Five

"My six year old daughter has more fashion sense than any of you in this room." Bradley snapped at his purchase team as they held up to long fabrics. One purple plaid material with tiny pink dots on it and they had wanted to pair it with a lime green fabric.

No one was looking him in the eye. He knew he was being too harsh but he was so fucking angry. He was pissed off. Why? All because a man named Lee didn't want to have anything to do with him.

The group moves and the marketing team came forward, the screen lights up as they project their work. It was good but they were missing a couple things.

"Aren't you missing something?"

Everyone held their breaths as Anne hands Bradley a printed out copy of their presentation. He flips through each page, the frown on his face deepening.

"Sir?" A member of the marketing team says, his voice shaky.

"Where are the plus sized models? Because no matter how long I flip it not seeing any of them in here. So what? They shouldn't wear designer clothes?" Bradley said, his voice calm but everyone knew otherwise. "And the design for kids, are you really just going to place them on a mannequin for the campaign shoot? You don't have something better?"

Bradley snaps the document onto the table and took a deep breath. "Get Stefflon and Patrick Starr for the Mayberry design. And please check the Nickelodeon kids, pick a couple of them for the campaign shoot."

They all chorus their answer and practically ran out of the room. An angry Bradley was one that no one wants to meet. He was scary and mean and they all liked, needed and wanted their jobs.

"Is there a reason you got on your man period early this month?" Anne asked s Bradley got up from his seat. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"I might have had a date this morning."

This gets Anne's attention. She looks away from the papers she was stacking and turned to him, one elegantly drawn brow raised. "You were? With who? Do I know him?"

Bradley shrugged. "We met three days ago, I gave him my umbrella and then we met yesterday and I asked him out for coffee and we agreed to have it today."

"Did you get stood up?"

"No. It was going fine until I mentioned Jamie and then he bolted. No, can I have your number and nor did he give me the chance to."

"Woah." Anne stands, her papers in hand as she walked closer to Bradley. He had taken off the velvet jacket and was left in his white shirt and velvet pants. "Are you sure that's what happened?"

"You know how when you're on a date with someone you don't like and you make your friends call you twenty into with a fake kind of emergency? That's what it felt like." Bradley tries to explain. They both made their way to the elevator, stepped in and Anne taps the 12th button.

"What if you're just over thinking this? Maybe something actually came up."

"What if he didn't want to go on with the date because I have a daughter?"

Annie shrugs. "Don't overthink. When next you see him, just ask him."

That is easier said than done when it comes to Lee. Bradley could remember how brightly Lee had smiled at him when he saw him at the cafe that morning. He could remember how Lee listened and asked questions. Maybe something did come up or maybe it didn't. He wasn't going to risk going back to the cafe again. The last thing he wanted was a broken heart.

Work went by in a daze for him and soon it was two thirty. He shuts off his computer and pulls on his jacket. He nods Anne good bye on his way out. The drive to Jamie school took twenty minutes and thirty of there was traffic. When Chuku pulls into the parking lot, it was three on the dot and the sealed doors opened, the children pouring out.

He walked out of the car, smiling to some of the parents he could tolerate. Jamie hops out a few seconds later, holding hands with a boy who was smaller than she was. His hair was dark, one eye blue, the other green and a dimpled smile.

"Jamie." He cheered, waving his hand.

"Joshua." Someone cheered too and fuck, was he hearing things now? Wasn't that Lee's voice? He turns around to verify if he had been right and his eyes widened when he sees Lee standing there. He was dressed in a bright orange jumper, light blue jeans and white sneakers. He had his make up done, lips a blood red color.

And Lee, well, Lee was also looking at him. What the fuck was happening? He doesn't get the chance to say anything because Jamie runs up to him and wraps a hand around his leg.

"Daddy! You're here." She said, smiling up at him.

"I promised, didn't I?"

She looks away from him to the boy who had run to Lee and Bradley hears the little boy scream,

"Dad!"

What was happening? Bradley practically knew all the parents of the students here at Honey Tots and not once had he seen Lee and trust him, if he had, he wouldn't have forgotten. So what exactly was happening.

"Daddy, come meet my new best friend. His name is Joshua and he's six too!" Jamie says with excitement as he ran towards Joshua who was pointing at her as he spoke to Lee and Bradley could bet he was saying the same thing his daughter had.

He needed to know more about Lee. It felt like he was finding out new things about the beauty everyday. When he got close enough to Lee, the beauty turned to him.

"I'm sorry about this morning. My friend always brings him to school but he couldn't today because he twisted his ankle while getting Josh out the door this morning, that's why I had to leave. Austin had left Joshua with the neighbor a-"

"It's fine. I understand." Bradley said, his eyes trailing over every detail of Lee's face.

"Can they have ice cream with us, daddy?" Jamie asked, her hands clasped tighter in front of her.

"Please, dad." Joshua joins in, pouting up at Lee.

Of course they could. Heck, Bradley would happily let them move into his ask if Jamie should ask him. Instead he tries to play it cool, he takes his daughter's hand in his as he watched Lee pick up Joshua, resting the boy on his hip.

"I don't mind." Bradley replies.

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose." Lee said, Joshua's school dangling from his hand.

"You won't be. Do you mind if we do this at my home? It would be like a play date for the kids."

"Sure."

"Do you have a car or can we drive you there?"

Lee says he brought his car and points at the ink blue picanto st the parking lot. Bradley gives Lee his address and after a quick wave, he and his daughter made their way to the car. He has never doubted how amazing his daughter was. And she truly is. She got him Lee.