by Parker, Ali
“Let’s get busy. I have a hot man waiting at home for me, and I don’t plan on spending a minute over my time. I like my job, and I am not quitting anytime soon, but I love my man, and that’s where I really want to be.”
We got to work. I was able to focus on my tasks, but I did find myself thinking about Trent a lot. I thought about what my life was going to look like a month from now, a year from now. I thought about Leia and maybe asking Trent if we could get her a playmate to keep her occupied while we were gone. I thought about so many things. My mind was like a hamster wheel. Things like doing his laundry and grocery shopping and what did he like to eat ran through my mind.
When it was time to take my lunch break, I immediately went to the break room to grab my purse. I smiled as I read through the texts from him, telling me how much he loved me.
“Hi,” I said when he answered the phone.
“Hey, baby, are you on your lunch break?” he asked.
“Yep. I got your messages and figured I would call you instead of texting you.”
“That’s better than a text.”
“Is there anything special you want for dinner tonight? I assume you’re still going to be in town when I get home.”
“I will be in town,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere just yet. Don’t worry about dinner. I can take care of it.”
I smiled. “You’re so sweet.”
The door opened behind me, and Holly walked through. “Is that lover boy?” she whispered.
I shooed her away and turned my back toward her. “I can pick something up on my way home,” I offered.
“Baby, you’ve worked all day. I’ve got it.”
I heard the sound of loud kissing behind me. Holly was making some rather weird and slightly obscene gestures while kissing the air. I rolled my eyes and turned back around.
“I’ll see you tonight. I love you.” I ended the call. I turned back around, hands on my hips as I glowered at Holly.
She grinned. “What?”
“You’re such a child,” I snapped playfully.
“I’m so jealous of you. That’s why I’m making fun of you.”
I laughed. “Such sound reasoning. Now, I’m going to scarf down my lunch so I can get my work done and get out of here.”
“Oh yes, you have a hot date with Mr. Wonderful. You said he doesn’t have a brother, but does he have a close cousin? Hell, I’d even settle for an uncle.”
“Nope, he’s one of a kind and all mine,” I said with a great deal of satisfaction.
“You’re so mean.”
“I’m so lucky.”
She sat down with her lunchbox and pulled out a sandwich. “So, are you going to have some kind of celebration party?”
“I don’t know. We’ve kind of talked about doing something like that or maybe even having a formal ceremony, but it seems kind of unimportant to me.”
“What?” she asked with surprise. “Don’t you dream about the perfect dress and being queen for the day?”
“I feel like a queen every day I’m with him.”
She groaned. “Ugh, you’re going to kill me with all that gooey stuff.”
“I don’t know if I want the dress. Honestly, I loved that it was just me and him. And Elvis. And the old woman that was kind of a bitch, but it was me and him. It was private and intimate, and we didn’t have to share our joy with anyone. I know that sounds totally selfish, but it was perfect. I’ve seen and read the horror stories that go with planning a big wedding. I’ve seen girls cry their eyes out when they don’t fit into their dress. I like that we didn’t have any of that drama.”
“You’re so practical,” she said.
I laughed. “I’m not a perfect size two. Do you know how difficult it would be to find a dress?”
“They tailor the dress to you, silly. You don’t buy off the rack.”
“I know, but I think I would feel self-conscious. I’d try and lose a few pounds to look better in the dress and only end up gaining twenty.”
She laughed and nodded. “I so know that feeling.”
We chatted a bit more about the wedding that never was and the many pros and cons that went along with the traditional ceremony. Then it was back to work. I was still on the fence about an actual wedding. I knew Trent would do whatever I wanted, but part of me believed he did want the traditional ceremony. I would do it for him.
After my shift, I practically ran out the door, anxious to get home to my husband. I stopped when I walked into the employee parking lot and he was there waiting for me, leaning up against my car holding a bouquet of spring flowers.
Holly was walking alongside me. “You are one lucky woman. Have a good night.”
I ran to Trent and kissed him. His arms went around me. “What are you doing here?” I asked with a big smile.
“I thought I’d surprise you.”
“You know just how to make my day even better.”
“Really, I just wanted you to take me for a ride in this sweet car,” he said with that sexy grin of his that almost always assured he was going to get very lucky.
“You want to test out the backseat?” I asked, waggling my eyebrows.
“No! The leather!”
I burst into laughter. “Fine. This is why I could have gotten a cheap older car with cloth interior.”
“Absolutely not. I’ve outgrown the days of the backseat acrobatics. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a little on the tall side. Add that to my bum knee, and things are just so much better anywhere else.”
I kissed him. “You’re so right. I’m not the kind of girl who is limber. Me and backseats are pretty much never going to happen.”
“I promise to always keep our sex life exciting,” he said in a husky voice.
“I can’t imagine it ever getting old.”
We got in the car, and I drove home, taking a longer route than necessary for both our sakes. We talked about taking a road trip up to San Francisco once my parents were officially moved in. I loved that we were making plans.
He had already had dinner on the way. We arrived about a minute before the delivery man showed up with the Chinese. Khloe was out for a run, leaving me and Trent alone to eat our dinner. We had just gotten through the meal when my phone rang.
“Hi,” I answered, recognizing Julia’s number.
“You bitch. I’m so pissed at you.”
“Gee, that’s no way to say hello. I miss you too.”
“You’re married? Are you fucking kidding me? How do you go and get married without telling me?”
I laughed. “I didn’t tell anyone. We didn’t even know we were going to do it until we were actually doing it. It wasn’t planned.”
“That doesn’t make it any better,” she pouted. “I’m your best friend. I’m supposed to be there. I’m supposed to get to wear an ugly dress and hate you for making me wear it.”
“You can still wear an ugly dress,” I offered.
“Stop it. You know what I mean.”
“I do, and I think we might just plan an actual ceremony,” I told her, looking at Trent who smiled and winked. I had known that was what he was leaning toward, and I was okay with it.
“I’m going to be in the wedding. Don’t you dare try to put me on the guest list. You can make Khloe your maid of honor, but I will damn well be standing up there next to you. After all, I’m pretty much responsible for the two of you getting together at all.”
I burst into laughter. “Oh, really? That’s funny because Khloe says the same thing.”
“You never would have taken that first step if we hadn’t pushed you into it. Now look at you. You’re welcome.”
“Thank you, Julia. You’re a good friend, and I’m very lucky to know you.”
I could practically see her preening. “I know.”
“Once we get moved and settled, we can start planning the wedding,” I told her.
“I’ll probably have to do a lot of it via Skype, but I will be there for the wedding. Just make
sure you give me plenty of advance notice. None of this spur of the moment crap.”
“I will definitely give you plenty of notice. I won’t get married again without you.”
“I can’t believe you’re married,” she said, her voice filled with amazement. “I figured it would be me or Khloe to get married first. I mean, I guess I don’t blame you. If I had a guy like Trent, I would be locking him down in a hurry too.”
I laughed. “I didn’t lock him down.”
He held up his hand and waggled it, showing me the ring. “I’m locked down.”
“See? Even he knows what you were doing.”
I grinned. “I’ll talk to you later. I’m spending the rest of the evening with my husband.”
“Still hate you,” she said and hung up.
I was suddenly very excited to plan a wedding. I couldn’t wait to see him dressed up, and I wanted to look beautiful for him. The future looked brighter every day.
Chapter 59
Trent
It was official. We owned the house. The papers were signed and off to be recorded. There was truly something to be said for having money. I hated waiting for anything. Money cut through red tape like it was butter.
“Are you excited?” Khloe asked over her laptop, where she was sitting at the other end of the table. “You don’t look excited. You look—serious. Like you’re contemplating something big. You’ve done everything big in life you could do.”
I grinned. “The only thing I’m contemplating is the actual move. Not so much the move, but the packing. I’m wondering if it would be easier to just start fresh.”
She rolled her eyes. “Billionaires. You’re all the same.”
I laughed. “Because you know so many?”
“I read books. You don’t want to pack your clothes? Don’t you have special things you want to keep with you? You’re former military. I’m assuming you have a uniform? What about Leia?”
I held up my hand. “Slow down, turbo. I see your point.”
“Good. Any other life problems I can help you solve?”
“Not yet. I’m sure there are many. First, I need to call Mira and ask her to do some packing.”
“Good luck with that.”
I pushed the button with Mira’s number and waited for her to answer. “Hey, it’s me,” I said when she answered.
“Yes, Trent.”
“Can you start packing some stuff up for me?”
“I’m not packing your bedroom,” she said firmly.
I chuckled. “Noted. I will handle my bedroom. Can you start packing the office and some of Leia’s things? I’ll be leaving everything else there. Mostly just some of my personal stuff and a few other things. I don’t want to leave you with an empty house.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” she joked. “I was going to move in my whole family.”
“Ha. Ha. Really though, you can have the guest house.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I love my sister and her children, but I don’t want to live with them.”
I laughed. “Got it. I’ll be home this weekend to do my packing, and I’ll be bringing Leia back with me.”
“I’ll miss that dog, kind of,” she joked.
“Thanks, Mira. I’ll see you Saturday.”
When I hung up, I looked up at Khloe. She was smiling big. She mentioned something about the sale of the hotel in Fresno, and I realized she was talking to Richie. I wondered if there was something brewing between the two of them. She ended her call, still smiling when she looked up and saw me staring at her.
“What?”
I shrugged. “Nothing. You look happy.”
“I’m not unhappy.”
“What’s going on with the sale?” I asked, pulling up my own email account.
“I’m working on a list of things that will need to be transferred over. Richie wanted to know if you had changed your mind about closing down the hotel while the renovations were being made?”
I shook my head. “No. It needs to be closed. There is too much liability with guests during the renovations.”
She grimaced. “But you plan on keeping the staff?”
“Yes. I expect the renovations to take a couple of weeks. The other updates can be done while the hotel is open.”
“I’m not an expert, but shouldn’t you lay off the staff? Paying them for doing nothing seems a little much.”
I smiled. “They won’t be doing nothing. We’ll be retraining them. They will all need to sign our paperwork and agree to our rules of conduct and so forth.”
“That’s a very good idea.”
I winked. “I know. That’s why they let me be the boss.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re certainly very humble.”
“I’m going back to Tahoe this weekend. I’m expecting Sade will likely go as well. Do you want to come along? I promise not to work you to the bone. You can hang out on the beach.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I think I’ll stay here. I have my own organizing to do.”
“Are you sure?” I questioned.
“Yep. I will have the condo all to myself.”
“You’ll have the condo all to yourself on a permanent basis very soon,” I reminded her.
We both got back to work. Things were happening fast. I felt a little more settled, having the house taken care of. Now, it was closing the deal on the hotel and starting the process of the updates and remodels. It was going to be a busy time. I was looking forward to it.
I checked the time and realized Sade would be getting off work soon. “What should I order for dinner?” I asked Khloe.
She looked up from her screen. “Pizza?”
I wrinkled my nose. “That does not sound appealing.”
“I agree. How about Chinese?”
“Again?”
“Indian?” she suggested.
“Hot. Sade doesn’t like spicy food.”
She nodded. “Good boy. You know your wife.”
“Was that a test?”
She held up her hand and put her fingers together. “Little one.”
“I passed.”
“You did. Sade loves Chinese. We can change it up.”
I pulled up the app on my phone and browsed the menu. I essentially ordered everything that we hadn’t had the other night. With dinner out of the way, I got up and started to tidy the place up. I didn’t want Sade to come home and think she needed to clean up. Khloe and I were perfectly capable of doing so.
“I’m going across the street to pick up some wine and beer, do you need anything?” I asked Khloe.
She looked up from the computer and laughed. “Seriously, do you have a twin? You cook, you clean, you’re wealthy, and now you’re going to do the shopping. I don’t think you’re human. You must be a robot. Where do the batteries go?”
“Ha. Ha.”
“You’re a good man. I’m happy for Sade.”
“Thank you. Now, would you like anything from the store?”
“Chocolate. Chocolate cake. Chocolate chip cookies. Candy bars—whatever. I need some chocolate.”
I chuckled. “Noted. I will return with chocolate.”
I grabbed my wallet and set out across the street to the store. I wasn’t sure if she had a preference on the list she had given me, so to be safe, I got it all, along with some donuts and a few other sweet snacks. By the time I got back to the condo with my bags of goodies, Sade was home.
“I told you,” Khloe said.
“Baby,” Sade said and came toward me, taking one of the bags from my hand. “What did you do?”
“I picked up a few things,” I answered, dropping a kiss on her cheek.
“A few things?” she exclaimed, putting the bag on the counter.
I put mine beside hers and started unloading the items Khloe had asked for. “Dinner should be here soon.”
Sade picked up the box of cookies and held it up, turning to glare at Khloe. “You sent him to get you chocolate?”
Khl
oe shrugged. “He asked if I wanted anything.”
“You didn’t have to do what you always do.”
“I gave him options. I didn’t mean for him to buy everything on my list.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “She’s been working hard all day. A few cookies is the least I can do.”
She put her arms around me. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
We put away the multitude of snacks and set the table for dinner. When the meal arrived, we sat down and each tried some of the new items I had ordered.
“I’m planning to go to Tahoe for the weekend to pack up what I’ll be taking to the new house. Would you like to go?”
She gave me a look that said she thought I was ridiculous. “Duh! Of course, I’ll go. I’ll help you pack.”
“Are you sure? I would understand if you wanted to have a girls’ weekend with Khloe. I know I’ve kind of crowded you.”
“You’re not crowding me,” she assured me. “You’re my husband.”
I winked. “Since I’m your husband, I think that means I get that dumpling,” I said and reached over and snatched it off her plate.
Her mouth dropped open. “You did not just do that!”
I chomped down on the dumpling and smiled. “I did. What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine. I’m pretty sure we said that. Elvis is my witness.”
“I do not think Elvis meant dumplings. Those are sacred.”
I burst into laughter. “I doubt that. Have more rice.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Have more rice?” she asked, her tone saccharin sweet.
“Uh oh,” Khloe murmured.
I looked at Khloe and before I could ask what she was uh-oh-ing about, I was hit with an egg roll in the side of the face. “What the hell?” I gasped in shock and turned to look at Sade.
“Maybe you should have an egg roll,” she said with an angelic smile. “Unless you wanted rice. Do you want some rice?”
“I—”
I didn’t get to say a word. A spoonful of rice was launched at me, hitting me in the same spot as the egg roll. She burst into laughter. I looked down at my plate and used my fingers to scoop up a few noodles. I tossed them at her.
She shrieked. “No!”
She grabbed more rice and lobbed it at me. I followed with some pork launched at her.
