Page 36 of Mind

I giggle then curve the arms up, rubbing my thumb along the indentation. “This part hooks onto the cup so it stays in and you can use the arms to pull it out when your tea is ready.”

“Huh, genius,” he says as if this is the first time he’s ever seen an infuser.

“I thought it would be nice to have something in our kitchen that’s from us. Me and you, and our time together.” I can feel my cheeks heat as embarrassment coats the moment.

Chase covers my hand with his. “It’s perfect.” He says then brings my hand up and kisses my palm. The café attendant brings over two steaming mugs and sets them in front of us. They look like lattes only the foam has designs in them. Mine has a heart and Chase’s has a leaf pattern.

“Now that is cool!” I say and lean down for a sniff. “Is this…?” I inhale the perfect vanilla and coffee scent.

“Your beloved vanilla latte? Of course,” he grins lifting up his cup with a smug smirk. I lift mine and clink our glasses together.

“To our future. May it always be as lovely as today.”

He smiles. “I’ll definitely drink to that.”

The latte is one of the best I’ve ever had grace my tongue. Seriously, the blend of espresso, vanilla and crème is unbelievable. I moan around my mug, clasping the precious with two hands while I let the heady concoction woo me into a state of bliss. When I look up Chase is blatantly staring at me. His eyes are dark and swimming with the smooth edges of lust.

“You make me wildly happy, Gillian.” His words filter through me as if they were said into a can, connected to a string, that my heart is listening through.

I smile as the attendant brings two huge cupcakes. They have four perfectly designed flowerets in a tan colored frosting. “Are these the best cupcakes in San Francisco?” I ask Chase as he lifts his up and takes a monster-sized bite. Usually, he’s pretty conservative and proper in public but not now with this sweet confection sitting in front of him. He nods his head up and down swiftly.

Pulling down the wrapper I take a small bite of the sugary treat. Oh. My. God. I may have just had a food-gasm. Holy shit! He was not kidding. The caramel is buttery and smooth, not overbearing, while the cake is a fluffy, white, and moist. “Incredible,” I say over a mouth full of sweet awesomeness.

“Told you. The best!”

“We should have these at the wedding!” I smile around another huge bite.

Chase sets down his treat and puts a fist under his chin holding his head up while leaning on the table. His gaze holds mine as the most splendid serenity slips across my man’s features.

“What?” I ask unable to suppress a smile when he’s looking at me like I’m the only thing he loves in the universe.

“You.” I cock my head to the side. “That’s the first time you’ve mentioned the wedding with a smile on your face,” he says.

All of a sudden, the cupcake seems thick, dry and coated in cement as I try to swallow. “Really?” I take a sip of my ‘cup of love’ forcing down the uncomfortable feeling his words give me. I know they shouldn’t. It wasn’t a barb, but it was brutal in its honesty.

“It’s just that I want you to be excited about becoming Mrs. Davis. Just now was the first time you had excitement in your eyes over getting married. It was nice to see.” He leans back in his chair and I can’t help but think it’s to put distance between us.

Not wanting any distance, I lean forward and cover his hand with mine. “I want to be excited. You know that right now, it’s hard.” His lips form a tight line. “I wish the wedding was the only thing we had to manage right now. Then it would be fun and I’d feel like the happiest girl in the world to be marrying the man I love. It will be that way. Once Phil gets better and our problem goes away.” I refer to my stalker as a problem. Somehow, it gives it less credence.

“Baby, I know. I’m not mad. Well, that’s not true. I’m furious over what you’ve had to deal with, but I also know that this is going to be a small time in our life. A blip on the whole that will be our future together,” he finishes confidently.

He’s right. He’s so unbelievably right. When we look back twenty years from now, it will be with a wave of the hand and a ‘Remember that freak that stalked us? What a loser. What was his name again?’ At least that’s what I’m going to believe.

We finish the rest of our date whispering beautiful things to one another about how our lives are going to be five, ten, twenty years from now. When we’re done and back at our home, we make love under the stars in our own rooftop garden.

Gillian

Saturday morning brings a bundle of joy. Literally. Anabelle arrives like a tornado. She’s running around the penthouse like a wild gazelle.

“Aunt Gigi, is this your house!” she squeals skipping from room to room. “You live in this big, huge place all by yourself! She looks at the art on the walls in awe. Even the vase she’s standing next to is taller than her four-year-old frame.

“No, Auntie lives with Uncle Chase remember,” Chase enters from the elevator clad in a golf shirt, pants and holding his clubs.

Anabelle’s face brightens when she sees Chase. “That’s right. You kiss him and you’re going to marry him and give me a baby sister to play with!” she claps.

Chase stops in his tracks with his mouth open. “Uh, did I miss something?” He looks at Anabelle then to me and down to my stomach. “Are you…?” His words falter off.

I shake my head furiously. “No! No she’s mixed up something.” I hold out my hands and see Chase visibly relax. Crouching low, I come down to eye level with Phillip’s daughter. “Belle, Aunt Gigi is marrying Chase. That makes him your Uncle, but our kids will be your cousins. And Auntie is not having a baby right now.”

---