Chapter 16 #2
How have I already collected trash when we only recently moved?
When I straightened, a little scream escaped and I dropped everything again because Vance was standing right next to me. I blinked at him, and he leaned closer. I stood frozen, still blinking. He leaned in more, until his nose was almost touching mine.
He leaned in even farther, his lips at my ear. “Let me help.”
I shivered, wondering if it was possible to have an orgasm from someone almost touching your ear. He bent down, picking up the bottle and paper towels, then strolled back to the living room, acting as if this was normal behavior.
I stood in the kitchen watching him on his knees, scrubbing the stain off the floor. I was so turned on, I was getting too hot in my leggings and sweater. Thankfully, I was at least wearing a bra, so no nipple was showing.
When he straightened up, I snapped my head to the side to avoid being caught drooling over him. I hoped there wasn’t actual drool on my face. But it was too late to check since he was once again in the kitchen with me.
Damn you, small apartment.
I busied myself wiping the stain on my top while he put everything on the counter. Once it was clear that it was as clean as it was going to get at the moment, he took my hand. “Let’s try this again.”
He walked me over to the couch and took a seat, pulling me down next to him. “I was hoping this wouldn’t come as such a big surprise to you.”
“Are you saying you want to date me?”
His thumb traced circles on the back of my hand, and I held as still as I possibly could. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“I have two kids. And I’m divorced.” I looked around the small apartment. “And I’m broke.”
I simply wanted to make sure he hadn’t forgotten my current circumstances.
“All things I’m aware of.”
The thought of dating him was equal parts scary and exciting. “And you can have anyone you want.” I waved my arms up and down his body to emphasize my point.
He grinned at me, unperturbed by my words. “That’s great that you think that, because who I want is you.”
I stood up, having to expel some restless energy. What he was offering was too tempting to accept. Dating Vance? That wasn’t something I ever thought would be a possibility. “Why don’t you sleep on it? See how you feel tomorrow?”
He stood up as well, crowding me in the small space between the couch and table.
“I’ve been thinking about nothing else for the past three months.
I won’t change my mind. I knew you were the one when I watched you fight for your kids.
You were willing to give up everything for them.
” He leaned in so close that our noses were almost touching.
“And if that’s not enough, you’re beautiful.
You’re loyal. You’re a great friend. A great mother.
And nobody has ever made me feel like you do. You are my ipo.”
Three months? Ipo? He thinks I’m beautiful?
His large hand gently cupped the side of my face, tilting my head back to look at him.
“I know this is a lot to dump on you. But I’m done waiting.
And now that you’re officially no longer my client, I can be as obvious about my feelings for you as I want to be.
” He dropped his hand, taking a step back.
“I’ll come over tomorrow morning with breakfast.”
Blinking, I shook myself out of the warm feeling that had engulfed my body at his gesture. “Tomorrow isn’t a good day to come over. Hank is picking the girls up for their trip.”
“Great, then I’ll help, and afterward we’ll spend some time together. When do they usually get up?”
Too tired to tell him not to come, I answered him. “Seven.”
“I’ll be over at seven, then.” He placed a chaste kiss to my forehead. “What do you think the girls will want for breakfast?”
“Pancakes or waffles. Or if you want to get brownie points, then donuts.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten the girls donuts. It was an expense that I couldn’t justify at the moment when there were things like electrical bills to pay.
He walked to the door, and I followed in a daze. Am I making plans with Vance for tomorrow morning?
“Text me if you need anything else.”
I nodded, having no intention of texting him. “Good night, Vance.”
He smiled, his eyes soft when he looked at me before he bent down to press a soft kiss to my lips. “Good night, ipo.”
The door closed with a soft click behind him, leaving me to demonstrate the definition of dazed and confused. I must have been the one to fall and hit my head. Or all the fumes coming in from the other apartments had finally had an effect on me.
But one thing was for sure: I needed someone to decipher this for me.
So I called Keely. She was our dating expert, after all.
I was prepared to leave a message, but she answered before her voicemail kicked in. “Hey, honey bunny.”
“Hey, yourself. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure do. The boys are watching TV, so there won’t be any interruptions for a while. What’s up?”
I settled back on the couch, eyeing the spot where Vance had been sitting.
“Vance is back.”
“Took him long enough. And I’m guessing you’re not calling to inform me that he’s back.”
“He was at my apartment.”
“I see. And what was he doing at your apartment this late?”
I took a deep breath, reminding myself that this was no big deal. People dated all the time. Some just needed a little more advice than others. Like me. I was the some. And I needed all the advice I could get. “He kissed me.”
“Well, well, well. He sure doesn’t waste any time.”
My breathing sped up, and I couldn’t help but smile. “So, you think he actually wants to date me?” The words came out in a waterfall, almost indecipherable.
“Date you. Spoon you. Fork you.”
“I don’t know if I can do this, Keely. What if he changes his mind?”
“That’s a risk you need to take. But if you want my opinion, he’s serious about this. Exhibit A: He didn’t charge you. That’s something he’s never done. Malena told me.”
“You guys talked about this?” I cut in.
“Of course. We have to make sure the next guy you pick is going to treat you like a queen. Now, where was I? Right. Exhibit B: He messaged you every day while he was in New York. Exhibit C: He’s moving to Butler.
Voluntarily. Nobody moves to Butler voluntarily if they’ve lived in New York before.
Exhibit D: He opened an office in Denver. Shall I go on?”
Holy moly, it really was happening. Because even though I was scared out of my mind, I wanted to be with Vance more than anything.
“Chickadee, just go with it. He’s seriously head over heels for you.
This is a good thing. And you deserve someone good who cares about you.
And Vance seems to fit the profile.” The phone made a sound as if she’d dropped it before she came back on the line.
“Shit, sorry, honey. I need to go. The boys are fighting over the last packet of Cheetos, and I’m afraid one of them might actually get knocked out this time. But we’ll talk tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
This could be the best thing to ever happen to me or the worst. But the only way to find out was to actually let it happen. And there was no stopping this, because despite my doubts, I wanted him.