“I know she would,” I said softly. “She always admired people who weren’t afraid to do big things. She was a teacher, and she did everything she could for her students.” Since we were talking openly like this, I thought of something I wanted to ask her.
“Since we’re telling all about ourselves, you never told me how you left things with Tyler? I’ve been wondering.”
“We handled all the financial transactions from the wedding, but he won’t speak to me about anything other than business.” She lifted her shoulders in a sad shrug. “I feel that I need to apologize for the blindside, you know? At first, I felt justified, but now…Now I see the huge embarrassment calling off the wedding must have caused him.” She folded her hands together. “I’ve called him, but he never picks up. I’ve left him a handful of voicemails.”
“Maybe he just needs some time.”
She nodded. “I’m not going to give up.”
“It’s good to put things to rest.”
“Okay, well, I have one last thing.”
“Hit me.” I’d been hoping all this talking might be a form of foreplay, but now I wasn’t so sure. But it was still nice. And I got the sense that maybe Ani hadn’t done enough of it—talking, that is—with Tyler.
She took a big breath and continued. “My mom used to say I was too much. Sort of like, ‘Oh, Ani. You’re too much.’ I know she mostly said it when I was a teenager, usually when I was creating some big scheme, but it stuck with me. It sometimes leaves me wondering if I’m too much for…anybody.”
“You’re not too much for me.”
That got me the slightest smile, but maybe she didn’t really believe me because she kept talking.
“People are raising their eyebrows at us. A friend of my mom’s asked her about what we were doing in the grocery store. Apparently, we’re the subject of gossip. How do you feel aboutthat? I mean, we haven’t really dated. Nothing is normal. We’re both exhausted. Our ‘arrangement’ is unusual.”
I leaned back in my chair and grinned. This was an easy one. So I spoke the words honestly. “You stop me in my tracks. You take my breath away. I admire everything about you. And now I see that you’re a wonderful mother too. Every minute I’m with you, I thank my lucky stars for you. And I feel that way about Rosebud too.”
That made her start to flat-out cry. Of course, the waitress chose that time to arrive to take our order. “I’ll come back,” she said, quickly backing away.
After she left, I handed Ani my napkin and said, “I want to remind you that this is supposed to be a fun evening.” I’d figured that after all this high emotion, we’d probably end it by settling in bed watching Netflix. But that would be okay. At least we’d be together. She was still dabbing at her eyes. “Please don’t cry.”
She used the napkin to blow her nose and then met my gaze. “Adam, you’re misunderstanding me. No one has ever said anything so wonderful to me.”
Good. I wanted to tell her more wonderful things, preferably upstairs, but I wasn’t sure if she wanted that. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the waitress making her way back. “Are you hungry?”
She set down the napkin on her empty plate and said definitively, “I’m ready to go back to the room.” She paused. “And eat from the minibar.” She gave me a poignant look, and then glanced at her watch as she stood. “We’d better hurry. Sixteen hours and counting.”
I’m sure I flashed her a giant, wicked smile. Could we spend the next sixteen hours in bed? I didn’t know, but I was sure willing to try.
Ani
I don’t remember taking the elevator. I do remember opening the door to a luxurious suite with a huge bed with lots of white puffy pillows and comforters and Adam immediately tackling me onto it. We landed together, laughing in the twilight, the warm spring breeze drifting in from a sliding door that led to a small balcony. I was trembling with anticipation. Then his lips were on mine, soft and warm and determined.
“Adam, I?—”
“Yes?” His hair was mussed. Heat was in his eyes, all directed at me, which made my heart squeeze with pure joy. I reached up and pushed his hair back, ran my hand along his cheek, felt the roughness of his jaw. “Adam, I—I want you to know that I’m not always a chaos agent.”
He threw his head back, bursting out laughing. “A what?”
I’d clearly thrown him. “A chaos agent. You know, someone who’s always disruptive and unpredictable. This past year?—”
His face held a bemused expression. But also a loving one. I mean, he hadn’t saidI love you, but it was in his eyes. I felt it in his touch as he gently slid my curls out of my eyes.
He took a moment to really look at me. Under his perusal, I felt like he was seeing the best of me, a version that he thought I was, but I wasn’t quite sure I could live up to. Maybe that’s why I’d said what I said.
“Honey,” he said in his most roguish voice, “if you’re a chaos agent, you are that in the best way. You shook me awake and got me living again. I’ve never met anyone like you. I wouldn’t ever want you to change.”
Then he kissed me, and I lost myself in the feel of his mouth, the heat of his body so close to mine. “By the way,” he said as he lowered his head, “I’m not leaving this room until late checkout tomorrow. We’ll DoorDash something if there’s no room service.”
“I’m only hungry for one thing,” I said, and then covered my eyes and groaned. “That was so cliché.”
