“Hi, beauty. How are you?” I greet her as soon as I walk in.
“Hey Big Guy. Got a couple of things down for tomorrow’s presentation. How are you? Really busy today?” she asks as she goes to get her sneakers and bag.
I know she’s asking about work because I didn’t come in this afternoon for our coffee. I should have, but my emotions were still very raw, and I didn’t trust myself at the time. I’m not exactly better now, but in part, it’s been good to work and focus solely on the tattoo I was doing.
“Yes, a little bit, actually. I'm sorry I didn't come for our coffee. When I was about to, a customer came in and I was the one to talk to him. Then, while he was in the middle of the tattoo, Asher offered to come get the coffee ” I explain, although she never asked me for explanations.
She frowns slightly. "So, you let Asher come instead of you?"
"Well, he offered," I try to justify myself, but when I look at her, I see she's biting her bottom lip, trying not to laugh at my discomfort.
In less than three steps, I'm in front of her, so close I can feel her warm breath on my chest. I lift her head with my finger under her chin, and in a calm voice filled with everything this woman makes me feel, I say...
"Are you laughing at me, princess?" Her eyes wide as saucers, looking at me with a mixture of concern and arousal.
"No, I wasn't laughing, I really wasn't," she says quickly, trying to justify herself.
"Hey, don't worry, I'm not mad, I'm just joking. You know I can't be mad at you."
The moment I finish the sentence, her shoulders relax, and Ava takes a step back, going to set the alarm while saying,
"So you didn't ignore me?"
I raise an eyebrow. "That's what you thought?"
She shrugs and lowers her gaze for a moment.
"Maybe."
"Ava." My voice is calm, firm. She looks up at me. "I would never ignore you. If I miss something, it's for a reason, because I'm busy at the time, but I'll always answer or come see you. You're always on my mind, even when I'm buried in ink and with indecisive clients. You know that, right?"
Ava nods and smiles at me, small but genuine. And it hits me hard, as always.
In the end, she sets the alarm and we close the store. As soon as we're outside, I grab the things she's carrying and lead her toward her house.
"Aren't we going to get dinner?" Ava asks curiously.
"I asked for it to be delivered to your house. I imagined you'd be tired and wanted to get home to your pajamas." It's what she always does after an overwhelming day. She needs her space, her comfort zone. As soon as she arrives, she takes off all her clothes, removes the little makeup she's wearing, takes a shower, and puts on her most comfortable pajamas depending on the time of year. Since it's spring, they'll probably be long pants with a short-sleeved T-shirt and a wool sweater or some warm, comfortable fabric.
"You know me so well. The day you have a girlfriend, she'll be the luckiest girl in the world." Her voice barely above a whisper
As soon as I register what she just said, my blood runs cold, and my heart is so overwhelmed by the thought of any woman other than her that I struggle to breathe for a moment.
I have to fight myself to keep from telling her that there will never be another woman other than her. But I can't, not yet. So all I do is murmur a sad, lonely "Yeah!
As soon as we arrive, Ava does exactly what I knew she would do. When she steps out of the shower and into her room, the steam from the hot shower and the scent of her shower gel combined with her shampoo envelop the small space of her apartment. Her apartment is small but cozy and full of personality.
The scent of books, jasmine, and something so uniquely her invades me every time I enter her space. I kick off my shoes as soon as I'm in and now I'm browsing through one of the books on her shelf when the doorbell rings. The food.
I place the bags of food on the table in front of the couch while she grabs plates and napkins, and then we settle in on the couch. She draws her legs up and covers us both with the blanket without asking, as always.
"It smells wonderful," she says, taking a deep breath at the scent of food and opening every bag to see what's in it."Did you really order both?"
"You know me," I shrug, handing her the pizza box and balancing the drinks in my other hand. "Why suffer when we can feast?"
She laughs, and it's soft and real; one of those carefree moments I always cherish.
As the movie starts, she leans slightly toward me, as if gravity is pulling her down.
