Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“You sure?” he asks me, and I could swear he’s bringing me in closer and closer, or maybe I’m falling into him. Either way, no one moves, and we stay like this for what seems an eternity but is probably just three seconds before his hand moves from around my waist. He takes my jacket and helps me with it. I just smile at him and look down, my hair falling in front of my face, so I push it back around my ear. I watch him walk to his own jacket, and he puts on his suit jacket first and then the cashmere blue one, and like the suit, it molds to him. He places the beanie inside his pocket. “After you,” he says, and I smile, walking out in front of him. The cold air pushes the door back closed on me, and he grabs my hips to steady me. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, looking over my shoulder at him and having him so close that I smell him all over me. It would take nothing for me to turn into his arms and pull him down to me and finally give in to everything. But I don’t. Instead, I push the door harder this time, and he holds it open so it doesn’t come back and smash me in the face.
I walk to the sidewalk and hold up my hand, and I feel him pull me back to him by my arm. “I’ll take you home,” he says as his truck shows up at the curb. The waiter comes out and nods to us, then goes back inside the restaurant. He walks to the passenger side and opens the door for me, taking my hand in his as he helps me into the truck. “Thank you,” I say to him, and he closes the door, and I put my head back on the headrest and close my eyes. The pull to him is stronger than I’ve ever felt in my life. He gets in, and I want to just lean over and kiss him—just a little kiss on the lips—but I don’t. Instead, I tell myself that this is for the best. He takes me home and gets out of the truck when he parks in front of my apartment, and the bellboy opens the door for me. “Do you need help upstairs?” he asks softly, and even through my coat, I can feel his hand on my back.
“I’m good.” I smile up at him. “Thank you for dinner.”
He smiles at me, and his hand goes to my hip now, and he leans in. “Anytime, Vivienne,” he says softly, and I’m waiting for his kiss on my cheek, but it never comes. Just the tingle from his beard. “Let me know about Saturday,” he says, and then I nod and walk into my lobby, never once turning back. Even when I get in the elevator, I wait for the door to close before I turn around and hold the railing in the elevator while my breathing returns to normal. I walk into my house, kicking off my wet shoes at the door and then walking to my bedroom where I hang up my jacket and undress. Walking to the closet in the spare room where I keep all my formal gowns, I knew the minute he said anything to me exactly what I wanted to wear. The gown is ready to be worn. I close the door and walk back to my bedroom, my phone buzzing from my purse. Taking it out, I see it’s from Mark, and my heartbeat speeds up just a touch. I wonder when it’s going to stop acting like this. It’s been over two months, and still, it speeds up every single time I see his name.
Markos: Just made it home. I wanted to come up and say good night to Elsa, but it was late, and she was probably sleeping. Let me know about Saturday.
I contemplate dragging it out, but my head doesn’t connect to my fingers that are typing faster than I can read.
Me: I’m free. Send me details.
The blue text shows up as delivered right away, then I put my phone on the side table and close my eyes. The room spinning just a touch or a lot. I don’t bother undressing, I just lie on top of the bed and then curl up, and when I hear ringing the next day, my eye opens ever so slowly, and I see the sun blaring into the room. I don’t move, and the ringing stops and then starts up again right away. I slowly get up and my head pounds, so I close one eye and see that my phone is showing me Karrie’s picture.
“Are you dead?” I slowly get off my bed and walk to the bathroom.