Page 23 of Forever Love-Reimagined

She tied her trench coat tightly and waved on her way out the door, smiling brightly. I was going to remember Mrs. Wilson for a long time coming.

Chapter Thirteen

Blake - Wednesday

Waking up to an empty bed was a reminder of how screwed up last night was and how my explanation may have been less than stellar. Even though I had no control over what happened, I realized Steph would blame it on my subconscious mind and think it meant something it didn’t. And how could I explain it to her when I didn’t understand it?

After our fight, I hadn’t bothered putting on clothes, so I went to my walk-in closet to get dressed. Since I worked late yesterday, I had Ty reschedule my morning meetings for this afternoon, which worked in my favor now because I would attempt to make up with Steph.

I put on Steph’s favorite black lace-trimmed Alexander McQueen suit, hoping she would be more receptive to my apology. They always said to dress the part, and I wanted to show her I was the remorseful girlfriend.

I did a curly, messy bun instead of my usual slicked-back version to finish my look. I left a few strands to frame my face, giving me a softer, more approachable appearance. Now, it was time to begin begging for forgiveness.

While exiting the room, I found Steph snuggled on the couch, still sleeping. She looked so peaceful I didn’t want to wake her, so I continued to the kitchen. If I made her breakfast and coffee, that seemed like it would start us off on the right track. Since chocolate chip pancakes were her favorite, I decided to try my hand at those.

I wasn’t known for my cooking skills because I was never taught that. When I was younger, we had someone else prepare our meals, so I didn’t have a lot of experience. I would have loved to make things from scratch, but I wasn’t sure I had the time or talent, so I grabbed a pre-made pancake mix and some chocolate chips to add in. Once I mixed all the ingredients, I poured my first attempt at a heart shape into the warm skillet.

While I waited for that side to brown, I proceeded to the espresso machine and had it make a couple of macchiatos, another of Steph’s favorites. Once I got the drinks started, I darted back to the pancake and flipped it. But I was too late. It was slightly burned and looked more like a butt than a heart.

After I made a few more, I at least figured out that when it bubbled on the top, it was ready to flip. Even though they still didn’t resemble the shape I wanted, I hoped it was the thought that counted. I grabbed a tray with a couple of plates, put the pancakes on them with some warm syrup, and placed the coffees next to it. The couch was empty when I headed into the living room to present my peace offering.

I walked toward the bedroom, and I could hear the shower running. I knocked lightly before opening the bathroom door while keeping the food steady. It being unlocked seemed like a good sign, so I entered, placing the tray on the countertop.

“Steph, I made breakfast—the works. Heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes with a macchiato. Are you interested?” The water continued to run, but there was no other response, so I continued. “I hope you realize how sorry I am. I would love to sit down and talk about it.”

The shower shut off, and I saw her hand snake out and grab a towel—still no words. I waited, hoping my silence would coax her into speaking.

Finally, “You want to talk? Okay, why don’t you tell me how you wound up comatose while I was on top of you about to blow your fucking mind? How not into it do you have to be for that to happen? And who was this other person? Is she who you want to be with?”

“Whoa, Steph. Please listen to me. This other person probably doesn’t exist. Besides, you’re the only one I want to be with. I’m trying to show you that. I would’ve been present the entire time if I had control over the matter. I was the one who wanted to take your mind off things, remember? And instead, I made you feel… unwanted?” I questioned.

“No! I felt stupid. What sober person blackouts in the middle of sex? That could be the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to me.”

“Babe,” I said, grabbing her shoulders to turn her to face me. “If anyone should be embarrassed, it’s me. I feel like a monkey’s ass. I wish I could’ve stopped it, but that wasn’t even the first time it happened. I had a similar episode when I was getting lunch with Ty yesterday. It’s as if I’m being pulled into another dimension. I understand how suspect that sounds, but that’s the only way I can describe it.”

“So now you’re like a time traveler or something? What the actual fuck, Blake? I’m not an idiot?”

“I know that. But I swear to you, it’s true. Will you come with me while I finish up something at work? Then we’ll spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want.” I pulled her towel-clad body closer to me, and she came reluctantly. I rested my hands on her hips and stared into her eyes, hoping my sincerity would win her over.

She licked her lips while glancing at my mouth. “I guess I can come with you, but if you stay longer than an hour, I’m taking an Uber somewhere else.” Then she leaned in, pressing her breasts against mine, and whispered into my ear, “You can go, but leave the food.”

“Okay. I’ll wait out here for you. Tell me if I can help with anything.” I wasn’t sure what I could do for her, but I thought I should offer.

When I entered the bedroom, I realized I had left my food with her but wouldn’t knock and ask for it back. I’d go hungry before I risked annoying her. I was happy she agreed to give me a chance.

Forty-five minutes later, we were at the office. It had only taken Steph five minutes to get ready, but she seemed to want to punish me by making me wait for her to eat all the pancakes, including mine. It amazed me how she could do whatever she wanted and still look like she was ready for a photoshoot. She had one of those faces the camera loved. Who was I kidding? The camera wasn’t the only one who loved her. She turned heads everywhere she went.

Right then, a thought came into my head about a potential present for her birthday next month. I wondered if I should get us one of those sexy couple photoshoots. That could be fun and romantic. I was pretty sure she would enjoy it. I needed to see if Ty could help me get that set up.

We walked inside the office silently, and Ty was the first person we saw.

“Hey, Ty. Thanks for clearing my calendar yet again. I’ll email the clients to inform them that I’ll work late to fit them in. But right now, I’m here for the sit-down with Greg to review last night's client forms. Then Steph and I are taking off for the day.”

“Ooh, whatcha doing? Something fun?” He was so nosy.

“We are having some quality time.” I didn’t want to go into details about anything that had happened yet.

“Sorry, I asked.” He looked nauseous, and I realized he thought that was code for sex. “You can head into your office. Greg said he’d meet you there, you lucky duck.” He laughed while doing some weird form of finger guns. Then he turned to Steph, “Hey, girl. You’re looking fresh.”

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