27. Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Vic
I wish we could have stayed longer in Whistler, but Tanner still works for my father, who will never give him extra days off. So we return to Vancouver and extend the honeymoon by staying at home as much as we can together, spending the time getting to know each other better.
And, obviously, having incredible sex.
Spencer doesn’t bring up the call, letting me tell him when I’m ready, though I’m sure he’s figured it out. And if my other friends are curious about why I’m coming in later than usual and leaving earlier, they don’t say anything about it.
Early on Friday morning, before we’ve even gotten out of bed, Tanner holds me close and says, “I want to take you out tonight. On a date.”
I smile at the feeling of his lips on my neck and the warmth his words bring me.
“I have to be at Blue Vista late. It’s Date Night. The guests are doing a dance class.”
I expect him to say we can go out after, maybe for a late dinner. Instead, he surprises me by saying, “Are there any spots left in the class?”
I roll onto my back. He’s not wearing his glasses yet, so I’m caught in those deep brown eyes immediately. “Not technically.”
His smile is slow. “Technically? Are you saying if I want to take you to the class, we could do that?”
“You want to take me to the dance class?” I make a face and he laughs.
“Yes. It’ll be fun. You said you don’t like dancing because you’re bad at it, so this will be a good opportunity to get better. Plus, I hear the Blue Vista crew puts on a good event.” His smile fades and he looks nervous now. “I may also have an ulterior motive. I want your friends to know what’s going on between us.”
“Have you told Wyatt?”
He rolls away from me, grabbing his glasses from the side table. “Not yet. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to tell people. But I don’t want this to be a secret, Vic. I want people to know we’re together. For real.” He turns to me again, searching my eyes. “Most people already think it’s real. I want the few who know the truth about our marriage to know how it’s changed.”
I remember, years ago, on the morning after we’d had sex, when he had asked me to tell Spencer about us because, if I told Spencer, it would be real to me. He has always wanted this to be real between us. What I’ve just come to realize is how much I want it to be real, too.
“I’ll tell them. Today.” I take a deep breath. “Before we go to the dance class.”
He grins, kissing me before getting out of bed and putting on some pants to go make coffee and breakfast. After we get ready, Tanner leaves for work and I walk the ten minutes to Blue Vista. As I approach, I consider the building, how much I love it. For the first time, I find myself wondering if I even want to own part of Sterling Properties. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to devote as much time to Blue Vista. I’d have to step back, become a Board member. We’d have to hire a new CEO, similar to how we’ve had to hire people for all the positions at the Crescent Beach location.
It was difficult for Spencer to find someone he trusted to be the event coordinator there. He still oversees all the work Denise is doing, and she’s worked for us for almost two years already. Adalie and Derek hired assistants who they oversee at Crescent Beach, usually one day a week.
I haven’t had to hire anyone extra, but if I become part-owner of Sterling, and take on a position, I would need to. I would need to find someone I trusted enough to give up control of my baby. Because that’s what Blue Vista is.
When I get inside, Spencer is already there, Cerberus, Lis’ corgi, following at his heels as he goes over some details of the luncheon being held here today before Date Night. Cerberus sees me and wanders over, drawing Spencer’s attention to me.
I bend down to pet the dog’s head, scratching his ear and earning a million dog-aunt points. He spends the day with Spencer whenever he and Lis are going to be here for the whole day. All of us take turns bringing the corgi for a walk during the day. Lis says we spoil him as badly as her parents do. I agree.
“Hey,” Spencer says. “What’s up?”
“I want to have an owners’ meeting today. Do we have time?”
He nods. “We should. Is something wrong?”
“No. I just want to discuss some things with you guys.”
He searches my eyes for a minute, then nods. “Okay. Meet you in the meeting room in an hour.”
I go to my office, trying to work, but not really able to focus as I wait for the meeting. My desk is clear except for my computer, the bi-flag mug with the pride flag sitting in it, and the little paper crane Tanner had made for me months ago. It sits right next to the mug.
I pick it up, turning it in my fingers. Then I set it down again and go to the meeting room.
Derek is already there. Adalie and Spencer come in shortly after and close the door.
“What’s wrong?” Adalie asks, concerned.
“Nothing. I wanted to update you guys on a few things.” I pause because, even though I’ve had an hour to think of exactly what I’m going to say, I still have no idea how to begin. Finally, I take a breath and plunge in. “Tanner and I are together now. For real.”
My friends don’t say anything for a long time. Then, Derek pulls out his wallet and slides a twenty-dollar bill across the table to Spencer.
“What—?”
“I bet you would be together for real before the end of the year,” Spencer explains, putting away the twenty. “Derek said it would take until next year.”
My mouth dropped open. “When did you make the bet?”
Derek leans back in his seat. “At your wedding. The way you guys acted together. You were totally into each other. It was only a matter of time.” He arches a brow at Spencer. “Though when we made the bet, I didn’t know about the first time. If I had, I would have be the under.”
I roll my eyes, but don’t comment otherwise.
“You didn’t have to have an owners’ meeting to tell us this,” Adalie says. “You could have just told us.”
I glance down at where my hands are clasped on the table. “I’ve been thinking about the deal I made with him. I’m not sure I want part of Sterling Properties anymore.”
There’s a collective sigh of relief from my friends at the table, making me look up.
Spencer leans forward, placing a hand over mine. “We didn’t want you to take over Sterling, Vic. But we also weren’t going to stand in your way if that’s what you wanted to do. You belong here, with us.”
“Are you going to tell Tanner?” Adalie asks.
The question alone makes my heart race with anxiety. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Derek looks entirely perplexed.
“If I tell him I don’t want Sterling, what reason do I have to stay married to him? The whole point of the marriage is we’re both getting something out of it.”
No one speaks for a moment. They look at each other and I can tell no one understands my point. I take a breath and try again.
“If I don’t want Sterling, the only reason for me to stay married to him is because I want to stay married to him.”
“Which you do,” Adalie says slowly.
“Yes.”
She looks more confused than before. “So, what’s the problem?”
“I can’t let him know I want to stay married to him. Not yet. We just decided we would start dating. I can’t jump right into let’s stay married forever .”
“Forever?” Spencer says.
Fuck. I hadn’t meant to use the F word. Sure, I had used it hypothetically when we’d been in Whistler, but that was hypothetical. I press my lips together, straightening my shoulders. “I don’t know yet.”
Spencer looks like he’s about to laugh at me, but he holds it in. My unaffected air is lost on all my friends by this point, but on Spencer, especially. You can’t fool a person who has known you since before you knew how to read.
“He’s coming tonight,” I tell them now. “To the dance lesson.”
“You’re going to dance?” Derek asks, his eyebrows shooting up.
“Yes, I am. Now, get back to work.”
Spencer does laugh now as he stands and pats my shoulder before he leads the way out of the meeting room.
It’s hard to concentrate on my tasks for the day as I wait for Tanner to arrive for the dance lesson. I don’t know if I’m more nervous about the fact that I’m going to be dancing in front of a bunch of strangers and could potentially make a gigantic fool of myself, or that this is my and Tanner’s first date away from the solitude of Whistler.
I’ve been working on some spreadsheets, getting ahead on some work, finally focused, when someone comes into my office and sits in the chair on the other side of my desk.
“I made you something,” Tanner says, setting an origami penguin on my desk next to the paper crane.
I look at him, eyebrows raised. “A penguin?”
“ Happy Feet .”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing, but he can see the smile I can’t contain.
“Are you ready to learn how to waltz?” he asks, leaning back in his chair.
I pick up the penguin and set it on the edge of my desk so I can bring it home tonight. The frog he gave me before is on the shelf behind me, but I don’t like a cluttered office.
“I guess so. How was work?”
He shrugs. “Another day. Another meeting. Glad the week is over. What time does everything get started?”
I blink at him slowly. “You showed up and didn’t even know what time to be here?”
“You’re here. I’m happy to be early to distract you from work.”
I can’t help the flutter in my belly at the idea of someone wanting to be early just to spend time with me.
I stand and move around my desk. I’m planning to lead us upstairs where Lis is going to serve dinner for the dancers in about half an hour. Instead, Tanner stands as well, halting my progress. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer. “I missed you today,” he says.
I circle my arms around his neck. “You saw me this morning.” I turn my face up to meet his kiss. It feels completely natural, and I melt into him. When I pull back, I say, “I missed you, too.”
We make our way upstairs, where Spencer greets us and leads us to one of the tables. We have our small tables set up today with only two place settings at each. They’re decorated with pure white tablecloths, a vase of red flowers, and flickering candles in glass jars.
“I wanted to say I’m happy for you guys,” Spencer says as we take our seats. “Let me know if you need anything.”
He walks away from us and Tanner takes my hand.
“You told them?” he asks, pressing a kiss to my knuckles.
“I said I would.”
“How did they react?”
I snort. “Spencer won twenty bucks.” Tanner laughs and I smile. “It’s fine, though. He lost twenty when Adalie and Nate got together.”
“He was betting with Derek?”
“Who else?”
Our food is served and we eat. For the date nights, we have a set menu that people choose from before they arrive. I had put in my and Tanner’s order earlier today and when Lis sends it up, there’s a note from her that says, Enjoy lovebirds . I haven’t seen her much today, so I assume Spencer told her about me and Tanner at some point.
The instructor, Sam, comes in and we prepare to dance. She shows us the very simple box step, explaining on her own, then with her partner. Then she gets us into our pairs and has us do it. It’s the most simple step—back, together, side, together, forward together, side together—but for some reason, I keep trying to go forward on the first step.
“I told you I’m bad at this,” I say when I step on Tanner’s foot for the third time.
“Nonsense,” Sam says. I hadn’t realized she was standing there. “Your problem is you’re trying to lead.”
I glance at her while trying to follow Tanner’s movements. “How do I stop trying to lead?”
“Do you trust your partner?”
We stop dancing and I meet Tanner’s eyes, nodding.
“Perfect. Then it shouldn’t be a problem.” She takes a silk scarf from her pocket and hands it to me. “Tie this around your eyes.”
I’ve seen her employ this technique with other couples in other dance classes. Still, my heart skips a beat as I think about the last time I was blindfolded with Tanner. My pussy clenches and a tingle runs across my skin. Tanner smiles at me, and I know he’s thinking about it, too.
He takes the scarf and carefully ties it around my eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asks softly.
I nod, unable to speak, and he holds me again. Now that I can’t see, I’m not trying to anticipate what his movements are going to be, simply moving with him. He leads me in the box step and I get it. On the first step, I can feel him pushing me backward, so I take the step I’m supposed to. He guides me to the side, then forward.
I laugh. “I’m doing it.”
“You certainly are,” Sam says. “Much better. You see, Vic. It takes courage to follow. To let yourself trust your partner completely, even if it means you might get hurt. Good work.”
I know she’s walked away as Tanner and I continue to dance, and I consider what she said. Trust completely, even if it means I might get hurt. But with Tanner, I won’t. He’ll keep me safe.