I went to the bathroom, ran the water over my hands, and stood there looking at myself in the mirror for exactly three seconds before I turned the water off and went back out.
He pulled my chair out before I even got to the table. Pushed it in behind me after I sat down, then kissed the top of my head like it was the most natural thing in the world, because for him it was. That was just Brendon. Consistent. Present. The kind of man who made you feel like the most important thing in the room without having to announce it.
I picked up my fork and told myself to just be here. Just sit here and eat dinner with your man and be normal.
“The venue called back today,” he said, cutting into his steak. “They have a Saturday available in September. I told them Ineeded to confirm with you first but honestly baby, I think we should lock it in. Then get the invites sent out.”
“September is beautiful,” I said. “The weather should be good.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” He pointed his fork at me. “And my mother finally agreed on the color scheme so that battle is over. She was acting like it was her wedding and starting to stress me out.”
I laughed and it came out more natural than I expected. “How did you manage that?”
“I let her think it was her idea.” He shrugged. “You pick your battles.”
We ate and talked and he told me about the new realtors he had brought on, two of them fresh out of school and hungry, one older woman who had been in the industry for fifteen years and brought her own book of business with her. He was excited about it in the quiet way he got excited about things, not loud, just engaged, his eyes alive when he talked about building something. He mentioned a city council meeting he was sitting in on next week, a development project he had been asked to consult on that could turn into something significant.
“I just can’t wait for you to be my wife,” he said at one point, just dropped it into the middle of everything else like it was simple. “I know I say it a lot but I mean it every time.”
I looked at him across the table.
“I know you do,” I said.
My phone vibrated against my thigh.
I shifted slightly and silenced it without looking down. Kept my eyes on Brendon and kept the conversation moving. Then itvibrated again. Then again. Steady and persistent like whoever was calling had no intention of stopping. I knew damn well Griz wasn’t really doing this shit.
Brendon glanced toward where the sound was coming from. “You can answer it.”
“It’s fine.”
It vibrated again.
“Ivy.” He gave me a look. “Answer the phone.”
I picked it up and looked at the screen. Unknown number. I knew in my heart that it was the same number I had called from private not even thirty minutes ago. I did not understand how he had my number. I had blocked the callback the second I hung up on him, or I thought I had.
I answered and turned the volume all the way down before I brought it to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Come outside.” Griz’s voice was low and completely unbothered. “Or I’m coming in.”
I kept my face completely still. Brendon was watching me from across the table.
“Hey,” I said, like I was talking to a girlfriend. “No, it’s fine I’m just having a late dinner.”
“I’m parked down the street,” Griz said.
“You got five minutes.”
“Mmhm, yeah that’s fine,” I said.
“Four minutes fifty seconds.”
Brendon went back to his food but kept a loose eye on me the way he did when he was trying to give me privacy without fully stepping back. I sat there at that table with Griz counting down in my ear and my fiancé two feet across from me and finished my dinner. I was not about to jump up and run outside like a teenager. I needed to at least let Brendon finish his plate.
The second he stood up and started stacking dishes to take to the kitchen I told him how amazing everything at dinner was, then I excused myself to the bathroom. Sat on the edge of the tub for a moment and pressed my hands between my knees and thought.
