Chapter 82: David Arrives

Thursday morning, my alarm went off at 4:30, and I groaned. I showered and took great care with my hair and makeup. I was wearing a long red watch-plaid wrap-around skirt, and the black cashmere sweater Ang had made me, along with my CFM boots from the Newark show. My hair was swept up, held in place by black chopsticks, and I had black pearl drop-earrings my grandmother had given me a zillion years ago.

I was trying to be quiet, as I didn’t want to wake up Ang, but she was already awake. And in the kitchen. And had coffee going. And breakfast cooking. I swear to God, I love this woman.

“D’ya have time for a bite?” she asked me.

I checked my watch. “Just,” I said. “You are amazing,” I said, shoving a forkful of eggs in my mouth. “Are you sure you don’t want to spend April with me at David’s house?”

“You mean your New Jersey house, right?” And leveled a gaze at me.

“It’ll feel more like my house when I’m there. Right now, it’s still David’s house.”

“Hmmm,” was all Ang said.

I finished breakfast, put my dishes in the washer, and left for work. “I’ll call ya later, but why don’t you plan on coming by around 3? David’ll be here sometime before that, so watch out.”

Ang laughed. I was halfway out of the kitchen. “What,” she said. “No kiss?”

I laughed and pecked her on the cheek. “By dear,” I said. “Have a good day.”

“Have a good day at the office, sweeting,” she called to me.

She’s a nut, and I love her.

When I got to work, I could hardly concentrate. David was coming in a few hours (well five), and he was taking me to lunch. Ang and I were going to go shopping this afternoon then I’d get to relax and have a nice dinner with my friend and my man. David came to my office straight from the airport, and called me when he got outside my building. “Baby, I’m here.”

“I’ll be right down,” I said, and grabbed my purse. I was smiling until I hit the hallway. Then I got waylaid twice by “problems” that “only I could help with”. I rolled my eyes at them and said to talk to Ethan. “Ethan is the new Hath,” I said. That’ll teach him to let strange women onto a SECURE floor.

I ducked into the ladies’ room to check my hair and makeup, and smiled. I still looked good. By the time I got downstairs, David had been waiting for more than ten minutes. I opened the car door and my skirt opened a little when I slid in next to David. His lips were on mine before I could say “hello”, and his hand found its way into the gap in my skirt. His method of greeting was MUCH better than what I had planned.

The driver pulled away from the curb, turned up the music, and took off for who-cares-where. David hadn’t stopped massaging me through my panties, and I was dying. I had to go back to work in these clothes! He didn’t seem to care, and truthfully, neither did I. I grabbed at the bulge in David’s jeans and rubbed, making him groan. When we finally came up for air, I noticed we were in front of my building again. “What’s going on, David?” I was totally confused and ready to pop.

“We can either have a pubic lunch at the Pru,” he said, “or private lunch at the Seaport.” David had named a swanky hotel with a gorgeous view of Bahstin Hahbah.

I stared at him. “You booked a room? You can’t wait until I get home?” I leaned in and licked at his neck. “I can put Ang off you know. She’s gonna be here for a while we can go out shopping tomorrow or Saturday.”

David shook his head. “She will slaughter me. Ang has her heart set on shopping. She told me so.” He looked at me. “Whaddaya say? Public or private?”

I rolled my eyes. “I have to be back at 1:30,” I said regretfully.

David pouted. “That doesn’t give me enough time,” he said. “I guess it’s the Pru.” David chuckled and leaned forward to tap once on the window. The driver headed off into the city.

I laughed and settled in next to him. David put his hand over the babies. “How’re the kids?”

“They’re just fine,” I said. “I have a new doctor in Jersey that my guy recommended, and I talked to him today, and the wedding plans are all done.”

“Yeah?” David said, twining my fingers in his.

We chatted about all sorts of house and kid and wedding stuff. We got settled at our table at the Top of the Hub, and ordered our lunch. While we were waiting, David took an envelope out of his jacket pocket and slid it across the table to me.

“What’s this?” I asked, opening it and removing a sheaf of paper. Unfolding it, I gasped. David had put my name on the deed to his house.

“What? How?” I was at a loss.

“Ang called me early,” David said, pulling a face. “She said you’re having trouble calling the place your own because you aren’t there yet. Well,” he said, taking a sip of his Merlot, “It’s yours now. Half anyway.”

A tear sprang to my eye. “You didn’t have to do that,” I said. “Really. Next week, I’ll be there, and it’ll be our house.”

“I want it to be our house now,” David said. “And so it is.”

I scooted my chair over so I was sitting next to David instead of across from him. He put his arm around me, and I leaned on his shoulder. “How did I get so lucky?” I asked.

David smiled. I couldn’t see it, but I could hear it in his voice. “You aren’t the lucky one,” he said. “I am.”

I got back to work a few minutes before 1:30, and went in to ping Ang, to warn her that David was on the way. She said my mother had shown up with arms laden with food, and had a nice chat with Ang. Ang said she ate everything my mother brought (which I don’t quite believe – nobody can eat THAT much; not even Ang), went jogging go jar herself out of the lethargy the food dumped on her, and was going to take a shower again. She said she was going to lock the door and put a chair under the knob in the back. Good call. Not that I don’t trust David, but he owes her for that phone call in the hotel.

Come to think of it, he owes me too, for the shirt. I’ll just have to be on my guard, that’s all.