Page 99 of Forbidden Hearts
Phoebe went to meet a grad student in the AuD program for lunch, and I’ve spent my time preparing for tonight. We fly home tomorrow and go back to the reality of what we are.
So, I am going to give us one night that we will be able to look back on, and hopefully, it will erase the pain of her past.
I hear the door lock click, and I stand here, waiting in my sport coat, jeans, and brown shoes I bought today, with a bouquet of roses in my hands. “Asher? Oh my God, I have to tell you about today and the—” She stops, her big brown eyes going wide, and she sucks in a breath. “What are you . . . you’re all dressed up.”
Moving toward her, I extend the flowers. “These are for you.”
“Asher, what are you doing?”
“I would think it’s obvious. We’re going on a date.”
“A date?” She tries to fight back a smile. “We can’t though, I don’t have anything to wear.”
I step to the side. “There is a dress for you on the bed. The girl said you’d love it, and I have no idea if that’s true, but I really hope it is. There are also shoes and everything else you might need for tonight.”
Phoebe’s eyes are like saucers. “You did all this for me?”
There’s not much I wouldn’t do for her at this point, which is a dangerous thought to have. “You deserve to have a man work for you, Phoebe. You deserve so much more than I can give you, but tonight, I am going to give you what I can.”
She does smile now and rests her hands on my chest. “And what’s that?”
“A date.”
Phoebe lifts up onto her toes and gives me a soft kiss. “You are the sweetest man. You flew out here to spend the weekend with me and now this?”
And each time I tell myself not to do something, feel something, want something with her, I find myself unable to stop. All I want is to make her smile and look at me like that so she knows what she should have in her life.
“I may not be able to give you forever, but I can give you right now. I can show you what a real man does for a woman he wants, and it isn’t keeping you locked up like a dirty secret. While we’re here, I get to give you that, so go get dressed, sweetheart, we have a date.”
An hour later, I’m sitting on the sofa, jacket off and shirt unbuttoned as I watch another show on ESPN. In my brilliant plan, I didn’t account for the fact that she’d have to get ready and that she’d take freaking forever.
She popped her head out about fifteen minutes ago, saying she was almost done.
I’m not sure how much longer it’ll be, but I am trying not to rush her.
I go on the app for the restaurant and push our reservation back another fifteen minutes, hoping we can make it. This is the last option they have for a slot.
“Phoebe?” I ask as I knock on the door.
“Yes?”
“We have to go in ten minutes. Are you close?”
“Umm . . . define close?”
She is killing me. “You can’t possibly need this much work. You’re fucking perfect without trying.”
“Stop saying sweet things to me!”
“Then get your ass out here so we don’t miss our dinner.”
She sighs loudly. “This is my first date, and I want to look stunning.”
I lean my head against the door. “You always do.”
“Sweet things, damn you!”
My smile grows wider. “You have five minutes before I carry you out over my shoulder no matter what state you’re in.”
