Chapter 28
Mia
A Grand Gesture?
It’s been two weeks, three days, and six hours since I last spoke to or saw Otto at the fundraising gala. Not that I’m counting or anything. I thought he’d show up and try to win me back, but he hasn’t. I’ve been so unkind to him—ignoring his attempts to communicate—maybe he’s moved on. It’s my own fault if he’s done so.
It turns out that I needed these two weeks away from Otto. The time has given me a chance to think about my future. Missing Otto the way I have has helped me put everything into perspective. Plus, I’ve come up with a grand gesture that I hope will win him back.
“I’m going to go over to see Otto before my shift at the bakery today,” I say to Emma before she flies out the door.
Her feet skid to a stop. “You are?” she squeaks.
“Yep. I need to tell him how I feel.” Expelling a loud breath, I add, “I’ve been such an idiot.”
She grins. “True. Does he or Joey know you’re coming?”
“No, it’s a surprise, sneak attack,” I reply with a giggle. Hopefully, Otto will respond favorably to what I have planned.
“Well, good luck!” Emma squeezes my arm, then scurries out the door. She thought my idea was brilliant, but will a certain hockey player think so?
Gathering my grand gesture item, I take a calming breath, check my outfit, and head out. Nerves begin to set in when I turn onto Otto’s street. I’m either going to come off as the most romantic girlfriend ever, or a fool. Hopefully it will be the former.
Loading the grand gesture prop into my vehicle was easy but carrying it to the front door is another matter. With the bird flapping inside the cage, I struggle up the stairs, then try to ring the doorbell. After a couple attempts, it finally chimes loudly throughout the house.
Joey answers the door and my heart sinks. Is Otto already on his way to class?
“Mia! Please come in,” Joey says with wide eyes, stepping aside so I can enter. The cage bobbles in my hand and it smacks Joey in the leg.
“Otto is in the kitchen. I’ll go get him,” he says between chuckles.
“Thanks,” I mutter, realizing how silly I must look. My feet shift uncomfortably back and forth as I wait. Maybe I should leave and come up with a better plan...
A few seconds later, my heart flips when Otto comes out of the kitchen dressed in tight blue jeans and his jersey. He’s even more swoony than I remember. Gosh, I’ve missed him.
“I believe this belongs to you,” I say, holding up the cage.
“Is that Floyd?” he questions with surprise in his voice.
“Yep.” It turns out that Nora’s grandfather trains homing pigeons. When I found that out, I couldn’t resist this corny grand gesture. I’ll return the bird later, but Otto doesn’t have to know that.
Otto reluctantly takes the cage as I hand it to him. He stares at the bird with a dubious expression. “Um, where did you find him?”
I stifle a laugh. “Isn’t this Floyd?”
Otto bites his lower lip as his eyes flit to mine. “There never was a Floyd.”
Laughing, I launch myself into his arms. “There is now!”
A panicked expression crosses the man’s face, but he pulls me into a hug. When our lips meet, we forget about everything, especially the bird. I wrap my arms around his neck and whisper, “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” he responds, then resumes kissing me as if there’s no tomorrow.
A few seconds later, my nose wrinkles.
Looking down, I notice that Floyd has messed in his cage. Oops! I should have purchased those diapers that Otto mentioned.
“Maybe we can con Joey into cleaning the cage,” Otto quips in a low voice. He puts his arms around me, and I snuggle into his chest. “But as grand gestures go, this is a doozy.”
“It was much more romantic in my head,” I mumble. “There was no poop.”
He chuckles and leads me to the sofa where we sink down beside each other. His eyes scan my outfit. “You’re wearing my jersey!”
We gaze at each other, goofy expressions lighting our faces. “I’ve been such an idiot,” I say. “I’m sorry I shut you out, Otto.”
His brows crease. “What happened? Was it something I did?”
I grab his hands, holding them in mine, and peer directly into his eyes. “Let me explain.” The story about my meeting with Dean Smith, the internship application, my B+ grade in my summer class, all comes spilling out. Several seconds later, I admit, “You’ve been such an unexpected surprise, and I didn’t know how to handle it.”
He squeezes our joined hands. “Do you have to choose? Why can’t you do the internship? We can make a long-distance relationship work.”
“I’m sure we could. But the internship opportunity made me do some soul searching. Do I want to work at an elite law firm representing wealthy bigwigs or do I want to help ordinary people with their legal problems?” My voice gains confidence as I speak. “I chose the latter.” The conversation with Nora at the gala about her legal woes really made an impression on me.
His smile warms my heart. “You’re amazing, Mia.”
I shake my head. “Not yet. But I plan to be!”
Tugging me closer, he plants another kiss on my lips, a kiss that expresses exactly how he feels. It’s like fireworks, a comforting bubble bath, and chocolate all rolled into one. Otto is my soulmate; he makes my heart sing.
I lose track of time as we kiss for a minute or maybe three. When we both come up for air, Otto says, “So now that you want to represent the common people, does that mean you’d be willing to go bowling with me?” he teases.
I cringe. “I was so snooty when you asked me! I’m all in for a relationship with you, Otto. Even if it means bowling and going to all-you-can-eat buffets or helping you tend to your pet pigeon.”
A belly laugh rips from his lips. “And I thought you’d want to be wined and dined with French food.”
“We should still go to Le Chateau Gourmand,” I say with a flirty wink.
Otto’s eyes search mine as his thumbs stroke my cheeks. “Are you sure about your decision to turn down the internship, Mia?”
My reply is instantaneous. “One hundred percent.” He leans in and our lips touch, gently, like a whisper. This kiss is as powerful as our heated one. It sends tingles up my neck.
“You two are in charge of the pigeon!” Joey shouts from the kitchen.
Otto and I glance at the messy cage, then burst out laughing.
“Are we really in charge of the bird? Is he ours?” Otto asks.
“Nope, he’s on loan from Nora’s grandfather.”
A relieved grin splits Otto’s handsome face. “Is his name even Floyd?”
“Well, no.”
His eyebrows arch towards his hairline, as Otto stares at me waiting for an answer.
“His name is Pete,” I reply, glancing towards his namesake in the fish tank across the room.
Otto puts his arms around me and laughs. “At least you didn’t bring a Bambi along, too.”