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Me: Morning beautiful. That depends.
Her: Depends on what?
Me: You. Can I see you today? For dinner? I really want to see you.
Clearing my throat as I wait for her response, I blindly sign my name on some marketing materials for the dealership. Since I have been talking to Paisley again, I have had little time for work, even though I sit in my office all day and pretend I give a shit about this place. I don’t. I never did, to be honest. I took over because I had no choice and I let myself believe it was the only option I would ever have to take care of my family. And my father made it very clear that was my responsibility.
My responsibility to them stopped being an excuse years ago. My brothers are grown and my mother is happier than ever. They do not need me anymore. I needed them as my excuse after I ruined things with Paisley. I never believed I could be enough for her. Now I don’t know if I care; if she gave me a second chance, I would take it and spend the rest of my life doing my best to be enough for her.
Her: Yeah. Yes. Let’s do dinner. Want to meet at Tapas Tonight?
Fist pumping the air as my blood races through my veins, I agree. We decide to meet at the hot new spot she is excited to try. I tell her I will be wearing a navy suit with a red tie and red pocket square. When she tells me she will be in a dress I won’t be able to miss, my heart thuds in my chest.
I am about to go on a date with the only girl I ever loved.
Clearing my schedule for the day, I tell my assistant to handle things for me. Part of me wants to hand off my keys and the deed to the damn place and be done with it. I am good at what I do because I enjoy talking cars with people, but I stopped caring about this place a long time ago. Mostly because running this place cost me just about everything.
Before I head home, I go downtown for a bit. Main Street is teeming with people out shopping and enjoying the day. It’s early summer here and Harmony Hollow gets flooded with tourists this time of year. With most of downtown recently updated with fresh store fronts and new businesses, there is plenty to see and do here in town.
Spotting the lone empty building on the last corner of Main Street, I consider it being filled with the gallery Paisley mentioned. When we were younger, she would have given anything to have a gallery here for local artists. Now she might get that chance and if I have to partner with Gabe Holmes myself, I will see that it gets done.
“Bran?” her raspy voice calls to me and I close my eyes as I adjust to hearing that voice saying my name again.
Feeling her close, I take a deep breath before I realize she is much closer than I could have imagined. I smell her perfume. Sweet and floral. Her shampoo. More sugar sweetness. Turning to find her at the curb, a coffee in her hand and her head tilted at me, I swallow hard.
Wearing a short little skirt that flares out at her hips and shows off her long, thick legs, a midriff flashing bralette, and a paint splattered jacket that hangs past her thighs, she looks fresh and beautiful. Without a hint of makeup on her face, her pink lips look delicious and her bright blue eyes shimmer in the sun. As always, it takes a few moments for my heart to slow down when I see her.
“Hey, Pais,” I choke the words out, turning away from her to get my bearings, “how you doing today, babe?” I wince when I call her that, knowing I have not earned the right yet.
“I don’t mind,” she whispers, bowing her head, “I know we...we are a mess and things are so different between us, Bran. But...I don’t mind when you call me that. That’s just...it’s what you always called me so...”
Turning towards her again, I smile and nod, taking a tentative step closer. Her head tips back and she flashes a smile up at me. Only it’s not just a smile. It’s my smile. The one she only ever gave to me. I move closer, reaching out to run my thumb over her pink lips, sighing as she closes her eyes.
“We are a mess, and it is my doing. Last time I saw you,” I shake my head and step even closer, needing her warmth to go on, “I fucked up. I know I did, and I am so sorry. You have to know, no matter what ever went down with us, I never wanted to hurt you, babe. Not ever. It kills me that I know I did. Over and over again. I wish I could make up for all of it. Wish I could take it all back,” I admit, moving close enough I feel her body brush against mine, her soft curves fitting to my hard lines.
Paisley says nothing, she just gives me a soft little sound and nods her head. But like that day at the café when I held her, she does not pull away. In fact, she pushes closer, her hand flattening to my chest and the weight of her touch is almost enough to put me on my knees. I would live my life there if it meant undoing all the hurt I caused her.
“Oh Bran, I know. We were stupid kids. We both messed up. We can’t take it back but maybe we can get past it. I miss you being a part of my life,” she whispers, her words soft against my throat where she burrows her face.
It is not enough for me to just be part of her life. I don’t want to be her friend like we were a lifetime ago. From the moment I realized I was in love with her, that I no longer saw her as just a friend anymore, she has consumed me, and I want it to be the same for her.
“I do too, babe,” I rasp, brushing my lips over her forehead before I step away, “what are you doing today?”
When she flushes, I know she is thinking about her date tonight. With me. Before we started dating, I was the person she would talk to about those sorts of things. I was always the one she came to when she was upset or frustrated or even excited about something. Lucky for me, we got together before I had to listen to too much talk about other guys.
“Checking out Harmony Hollow. It is so different now. Four years ago, I knew everything here, now...” she trails off, smiling up at me as she bounces a shoulder.
Somehow, I am holding her again, her hand toying with my tie, rolling it and tugging at it. I have flash of tying her pretty wrists up with my tie and bending her over as I ride her hard from behind. Her soft mewling moans that always drove me crazy filling the air, the tightness of her choking my cock as I drive into her again and again. Frenzied, furious, my fingers bruising her hips as I claimed her as mine.
As if she is very aware of what is going on in my head, she flushes pink, her lips popping open. Her breath is sweet as it pants against my mouth. I want to kiss her so badly my fingers sink into her waist, and I draw her closer. A loud horn sounds somewhere behind us and breaks the spell and I curse as I let her go.
“Well....you could let me show you all the places you should know about?”
Paisley tilts her head back and squints her eyes, as if thinking about my offer. Before she even speaks, I know what she is going to say. Her little hands tug at my tie again and she nods, giving me that same smile that she saves just for me. I guess my girl wants to spend a little time with me.
We spend most of the afternoon wandering downtown. I show her a new flower shop, new bookstore, the new butcher shop, and the new lingerie shop. I even introduce her to Benji and Tori, the butcher and his wife who owns the fancy panty place. The girls hit it off with Paisley promising to come visit her shop soon. Just thinking of her buying the lacy things Tori sells makes my slacks too tight.
"It kind of reminds me of the city, you know,” she muses as the sun starts to set and we walk slowly down Main Street, “I wish...I wish you could have seen the city with me though. I always thought you would like it.”
