A Woman's Touch Excerpt © Delaney Foster 2015
One of our favorite places to eat as a family was PF Changs so naturally that’s where Hudson decided he wants to have lunch. Hudson is showing his dad and me how he can use chop sticks to eat his lo mein when I hear a familiar voice. My heart speeds up before I’m even able to look up to confirm who is standing there.
“Well this is a pleasant surprise.” Nick’s voice is calm and poised, even though the look in his eyes is anything but. He regards me first, then Cole. I see a slight twitch in Nick’s jaw as they make eye contact.
“Nick. How are you?” I sound like we’re meeting for the first time in years. Like he’s an old family friend. Instead of the man who made me quiver with pleasure…twice…less than twenty-four hours ago. 
Nick smiles at me and his eyes twinkle. Like he knows I’m uncomfortable and he’s not planning on making this easy for me. He opens his mouth to speak but Hudson interrupts him. “Wanna see me eat with chop sticks?” he asks.
Nick looks down at him and continues smiling. “There’s no way you can eat with chop sticks! I can’t even eat with chop sticks."
Hudson accepts the challenge and digs in to his noodles and chicken. A few of them hang off his chin, but he sucks them in his mouth and smiles proudly as he chews.
“Well I am impressed,” Nick tells him.
I take the opportunity to divert his attention from Cole. “Nick, this is my son Hudson. Hudson, I’d like you to meet my friend Mr. Knight.” So not how I planned on this going down. I had never really planned on Nick meeting Hudson. But on the off chance that I thought it should ever happen, it definitely wasn’t supposed to be while I was at lunch with my ex-husband.
Hudson extends his hand to Nick. Such the little gentleman. “Nice to meet you Mr. Knight,” he says with the confidence of a grown man.
Nick arches his eyebrows and shoots me an amused glance as he reaches to shake Hudson’s hand. I respond with an amused smile of my own. “It’s nice to meet you too young man,” Nick says as his eyes note the band-aid. “Who’s your favorite ninja turtle?” he asks, nodding towards Hudson’s arm.
“Donatello,” Hudson replies. “He’s the blue one. Blue is my mom’s favorite color,” he explains as if he’s known Nick for months. He looks at the band-aid and sighs heavily. “We just went to the hospital. They had to take blood. Again. I hate when they do that. I don’t get why my mom is so worried. I don’t even feel sick,” he declares, palming his forehead the way I do when checking him for a fever.
I’d say Hudson has done a great job channeling Nick’s attention from his dad now. Way to over share, son. Leave it to kids.

Nick leans in close to my son and speaks lowly, directing his words specifically to Hudson. “You know, sometimes there’s a battle going on inside our bodies. And we don’t even know it. But we have to go to the doctor because they can see inside of us and make sure the good guys win the battle and our bodies feel better again. Your mom just worries because she loves you.” He ruffles the hair on the top of Hudson’s head and winks at him. Hudson gives an exaggerated wink back, along with a thumbs up. And there go my ovaries.
I am amazed at how he managed to control the conversation without knowing anything about the situation.
Nick stands up straight and looks at me with a knowing expression. I give him a feeble smile then focus on taking a sip of my drink. He cuts his eyes at Cole for a split second then back to me. There’s the jaw twitch again. “It seems we have a few things to,” he pauses to collect his composure, “discuss."
If he's talking about Hudson and the band-aid, a couple of orgasms and a pretty smile doesn't earn  him the right to something so painfully personal. And if he's talking about Cole, he's definitely got balls. Considering the shit that went down in his office with Blonde Bombshell. 
He can’t just come over here, interrupt my lunch, buddy up to my child, then make little jealous accusations. Who does he think he is? So what if I’m on a date? Which I’m so not. Cole is my ex for a reason. But if I were, why should he care? And what is there to discuss? And now here I am, mad at him all over again, and wondering how one man can evoke so many emotions within me at once.

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