Chapter Seven

 After his belly was full of food and wine, I saw Jay more relaxed than I ever had.  He still looked tired, but less run down.  He gave Mariah his dish, and Maddie broke into giggles seeing her lick at it.

 “Mommy, can I give Mariah my dish?”

 Jay chuckled and gave a slight nod when I looked at him.  “Sure, sweetie.”

 She put hers down and jerked her arms back, even though Mariah was still working on Jay’s.  When she moved to Maddie’s bowl, she broke into a full-on laughter that Jay and I caught.

 “Well, now what?” he asked after we sat at the table for a few minutes.

 “I want to watch Rapunzel!” Madison said to me.

 “That’s fine, sweetie.  I’ll put it on for you.”

 “Will you watch it with me, Jay?”

 “Maddie, that’s a girl movie,” I said, wanting to spare him the discomfort of refusing.

 “I’d love to, actually,” he said, addressing me.

 “Really?” I asked, trying to gauge if he was just being polite.

 “Like I said, I’ve heard good things.  I’ve gotten pretty curious by now, actually.”

 He was serious.  “Alright then.  Maddie, will you help with the dishes first?”

 “Oh, let me,” Jay said, getting up.

 “Sit!” I said playfully.  “You’re my guest, remember, and you still look exhausted.”

 He sank back into his chair without argument.  “I do, eh?  Funny how that works.”

 I rinsed the dishes as Madison handed them to me, and loaded the dishwasher.  “Okay, come on, Jay!” Madison said excitedly when we finished.  She took one of his hands in both of hers, pulling him into the living room as he balanced his second glass of wine.  We’d emptied a bottle between the two of us.

 “Sit here.”  She nearly pushed him onto the love seat.  I had gotten over my fear of her annoying him, and just laughed with Jay.  As I got the DVD out I heard, “Can I touch your beard?”

 “Sure.”  I glanced over to see Jay leaning forward.  Madison rubbed his cheek and chin, and not knowing what to say, gave an affected giggle.

 I started the movie and turned out the lights.  Madison climbed next to Jay, and I had a seat in the armchair.  As she cuddled into him he unconsciously put his arm around her, then looked at me to make sure it was okay.  I smiled my approval, and realized in just this one night Jay had already spent more time with Madison than her own father.  I tried to picture Earl sitting there with Madison, holding her as they watched her favorite cartoon.  The image wouldn’t even form.  The effort it took just to try made me giggle.  Jay looked at me questioningly, I only shook my head.  She’s really never had any male contact.

 Jay asked Madison an occasional question, otherwise they were silent for most of the movie.  They were sitting profile to me, and I used the opportunity to admire Jay’s features without fear of being caught.

 I stifled laughter more than once as I saw events in the movie register on his face.  He was into it, at least as much as Madison was!  It was cute, and endeared him to me greatly.

 When the movie ended, he took a breath in and looked at me.

 “So, how did you like Rapunzel?” I asked.

 “That was great,” he said without a hint of embarrassment.  He looked down to say something to Madison, and noticed she’d fallen asleep.

 “You’re being serious?”

 “What, don’t you like it?”

 “Well, I do, but...”

 “It’s not a boy movie?”

 I shrugged, not having another way to put it.  “I was just trying to picture her father sitting there with her.  It’s unimaginable.  I think this is the most interaction she’s ever had with a man.”

 Jay held his glass by the stem, twirling it and looking at the last bit of wine.  “I’m not trying to pry here, and if you don’t want to talk about it please say so.  I’m only asking to avoid putting my foot in my mouth later.  Where is Madison’s father?”

 No, I sure didn’t want to talk about it...  “They’ve never met, and we don’t talk about him.  Can I ask you one?”

 “You can ask...”

 “I admit I am prying here, so same thing.  Don’t answer if you don’t want to go here, but why did you laugh when I asked about a girlfriend?”

 He smiled, and sipped his wine.  “In a nutshell...  When I moved to town and started at the hospital, I knew absolutely no one.  After a month or so, this girl Beth asked if I would like to go out on a date.  We went on several, and...”  He paused, I assumed to think about how much to tell.  “Well, things got to a certain point, and...”  He shrugged.  “I’m not her type.”  I had to wonder what that meant.  You sure as hell are my type, so far.

 I could tell he would be content to leave it at that, but there was no note in his voice that said the conversation had to end there.  I was still curious.  “Alright, but why wouldn’t you be able to find someone else?”

 “Beth was actually really great about the whole thing.  I’m not for everyone, I’m well aware of that.  We sat up talking into the night, that night.  We’re still friends.  Of course, people did ask her about us, and that is where a raging b***h named Alyce comes in.”  He covered his mouth and looked at Madison.

 “You’re fine, she’s asleep,” I laughed.  “What did Alyce do?”

 “I don’t know, exactly.  I’m guessing she overheard Beth say something out of context, twisted it to mean whatever she wanted, and fed the rumor mill something new.”

 “How did you figure that out if you didn’t witness anything?”

 “Alyce has had it in for me since day one, for no reason I can discern.  I also know Beth wouldn’t have talked directly to her about me at all.  She told me she did talk to her friends, but the rumors floating around were nothing she’d said.”

 “What rumors are those?”

 He paused, and blushed.  “The rumor is that...  I’m lousy in bed.”

 “Oh, I’m sorry...”  Now I felt I’d gone too far, and we both fell silent.

 Jay slid away from Madison slightly and laid her down with her head in his lap.  He started stroking her hair, and I desperately wanted to trade places with my daughter.  “My turn?” He asked.

 “You’ve earned one...”

 He sipped his wine.  “Did you actually tell Madison that you’re looking for your knight in shining armor?”

 “Oh my god...  You would pick that one, wouldn’t you?  Yes, I did.  If you’re going to make fun of me, just get it all out of your system at once, alright?”

 He seemed distracted by Madison’s hair.  “I think that’s wonderful.”

 That wasn’t what I was expecting.  I was intrigued.  “What makes you say that?”

 “I bet you tell her things like that all the time.  You’re filling this little girl with magic.  Look how happy it’s made her.”

 I looked at her as well, imagining those fingers running through my hair.  I hadn’t felt that in literal ages...  “I worry sometimes that I’m doing her a disservice,” I said.

 “What would make you think that?”

 That seemed so obvious I actually faltered for an explanation.  “Well it’s...  Not how the world works.  How am I preparing her for real life?”

 Jay’s eyes closed, his head rested back against the sofa.  “Those stories are real, as well.”

 I folded my legs underneath me, and sipped my wine.  “This should be good.”

Reviews

[Jennie Lynn]

Again great dialogue. It did bother me when Laura referred to Rapunzel as a "girl's movie", but not for any other reason than I think it's sexist. I know she was just scrambling for an answer for Maddie as to why Jay couldn't watch but I'm sensitive like that :)

There does seem to be an unnatural level of comfort between the two of them but it didn't bother me that much. Maybe some recognition of Laura's part that it's odd she trusts him so soon, or feels so comfortable around him even barely knowing him might make it easier to suspend disbelief.

[Christopher Miller]

I was trying to show that Laura was afraid he might be thinking that, while showing in the story that there isn't any such thing as a 'girl's movie'. I might change it to kid's movie, though. That probably fits better in light of the following conversation, anyway.
The level of comfort I don't think is unnatural, as I think we've all experienced it before, but uncommon to be sure. And since it is so uncommon, certainly it should be recognized. I'll think about how to do that too. Thank you!

[Jennie Lynn]

I've definitely experienced that level of comfort before. I've always said I know within 15 min if someone I meet will be a friend or not. I kind of either hate someone or love them right off the bat. At first I would always question it as being odd when I immediately hit it off with someone, but then I began to realize it was simply the way I worked. Some mention of it being unusual for her, esp since you've mentioned previously she doesn't trust her judgment on men would be helpful.

[Sarah]

I feel like if there was any sort of attraction between the two of them, which I know you are trying to convey, that they would be a little more hesitant in their speech. When Laura said, "I'm just trying to picture her father sitting there with her," I found it odd. If I was romantically interested in someone in front of me, I surely wouldn't give up that personal information so easily. I definitely wouldn't bring it up. Jay also shares much of his personal life, as far as the Alyce and their past. Just seems like something that should've been better off left unsaid if the two were expecting something out of each other and not try to scare them off. I'm not really sure how to take this scene.

[Christopher Miller]

The alcohol was meant to excuse that. I actually tried to stretch the "puppy love" phase out as much as I could. The first real criticism I got was later in the story, someone stopped reading and said they needed to hook up already. It was funny, because further down the same page, they did. She didn't keep reading because of a time constraint... I wish she had, she gave me a ton of good notes.
Back to the point, in this case I felt the need to move things along. Between the alcohol and the comfort they already felt the lips get loose. Also, at this point they aren't expecting anything of the sort from each other. That is discussed later.