by Nella Tyler
Before I could fully understand what was going on, however, the alarm on my phone blared, jarring me fully awake.
It took me a moment to realize that I was in Dexter’s house. Yet, after a few seconds of silence, following me quickly shutting off my alarm, the night before finally came back to me and I beamed.
A few moments later, I recognized the scent of coffee and cooking breakfast wafting into the room, making my stomach growl.
With renewed purpose, I leaped out of bed, ran through the shower, and got dressed before going downstairs.
“Wow! You got dressed fast,” Dexter observed, handing me a cup of steaming coffee.
“Thank you,” I replied, pulling it close to me, “Yeah, well, you were gone, so I didn’t have much of a reason to stay in a strange bed.”
“Strange? I don’t think it’s that strange,” he admitted, jokingly, “I mean, you have slept in it a few times now, and you have certainly made yourself at home.”
“Sorry,” I answered, hoping it sounded more genuine than I felt.
“Sure you are,” he sneered playfully, “Sorry, I couldn’t sleep but I didn’t want to wake you, so I came downstairs and started breakfast.”
“There is no apology needed for that,” I replied as he returned to his stovetop. “It looks delicious!”
“Yeah, I don’t think I should give up my day job to become a chef, but I know my way around an egg.”
I chuckled as I sat down at the table, while Dexter plated our meal.
“Speaking of your day job, have you made a decision about it yet?”
He hesitated, as though I had asked him a question he wished I hadn’t, but finally answered after setting the plates down and taking a few bites of his breakfast.
“Um…no. Not yet. I was thinking of talking to my father about it, see if he has any insight,” he admitted.
“That’s a great idea!” I offered in-between eating and showering him with compliments.
“I don’t know how he’s going to take it…”
“I think you should keep the conversation going though, even though you don’t have an answer. You want him to know you’re taking it seriously.”
Dexter agreed but didn’t say much after that.
So, after he was finished, I decided to give him some parting advice.
“I know you’ll make the right decision,” I told him, “And I am proud of you, whatever you want to do.” I kissed him passionately, but when I broke away, I felt him grab my arm and spin me back, engulfing me in one more kiss before I left.
My work day was great. Of course, the other teachers still complained that the break was over and there were still the normal challenges. However, in my new state of mind, I couldn’t help but focus on the positives.
Despite the teachers’ begrudging return, my kids seemed excited to be back at school, busily sharing the experience of their holiday with their friends.
It was then that I realized I associated more with them than I did my adult counterparts.
I loved my life, and while work was still work, I was excited to be living my life.
Dexter was the reason for that, but everything else seemed to follow suit, causing my day to be absolutely wonderful.
However, even in my good mood, I still had a thought that at first gave me pause. Spending time with the children made me think about having children of my own, a subject that I usually tried not to think about.
Yet, having Dexter in my life made me want to think about it. At first, I tried to ignore the idea, telling myself it was way too early in our relationship to even have such a thought.
Although, as the day went on, I got used to the idea and by the end of it, I couldn’t help but think how perfect it would be for Dexter and me to have our own beautiful baby…one day.
Chapter 39
Dexter
Watching Mazie leave, I couldn’t help but think about how happy I felt. By Mazie simply entering my life, she had given me a gift of happiness that I never knew was possible. It was almost scary to me how much she had come to mean to me in such a short time.
Already, I could never imagine my life without her in it and couldn’t believe that I had gone so long without her.
Ever since we’d decided to date, officially, my life had completely changed, all for the better and I never wanted it to end.
I watched her drive away until I could no longer see her car before returning inside to get dressed for work.
At the office, things were running at a slower pace, and as I said hello to people I passed, I could tell that many of them were hungover.
Normally, I wouldn’t even be here today, but that was the old Dexter. The new Dexter had a life ahead of him that encompassed the office but was not consumed by it.
Still, I couldn’t help but pity them and feel for their dedication.
Although, despite the happiness I felt, there was still a daunting task hanging over my head, and it scared me.
I knew I had to talk to my father about his proposition. I knew he had told me to take my time, but in the spirit of our new relationship, I wanted to keep an open communication about it. The first day of the new year seemed to be the most appropriate time to do that.
I knocked on my father’s door and was welcomed eagerly.
“Good morning, Dexter!” my father called, motioning for me to come inside.
“Good morning, Sir,” I answered, closing the door behind me. “You seem to be in a good mood this morning.”
“I’m pleased to see you. It shows initiative, and besides, I’m hoping that this is the last New Year’s Day I will be burdened with so much responsibility, so I want to enjoy it,” he chuckled. “It’s hard to believe now, but people keep telling me that I’ll miss it.”
“I’m sure you will,” I offered earnestly.
“How’s Mazie doing?” my father replied, taking me slightly off guard.
“I’m sorry?”
“Please, Dexter,” he narrowed his eyes and shot me a slightly offended look, “I know that you two have been seeing each other, and not that you asked, but I think it’s great. She’s a wonderful woman who is forging her own path. I personally don’t understand it but to hear Brent talk, she’s found her calling.”
“Yes, I believe she has. She loves what she does and…she’s great,” I replied, unable to help grinning proudly, relieved that my father chose to be kind.
“You two will have to come over for dinner sometime…or go out to dinner, whatever you want.”
“That sounds great, Dad,” I answered, genuinely meaning it. I knew when I told Mazie, she would be thrilled. Now that she was up to speed on my relationship with my father, she was extremely supportive. “But, I really want to talk to you about something. Business related.”
As I spoke, I dropped into the seat across from my father, hoping that the change in position would make me feel better about what I was going to say.
“You’ve made a decision?” my father asked, his eyebrows raising with wonderment.
“Actually, no. I haven’t,” I answered. “I was hoping to talk to you about it.”
“Sure,” my father answered, “What would you like to know?”
“I just…I feel like I need some advice. This might sound weird, but I’m not even sure what to ask.”
“Well, I’m confident you know the company. Even if you were afraid you didn’t know it, I am certain you would be able to figure it out, naturally. So, why don’t I tell you a little bit about the differences between your job and my job? A few things you might not realize you will be getting yourself into.”
“Sure, that might help,” I answered, feeling more confident about this conversation.
So, my father explained, for nearly a half an hour the positive aspects of his job, things he really enjoyed, and the negative aspects of it. He told me he was trying to impart the most unbiased wisdom he could so that he wouldn’t have too much influence on my decision.
“After all,” h
e admitted, “I started this company. I put everything I had into it and, sometimes even what I didn’t have. So, while I know you appreciate what Brent and I have built, I can’t expect you to have such an undying love for it as I do.”
“What will you do if I don’t want to take over the business?”
“I’m not sure,” my father replied in a contemplative manner, “Please don’t take this into consideration for your decision but honestly, if you don’t want the business, I will have to go back to square one. I will have to reevaluate everyone and decide who is best qualified since I always assumed you would. However, I certainly don’t want you to take it over as pity,” he chuckled before letting out a deep breath. “I suppose, the only bit of advice, guidance I have left is, if you do take it over, you will have one of the best partners in the business. Brent is dedicated, knowledgeable, and easy to get along with, but whatever you decide, Son, I want you to know that I will be proud of you.”
As it turned out, that was all I needed to hear.
Epilogue
I awoke to the familiar scent of Dexter’s musk and the feel of his comforting warmth next to me. I was pleased to see that he was not only still in bed, but also still asleep, with his strong arms wrapped tightly and protectively around me.
Although I knew that I should wake him, I reveled in the feeling of our closeness. I grinned, trying not to move too much, while still managing to get as close as I could to him.
Instinctively, his arms tightened around me as he pulled my back against his chest.
Leaning my head back, I realized that I was so close to him, I could hear the sound of his soft breathing in my ear and feel the light ebb and flow of air against my heated skin.
Closing my eyes, I continued to lay there for a moment, taking in the wonder of what I was feeling and the need that he culminated inside of me each and every time we were together.
I swallowed hard, drew in a long breath, and let it go, slowly, savoring the exhale until my lungs were parched for air.
After relishing in the moment for as long as I could, I turned to face him without disentangling myself from his embrace.
Before I touched him, I paused to appreciate how peaceful he appeared. Within his slumber, the worry lines that etched his brow were completely flat and his usually clean-shaven appearance was tainted by morning stubble. The relaxed nature of his appearance was inspiring.
After all, so much had changed in the past few months, and sometimes it was hard to imagine how he kept it all together.
Remembering that the alarm was probably going to chime any moment, which would cause him to be up and out in a flash, I ran my hand down the side of his face, feeling roughness of his unshaven cheek against my fingers and hearing the small sound my nails made coursing against it.
It didn’t take him long for his eyes to start fluttering behind his eyelids. It took a moment for him to open his eyes, though, but when he did, he grinned.
“Good morning,” Dexter exclaimed in a gravelly voice.
“Good morning,” I giggled as I watched his eyes focus on me, “How’d you sleep?”
“About as good as I always do,” he shrugged as he sat up, kissing me midway through his movements.
Again, I felt my hand press against his cheek as I drew his face near to mine and deepened the kiss.
I felt more than heard a roaring chuckle erupt in the back of his throat, that hastily turned into a seductive growl as his arms surrounded me.
I yelled out playfully as he pulled me into him and down on the bed and we both laughed.
When we stopped to catch our breath after wrestling around for a moment, I gazed up deep into his eyes and listened to the sound of his panting. In peripheral vision, I caught sight of the taught rope of muscle that wound around to make up his chest puffing in and out with the heavy cadence of his breaths.
He was still chuckling slightly, and his expression was bright, playful. Yet, when he noticed the intensity with which I was watching him, he seemed to grow slightly self-conscious.
“What?” he asked as his eyes narrowed slightly and his head cocked to the side with a sense of insecurity.
“You’re so handsome,” I mused, feeling giddy but lamenting the fact that we didn’t have the time to pursue our excitement.
Giving a now overly-confident wink, he slid off the bed and started toward the bathroom to get ready.
“Are we still going to dinner?” I asked, trying not to be disappointed if something came up and we couldn’t go. I knew how much stress he was already under and thus, I tried my best to not cause any more aggravation.
“Of course!” he answered as I heard the shower start. After a moment, he popped his head out, “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“Oh, no reason. I was just making sure,” I answered earnestly as he returned to his morning routine as he continued to speak, “I have to go to work first, though but I’ll try to figure out how to get out a little early.”
“Don’t worry too much, sweetie,” I answered, entering the bathroom as he turned to look in my direction. “I’m just happy we’re able to do something together, just the two of us.”
“Thanks. I’m still gonna try, though, but you know, there’s a lot to do as a partial owner,” he added with a wink.
The idea that we were finally going to get some time to ourselves was what enabled me to get through the day.
The waiting was unbearable, but it was all leading towards a happy end, so I knew it would be worth it.
I spent a few hours prepping for the evening while trying to pretend I was already taking part in the festivity itself.
It didn’t work all that well, but I couldn’t say I didn’t enjoy myself.
When I was finished, with painted nails, a comfortably fancy up-do that I did myself, and a sparkly black dress that hugged my curves in all the right places, I felt spectacular.
Once I was finished, though, every second felt like an hour, waiting for him to come home.
True to his word, though, Dexter was early coming home and was already dressed for the occasion.
I opened the door for him, and he stopped immediately to take in the efforts to make tonight special.
“Wow…” Dexter exclaimed, his eyes growing wide, “You look magnificent.”
Before I knew it, he was already taking me into his arms and pressing his lips against mine.
I grinned behind his lips as my arms slid around his neck, pulling myself closer to him.
“Damn, girl…I thought you wanted to go out, and then you dress like that,” he growled in my ear in a seductive manner. “How the hell do you expect me to even make it to the car?”
I laughed, “I’m sure you’ll manage.”
After a snorted chortle, he kissed me again before turning his attention back to the car
“Come on, let’s get out of here before I change my mind,” he leered.
“Later, baby; I’m starving!” I insisted in agreement.
Despite the sophistication of our dress, however, I still found myself surprised when we pulled into an extremely swanky restaurant.
I felt myself giggle nervously, as Dexter knew this wasn’t exactly my scene, but his expression was knowing and he spoke before I could say anything.
“This is a special night, Mazie. We don’t get to do this often, and I thought you deserved to be spoiled a little. Let me do this, for you?”
I simpered and put my hand over his.
“Of course,” I expressed. “Thank you.”
After opening my door for me and taking my arm, helping me through the parking lot so that I didn’t ruin our night before it started by falling over my own feet in these heels, Dexter strutted up to the maitre d’ and confidently explained that we had a reservation.
“Yes, of course, Mr. Myers. Please, follow me,” the comely hostess expressed in a bubbly manner as she grabbed two menus and led us through the restaurant with a small smirk.
I caught the look but didn’t dwell on i
t, assured that I was simply seeing things.
However, after a few moments of walking, the hostess led us to an elevator in the back of the restaurant, toward the kitchen.
Feeling slightly uneasy, I grabbed Dexter’s hand and pulled him back.
“Where are we going?” I whispered as he turned with a teasing grin.
“I told you, we have a reservation,” he offered as the elevator dinged.
“Yes, we have a private room for reservation. It is only open seasonally, and it is usually reserved for extremely special occasions,” the hostess assured me.
This caused me to become far more curious than suspicious, especially because of what Dexter had said earlier about it being a special night.
I didn’t dare think that this was a completely unintentional slip of the tongue, even if that’s what he wanted me to believe.
I liked to think that I knew Dex well enough by now to be certain he didn’t say anything without having some kind of motive behind it. If he had something to say, he said it, but he was completely comfortable with silence, even when others weren’t, if there was nothing he had to add.
His patience was part of what made him such a great negotiator and businessman. He always kept cool under pressure and never seemed to be overly bothered by anything; not even to me.
However, tonight, I could tell something was definitely off, though I wouldn’t dare venture to guess what it could be.
After all, with the way Dexter tried to separate his work and his personal life, he might never reveal the issue anyway.
Therefore, I decided it was probably best for both of us if I allowed the night to play out and see what came of it.
When the elevator doors opened, I realized that we were not on another floor of the building, but rather, on top of the building.
The summer sky was brilliant, with the lights of the city seeming to glow for miles.
Lit only by candlelight that surrounded a table set for two, the mood was soft, inviting, and relaxing.
Although I was exponentially pleased by his efforts, I stared at Dexter suspiciously.