25. Michael #2
She finally lets out a long sigh and steps back from my hold, but not before I press a tender kiss to her wrist. Never gonna get enough of kissing this woman.
Vivian rewards me with a small smile as she looks at me with tired eyes. “Hi,” she whispers.
“Hey there, beautiful,” I reply, cradling her face with both hands. If she’s not talking about whatever it is immediately, she’s not ready yet. I won’t rush her.
And we have plenty to discuss tonight.
“Come on. Let’s eat first.” She follows me into the kitchenette as I pull out a chair at our small table for two. “What do you want to drink, mi amor?” I ask, opening the fridge.
“Just some water, please.” The exhaustion in her voice hangs in the air. As I set a glass before her, she reaches for my hand, seeking my touch. It must be pretty bad; she has never been like this before.
“Hungry, mi corazón?” I ask quietly.
“Yes! Something smells amazing.” Her face perks up as she sniffs the air.
I return to the stove and pile her plate high with the seasoned beef and rice. “Tonight, mi amor, we have picadillo.” I place the dish in front of her with a flourish and she laughs.
“So what am I eating?” Her eyes peruse the dish.
“It’s ground beef with onions, peppers, olives… and a bunch of other stuff. Think of it as the Cuban version of spaghetti. It’s comfort food.”
“Sounds exactly like what I need after the day I’ve had.” She hums appreciatively.
You and me both, baby . I dip a fork in the mixture and blow on it before offering it to her. She opens her mouth obediently, and her satisfied groan confirms that this meal was the right choice. Paquita used to make this for me on tough days, and I’m happy to meet my woman’s needs the same way.
I take a seat to her left, even though all I want to do is pull her into my lap and keep feeding her. “This is so good,” she gushes in between hurried bites. Her plate is halfway empty already and although I love that she enjoys my cooking, I wince at her hunger.
“Did you remember to eat today, mi amor?” Her blush confesses the truth. I’m going to start packing lunches for her just to make sure she has something ready at all times. Even restaurant food gets old after a while.
“Not really. Today was insane. Our dry goods vendor was late, and we ran out of paper towels and soap so I had to run to Sam’s Club during the lunch rush so we could stay compliant with health code. And the costs have gone up exponentially since…” She stops.
Everything has changed since the attacks. Nothing will ever be the same.
“Then when I got back, this one guy was harassing Claire about the price increase for the lunch specials. I was all ready to step in, but thank heavens Derrick was there for backup.”
“What an asshole,” I mutter and she nods.
“He sure was. I don’t even know why he bothers to come in anymore. I honestly think he has it out for Claire, or a crush on her or something. But that doesn’t give him the right to be such a dick.”
“What did Derrick do?” I ask, curious to see how he handled the situation.
“You should’ve seen it.” She grins. “He got all big and bad, puffing out his chest, and told him if he couldn’t behave himself in front of management , he needed to get the hell out of there.”
I smile along with her. Derrick’s athletic build makes up for his youthful appearance, and from what Vivian’s told me, his strong physique has helped them out with unruly customers more than once.
Women shouldn’t need to have a man around for protection at their workplace.
But Vivian knows as well as I do how things run, especially in the South, and it can be handy to have a big guy around to back up a lady when needed.
She’s told me Derrick is just that man for Claire; how he doesn’t overstep bounds and consistently refers customers and vendors alike back to her.
When they see him and automatically assume he’s the guy in charge, he corrects them and steers them to the “boss lady”…
and then stands behind the bar with his arms folded like a bodyguard.
After meeting him a few times, I’m glad he’s around to defend our girls.
Some regulars are cops and their presence is helpful, but it’s good to have someone who’s there all the time.
“How did their date go?” I ask.
“You know, I’m really not sure. She’s been kind of tight-lipped about the whole thing,” Vivian admits, chewing thoughtfully.
“You don’t think anything bad happened, do you?” I can’t see that being the case, but I don’t know Claire that well.
“No, definitely not. She just didn’t say much and has been kinda lost in thought lately.
” That doesn’t sound like the Claire Vivian has told me about.
“I’m not too worried. Sometimes she likes to process things before talking about them, you know?
” She takes another bite. “The only difference is that Derrick has been even more watchful and protective ever since the concert… and that’s saying something.
Not in a creepy way,” she reassures me when she sees my eyebrows lift.
“Besides, he might be influenced by the way you kicked Trent out that night.” She blinks slowly at me as I realize her tease.
“That’s never gonna change, mi amor,” I tell her as I press a kiss to her forehead and caress her cheek.
She closes her eyes and the furrows in her brow even out. “Is it a bad thing to say I know, and I love it?”
“Never, my lady.”
“Even just the way you say that… my inner feminist just shuts up and wants more. You make me feel safe,” she breathes out.
I slide my chair closer to hers and pull her onto my lap, cradling her hip with one hand.
Much better. “And you complete me. Don’t ever feel bad or like it makes you weak to need someone else.
I’m here to protect you, to provide for you, along with loving you each and every day.
It’s part of my job as your man, and I love doing it.
Do you know how it makes me feel to know I’ve got you?
” Vivian’s shoulders soften as I stroke her hair, holding her closer.
She sinks further into my hold, and my heart soars at her contented sight.
This is exactly how I want her to feel all the time.
I’m just not sure how she’s gonna feel after what I have to say.
“ Te tengo ahora y para siempre, ” I murmur. At her questioning look, I repeat, “I’ve got you, mi amor, now and forever.”
A small smile graces her face.
“I need to talk to you about something,” I tell her softly, two fingers turning her chin to face me so I can look into her gorgeous eyes as I drop the news. She’s tired, and this is the last thing I want to add to her worries right now, but we need to have this conversation.
I’m well aware that I’ve been the one ready to move forward with our relationship every step of the way, quickly taking her from girlfriend status to fiancée to helping her pack up to move in.
In my eyes, I don’t see the need to wait at all if it’s what we both want.
And I believe—no, I know—she loves me, but she’s been skittish when it comes to making any permanent changes.
And this is one hell of a permanent change.
“Vivian.” By the way her eyes lock on mine, I know I have her complete attention.
I swallow. Here goes nothing. “The project I’m working on here in Atlanta…
Well, it was never going to be long term.
I don’t know if I explained that before.
” She slowly shakes her head, searching my eyes like she’s trying to anticipate what I’m going to say.
I swallow. “They called me in today to let me know that it’s ending sooner than expected. ”
“How soon is soon ?” she asks me, eyes widening.
“End of the month.” I wrap my arms tighter around her as a buffer at my announcement. Her body goes rigid and I can feel her sharp inhale.
“What… what does this mean? For you—”
“For me? For us is what you mean,” I tell her firmly.
My next words have to be careful if there’s going to be any chance she’ll go for this.
“Listen, mi amor, I am very good at my job. This company brought me here to Atlanta, to you, and I’m grateful for that.
It brings me satisfaction and pays me well.
Well enough that I can provide for both of us…
and for our family.” I slide a hand over her stomach and rest it there.
We haven’t discussed children per se, other than my obvious attachment to my family and her desire to have strong family bonds.
I’ve assumed kids will be part of that equation.
“Listen, mi amor, there’s an opportunity for me to stay with the company, get a promotion even—”
“But,” she finishes for me. “What is the ‘but’?”
“But it means we would have to move.” I hope she’s clueing into the fact that I say we and not just me. Because that’s exactly what we are now. There is no me without her. I’ve waited too long for her and won’t let her go. Ever.
“Move where, exactly?” she asks in a quiet voice.
“Miami,” I respond just as softly, matching her tone. She stills in my arms, eyes unblinking, and for a second I think she’s stopped breathing entirely.
“Miami,” she repeats slowly. “That’s where you were born.” It’s a statement, not a question, but I nod my head anyway. “When would you have to leave?” It’s not lost on me that she’s using the singular. It stings.
“My boss’s boss was the one who spoke to me today. He says there’s only a few spots down there and that they’ll pay for moving expenses—”
“ When , Michael?” she cuts to the point, and I can’t stall anymore.
“End of the month,” I admit in a low tone.
Her body goes rigid as if I can actually feel her walls rise up, shutting me out.
Determined to get through the rest, I add quickly, “I’m flying down there tomorrow to check it out.
I can look for an apartment while I’m there…
” I trail off, feeling like it’s too much.