“You did a good job.”
“Thanks.”
“Should I go look in the bedrooms, too?” he asked, pointing down the hallway.
“Yes!”
Remi walked down the hallway, stopping to peek into the extra bedrooms, and bathroom, before going into the master bedroom and its attached bathroom. Every room had new curtains that matched the colors on the comforters and pillows in the rooms. The bathroom had fancy new towels, bath rugs, and shower curtains to match. And in his master bathroom, was no exception. The only difference was the design and colors between the rooms, and the fact that in his bathroom Cristie had also left a bottle of her shampoo and conditioner, and her favorite soap. Once he realized that, he actually did a quick scan of the vanity to see if she’d left some of her makeup there as well, but there wasn’t any.
He turned and looked at her when he saw her shampoo and soap in his shower.
“It was storming when I went back and forth to home a few times, so I just grabbed my shampoo and soap so I could get cleaned up here after I was done.”
“Ahhh, I see,” he said.
“It’s beautiful, Cristie. It’s not just a house anymore. You gave it the feeling of a real home. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling at him. “I just wanted you to be happy here. Maybe stay a little longer.”
He turned to her, walking toward her, his posture relaxed but the look in his eyes sharp and focused. He was less than a foot away when he stopped and looked down at her. “I wasn’t planning on leaving any time soon, Cristie. Did you think I was?”
“I don’t know. I thought you might be considering it.”
“Why would you think that?”
She gave him a little shrug as she looked away from him. “I haven’t exactly been the nicest.”
“But you’ve been you. And that’s what I care about — you. Not the nicest, not the easiest path to wherever it is we’re going, but the realest one. The one we work everything out on, so there are not more issues holding us back from where we end up.”
“I didn’t have to be so mean, though. I’m sorry for that.”
“I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to keep me at a distance.”
She nodded, her gaze still on the wall behind him. “I know that food is probably the last thing you want to think about, but I thought you might be hungry after a long day, and might enjoy something you didn’t have to cook. So I made spaghetti.”
“Sketties. Your favorite,” Remi said, smiling as he remembered.
“Yeah. It’s still my favorite.”
“Do I smell garlic bread, too?”
“You do. Can’t have spaghetti without garlic bread.”
“Then why are we standing here instead of the kitchen?” he asked, lifting a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Cristie looked up at him, her eyes wide as his hand lingered against her cheek near her ear.
Remi leaned down slowly, giving her time to pull away, and kissed her right beside the corner of her mouth. He pressed his lips against her, then held still for just a second too long before pulling back. “How about some of that spaghetti?” he asked, allowing his fingers to softly trail along her jawline as he sidestepped her then headed up the hallway toward the front of his house.
Cristie followed him into the kitchen, shooing him away from the stove. “Sit, let me get your plate. You worked all day.”
“So did you. You completely redecorated my house, and cooked me dinner.”
She smiled to herself as she served his plate. “I wanted to. Made me feel good.” She set his plate in front of him, then served one for herself, and sat down across from him.
Remi reached across the small round table toward her with both of his hands.
Confused at first, Cristie put her hands in his, and watched as he closed his eyes.
