Chapter 29
Theo
“I propose a toast,” Leila announces the minute the server walks away after leaving our drinks on the table.
She reaches for her glass of white wine and raises it toward Whitney and me sitting across from her.
Chase looks at Leila in amusement but follows her lead, picking up his glass and raising it, too.
“What are we toasting to?” Whitney asks, though she plays along as well.
“The end of the school year,” Leila raises her glass to her lips and then takes a large gulp.
The table erupts in laughter from Leila’s sense of humor. Among other things, the last day of school for Leila is one of the many reasons we decided to come out tonight to celebrate.
Additionally, Whitney just got a promotion to more of an executive role.
She’ll now be overseeing a number of tasks and functions throughout the company.
Though I don’t know the exact details of the ins and outs of the inner workings of Nexus anymore after being fully engulfed with my position at their lead competitor, I know she’s excited about it.
And I know she’ll excel.
Just like she does at everything else.
I follow suit, and we raise our glasses, clinking them together and toasting for this new chapter that is steadily approaching.
There is another thing that Whitney doesn’t realize we’re toasting to.
But I found a home outside of the city, which I think will be a perfect place for us to start this next chapter.
She and I will be traveling out there tomorrow to take a look at it and determine if it’s the right fit for us.
Hopefully, she agrees that it’s everything we need, and we can put an offer in right then and there.
I smile to myself as I sip my wine, excited for the moment I get to share this surprise and—hopefully—watch as her face lights up with an equal measure of excitement.
We’ve been together nearly eight months now, but that feels like nothing.
When I close my eyes and picture what my life looks like, all I can see is her and the life we’re going to build together.
I’m eager to see everything come together and watch all the pieces fall into place—but I’m also content to enjoy every individual day that I get to spend with her.
It’s hard for me to imagine that there was a time in my life that I didn’t know her.
I didn’t know what it was like to count down every second of the day until I got to see her again.
I suppose it’s a good thing because if I had, I’m not sure anything could have stopped me from scouring the Earth until I found her.
Until we were together and everything was how it should be.
Something so simple as running into each other at the workplace turned out to be exactly what we both needed.
Our group makes small talk once the waiter comes by and takes our orders. Mostly talk of work, or in Leila’s case, what her plans are while she’s off school for the summer.
“I don’t know, man. I think Melinda has the hots for you,” Chase says before reaching for a piece of the complimentary bread provided by the restaurant. I make a face at the mention of one of the older members of the Board of Directors at Nexus.
“She definitely doesn’t,” I argue back.
He laughs. “Oh, she does. Every time I run across her, she makes a point of asking how you are.”
“She does, I’ve seen it happen,” Whitney adds. I shoot a glance at my girlfriend and grin wickedly.
“And how does that make you feel?”
She waves me off. “If you want to leave me for her, I’d probably let you. She’s got to be a millionaire or something.”
I quirk a brow at her. “I’m already a millionaire.”
“Well, then you two would be perfect for each other,” she says, sticking her tongue out at me.
“You two are sickening,” Leila says, shaking her head. “I don’t know why we even hang out with you.”
“Because you love us,” Whitney admonishes her friend.
Leila rolls her eyes but fights off a smile. “I suppose you’re right. I’m so bummed you can’t come with me to the Bahamas, Whitney.”
Whitney laughs and then gives Chase a pointed stare. “You better talk to this one about that. He’s got a strict, no Caribbean vacations policy.”
“Unless I’m invited,” Chase teases with a wink.
Leila looks like she’s pondering it, inviting Chase and Whitney on her vacation, but then she shakes her head and changes the topic before anyone else can say anything else on the matter.
Our food arrives not long after, and we all dig into our meals, laughing and joking away the remainder of the night.
As we walk out of the restaurant and start making our way back toward home, the girls take off ahead of us, looping their arms through each other and then leaning close to speak softly.
Chase and I stay a few feet behind them, walking side by side.
I have my hands tucked into my pants pockets as we stroll across the sidewalk.
Surprisingly, the city isn’t too busy tonight, giving us plenty of room to meander and enjoy the spring evening.
“You’re happy, right?” my brother asks me out of the blue, in a rare show of vulnerability for him.
I don’t look away from Whitney, watching the way her long hair swings against her back with every step. I nod my head. “Yeah, I am.”
“Do you miss being at Nexus?”
I ponder his question, wondering if I do.
I sometimes look up from my desk when someone walks into my office, still expecting to see Whitney standing there expectantly.
I’m always a little disappointed when it’s not her, but then I remember that I get to spend every night and every morning with her, and that eases any type of longing for our past surreptitious relationship.
“Not especially,” I finally respond. And it’s true.
Aside from getting to see Whitney every day, the work at Nexus compared to my new company, Pinnacle, is essentially the same.
The only difference is that Pinnacle has been around much longer than Nexus and has a far wider reach as far as property demographics.
Other than that, the workload is identical.
“Must be nice to have someone you can be so confident in,” Chase says, his voice whimsical.
Now, I do look over at him and catch his gaze lingering on Leila as she walks right next to my girlfriend.
Chase and Leila have been on and off for the last eight months that I’ve been seeing Whitney.
When they’re on, they’re on. But when they’re off, I try my hardest not to get in the crossfire because it can get messy real quick.
Though, by the way, my brother is looking at her now, I wonder if he’s yearning for something a little more sturdy. Something more stable.
“You should talk to her,” I suggest, reading between the lines. Though Chase and Leila were on good terms for this evening’s festivities, I know they’re not actively seeing each other right now. No matter how much either of them wants it.
Chase exhales. “I don’t know what good that’d do. She’s a free spirit. All I can do is hope that she’ll come around to the idea of something eventually.”
I tighten my lips into a thin line. I definitely am not familiar with Leila the way Chase, or even Whitney, is. I can only attempt to be a support when he needs it, but even then, I feel like I’m always shooting in the dark.
Finally, we arrive in front of my building, where Chase and Leila both parked their cars so we could walk to the restaurant. Whitney gives Leila a big goodbye hug while I pat my brother on the shoulder in farewell.
Chase and Leila walk away into the parking garage together.
As soon as they’re out of sight, Whitney and I make our way into the elevator and press the button for our level.
Once the doors close, Whitney tucks herself into my side.
I kiss the top of her hair, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo.
I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of this.
When we make it to our level, Whitney shoots me a smile before unlocking the door with her key. She glances back at me as she steps inside, shrugging her coat off from her shoulders. I follow after her, transfixed, wondering if I’ll chase after her like this forever.
When she makes it into the bedroom, she reaches behind her back, fiddling with the clasp of the zipper. I step up and help her, pulling the zipper down until her back is exposed. I lean down and press a kiss to her shoulder, breathing in the sensual scent of her skin.
“I think I’m going to take a shower,” she says, her voice breathy. “Do you want to join me?”
“Is that even a question?”
Whitney giggles as I follow hot on her heels into our large master bathroom. While she’s shucking off the rest of her clothes, I reach into the walk-in shower stall and turn it on. Since living together, I’ve learned that Whitney likes the shower as hot as humanly possible.
Unfortunately for her, I can hardly stand the water as hot as she prefers it, so we have to find some middle ground whenever we share.
Once steam is billowing out from the top of the shower and I rid myself of my clothes, we both step in.
Whitney grabs my hand and pulls me closer so we’re both standing close enough to the stream from the shower head.
She closes the distance between us and presses her steadily soaking body close to mine.
I rest my chin on top of her head and tighten my arms around her, loving the way our bodies feel pressed together like this.
“I had a good time tonight,” she says against my chest.
“I did, too. Leila and Chase always make things interesting.”
Whitney makes an exasperated sound in the back of her throat. “She’s so frustrating. I know she’s crazy about Chase, she just won’t admit it.”
“I think he’s crazy about her, too,” I muse. “Maybe even as crazy as I am about you.”