Page 25 of Sweet Love From Saturn

“I can believe that. I feel like that’ll slowly start to change over time. Especially with me around. Life is all about balance. What are you thinking about getting?”

“I don’t know if I want an omelet or the skillet.”

“I was looking at the skillet myself. I’ll get the omelet and you get the skillet so we can share.”

As our breakfast date went on, Saturn loosened up and talked a bit more. That was what I wanted, and it felt good to see her in lighter spirits. The day we met replayed in my head and I felt terrible again. I’d apologized for it so many times but seeing the tears I caused disturbed my spirit. I wasn’t sure if it was the edible kicking in or if I was genuinely still fucked up about the situation. Either way, I had to speak on it and reassure her that I meant no harm.

“My bad again for makin’ you drop those roses. I was trippin’.”

“Where did that come from? I thought we were past that?” Saturn countered.

“We are, but whenever I see you smile, I think about that day and how you looked when you were crying. Shit gets to me every time.”

Placing her fork down, Saturn turned her body to look at me. She was sitting on the same side of the booth as me, giving her access to pull me in. After a while she pulled back and finally spoke.

“You know how you asked me to stop telling you things you don’t have to do for me? Let’s put that encounter in that box as well. If I truly thought you did that on purpose, nothing yousaid would’ve convinced me to date you. I wouldn’t have even accepted your apology when you came to the shop. We don’t even need to have this conversation right now.”

“I just needed to let you know one last time. The only tears I wanna see you cry are from happiness. You’re a kindhearted woman, Saturn, and you deserve so much. That’s why it pisses me off when you don’t take time for yourself. I understand the stress you’re under, but you gon’ get it right, baby. You’re doing what you’re supposed to do and you’re open to change. I can look at you and tell you’re gonna accomplish everything you put your mind to. Just know I’m here to make your life easier.”

“Thank you for that. Sometimes all I need are words of encouragement and you always have them.”

“I got you. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

The rest of our breakfast was filled with random conversation. The two of us ate from both plates and the food was good. The fluffy pancakes that came on the side were what filled me up. I felt like I needed a damn nap, but it was time for us to jump on the road. Chicago traffic was always bad, but if we got there early enough, it shouldn’t be as bad. I planned to keep the car at the hotel and Uber everywhere. That way Saturn and I could both have a good time and I didn’t have to worry about finding and paying for parking.

“Oooh, this is nice, it’s giving we’re staying here for an important business meeting,” Saturn joked as we walked into our hotel room.

I booked us a room at London House and it was truly a nice hotel. I’d stayed here a few years back when I was in town for a party and told myself I’d come back. It was within walking distance of so many sights that it was crazy. Plus, for the hotel to be this nice, the prices were still reasonable.“I’m glad you like it. The last time I stayed here, they didn’t have a pool, but we aren’t here to chill in the room anyway,” I admitted.

“I’m not a swimmer so that’s fine. So what’s first on the agenda? It feels good outside and people are out already.”

“It’s always like that downtown. It feels like a mini New York when you’re walking through crowds of people.”

“That’s what I thought about when we were pulling in. There’s a few stores I wanna stop by before we leave. They even have a Chick-fil-A around.”

“We don’t have a Chick-fil-A in Pleasant Springs?”

“Nope. There were talks about building one, but I’m not sure if it went anywhere. Whenever I have a taste for it, I have to take a twenty-minute drive to Cherry Moon.”

“Speaking of Cherry Moon, we gotta go there soon. They have a sports bar that keeps poppin’ up on my social media pages.”

After freshening up, Saturn and I decided to start our day at Navy Pier. They had an Architecture of Chicago boat tour we wanted to try, along with a few other things. I felt like a kid on Christmas when we were finally outside, and from the excitement Saturn displayed, I knew she was enjoying herself as well.She surprised me when she only called in to check on Sapphire twice. Once when the shop opened, then again about thirty minutes before closing. From the sound of the conversation, Sapphire was handling everything just fine. I was sure that was a big reason Saturn was able to loosen up and really enjoy herself.

“Mccoy,come on before I fall asleep!” Saturn yelled.

After a full day of nonstop events, we were back at the hotel and getting ready to hit the bar. Initially, I wanted to take Saturn to Wrigleyville, but decided to take her to a nearby spot. The day had tired us out and she wanted more of a chill vibe tonight.

“I’ve only been in here for ten minutes, baby. Damn.”

“It feels like it’s been longer. I don’t wanna fall asleep and ruin the night for you.”

“You won’t ruin it for me. If you’re tired, we can chill in the room and call it a night.”

“No. We’re only here for a night and I wanna make the best of it, so let’s go. I have all day tomorrow to catch up on sleep,” Saturn countered before taking a sip of her Red Bull .

Going to the Uber app, I ordered a ride to our destination. The app said the driver was three minutes away, causing me to gather my things in somewhat of a hurry. By the time we stepped off the elevator, our driver was pulling up to the entrance. From the R&B music he was playing, I could tell the short ride would be decent.

“We gotta come out here more often. Preferably on a Friday and stay until Sunday. That way we have more time to do things.”

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