July 3rd #3
“Dani used to do competitive cheer, so we traveled a lot for that, and I’ve been all over to different football camps.
Internationally, we’ve done trips to Germany and England for a few of my dad’s football games.
Some winter break trips to Caribbean islands.
That kind of thing. I’ve not been to Italy, and I’d really like to go. You can be my tour guide.”
“I’d love that. We were based in Florence and did see some other beautiful small towns in Tuscany, but there are so many more places there I want to visit.
As for my favorite food, I do love me some pasta.
Any kind, really. And bread. I ate so much when I was there, but never gained a pound because we did so much walking.
” Her eyes brighten, and she grins. “I even learned to make homemade pasta. Maybe if you’re good, I’ll make it for you sometime. ”
“Haven’t I been pretty good already?” I ask, raising my eyebrows and smirking at her.
“You know, it’s really hard to keep your mind on track. And believe it or not, I’m still hungry. I was thinking of getting another order of fries.”
“As long as you eat them in bed.”
“No, ’fraid not,” she says as she motions to our server. “Do you not want to get to know each other?”
“I know everything I need to know. I know how to get you—”
“Damon!” she scolds, her voice quiet. “There are children present.”
I just grin at her. “You know I’m right.”
“No, actually, you aren’t. Because I’m not dating you for your body.”
I flex a bicep at her.
“I’m not saying that I don’t like it very much,” she says, scrunching up her face and looking a little distressed. “Like, you haven’t even asked me about my internship yet.”
“You haven’t asked about football yet either. But we have had conversations about both on the phone.”
“I know. It’s just that—never mind,” she says, her focus now solely on dipping a fry into ranch dressing, then gliding it through the ketchup on her plate.
And I know I’ve messed up. Because now, if I ask her about it, she isn’t going to want to tell me. My sister and Haley are the same way.
I reach out and slide my hand across her arm and say seriously, “I’m sorry. I want to know every single thing about you. About your internship. About your life.”
She looks up at me, tears shimmering, and gives me a shrug.
Shit.
“Are we having our first fight?” I ask her.
“Is it wrong of me to want to learn more, um … about you?”
Mood swings.
Ainsley
I almost just said, Is it wrong of me to want to learn more about the father of my child?
And why am I suddenly feeling sad? And why am I pushing this when I want to drag him back to the cottage and have my way with him just as much as he does?
The waiter drops off a basket of fresh fries.
But I’ve lost my appetite.
I shake my head. I’m being ridiculous. And I know it.
“I’m not really hungry anymore,” I tell him. “Let’s just go back home.”
“Okay,” he says, quickly flagging down the waiter and signing for our bill.
As soon as he does, I stand up and walk outside, needing some air.
But then the heat hits me, and I sort of feel like I could faint. I stop and steady myself on a nearby bench.
“Are you okay?” Damon asks. “You looked like you were going to pass out.”
“Yeah, I kind of felt that way. It was hot on the golf course. I might be a little dehydrated.”
He takes my hand and leads me to our golf cart and helps me get seated.
“Do you think you need to see the doctor?” he asks me.
I panic. No, that is not at all what I need.
He’ll find out that I’m pregnant. And although I wish he could know now, that I could talk to him about it, I can’t.
Won’t do that to him.
It’s only a few months. They will fly by, and once his season is over, I’ll tell him. I don’t want to change the trajectory of his career. And the fact that I haven’t really had any of the symptoms I’m supposed to have has me kinda worried.
Which makes me feel teary again. Shit. Maybe I do have symptoms—like those hormonal changes that can cause crying and mood swings. But that’s good, right? When the hormones go up, it means the baby is growing.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “No, I’m fine. Probably just tired. We didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”
“That’s true,” he says seriously.
Usually, he’d be grinning about that fact. And I can tell that he’s truly concerned about me.
“I’ll be fine,” I say with a smile. “Honestly, I’m feeling better already.”
“Well, let’s get you out of the heat. Have some water at home and watch a movie or something.”
“What about some ice cream first?” I ask.
He grins. “Your wish is my command, Champ.”
And I can’t help but smile.
It turns me on.
Damon
While we’re eating our ice cream, I decide to test the waters. “I heard from Auntie Jay that your internship went well and that you are amazing, but I haven’t heard what specific things made it really good.”
Her face lights up. Thankfully.
“So, you already know that I was in charge of the design for the lobby and you saw a picture of it, but what you don’t know is, that design was so well liked that it changed elements in many other spaces in the hotel.
Which really is how good design often works.
While some prefer each room have a separate, unique vibe, it’s widely believed that a cohesive color palette is more calming.
It makes us feel like it’s all one big, soothing space.
Each room isn’t the same though because you use the colors in each space but in different ways and in varying degrees,” she says as she takes a bite of the praline pecan ice cream she ordered, topped with hot fudge.
I watch her savor it. The pleased smile that crosses her face is the same one she makes in bed. And it turns me on.
But I proceed.
“Growing up, our house was like that. Rooms were tastefully done but very formal, and each room was a different color completely. It felt a little, um, less approachable, I would say. But our house now was done with the same colors in different ways. Did you know that Jadyn actually designed the whole thing based off my dad’s favorite pieces from his wardrobe? ”
“I didn’t know that. I have heard of designers doing that when they have a client who seems to not know what they want. You can go in their closet and usually see all their favorite colors. Do you know what your dad chose?”
“Believe it or not, I do. There was a navy pin-striped suit with a tie that was gray, purple, and teal. A brown leather jacket and brown suede shoes.”
“Now, I need to see your house!” she says.
“It’s crazy to think you’ve never been there. Although home is becoming my condo. And that’s a place you will be visiting soon. When do you think you can come up?”
I look at the calendar on my phone. “The Monday before school starts. I’ll probably be there late in the day, and I can stay for your game.”
“Oh, about that. I don’t know if you looked at the schedule, but the game is an away game. In Ohio.”
“That sucks. I don’t think I can get there and get back to school in time to get settled before classes start.”
“I figured so. The next weekend then? For my first home game?”
“Of course. But the real question is, are you going to start? If I recall correctly, I agreed to go to the first game you started, not just played in.”
“I’ve only been there for a few weeks, so it’s too early to tell, but that’s the plan.”
“Either way,” she says, “I will be there. I’m so excited!”
“And you’ll stay with me. Dad just told me that they upgraded our suite to a much bigger one to accommodate all our families. Your uncle Tripp, my mom and Van, Dad and Jennifer, and Chase’s family. I’m sure the condo building will be bustling with activity.”
“I can’t wait to see the condos, yours specifically,” she says, giving me the kind of look that lets me know that specifically refers to my bedroom. “Also, I’ve never been to Lincoln, so you’re going to have to show me around.”
“I will. But back to your design. Tell me what changed in the rest of the hotel.”
“Oh gosh. Overall, they added touches of copper, shades of green, and a rich cognac color from my design and integrated it everywhere. Like the exterior design got updated to include copper drainpipes and eaves to go with the copper fireplace in the entry. They added copper pots hanging in the flagship restaurant and copper tubs in the guest bathrooms. The cognac color was featured on glazed tiles in the bar, leather awnings on the outside, and suede chairs in the hotel rooms. The green showed up on a marble feature bathroom wall, in a Texas star at the front entry, and the walls of most of the biggest suites. And then there was this sparkly white concrete color I found for a custom coffee table. It ended up being used to make sinks for all the bathrooms in the hotel. It’s cool because concrete is really durable and the white color is timeless, but it has a cool, somewhat-rustic, natural appearance. ”
“I know how Jadyn came up with the colors for our house. Where did you get your inspiration? You told me it was just a weird combination of the town, its heritage, and your uncle Tripp. But, to be honest, I didn’t really follow that.”
“You remember what I said?” she asks, looking shocked.
“Of course I do. I practically hang off your every word.” I grin.
She pats my forearm and goes, “Now, you’re just being silly.” But then she stops and stares into my eyes. “Seriously, Damon, you have no idea how much that means to me. That you actually listen and not just let it go in one ear and out the other.”
I lean across the table and kiss her. “That’s because I care about the things important to you. It’s like every piece of information I get from you just adds to me understanding the tapestry of your life.”
“Huh. Well then, you’d better hurry up and finish your ice cream so I can show you more of my tapestry.”
“I’m already full,” I say, standing up, leaving the rest of my sundae and grabbing her hand.
She doesn’t have to ask twice—that’s for sure.
When we’re in the golf cart, she says, “Oh, and to answer your question, I pictured Uncle Tripp as a cowboy.”
Which causes me to laugh.