Page 85 of The Summer of ’98

“Uh, duh,” I laughed and then cringed. Duh? “Yeah. I do. How come?”

“Are you into the Spice Girls and all that girl stuff, or do you like decent bands? I assume you must have good taste if you like Aerosmith. Which reminds me, I feel kind of bad about ruining that concert for you and wanted to apologize.”

“Oh,” I said, trying to hide the surprise in my tone. “It’s forgiven. Also, the Spice Girls are awesome. I don’t have a favorite genre, though. If it’s a good song, it’s a good song.”

Noah gave a greeting nod at a couple of girls heading into the rink with their skates on, I assumed they were school friends. “Yeah, I think I’m a rock person. Pearl Jam is sick. Red Hot Chili Peppers.”

“I love them! What about Nine Inch Nails?”

“Yep,” he said. “Pantera?”

“I like some of their songs. Some of them are a bit too aggressive for my taste but I like ‘Walk.’”

“Yeah, that’s a good one,” he said and seemed more relaxed than I’d ever seen him around me. It was nice to have a common ground. He leaned in like he was going to tell me a secret. “All right, don’t tell anyone, but I kind of like No Doubt too.”

I laughed. “I love No Doubt. Gwen Stefani is a babe too, right?”

“Yeah, she is,” he grinned.

“I hate periods,” Cass said as she approached the table. A couple of guys on the pool table gave her a look, but Cass couldn’t have cared less. She sat down and pouted. “You’re so lucky that you won’t have a period for ages, Els.”

“Would you rather be pregnant?” I asked.

She recoiled. “No! No, I would not.”

I might have had the same answer as her a few months ago, but now this was my reality and I wouldn’t change it.

Two days later, Leroy and I had just arrived home from Waco after spending the weekend house-hunting near the college campus. Eleanor and Jacob wanted to help with rent and whatever we needed but that didn’t mean that I would sit back and get something for nothing. I wanted to get a job, even if it was part time. Leroy of course had a trust fund that kept him comfortable.

I still wanted to pursue a college diploma. It was always going to be correspondence so I was confident that once the babies were a little bit older, I could go ahead with the courses while the children were at home.

The apartments that we looked at while we were in Waco were all great, but there was one in particular that we applied for that we were hoping to get. It was a two-bedroom apartment on the bottom floor of the building. It was so close to Baylor that Leroy could walk if he really wanted to and the bottom floor was ideal, considering we wouldn’t have to lug babies, diaper bags, strollers, and car seats onto the elevator.

There was nothing spectacular about the actual apartment. It had been recently renovated with new hunter-green wallpaper and a white carpet that offered a brighter component to the rather dark room. I’d already envisioned how perfect some white wicker side tables and shelves would look in the living area.

The kitchen and bathroom were a soft pastel yellow and the curtains throughout the apartment were patterned with floral designs. I sort of hated them and would have preferred something more subtle. But it didn’t bother me enough to not hope and pray that our application was accepted. We were told that we would hear by tomorrow at the latest.

“Els.” Leroy strolled into his bedroom as he pulled a dark blue-and-black dress shirt over his head. His hair was still damp from his shower and he wore a nice pair of slacks. I arched a brow from the bed as he picked up his watch to check the time. “Can you shower and put on something nice. We’re going out.”

“Wait . . . what?”

“You’ll look beautiful in whatever you wear,” he added with speed, as if he thought that I was upset about how he’d worded his request. “Just . . . well—”

“Since when did we have plans to go out?”

“Since I made them so that I could surprise you and take you out,” he grinned and sauntered toward the bed. He picked up the magazine that was in my lap and tossed it to the side, grasping my hand so that I had to stand up. “I don’t want to be late. So if you could?”

I giggled as he gave me a playful swat on the butt. Leroy and I had been together constantly since I’d returned a week ago, but we hadn’t done a lot in the way of romance. It had been about getting ourselves organized to move and arranging things for the babies. We deserved a little time to enjoy each other’s company.

The dress that I changed into was a white sleeveless turtleneck that hugged me in the top half and flowed from the hips down. It stopped mid-thigh and while I had a definite bump, it still looked nice. I snatched a denim jacket and met Leroy downstairs, where he was sitting in the living room with his mom and dad, chatting and watching the football reruns.

“Wow.” Leroy stood up and swept me from head to toe with an adoring expression. He cleared his throat as his gaze darted toward his parents and back to me again. “You look beautiful, Els.”

“Have fun, you two,” Jacob waved as Leroy put his hand on my lower back to steer us out of the room. “Have her home by nine and no making bab—”

“Jacob,” Eleanor gave him a swat as I peered over my shoulder, blushing while the two of them laughed. “Don’t tease the kids.”

Leroy held my hand as we drove into town, his thumb making circles on my skin. We arrived at a quaint little restaurant on the corner of a central street that wasn’t quiet, but it wasn’t packed. The windows were illuminated with fairy lights. Vines with sweet little flowers wound around the posts on either side of the door, which rang when Leroy pulled it open. The small space was enchanting, the low lighting creating ambience. The walls were a soft yellow with what appeared to be hand-painted flowers tastefully scattered. Tablecloths covered the round tables, an identical shade to the walls, and candles flickered in the middle of couples and friends who were dining. It was magical.

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