Patrick decides to wait a full 24 hours before contacting Teresa again.
He's surprised he's managed to wait this long. He'd spent the day after their date pacing around his house with his mind on overdrive. All he could think about was her. Her emerald eyes and shy smile and the way she didn't bother hiding her face when she laughed. She's embedded in every corner of his mind, taking up space until nothing but her remains.
He hasn't been this infatuated with a woman before since...well, since Angela. And that was years ago. Feeling the same as he did then, it terrifies him. He's only seen Teresa a handful of times yet he's developing the need to see her everyday. Even a glimpse of her would be fine. It makes him feel like some kind of creep.
He'd gotten to learn a lot about her during their date. He knows she's a cop, a pretty damn good one at that, probably at the top of her class. He knows she'd do anything for Theo. He knows that little boy is her entire world and she would put nothing before him. He knows she hates lasagna and he'd swapped his meal with hers that night to save her from it. He knows her eyes crinkle when she laughs and he knows she doesn't let very many people into her life due to past trauma.
Despite knowing a lot of things about her, he still wants to know more.
He was so interested in her that night that he never once talked about himself. Teresa tried to turn the conversation around on him, of course, but he'd deflected every time. He doesn't want to tell her about his life. It would be better if it remained a secret, something only he knows. He doesn't want pity and he doesn't want her to go out with him just because she feels sorry for him. He wants her to like him for the good man he is trying to be.
He knows he can't keep his past hidden from her forever, especially if they continue going on dates. But for now, he's going to stay quiet.
Now, a day later he holds his phone in his hand, debating on whether or not to call her. It feels like it's too soon. But if she truly likes him then what does he have to lose?
Eventually he caves and calls her, his heart beating frantically in his chest. He feels like a teenager about to contact his crush for the first time. But it isn't even the first time, which should makes this easier. It somehow only makes things more nerve-racking.
She picks up on the first ring. "Hello?"
He smiles at her confused tone. "Teresa, it's me. I'm disappointed to know you don't have my number saved."
"Oh! Patrick," she replies apologetically. "I'm so sorry, I completely forgot to save it. I'm doing it right now."
He chuckles. "It's alright, no worries."
After a few seconds she speaks again. "Just saved you. What's up?"
"Well, I know this may be an eensy bit too soon, but what do you say to going out with me again? Say, tonight, maybe?"
He can hear some rustling over the phone and he bets she's doing something with Theo at the moment. It takes her another couple of seconds to respond. "Tonight? Um, I don't know. I'd have to find a sitter; my best friend and her husband are going out tonight so they wouldn't be able to watch Theo."
"Oh, don't worry about that. Just bring him with," he says hurriedly. "I was thinking about bringing you guys to this carnival that's here all week. Theo would love it, I'm sure. Plenty of food and games for him."
"A carnival?" Her tone is skeptical. "Are you sure? You don't seem the type to enjoy those things."
He snorts amusedly. "I'll have you know, Teresa, that I grew up in the carnie life."
He endures a pause that lasts a full fifteen seconds before she replies. "Okay, you're definitely telling me that story tonight."
A broad grin stretches across his face. "So it's a yes?"
"It's a yes," she confirms. "What time do you want to go?"
"I was thinking five o'clock. The carnival doesn't close until nine."
"Five o'clock? It's already two p.m.!"
"Yes...?" He fails to see the problem.
"That's barely enough time for us to get ready!" Of course the word 'us' is meant for her and Theo, but he's literally a kid. How long does it take to get a four year old boy dressed?
He laughs. "Teresa, you have a full three hours. How on earth will it take you that long?"
"Because I have to shower, pick out an outfit, do my hair and put make-up on, not to mention choosing an outfit for Theo and packing a bag for him just in case he gets dirty or sick— "
"Woah, woah," he cuts her off mid-rant, unable to keep the light chuckles out of his voice. "Calm down. Don't stress over this, okay? It's just a carnival. And I know you'll look amazing no matter what, so just calm yourself."
He hears her sigh heavily. "Okay. I doubt I'll look amazing with a face without makeup and my hair a curly mess, but okay."
"Teresa, you'd look perfect even if you wore a trash bag. Now get ready. Times a'wastin.'"
He hangs up before she can respond and rushes to get himself ready for their carnival date. He can't wear a flashy suit or fancy button-up like he wore to their first date. He has to look casual. The carnival is a place full of fried food, ring-toss, and a bouncy house. A plain t-shirt and jeans will be just fine.
Truth is, he doesn't adorn the casual look very much. He's used to suits, button-ups, slacks, and loafers. When he pretended to be psychic in the past he always made sure to look the part. A brand new suit, his blonde hair combed and slicked back, a pearly white smile to showcase. Everyone had to believe he was the real deal. He couldn't show up homeless and expect to reel in clients.
He chews on his lip and analyzes the shirts hanging up in his closet. After five minutes of standing there he decides on a plain white t-shirt that clings to his abdomen and a pair of jeans he finds at the very back of his closet. He's surprised they even fit. He has no idea how long they've been hiding back there.
After studying his appearance in his body-length mirror he dons a pair of old running shoes and prays he doesn't look like a homeless man from the side of the street. The outfit is normal. Not for him, but normal for other people.
Hopefully Teresa likes it.
He checks the time on his watch and sees he still has over two hours before he has to pick up Teresa and Theo, so he returns to the living room and spends the time watching his favorite channel: Animal Planet. It's interesting to learn how the minds of animals think. When he explained it to Cho, the shorter man didn't seem to agree.
The animals on the screen, though, don't seem to capture his attention for long, and in minutes he's fast asleep. It's only when he has ten minutes before he's late that he spring awake, check the time and dashes out the door with a string of curses leaving his lips.
"Shit, shit, shit," he hisses, scrambling into his car and taking off down the street. He knows for sure that his blonde curls are a mess from his nap and his white t-shirt is wrinkled to high hell. He's only thankful that he isn't late to their first date, because that would've been way worse.
He parks at the curb of Teresa's house with only a minute to spare. He runs to the door and knocks, doubling over and trying to catch his breath. He should not be this tired after running twenty feet.
The door swings open and Teresa stands with Theo in her arms, her eyes drinking him in while he pants. She takes in his wrinkled appearance and mussed hair and cops out a laugh. "My god, did you run here?"
"No," he replies, a little breathlessly. "Just from my car to your door."
She raises a questioning eyebrow.
He gives her a sheepish smile. "I accidentally fell asleep and woke up ten minutes before I got here."
She nods in understanding. "Ah."
Inhaling another breath of fresh air, he diverts his attention to the little boy in her arms. Theo is looking at him shyly, hugging Teresa impossibly closer to his tiny frame.
Patrick knew he was shy, but now he seems full-on anxious of meeting new people. He obviously isn't used to it. He doesn't trust people easily, just like his mother.
He really wants to know what happened with the man that was once in their life.
But he's not going to ask. Today is going to be a good, fun, stress-free day. Hopefully by the end of it Theo won't be so afraid of him anymore. Maybe the two of them could even become friends.
"Say hi to Patrick, Theo," Teresa murmurs into the boy's ear, nudging his cheek with her nose. "You remember him, don't you?"
Theo nods slowly. Then, ever so softly he asks, "are we really going to a carnival?"
Patrick smiles at him. "We are. There's gonna be tons of food and games with awesome prizes you can win."
Theo's green eyes brighten a little. "Dinosaur prizes? I like dinosaurs."
The blonde man's smile grows into a grin. "Perhaps. We'll just have to go and see."
Theo nods again, returning his face to the crook of his mother's neck. Teresa smiles faintly at the two's exchange and steps out of the house, shutting and locking the door behind her.
Patrick finally lets himself acknowledge what she's wearing. An emerald blouse that enhances the color of her eyes, dark blue jeans and flats on her small feet. Her dark hair is curled just beyond her shoulders and she's wearing just a touch of makeup.
She looks absolutely stunning.
"I was right," he mumbles, just loud enough for her to hear.
She looks at him quizzically. "About what?"
His eyes rake over her again. "You look amazing."
He takes pride in the blush that soon blankets her cheeks.
XxX
The carnival is already bustling with people by the time they get there, children running alongside their parents while gripping hotdogs and cotton candy in their small hands.
Patrick watches as Teresa tries to convince Theo to walk with her, but he merely shakes his head and insists on being held. The amount of people most likely freaks him out. Patrick has a feeling the little boy doesn't get out much, not because of Teresa's refusal but because he'd rather be inside where it's safe.
They walk up to the front booth to pay for tickets. He fishes his wallet out of his pocket and hands over freshly crisped bills, feeling Teresa's wide eyes of shock stilling on him.
He's handed three tickets and ushers her through the gate, shooting her a boyish grin that makes him look ten years younger. "Teresa, you shouldn't be so surprised. I told you money is not an issue with me."
"Yeah, but— how— " she struggles to complete her sentence, unsure of what exactly she's trying to ask him.
Luckily he knows. "I used to have a job that, well, let's say it paid me enough to get me through the rest of my life without having to waste away working at some fast food chain."
He doesn't give any insight to what that job was, and he can tell by the look in her eyes that she wants to ask but is afraid of crossing a line. His smile falters a little. He doesn't want to keep secrets from her. But this is a part of his life that needs to remain hidden, at least until he's ready to speak of it.
"I could've paid," she finally manages weakly.
He shakes his head. "It's just money. I have no other use for it anyway." He turns to face her completely and crouches a little to be face-to-face with Theo. "What would you like to do first, buddy? Are you hungry?"
Theo glances up at his mother for confirmation, and Teresa nods. The little boy looks at Patrick and mumbles, "a little."
"Then let's get something to eat." The three of them pass food stands that sell cotton candy, fried candy bars, and funnel cakes until they find one selling hotdogs and pizza. Theo softly asks for a hotdog and Patrick hands over five dollars before Teresa even has the chance to sift through her purse.
"Seriously, I can pay," she huffs, now holding her wallet in her free hand. "I'm not broke."
"I never said you were," he replies. "I know you're perfectly capable of paying yourself, but I want to pay. Though if it upsets you, I can stop."
She blinks up at him in surprise. She's never met a man so...so kind and thoughtful. It's almost unnerving.
Quickly regaining her senses, she shakes her head. "It's fine if you really want to. Can I pay for you, though? Please?"
Her lower lip is jutted out into a soft pout, her beautiful eyes pleading. His stomach actually flutters, though he would never willingly admit it, and he has to clear his throat to maintain a steady voice.
This woman is hard to say no to.
"If you'd like," he says, hoping his voice doesn't shake.
She beams at him. "What do you want?"
His eyes dart to Theo, who's happily munching on his hot dog. He decides to have the same and she orders one for him and one for herself, handing the worker two five dollar bills.
"Let's go find a table so we can eat," he offers, guiding her to a vacant table near large trees. Teresa sits Theo down beside her on the bench and Patrick plops down opposite of her, half of his hotdog already eaten.
"So, Theo," he starts, pinning the boy with a curious gaze. "What would you like to do after this? There's rides, games; we could even get our pictures taken by that cool clown over there." He nods to the funny-looking clown who's holding balloons and taking a picture of a smiling family just twenty feet away.
Theo lets a tiny giggle slip. "Mama's scared of clowns."
Patrick looks at her just as her face begins to flame. "Theo!"
"You're scared of clowns, Teresa?" He teases with a grin. "You must've been the life of the party at birthdays."
She glares at him, but it's playful. "Shush! Lots of people are afraid of clowns."
"But you're such a tough cop, I didn't think you'd be afraid of things such as people who paint their face and wear gigantic shoes."
"Don't patronize me," she pouts. "It's a normal fear. I bet you have dumb things you're scared of."
"Hm, not really. I have rational fears."
"Such as?"
"Well, firearms freak me out a little." He shrugs. "Ironic, given your profession. I've just always been irked by them."
"Understandable," she muses.
"Are you scared of spiders?" Theo speaks up quietly, wiping his face clean of any lingering ketchup with the back of his hand.
Teresa scolds him lightly and wipes his face with a napkin instead. Patrick hums thoughtfully. "Only the really big ones. Are you?"
Theo nods. "Uncle Wayne says they can crawl in your ear while you're sleeping and lay eggs."
Patrick winces. "Not a very good mental image, I'd say."
Theo smiles before grabbing hold of Teresa's hand. "C'mon, mama. I wanna win a dinosaur."
"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Teresa finishes her hotdog and tosses the used napkins away. Patrick can't help but marvel at how great of a mother she is. She seems made for being a mom. She has nothing but pure love in her eyes for Theo and it's obvious he feels safe with her, hence always wanting to be close to her.
"I saw a game that gives huge stuffed dinosaurs as prizes if you win," Patrick tells the little boy as they walk. "You wanna play?"
Theo's eyes light up. "Yeah!"
"Let's go, then."
The two race for the carnival game and Teresa treks behind them, shaking her head while smiling to herself. Theo is already warming up to Patrick, which is a good thing, though also a little scary. What if he doesn't intend to stick around? What if one day he decides he no longer wants to see her and takes off without a trace? She shouldn't get too attached in case Patrick realizes this isn't what he wants. Theo shouldn't either.
Still, the scene unfolding before her is beautiful. She's only known Patrick for a short period of time, but seeing him with Theo makes her heart want more.
For the rest of the night, she doesn't think once about Evan.