Chapter 25
Daniela
Dex has disappeared behind a fitting room door, and I sit in silence, staring at all the boring suits.
He has to be done by now. It’s been several minutes.
“I want to see!” I holler. “Come out.”
“No!” Dex says back calmly. “You’ll be in for a treat on the wedding day, though!”
What a smug asshole.
“I’d like to make sure everything is up to standard, if you don’t mind,” the employee says, appearing beside me.
“Ha ha,” I enunciate victoriously.
“Fine,” I hear Dex grumble.
“You two are going to make a beautiful bride and groom,” the man says, looking at me with a jovial smile. Like a proud grandpa.
“Oh, no…we’re not—”
“We’re not getting married,” Dex cuts in, approaching us. He flashes me a glance, his expression unreadable.
I look him up and down. Of course he looks like his picture should be blown up and mounted on the fucking wall of this shop, showing men what they should aspire to look like in a sharp black suit. Most would never reach Dex’s level.
The man clears his throat next to me. “My apologies…I only assumed a young, beautiful couple coming in here would be the bride and groom.”
“Not a couple either.” Dex rubs the back of his neck.
I glance at the man. He looks flustered, a little panicked.
“It’s okay,” I tell him, saving him from another awkward response. “You wouldn’t be the first to think it.”
I lean in closer to the man, cupping a hand near my mouth for dramatic effect. “He wishes,” I whisper.
Dex shakes his head, then turns to look in the mirror and adjust his lapels. The man forces a smile and moves to assist Dex.
No one speaks much after that .
We leave the shop and make our way to the truck. Dex gently places the bags in the back seat, and I’m already buckled and ready to go.
“Can we grab something to eat? I’m starving.”
“Sure,” he replies. “Any suggestions? This is your neck of the woods.”
“There’s a great Thai takeout place by my apartment that I’ve been missing. And actually, since we’re here…would you mind if we swung by there so I can grab a few things?”
“Sure,” he responds. “Point me in the right direction.”
“Are you good with Thai?” I ask.
“Have you met me?” He turns his head, eyebrows raised. “I’ll eat any and all food.”
I work on placing a to-go order from my phone while also giving Dex directions. It’s weird being back in the city after spending weeks in the mountains. Everything is so much…busier here. I’m surprised to find that I don’t feel as happy to be back as I thought I would be.
When we pull up to the restaurant, Dex runs inside after arguing with me for the last five minutes about who should go in to grab it. I eventually conceded and let him do it, because I really just didn’t care enough to keep arguing with him about it.
His calming Hawaiian music plays softly as I wait alone in his truck, realizing that my home seems strange now. I’m sure once I get back after the wedding and fall back into my routine, things will feel normal again. I usually need a routine to keep me sane. Summers make me a little crazy.
He’s back a minute later, and my mouth waters the moment he climbs back into the truck. It smells so good. He hands me the bag of food to hold, then a coconut boba smoothie. Of course I had to order my favorite.
I take a sip as he pulls out of the parking lot and heads to my apartment, following my directions. “You know what? Yours might actually be better,” I think out loud, eyeing my cup.
“My balls? Of course they are.”
I palm my hand to my forehead. “That was so bad.” I laugh.
“Yeah…I know.” He sighs, smiling.
“I meant the boba from your restaurant, you silly goose.”
“Right, right.” He’s still smirking, and I can’t take my eyes off his plump lips and imperfectly perfect smile.
“It’s just up here.” I point toward my complex up ahead.
A light rain begins to fall as we pull into my parking spot. There’s nothing I love more than a rainy day.
As soon as Dex parks, I hop out, inhale deeply, and let the drops fall on my face.
“Come on,” Dex says.I can hear the smile in his voice. “You’re getting all wet.”
“Good,” I say .
His eyes grow darker as I turn to look at him, and we stare at each other for a moment. I don’t actually want whatever the moment is to end, but I force myself to look away and grab the food.
I lead him to my door on the second floor without a word. He follows me inside, taking his shoes off in the entryway.
“You don’t have to—” I begin.
“Please. My grandmother would come back to haunt me if she caught me wearing my shoes inside someone’s home.”
“Your grandmother from Hawaii?”
“Yes.”
“Ever been there yourself?”
“Only a couple of times.”
“I’ve always wanted to visit,” I reply wistfully as I lead him to the kitchen. I grab two forks, ready to dig in immediately.
“I’ll take—” He stops himself, clearing his throat. “Never mind.”
I don’t reply. I just put my head down and dig in.
“Oh my god,” Dex grunts. “It’s so good.”
“Like you said. You’ll eat anything.”
“No, but this really is so damn good.”
“Told ya.”
“So, I just need to grab a few things and then we can head to the dress shop. Do you need to make any other stops while we’re in the big city? I know you small-town folks don’t have all the amenities out there in the country,” I tease.
“We have everything we need.” He grins back, stuffing a giant bite of spring roll in his mouth.
“Okay.”
I finish up and disappear into my room for a moment, grabbing a couple things and stuffing them into a bag.
Realizing we’re in this apartment alone, with Dex just in the other room, sends a thrill through me. Images of him standing over me, dripping wet in bunched-up swim shorts that sit incredibly low on his hips, his powerful thighs on full display, flood my mind.
I shake my head, trying to erase the thought. No. I absolutely cannot go there again. What is wrong with me?
When I return, he’s finished eating and cleaned up the mess, holding the bag of trash.
“You can just throw that away under there.”
“I’m not throwing it away in here so it can sit for a week in your trash. It needs to be taken to the dumpster.”
“Great point,” I admit.
“Yeah. You ready?”
“Yep.”