Page 53 of More Than a Friend
We showered together and traded sensual kisses and lingering touches under the warm water until we parted ways so we could get ready separately.
I’ve just finished spraying my hair with a texture spray, and I’m walking out of my ensuite to pick an outfit when I realize Skylar already has.
Laid out on the bed is a white blouse that ties at the wrists and plunges down past my sternum, a light wash pair of distressed mom jeans, and—I gasp when I see the earrings in the box. They’re small gold hoops with delicate gold pendants stamped with two dainty flowers—a chrysanthemum and a lily of the valley. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re Gus and Zoe’s birth month flowers. I’ve been wanting to get a pair of earrings like this for ages, but I’ve never been able to justify it.
I blink back the tears threatening to ruin my makeup at the same time Skylar knocks on the door.
“Come in,” I croak, tracing the tiny details on the earrings.
“Are you ready to—hey, what’s wrong?”
Skylar comes in wearing black skinny jeans that look like they were tailored to her body—knowing her, they probably were—and a light green lantern sleeve blouse with a heart shaped neckline. A sliver of her lovely skin shows between the waistband of her pants and the bottom of her top. Her long hair is in long, glossy waves, and her lips are painted a pretty pink color I want to kiss off of her.
She looks as gorgeous as ever.
I hold the box close to my chest. “These are beautiful, Sky. This is the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received.”
Skylar gives me a rare bashful smile and shrugs. “It’s no big deal. You mentioned you wanted to get some like those, so Iwanted to surprise you. I missed Valentine’s Day, so I figured our official first date would be the best time.”
“I love you so much, Skylar. Thank you.” Being able to say those words out loud makes me giddy every single time. I love not having to hide my feelings for her anymore.
Not wanting to ruin her lipstick, I kiss the corner of her mouth.
“I love you, too, Aves. Now, get dressed so we can go. I want to show off my girlfriend.” She gives me a gentle swat on the ass, making me giggle.
Skylar takes me to Salt Hill—a trendy new restaurant that sources local food for their menu items. I’ve heard amazing things about their handmade pappardelle pasta with a black garlic cream sauce.
From the outside, the restaurant looks like a little café, but on the inside, the atmosphere is luxurious. The interior is a mix between modern and industrial, with a butcher-block bar top and iron barstools to match the tables. The black hanging lights are dimmed, giving a romantic vibe to the space. Low jazz music plays over the speakers as the host leads us to our booth in the middle of the restaurant.
It's a busy Saturday night, and I wonder what strings Skylar had to pull in order to get a reservation last minute or if she’s been planning this for a while.
“Have you been here?”
“Only once, when it first opened a year ago.”
“Ooh. Was this where the girl who had the chihuahua in her bag brought you? What was her name?” I snap my fingers trying to pull the name from the recesses of my mind. “Kristelle?”
Skylar barks out a laugh. “Yeah, Kristelle brought me here—with the dog in her purse the whole time. I didn’t even get to try their bread pudding because we were kicked out before we finished the entrées. I wanted to come back and have a do-over with you.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t have a dog in my purse, so unless we get kicked out for public indecency, we should be good.”
The waitress appears to take our orders. I ask for a watermelon mojito and the pappardelle pasta, and Sky gets a Salt Island Breeze cocktail and the wagyu short ribs with a mushroom tartine dish as an appetizer.
While we wait for our food, we chat about the hearing she just had. The case is set to go to trial in a few months, but it’s pretty cut and dry from what I understand. Skylar has to be vague about details because of attorney-client privilege, but it’s okay. Listening to her talk about legal proceedings is entrancing. She’s so smart. She knows so many things I can’t quite wrap my brain around, and I’m in awe of her. She doesn’t talk to me like I’m dumb if I don’t fully understand something. She explains what she can to the best of her ability.
The waitress brings our appetizer, and we talk about the different elements of the dish—what we like and don’t like—and I’m struck with how easy everything is with Skylar.
When Shea and I would go out for our anniversary or on the occasional date night I would have to beg him for, conversationwas awkward or stilted, even though we were married. I wasn’t working, so I think he thought I didn’t have anything to say. I would ask him questions about his job, and he’d brush me off by saying I wouldn’t understand since I don’t have a business degree. When I asked him to explain things, he never would.
Maybe my marriage was crumbling way before I started questioning the church.
Skylar asks about Gus’s therapy session and how he’s been doing since sleeping in his own bed again. She asks if Zoe’s been working on any art projects at daycare and makes a comment about taking them to the children’s museum sometime in the next few months.
Skylar seems to be more invested in my children than their own father, and the thought threatens to put a damper on my mood, so I push it away. I can reevaluate it later.
Conversation flows so easily while we enjoy our entrées, sharing bites with one another and making the decision we’ll be coming back.
We take the bread pudding to go because we’re stuffed by the time dessert comes around, but Skylar refuses to miss out on the caramelly goodness again.
