that, but to me, it feels like you’ve always been with me.”
I bit my lip, unsure that this was a good idea. Sure, we would have three days together, but then what? He was there and I was here. How would that work? We had both changed so much over the years. I just didn’t see this going anywhere.
“Anna, how are you going to know if you don’t try? I’m just asking for three days. Give me that. Give me the chance to prove to you that I’m the same guy you knew in high school, just smarter.”
I smiled slightly and nodded. “Fine, but I get to choose the food.”
“If you get to choose the food, I get to choose the clothes.”
“I’m not wearing lingerie,” I insisted.
“Who said you were going to be wearing anything at all?”
Robert
Anna packed her bag and I kept vetoing her choices. She was bringing things she could cover up with, but I wanted her naked as much as possible this weekend. Every time she packed pants and shirts, I pulled them out and tossed them back on the bed. She even tried packing a bulky sweater. I allowed her one pair of pants and one shirt. Then I went rummaging in her closet for a dress. I could take her out on the town dancing.
“Where are your dresses?”
“What dresses? Do I look like I wear dresses?” she asked, placing her hand on her hip.
“You used to wear dresses all the time.”
“That was then. They’re just not practical.”
“Okay, what about the one you wore to dinner last night?”
“You mean the crumpled mess on the floor?”
I looked down and saw that the dress was indeed crumpled. It would have to be cleaned before she could wear it again. But that didn’t matter. I could have a personal shopper find a few dresses for her and send them over to my apartment.
I was just zipping up her bag when I saw that all her underwear was cotton. That was going to change. I wanted her in something sexy. And even if she couldn’t afford it, I could, and I wanted her to have the best. As I looked around her trailer, it killed me that she had been living like this while I was out driving around in my nice car and wearing expensive suits. I wasn’t going to feel bad for my success, but I hated that it came at this price.
“Are you ready to go?”
“I guess,” she smiled. We walked out to my car and I opened the door, watching her slide in carefully like she would damage the car. I put her bag in the trunk and then got in the driver’s seat. As I pulled down the driveway, I reached over and took her hand in mine. It was shaking slightly and when I looked over at her, I could see that she was nervous.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m just nervous. You know, being together for three days…I mean, most couples don’t see each other for three days nonstop. Not that we’re a couple,” she hurried on.
“Anna, I fully intend to make sure that you’re my girlfriend by the end of the weekend.”
“Your girlfriend?” she laughed. “Doesn’t that sound so…”
I shrugged. “I don’t care what you call it. I’ve spent years without you. I don’t want to go another day without you.”
She pulled her hand from mine and let out a deep breath. “Can we just take this slow? I’m not ready to just jump into anything. Yesterday I couldn’t stand you, and now you want me to be yours. It’s just a little too much.”
It hurt that she wasn’t as eager to pick up where we left off, but I could understand where she was coming from. She probably had some serious trust issues when it came to me. I had pretty much abandoned her when she got pregnant. It hadn’t been my intention, but I had done it. She probably thought I was a piece of shit. After everything we shared together, I broke the one promise that I made to her, that I would always be there.
We drove the rest of the way in silence. Once we reached the city, her eyes were glued out the window, staring at all the sites of the city. I lived right off Lake Shore Drive, so we drove past Navy Pier, and there was a great view of the lake.
“I can’t believe you live here.”
“You should see my apartment. You can see everything. You’re gonna love