Page 41 of Waiting for Acceptance (Nashville Nights #5)

LAUREN

I lay in bed staring at my ceiling, unable to shake the feeling that something is off about today.

Meanwhile, Ginny is curled up on my chest, sound asleep.

My alarm starts ringing and I roll my head, staring at it sitting on my nightstand just out of reach.

I strain every muscle in my body trying to get it without waking Ginny, but when I turn the alarm off and my screen lights up with a reminder, I shoot up in bed like I’ve just been electrocuted.

“Shit!” I click on my calendar and stare at it with my mouth hanging open. Once I’m past the fact that I forgot his birthday was this week, my eyes fall to the second event on today’s calendar, synched from my email.

“Shit.” Ginny is officially awake now, due to my movement and me talking to myself.

No wonder he seemed so upset when he got the text about the party being moved.

They moved the party to his birthday. I can’t believe I didn’t make the connection before now.

I’ve been so busy training Heather this week, and with Fitz getting called away to finalize a small acquisition they had happening in Connecticut before going back to New York today, it wasn’t even on my radar.

I start chewing on my thumbnail trying to decide what to do. I know he said he doesn’t celebrate his birthday, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t still feel special on the day they came into the world. Unable to figure it out on my own, I grab my phone and click on Ruby’s contact.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

“Come on, you have two kids I know you’re awake,” I mumble to myself, waiting for her to answer.

“Hey, Aunt Lauren!” Hendrix says, picking up the phone.

“Hey, my guy. How’s it going?” I smile listening to Poe scream happily in the background.

“Mom burned the pancakes.” Is all he says and I laugh when I hear Ruby call him out on his bullshit.

“I burned one pancake, you little stink. Give me the phone. Go tell Dad to come finish these. It’s his damn recipe anyways.” Her voice is getting closer to the phone as Hendrix gets farther away.

“Damn is a bad word.” If there’s one thing Hendrix is gonna do, it’s tell you when you’ve said a bad word.

“Get out.” She mumbles something else inaudible before finally addressing me. “Hi!” she says in an overly chipper voice.

“Good morning, beautiful, badass, mother of chaos. How are you this morning?” I’m met with silence until…

“Did you do something slutty? Why do you sound so happy?”

“Not today,” I tease.

“Ohh, tell me everything. Tank can burn the rest of the pancakes.”

“Another time, I need your advice.” She actually boo’s me, and I roll my eyes, letting her get it out.

“Fine. What’s up?”

“So, today is Fitz’s birthday. But he’s out of town. I was supposed to go back to New York with him for a party, you remember?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I got put in charge of training someone this week and told him I wouldn’t make it, but that was before I realized it’s his birthday. And he’s having to spend it celebrating his dad, who I’m pretty sure he hates.”

“Oh, relatable.”

“Right?”

“So what do you need advice on, exactly?” she asks, bringing me back around to the point.

“Is it too weird or too soon in the relationship to go to New York and… I don’t know, surprise him?” I feel my cheeks warm at the thought of going to New York without him knowing ahead of time.

“Aww! No, I don’t think so. I mean, you’ve been there with him before, it’s not like you’d be crossing any lines or like he didn’t want you there since that was the plan to begin with.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I pull my knees under my chin, feeling my stomach twist anxiously.

“But if you don’t want to go, I’m sure he wouldn’t hold it against you. What does your gut say?”

“That I really want to go.”

“Then go!” she encourages. I can practically hear the smile on her face.

“Ok! I’m gonna go.” My heart begins to race, and my brain is not far behind.

“Oh my gosh, this is so exciting. What are you going to do?!”

“I have no idea, but making sure I can get a flight so last minute is step one. I’ll keep you updated.” I check the clock on my nightstand and start thinking of everything I need to do, deciding it’ll be best if I make a list.

“Ok. Love you bye!”

“Love you, bye!” I immediately click into my flight app to see when the next flight to New York is for today. “2 o’clock?!” I triple-check that it’s the only available one before buying the ticket and making a list of things to get done before then.

Email Amy that I won’t be at work today

Coffee from Brüman’s

Find a dress for the event tonight

Get Ginny a travel carrier

Everything shower

“Ginny. Pack your bags. We’re going to New York.”

Meow .

I got everything on my to-do list done in just enough time to make it to the airport thirty minutes before boarding.

I say a quick prayer that we don’t have any delays since I’ll already be cutting it close to the time Fitz will need to be at his dad’s party.

I have no idea what I’ll do if he’s already gone.

I come up with a backup plan just in case that happens, and pet Ginny’s chin through the mesh on her pet carrier as the pilot announces we’re ready for take off.

My hands are sweating and I have this nervous excitement rushing through me, making me feel like I’ve had about a thousand milligrams of caffeine today.

I pull my headphones on, turning to my travel playlist to help calm my nerves.

Between the subtle vibration from the plane, and the soothing voice of Adele, I close my eyes and the next time I open them it’s because I feel a tap on my shoulder. I remove my headphones when I see that it’s the stewardess. Damn, I really do sleep best on planes.

“Ma’am. We’re going to be landing soon.” I smile and thank her, looking at the older woman next to me who is doing a crossword puzzle, suddenly missing the way Fitz wakes me up on flights.

When I check my phone I see that my service is back and texts are piling in.

Most from the group chat, one from Ruby and one from Fitz.

My stomach does a somersault when I see his name and I try to ignore that fact.

Lucifer

I tried calling you at the office several times today and missed you every time. Don’t kill yourself working too hard, Trouble.

Me

You know me, if I don’t do the work, someone else will try to.

I quickly remember that Fitz has my location shared with himself and I turn it off.

Lucifer

Such a hard worker.

I don’t realize how hard I’m smiling at my phone until the crossword lady informs me it’s our turn to de-board.

I lock my phone, grab Ginny and my carry-on, and dart through the airport, hoping I can, by some miracle, hail a taxi and get back to Fitz’s place before I run out of time.

However, by the time I’m finished with all of my stops, I look at the time and curse to myself.

It’s already past 6. There’s no way he isn’t already gone.

Time for plan B.

When we pull up to his building I pay the taxi driver and look at myself in the reflection of the doors and sigh.

I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.

I shake my head, quickly shifting my focus back to the task at hand.

Getting into his house without him here.

When I walk in the doors, I realize my plan is going to fail miserably.

This is a housing complex, not a hotel. There’s no front desk person to help me like I’d thought there would be while making this plan.

“Man, my brain isn’t working today,” I mumble to myself, starting to feel defeated. Then I see my answer—a maintenance man. I readjust my grip on all the bags and boxes in my hands and rush over to him.

“Hi!” I wear my kindest smile when he looks up at me and his eyes soften.

“Hello there.” His white hair and frail-looking hands make me think of my grandpa.

“I’m so sorry to bother you, but my boss asked me to drop these things off for him before he left at six o’clock and traffic was a nightmare and I didn’t make it in time, obviously, and I left my set of keys to his place in my desk and I can’t exactly afford to get fired so I was wondering…

could you help me?” I look at him in desperation and he smiles.

“Which floor?”

“Oh, thank you so much—”I glance down at his name tag. “Ernest. I would hug you but I would probably drop Ginny.” I nod to Ginny’s cat carrier and he laughs.

“Rain check then.” He gives me an unthreatening wink and I smile.

“8th floor.”

Ernest saves the day! Now, time to get to work.