“I’m the one who’s addicted?” I ask, and he tucks his headlow.
“Give me a break. They’re about to do the reveal. That’s the best part. Chip and Joanna are so cute when they get the couple all worked up and then pull apart that canvas picture with the old house to reveal the shiny new place that’s the couples’ dream come true. What kind of heartless asshole wouldn’t like thatpart?”
“Yeah, heartless and asshole are moremything anyway,” Itease.
“Oh, you mean what you want to project to the rest of the world but can’t seem to aroundme.”
“I don’t try to hide from you,” I stress but quickly take us back to the topic at hand. “I’m pissed we missed the beginning. It’s killing me not knowing how they made that run-down shack they showed before into something these guys will be happywith.”
“I’m sure Joanna ran into some major catastrophe she had to show Chip, since apparently they don’t have cell phones to chat about these things beforehand. Then they magically figured it allout.”
“It’s fun watching that part, though. Don’t act like it isn’t. And seeing it all resolved seventy-five thousand dollars under their six-hundred-thousand-dollar budget!” I exclaim, exaggerating my enthusiasm the way one of the guests on their showwould.
Jesse’s practically giggling. “This must all seem so trivial to my millionairedaddy.”
“I do just fine,” I play before adding, “and I like this you-calling-me-daddy bit.” I scoot toward him and take advantage of what the word has roused within me, stealing a fewkisses.
“Come on, we’re gonna miss the reveal!” Jesse says as the show comes back on, and we turn together. It’s as miraculous a transformation as always, as they turned the former dilapidated split-level into a beautiful one-story home with new siding andshingles.
Jesse feigns crying, wiping under his eyes. “It’s…it’sperfect…”
I take pleasure in his act, but note, “At least we know acting isn’t yourforte.”
He grabs a pillow and slaps it against my shoulder. “Shutup!”
It’s exchanges like this, the simplest ones, that emphasize just how much I adore him. Beaming, I return my attention to the episode. “No matter what you say about my money, I can appreciate the expressions on their faces when they see their dreams come true. What? Why are you looking at me likethat?”
“That was such an honest thing to say. Soyou, but unexpected at the same time. My charmingEric.”
“You’re going to ruin my rep if you keep talking likethis.”
“You’re doing a good job of ruining it all by yourlonesome.”
He offers another kiss. I relish the taste of mint before he pulls away once again and says, “How about I make us some omelettes thismorning?”
“Hey, that’s myjob.”
“Uh-uh. You don’t get to hog that all to yourself. I want to treat you, and I’ve been eating breakfast with you long enough that I’m pretty sure I can impress you with what I can puttogether.”
“You never have an issue impressing me. The fact that you’re meeting with Tricia this weekend is impressiveenough.”
I couldn’t believe it when he told me that he and Ty had made plans with her. It’s important—necessary, even—since we have to find a way to make this work, but I’m amazed at how at peace Jesse seems with it. He hasn’t freaked out or stressed about it the way he might be even with a situation at work. He’s accepted his fate, much the same way he’s accepted other things that come along with being myboyfriend.
“It’ll be good to see her again,” he adds. “She’s part of the package, isn’tshe?”
“You’re too mature for your age, Jesse. Although, that’s one of the things that’s always drawn me to you. You don’t shy away from responsibility. You do what needs to bedone.”
“We’ve already made the mistake of not facing something that needed to be faced sooner than we dealt withit.”
He’s referring to when we kept our relationship fromTy.
“Even then, you knew what we had to do. It might have taken us some time, but we facedit.”
“Nothing wrong with taking some time to face things, though,” he says, and I know why he brought it up—because of my own innerdemons.
“Speaking of which,” I reply, “I think we need to be playing with some more of those exercises Carolyn talked to us about.” We’ve had a few fun exchanges on this journey we’re on together, and busy as life is, I like that we take time to keep on top of my work in thatdepartment.
“You know I’m more than game for that,” he replies, then growls softly—once again, as he always seems to manage, not making it feel like work, but like this fun game weshare.
