“Then tomorrow night? It’s the Greek Festival. Will you come with me?”The Greek Festival. Our first, first date.
“Are you asking me out on a date, Mats?” I give him a sly smile.
“I am, Brit. Please say yes.”
“Okay then, yes. I’d love to.” And when I say it, this time I know I mean it. The thought sends my heart soaring with hope. Hope that I’m finally closing the door on Liam, and opening up to Matthias.
TEN
Britain
Wearing a stupid smile on my face, I walk back inside to find Jess and Damian right where I left them, staring at me from the great room. I blanch.
“What?” I ask them. Damian is just standing there in what seems like shock, while Jess gives me the same stupid smile I was just wearing.
“Girrrrllll. If you don’t want him, I do.” I burst out laughing, but Damian is still standing there, dead in the water. It’s probably pretty jarring to see your spouse making out with someone else for the first time, in…ever.
“Sorry you had to see that, Damian.” I say sorry from a place of politeness, but I’m not actually sorry, at all.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, too. Probably could’ve gone the rest of my life without seeing that.” I can tell from his tone alone, he’s fucking pissed. Without another word, he walks straight out of the great room, heading out to the back patio. Jess and I just look at each other for a moment.
“Don’t even trip about him. He wants to have his cake and eat it, too.” Jess is right. He left me.Hefiled for divorce. But somehow he wants me to never move on. I just shake my head and try my best to let it blow over.Not my circus.
“Soo,” Jess sidles up next to me, “What were you guys doing out there?” I blush hard.
“Nothing. Just talking.”
“My ass!” Jess exclaims. I just laugh then head over to grab the pastry box off the entry table. We move back into the kitchen, taking our respective spots around Eden.
“We were kissing.” I flip open the box of pastries and pull out a roll for her and me.
“You were kissing, and…”
“That’s it, just kissing.”
“Girl, I could hear you moan through the door.”
“Oh my gawd, that’s mortifying. And Damian heard it, too?”
“Uh, yeah, but who cares about that. So, you guys all made up? A quickie against the front door to seal the deal?” Jess waggles her eyebrows up and down in a hopeful expression.
“We did not have sex against the front door, just so you know, but I think we made up. Not that we were really in a fight, but he apologized for yesterday and I did, too. And Jess,” I give her a knowing look, “when he kissed me, I felt it again. Like him and I could be something.”
“Well, I’d be concerned if you didn’t feel anything. I mean, Christ, the man is a walking cologne advertisement. Just hear me out, okay? Look at the child I made with Tommy. Gorgeous, right? Imagine whatourchildren would look like?” I laugh. I know she’s joking…I think.
“We’d all look like ogres compared to your family. I know it.”
“And you said he has brothers?”
I laugh again. “Yeah, three of em’. Hey, everything alright with you and Tommy?” The question is only partly serious.
“Oh, yeah. We’re just in a dry spell right now. Just kind of missing the mark with each other. You know how it goes.”Do I ever.
“Yeah, I know. But if you want to talk or vent about it, I’m all ears.”
“Stop deflecting. When are you getting in bed with Matthias?”
“I don’t know, Jess. I want him, and trust, I wanted him to take me on the front porch, but I still think I gotta take it slow. And it’s not exactly like we have all the opportunity in the world. Bit of a full house out here. But he did ask me out tomorrow night. There’s a Greek festival in town. It happens once a year…it’s actually where he took me on our very first-ever date.”
