"I do."
"Good, because I happen to very much like you, too."
"You better."
He leans forward and kisses my nose. "Let's get you home."
I pout.
"Don't do that. I'm trying to behave here."
I nod, "Fine." He’s right.
We walks me out to the car, and before opening the door I spin around, "Thank you so much for tonight."
He flashes his teeth, "You're so welcome."
He helps me into the car and doesn't go back inside until I'm down his driveway. I am bubbling with euphoria.
Best. Day. Ever.
It’ll Be Okay
My eyes continue to wander to the large clock hanging on my office wall, and I'm having a hard time focusing on the work that needs to be done before leaving for the day. I'm filled with anxiety at the night ahead of me--of us. In just a couple hours, Veronica and I will be heading to Victor's, where we will confide in him about our relationship. I can only hope he'll be accepting and understanding. I'm freakin' praying he is.
Veronica seems to be taking it well. She’s always reassuring me that it'll be fine but, to be fair, she's also not the one who would get their ass beat. I had to make up a lie for tonight--Vance wanted to hang-- so I told him that I was going to visit Nic at school. Vance slapped me on the back and told me to get some pussy. Typical.
Every morning, I pick V up and take her to school since her parts still haven't arrived. I don’t mind, even in the slightest, especially since our mornings now include an intense make-out session in the front seat of my truck. Plus, the coffee she continues to give me is a bonus.
Veronica has also fabricated a clever story about tutoring someone after work. It isn’t much but it allows us to have a little time together. The rest of our time apart is spent on the phone, whether it’s vocal or through texts. We avoid certain conversations that, unfortunately, still really need discussing. We both knew this when we began, but we didn't want to face the reality that our time together could come crashing down if her brothers found out about us before we could let them in. I don’t want to fight with her about it, but I still feel extremely uneasy with us sneaking around. Victor is our first step and I truly hope the rest will follow.
I habitually glance at the clock again. I still have an hour to go. The plan is to pick Veronica up from school and head down to her brother’s right after. Our bags are already packed and sitting in the back of my truck. Her parents are well aware that she is going to be away for the weekend. Victor knows Veronica is bringing a friend, he just doesn’t know that friend is me. She told me she would handle her brothers if a problem arises.
I let my eyelids drop and pinch the bridge of my nose--I need to focus and get this paperwork finished.
I pull up a couple of minutes late in front of the school, but instantly notice the familiar brunette looking at her cell. She’s sitting on a nearby bench. Veronica's head snaps up when she hears my truck, and she smiles wide even though I'm late. She walks quickly. She’s radiating with excitement.
As soon as she has the door open, she throws herself into the cab, and her arms snake around my neck. I breathe in her familiar cocoa butter smell. Before her, I had no idea what cocoa butter was and now it's my favorite scent.
"Hey, babe." I laugh at her enthusiasm. She pulls back and plants a quick one on my lips.
"Hi," She smiles, "I'm so excited."
"I can tell." I laugh.
"Aren't you?"
"Somewhat.”
"It'll be fine, I promise." Her hand moves to the back of my neck, lightly scratching at my hairline. I love when she does that..
"I guess we'll find out."
Veronica gives me Victor's address, and I plug it into the GPS on my phone. "In five-hundred feet, turn right on Chestnut Lane," the robotic female voice speaks from my phone.
"Ready?" I ask, looking towards Veronica, who is curled up on my seat.
She smiles at me. "Yep."
Twenty minutes into the drive and Veronica has passed out, her head resting on the arm between us. So it's just me, the road, and my nerves. The closer we get to the city, the heavier the traffic becomes, and soon we're moving like snails. Constant stop and go. I could never live in the city, even though the tall shiny buildings do look cool. Veronica stretches her arms and sits up, drowsily taking in the surroundings. "We there?" she asks, rubbing her lash line.
"Almost. Looks like it's about two blocks away, but it says it'll be another sixteen minutes."
"Wow, this is so cool. You can walk to everything! Oh, look, a Starbucks!" she says excitedly as she presses her face to the window.
After what seems like eons, we finally make it to a massive building. We pull into an underground parking lot, and I have V scanning for the closest space to the elevators. With both our bags in one hand, I round the back of the truck to meet V and she grabs my hand as we walk towards the lift.
"Okay, I let him know we're here."
The doors open almost instantly after she pushes the button, and I'm hesitant to get in. Veronica walks forward but stops short when I don't move with her. She looks back at me and takes the two steps to stand in front of me, grabbing my face with her free hand. It forces me to look at her. My eyes connect with her viridescent ones. "It'll be okay," she reassures. With a light squeeze of her hand, she steps backward and tugs me with her. I move, slowly, into the elevator. How is she so confident? This could end badly.
I'm so lost in my head I don't even realize we're standing in front of a gray door, labeled with silver numbers. It's almost like everything is in slow motion as Veronica lifts her hand and knocks on the door. Less than a minute later, the door opens to reveal Victor who looks at Veronica, then to me. His expression goes from happy to shock in less than a second.
Actions Speak Volume
The shock on Victor's face makes me falter for a second, but I move forward to hug him, releasing Chase's hand in the process. I move back and slip my hand back into Chase's. Victor's eyes move down to our connected hands, a look of confusion as he looks at the both of us curiously.
"This is a surprise. I thought you were bringing a friend?"
"Yes," I say slowly, " I wanted to introduce you to my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" Victor chokes out. "What?" His eyes move between the two of us. "Chase is your boyfriend? When the fuck did this happen?" His voice is loud, but not necessarily angry.
"It's very new," I tell him.
"Uh, I'd say. I don’t recall anything being said last weekend when we were all together," he points out. "I can't imagine Vance is taking this well."
"We haven't told Vance."
"What?!" he barks.
"Maybe we can take this inside?" Chase speaks up.
Victor seems to notice that we're still standing out in the hall and moves aside to let us in. I stroll through the door and move through the condo without waiting for my brother, taking in its modern and sleek appearance. The kitchen is immediately on the right, full of silver appliances, and past the kitchen is a dining room with a small table that fits four. Beyond that is the wide-open living room. My eyes take in the floor-to-ceiling windowed wall.