Page 80 of Roses, Pearls, and Hot Summer Nights
I flushed, touched by the sweetness. “You don’t know how you’ll feel for the rest of your life. You may barely remember me by next year. Come on.”
It might be true but, boy, did it hurt to say the words let alone think them. My stomach clenched.
Barrett followed me to the mean, sharp-eyed woman, then handled the check out for both of us. He slipped his arm around me on the way out. “Neither of us has eaten anything today. Do you want to get something before we go to the next shop? It’s kind of that zone between lunch and dinner, when no one is sure if they should eat or not, right?”
I grinned. “How about we go into that coffee shop over there and each get a muffin? Actually, I could use a coffee too.” We’d slept in, but our late night was hitting me.
“Yep.” He kissed my cheek. “By the way, I won’t have to remember you in a year. You’ll still be with me.”
I groaned. “I thought you were distracted from that topic when you paid.” I elbowed him gently and he laughed.
“I’m not easily distracted.”
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted us as we stepped into the cozy shop. The soft murmur of conversations didn’t change with our arrival. Unlike the last store, no one bothered to stare at us. A few other customers were scattered about—a couple sat by the window playing chess, while a group of people our age sat together, none of them talking, everyone on their phones. One girl snapped a photo of herself. An elderly man read a newspaper in a corner, sipping his coffee and grumbling asif frustrated with the news. I’d never actually read a newspaper while holding the paper itself, I realized abruptly, just individual articles I would find online of interest. What was it like to just sit and read one from front to back?
We approached the counter, and the barista was cheerful with a bright smile.Huge improvement from the woman in the last shop. After greeting us, she asked for our orders. Barrett held my hand as I glanced at the menu, running his thumb over the top of my knuckles. “Two muffins, please—one blueberry and one chocolate chip, ” I said, “and a large coffee for me.”
I didn’t drink very much coffee and simpler was better. Too much caffeine and I got jittery.
Barrett leaned forward, adding, “I’ll take a cappuccino.”
The people our age laughed at something on their screens—they must all be looking at the same thing, and the chess players continued staring at the board in contemplative silence. I took a deep breath, exhaling tension. I didn’t find the location stressful, a surprising pleasure considering my normal anxiety in public spaces.
“Did I say thank you for the suits?” I didn’t think I had, so I glanced quickly at him. “That was rude of me. I’m sorry.”
The barista handed us our drinks, smiling the whole time. I needed to say something. “Oh, and thank you for this. Barrett, you just keep giving and giving to me.”
“Alatheia,” he said as we sat down together. “Getting to see you in those suits will be all the thanks I need. I hate that you’re so uncomfortable when we meet your basic needs. I want to take care of you. I want to spoil you.” Barrett squeezed my hand across the table. “I love moments like this, I always have, but it’s so much better with you. The two of us, doing something simple that people have done forever. None of them were ever as lucky as me, though, because I get to do it with you.”
Happiness bubbled through me, as bright and effervescent as sunshine on water. Being happy was a strange and unusual experience for me, though, so it took me a few seconds to even recognize the unfamiliar emotion.
“Thank you, Barrett,” I said sincerely as I stared into his lovely brown eyes. “You are so handsome. I think that when I look at you all the time.”
He visibly swallowed. “You do?”
Whatever we would have said next was interrupted by Jeremy, who slid into a chair between us.
“Hi, you two. Okay, listen, Alatheia …” His whole demeanor was bright, the grin stretching his face almost as bright as whatever lit him up inside. Barrett noticed it, too, because he raised his eyebrows at his younger brother. “Last night when Phoenix said you finally looked like you, I understood what he meant.”
Barrett cleared his throat. “When exactly did he say that?”
Jeremy didn’t look at him as he answered, waving a hand in irritation at the interruption. “When we were going to sleep. Also later when, you know, other stuff was happening. Anyway, it occurred to me that you are just … an angel. You really are. Super nice, so much so that Granny gave you her pearls. I recognized them, but they’re hers, not yours. They didn’t sayAlatheiato me, which I think Phoenix noticed. That’s what he meant. So, I asked myself, what should Alatheia be wearing that looks more likeher?”
I cleared my throat, pointing out, “Your granny said the pearls would make me strong.”
Barrett winced. “I hate that you need strength to deal with our family. She’s probably right, but still.”
“Well, there is Granny strong and then there is Alatheia strong. You aren’t like Granny. You’re different people. Maybe you could borrow her strength when you borrow her pearls, buthow about just being you?” His grin grew even bigger. “I want something you can wear that shows you how I feel about you being you every time you wear it.”
“Jeremy, what did you do?” I asked as I leaned forward. “You don’t have to buy me things, whatever it is.”
He waved his hand. “I wanted to buy it. I suddenly knew what you needed. I went to four jewelry stores before I found it.”
“Did you walk?” Barrett asked then laughed.
“Yes, but I had to call a ride share for the last one.” He grinned again, like a boy who’d caught a prized frog.
Barrett nodded then pointed out, “I should warn you, Sweetheart, Jeremy gives great gifts. He always has.” Barrett sipped his drink.
