Page 112 of You and Me, For Real
But now’s not the time to be thinking about my career or my dad. Instead, I want to focus on the beautiful woman next to me and the joy I’m about to bring her. At least, I hope so.
My silence must have been telling because Ashton squeezes my hand. “How did your talk go with your dad?”
It’s amazing how well this woman knows me, even blindfolded.
“It went well. He’s going to give me some space to make my own choices. At least, in regard to private matters.”
“He knows you’re going to be…seeing me?”
“More or less. I told him what he needed to know.”
She slumps deeper into her seat.
“Hey, hey. Not because I don’t want to, but because it’s not really his business anymore. I’m working on boundaries, remember? Besides, I don’t want to talk about my dad or work. We’re here to have fun and celebrate...us.”
“Celebrate, huh?” Her tone is teasing.
I turn the final corner, hoping she won’t hear the charter planes taking off a short distance away. “Yes, mostly the fact that you’re willing to go out with me.”
She laughs. “As if that’s such a chore?”
My lips quirk to the side and I squeeze her hand, because despite the humor in her words, my dating lifehasfelt like a chore up until this point. I can’t remember the last time a date felt this fun. This easy.
Ashton hasn’t asked me much about my last date with Scarlet, and I’m grateful. The whole charade has felt uncomfortable for a long time, but now, with Ashton in my life, it’s become almost painful. I may have had the “friendship conversation” with Scarlet, but her body language on the date didn’t feel like she truly heard me. That, or she’d played it up real strong for the paps lurking around.
I park in the designated parking lot next to the appropriate hangar and reach to the floorboard of the back seat. I plop a giant, black sun hat onto Ashton’s head.
“What’s this?” She reaches up to feel it.
“Incognito. Can’t be too careful.” I grab my ball cap from the back and slip it on. I untie the blindfold’s knot at the back of Ashton’s head. “You have arrived at your destination, madam.”
Ashton blinks into the early evening sun glaring in our direction.
I spoke to Lynn yesterday, explaining our outing. She happily let Ashton off work early to allow us more time. My guess is it’s actually Ashton who tends to work as much overtime as she does—not Lynn requesting it of her. I chalk it up to Ashton’s unwavering drive to help the animals that pushes her to work so much.
“These are for you, too.” I hand her a pair of oversized black, dark-tinted sunglasses.
She arches an eyebrow. “More incognito?”
I lift a shoulder. “Never hurts. Plus, you might want to wear them as we’ll be a bit closer to the sun.”
Her brows pull together, and she turns to see the hangar behind us. More particularly, the chariot we’ll be riding in for the evening.
She gasps. “Are we doing what I think we’re doing?”
I exit the car and walk around to open her door. “If you’re thinking that little black bird will be taking us in the air tonight, then yes. We are.”
Her mouth hangs agape, her eyes not moving from the helicopter.
I tug her upward and away from the door and guide her around the car. I wrap my arms around her waist, pull her close to me, and whisper with my lips grazing her ear, “I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”
She rotates in my hold and puts her arms around my neck, planting an immense kiss on my lips. One that has me fumbling to retain my balance.
“I can’t believe you’re doing all this for me.”
I lift and spin her in the air, her hat brim knocking into mine.
She squeals, and I place her gently back on the ground.
