Page 74 of Until We're More
Since I still couldn’t speak, I nodded.
Chelsea kissed me square on the mouth before sliding down me. “Well, I worked up quite an appetite. I was trying to be good, since you’re off sugar and all things delicious right now, but sex that amazing calls for ice cream.”
As if I wasn’t already gone enough for the girl, she flashed me a ridiculously sexy yet sweet smile and pulled on my T-shirt. It sent aminesensation through me and gave me ideas about having her on the sidelines cheering for me as I won my fight.
She pulled a carton of Neapolitan out of the freezer and then reached inside the fridge. “So you don’t feel too picked on, I bought you strawberries and this coconut whipped cream that’s supposed to be healthy and delicious, if that’s something that truly exists.”
Yep, she was officially perfect in every way. No other girl had understood the fighter lifestyle the way she did.
We took our dessert to the couch, where we cuddled and kissed and did the type of mushy stuff I never thought I’d do.
Talked for hours.
Laughed until my stomach hurt like I’d done a serious abs workout.
Kissed between words.
Exchanged I love yous over and over.
Then the best and yet most dangerous…
Surrendered my happiness to hope.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chelsea
Each day, as I fell that much harder for Liam, the idea of leaving and going back to Denver sent more and more grief and panic through me. Finally we’d crossed lines and we had something amazing, and I had a feeling if we had more time, it’d surpass amazing and maybe tiptoe into forever territory.
Since I’d done so much work on being bolder and more assertive, I decided instead of bemoaning the inevitable distance or simply letting go of the months of hard work I’d put in at the company, I’d do something about it. Landing a position at the San Diego branch where there hadn’t originally been one planned for me might be a long shot, but once the idea popped into my head, it took me six days to work up the courage to talk to my boss. Technically, I asked for the meeting yesterday, so really four days. Not sure why I wanted to call it four. Asking for a meeting at all would’ve sent me into hysterics a month ago.
Okay, sure, my palms were totally sweating, but I knew what I wanted, and I was going to ask for it.
What if he says no? That there’s not a position.
Or worse, that there is, but he still doesn’t think I’m ready?
Nope, no thinking like that. Even if he’s not sure, I still have one last week to prove myself and change his mind.
I eyed my cup of coffee, and while I wanted a sip, I hadn’t spilled anything down myself yet and to take a drink now, with my hands trembling the tiniest bit, seemed like tempting fate.
“Good morning, Chelsea,” Brad said as he stepped into the conference room.
I started to stand, but he gestured for me to stay seated, so after a half-crouched sort of wave and a mumbled “morning,” I inwardly kicked myself for not being stronger. Then I settled back in my seat and picked up my pen. Okay, my hand was trembling a lot. It was just that, well, I was in love with my best friend and he lived here in San Diego, so I had a lot riding on this question.
To prevent me from psyching myself out about that, I went with thefake it till you make itmethod that’d served me well this past five weeks. Lifted chin, direct eye contact—Liam’s intimidation stare didn’t seem like a good idea in this situation, plus I’d probably accidentally wink at my boss or something else equally disastrous and end up at a human resources seminar instead of permanently relocated to this branch, so I kept the intensity to confidently steady.
“So—” I said, at the same time he said, “I’m glad you—”
I shook my head and reached for my coffee cup before remembering I wasn’t drinking it. Man, I should’ve gotten a cup of water. Hindsight was twenty-twenty and all that. “You go ahead.”
“Please,” Brad said, giving me a warm smile as he swept a hand in my direction. “You called the meeting. I forget that you’re perfectly capable of running meetings now.”
“I am?”Shit, I totally said that out loud.“I mean, I am.” A nervous laugh bubbled out of me. “I’m getting there anyway.”
“You definitely are. I’ve seen a lot of improvement this past month. I’m glad our time here has been so good for you.”
“It has.” I licked my dry lips. “Which is why… I know that the original plan was for me to go back to Denver, but I’ve grown attached to my team, and as you know, I’m from here, so I consider San Diego home.”Be bold, be bold, be bold.“I’d be an asset to this branch, and I’d like the chance to prove that. I want to stay.”
