“But there’s something else we need to discuss.”
She sits back on the bench, cradling her cup of cocoa again, but with a dreamy shine in her eyes.
“What do we need to discuss?” she asks.
“Well, first of all, you still haven’t given me a decision about Rose Hills.”
She chews on her bottom lip and looks away from me. “I just feel like I’d be abandoning him. I’d feel so guilty.”
“You’d actually be doing him a lot of good, Berlin,” I point out. “You’d be making sure he’s getting better care than you or Nadia can give him.”
“I know, it’s just…”
Her voice trails off. I can see her really struggling with the decision. Which is fine, we can kick that can down the road a little bit. The second thing I need her to agree to might be a bit trickier. But at least she won’t have to feel guilty about agreeing to it.
“The other thing is that I want you to move in with me – well – sort of, anyway,” I start.
“Oh Sawyer, I do love you too, but I don’t think we’re there just yet,” she replies. “I don’t want to jump into –”
“I didn’t mean with me, with me. I know we’re not there yet,” I protest. “What I meant to say was that the second condo unit I bought – the one right next door to me? It’s yours.”
“What do you mean, it’s mine?”
I shrug. “Is there another definition I’m unaware of?” I grin. “I’m giving it to you. It’s fully furnished – and it’s got three bedrooms, so if you’re not comfortable with enrolling your father in Rose Hills yet, there’s plenty of room for him. And Nadia too, if you wish.”
“I can’t take your condo –”
“Correction, it’s already your condo. The paperwork and title transfer should be done and ready for you when you come back to work tomorrow.”
She arches an eyebrow at me. “Always with the damn cape. That’s kind of presumptuous, isn’t it?”
I shrug. “Maybe. If you don’t want to come back to Compass, I’d understand,” I tell her. “But I know you don’t have another job, and I also know you’re not the kind of woman who likes sitting idly by.”
She grins and nods. “Yeah, that’s true,” she replies, looking up at me. “Why are you giving me your condo? I mean, I thought you were planning on spreading out.”
I give her a small grin. “And I still may one day. Who knows?” I shrug. “But what I do know is that I want my son to live nearby. I don’t want him to be too far away.”
She laughs. “There you go being presumptuous again,” she smirks. “It’s going to be a girl. A perfect, beautiful little girl.”
I laugh and place my hand on her stomach gently. “Nope. That is a boy. I can feel it. That’s boy energy in there.”
“I guess we’ll see then, won’t we?” she teases. “So you mean it? It’s going to be my place?”
“All yours.”
“So I can like – kick you out when I’m done with you?” she asks, her voice dripping with seduction.
“Well – we’re going to have to talk about that,” I counter. “I may need to reserve special booty call rights.”
We collapse into laughter together. We look into each other’s eyes for a long moment. I’m struck again by just how breathtakingly beautiful she is. I lean over and give her a quick peck on the lips and pull back, smiling at her.
“So, are we okay?” I ask.
She pulls on the ends of her hair and nods. “Yeah, we’re okay. Better than okay.”
“Promise?”
She laughs. “Swear it.”
“Good,” I tell her. “Then I expect to see you back in the office tomorrow.”
She snaps me a quick salute and laughs. “Aye, Aye, Captain.”
I sit back and stare at her, unable to keep the smile off my face. Tonight has gone a hell of a lot better than I thought it would.
“I have to say; I thought it would be a lot harder to convince you to give up your apartment,” I admit. “I figured you’d fight me tooth and nail on that.”
She laughs. Her voice as warm, rich, and comforting as the cocoa in our cups.
“Why would it be difficult?” she asks. “That place is a dump!”
I scoff. “Still not as big of a dump as that shithole where the Mets play.”
She squeals. “You are awful!”
I nod. “I am. And you love me.”
She looks into my eyes and holds my gaze firmly with hers. Berlin places her hand gently on my cheek, a small smile playing upon her lips.
“I do,” she whispers. “I really do.”
Chapter Thirty-One Berlin
I let myself into the condo and drop my bag and keys on the long dark oak table beside the door. I still have trouble thinking of this place as mine. But it is. I signed the paperwork a couple of weeks ago and made this place officially mine. I must have read those papers a billion times, but it’s still all so unreal to me.
I walk into a foyer that’s done in a white Italian marble and glance at myself in a large, round, antique mirror that’s ornately carved and absolutely beautiful. I give myself a smile, then walk down the short hallway that opens up into a large main room that has a dark oak hardwood floor and is gorgeously decorated. There is a sitting area with a deep and plush oversized cream-colored couch and loveseat set across from them, with an oval glass coffee table between them.
The main room has an open floor plan. To the right is the kitchen, which has been appointed with top of the line appliances done in black and chrome, and a dining area dominated by an oak table that sits eight, and a large glass door that leads out to a balcony overlooking the city.
I stand in the middle of the main room and turn in
