Savior
Chapter 60
-xx-
"That's fine," Cate said into her cell phone as she started towards the bedroom. She tightened the towel around her body as she walked. "Mom, if you need to just raise our bid. We're fine with that."
Letting her mother handle their offer on the house was enough to drive Cate insane. She loved having control over negotiations, and was struggling with not being in charge of the sale. She knew her mother was fully capable; everything she learned in real estate came from Helena. But Catherine Johnson was just as well known in the negotiating room.
"If you feel like four hundred is the right place to be, go for it." She pushed open the bedroom door and sighed. "Then tell them to pay the closing costs. We're looking at some big upgrades and the remainder of our budget is slowly dwindling."
She rolled her eyes at her mother on the end of the phone. She wasn't a newbie. She knew what it took to get what she wanted, and right now she wanted that house.
"I don't really care what their agent said," she replied with another sigh. "I'll call Ken myself and iron this all out if I need to."
Cate turned from her dresser and smiled. After a trip to the mall with Jackie and Madison the night before, she picked out an outfit that Derek said would be perfect. He had given Jackie hints on what she should wear, and let the three go off shopping while he finished paperwork in the office.
"Thank you, Mama," she said into the phone. "You're the best." She smiled softly at her mother's response on the other end. "I need to get ready, but I will talk to you tomorrow after my open house."
Cate nodded at what her mother was saying, though she knew full well that the older woman could not see her.
"I have no idea what we're doing tonight, but hopefully by this time tomorrow we'll be celebrating!"
Her excitement brushed off onto her mother as Helena's joined in her daughter's enthusiasm.
"Yes," Cate answered as she fixed the outfit lying on the bed. "We will be over for dinner on Sunday. I really need to get ready before Derek gets home from work. I love you Mama."
She smiled at the matriarch's reply before hanging up the call.
-xx-
"Cate," Derek called out as he stepped into the apartment.
"In here," she replied, sticking her head out of the bathroom doorway.
Derek grinned; she was almost ready, but it was better than he expected. He even took the long way home. "Well look at you," he said as he turned into the bathroom.
She blushed as she stepped away from the mirror and placed the mascara tube on the sink. "Is it too much? You said 'country' so this is what we picked out. If you don't like it, blame Jackie."
Derek could not push away the grin on his face as he stepped closer to the brunette. "You're perfect." She smiled sweetly in reply as he pecked her on the lips. He took her hand and twirled her in the bathroom, taking in her entire outfit. "Yup, you look amazing."
She subconsciously tugged on the hem of her denim shorts; she begged Jackie to let her wear the ones she already had, but when her older sister pulled these from the rack, the two knew Cate needed them. They were shorter than most shorts in her closet, but Jackie had to admit that her sister had the body to be able to wear them. The pockets in the front hung under the hem of the shorts against her thighs. She matched it with a solid white tank top and a floral kimono.
"Are you sure it's not too much?"
Derek slid his hand onto her cheek and smiled softly in her direction. "I'd be the first to tell you," he reassured. "I think you look amazing."
A relaxed smile took over her face as Derek stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to get himself ready to go. He was thankful to still be on desk duty in Quantico or else he would have had to make sure Cate could get someone else to go with her.
As she finished her makeup and shook out the curls in her hair to make them softer, she followed Derek's footsteps to the bedroom. Cate took a seat on the edge of the bed to put on her shoes but lost concentration as she watched Derek get changed. He was constantly raving about her body, but his was a masterpiece. Her train of thought shifted back to their weekend in the Virginia Beach and the ample amount of time she got to just watch him.
"Ready?" he asked, breaking her from her reverie.
Cate pursed her lips into a smile as she slid on her wedges. "Mmhmm," she replied as he offered her a hand to help her stand from the bed. "You're still not telling me where we're going are you?"
He shook his head. "And ruin the surprise now? Not a chance."
Cate could only laugh as she followed him to the kitchen. Her wallet was ready to go and her cell phone sat next to it on the counter charging. She watched as Derek double checked his pockets and wallet before slipping his own cell phone into the pocket of his jeans.
The brunette could not understand how the man looked so good in anything he wore. It was simple, but Cate found him so attractive in the tight black t-shirt and dark jeans. She could only shake her head as she watched his rear end closely as he started towards the door.
-xx-
"Are you ready?" Derek asked behind him. Cate was situated on his back with her face pressed against his neck. He was going to keep this a surprise until the very last second. She nodded against his skin. "Open your eyes, baby."
She pulled away from Derek's neck and pushed her hair out of her eyes, all while keeping one arm wrapped around his shoulders, putting pressure on the uninjured one. "Derek," was all that escaped her lips. He slowly let her down from his back and situated the shorter woman in front of him. "Seriously?!"
The grin he wore matched hers perfectly. "Surprise," he said as she pulled him into a kiss. "I did good, I assume." Cate nodded as she turned back to the billboard in front of them.
Kane Brown
"You know he's my favorite," she said as she wrapped her arm around his right forearm. "Thank you."
Derek kissed the top of her head. "Anything for you, baby." He pointed towards the entrance. "A buddy of mine works security here and always comes up with some last minute tickets. He broke out laughing when I asked for these ones."
Cate grinned. "I thought you had a reputation to uphold?"
He whispered in her ear, "As a man who will do anything to make you happy."
Goosebumps ran up and down her arms as she turned to Derek. He was watching her closely; his eyes never once veered away from her as she took in their location. "I think I'll keep you," she joked with a wink.
-xx-
I swear you're an angel
Sent to this world
What did I do right to deserve you, girl?
I could stay here forever
I'd be fine if we never had to even leave this room
Her feet were aching from standing for the entire concert, but listening to Derek sing those words softly into her ear made any thought of pain escape from her mind. The smirk on her face as she turned behind her to the man who brought such love and excitement to her life caused him to break out in a giant grin.
Derek could listen to her sing all night; she always joked that she was better at shower karaoke, but she was putting on a better show for him than the singer on stage. He was slowly becoming a country music fan, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend. "He's got some good stuff," Derek admitted as they stopped for a drink in the concourse. "Most of them make me think of you."
"I swear this is perfect. Come kiss me one more time," Derek sang to Cate as she leaned in for a kiss. "Is this a good time to tell you we may be able to get backstage after the show?"
Cate pulled away from his lips next to her ear with wide eyes. She beckoned him to come closer to her and whispered to him, "Is this a better time to tell you that I'd rather just take you home?"
The twinkle in her eyes caught him off guard. He knew the show was going to wrap up shortly, but if she wanted to head straight home afterwards, he was not going to argue with her. He knew exactly what she had in mind with that look on her face.
-xx-