“Oh, okay. When will we meet this young man?”
“Umm, I don’t know, Ma. I’ll talk to him about it and see if we can figure something out. Our schedules are crazy.”
“I’ve noticed. You haven’t been by the house nearly as often.”
“Nonstop traveling is exhausting. I’ve been trying to make sure I rest so I’ll be ready to fly again.”
“It’s been about two months. Do you still enjoy it?”
“I don’t know if enjoy would be the word, but I don’t dislike it. If I had a better schedule, I’d like it more.”
“I suppose you have to pay your dues first. Give it some time.”
“I am, Ma. I’m not ready to throw in the towel yet.”
“Good.”
“I’ll be back on Sunday, and I’ll come over.”
“Okay. We need to start planning Yandy’s baby shower. I’ll see you Sunday. Be safe. Love you.”
“I will. Love you too, Ma.”
I listened to nineties hip hop for the duration of my ride to Oak Brook. When I arrived, I parked in the designated spot for visitors, grabbed my overnight bag from the back seat, and used the code Sylas gave me to enter the building. As I rode the elevator to the top floor, I became anxious with excitement.
When I stood in front of his unit, I took a deep breath before knocking. He opened the door almost immediately without asking who it was. Barely a second later, he had me wrapped in his arms with his face nestled in my neck. I dropped my bag and hugged his waist.
No words were exchanged as we took a moment to bask in being in each other’s presence. I closed my eyes and inhaled his fresh, woodsy scent. Being in his arms felt like home.
“I missed you,” he whispered.
Every time we spoke, he told me he missed me, and I thought it was the sweetest thing.
“I missed you more.”
He lifted his head and took a step back, but we remained in each other’s arms.
“That’s impossible, but we don’t have to argue about it.”
He kissed me before I could respond, and if the way he kissed me was an indication of how much he missed me, I felt it with every swipe of his tongue over mine. When he pulled away, we looked into each other’s eyes for a moment. A dreamy smile graced his lips, which made me blush.
“I made you breakfast,” he said.
“Is that why you told me not to eat? I thought you were taking me out.”
“We’ll go out for dinner. I want you all to myself for a little while.”
“You’re a sweetheart.”
He kissed my forehead.
“Only for you, baby. You can wash your hands in the kitchen while I take your bag to my bedroom. I’ll give you a tour after we eat. I don’t want the food to get cold.”
He led me to the kitchen, then disappeared. I looked around, pleased with what I’d seen of his place so far. After washing and drying my hands with a paper towel, I leaned against the counter and waited for Sylas.
“Have a seat, beautiful. I’ll make your plate.”
I sat down and watched him move around the kitchen. He told me he could cook, but this was the first opportunity I’d had to try his cooking. Most people could cook breakfast, so I wasn’t too concerned that he’d messed it up.
