl in the large photo.
"She looks so much like you.", I said.
"Yeah, she's a doctor. She's also our family doctor."
"Lucky. You don't get to pay her.", I said and we both laughed.

She talked more about the others as we went around the pictures.
"And Parker has met all of them?", I asked.
"Yep."

"But you just resumed last week.", I said.
"Yeah and we just....hit it off I guess.", she said and looked at him. She looked at him in a way I knew Ansel looked at me.