Page 99 of It's a Date (Again)

Footsteps pad along the hardwood floor, growing louder. Debbie appears in the living room dressed in a red top and black leather pants. Her hair is pinned up, and her lips are painted red. Christmas music plays softly from a speaker.

“There you two are,” she says, holding out her arms for a warm embrace.

I hug her tight and apologize for being late.

“You’re actually right on time. We’re just setting the food out,” she says, wrapping her arms around Robbie.

“Debbie, where did you get that outfit?” I ask.

She turns slowly and laughs. “Oh, this old thing. Maya got it for me. She said I need to spice it up since I’m dating again.”

Robbie and I chuckle.

“Of course she did,” I say. “And where’s your date?”

“He’s in the kitchen. Maya and Anthony are in the dining room.”

I exchange a look with Robbie. “We’re the last ones here.”

“Technically, yes. But that’s because I told Maya it was a half hour earlier so she’d be here on time.” Debbie smirks. “Come in.” She beckons with her hand and leads us down the hallway.

In the dining room, Maya and Anthony are seated next to one another. She immediately jumps from her seat and runs to hug me.

“You put Debbie in leather pants,” I whisper into her ear.

“Guilty,” Maya says. “She complimented mine one day and said she wished she would have had the gall to rock them when she was young, so I bought her a pair.”

“Honestly, she’s pulling them off better than I did.” I laugh.

“So, how’s living with Robbie?” Maya tilts her head in his direction.

I glance over at him. He and Anthony shake hands and do that half hug / half pat on the back thing. They laugh and walk to the buffet, where a half dozen open bottles of wine are set out. Debbie sure knows how to throw a dinner party.

“It’s the best,” I say to Maya. “I couldn’t imagine falling asleep without him next to me.”

“Being in love has made you corny.” She chuckles.

“It really has.”

“I’m glad you two are finally together. Took ya long enough.” She pats my shoulder.

“I know. Sometimes you can’t see what’s standing right in front of you.”

“All right, someone get this girl a drink and a lobotomy,” Maya teases. “She’s speaking in limericks.”

“Peyton,” a deep, familiar voice calls from behind me. I turn to find Hank dressed in a quarter-zip sweater and a nice pair of slacks. He doesn’t look like he did the night I met him, but everything else about him is still the same. From his kind eyes to his infectious smile to the warmth his very presence exudes.

“Hi, Hank. How are you?” I hug him tight.

“I’m great. Feeling like the luckiest man in the world,” he says.

Robbie extends glasses of red wine to me and Hank just as we break our embrace. They greet one another, and Hank and I clink our glasses together.

“How are you liking your new home?” I ask.

He peers up at the ceiling and back at me with a small smile. “To be honest, I haven’t been spending a lot of time up there.”

Hank’s been staying at my place for the past seven weeks. I spent every night sleeping over at Robbie’s, so it made sense to offer it to him since it wasn’t being used anyway. It officially became his home a week ago, when I moved out. Robbie got him a job at his company working in the sales department. He’s only been there for a little over a month, and he’s already one of the top sales associates. I’m not at all surprised. He sold me on following my heart, something I’d never done.