“I am torn over the place that we viewed in Seattle during the convention we went to, and the one that you saw and videoed me last week.” He says immediately.
“Both places are beautiful, sir.”
“Which do you like best?” He looks to me.
“I’m not sure, I think that they both have qualities that will be workable for a new office.”
“Yes, but what one do you like?” he asks again.
“Why would my thoughts have any meaning in the plans for the new office?” I fold my hands in front of me.
“I trust your opinions. You run this office so efficiently that I believe your views are important. Since you’ve been here, you have helped turn us around and become more balanced between departments and as of recently with your personal connections, have brought us bigger clients.”
“Well, I like the one that I saw this last week, if I’m being honest. It’s closer in proximity to a lot of cafes and deep in the heart of downtown that you can immerse the business with a lot of other businesses that will hopefully keep word of mouth good. Plus, when I was doing the research, there isn’t a business like ours in the immediate area.” I tell him with confidence.
“Good, see that’s the future thought of yours that I like. Do you have the contact information of the realtor? I would like to get in contact with them sooner rather than later?”
“Of course.” I scoot my chair out and rummage through my purse for my wallet where I have the business card.
He looks it over and smiles. “Thank you, Peyton. I truly appreciate all your hard work.” And leaves my office.
Why does he care what I think of the other office? It’s not like he’s going to transfer me to the new office.
Is he?
* * *
I’m lying in bed reading an article in a magazine, when my phone lights up beside me. I sit up quickly and arrange my pillows behind me. I fluff up my hair and rub my lips together, hoping that I don’t look too haggard after a long day.
I press the connect button and there’s Max front and center on my screen.
His tie is loosened, and the top two buttons of his white dress shirt is undone. He has a little bit of a 5’o’clock shadow and the setting behind him is dark. His hair looks like his hands have ran through it repeatedly and from the bookshelves behind him, I can tell that he’s not at home.
“Hi,” I say with a smile.
“There you are, how are you?” he asks.
“I’m good, I’m good. Tired, work was busy, coming back from a week off, but time went by fast. How are you?” I ask.
“Still working, but I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”
“Are you still at work?” I ask.
“I’m taking a break from writing a proposal for a new takeover that I came across my desk today. I didn’t want it to linger, and figured to get ahead of the game,” he takes a deep breath. “But I don’t want to talk about work.”
“What do you want to talk about? It’s been so long since I’ve actually had conversations on the phone, that I’m a little rusty.”
“What did you do today?” he asks leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. His suit jacket is off and his biceps are stretching the fabric of his dress shirt.
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about work?” I quirk my eyebrow.
“I don’t want to talk about my work, it’s boring. Parties are far more entertaining than company takeovers.”
I laugh. “Whatever you say, my boss asked for my opinion about the Seattle offices and that was weird…” I trail off and tell him all the boring details of my day, as if we were together in person. After an hour of back and forth, I begin getting tired and he notices.
“I wish I was sitting in bed beside you, having you fall asleep in my arms,” he says sweetly with a tilt of his head.
“Me too,” I yawn while stretching out my arms to the side of me.
“Friday night. We made it through Monday, and we’re that much closer,” he says.
“I’m counting down,” I tell him.
“Good. Me too. I’ll let you get to sleep.”
“You going to keep working?” I ask.
“I’ll probably work for a little bit longer, then crash. I have a lot to get done this week that will make me free as a jailbird this weekend, so I want to make sure I’m not working at all this weekend with you.”
“It’s okay if you have to, you know. You don’t need to go silent, it’s work, and it’s important.”
“And so are you. Get some rest, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Aye, aye Captain.” I salute him playfully.
“Oh, the ideas, night babe.” he smiles.
“Night.”
We hang up and I drift off to sleep with his face in my mind, and a smile on my face.
MAXWELL
“You won’t believe this, but this fool right here, is fucking married!” Jason hooks a thumb in my direction as he announces the news to the table.
Grayson, Jason, Marcus and I were enjoying our weekly Thursday night out for beers and burgers when Jason decided to announce the news. “We need to call Devin and clue him into this, he’d shit his pants!” Jason pulls out his phone, but I push it away.
Grayson nearly chokes on his food and Marcus began coughing after taking a sip of his beer.
“You? Mr., I have no time for anything fun Addison is married? Who did you knock up?” Marcus asks.
“No one,” I wave off. “Leave Devin alone, he hates it when we call him as a group, he doesn’t have the patience for group calls. I’ll call him on my own.”
“So, when did you get married and where were we?” Grayson asks.
“Get this, it’s the chick that we partied with at the club in Vegas!” Jason chimes in.
“You married a stripper?” Marcus asks, his eyes wide.
“No.” I shake my head. “Wait, we hung out with strippers?”
“I think so, we did a lot that weekend. But wait, seriously, you got married? To who?” Grayson asks.
“Her name is Peyton. Long story short, I didn’t remember anything when I woke up. She wasn’t there, but I had flashbacks about a chick and a wild night. I hired a PI and he returned with the info that I got hitched.”
“So, get an annulment.”
“Well, I had every intention of doing so. But then I went to Los Angeles and met her. Or actually re-met her.”
“And now, they’re in love. It’s gross. I met her last week and they were making googly lovey dove eyes at each other.” Jason interrupts.
“What? Is that why we didn’t see you last week?” Marcus asks.
“So, you’re not going to get it reversed? You’re going to stay married to this woman?” Grayson asks.
“I like her. A lot.” I shrug.
“She lives in Los Angeles, man. Remember what happened the last time you were in a long-distance relationship?”
“Yeah, but I think I’ve grown up a bit. Listen, we’re getting to know one another, and I’m pretty happy with how things are going. So, yeah, we’re staying married and hoping that it works out.” I shrug. “We’re being casual about the relationship and feeling things out to see if it could be a legit thing.”
“Who are you and what did you do with our friend?” Grayson shakes his head.
“I guess my bachelor party in Vegas was more for you than for me. Congrats man.” Marcus holds up his beer. “Let’s be happy for Max, he might finally learn that life has more in it than business.” Everyone clinks their glasses together and we divert subjects again.
I pull out my phone and smile at the random text on my screen from Peyton.
Peyton: True or False: Max’s favorite fruit is strawberries.
Me: False. It’s a toss-up of tomatoes and avocados. I could eat avocados for days and I will eat a tomato like one does an apple.
Me: This or That: Warm sunny beach or fireside in a snow cabin?
Peyton: Warm sunny b
each. I prefer sand between my toes and it’s not recommended to be barefoot in snow.
Me: Yeah, that’s probably not a very good idea.
“What are you smiling about over there, lover boy?” Jason teases.
“Nothing,” I say pocketing my phone.
“He’s texting with his wife. Making sure that you don’t have to be home by a certain time?” Marcus laughs.
* * *
I like coming home and immediately talking to Peyton. On my way home, I phone her while I drive, and while I couldn’t see her, I have her voice throughout the car.
Talking to her is easy, but I want to touch her too.
One more day.
We just have to wait one more day before we can see one another again.
I wake up the next morning to the lobby phone ringing. I shuffle across my space and answer it with a yawn.
“Sir, there is a delivery here for you. I wanted to assure that you were home, prior to sending it up.”
“A delivery? This early?” I look at the clock on the wall. It’s six in the morning and I will kill the person who is waking me up thirty minutes before I’m supposed to be up.
My doorbell rings and I stomp over to the door, one of the front desk attendants is smiling and holds out a basket. I take it, quietly thank her and then close the door with my foot.
I place the basket on the kitchen island and unfold the covering to at least a dozen muffins.
My mouth waters on sight and my annoyance dissipates.
There’s only one person right now that would send me something like this. I head into the bedroom and grab my tablet. I want to see her on a bigger screen, rather than my small phone.
I prop the tablet up and press to dial her.
She answers with her hair wrapped in a towel and wearing a tank top. Her bedroom is in the background.
“Did I catch you at a bad time?” I ask.
“Not at all. I was actually expecting a call or a text from you. Good morning.” She smiles.
“Are these delicious things, your crafty work?” I ask holding up a still warm muffin.
“They may be,” she smiles proudly. “I went to this amazing bakery that was right by your place and the muffins were to die for. And I know you like a good pastry. I wanted you to start your morning off right.”
“I vote to start my morning with you every morning, I think we need to add mornings to our phone schedule.”
She moves around her room and places the phone on her dresser. She bends and moves the towel over her hair and flips back up.
“I hope you don’t mind me getting ready while we’re on?” She asks looking at the phone.
“I will have no objections, especially since you will have to get dressed and I’m hoping that I get to watch that too.” I grin before taking a bite out of the muffin. I moan at the taste. “Holy crap, this is delicious.” I hold up the muffin as she laughs.
This is something that I want every day; breakfast and laughs with my wife.
My wife.
Chapter Sixteen
“This one time in Vegas, I got a handjob from a stripper, and I forgot to tip her.”
PEYTON
I’m sitting in my living room right now as he showers. He tried to talk me into showering with him, but after the marathon of bedroom activities since getting here last night, I think a small break is in order.
He’s insatiable. And the sex just keeps getting better and better.
Everything does. Our relationship. The sex. The communication. Every part.
The weekends that Max is in LA, Quinn disappears to give us some space, aside from the times that we’ve gone out with my friends. When we’re in Seattle, we’ve made it a point to do something with his friends as well, and so far, we’ve all gotten along.
The water shuts off and shortly after, the bathroom door opens.
“Babe?” He calls.
“I’m in the living room,” I return.
A moment later, he comes out of the hallway and my mouth waters at the sight of him.
Ripped taunt skin stretching over his still wet body, his hair is slicked back and he has the stubble that I’ve begged him to keep on the weekends, he stands in his towel in front of me.
“What, did you think I left?” I laugh.
“No, I was just hoping that you would be lying naked on your bed when I got out,” he winks.
“You’re incorrigible. I was thinking that we could go grab some breakfast?” I ask.
“I’m hungry for something else,” he prowls toward me. I stand up quickly and dart out of his reach and around him. “Oh no, you don’t.” He growls.
I run into the bathroom and lock the door behind me, giggling with my back against the door.
“You aren’t going to get away with this,” he says on the other side of the door.
“You can get me later on tonight. I’m so hungry and I want pancakes!” I say in between giggles and breaths.
I push off the door and get in the shower a moment later.
When I come out of the bathroom, Max is laying on my bed, still in his towel on his back with his arms behind his head and his legs crossed at his feet.
He wiggles his eyebrows at me.
“Pancakes.” I say.
“Can you blame me for wanting you?” He asks.
“I don’t, really I don’t. But we need to go to the store after pancakes and get more condoms anyways. We’ve depleted my supply.”
He sighs audibly and sits up.
“You win, if I had it my way, I’d have you bent over your bed, you realize that, right? But I love you too much to postpone you from your pancakes.”
“Wait, what? What did you say?” I freeze in front of my dresser and turn to him in shock.
“Oh, well, I imagine that’s not exactly the way one would want to hear that. Shit, okay. Pretend I said nothing,” he backpedals.
“You put love and pancakes in the same sentence. You said… you… love… me?” I stutter, feeling my bottom lip tremble.
He stands up, still in his towel and places his arms on my arms while looking at me tenderly.
“I do. I love you, Peyton. I think that I have been in love with you from the start. When I stood in your living room, when I came here to see you.”
“You love me.” I repeat.
“I love you.” He says again.
“Wow.” I say, looking up to him “Max?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you too.” I drape my arms around him and pull him down for a kiss. Both of our towels fall to the ground moments later and with my heart beating so loud I can hear it, we fall to the mattress.
His body covers mine as our mouths crash and we devour one another. With our bodies in line together as he gently nudges his cock into my pussy. We pull apart and stop moving as we realize that he’s inside me without a condom.
Both of us are breathing heavily with the intensity of emotions that we’re both feeling.
His hand brushes hair out of my eyesight and he smiles.
“I’m sorry, just give me a second. If I pull out of you too fast right now, I may blow it, and—”
“I want you to keep going.” I tell him.
“But I’m not wearing a condom.”
“I’m clean, I’m on birth control, you’re the only person that I’m with, that I want to be with,” I say.
“Same. I mean, everything except for the birth control.”
“Make love to me, Max.” I ask.
Our hips glide together slowly, as we pour our emotions into the kiss into the single most erotic moment of our relationship so far.
MAXWELL
I didn’t intend to tell Peyton that I was in love with her in the way that I did, but it came out naturally.
Saying those words to one another, while as sappy as it sounds, brought us closer and this trip will go down in the books as the most memorable of the past few months.
It’s the trip where my girlfriend, my wife told me that
she loves me.
After celebrating our declarations to one another, I took her out for pancakes and watched her devour and love every single bite.
“I want to run something by you,” she starts with full mouth.
“Sure thing, what’s up?” I reply popping a piece of bacon in my mouth.
“Now, this has nothing to do with the events of this morning. But my boss has been hinting at a few things over the past few months.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s this?” I quirk an eyebrow in curiosity.
“So, you know how I told you that my boss was asking for my opinion on the Seattle office, right?”
“Yeah,” I say leaning into her.
“So, what if I volunteered to be transferred over to the new office? The one in Seattle?”
“Is that an option?” My interest is peaked.
“I’m not sure what his plan is completely, but he keeps coming to me for all things related to the new office. I’ve been in a few meetings about the new space, and even though, he hasn’t said it outright, I think that if I even suggest that I make the transfer he will immediately approve it. I think he’s just waiting for me to catch on,” she smiles.
“And you have caught on.” I state.
“I have.” She nods.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” I ask, “call your boss right now and make the offer!” I smile.
“Chill out, there’s a lot more to talk about before making a huge decision like that. Plus, it needs to be known right from the start, that while yes, I do love you—gosh, that sounds so liberating saying out loud—that I would be moving for work and not for you. I would also need to talk to Quinn, since that would mean I would have to move out and she would be responsible for my half of the rent.”
“You make that sound so horrible, like it’s a bad thing that you would be moving for me.” I say jokingly.
“Well, that’s a bonus.” She says with a lift of her shoulder. “But I wouldn’t be moving just for that, I’m not that kind of girl. It’s a big decision, and I would still need to weigh all the options. But it’s an option.”
What Happens In Vegas Page 11