Page 45 of East

“Today is a special day, Thea.” She leans forward, eyeing me too closely. “Eat.”

My first thought is that the pancakes are poisoned. But that would deprive Emmy of my labor. I take a bite. They’re very tasty.

“Thank you for the pancakes,” I say carefully. “They’re very good.”

She shrugs casually. “Like I said, today is a special day.”

“I guess. I’m fifteen now,” I say.

She narrows her eyes. “Fifteen?”

I nod. “Yeah. My birthday.”

She laughs at that. “Birthdays don’t matter, Thea. So you managed to not die for another three hundred and sixty-five days. Who the hell cares? No, that’s not why today is special.”

My throat catches. Maybe she did poison me.

“What… What do you mean?”

“Today is Tractor Day. The day we plow the land to prepare it for seeding. We need to do much better than we did this time last year or the year before. I want this harvest to be our biggest yet. Better than your father could have ever dreamed.”

“The tractor? But I don’t know how⁠—”

I stop speaking as Emmy glares at me. The same look she gave me that first time she slapped me. The same look she gave me when she threw me out in the snow, nearly smothered me with her hands.

I take another bite of pancake. “Of course, Emmy. That sounds like fun.”

I haven’t showered. I barely slept last night. And I have to go to a stupid work event tonight with people I can’t stand.

But for once, I don’t care. I’m having the time of my life with Aus.

First he took me to the Lincoln Park Zoo and then to an improv show at Second City. Now we’re at the Sky Deck looking down on the city’s famous high-rises and colorful parks. Aus has held my hand the whole day like we’re schoolyard crushes. Our fingers fit together perfectly.

We’ve done so much in the three hours since we had lunch at the Golden Cap, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I’m sad for it to end. We’re going to meet back up at Wrigley Manor, where the gala will be held.

Although… Aus is showered and shaved, and he looks great as he is. He doesn’t need to get ready. We can just rent him a tux. It won’t take long. If I eat into the first fifteen minutes of the cocktail hour, it won’t kill us.

I suggest it to him and he grins. “It’s a great idea.”

“Would you mind driving me to my place? You can just hang in the living room while I get ready. I have a pet cat, Dodo. You can hang out with her, turn on the TV, whatever. I hope you won’t be bored.”

“How could I be bored”—he tips my chin up so my eyes meet his—“when I’m in the company of the most beautiful woman in the world?”

Another rush of warmth to my cheeks.

God, how stupid could I have been last night to think that Wick was even a tenth as dreamy as this man?

We stare into each other’s eyes for a moment in the glass lookout area of the Sky Deck. We’re up so high that a few low-hanging clouds are at eye level. For a moment I feel like I’m in heaven.

And then I know I’m in heaven when Aus leans in and softly brushes his lips against mine.

They’re softer than I expect. Soft, but firm. And I love it.

We’re in public, so we can’t hold the kiss as long as I want. But that doesn’t stop the sparks all over my body as our lips part.

“You’re a fantastic kisser,” I breathe out.

“Only because I was kissing you,” he replies.