His mouth pulls into a smile and he lets me stumble over my words. He doesn’t try to correct me or coerce more out of me and I appreciate that, but it also doesn’t scare him away. He pulls me closer and I settle into his side. His arm falls over my shoulders and I feel safe here pressed against him.
“Home,” I whisper to myself as I rest my head on his shoulder.
Thirteen
Gracie steps into the bedroom to change her clothes just as dinner arrives. Instead of eating at the dining table, I set up all the boxes of Chinese food and bottles of water on the large square sofa table in the living room. Tonight is all about comfort and casual. I threw a lot at her today and I know it’s weighing heavily on her. I can see the tired circles under her eyes and the way her shoulders hang heavily.
“What did you do?” she gasps as she comes out of the bedroom wrapped in her silk robe. Her eyes are huge as she takes in the twelve boxes of Chinese food at the center of the table.
“I wanted to make sure to get something you’d like.” I start opening the boxes and set a plate and chopsticks next to me, where I motion for her to sit.
“You could’ve just asked me instead of ordering everything on the menu!” She laughs, tossing a throw pillow on the floor next to me where she sits on top of it. After reaching for a box of chow mein, she uses her chopsticks to pull some onto her plate.
“There’s fried rice, egg rolls, some chicken entrees, beef entrees, and who knows what else,” I tell her, looking at the boxes. “I told the concierge to order us a variety and clearly she did.” I chuckle.
“I’m taking some of this for lunch tomorrow,” she says, scooping some broccoli beef onto her plate. “This smells so delicious.”
I can’t remember the last time I packed a lunch, I think to myself as I help myself to some fried rice.
She takes a bite, and I can visibly see her mood change. The color comes back to her face and her eyes sparkle again. “Thank you,” she says softly, twirling her chopsticks around the noodles.
“For what?”
“Feeding me,” she pauses, “and helping me.” She sets the wooden sticks down on the side of her plate, wipes her mouth on her napkin, and then looks at me. “I’ve never had anyone offer me help before.”
She’s talking about the financial paperwork and options I was able to compile for her. “Thank you for letting me help you,” I return. “I promise I won’t overstep, Gracie, but I want to help you. I want to ease this burden for you.”
The corners of her mouth turn up slightly, but her eyes are touched. “You already have.” She twists her long hair and pulls it over her shoulder. “You’ve provided me everything I was too scared to do. Now I just need to sit down and put it into action.”
I nod once and reach for my bottle of water. “I’d do anything for you.” It feels weird saying that, but I mean it. I would do anything for her.
We fall into an easy routine. We clean up our dinner, have sex, shower, then sleep. If I could do this every day with her, I’d die a happy man. I will never be bored of Gracie.
I wake up at four in the morning, per usual. I’m an early riser and I know Gracie isn’t. She’s wrapped around me like a spider monkey, a death grip so tight, I can barely move. But I’m happy. She’s here with me and the sound of her breathing comforts me.
I shift slowly, unwrapping her arms from my chest and unhitching her leg from around my waist. I decide to hit the gym and let her sleep. Only a few more days and my condo will be ready to move into. I’ve emailed my assistant back in San Francisco, who is on standby to send anything I need; however, I think it might be worth a trip back to California to manage it myself. Last thing I need is Tiffany sorting through my underwear drawer, not that I don’t trust her, but it’s weird.
I hadn’t planned on staying in New York until I saw Gracie sitting at that conference room table the morning I walked into Williams Global Advertising. Seeing her face changed everything. After our night together, something inside me changed. I didn’t know I wanted anyone, or better yet, needed anyone until I met her in that bar. Her innocence, her kindness, her naivety drew me to her like a moth to a flame. Now she’s an addiction I don’t want to fight.
I quietly collect my things and head to the hotel gym. I would’ve preferred a run outside, but I can still hear the heavy rain pinging against the windows. The gym is empty this early in the morning, so I grab a treadmill and turn the attached TV to CNN to catch up on world events. I’ve been so involved in the company transition and Gracie, I feel out of touch with what’s happening in the world.
I get in a quick five miles and some weights before heading back to the room an hour later. I find Gracie still peacefully sleeping, a sheet wrapped around her and the light sounds of rain still hitting the windows.
Grabbing my clothes, I head to the bathroom to quickly shower and then order us breakfast. She doesn’t eat much in the morning, so I keep it simple: muffins, fruit, and coffee. I arrange for my driver to meet us at seven-thirty and check my emails while I wait for Gracie to get up. I have ten emails from my designer, Shannon, providing me updates on the condo design. The furniture is almost done. I paid a pretty penny to expedite the custom furniture, but the space required it. There’s no way I could’ve gone into a store and picked furnishings that would fit the space properly.
Shannon has measured the windows for coverings, which are scheduled to be installed before I move in, and she has also scheduled the delivery of all the remaining interior furniture she shopped for. She left no room untouched. She even designed and ordered all of the furniture and equipment for the outdoor space.
Every single design board she’s sent me with links to what she’s picked out I’ve approved. She’s proved to me that she has the eye for detail I was looking for. Though how she’s managed to pull this off in a matter of days is beyond me. It’s clear she’s an expert and has the right connections in New York City.
I also gave her a handsome budget, which I’m sure helped with the expediting. However, if she can actually pull off what she said she can do, she’ll be rewarded with an excellent tip.
This condo is important to me. I have this primal need to make sure Gracie is comfortable and isn’t living in that shit hole building in Red Hook. Just the idea of her going back there upsets me. I appreciate the work she’s putting into getting her place and calling it her own, however, my level of discomfort when she wants to stay there trumps my appreciation for her hard work.
She’ll be at home with me. Our home in Chelsea.
I hear the shower turn on and realize Gracie is awake. Finishing up with emails and approvals for Shannon, I email the concierge to get dinner reservations for Gracie and me tonight.
I message Tiffany to book two first-class tickets from New York City to San Francisco for the following weekend and also ask her to arrange a car from the San Francisco airport to my apartment. If I’m taking Gracie to California, she’s going to see more than San Francisco. I plan to show her Napa too. We’ll have one week in our new condo before I sneak her away for the weekend so I can wrap up my loose ends in California.