Although my date with Chris went really well yesterday, I can't shake the feeling that there was a reason why he cut the evening short. Especially when I basically offered myself up like a cheese platter.
I feel slightly rejected, in a way.
The fact that he had company coming over eases my paranoid mind a little as Halle and I stroll through midtown. We made a stop at Ponce City Market in order for me to snag a couple of last minute gifts for the marketing team, and of course if I see anything for Audrey I'll have to get it.
The plan was to shop for a bit, grab a bite to eat at the market, and then head on over to the Fox Theater to catch a showing of The Nutcracker before the after-church crowd rushes in. It's something we do every holiday season.
It's the last weekend before Christmas, and although Jeremiah will have her Christmas Eve, thankfully Audrey will be spending Christmas Day with me. I've already gotten her tons of presents, and even though she's too little to understand the concept of gifts, spending the afternoon at my mother's house will be a nice start to a new family tradition. Plus, my sister, Abby, her husband and their three kids will be there as well.
I place the earrings I found down on the register of a small boutique we discovered nestled in a corner of the market shops; I thought they would be a good gift idea for Avery. I pull out some cash in preparation to pay.
The clerk looks uninterested as she scrolls through her phone, smacking her gum loudly. She scans the earrings, announces my total, and then takes the cash to place it in the register.
She hands me back my change, and I thank her with a smile as I turn to leave.
"Maybe we should try that new sandwich place today?" I suggest to Halle as we step out into the cold. "I hear that their paninis are —"
My words come to an abrupt halt as I feel my body collide with another on my way out of the door.
Of all the times I've bumped into someone, I've never actually fallen down. This time though, I actually do, and my feet twist together as the ground comes speeding towards me before I can gain my balance back.
The man I've collided with catches me quickly, however, wrapping me in his arms before my clumsiness is exposed to the public.
I look into the eyes of my savior, and quickly notice that they're hazel.
Motherfucker.
It's Chris.
He smirks at me, and I remain in his arms, just a foot away from the ground.
I push against him, scrambling to get my footing back.
"God, Chris! How many times are we going to meet like this?" I complain, brushing myself off in an attempt at looking a little more put-together.
Chris laughs at me, and then I do too, shoving him slightly.
"Eh hem," comes a small throat-clear from behind him, and when I look, I notice that there are more people than just me and Halle standing around.
A woman with tanned skin, and hazel eyes stares back at me. Her gray hair is neatly combed into a bun, and she wears real pearls around her small neck. To her left stands an older gentleman about the same age. He wears a long, black trench coat, and although his eyes are blue, he looks almost exactly like Chris in older form. A younger, petite woman with long, amber hair and a plaid scarf, looks at me with a huge grin, and the boy next to her, who must be her son, seems to only be interested in the novel that's in his hands. Upon taking a closer look, I notice that it's the seventh book in the Harry Potter series.
YOU ARE READING
For A Reason
ChickLit"I just thought..." I begin, flustered, not really sure where my words are headed. He shakes his head. "We can't," he states, removing my hand from his. "There are a million reasons why we can't." He runs a hand through his hair, seemingly frustrate...
