Chapter Fifteen-Bo
T he week before Christmas it snowed almost every day, and even though I had yet to tell Gloria that I lied about the generator just up and dying, deep down I felt I’d made the right choice.
But it was Christmas Eve, and I heard my woman talking to someone on the phone earlier. Okay, so I started eavesdropping when her phone rang, and was relieved when I heard her say it was work.
Truth was, I had some of my own to deal with and I needed to call my agent. In particular, I needed to drop out of opening night for my showing at a posh gallery in the city.
Manhattan was about a two and a half hour drive from here, but no way was I going to attend and leave Gloria alone.
I’d checked the roads earlier, and they’d all been cleared and were fine for travel. But usually when I visited the city, I stayed over, so I didn’t have to drive back so late.
But I really didn’t want to do that with my baby stuck here alone. So, I listened to Gloria’s conversation. And as I did, I realized not going would be a huge mistake.
Garden State PR? Shit. I should have put it together!
A laugh tickled the back of my throat as I thought about all the mistakes I’d almost made with her.
My Gloria. Sexy little vixen.
It was kismet . There was no other explanation.
This woman is my destiny.
Ever since she drove that ridiculous compact car of hers up my driveway, I’d felt as if my entire world had been tipped on its axis. And it had. By a beautiful, curvy, passionate woman I could never deserve in a million years.
But that didn’t matter because I was still keeping her.
Call it a Christmas gift to myself if you want to.
Gloria belonged with me. I’d never been surer of anything else in my entire life.
I smiled at the strings of cranberries and popcorn we made together and hung across the mantle. On the coffee table was a tin of homemade sugar cookies, and the plastic container of fudge she’d made for me with exactly two pieces left.
The woman was a phenomenal snack maker. But really, as long as I had her to eat, what else did I need?
I took in the scene in front of me and sighed my contentment. A small tree sat in the corner, decorated with a strand of twinkle lights my sister left after coming here for a fourth of July barbecue and some glass cookie ornaments Gloria made using Jolly Ranchers.
It looked homey and perfect. God, I loved this woman.
Oh, she hadn’t said anything to me yet. But every day I saw it shining a little brighter inside her velvet eyes.
That was the only thing keeping me from going insane. Of course, I hadn’t said it again either. It was like we were stuck in this standoff, and I knew I was going to be the one to crack.
But I wasn’t ready. Not yet.
While Gloria slept, worn out from our early afternoon sexercise , I went and took another shower, using trimmers on my beard and a three minute conditioning treatment on my long hair.
She’d been so sad earlier when she told me she had to leave to attend some snobby photographer’s opening, but I told her it was fine, we’d get together after the weekend.
She looked crestfallen, but she’d nodded. But I just kissed her and told her I respected her dedication to her work.
It was shitty of me to let her think she was going alone. But I was about to make that all up to her.
Besides, it was Christmas Eve, and no, I had no intention of spending it away from her.
I heard her alarm go off as I exited the bathroom and I bent down to kiss her lips, waking her up.
“What time is it?” she asked, her sleepy voice turning my cock to steel.
Later, I reminded my baser self.
“Time for you to shower and dress, Baby. Be quick. We gotta go.”
“What? Oh! But you don’t have to take me,” she murmurs, sitting up.
“I don’t have to. But I want to. Now get your ass up or you’re going in one of my sweatshirts,” I teased her.
Gloria squeaked and jumped out of bed. And no, I did not turn around, I just watched her jiggle her way to the bathroom with that stunning smile on her face and goddamn, I swear my love for her grew.
Fifteen minutes later, and yes, I was surprised as you , the two of us were both sitting in my SUV. The pets had all been walked and packed and were now sleeping in the backseat.
Meanwhile, I had to remind myself to keep my eyes on the road and not the gorgeous woman in the red dress and knee-high boots sitting beside me.
“Did I tell you, you look amazing tonight?”
“Um, you did, but I could stand to hear it again. And you do, too, by the way.”
“I do too what?”
“You look amazing. Really. Did you trim your beard?”
I felt her eyes on my face and pride filled me, knowing she found me attractive. I grinned lazily and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze before placing it back on the steering wheel.
This woman was so damn important to me. She was everything.
“Music?”
“Yes, please,” she huffed and started playing with the channels.
A full hour passed before I felt Gloria’s stare land on me.
“What is it?”
“Well, you haven’t told me why you wanted to drive me to this work thing,” she said expectantly.
“Oh, it’s no problem. I’ve got to do some things in the city, anyway.”
“Yeah? Like go out with friends or something?”
“Something like that,” I murmured and shifted my gaze back to the road.
It was killing me to keep this secret from her.
But all good things to those who wait.
Ninety-seven minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot next door to the gallery.
“Oh, if you tell them you’re pulling back out they shouldn’t have a problem not charging you,” Gloria said, eyeing the exorbitant one hour parking fee.
Not that I was going to be there for only an hour, but she didn’t know that.
“I’ll handle it. Don’t worry,” I said and opened the door for her.
“Okay, um,” she said, biting her lip.
“I have a place for us to stay in the city tonight. I’ll be here to take you back, okay?” I said, surprising her.
“You did? But Bo that must have been crazy expensive!”
I just shrugged, not giving away the fact I didn’t rent a hotel room. In fact, I was talking about a condo I owned not too far from the gallery.
Jenny was already on her way with her boyfriend to take the animals there so I could give Gloria her next surprise.
“Rich, remember?”
“I remember, but still. You could have told me,” she sniffed.
“I like surprising you,” I said and kissed her mouth.
“Go inside, Slick.”
“Alright. Um, I’ll text you when I can leave.”
I nodded and watched her walk away from me with my heart so goddamn full I thought it might burst.
This is the last time she walks away from me , I told myself.
It was the only way I could let her go.
I only had to wait five minutes for Jenny to show up, then I hand her the keys and tell her to meet me back here as soon as she can.
“You got it, Big Brother. I’m so happy for you,” she says with tears in her eyes.
“She hasn’t said yes yet,” I mumbled, worried for the first time.
“She will. It’s Christmas!”