Chapter 185
Felicity found a spot for herself and Dames to sit. Thankfully, she’d remembered to bring a change of clothes.
She peeled off the shirt that had been ruined by alpaca spit, her face scrunching in disgust as she tossed the dirty garment aside.
Ignoring everything else, she pulled on fresh clothes. Dames piped up, “My clothes are dirty, too.”
Felicity settled into a folding chair without so much as glancing at him, just giving her chin a little tilt toward her bag. “There’s a change of clothes for you in there.”
Dames puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. “Am I supposed to change by myself?”
At home, he was used to being waited on hand and foot. If he lifted a finger, someone would be there to help. Out here, he naturally assumed that Felicity-someone he was close to-would help him change, too.
But Felicity was busy wiping her hair with a wet wipe, her mood thoroughly foul. All she wanted was to find a shower and scrub the mess
out of her hair.
She had no time for Dames’s complaints.
Dames glanced around. All the other kids had their parents doting on them: mothers offering sips of water, wiping sweaty brows, helping them change into clean clothes.
Selene was gently brushing Daph’s hair, her movements practiced and caring.
A tangle of feelings welled up in Dames’s chest.
Last year, at the family day event, when he’d gotten all sweaty from the games, Selene had been right there-changing his clothes, tucking a
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Chapter 185
towel behind his neck, wiping his face clean with practiced hands.
If he so much as looked thirsty, before he could say a word, Selene would be holding his water bottle out to him.
Felicity, on the other hand, never did any of that.
He looked down at his own sweaty, smelly shirt and the dirt-streaked
sneakers on his feet.
It was only when Selene was around that he was ever truly clean.
Felicity had no idea how to take care of him.
“Dad, can you help me change? I’m all sweaty,” Dames tried, turning to
Harrison.
“Do it yourself,” Harrison replied flatly, not even bothering to look up.
Dames had always been a little afraid of his father. Hearing that cold response, he shrank back, shoulders slumping. With a resigned sigh, he dug into his backpack for his spare clothes.
Once Felicity was done cleaning herself up, she stretched and called out lazily, “Dames, open a bag of chips for me.”
Dames wanted to snap back, “Can’t you do it yourself?” But then he remembered the plan he and Felicity had made when she agreed to come to the family day.
If they wanted to drive Selene crazy today, he had to make it look like he absolutely adored Felicity-waiting on her hand and foot, doing whatever she asked, right in front of everyone.
Felicity had explained it to him: if he acted like that for Felicity-when he’d never done anything like it for Selene-it would get under Selene’s skin for sure.
Now, Felicity was putting the plan in motion. Dames put his own needs aside and rummaged through the snack bag for a pack of Lay’s.
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He tore open the bag and handed it to Felicity.
She crunched away on the chips, quickly noticing that a bunch of parents were watching her with open curiosity.
“Dames, I want a yogurt drink,” she called out again.
Dames dutifully dug one out, peeled the straw from its wrapper, poked it into the bottle, and offered it to Felicity.
Lounging back in her folding chair, Felicity sipped contentedly, looking for all the world as if she was used to being pampered.
A few parents exchanged stunned glances. The infamous Vaughn family’s little prince, doting on Felicity like her personal servant? Unbelievable.
Clarissa couldn’t resist teasing. “Well, Miss Felicity, you sure have some skills! I never thought anyone could get our little tyrant to jump at their every word.”
She raised her voice on purpose, just loud enough for Selene to
overhear-hoping to catch the slightest flicker of jealousy cross Selene’s face. If she managed that, she’d be grinning all week.
Felicity looked unbothered, as if she’d always had Dames at her beck and call. She replied offhandedly, “Dames just likes to spoil me, that’s all.”
The curious stares from the other parents were like fuel for Felicity’s ego. She called out again, “Dames, I want some jerky!”
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