I don’t know if I should laugh or cry or some combination of the two. I’m still standing in the open doorway.
I shut the door and take a few steps into the kitchen. I have to make sure. “What day is this?”
He puts bagels on the counter and cream cheese, then pulls more items out of the bags, fruit, milk, yogurt, loading up my fridge and freezer. Did he do all my shopping for me?
“I think it’s the eighth.” He stops and looks at me. His smile falters. I can’t even imagine what my face looks like right now. White with shock? Stunned and blank? Stupefied and absurd?
“Why?” A crease forms between his brows. “Are you okay?”
No. No, I’m not okay. I mean, I am okay. I’m better than okay. Is there a word to describe what it feels like to be exactly where you want to be, the world suddenly open before you with an actual future?
“It’s Tuesday.” I step closer to him.
He nods slowly. “Yes.”
I slide my hands up to his neck, to the back of his head. He leans down.
And then we’re kissing. Our first kiss.
Well, his first kiss with me, my first kiss with him on a Tuesday.
I get lost in him, in us.
He pulls back, resting his forehead against mine. “Do you not like bagels? We could go out somewhere for breakfast.”
“You bought me a week’s worth of food.”
He shrugs. “You literally had nothing but condiments. How do you live?”
I’m not concerned about food right now. “It’s Tuesday.”
“Yes. I think we’ve covered that. I might be wrong. Your lips have scrambled my brain a little.” He smiles and kisses me again.
This time I pull back. “Wait, how did we get here?”
“Well, first you kissed me. Then I kissed you, and now—”
I giggle. “No, I mean last night. I don’t remember leaving Dolly’s.”
“Oh, you both fell asleep on her couch. It was very cute, and the first time I’ve ever thought having a woman I like fall asleep next to someone else is precious, but then you woke up, pretty groggy and out of it, and we came back here.”
I frown, trying to recall the prior evening. “I don’t remember any of that.”
“You zombie walked into your room, and I crashed on the devil couch.” His eyes search my face and then he adds, “Maybe I shouldn’t have stayed? Was that presumptuous? I was a little worried because you seemed like you were sleep walking, and you said something about naked lightsabers, which was really weird actually, because Leon and I had this experience one night . . . well, we don’t really talk about it. So it was a weird coincidence.”
Zombie just about describes the state of my mind at this very moment. How is this possible?
Alex misconstrues my continued silence, and probably bizarre facial expressions. “Are you sure you’re all right? Oh.” His face clears. “Is it the job? You were so calm about it yesterday, but maybe now it’s catching up? Have you decided what you’re going to do next?”
I laugh, a little hysterical. Am I upset? No. Do I think I might cry anyway? Yes.
“I’m not upset. I mean, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, which is scary but also freeing somehow. Maybe I’ll get a new job somewhere and design things on the side. Maybe I’ll make a go of design full-time.” I move back into him, wanting to feel the warm strength of him against me. I put my hands on his shoulders. “Maybe I’ll take over the world. I don’t know. I do know what I’m doing tonight.”
His brows lift. “Tonight?”
I nod. “Dinner. We’re going out to dinner.”
“Right. Dinner.” His hands move to my hips and squeeze. “Do you think we could have breakfast first though? I’m starving. But dinner later is cool too. I do think I asked you out last night. Or I meant to.”
I slide my fingers up to where his shoulder meets his neck and rub my thumbs over the tendons there. “Or we could stay in tonight.”
His smile is smooth and warm. He leans his forehead against mine. “We could.”
Then he leans in, kissing my bottom lip, and we lose ourselves in discovery. Rediscovery.
When we part again, we’re both breathing heavily.
“Should we check on your neighbor?” Alex asks. “She was sleeping when we left last night, but maybe we should make sure everything is okay. Maybe we can share some breakfast.”
I nod. “Yes. Let’s do that. You did buy enough food for this whole floor.”
He laughs. “And then you can tell me your plan to take over the world.”
I grin and tap him on the shoulder. “Only if you tell me the whole naked lightsaber story.”
He laughs. “How did you—?”
I pull him closer. “Tomorrow.” I want more kissing first. “I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”
The End
Get ready, friends! An all new time-themed rom com is coming your way October 2021!
Check it out here - If I Could Turn Back Time
Also By Mary Frame
Imperfect Series—all books can be read as stand-alone novels! Quirky rom coms with guaranteed happily ever afters ;) Reading order:
Book One: Imperfect Chemistry
Book Two: Imperfectly Criminal
Book Three: Practically Imperfect
Book Four: Picture Imperfect
Book Five: Imperfect Strangers
Book Six: Imperfectly Delicious
The Dorky Duet (Plus a companion novel!) All books can be read as stand alone novels and feature oddball characters in a small town setting!
Rirdorkulous
Geektastic
Nerdelicious
The Extraordinary Series - Must be read in order! Small town cozy mystery meets romance in this compelling series!
Anything But Extraordinary
A Life Less Extraordinary
Extraordinary World
Coming June 2021, a brand new rom com!
Time of My Life
Coming soon, If I Could Turn Back Time—an all new time-theme rom com — October 2021.
About the Author
Go here to sign up for the newsletter! www.authormaryframe.com
Mary Frame is a full-time mother and wife with a full-time job. She has no idea how she manages to write novels except that it helps being a dedicated introvert. She doesn’t enjoy
