Unexpected Arrivals(62)
She convinced me to try foods I’d never considered in cafes that only existed in novels. We shopped, walked what seemed like a thousand miles, and talked endlessly. The city made for lovers reconnected us emotionally and healed a part of me I thought would remain forever broken. And at the end of each day, exhausted but full of life, we crawled into bed next to each other and made out like teenagers before she’d crash in my arms.
Tilting my head to see her nestled into my side leaned against my chest filled my soul with hope. Whereas her soft breathing would have lulled me to sleep any other night, tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, and the day belonged to me. She didn’t make any plans as I’d asked her to let me take care of it. However, lying here in the shadows created by the glow of the moon through the open curtains, nervous anticipation prevented sleep. My mind raced through a thousand scenarios about how tomorrow would play out, although I refused to let myself consider that she might turn me down.
Looking for reinforcement, I tried to text Chelsea. Except she didn’t respond, and reaching out to Neil seemed to violate the bro-code in more than one way. Plus, he’d tell Hannah, and I’d never hear the end of it when I got back to New York.
So instead, I focused on her saying yes, and how each day that passed after would be one more day closer to her coming home. We hadn’t talked about our future or our past; we’d simply enjoyed our present. It only served to confirm what I’d known for years—Cora Chase had claimed my heart in the cafeteria our junior year, and no other woman would ever satisfy my soul.
I had drifted in and out of fitful sleep all night, and when the sun finally erased the night to welcome the morning, I couldn’t lie in the bed any longer. Cora stirred as I eased out from under her, yet instead of waking, she rolled onto her side. The way the sunlight hit her dark hair that flowed over on the pillow stopped me in my tracks. I’d never seen anything more stunning and peaceful—her bare shoulder peeked out from the sheets, adding just a hint of arousal to the picture. It took everything in me not to crawl back in bed and have my way with her naked body, but I’d promised myself I wouldn’t take that step unless she said yes.
After pulling on some basketball shorts, I made my way to the kitchen to make her breakfast. I wanted everything about today to be perfect. I’d even gone so far as to have Hannah teach me how to cook Belgian waffles to make sure I had something special each step of the way. Of course, she’d only agreed to cooking lessons after I’d confessed my plans with a promise of secrecy on her part. Thinking about Hannah bouncing up and down, clapping with excitement, only fueled my fire and brought a smile to my face. She believed in Cora and me, and that had meant the world. I needed to channel hers and Chelsea’s positive energy and faith.
“Good morning.” Those two words came off in a raspy, sleep-filled haze from behind me. “Something smells delicious. When did you learn to cook?”
Cora wrapped her arms around my midsection and kissed my shoulder blade. When she pressed her cheek to my skin, I leaned back into her embrace, wondering how I’d survived eighteen months without her.
“I might have coerced Hannah into teaching me some basics.” I grinned over my shoulder while finishing breakfast. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved. Should I make coffee?” The heat of her breath made it hard to focus on the task at hand.
“Already brewed. And these are done.” I turned in her arms to kiss her sweet lips before carrying the plates to her tiny, two-seater table by the window.
I watched in anticipation as she poured the warm syrup over her waffle and then placed a piece on her tongue. I didn’t have a clue if it was even edible, although it looked fantastic.
Her eyes closed as her lips released the fork. “Mmm.”
There was no denying she either loved the waffle or had given a performance that rivaled that of Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. But when I took a taste of my own, I confirmed it was the former. Hannah had done me proud.
“These are fantastic, James. Please tell me Hannah taught you more than just breakfast.”
She hadn’t, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t learn between now and the time Cora actually came back to New York. “I’m learning.”
Cora leaned back in her bistro chair and crossed her legs. With a cup of coffee in hand, she eyed me with curiosity and sipped from her mug. “Tell me, what other surprises do you have in store for me today?”
In the time we’d been apart, something had changed in the girl I loved. However, it wasn’t until that moment that I recognized what it was. When she’d left New York, she’d still been a young adult, youthful and spirited. She was still that same person, yet a year and a half of international living had matured her, not aged her appearance, just softened her already smooth edges. The woman before me was the picture of class and sophistication in a casual, lovable way.
“Hopefully, a romantic excursion and day we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.”
“This isn’t like the road trip to New York and the world’s largest ball of twine, is it?” Her eyes danced with humor at the memory.
“I thought we’d go explore the history of the bidet.” I cleared my expression, waiting to hear her response.
“Do you think we’ll get to try them out?” She challenged my bluff.
“I didn’t ask. I assumed you washed your bum on the regular now that you were a Parisite.”