CHAPTER THREE-4
744 Words
“Bella? Nathan. I’m headed to Phoenix.”
“Wonderful. Do you want to have dinner here, or go out?”
“How about there. Order in, or cook?”
She laughed.
“I’m equally good with either. I’m more interested in getting to spend time with you. Food’s a bonus.”
“Hmm,” he said. “Chinese?”
“I know a great place, and they’re really quick too. How do you feel about mushrooms and bean sprouts?”
“I like them both.”
“Good, then I will order my usual and we can share; their portion sizes are huge.”
“Sounds good to me, just, get a couple of extra egg rolls?”
“Of course.”
“I should be there in about two and a half hours, give or take,” he said, glancing at the clock in the rental car and resisting the urge to floor it.
“And I will have food ready when you arrive,” she responded.
She hung up reluctantly and busied herself with tidying up the apartment a bit. Then she brewed some iced tea, grabbed a shower, and ordered the food from Ping’s. Her timing was perfect; he arrived just after the food did. She was setting plates when the intercom buzzer rang again, and she pressed the buzzer to let Nathan up.
She walked over to the door with a fork in each hand, looked out the peephole, grinned, and opened the door.
“Well, hello,” was all she got out before he swept her up in a kiss. They moved backward into the apartment as one, Nathan pausing long enough to close the door with his foot while Bella took one arm from around him long enough to throw the deadbolt and drop the forks to the floor. Their pulses raced in time as their mouths and tongues intertwined.
With an effort, he lifted his mouth from hers, and his voice was hoarse with desire as he murmured, “God I missed you. In case you didn’t notice.”
She snuggled her face into his neck and breathed in his scent. “I missed you too. In case you didn’t notice.”
They stayed there for a time, arms around each other, reveling in the moment.
Then she lifted her head and said teasingly, “You know I love this, but fried rice is better hot.”
“No argument here. I’m starving,” he answered as he watched her retrieve the hastily discarded silverware from the floor.
Following her to the table, he began scooping rice and placing egg rolls onto the plates while she got out more forks.
As they ate, Nathan said casually, “How’s your week been?”
“Not too bad,” she said. “One of my favorites at the school got withdrawn by his family over the break, though. Good kid, really bright. I just wish I had had a chance to say goodbye.”
She shrugged her shoulders.
“It is what it is, I guess. Maybe they’ll realize how happy Tommy was at school and let him return at some point.”
“I’m sorry, Bella,” he said. “But I’m sure he’s fine.”
He took another bite of fried rice and tried to sound nonchalant as he said, “Oh, by the way, I met your grandfather the other day.”
“Really?” Bella asked. “Cool. Was he lecturing at Quantico, or something?”
“Nope,” Nathan replied. “To be honest, I went to see him at the University.”
Bella put her fork down and rested her chin on her hand, intrigued. “Why?”
“Honestly?”
“Of course.”
“Well,” Nathan said, dabbing his mouth with a napkin, “I’m a little old fashioned. I met you, I’ve fallen for you, so I went to ask your father, or in this case your grandfather, for permission to date you.”
She smiled.
“And what did he say?”
“He said Bella’s old enough and modern enough to make her own choices. He also said it impressed him that I would – how did he put it- ‘keep the tradition’ and ask.”
“And then,” he continued, gesturing with his fork, “he said if you chose to see me, that would be fine by him.”
“Nathan Thomas,” she responded, “I absolutely choose to see you. And I think it’s sweet you kept the tradition.”
Later, as they stood in the kitchen rinsing plates, she asked, “So when do you have to be back in Virginia?”
“Not until Monday,” he said, putting the leftovers away. “I built in some time to spend with you.”
“In that case, let me show you something.”
She took his hand and led him down the hall.
His breath caught as she opened her bedroom door. Lit candles and rose petals graced the room.
He turned to her and said, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she said, looking into his eyes. “And this time, we’re prepared.”
He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed.
***
- Writer
