Mirage - Alice Tribue Page 0,49
tiny one-bedroom apartment; it’s just not as comfortable as your place.”
“I see.”
“I haven’t made millionaire status yet, and even though I’m making good money now, rentals in Manhattan are expensive.”
“No, I understand. It’s totally fine. I was just wondering.”
“You can come see my place anytime you want, babe. I’m sorry; I should have offered a long time ago.”
“It’s okay,” I say, wanting to reassure him that I get where he’s coming from. “What are you doing after this?”
This earns me a wicked grin. “I was hoping I’d be doing you.”
“Haha, you’re funny.”
“I’m dead serious.”
I glare at him with little conviction. “I have something to do, and I was hoping you might want to come.”
“Sure, where are we going?”
“I’m checking out an empty building as a potential site for the new spa.”
“You’re finally doing it?”
“Timing feels right now.”
“In that case, I’d love to go with you.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I do you afterward?”
“Nathan.”
“What?” he questions, feigning innocence at the same moment our breakfast is brought out. When it’s just the two of us again, I quip.
“I’m starting to think you only want me for the hot sex.”
“Would that really be a bad thing?”
“I can’t believe you just asked me that.”
“Baby.” The humor is gone, replaced with something else, tenderness maybe. He reaches across the table and grabs hold of my hand. “This thing between us is so much more than sex. This thing between us scares the fuck out of me, but I want it anyway; I want you anyway.”
Everything about his words hit me with an undeniable force; they rock me in a way that both terrifies and excites me because he’s pretty much vocalized word for word how I’m feeling. The desire, the need for something more, and the fear that comes with all of that. He makes me feel alive in a way that I haven’t felt in a long time. Not since the years I spent with my mother—but then that was a different kind of living. A thought hits me, and it’s stunning. I’m happy. I’m happy and the revelation is stunning because I didn’t know until this very moment that I wasn’t happy before. I didn’t realize that all this time, I was just pretending to be something that I wasn’t.
“I feel the same way about you.”
This earns me a smirk and a squeeze of the hand before he releases it so we can continue eating breakfast. When we’re done and we walk out of the restaurant hand in hand, I feel different, lighter maybe, without so much of the worries that I’ve been carrying around with me. For the first time since all of this started with Nathan, I feel like everything is going to be all right. I feel like just maybe he and I have a chance at something great.
***
“What do you think?” I look at Nathan with anticipation. I’m kind of dying to know his opinion, and I’m wishing that I’d have invited Ivy along as well since this is going to be a big part of her life as well.
“I like it; it’s clearly big enough to be a spa.”
“Yeah, nothing a coat of paint and a few walls can’t fix, right?”
“Right. When would you want to open the doors?”
“Well, it’s going to take a few months to get it looking the way I want it to. I’d like it to have the same vibe as Mirage does.”
“Mirage… I like that. What will you call this one?”
“Illusions.”
“Illusions Day Spa?”
I nod, the words couldn’t be more fitting as they signify everything that my life has been thus far.
“I like it.”
Nathan and I thank the real estate agent, and I promise her that I’ll be in touch in the next day or two then we head out onto the street, walking nowhere in particular.
“So, is that it? Is that the space you’re going to get?”
“I think so. I’d like to show it to Ivy though; she’s going to be managing this one and I want to make sure she likes it, too.”
“Well, the location is perfect.”
“Yeah? Why?”
“I live nearby.”
“How nearby?” I say scrunching my face with curiosity.
“Right there.” He points to a building across the street.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously,” he confirms, dragging me across the street. “You want to come up?”
I pull back against his hold, forcing him to stop and look at me.
“Nathan, I didn’t say that earlier so that you’d bring me to your apartment today. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about it.”
“I don’t feel bad about it but you’re right. I should