Page 54 of Aaron's Patience

He grunted. “When?”

“As a teen. I think we all do.”

“Most never grow out of it.” He frowned.

“Ever the pessimist.”

“I’ll leave the optimism to you.”

We talked a little more about the drive and my idea to get Kyle and Kennedy involved.

When the discussion lulled, I stood to stretch and went to gaze out the window. “You can see all of Williamsport from this view.”

I felt him move behind me.

“You said the same thing the first time I brought you to this very office.”

My eyelids slowly closed, the memory of those days and his presence at my back too much to bear.

“Said this would be my office one day instead of my father’s. And it was my responsibility to do right by it. That was our first night together.”

I abruptly turned, anger rising in my belly for some reason. I didn’t want those memories forced on me. I was too raw. “Aaron, don’t!” I hissed.

“Don’t what?” He continued, “Remind you of us? Our first time together?”

I clamped my mouth shut, doing my best to ward off the inevitable. He wasn’t about to let me forget it all. No matter how much I tried to.

****

Then

“Let’s go, Mr.CEO.We’re going to be late for our reservation,” I giggled, pulling him by his arm from his desk. Aaron had brought me to Townsend Industries on our way to dinner just to pick up a file he needed to review for the next morning. Since he’d taken that day off, and we’d spent the entire day together, he hadn’t had any other opportunity to pick it up.

“I’m coming,” he gritted out, causing me to laugh even more.

I loved his impatient, arrogant, stern side, which was close to just about every side of him. On the way in, we’d paused at his father’s office. He showed me into the large corner office that showed just about every angle of the city through the long floor to ceiling windows.

“Got it. Let’s go.” He tugged me by the arm and I followed him out.

“I’m starving,” I said as we piled into the back of the car, pulling off for the dinner reservations we had at my favorite Italian restaurant—the same one we’d met my father at for dinner more than a two months prior.

We arrived at the restaurant and the hostess seated us at the exact same spot we had dined before.

“What was so important about this file that you justhadto have it tonight?” I teased Aaron at the same time I swiped a piece of garlic bread from the basket.

“It has the financial report for the tech company in Japan we’re looking to buyout.”

I nodded. “And it couldn’t wait ’til morning?”

“Meetings first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll need to review tonight.” He began opening the file as if he was going to start reviewing right there.

“Oh no!” I stated, slapping my hand over the folder, closing it. “I just finished my finals. You just completed a different merger deal. We promised today was a day off for the both of us. You can at least give me until after dinner.” I gave him a look and that softening of his eyes happened, making my own heart skip a beat.

He inclined his head, placing the folder to the side, appeasing me. We talked more about our plans for the rest of the evening and I surprised myself by asking Aaron if he would attend my graduation. It was in two weeks. I was done with graduate school and ready to start my career.

“I’ll be there,” he agreed, and I had to stop myself from jumping over the table into his lap. I’m sure I would’ve kissed him had I done that, despite us never having even done that, still. For some reason he always held back. I couldn’t figure out why, save for the notion that maybe this thing really was just some type of friendship for him. But then there were times I caught him staring at me and my entire body felt like a raw, exposed nerve. Maybe it was just me.

“I’ll be right back,” I stated, placing my napkin on the table.