Chapter Seven
We spend most of the weekend on Alex’s ranch except for a couple of dinners in town and a lazy Sunday afternoon walking around the farmer’s market.
At first, I resolve to stay in her guest room.
It's the honorable thing to do, after all, but as the weekend progresses, I spend more and more nights in her bed.
And her shower.
And twice in the kitchen.
I stand in that very room a few steps away from the countertop that holds many fond memories, in one of Alex's black button downs and a pair of boy shorts, trying to figure out lunch while she’s in the shower.
It's my last day in Opal Canyon and I'm trying not to let the bittersweet feeling ruin my final moments. This weekend started out as a simple work trip, but it led to an epiphany.
I want this life, and I don't mean just a future with Alex, which would be incredible, but I want everything. I want to take a chance on myself and to stop playing it safe, and I want to put my marketing degree to good use.
The agency, this position, was supposed to be a stepping stone, but it's been nearly ten years now in the same role with no whispers of a promotion. I doubt even the queenmaker would have been able to move the needle at this point.
All I know is that something needs to change.
A door closes somewhere in the large house; it must be Alex.
“Hey, it looks like we finished off the last of the Thai food from the other night. If you don’t feel like going out, I could treat you to some delivery. Then, maybe after we can have dessert,“ I say with a little shimmy of my hips.
“Where do you have in mind?“ an unfamiliar feminine voice asks.
I turn on my heels to find playful amber eyes observing me. The woman is tall, around 5'11 with bronze skin warm from the sun and her dark brown hair tied back in braids that cascade down her shoulders.
She’s also holding the same light blue cardboard box with the label King's Bakery on the side.
"Wow, okay, hi." I frantically pull the long button down over my thighs to cover myself, but it barely makes a difference. "I'm so sorry. I thought you were Alex."
"No, I really should've called before I came over. We have a kind of standing arrangement." She shifts the cardboard box to her other arm and holds out her hand. "My name’s Chris."
"Chris, yes, of course. I got to try some of your red velvet cupcakes. They were amazing." I shake her hand. “I'm Kitty.”
“It's nice to meet you, Kitty. I'll leave these danishes over here and let you two enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”
“Thank you.”
Chris turns as she's walking out of the kitchen. “It's been a long time since she let someone into her world. You really must be something special.”
Something special.
My entire world tilts on its axis. All it took was a compliment from a stranger. No more waiting. No more hoping the winds will change or counting solely on luck. This time I will make my own luck because meeting Alex was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
I grab my phone from the countertop and open my email. Before I lose all nerve, I draft a quick message to my boss. My resignation, effective immediately.
It's going to take a little work, but I have the savings, and thankfully my apartment in the city is rent-controlled. I’ve also got the countless number of contacts I’ve collected over my nearly ten years in marketing.
Soft hands slide around my waist, and Alex pulls me flat against her chest. "Hello, beautiful," she whispers in my ear, peppering kisses along my neck and shoulder. "Oh, what are these? Did Chris come by?"
“They’re danishes. She dropped them off a couple of minutes ago.”
She releases me and leans against the countertop. “Are you okay?” she asks, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.
"Yeah, I'm okay, I'm not the best when it comes to flying. I'm kind of trying to hype myself up for the trip." And thinking about how I'm about to blow up my entire life after this one blissful weekend.