“I love you, sweet girl,” I say between kisses.
Dinner is served shortly after and I look down the long dining table full of family and friends and feel genuine happiness. Most of the people here are those that we’ve grown the closest to over the last year. Everyone is happy, healthy, and enjoying themselves tonight. Nothing makes me happier than seeing everyone happy.
“We’re skipping dessert,” Lindsay whispers in my ear.
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” I press a kiss to her forehead.
“Start saying your goodbyes. We’re leaving in five minutes.”
“I love when you order me around.” I smack her bottom.
I spend the next few minutes chatting with Landon and Reagan about the building progress on their new house, and chat with Melissa, one of Reagan’s medical assistants at the doctor’s office she’s a partner in. Lindsay sneaks up behind me and slides her hand into mine.
“We’re going to take off,” I tell the small group. “Reagan, as always, wonderful dinner. Thank you for keeping us all together.” I reach over and pull her into a short hug.
“Thanks again,” Lindsay says as she all but drags me from the room.
“You in a hurry?” I joke with her as we speed walk through the restaurant.
“I need alone time with you,” she smirks.
“We have all night and all day tomorrow.”
“It’s never enough. I will never have enough of you, Matt.”
“Well, then. Let’s get my sweet girl home.”
“Well, that went better than I expected.” I breathe a sigh of relief as I slide into bed next to Matt.
“Because it’s been obvious to everyone around us what’s been going on for the last year. We clearly suck at being discreet, Lindsay.”
“I’m just glad we don’t have to lie anymore.”
“We weren’t lying; we just weren’t being open about our relationship,” he says, wrapping his naked, lean, muscular body around me.
“I guess, but it just didn’t feel right, keeping us a secret.”
“I like when you say us.” He presses a kiss to my lips, then behind my ear.
“I like it when you do that,” I whisper. “And I like it when you…” My work cell phone begins ringing, interrupting us.
“Leave it,” Matt growls in my ear.
“I can’t.” He rolls off of me while I reach onto the nightstand and glance at my agent’s name flashing on the screen.
“It’s Jack,” I mumble as I jump out of bed and pull on a robe.
“Jack,” I answer curtly.
“Lindsay, I presume you’ve gotten my three voicemails, two emails, and endless text messages. Why the hell haven’t you returned one of them?”
“We had an important family dinner. I’m sorry.” I notice Matt slide out of bed and step into a pair of chambray-colored pajama pants. His tan skin is perfection against the light blue pants. He leaves the room while I talk in a hushed tone with Jack.
“Lindsay, this isn’t an opportunity to pass up. This will propel your career and take you places you never envisioned,” he says, his voice becoming louder. Jack is my agent and one pushy motherfucker. “People kill to get into a market the size of Phoenix. The money is phenomenal, the exposure…”
“Phoenix,” I whisper as I pace the bedroom. “Oh, my god, Jack. I can’t believe this.” My voice is excited, yet slightly hesitant as I think of Matt and what this will mean to us. “I need a couple of days,” I respond, a million thoughts swirling through my head, ranging from excitement to trepidation.
“A couple of days, Lindsay?” Jack repeats me.
“Did I stutter, Jack? I need a couple of days. When we had lunch last week, you mentioned looking for other opportunities, but I didn’t realize it would happen so fast and so fucking far away. Do you have any idea where Phoenix is, Jack?”#p#分页标题#e#
“It’s in Arizona, Lindsay. Listen to me. If you don’t take this job, it will be the biggest mistake of your career.” His husky voice pulls me from thoughts of everything I’ll miss if I leave Wilmington.
“Two days, Jack. I need two days. Give me that. Stall them.”
There is a large sigh on the other end of the phone, and what sounds like a hand hitting a table. “You have until noon on Monday.”
“Thank you, Jack.” He disconnects the phone without saying goodbye. I know he’s pissed. I catch a glimpse of Matt leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom. His head has fallen forward and he stares at the ground.
“Talk to me,” I say as I walk over and wrap my arms around him.