Page 70 of Game Change

“Or you’ll get so sick of me over the next few days, you—”

“Never going to happen,” he says. “Don’t finish that thought.” He stands and opens his wine fridge.

While he does that, I look out the window, and the snow is still coming down. It’s not as heavy as last night, but it’s still coming down steadily, and it’s not predicted to stop until tomorrow. Outside is a blanket of white. They’re asking everyone to stay home and off the roads. It will take days for the city to clear the streets and for people to dig out of the snow, but I’m happy to be in this warm apartment with this man.

He brings me a glass of white wine and puts it to my lips.

“Thank you,” I say after taking a sip. I put down the knife, turn to him, and wrap my arms around his neck. He looks down at me. “Thanks for getting me out of the office. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t come back.”

He leans down and bumps his nose with mine. “You'd probably be out of TicTacs by now.” He kisses me and walks away, so I swat his ass and start mincing garlic.

He moans in pleasure and pours each of us another glass of wine. This is my third, and my head is starting to spin. His plate is empty, so he swirls his bread in my sauce and eats it. He sticks his fork in my plate and eats my last bite.

“I wanted that,” I say as I sip my wine.

“But I got to it first.” He leans back in his chair and pats his stomach. “That was amazing.”

“Tomorrow, I want to make beef stew and bake fresh bread. My mom always made apple pie whenever we were snowed in together, but I’ll need apples. And regular flour, not that whole wheat stuff in your pantry.”

He leaves the table and looks out the wall of windows into the winter wonderland, then back at me.

“There’s a convenience store a few doors down.” I’ve been there many times, and he should have no issues finding what I need. “And you don’t have to go until tomorrow. They should be open.”

“Since I want pie, I guess I have no choice.” He starts to clear the table, and I help him. I load the dishwasher after he rinses the dishes, and once he’s done, I wash the pots and pans I used.

It hasn’t been twenty-four hours yet, but things seem so easy. Even when we were away, things with him were easier than any relationship I ever had.

One boyfriend in college tried to talk me out of being an architect, even though I told him it was the only profession I’ve ever wanted to be. He said it wasn’t a good fit for a woman, especially a Black woman. I dumped him, and he said I would be alone because a real man wouldn’t want a woman like me. I didn’t ask him what he meant; I didn’t care, but when I told my mom, she held me and said that a real man would not be intimidated by his woman’s job. A real man would lift her up, not put her down.

After that, I was single for a long time.

Then there was Wendell, who conveniently forgot to tell me he had a fiancée. I found out while he was in my shower, and his phone buzzed with a text. It was a picture of his fiancée showing him a photo of her wedding bouquet. Things ended that day.

I focused on my career. I spent time with my friends because they became my family, and we do things together like sisters. We dine in fine restaurants, travel, and confide in each other. I wasn’t looking for love or a man. Not until I met Colin, did he make me want things I had no business wanting, only for the rug to get pulled out from under me. But I’ve never connected with another man like I do with him. From the moment our eyes met, and he flexed his pecs, I’ve been unable to think of anyone but him. Our first time together brought me passion I didn’t know existed. Not only that, but he’s smart, funny and sexy. Now that we’ve called a truce, he’s affectionate and sweet.

But what happens when the storm ends, and I leave the confines of his home? What becomes of our truce, then? How will I be able to co-exist in the office after everything we've shared?

I don’t realize I’m deep in thought until he takes the dishtowel and skillet from me. He grasps my chin and forces me to look up at him.

“Whatever you’re thinking about, stop it,” he orders. “While here, we won’t think about the outside world or what will happen next.” He drops my chin and pulls me into his strong arms. My arms wrap around him, and I bury my face in his broad chest, breathing him in.

His hands slide up and down my sides before they wrap around me. “Let’s watch a movie,” he suggests.

I let out a little yelp when he lifts me off my feet, and I wrap my legs around him. We kiss slowly but tenderly. It’s not the most passionate kiss we’ve shared, but it feels like the most intimate. Without breaking it, he carries me to his bedroom and drops me on the bed. Once I slide to my side, he gets in next to me and I rest my head on his shoulder as he turns on the TV.

Chapter 36

Colin

“Shouldn’t you get that?” I ask after her phone rings for the fourth time in less than ten minutes. She sighs and gets out of bed, and I immediately regret telling her to get it.

“I’m only going in case it’s someone from my condo board. Sometimes, we get water damage from storms.” She walks out of the bedroom to get the phone from the kitchen table. “This is Brynneka,” I hear her say.

I decide to flip through the channels until she comes back. We’ve been in bed for the past two hours, and neither has paid attention to the movie in the background. Once her hand slid under my T-shirt and stroked my skin, I was lost in the sensation. We cuddled, kissed, and possibly dosed off for a few seconds.

“Vanna?” I hear her ask. Her tone has changed. Before she left this room, she was content and calm. Now, she sounds stressed. “Excuse me?” she asks, raising her voice.

I slide out of the bed and find her in the living room. Her back is to me as she holds the phone to her ear and looks out the window. I put a hand on her shoulder and she puts her free hand over mine.

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