Page 87 of One Hotlanta Night
Vivian looks at me. “You hungry, baby?” At my sheepish grin, she smiles. “Let me be the one to feed you this time.” Turning to Claire, she asks, “Do you mind if I heat up some of our mac and cheese for Michael?”
“I’ll do it,” Derrick volunteers, setting his glass on the table.
“You sure?” Claire asks, halfway out of her seat already.
“I’m sure, darlin’,” he says, his hand lingering on her chair a little too long, obvious affection in his eyes before he turns to walk to the kitchen. I glance at Vivian, raising my eyebrows at the “darlin’,” only to see her doing the very same to Claire, who is blushing like mad.
Vivian walks directly in front of Claire and grabs her wrists, keeping her in place. “Spill,darlin’,” she demands.
Claire shakes her head, as if she could make the last few minutes disappear. “I–I can’t, Viv.”
“What the hell do you mean you can’t?” Her voice lowers, although by now we’re the only ones left in the restaurant. “Are you guys seeing each other?”
“No!” Claire says quickly. “I mean, no, not like that. Not exactly…” Her voice trails off, and she drops her head into her hands. When Vivian touches her shoulder gently, she looks back up, a determined mask on her face. She takes a deep breath. “I can’t tell you, not yet anyway. For legal reasons,” she says quickly at Vivian’s hurt look.
“Claire? Are you… okay? I don’t understand what’s happening here.”
Her friend places her hand over Vivian’s and gives it a soft squeeze. “Believe me, chica, I barely understand it myself. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. Just give me a little time, okay?Please. We’re okay, Raelynn’s okay, The Pork Belly’s gonna be okay, I promise.” She looks at Viv beseechingly and something seems to pass between them, because Vivian places her other hand overtop Claire’s and gives a reassuring squeeze back.
“Okay, hon. I trust you.” The girls eye each other a long moment before Viv finally pulls away, and I’m right there beside her, rubbing my hand over the small of her back to give whatever comfort she needs. I don’t know what just occurred during that small exchange, but it seems to satisfy each of them for the moment.
“And Derrick? What about him? Is he‘okay,’too?” Vivian air quotes with a teasing note.
“Derrick?” Claire squawks out. “He’s… um, well, he’s…”
I don’t think the girls catch Derrick’s expression as he turns the corner. His brows furrow as he pauses to hear Claire’s response, but as she falters he plays it off, announcing, “He’s here with delicious food for weary travelers.” As he sets a steaming hot bowl of cheesy goodness in front of me with aflourish, I’m the only one close enough to see the hard set of his jaw along with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“You good, man?” I ask him quietly while Vivian and Claire start talking about the day’s crazy customers.
“Yeah,” he says, running his hand through his hair and not even trying to hide how he watches Claire’s every move. “Just wish…” He sighs. “Never mind.”
“Just wish what?”
He looks at me appraisingly, as though he’s deciding how much to say. “I just wish it was as easy for me as it is for you and Viv.” I tilt my head, encouraging him to continue. “What did you do? To make her fall for you, I mean.”
“Wish I could tell you, man. But it was different for us, you know? I just knew, and I think she did too.”
He huffs out a breath. “Yeah, that’s not going so well for me.”
“If you want my honest advice, it’d be this. I made sure Vivian knew I was all in, that I wasn’t going anywhere. I didn’t really give her a choice in the matter.”
He laughs. “I heard about your proposal. That was wicked cool.”
I grin. “Well, I’m sure I could’ve planned it better. It just kind of happened.” I face him straight on. “Seriously though, I never gave her a chance to question how I felt or what my intentions were. I made it clear I wanted her and then let her decide if she wanted it. If she wantedme.”
“That’s been hard til now. But after next month…” He trails off, lost in thought. Sighing, he rubs his hand along the five o’clock scruff that’s accumulated on his jaw. Maybe Claire’s into that look; it does make him appear older than his twenty-two years. Then I swear I hear him say under his breath, “Maybe she won’t be able to turn me down.”
My curiosity is beyond piqued, but it’s also pretty clear that the two of them don’t want to share whatever they’ve got in theworks right now. And frankly, it’s none of my business. As long as Vivian’s happy and satisfied that Claire’s okay, it allows us to move ahead with our plans. That’s all that matters to me.
I watch my woman laugh with her friend, delighting in her happiness. She’s absolutely radiant, despite the long shift, and when she catches my eyes and gives me a small smile, my heart feels about ready to burst. Everything I’ve ever wanted is right here; the complete package. She sets my heart, mind, and body on fire… the latter especially with those skintight jeans she’s wearing. Her hair’s pulled back in a low ponytail, and I can’t wait to fist those tresses from behind once we get home.
“So…” Claire drags out, bringing my focus to where the girls are plotting. “We have a wedding to plan, is that right?”
“Sure as hell do.” I smirk.
“Well, I took the liberty of buying some wedding magazines for Viv while you were away,” she says, bringing a few out from where she’d hidden them under the inventory books.
“Ugh! They’re all so ridiculously over the top!” Vivian bemoans, throwing her hand dramatically on her forehead. “Besides, even if we had the time to plan something elaborate, I can’t imagine spending that kind of money on one event. It’s insane!” She opens one magazine, flipping through the pages rapidly, irritation on her face. “Look at this nonsense! Thousands of dollars for just a dress! Flowers, cake, balloon arches… it’s all too much!”
