I have gone over to her apartment once, but with two of us and a very grumpy cat, it was tight. So, this evening she’s coming over with dinner.
I’d run to the store earlier in the day to get some things that I’m hoping Summer will like and not find desperate. I’ve just noticed that Summer always has a decent-sized overnight bag whenever she comes over. I want to have a few things here for her so she doesn’t feel like she has to bring half her apartment when she spends the night.
Elijah had called when I was at the store to ask if I was interested in going to the bar tonight, and when I’d told him my plans for the night, he’d scoffed and told me I was whipped. Iknow Elijah is jaded when it comes to women, so I brushed off his comment and didn’t let it affect me.
A knock on the door sends me jogging through my apartment. Nerves settle in my stomach like acid.
But when I open the door and see Summer standing there, a big smile on her face, and arms full of Chinese food, the nauseous feeling starts to dissipate. She flicks her head to get long golden strands of hair away from her face. The light catches her eyes, turning them the color of warm honey. She’s wearing another one of her skirts, this one is plain black and matches her knee-high boots. My fingers itch to trail up her bare thighs and push the fabric higher.
I take the bags of food from her, eager to get her inside after noticing that she has another overnight bag.
“Hi,” she greets sweetly before giving me a gentle kiss. “I’m absolutely starving,” she groans, stripping off her jacket and laying it over the back of my couch. “If you want to grab silverware, I just need to usethe bathroom really fast.”
The anxious feeling spikes in my stomach again as Summer starts for the hallway. I drop the bags on the dining table so that I can follow her.
She looks over her shoulder when she hears my footsteps, her brow furrows in confusion, but she gives me a small smile anyway.
She walks into the bathroom as I slowly trail behind her to gauge her reaction. I see the moment she notices an additional toothbrush next to my own when her eyes widen in surprise. Her head pivots to take in the rest of the bathroom. Her shampoo and conditioner are on the shower shelf, and her face wash is by the sink.
Is she going to find it creepy that I took note of the brands she used when I spent the night in her apartment so that I could get them for her here?
She opens one of the drawers and sees scrunchies, a hairbrush, and tampons. She fingers a scrunchy before turning to me, confusion written all over her face.
I shove my hands in my pockets, not really sure if her reaction is good or bad.
Her gaze darts past me toward the bedroom. I step aside so that she can pass me. She walks into the bedroom, mouth still agape, and notices the silk pillowcase on the side of the bed she prefers to sleep on.
I rub the back of my neck nervously. This is probably too much too fast. She’s freaking out and thinking I’m way more invested in this relationship than she is. I brace myself for her to run out of here.
“What?” she says, at a loss for words.
I shrug. “I didn’t want you to need anything or feel like you have to run to your apartment for something, or like you constantly need tobring an overnight bag.” I point toward my dresser and give her a hesitant smile. “There’s a free drawer for you as well… if you want it. For pajamas, or spare clothes.”
Summer looks utterly taken aback. I wonder if I’ve completely overstepped. I’ve never really wanted someone in my personal space before, so I’m not sure at what point you’re supposed to be more accommodating toward your partners. None of my previous partners had ever asked for anything like this. I just thought it would be nice for Summer to have some of her preferred items here as well as at her own apartment.
Summer blinks rapidly as tears well up in her eyes. She tries to ward them off by looking up at the bedroom light.
My smile drops, and I walk across the room to her side immediately. “What’s wrong?” I ask, cupping her cheeks with both of my hands.
“Nothing.” She shakes her head. She lets out a little hiccup of a laugh. “I feel so foolish for crying over something so simple,”she sniffles. “I’ve just… never had anyone try so hard to make me feel so welcome in their space before.”
Another smile plays along my lips as I lean my forehead against hers. I stroke my thumbs along her cheeks, collecting missed tears, and Summer closes her eyes. “It’s important to me that you feel welcome here,” I say softly. “That you can imagine a space that is ours, not just mine.”
Her whole face lights up with joy and appreciation, effectively erasing any remaining anxiety I have over this moment.
“You’re trying to make me cry again, aren’t you?”
I laugh before leaning in to kiss her. My tongue darts out to delicately stroke her own. She sighs into my mouth, and I can feel myself hardening against her.
“Does this mean I have to clear out a bunch of space for you at my place?” she asks while pulling away, but she keeps her arms wrapped snuggly around my middle. “Because I hate to break it to you, but my apartment is about the size of a shoebox, and there really isn’t room for another person. Milo takes up most of the space.”
“We wouldn’t want to displace Milo,” I muse.
“The queen must be respected at all costs,” she says, nodding seriously.
I tickle her side, and an unexpected squeal escapes her lips, sending both of us into a fit of laughter. “All right, all right,” she says between laughs. “Let’s go eat before our dinner gets cold.”
We unpack the take-out bags and lay everything out on the table before sitting across from each other. Summer also pulls out a notebook and begins to go over the copious amount of notes she has scrawled onto the page.
