Page 116 of David's Love

He fusses with his tie while I run a hand over my skirt.

“Are we having plans for tonight?” he asks, not looking at me.

His question is most likely rhetorical.

He knows our routine.

It’s been the same these past few days.

I flick an eyebrow at him.

“No. Why are you asking?”

He shoots me a side-eyed glance.

“We’ve been invited to dinner,” he says, straightening and pivoting to me.

He helps me put my jacket on.

“Dinner?”

“Yes. Julie and Miranda, her aunt. They’re good friends of mine,” he says after weighing his words. “Julie just told me about the dinner.”

I place my hand on my hip.

“Wait. Julie was just here. Why didn’t she ask me?”

“She wanted to run it by me.”

I tense up.

He notices right away.

“No need to get anxious. They’re good people. The pies we had at the cabin last weekend…” he says and pauses, studying my eyes. “Miranda baked them. She likes to cook and have people over. It’s going to be fun.”

I stare at him, frozen.

“Do you have a problem with that?” he asks.

“No. So we’re a couple, then? What did you tell them about us? Or how have I come up in the conversation?”

He moves closer and takes my face in his hands.

“Julie knows. She knew we’d be a couple before we were a couple. That’s why she didn’t want to come to you. She wanted to talk to me first.”

My stance softens.

“We’ll have a nice evening. You’ll see,” he says.

He leaves a kiss on my lips and brushes back a strand of red hair.

“I’ll walk out first.”

With that, he pulls back, checking his watch.

“And I’ll pick you up around seven. Dress comfortably. It’s nothing formal. Okay?”

I nod.