Masquerading

Part 8

Chapter 8

Letting out a deep breath, he smiled back.  The worries that were once crowding his thoughts flowed out of his mind.  She wasn’t afraid.  For once, a female wasn’t afraid of anything that he did.  His face didn’t scare her off, and neither did the small bit of violence.  His fantasies solidified in that exact moment.  If she accepted him, there was no reason for them not to be together.  Now, all he had to do was convince her of that.

“Come on, we’ll go to my office.”

She raised an eyebrow at him.  “Your office, huh?”  Her eyes ran down his body before connecting with his own.  “I have to admit that I’ve always wanted to see the owner’s office.”

Snagging her hand, he shook his head at her.  “You like teasing people, don’t you?” She went to protest, but he cut her off.  “I get it.  It’s how you keep from getting close to a person.  It’s the same way I use all the excuses in my mind.”

“You use excuses to keep away from people?” she asked with a chuckle.  “I think you’re not very unique there.  A lot of people do that.”

“Yes, but how many people flirt to keep from getting close.”

“I don’t do that.” She stared at him and with a sigh, continued, “Fine, I may do that sometimes, but it’s only when I’m nervous.”

He could sense the beginning of a talk coming, but he didn’t want to have it here, in front of all his customers.  Customers who seemed very intrigued in his and Abby’s words.  Pulling on her hand, he led her down the back hall.  As soon as they got to his office, he motioned towards the empty chair on the other side of the desk.  She looked at the two seats before foregoing the one he offered.  Stepping around his desk, she sunk down into his chair.

A sigh of contentment escaped her lips as she settled in.  “So comfortable.”

He looked at her with narrowed eyes.  “I know.”

“Did you really expect me to sit in that seat?” she asked while pointing at the small wooden seat.  He studied it before shaking his head.  No one should have to sit in that seat.  Why had he never noticed that before now?

“Because you didn’t care about the person who was going to sit there?” Abby voiced.

He jumped in surprise when a small hand touched his arm.  “Did I say that out loud?”

She tilted her head up at him and smiled.  “I think you did.  Now, let’s sit down, drink that wonderful coffee you have there, and talk.”

The coffee had only been sitting there for minutes.  In preparation for their small date, he had placed it in his office.  He wanted to talk to her without the interference of nosy customers.  He may have loved the people in this small town, but some of them liked gossip a little too much.

Settling down in his chair, he watched as she began to make her way to the other one.  Grabbing her hand, he pulled her towards him, making her fall into his lap.  He smiled down at her.  “Did you really think I was going to let you sit it that awful chair?”

“No,” she replied with a smile, “but I was thinking that it took you a little long to pull me back.”

Shaking his head at her, he leaned up and gripped the two coffees.  He handed her one as she settled into his lap.  Her legs were thrown over his, making her legs dangle off the side of the chair.  Her head was snuggled on his chest, his chin resting on top.

“What is it that you wanted to talk about?” he asked.

“Don’t play stupid.  You know what I want to talk about.  I may have only known you for a couple of days-“

“Four.”

“-but I want to know where this is going.”

He looked down at the top of her head.  Reaching over with his free hand, he tilted her chin up.  “Do you really have to ask?  I’ve waited years to gain the courage to speak to you.  If I let you go now, I would be an idiot.”

“You would,” she admitted with a smile.

He smiled back before becoming serious.  “Now, I just need to ask you this.  Where do you want to go with this?  I can’t be your other men.  If you decided to give this relationship a shot, we’re going to be in it for the long run.”

“Long run?”

“Marriage, children, white picket fence, and whatever else you want.”

She lurched off his lap.  Taking a step back, she looked at him with wide eyes.  “You can’t mean that.”

“Yes, I can,” he told her while taking a large gulp of coffee.

Abby gave him a look of total disbelief before passing back and forth in his office.  “I want to give this relationship a shot, really, I do, but I don’t think you understand what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I don’t think that you understand that I know exactly what I’m getting into.”

She stopped and narrowed her eyes at him.  “That is not what I meant.”

Understanding dawned on him.  He had not meant the words like that, but she obviously had her mind on something else.  “Me either, but now that you mention it…”

“Stop!” she shouted with a laugh.  Her hands were clamped over her ears.  “I get it, my mind trails off sometimes.  Now, like I said, I don’t think you get it, Lance.  Where would we live?”

He watched the laughter fade from her eyes.  “Where would you want to live?”

“My house,” she said without hesitation.  “It has a wonderful back yard, the neighbors are great, and the school is just around the block.”

“Perfect for children.”

She nodded her head before freezing again.  “Quit doing that,” she mumbled.  “That wasn’t what I meant either.  I just wanted to point out the fact that I like my house.”

“I’m fine with living there.”

“Good,” she said with a sigh.  “That’s good.”

Standing up, he brushed of his pants.  As he set his coffee down, he glanced up at her.  “So, when can I move in?”

He had just enough time to dodge the empty coffee cup she threw at him.  Chuckling, he knew that wherever Abby took him in life, it would never be boring.