“Yep.” I paid and glanced at the time on my phone. She usually didn’t come by until half past nine. “Mel, hold my coffee. I’ll be right back. Okay?”
I hauled ass to the florist I’d been eyeing a few doors down and came back with a gigantic bouquet; it was bordering on ridiculous. But I didn’t care. Aubrey was going to be mine for a weekend. This was cause for celebration.
Melanie smiled at me so big, I could see her full mouth of teeth—top and bottom. “Can you give her these with breakfast today?”
“Of course.”
I parked my truck around the corner and stood in the doorway a few stores down from Starbucks. If I wasn’t on such a high, this new stalking technique might have felt a little creepy. Right at nine-thirty, Aubrey walked out of Starbucks with a box and the giant flowers. She was sporting the hugest smile.
I stood there for another ten minutes. Eventually, another text came.
Aubrey: Was I especially hungry this morning?
Chance: Sorry. I got carried away. We’re celebrating.
Aubrey: What are we celebrating?
Chance: You. Coming home with me this weekend.
My phone went quiet. A few minutes later, it buzzed again.
Aubrey: I’m nervous. I’m not sure it’s a good idea.
So am I, but I wasn’t about to admit that. The consequences of blowing this were too much to even consider.
Chance: Trust me. Please.
A few minutes later, a final text came in.
Aubrey: OK
I arrived at her place Friday at six, ready for our weekend. I knocked, and she came to the door looking almost exactly like a recurring fantasy I’d had of her over the last two years. She was wearing a tight white tank top, tiny white shorts and had on a pair of silver sandals. It was a particularly humid day, and her hair was down and wilder than usual. Trust me? That was the promise I’d made to her. Fuuuck.
“What’s wrong?” She noticed the worry on my face. “Are we taking the motorcycle after all? Do I need to change?”
“No. Yes. No.”
Her brows drew down, so I explained. “No. We’re not taking the motorcycle. Yes, you need to change.”
She looked down at her outfit. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“Absolutely nothing. It’s perfect.”
“But—”
I raked my fingers through my hair. “Except that I had this recurring fantasy of you wearing all white.”
She smiled. “That’s sweet. Like I was an angel?”
My mouth spread into a wicked grin. “Not exactly.”
Her cheeks blushed. “Oh.”
I chuckled. “You don’t have to change. But you should know, if I’m quiet on the ride to my place, it’s because I’m replaying that fantasy over and over in my mind.” I winked.
There was a red suitcase next to the door, so I grabbed it.
“I just need to get my purse.”
Mutton was rubbing at my leg, wanting attention. “And Mutton’s leash. I don’t have a big yard like you. We’ll have to walk him.”
Aubrey turned around. “You want to bring Pixy?”
“Of course. We’re a family.”
It was like the damn goat understood what we were talking about. He nuzzled into my hands and let out a soft “Baaaa.”
“That’s right, buddy. It’s just going to be me and you and Mommy.” I scratched the top of his head. “You like that, don’t you.”
“All set.” Aubrey returned with her purse and the leash. “I just need to stop at Philomena’s and tell her she doesn’t need to take care of Pixy.”
“Philomena’s?”
“My neighbor. She takes care of Pixy when I work late sometimes. When I went over to ask her to take care of him yesterday, she raved about my gardens. She said she would love to steal you from me. Then she went on a tirade about the mailman delivering her four Magic Bullets that she didn’t order and insisted I take one home with me.” Aubrey pointed to an unopened box on the counter. “She’s a bit on the odd side but very nice.”
“Magic Bullet? Is that like your magic wand? You still playing with that?”
“No! It’s a blender…for smoothies.”
It was normally a two-hour drive from Temecula to Hermosa Beach, but the rush hour traffic made it almost double that. I didn’t give a shit, though. The sun was shining, I was free, and my girl was coming to my place for the weekend. Since I couldn’t do what I really wanted to do with her, I decided to show Aubrey what a normal weekend with us together would be like. We both knew we had chemistry, but something told me one of the things holding her back, aside from trust, was she wasn’t convinced we had more than chemistry.