Page 147 of Dream Girl
“Oh, Wes.” In the center was a charcoal portrait I’d never seen. “This one… wow.”
“It was for an art show. It won a prize.” Wes gave me a bashful look.
I gave him a kiss, overwhelmed at the thoughtfulness of the gift. “It’s perfect. Thank you so much, these are perfect.”
Joy spread through my chest.
“Last, but certainly not least.” Spencer withdrew a long velvet box from his suit jacket, leaned over the table and handed it to me, then gave me the barest of kisses on the cheek. “Happy birthday, my good doctor.”
Heat spread through my cheeks. “Thank you so much.”
“What is it?” Riley crowded over my shoulder.
I opened the velvet box and exhaled sharply. Inside was a gold necklace made up of dainty flowers, a stone winking from the center of each. The flowers got bigger towards the center ofthe necklace. Matching dainty earrings, a little dangle of three flowers, accompanied it.
Peach blossoms. They werepeach blossoms.
“It’s beautiful, thank you.” It was delicate and classic. A touch fancy for every day, but I could wear it on many occasions.
“Peach blossoms, for our peach.” Spencer smiled at me.
Something about that smile made my squishy places warm.
Wes cocked his head and gave him a look. “This is how it’s going to be?”
“It’s her birthday, Wes. I thought that she might like something new to wear to dinner tonight.” Spencer met his gaze.
“They’re teasing each other,” Evan whispered in my ear. “Wes knew about it, because Spence wanted to coordinate with what you were wearing to dinner.”
Yesterday, Wes surprised me with a sparkly, emerald green dress for tonight–and had gotten Evan a matching tie.
We finished breakfast, and I offered to clean up–since I didn’t have to go to work.
“Thank you.” Evan’s voice drifted from the backstairs as I grabbed empty cups from the table.
“For what?” Brennan said. “They were headphones. It’s not like I got her a bracelet engraved with the opening bars of the third movement of Kirkokov’s 4th.”
“That is oddly specific.” Evan snorted.
“Oh, come on, you know she was the girl at the piano competitions that warmed up with it to intimidate everyone,” their voices trailed off as they walked up the stairs.
Huh. I needed to look that one up, though I’d run across Kirkokov’s pieces. They were very technical–like Rachmaninoff technical.
Wes came back down, dressed. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay home with you?”
“I’m looking forward to relaxing. No videos to watch for Evan, no check-ins or appointments. Evan is picking me up later for dress shopping. Then we’re going out to dinner.” I gave him a kiss. “Those pictures are beautiful. Thank you.”
I cleaned up, packed Evan a lunch, and then went upstairs to my room. Someone was coming over the weekend to install that door in my room that led to his bathroom. I went into the wardrobe. What did I want to wear today?
Evan knocked on the open door. “Anyone home? Oh, you put the lights back up.”
“I like them. Um, I need help putting the canopy up. I… I really don’t remember taking everything down, just tidying up.” I still felt bad that I’d undone all the work we’d put into my room.
He put an arm around my waist. “I know. Everyone’s left–and my first meeting was canceled, so I don’t have to leave for two hours.”
I leaned into him, rubbing up against him, wanting a little more of what I’d gotten this morning. “Oh dear, however will we amuse ourselves?”
That hour or so Evan and I often had between when everyone else left and when he needed to leave was quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of the day. It wasn’t even about sex, sometimes we just had coffee and cuddles.
