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“No, I'm not. I just don’t want her to think I'm sleeping with you to help my business or anything.”
“Milly, Cristal works for me. She doesn’t get to have an opinion about who I date.” His tone is rife with exasperation.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. She may not say anything to you, but I would have at least liked to have proven myself as a planner before we let everyone know we are together.” I feel my own frustration start to clog my throat.
Dean walks over to me and puts his hands on my shoulders. He brings his head down so we are nose to nose and looks me square in the eyes.
“Red, we’re not children. We don’t have to hide anything. People fall in love every day. If Cristal has a problem with this, I hope she can keep it to herself because if she can’t, then I’ll have a problem.”
I'm stunned. I didn’t hear a single word he said after “fall in love.”
“Milly, did you hear me?” he asks, shaking me slightly.
My breath escapes in a trembling exhalation. “Dean, we’re in love.” I can hear how wondrous my tone is. We’ve exchanged this sentiment so many times, but somehow, hearing him say it so casually feels amazing!
He throws his head back and laughs out loud. I watch the strong column of his neck as his throat moves with laughter. I look up into his delighted face and feel a bubbling of joy in my gut.
When he stops laughing he leans forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. “Yes, Red, we are.” And then he wraps his arms around me in the sweetest embrace I’ve ever experienced. He lays his head on top of mine, and we stand there silent for a full minute.
He releases me, walks me to the shower, and opens the glass door. “Get in, I’m late for my call.” And with another quartet of kisses to my cheeks, forehead, and chin he leaves.
It’s only when I’m washing my hair and soap gets into my open mouth that I realize I'm grinning. The bubble of joy that has been bouncing around in my gut turns into a geyser. And I'm so happy I start to sing.
I think about my list. I’ve done all right in just a month. I’ve started a business; I’m having the most amazing sex, and for the first time in my adult life I’m in love. Operation ‘Remember Milly’ is in full effect.
30
It’s my last week working in the New York office, and I couldn’t be more relieved. The back and forth has been exhausting and spending the whole week apart from Milly and Ant Man is tiresome and hard. I’ve been working hard to push this transition and get the office set up in DC so that I can start feeling like Milly and I are a normal couple.
Spending these weeks apart makes every time I see her feel like a reunion. That’s great for the sex, but it’s also difficult to establish a feeling of permanency.
My car pulls up outside my office, and I hop out before Greg can open the door for me. I'm in a rush to get my morning started
. I walk into the lobby and swear under my breath. Nicola is sitting in the reception area waiting for me.
This is the last thing I need.
She walks up to me, smiling like we are best friends rather than exes who parted under very acrimonious circumstances.
I'm tempted to keep walking, but I know she’ll cause a scene.
“What’s going on? I have a busy morning,” I say before she has a chance to speak. I want her to hear the impatience in my voice and know I'm not in the mood for her shit.
Her eyes flash with hurt, but she’s a terrible actress and I know she's faking it.
I roll my eyes and sigh.
“Wow, Dean. Six months ago you were prepared to spend the rest of your life with me, and now you’re acting like I’m a fucking door-to-door salesman trying to sell you new windows,” she says angrily, dropping the pretense of hurt.
“Actually, it was eight months ago. And as far as I’m concerned, you might as well be a door-to-door salesman,” I drawl back.
She gasps and this time her anger isn't feigned. “Fuck you.”
“Ah, there you are. The real you. You’ve got about forty-five seconds to tell me what you want before I get on the elevator to go up to my office.”
“Fine, I need money. I know you don’t want to give me any, but you owe me. I talked to a lawyer; I could sue you for emotional distress. So, if you don’t want a big mess, just give me what I need, and I’ll go away.”
This woman is incredible. I actually thought she couldn’t be any worse than she already showed me. But she has proven me wrong.
