19. Had To Make The Move
19
HAD TO MAKE THE MOVE
“ H ow is everything going with work?” Angel’s mother asked her midweek. She was home by herself. On Tuesday she’d gone to Coy’s for dinner and they’d had sex again.
She never thought she was a needy person, but he just brought something out of her she’d never felt with another man before.
Maybe because she always knew who she wanted and no one else could measure up.
“It’s great,” she said. “I’m learning so much. I’ve done a lot of procedures. More fillings, and pulling teeth than anything. I did my first root canal last week. It was Coy’s patient, but he gave it to me and he watched and assisted.”
Angel was glad the patient was okay with that. She expected the older woman might have had an issue thinking there was someone inexperienced working in her mouth, but Carolyn had just said that she knew Coy was there if need be and everyone had to learn somewhere.
“That’s great,” her mother said. “I hope I never need one.”
“I’d do it if you did.”
“No, thank you,” her mother said. “I’m afraid you’d think of all the times you didn’t get your way as a child to inflict some pain on me.”
Her jaw dropped. “Mom! I’d never do that. Maybe to Spencer, but never you. You’re the one that has been in my corner over everyone else.”
“Someone had to be,” her mother said. “I’ve always known how strong you were. My little fighter. When no one thought you’d make it, you refused to listen.”
She could hear her mother’s voice getting all teary eyed again. It always happened. “That’s right, I’m strong and I wish everyone would remember that.”
“I try to remind your father and brother. Other than work, you’re getting acclimated to the island, I’m assuming?”
“I am,” she said. “It’s not hard to find things. I haven’t needed to go off the island yet. Maybe soon. I’ve been working and on the weekend it’s not like I want to deal with crowds either. I’m ordering pretty much anything I need and Coy has couriers picking things up in Boston a few days a week, so I really don’t have to wait too long for anything.”
“Dare I ask how things are going with Coy?”
She hadn’t told her mother and figured she better do it now.
“They’re great. Couldn’t be better.”
There was silence on the other end. “Meaning what?”
“That we are dating,” she said.
“What?! Since when?”
“A little over a month maybe.”
“Angel! I’m the only one who has known you’ve been in love with Coy for years and you didn’t think to fill me in on this?”
She cringed. “I didn’t know how it was going to go. And maybe I didn’t want advice either. I have to figure it out on my own and I am.”
“Are you going to fill me in on things?”
She debated on what to say and decided to just start at the beginning. “I think Spencer was asking him if I got out much. Spencer was bugging me about it too.”
“He brings it up to me also. I’m not sure why he’s concerned about it when he wasn’t when you were at college.”
“Me neither,” she said. “But over a month ago, it was Friday after work, and Coy asked what I was doing. Next thing I know I’m at his house watching a movie in his theater room, we ordered dinner and then sat on the beach with a bonfire.”
“Sounds like a great first date.”
“It was, but it wasn’t a date to him,” she said. “At least he wasn’t admitting it.”
But he had admitted that his view of her had changed and he was trying to figure it out on his own.
“Then what happened?”
“The following Friday he joked about us doing it again. No movie this time, we played games and then went down by the fire. I tripped in the sand and he caught me. He was close to me and I leaned in and kissed him.”
“Angel!”
Her mother sounded appalled. “What? Someone had to make the move. I mean, give me a break. I wasn’t going to keep visiting to be his friend.”
“What if he didn’t want you to kiss him?”
“Then he wouldn’t have kissed me back. But he apologized and I felt like crap and left.”
“Yet somehow you’re dating?”
“Because he came over the next day and I gave him shit for the way he made me feel. He admitted that his feelings had changed, but he was struggling because of Spencer.”
“Which we know could be a problem at some point,” her mother said.
“I’m not worrying right now and you won’t say anything, will you?”
“No,” her mother said.
“Don’t even tell Dad.”
“You expect me to keep it a secret from your father? That’s asking too much.”
“Fine, but he can’t tell Spencer. I think it has to come from Coy when Coy is ready.”
“I agree. What else happened?”
“After that conversation, I managed to talk some sense into him and we decided to pretend that Spencer didn’t exist,” she said, laughing.
“That’s not funny.”
“No,” she said. “I’m joking. But he admitted that I had years to run this through my head and he’s only been thinking of it for weeks.”
“Which was promising he was thinking of it.”
“Yes. So we’ve taken it slow.”
“Have you had sex yet?” her mother asked.
She sighed. She never told her mother she was a virgin. “We did. Last weekend. He was my first. I was scared to tell him.”
“I didn’t know you were still a virgin,” her mother said. “I know you’ve been in relationships.”
“I have and it never felt right.”
“Because you always had Coy in the back of your mind?”
“I think so,” she said. “But I wouldn’t put that pressure on him. As much as I wanted to be where I am right now, it was still a dream. I had no idea if it’d come true.”
“And it is. How did he feel about you being a virgin?”
“He was so good about it. He said he was honored. Mom, he’s really romantic but not in a cheesy way. He cooks more than I do. He’s so much fun to be around. At work, we don’t let anyone know, but he’s so playful with me and everyone else. I can see the difference with me though.”
“That’s a good way to get other women to have a crush on him,” her mother said.
“There is one that does. Abby. She’s not subtle about it at all. Everyone knows and Coy has told me if I ever see her go near him when he’s alone to interrupt. I’ve had to a few times.”
“Interrupt how?”
“Just to walk in the room to get something. Nothing more than that. He doesn’t want to be alone with her.”
“Like Spencer and he had that pack in college about drinking and being around women,” her mother said.
“Yes. I think he’s just very cautious about everything and it’s not a bad thing.”
“Not with his background,” her mother said. “Has that been an issue?”
“You mean the fact that his father is a billionaire and that he has all sorts of money that I’ll never know about or understand?” she asked. “Noooooo.”
Her mother laughed. “So I’ll take that as a yes. You knew this going in.”
“It isn’t a problem. I’m not sure why I said that. Maybe it’s not an issue because he doesn’t act it. Yes, he has a nice house and car, but other than that, he’s pretty down to earth.”
“I always found that about him too,” her mother said.
“But I know when it comes out we are dating people are going to make comments like that.”
“You have to take the good with the bad,” her mother said.
“I know.”
“I was calling to find out what you were doing for Thanksgiving and if you wanted to fly home. You said you had the day after off.”
“I’m going to have Thanksgiving at Coy’s parents’ house.”
“Oh,” her mother said. “So his parents know you’re dating?”
There was the hurt in her mother’s voice.
“No,” she said. “No one knows other than you right now. I have to tell Coy that you know too and hope he isn’t upset over it.”
“If he’s upset over it then I’m going to be upset. You can’t have a healthy relationship if it’s a secret. It means you two don’t go out and do anything, right?”
She sighed. “No,” she said. “We don’t. Right now it’s best to keep it quiet.”
“How is this all going to work out? I could read your face for years and that was when you were watching Coy from afar. Now that you’re dating, I’m going to guess you know what love feels like because I hear it in your voice.”
“I do love him,” she said. “But I won’t tell him. I can’t. He doesn’t need that pressure.”
It was one thing for him to know she’d had a crush on him but another to know she’d been waiting for him too.
That almost came off as too stalker-like even to her.
“There are all sorts of things the two of you have to overcome,” her mother said.
“It’s not as bad as you are making it out to be,” she said. “And we’ll be fine. But as for Thanksgiving. I was thinking of coming home because I didn’t want to be alone, but Helena came into the office on Monday. She had an appointment. After she talked to me, she asked me to join them if I wasn’t going home. I said I hadn’t decided but when the offer came in, then I talked to Coy, and he wanted me to go. He wants to spend the weekend together.”
“Doing what? Sitting in his house away from everyone?” her mother asked.
“And this is why I didn’t want to tell you just yet. I’m happy. Can’t you be happy for me?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll try. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No,” she said. “You shouldn’t have, but you did. Now I know how you feel.”
“I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”
She grinned. “No, you won’t. But you’ll try.”
“I love you and just want you to be happy.”
“Which I just said I was,” she said. “Now I’m going to call Coy and let him know what is going on.”
“What if he wants to tell his family next week?” her mother asked. “Will you be open to it?”
“No,” she said. “Not yet. There is no reason. He has to figure out what to say to Spencer first. I shouldn’t be the one to do it.”
“Or maybe you can do it together?” her mother asked.
“We’ll see,” she said. “Not something I’m going to decide on my own.”
“Let me know what you do decide though,” her mother said. “And I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye,” she said and hung up. Then she texted Coy and asked if he was around to talk.
A minute went by before her phone rang and she answered on the second ring. “Hi,” he said. “What’s going on?”
“I just got off the phone with my mother. She knows about us.”
“Okay,” he said. “I figured you’d tell her at some point. I’m surprised you waited this long.”
“First off, you’re not mad?”
“No,” he said. “Why would I be? I expect she won’t tell Spencer, right?”
“She’s not going to. I asked her to let us do it.”
“I’m sure she thinks we are crazy to keep this a secret,” he said.
“She does, but I told her it’s our decision. It’s early yet and no reason to listen to people make comments. I just want to enjoy what we’ve got without all the attention.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I can call Spencer or fly to see him this weekend and let him know.”
She could take him up on the offer, but she honestly liked that no one knew and the two of them had this little secret and world to themselves.
“Not yet,” she said. “I like what we’ve got. I’m not sure how Spencer is going to react and I don’t want that kind of influence.”
“Oh, really?” he asked. “Do you think he’s going to talk you out of being with me?”
She heard the humor in his voice. “No. He can’t. But I don’t want him mad at you.”
“I expect it to happen and we’ll have to get it over with at some point,” he said.
“Do you want to do it now?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said, laughing. “Maybe I want to enjoy what we’ve got too. But I know we don’t do much more than hang out at my house.”
“Which I like doing,” she said. “I’m good with this for now.”
“If you are, that is all that matters,” he said. “I only care about you and us. Maybe it’s selfish, but I want to live in this bubble for a period of time.”
She smiled. “I feel the same way. I’m glad we are thinking alike.”
They talked a few more minutes and she hung up. She’d love to be with him right now but knew doing it every night wasn’t good either.
They did have to take it slow and if that meant only spending time on the weekends together, so be it. Or the occasional quickie with a meal during the week.
Maybe there was some excitement to it being a secret too and she wasn’t going to feel bad that she was experiencing that.