Page 56 of It's Always Been You
Me:It’s fine . . . for now. Brandon is every bit the tyrannical overlord I expected him to be, though. And I miss my clients.
Adam Smart:Brandon? No way. I don’t believe you. He’s the nicest person ever.
I snort.
Adam Smart:And your clients miss you, too. We’ve been having a rough time finding a replacement for you with Bert. He is not a happy camper.
I smile at that.
Me:I’ll have to stop by and see him again soon.
Adam Smart:I’m sure he’d appreciate that. And I want to compensate you for those meals you made him. You really didn’t have to do that.
Me:I know. I wanted to. And don’t worry about it.
Adam Smart:Well, expect a direct deposit sometime soon. So . . .
And here it comes.
Adam Smart:Some church buddies and I were gonna see a movie tomorrow night. We’ll probably grab something to eat and do a round of mini golf beforehand. Wanna join?
Dinner, minigolf,anda movie? Sheesh, that’s my entire weekend written off. What time did he plan on dropping me back home? Three in the morning?
I type out my response with reluctant thumbs.
Me:That sounds fun.
It doesn’t—especially because we’ll be hanging out with a bunch of his church groupies—but at least he’s not asking me to hang out with himalone.
Adam Smart:Great! I’ll pick you up around 6ish. Is that good?
Shaking my head, I send him the saluting emoji and push my phone away. How on Earth did I end up working for the man who brokemyheart, only to turn around and agree to hang out with the one whose heartIbroke—all in the same week?
The world may never know.
Evie
Friday, October 28, 2022
ITFINALLYHAPPENED.Laceup your boots, ladies and gentlemen. We’re headed to snog town. BRANDON AND I KISSED. After five long months of relentless flirting—and, let’s be honest, whatever else has been going on between us since my would-be wedding day—he kissed me.
I stopped by to see him after work this afternoon. I could sense right away that he was exhausted, so I offered to do Teddy’s bedtime routine for him. He didn’t want to miss out on that time with Teddy, so we bathed him, gave him a nice relaxing baby massage (any excuse to appreciate those scrumptious fat rolls), and, finally, read him a bedtime story before wrapping him up in his sleep sack covered in stars. Brandon kept stealing glances at me the entire time, thinking I didn’t notice the way he was looking at me. But I saw. His smiles were so soft and genuine and full of appreciation. When it came time to rock Teddy to sleep, I insisted he go eat something and relax. I took over from there.
After getting Teddy down (no easy feat without a boob full of milk), I found Brandon waiting at the kitchen island with two plates of lasagna. He looked up, smiled, and invited me to eat dinner with him. Grateful, I joined him. He said a quick prayer before we gorged ourselves, which, if I’m being honest, surprised me a little. I’ve never known Brandon to pray before a meal.
When we were done, we cleaned up the kitchen together, and then he held up a bag of popcorn questioningly. I nodded, and he sent me to the living room to pick out a movie. I was sweating like a pig by the time he joined me. We’d never watched a movie together before. It seemed significant—like something you might do on a first date.
Brandon, ever observant, noticed how nervous I seemed and asked if I was okay.
Wiping away a bead of sweat from my temple, I mentally cursed my overactive sweat glands. I insisted that I was okay, then asked him what made him ask.
“Because you’re sweating,” he noted, staring at my hairline. He glanced over at the thermostat and offered to turn the heat down.
I think I squeaked something akin to a yes. Smirking, he obliged before rejoining me on the couch.
We were both quiet for a minute. Me, unsure what to say. Him, munching on popcorn. With his arm draped casually over the back of the sofa, it seemed like he hadn’t a care in the world that he was only a cushion away from me in a dark room on a cold October night.
He groaned when the opening credits came on, seeming perturbed by my choice of movie. A horror film. Not because I like scary movies, but because everyone knows they’re the absolute best for cuddling . . .
