Page 36 of Waiting for Acceptance (Nashville Nights #5)
LAUREN
I was having a pretty good day. Getting to put Jessica Vanderbilt in her place was entertaining as hell.
Hearing Fitz speak, and getting the chance to speak on the subject of social media marketing myself was thrilling, and the mixer was actually a hit.
I was talking to two guys about the changes they’ve been seeing in numbers regarding upstate housing recently, when Fitz came up and went all cave-man on me, getting mad that I was being nice.
To his fucking associates at that. And my day just kind of went to shit.
Lucifer
Where are you?
Me
Home.
Lucifer
Did you suddenly inherit the ability to teleport?
Me
YOUR home. eye roll emoji
I probably should have said it that way the first time.
I see the text bubble pop up and disappear twice before it stops without another word from Fitz.
Ten minutes later he’s walking through the door.
He stops in the threshold with his hands planted firmly on his hips.
I look at him from where I’m mixing cookie batter at the island with my brows raised, waiting for whatever it is he’s about to say.
“How did you get in here?”
“I took the key off your keyring. You probably shouldn’t leave your keys in your fancy ass car, by the way. Someone could steal it.” I scoop some of the batter onto a baking sheet, watching as he runs his hand through his hair.
“I have a tracker on it. I’d find it. Which reminds me…” I give him a suspicious look when he starts stalking toward me. “Give me your phone.”
“No,” I argue, seeing his eyes land on it sitting on the counter. Before I can even try to beat him to the punch, he snatches it, holds it up to my face to unlock it, and starts clicking the screen.
“Asshole.”
“Brat.”
“What are you doing?” I try to look at the screen but he keeps holding it higher so I can’t see.
“Sharing your location with myself.”
“What? No. That’s an invasion of privacy.” I try to grab it again, but he lifts the phone over his head, causing me to fall into his chest.
“Still have me saved as Lucifer in your phone, I see.” He brings it back down, showing me my own screen, where he has our text thread pulled up.
“Well, you’re still the devil, so…” I smirk at him, but all of the confidence backing my quick wit is swept out from under me when he grabs my neck, his thumb caressing my jaw.
“Trouble, the devil would blush if he knew the things I wanted to do to you.” I clear my throat and pull away from him. Though I don’t make it far.
“Would banishing me from New York so other men don’t talk to me be on that list?”
He lets out a frustrated breath. “Not even close.” The way he’s looking at me has about a million questions fighting for dominance in my mind, but I’m not ready to ask any of them. More like I’m not ready for the answer to any of them. So I choose the easiest one.
“Do you like chocolate chip cookies?” I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear, grabbing the bowl I discarded while trying to get my phone from Fitz. I finish filling the baking sheet with little globs of cookie dough as Fitz strips out of his sports coat.
“Does anyone not like chocolate chip cookies?” he counters.
“You’d be surprised. Statistically, almost the same amount of people don’t like pizza.”
“Well, that’s just insane.” I smile to myself at how serious he sounds. I get the cookies in the oven and set a timer on my phone before turning to see Fitz staring down at his. “Unbelievable,” he scoffs, lifting his head with a satirical smile.
“What’s the matter?” I grab a water from the fridge and take a sip as he continues shaking his head.
“My father’s birthday party got moved to next week.”
“Oh, okay.” I put my water bottle on the counter and lean forward, trying to figure out why he seems so bothered by that. “So, are we coming back next week then?”
“Yep. Seems like it.” He unbuckles his belt and whips it out of the loops so fast it makes a popping sound. “I’m going to change.” He storms into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
What the hell was that about?
Tay
It’s practically a crime that we have seen 0 photos posted while you’re in New York with your hunky hunky boyfriend.
Ruby
Does being sisters-in-law come with some sort of telepathy? Because you read my mind.
Shane
Send themmmmm.
Leah:
If you need help picking which ones to post you have an entire board of directors here ready to help. eyes emoji
I bite my thumbnail, fighting the guilt that’s creeping into my gut.
They’ve seen no pictures because there are no pictures.
And there are no pictures because this is all fake and I can’t keep up with how the hell I’m supposed to act with him.
It’s easy when we’re around his colleagues and I know what I’m supposed to be selling.
But when we’re having lunch or even a simple conversation at his apartment, I have no idea what version of myself I’m supposed to be.
So maybe it’s time I just be myself? The best way to sell this relationship is to treat it like I would any real one, with the minor detail in the back of my mind that it comes with an expiration date.
Plus that may make the guilty feeling of lying to my friends shrink.
With my mind made up that I’m just going to be me , I take a deep breath and switch to the mindset that this is all real.
Me
Today was totally insane. We have taken no pictures together, shocking I know. But as soon as I have one on my camera roll it’s headed straight to this chat. blowing kiss emoji
Tay
Who even are you?
Ruby
Will be impatiently waiting for any and all photos.
Leah
What’s his place like?
Me
I feel like I am living in an episode of FRIENDS. But like, if they had MONEY money.
Shane
That’s a good thing, right?
Me
Lol. Yes! it’s amazing. Gotta bounce, cookies are done. chocolate chip cookie emoji blowing kiss emoji
Ruby
You made him cookies?! Oh this girl is in LOVE love.
Me
You’ll always be my one true love.
Tay
Rude.
Shane
How dare.
Leah
We can still hear you, you know?!
I laugh out loud before locking my phone, but I practically jump out of my skin when I see Fitz standing in front of me, his lips turned up in a small smile.
“Something funny?”
“With them? Always.” I nod to my phone, sliding my hands into the oven mitts.
Once the cookies are on the stovetop I turn the oven off and face Fitz again.
“Cookies will be ready to eat in five!” I smile and Fitz’s features go soft as he visibly swallows.
“What?” I feel my cheeks heat to an ungodly temperature as he pushes off the counter and walks over to me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
My eyes fixate on his, but he’s watching his own movement as he plays with my hair.
“There’s something I didn’t tell you earlier.” His icy-blue eyes finally find mine. “You have the most amazing smile I’ve ever seen in my life.” It’s taking everything in me to stay focused and not get lost in the smell of his cologne or the way his eyes hypnotize me.
“Um. Thank you?”
“And I’m afraid I didn’t handle it well when you smiled at those guys during the mixer earlier, when I’ve never been rewarded with one of your smiles.”
Oh.
“And even though I’m not sure if that one was for me or for the cookies, I’m claiming it as my own.
” My eyes roll playfully and his hands begin traveling down.
From my cheeks to my arms, until they settle on my hips.
“I acted irrationally while you were doing me a favor, and I truly am sorry about that. I promise it won’t happen again. ”
“If this is going to work, if we’re really going to sell this, you’re going to have to trust me. I can handle myself, and I’m not the kind of girlfriend who cheats. Regardless of the fake title. For as long as people are supposed to believe I’m with you, I’ll be with you . Okay?”
“Okay,” he agrees. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife, but in an effort to keep things light tonight, I grab my phone off the counter, pick up two cookies from the baking sheet, and hand him one.
“Smile.” His eyes bounce around and he smiles directly at me. I almost fall over laughing and when I finally look at him again, his face has completely lit up.
“What?! I literally did what you asked me to do.” I keep trying to compose myself but every time I think about it, I start laughing again.
“I meant for a picture!” I hold my phone up and the realization hits him.
“ Oh. Well, say that next time so I don’t look stupid.” I giggle when he wraps his arm around my waist, turning us to where he’s standing behind me, his chin above my head and a smile on his face. I hold my phone up and—holy shit he’s cute.
I snap a few pictures as he takes a bite of his cookie and I do the same with mine.
It’s an entire photoshoot at this point, and I can’t stop giggling the whole time.
When we’re finally done, he takes his thumb and wipes chocolate from the corner of my lips and I watch closely as he licks it off his finger.
“You’re quite the baker, Trouble. These are delicious.”
“Thanks, so are you.” He raises a brow at me and I reach up, licking the chocolate off his cheek. He shakes his head at me with a smirk that makes me want to lick him pretty much everywhere else.
Oh my god, when I decide to be myself I just really fucking send it, don’t I?