Page 116 of Laws of Love
Aiva shook her head at their bantering. Slowly, but surely, their relationships had changed. She and Mia occasionally had lunch together, and the three co-parented efficiently. Though she tried to leave any big decisions regarding Yasmine to the two of them.
“Oh,” Aiva started, going around the bar to help Knox. “How was your date last weekend?”
“Better than last month’s by leaps and bounds,” Mia responded.
“Which means it still could have been bad since that one was planned in the pits of hell,” Knox replied, taking two of the bottles Aiva handed him.
“No, it wasn’t bad. I’m not sure if the chemistry is there, but we’re going to some interpretive dance thing Friday night, and I’ll see how it feels then.”
“Maybe it’ll surprise you,” Aiva offered.
“If it doesn’t then I’ll be here first thing Saturday morning so you two can help me wallow in my sorrow,” Mia joked.
“You need to get some friends,” Knox responded, stacking some empty boxes.
“Hey, it was your girlfriend who told me if the friends I had enjoyed seeing me feel bad, I needed new ones. I took her advice on it.”
Knox turned his attention to Aiva and gripped her chin, leaning down. “So, it’s your fault she hangs around so much.” He gave her a soft kiss.
“Eh, maybe a little.”
To say Mia hung around a lot would be unfair because she didn’t. They saw her when she picked up and dropped off Yasmine every other weekend and maybe twice a week when she didn’t have her. Two of those times were at a bi-weekly dinner that Aiva suggested several months back. However, she knew it was likely more than Knox originally thought he would see her voluntarily.
“Alright, I’m going to go. I expect an invitation when you have your housewarming.”
“We won’t send you one,” Knox responded.
“I’ll crash it,” Mia replied, going up the steps, and Aiva laughed.
“I’m glad you find it funny.” He wrapped his arms around her waist.
“You know you’d rather banter like old friends with her than deal with the hostility from before,” she pointed out, wrapping her arms around his neck.
His response was to kiss her, and Aiva knew she was right. Even if she and Mia weren’t on better terms, she would feel they owed her in a way. If it hadn’t been for her, the two wouldn’t have met, and Aiva wouldn’t be with a man she loved so deeply. One she was getting to start a new chapter with. While she was not opposed to dating, she hadn’t actively been looking for it when he’d walked into her office. They’d been at the right place at the right time. Maybe they would have been drawn together, regardless. Who knew? All that mattered to Aiva was that she was happy and couldn’t wait to see what life with him would bring.
Knox sat across from Aiva on the same rooftop, in the same converted greenhouse he’d brought her to on their first date. This was where their relationship had officially begun, where something in him knew that he’d never let the woman before him go. It made sense that they were here. It felt like coming full circle.
They’d finished dinner and were having strawberry soufflé for dessert. The fragrance of the large bouquet of roses sitting next to them melded with the scent of strawberries as the wind blew softly.
Admittedly, Knox was doing more staring than he was eating, but he often found himself staring at his beautiful girlfriend. Her white, mid-thigh dress made her look like a goddess that walked among mortals for the evening, and this wasn’t the first time he’d thought so. He remembered the thought running through his mind the first time he’d brought her there.
“You’re staring,” she stated, those brown eyes coming to meet his.
“I am. It’s hard not to when you look so stunning.”
“Then you must stare often,” she teased.
“All the time.”
She gave him that beautiful smile before taking another bite of her soufflé. When they finished dessert, Knox sat back in his seat for a moment before standing and offering her his hand.
“Dance with me,” he requested.
He helped her up and pulled her against his chest as they stepped away from the table. They swayed, the sounds of the night acting as their music, much like it had the first time.
“Since Yas only has a couple of weeks of school left, what do you think about taking her to Disneyland Paris next month?” she asked, looking up at him.
“I’m sure she’d like that. Aiming for next month might be a little soon, but we can figure out a good date and take her.”
