Page 52 of Mixed Connection
“And you still can.”
“First I’m going to snap a picture with the family. I know she would want to see,” I reply. Almost sad that I couldn’t bring Cassidy with me I add, “She wants space, Alma.”
“She doesn’t want space, boy! She wants you. A woman like her wants to be seen and understood. She doesn’t want to think you’ll fly away like a bird once the weather changes.” She ponders, grabbing the large hospital cup of water and taking a sip before continuing, “She needs to know you’ve got roots growin’, and right now even though you may be workin’ on it, it doesn’t look like you do. You’re so head over heels for her that you could trip over your own two feet. You need to make this right!”
I let Alma poke at me a bit more. We eventually settle into a comfortable silence as Morgan and Penelope’s—from CriminalMinds—flirty banter fills the room. Before I know it, it’s time for Alma to get some rest, visiting hours having been over quite some time.
Leaning over I press a kiss to her grayed hair and say my goodbyes. I promise Alma I will be on a flight back to Cypress Lake tomorrow—I will pick the earliest option—and will stop in to see her before I go.
She shakes me off and tells me to video call her before I board the plane. Her steely gaze stays on me long enough that I agree before I leave to get some rest at my hotel room for the night.
I’ll get some work done in the morning before I check out and make my way to the airport. I’m ready to get back to my Babygirl. It’s time I talk some sense into her. I get busy downloading a few more audiobooks before falling asleep.
22
“Alexa, play ‘Another Sad Love Song’by Toni Braxton.”
I stick my hand in my back pocket on instinct, reaching for the broken phone that isn’t there. Maybe I should have bought a new one. I know I asked for space, but damn do I miss him. How do I know if he’s tried to call without having it? I don’t have time to get wrapped up in what-ifs and questions that I don’t have answers for right now.
The bachelorette party is tonight and there are so many little things I need to get done. Paloma and I brought in temp staff to help with the night. We want to focus on the girls having an amazing night and don’t want our regular customers to feel forgotten about. We announced this night on our social media platforms, letting our followers know that tonight would be about Dancing in the Library. I really wanted all our patrons to feel comfortable and that meant letting everyone know that it may not be their cup of tea if they want a relaxing night of reading.
Pulling out the outfit I picked out for the festivities, a grin blooms on my face. I’m so excited to be branching out in this way and it makes me think about how badly I want to turn this apartment into an event space. We would be able to do so much up here. With how large it is, we could totally break this up into three different spaces that could be used all together or individually for different parties. I may need to seriously consider looking for my forever home sooner than later. I could totally see Dancing in the Library being athing.Clapping my excitement, I cannot wait to share this with Paloma. I grab a notebook and jot the idea down, not wanting to forget it.
Sliding on the black distressed jeans that are shredded right above my ankle, I button them before I slide my arms through my soft satin blouse, the color of bloomed thistles. I gather the material in the front and wrap each side around, tying it at the back. I smooth my hands down my sides as I take my reflection in; I love a good wrap top or dress and purple is just my thing. I slip the gold grouping of dainty necklaces around my neck, clasping it at the back. Lastly I slide on a thin gold band on my fore finger. The ring is something I always wear. I saw it in my gran’s jewelry box and she gifted it to me when she realized I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
My chunky black sandals are waiting at the door leading down to the bar, I slide them on and make my way downstairs. I want to help Paloma get everything set up but as I close the door and turn around, my eyes take in the space.
I blink rapidly, staring at the already decorated bar. The library looks vibrant with new couches and tables. The area is blocked off a bit to make it feel a bit more VIP for those who either want to sit and read during the afternoon hours or dance the night away in the evenings. There are also a few chaise lounge chairs set up in a circle with a couple small round tables for the bachelorette party. It gives them a private space to sitdown and catch their breaths from dancing or to enjoy a cocktail. This is insane, it looks incredible. There is a buzz of excitement that I can feel; I cannot wait to welcome everyone in.
Rounding the bar, I laugh at the ice cube trays that Paloma ordered for tonight. Some are wings for “Big Wing Span” and others are tiny dicks. She created a new drink for the bride called Up All Night and made cream and espresso dickcubes, mimicking the real deal. Popping one out of the silicone mold, I hold it up to give it a good look before popping it in my mouth.Hmm, they got girth.
“Tonight is going to be amazing,” I breathe out to no one but myself.
The bar is quiet aside from the door swishing open. The citrus and bourbon scent I’ve missed so much wafts towards me and I don’t need to open my eyes or lift my head to know who is standing in front of me right now. I do anyway, needing to see him.
“What are you doing here?” My mouth drops open in a gape. How can someone get better looking after only a weekend? It takes great effort from me not to combust from the joy I feel now that he’s back so soon and here, with me.
“Hey, Babygirl. I missed that beautiful face of yours.” He sits at the bar but keeps his hands and lips to himself.
At the thought of kissing him my eyes dip to his mouth and quickly shoot back up. Before I deep-dive into any of those wants I need to know this is a good visit, an I’m-moving-to-Cypress-Lake-and-never-leaving visit.
“I tried getting a hold of you a couple times this weekend but decided to let you be, to give you space,” he says the last word as if there will never be space between us again. “And I may have heard about your phone from an oversized birdy.”
A grin slowly curves my lips before I impishly respond, “Oh, did you?”
“Mm, I did. So I made sure to make a pit stop before I came here.” I’m not sure where he was storing it, but he pulls a medium-sized white gift bag from behind his back and sets it on the bar in front of me. He nods his head for me to grab the bag, and I do, needing to know what he’s got inside of it. A rectangular box with a picture of a smart phone is on the front. Pulling it out, there’s a heavy-duty, light-purple phone case as well. “Can’t have you breaking your phone again,” he jokes, and my eyes are still wide as I hold this gift,a very expensive gift.
“This is—It’s too much!” Though I can’t let it go because it’s perfect. The phone is my favorite color as well.
“Don’t even think about giving it back. This is for you and you need it. Plus, it’s already registered to your number and you can’t pull a fast one on me and give me the wrong number again.” His eyes are wide as he looks at me, almost daring me to put the phone in the bag.
“First you thrust yourself into my life and now you buy me a new phone? Next you’ll expect me to text you all the time,” I jest.
“That’s been my master plan all along, Cassidy. You’ll never be rid of me.” He places his arms on the bar leaning into me and I do the same. I want to be closer to him.
“Oh, and one more thing. I’ve missed you so damn much, beautiful, and I want to introduce you to someone really important to me.”
My grin grows into a full megawatt smile at hearing that—knowing he has missed me as much as I have him. I lean over, looking around his frame to see who he brought with him. Maybe I missed them, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else here. “I’ve really missed you too, Bulldozer. But there’s no one else here.”
