Twenty One
My eyes flutter open to the faint light of dawn coming through the large bay windows across the bedroom. I yawn and stretch my limbs happily, having the first truly good night of sleep in three days, having slept beside Gavin. Except for being woken up twice to make love in the late hours of last night, I feel more rested than I have in what feels like a very long time. I press my face into the pillow and let my eyes wander over to Gavin who’s sleeping soundly beside me. His arm is stretched around my waist while he sleeps, as if he can’t help but touch me, be close to me even as he sleeps in a deep slumber. His face is lit with the morning sun and gently, I skim my fingers down his cheek where I can barely see the bruising and cuts from the accident. God, he’s gorgeous. It still seems unreal that this man is mine.
"Love you," I whisper into the hollow of his neck and press a kiss there.
"Hmm," he hums in his sleep, and I carefully slip out of bed, softly step onto the hardwood floor and locate a pair of yoga pants and my favorite cotton tee to wear for a lazy day at home.
Slipping into the bathroom, I hear my phone ringing from the kitchen. Hastily, I dress and pull my hair into a messy ponytail before heading to the kitchen to check my phone.
It’s still somehow ringing when I step into the large kitchen that Gavin had done specifically for him when he bought this penthouse. God, I love this kitchen.
"Hey," I answer, seeing that Farah is calling. She sniffs on the other end of the phone, not answering me and immediately I’m worried.
"Sweetie? You there?"
"I-God, I’m so sorry Ari. Jay came home from Seattle yesterday and we both turned off our phones to have a day together, just to spend time. I had no idea-Gavin, is he okay?"
She’s so upset, I can hear it in her voice.
"Hey, it’s okay Farah. Gavin is home, everything is okay. Honestly, Kel was with me and so was Gavin’s family. I wasn’t alone." I hear her audible exhale.
"What happened? All Kel told me was that Gavin was in an accident and that you were at the hospital with him for most of the night."
I sit at the kitchen table and run my hand through my hair absentmindedly.
"I was at the last show for the academy, the showcase. Kel was with me getting ready and then I got that call from Callie. I swear to God Farah, my world stopped."
Hell, my heart stopped in those moments in between. Not knowing if he was okay, if I’d lost the love I’d found… it was unbearable.
"But he’s alright? Was he injured?" Her voice is filled with concern and I so wish we were in the same room so I could hug her and reassure her not to feel guilty about any of this.
"No he’s-he’s OK. We’re fine, now. Stop worrying, Sweetie. Enough about me. How are things with Jaden?" I want to hear about something other than the last three days in the hospital.
"Wonderful, but I swear to God this man has the stamina of a bull."
I almost choke on the piece of toast I’m chewing after hearing that.
"Wow, Farah! Warn a girl why don’t you?"
She starts laughing and soon I’m joining in, especially when she tells me how many times she and Jay the Bull went at it last night.
"And then he showed me …" I stop listening when Gavin comes out of the bedroom and grins slowly at me. He’s shirtless with a pair of loose-fitting blue pajama bottoms hanging low on his hips. A shot of desire courses through me at the sight of him. He just rolled out of bed and I already want to drag him back in there…
"Have to go, let’s have lunch soon?"
"Oh, I see how it is. Gavin up for round two?" Farah teases and I know she’s rolling her eyes.
My chair is spun towards where he’s standing in front of me and those deep, deep eyes of his take me in.
"Bye, sweets."
I put down my phone and smile slowly at my man. He looks too damn sexy in the morning.
"Morning, baby." I lean forward and suck his bottom lip into my mouth, tugging gently.
"Hmm," Gavin groans, kisses me lightly and then tugs me to stand without another word.
"Where are we going?" I ask as he leads me out of the kitchen and back into the bedroom.
"Breakfast, I’m going to need my energy today."
"Oh?" I ask innocently, biting down on my lip when he smiles sexily at me.
He slides his hand down my nape and places a kiss at the top of my head.
"Because were not leaving this bed all. Day. Long."
Gavin keeps his hand holding mine as we walk to a small diner located close to the penthouse.
Even just the small contact of skin on skin keeps the buzz of need alive inside me.
"You’re blushing," he murmurs, stopping on the sidewalk and cupping my cheeks gently.
"Am I?" I grin, knowing he knows exactly what I’d been thinking about just now. He knows me so well.
Gavin skims his thumbs over my jaw, drawing small circles, igniting my skin underneath his touch and my eyes fall closed.
"Open, baby."
I open my eyes and see the softness in his.
"These," he rubs his thumbs against my temples right next to my eyes, "are what made me fall for you, Beautiful. So bright, so expressive."
I smile softly, take his hands and kiss his palm. His words are filled with love and in this moment I feel so loved by this man.
"You’re sweet." I tug his hand to keep walking and he follows, then wraps one strong arm around my shoulders to keep me close. God, he feels good.
***
Ruby’s is nestled between downtown and South-side Chicago, with a large neon sign hanging above the entryway. It looks like one of those fifties diners you see on Happy Days where the waitresses rolled around in skates and did drive in service all day. It’s cool and different and I immediately love it.
"This is so cool, Gavin. Why haven’t I heard of a diner like this?"
He opens the glass door for me and places a hand at the small of my back. The contact sends tingles up my spine.
A small petite woman with strawberry blonde hair and sky blue eyes greets us.
"Greta! How are you?" Gavin says happily, obviously pleased to see her. I wonder how long he’s been coming here. Years? Did he come here with his father? I flick my eyes up to him as Greta goes around a crowd of teenagers and clasps his hand in hers. Her warm eyes and kind nature is natural to her, it seems.
"Greta, this is the girl I told you about. Aria, meet Greta. She’s my mother’s best friend. And she makes the best Omelet known to man." He winks down at her, those blue gray eyes warm with affection and I see how near and dear Greta is to him, even after all these years.
"It’s wonderful to meet you, Greta."
She pulls me in for a long hug, pats me softly on the back and to my surprise, whispers in my ear.
"You’re good for him, Aria."
I lean away a bit and smile at her.
"He’s good for me, too."
Then she takes my hand and leads me towards the back with Gavin surely behind us. I like her easygoing nature and her devotion to Gavin. She considers him family, and she wants him to be happy.
When we’re both seated at a corner booth; away from the hustle and bustle of other diners, Greta leaves us to talk and decide.
"I really like her," I say as soon as we’re alone. Gavin smiles widely and hands me an animated menu.
"Greta loves you already. Not that I can blame her."
His eyes are smiling and I look down to the menu, though I’ve already decided on an omelet with everything on it. I’m sure that it’s the best known to man, as Gavin told me.
I feel his eyes on me as I flick through the brightly colored pages, seeing that this diner is the quaint, lively eatery that I hoped.
"Do you know what you want?" I ask, reaching over the table to wipe a strand of his light brown hair away from his eyes. Gavin leans forward and grasps a strand of my hair, twirls it around his finger.
"Yes, I think I do"