Chapter Nineteen: Thomas

I am going all out. I left the house, so I could pick Sophia up for our first date. The cameras have died down a bit, but now that her stomach is fully out there they are still clamoring for pictures. It unnerves me every time we leave anywhere that they run up and get that close.

“You’ve got it bad, huh?” Mason says as he watches me get ready at his place. I’ve got a suit and tie ready. I told her to dress like we were going to the opera. I have a big surprise planned.

“I do, and I don’t care what you say. This is the real deal.”

He holds up his hand in protest. “I’m glad. It’s way better than the arrangement you had before. Now you can be a real family.”

He wipes a fake tear, but I can’t even be mad at him. It’s the truth. We’re going to be a family me, Sophia, and Aurora. I just hope she likes what I’ve put together.

As I'm grabbing a water from the fridge there's a knock on the door.

"That should be Sara," Mason says.

When he opens the door, he's doused with mayonnaise and ketchup.

At least that's what it looks like.

"What the hell?" He exclaims backing up.

"We are Rosa Diaz’s fateful three." The girls yell and push their way into the house. They have more bottles and I didn't bring a change of clothes.

I rush into Masons bedroom and shut the door. Fan girls of Rosa's have always been insane. When we were dating they stalked her all the time. There's a whole blog dedicated to bashing me and how I mistreated her. It's amazing to me how some people put on such blinders when it comes to someone they idolize.

I recognize the short hairstyle she's wearing now and the bodysuit with jeans. She used to say it was her signature look. These girls and many like then wear the same things.

I hold the door shut and yell, "Mason."

“I’m calling the police man, just hang on. Crazy bitches running into my house.” He sounds pretty upset and I hope they leave if they know what’s good for them.

“Come out you asshole,” they call through the door, “face the music.”

“She cheated on me guys. She cheated on me.” Why am I defending myself to these crazy people? They ran into someone’s house and threw condiments on him.

“Girls I’m not kidding the cops are on their way. You assaulted me, and you broke into my house.”

“Shit Vickie, I can’t go to jail.” I hear one say.

“Next time Henry,” another yells and then they laugh as they run out of the door.

“How the hell did they know you were here?” Mason comes in, his white shirt covered in ketchup.

“They did some really good research.” I say. “Did you lock the door.”

“Yes, and I didn’t call the police for real. That’s all I need is to draw more attention to this whole situation.”

“Okay, how do I look?”

“Like a million bucks,” Mason says. “Go knock them dead.” He follows me out and goes to get in his car. A friend of his, Sara, is waiting there with a fake belly and her hair styled like Sophia’s. The first step to the perfect date night is tricking the paparazzi.

Once I’ve let them see me get into my car and drive to the apartment, Mason follows behind a few car lengths. When I reach our apartment we both go to park around the back.

I go into the apartment first and the two of them follow to wait out in the hall. Luckily, we have the gates around the front so even if the paps drive into the parking lot, they can’t get in the back to see our little switch-a-roo. I do this a lot by myself. I hire someone or get a buddy to dress like me and go out to lure them away. I’ve never tried with two people so this should be interesting.

I knock on the door and she answers looking gorgeous in a red dress that shows off her pregnant belly.

“Hi, I’m here to pick you up for our first date. I’m not that nervous.” I say and pretend to bite my nails. Good Lord, when did I turn into a dorky teenager.

She giggles, “I’m excited to see the opera.”

“Oh, we’re not going to the opera, that was to throw you off. I have a few surprises lined up for the evening.”

“Oh, thank God. I had no clue what to do at the opera.” She laughs. Her face lights up and I’m overwhelmed with admiration for her.

When we walk out into the hall and see Mason and Sara waiting there she raises her brows at me. “Double date?”

“Nope, they’re our distraction.”

I lead her towards the back of the apartment as Mason leads Sara the same way towards the front. He puts on sunglasses and a hat and Sara pushes her hair in her face. I think they’ll pass for us at least long enough for us to get out of here.

“That’s too funny. She had a belly!” Sophia says when we walk out and there are no cameramen in the back.

“Yes, we’ve been planning this to make sure everything was perfect.”

“I can’t wait to see where we’re going.”

We get into the car and I pull out glancing over to see all the flashbulbs as Mason and Sara rush down the street. We pull out without getting noticed. It’s the best feeling in the world.

She smiles at me and I can tell she’s much more relaxed than normal. “I know you don’t like dealing with them, especially with little Aurora swimming around.”

“Thank you, Thomas. This is really thoughtful.”

I drive to the destination without much traffic to deter me. I assume by now they’ve figured out my decoys are not who they thought they were. The walkway from our apartment only goes so far and the only thing they could reach was a small park.

I’d told them to walk to the park and stand by the pond with their arms around each other. It was starting to get dark as we’d left, but eventually, when they turned to go back and get in the car, the paps would catch on.

I pull into the parking lot of The Bistro. It’s a place Sophia has mentioned loving in the past. I walk around to let her out of the car.

“The Bistro is only open for lunch?” She looks at me with a curious smirk.

“I know, but I rented the whole place just for our dinner, so we could get to know each other. The perfect first date for two people who don’t ever get privacy.”

She squeals, “I love everything on the menu here!”

We walk in and see a buffet set up to the side with an attendant to slice the meats. There is one of everything from the menu set out and ready for us to enjoy.

“I’m in heaven!” She doesn’t have any shame in going straight to the table and piling food on her plate. I think I have fallen even more in love just now watching her load her plate and the happiness on her face. I want to always do things that make her look this happy.

We sit after I pile up my plate and dig in as the waiter comes over to pour water and wine. She covers her glass. “None for me, thank you. I will have a Sprite or Ginger Ale thought.”

“So, I thought we’d do like a fire round of questions to get to know each other better.”

“That sounds fun,” she says. “I’m going to eat and talk though because I’m starving. You’ll just have to look away from my terrible manners.”

“One of the benefits of having the place to ourselves,” I say smiling. “Okay, where and when did you lose your virginity?”

“Oh, getting right into the juicy ones,” Sophia says sucking some of the sauce from her pasta from her fingers. “I was nineteen on a boat in the middle of a lake. It was not romantic. There were bugs and it was really hot. I got a horrible sunburn on parts that shouldn’t have been in the sun.”

I laugh. That is the best story ever.

“How about you?”

“I was eighteen and it was in the pool house at my parent’s house. They were both gone for like a week and I did it with two different girls while they were out.”

“Oh wow, you always were a ladies’ man even in the beginning.” She laughs and the waiter brings her Sprite. “Thank you, this will save me from heartburn.”

“Biggest regret?” I know that’s a loaded one, but it’s also a good way to get to know each other.

“Not knowing my father better. He left us, and he’s a son of a bitch, but I wish I’d have taken the time to really get to know him.”

“That’s a good one. Mine is a friend I lost in middle school. He was not in the same circles but we were buddies. Once my mother figured out he was on scholarship and couldn’t actually afford our private school she put all these things in my head. I should have ignored her and just been his friend.”

“What happened, he found out?”

“I shunned him and then he started all these rumors about me and we just never made up.”

“At least our regrets aren’t robbing banks and murdering people,” she says.

“That’s true.”

The rest of the meal is a lot of the same. I feel like we’ve learned so much about each other just from sitting and communicating.

“We’re going to do this again,” I tell her as we’re finishing up dinner.

“Oh yeah, have more first dates?”

“Yes, because we need to know each other and make time for us even if we have a kid. Even if we have ten kids.”

“Okay, it’s a promise,” Sophia says.

We leave the restaurant and I’m surprised but there are still no cameramen waiting for us in the parking lot. I’m stuffed to the hilt and just want to go home and cuddle with Sophia feeling our baby kick. I kiss her long and slow before opening her car door. This is right where I want to be and everything is going to be different from this night on.