The Redemption(26)

He smiles and asks, “How about the three of you come to dinner at my house?”

“Really?”

“Really.”

I lift up on my tiptoes and hug him. “We’d love to.”

“See you then and if you get lonely, feel free to sext me anytime.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I give him a little wink because really, what else can you do but camp it up.

After locking the door and setting the security system, I lean against the wall. I’m all smiles and full of feel-goods from the night and from the man who just left. But I’m left wondering on Thursday, do we get to move to square two?





Wednesday drags. I try to appreciate each day we’re given, but it’s hard when all I want is for it to be Thursday already. Since it’s not, I do what I totally shouldn’t do according to dating rules. I text Dex.

Me: Is it Thursday yet?



Five minutes later…



Dex: I wish.

Me: Me too.

Dex: Want to go to lunch?

Too excited, I rush my answer, not caring about old dating rules. Me: Yes.

Dex: I’ll pick you up in an hour.

Me: I’ll be ready.

Now I try to play it cool and settle the giddiness that has built up inside me while hurrying to my closet to figure out what to wear. Dex makes me want to dress cool like he does, but aside from clothes that tend to lend themselves more for evening wear, I don’t own much ‘cool’ anymore. Not sure where we’re going to eat, so I pull a long striped skirt on and a fitted tank top because it’s comfortable. It’s also warm out, so this way I won’t get all sweaty. The last thing I want to be around Dex, is sweaty. Images of the last few times we got sweaty together cross my mind, but I quickly shake them away, well aware that that kind of workout won’t be happening today. No matter how much I kind of wish it could.

I finish getting ready and am going to the kitchen to retrieve my purse when the doorbell rings. After grabbing my bag, I’m greeted by Dex’s smile, and just like that, my breath catches as my heart skips a beat. “Hi,” I say, feeling that familiar heat rise to my cheeks.

His grin grows wider and he says, “Hi. You ready to go?”

“Yep.”

In the driveway sits his 1976 Challenger. He opens the door for me then shuts it after I slide onto the leather seat. “The car’s looking good,” I say when he gets in.

“Sitting in a driveway for almost six months doesn’t do any car good, but this Challenger is reliable.”

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Rodeo Drive.”

“I didn’t take you for the Beverly Hills crowd.”

He pulls off my street and says, “I’m not, but my mother is. I need to pick up a birthday present from her favorite jeweler. Mind going with me before lunch?”

“Not at all.” I look out the window, then turn to him again. “How are you?”

His fingers stretch over the steering wheel and I see the right side of his lips curl up. “I’m good. I’m glad to see you… too.”

“I guess I’m not good at pretending, playing it cool and all that.” I roll my eyes, feeling foolish.

“You don’t have to be. You only have to be yourself around me. At this stage in our lives, it feels like we’ve known each other longer than we have.”

Dragging my hands down the front of my thighs, I say, “I think we’ve just lived more life in the time we’ve known each other than before we met.”

“I thought life was so f*cking hard back then.”

“It’s much harder now.”

He nods, leaning his head against the seatback, he sighs. “Let’s not ever grow up.”

I laugh at the irony before the humor is gone. “I think it’s too late.”

“It’s never too late to live in Neverland.”

“I thought Neverland was only for boys.”

“Hmm… I don’t think so.” He contemplates the thought before adding, “Wendy was there.”

“Wendy wasn’t supposed to be there though. Peter took her there.”

“Maybe we can just pretend she was meant to be there all along.”

Looking down at my lap, I twist the hem of my shirt. His words always seem to have a meaning deeper than what’s spoken. “I’ll be Wendy,” I whisper, playing along with what I hope is the right assumption. “You can show me your world, Peter.”

He glances over at me, then back to the road, his brown eyes revealing how he feels. “You look beautiful.” Reaching forward he turns on some music. The Nirvana song is loud, the words sad, but like the man sitting next to me, complex and completely captivating.

When we near the store, he slows down, and asks, “Do you want to wait here or come with me?”

“I’ll come with you.”

He pulls up to the curb and the attendant opens my door. Dex moves to the sidewalk, giving the keys to the valet as he passes. I could be mistaken but it looks as if he’s reaching for my hand, then quickly tucks it into his pocket instead. When I’m by his side, I ask, “Hey, what was that?”

While checking out the surrounding area, he says, “That was the realization that Neverland only exists when we’re alone. The rest of the world owns everything else.”