Breathe Again

What It All Comes Down Too

I wake up to a smiling Chris in nothing but his bathrobe at the foot of his bed. "What are you doing?" I ask him throwing a pillow at him. "Just admiring the view. B's shift starts at four. When do you wanna get there?" He asks as he starts to rub my feet. "Um I don't know whenever you feel like, I guess. You already shower?" He nods with that sexy smile. "Do you remember our first date? And how nervous I was?" He asks me. Like I could forget.

"Liv, I shouldn't be going on a damn date. I'm freshly divorced from a man whom I thought was my one and only."  I can see her eye roll through the mirror as she stands behind me. "Maggie, when you think about it, technically you've been single the last three years. It's been three months since your divorce. Chris finally worked up the nerve to ask you out. You like him and you know it." She finishes with my hair and comes around to lean against the counter. I cant help the smile that is making my face hurt.

"I do like him. He's been a great friend. He never hit on me at all while I was married. He's a great guy. But I'm really nervous." I apply some red lipstick and try not to cry.

I thought I was going to be with Derek forever. He had other plans. Now it's time to do me, whoever that is.

There's a knock at the door and Liv opens it, revealing a very dapper looking Chris. I've only seen him look like this when he goes to his movie premieres. He walks in and sees me, when he does he stares with his mouth a gape. He gulps before stepping closer to me, "You, um, uh, you, Maggie, fuck. You look absolutely stunning." He finally stammers out running his hand through his soft brown hair. I blush at his compliment, "You look good as well." We stand staring for what seems like an unusual amount of time. "Alright you two weirdos, go and have fun." Liv says pushing us out the door.

We pull up to the probably the fanciest eatery in town, I say this because it has valet. Once we're seated I can see he is visibly nervous, he's got me beat. You'd think that someone who looks the way he does and is in the business he's in, he'd have all the ladies and be a pro. He keeps rubbing his hands on his thighs. "Would you like to start with an appetizer? No, probably not. Um, maybe just some breadsticks? Or maybe." I cut him off, "Chris, you're rambling. You've nervous and it's cute. Just relax because you're making me more nervous." I see him let out a breath as if he had been holding it the whole ride over. 

"I'm sorry, I just really. I really like you and I don't wanna fuck it up." He laughs. "Same. Now let's enjoy dinner."

"Yeah, I remember. Why?" He shifts himself up on his elbow, "I was just thinking about it and we've come so far. I was so nervous and a mess and you still let me take you out again." I sit up in the bed, "Well you're like a breath of fresh air and that night was refreshing. I felt like I could breath again. What made you think of our first date?" He shrugs and lays back down.

I move to lay next to him, "Feels like it was a long time ago. Sorry I made you wait so long before..." He places his big hand on my cheek, "Don't apologize for that. Maggie, I told we were gonna do things at your pace whatever that may be and we did. Although Derek was an obstacle at first." He laughs. "What do you mean, he was an obstacle?" 

"Once he heard of us dating he would text me here and there. Then he would ask questions like, have we slept together? Did I start hitting on you as soon as he left? Or my personal favorite are you making the kids call me dad." My mouth drops open, "Are you serious? Why are you just now telling me? Chris, he shouldn't have asked you anything, what did you say to him?" He briefly leans in and kisses my forehead, "Nothing really. I'd always tell him to talk to you about it. Which obviously he never did. It was just annoying and I always felt like I should tell him something. Don't worry about it." 

Easy for him to say I don't have any of his exes bothering me. "I'll try not too. What are you making for breakfast?" I wink at him and he laughs knowing I want him to make his French toast. "Go get your shower and I'll get it going." He slaps my ass as I pass him walking to the bathroom.