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Chapter 17
I went downstairs to see them and was shocked at how gorgeous Linley looked. She was tan from strolling the streets of Paris, and she had a smile on her face that wouldn’t go away. Gray had a similar look on his face and wouldn’t stop touching her. Guess the honeymoon still wasn’t over.
She enveloped me in her arms and then I hugged Gray.
“Tell me everything,” I said as we sat on the couch and Gray went to make us some tea. I stepped over the suitcases and sat down with her. I wasn’t going to go through all my Alivia stuff until I’d let her talk.
Linley laughed. “You pretty much know everything already. What’s up with you? I feel like I’ve been in the spotlight too much the past few months.” Okay, well, she’d given me a window.
“So, things with Alivia have progressed, and my feelings are just so…” I held out my hands, trying to indicate something that was too big, and too ephemeral to put to words.
“Hold up, what happened while I was on my honeymoon?” she asked, and Gray handed us both a cup of tea. I didn’t mind him being here for this at all. He was just like a brother at this point, and I valued his input and advice.
“We kind of hooked up after your rehearsal dinner,” I said. “And then after your wedding. And then a few other times.”
Linley smirked. “I knew it. I knew it! And then you realized it was more than just a hookup.”
“Yes,” I said.
“And you’re not sure what to do about it?”
“Exactly,” I said.
“Well, firstly, you need to talk to her. Find out if you’re on the same page, but I’m pretty sure you are because of the way she looked at you.”
I blushed, thinking about it.
“I’m having her over for dinner tomorrow night, so that’s the plan. I’m cooking my fancy meal,” I said. Linley’s eyebrows went up.
“Wow, you don’t break out your fancy meal for much,” she said.
“What’s a fancy meal?” Gray asked, leaning against the couch and sipping on his own cup of tea.
“It’s what I make when I’m really trying to impress someone.” I’d almost made it for my ex, but she hated fennel and was a vegetarian, so I hadn’t. Good thing, or else my fancy meal would have been cursed and I never would have been able to make it again.
“You’re going to do great. You have nothing to worry about.” I smiled at Linley, even though I was still flipping out inside. At least Linley hadn’t told me that I shouldn’t share my feelings with Alivia. Plus, I mean, Alivia was the one who’d put the ball in my court as far as a relationship went, telling me she was all in if I was. So why was I flipping out?
* * *
I shopped at the grocery store on my lunch break to get everything to make the fancy meal for Alivia.
“The fennel is so good this week,” Butch said as he scanned the items. This dinner wasn’t cheap, either, but that was okay. Alivia was worth it.
Martha made me leave work early, and I was grateful for her matchmaking because it gave me some more time to cook.
The first thing to do was get the chicken washed, prepped, and in the oven, along with the potatoes. Since that was going to take a while, I cleaned and started fixing my hair in a loose, pretty braid that I wrapped and pinned to the back of my head. The style made me feel like a fairy that escaped from the woods or something.
I waited until I was done with the majority of the food prep before I put my dress on. It was a pretty, frilly thing that I couldn’t wear a bra with, but since we weren’t going anywhere, it worked.
My nerves ratcheted up, so I cut the fennel extremely carefully. Severing a finger wasn’t romantic.
Alivia buzzed about two minutes before she was supposed to be here. I hit the buzzer, washed my hands, and took off the stained apron I’d put on to protect my dress.
“Hey,” I said, opening the door. My heart jumped in my chest at the sight of her in a suit, complete with suspenders with…
“Are there donuts on your suspenders?” I asked, staring at them, and then using them to pull her closer for inspection.
“There are,” she said with a grin.
