Page 92 of Between Desire and Denial

Dimitri: A spa day for you to relax.

Me: Dimitri, I don’t want that. Cancel it.

Dimitri: It’s not refundable.

Me: You own the spa!

Dimitri: Yup, and as the owner, I know when to shut down the spa to outside guests so my future wife can pamper herself in it and relax.

Me: No. As your casual girlfriend, I don’t need extreme gifts. Give them to someone else. You’re flying around the world. Enjoy it and all the women you can have fun with.

Me: Which is fine, by the way. Of course. I’m enjoying all the men here too.

I winced at my stupidity. My own fun? Not really.

My stomach twisted and dipped and rolled at texting him to do that. I missed him. I knew I was getting feelings I shouldn’t. It’s how I knew I’d be hurt when he texted me back that he’d probably hooked up with every girl in every country he’d been in since he left last week.

It showed me I needed to start denying what I felt better and faster. I needed to be realistic that this charade would come to an end, that his desire for me would come to an end, that I wouldn’t be able to keep him.

I sighed and closed iMessages and put my notifications on Do Not Disturb. Too much was happening in Paradise Grove for me to be falling in love with Dimitri Hardy. So, I opened up the dating app instead and tried to go down the path of less complications.

Me: How are you? We haven’t talked in a while.

Mr. Perfect: Been busy but doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be talking. What are you up to tonight?

Me: About to go to sleep actually.

Mr. Perfect: Would it be bad if I said I wanted to see that, Flower Girl?

I smiled at his nickname for me. I appreciated that Mr. Perfect had kept things between us quite PG so far. This was the first time he’d pushed the boundary a bit. It was an open invitation to pick a path. To make a hard decision, especially considering Lucille had said I would have to make more in the future.

I knew I was going to stay in Paradise Grove, and Dimitri wouldn’t want that forever. He’d forget me while he flew around the world. Rightfully so.

I threw a bare leg over the white sheets and took a picture of it to send to Mr. Perfect.

Me: That’s just a little. Maybe if we actually meet, you’ll see more. I’ll be near Rooster Rock tomorrow evening. We could have a drink at 9?

When my phone rang and Dimitri’s name popped up, I dropped it like it was a hot potato, feeling like I’d somehow done something completely wrong. I wasn’t cheating on Dimitri. We were just casual. So, I don’t know why I stared at the phone with a feeling of guilt swelling through me.

Cautiously, I picked it up and stared at it. He had no idea what I was doing just like I had no idea who he was doing over there.

“Hello?”

“What the hell are you doing?” he growled out.

“Um, hi to you too.” I frowned at the phone. He sounded livid.

He took two deep breaths before he said, “You didn’t answer my text.”

I pulled up his texts quick to see what he’d said.

Dimitri: Who the fuck are you having fun with?

Dimitri: Don’t make me drop everything to fly home early.

Dimitri: I will fly home early if you don’t answer, Honeybee.

“Are you threatening me with your presence?” I asked coyly, already feeling my messy emotions for him bubbling over into the conversation.