A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!
"What are all these?" I sink down on the study sofa and start going through one of the two large stacks of magazines placed on top of the coffee table. Christian rises from his desk chair and waltzes in front of the table. Before he can answer, I hold up the second magazine which is filled with kitchen designs. "These are for the new house?"
"They're to help us get an idea of what we want from the floor pattern to the appliances. Elliot's confident that he can do anything we choose." The only problem with our new house is the outdated kitchen, but Christian has hired Elliot to resolve that issue. I'm anxious to get the kitchen ready so we can move in before Oliver arrives. After being backed into a corner last week by Elliot and Kate, Christian let it slip that we're having a boy who we're naming Oliver. Knowing news travels fast among our family and friends, we called everyone else first thing the next morning to give them the news. Mia was a tad upset that the gender reveal party we wanted isn't happening, but I calmed her by putting her in charge of the baby shower although it's still about two months away.
"I want hardwood floors. That's a must for me."
"Same. We need to pick what type of hardwood we want." Christian goes through the pile and finds a magazine. "This has nothing but flooring." He flips the pages and shows me the one he stops on. "This is the hardwood section. There's two types, traditional solid and engineered. According to this, many people go with the traditional, unfinished hardwood strip flooring in either red oak or maple." He points to a photo on the right side. "This is red oak."
"I like that. It goes well with the steel appliances, but I also like the photo below it."
"That's maple."
"I like them both. Heck, I like all of these photos.", I murmur as I hand the magazine back to him. "This is proving to be more difficult than I thought." He pushes the magazine over and sits down on the coffee table. His fingers trace the side of my face in a way that soothes me. "That feels nice."
"Which is the effect I was aiming for.", he smirks. "Choosing flooring and appliances can take a backseat for now."
"No they can't. We need to find the right ones so we can move into the house."
"Ana, we'll be settled in before Oliver gets here. I promise. I just don't want to see you get stressed out over something not worth being stressed about."
"I won't." Glancing at the second stack, I see a kitchen appliance magazine on the top. "But am I correct in assuming both of these are nothing but kitchen ideas?" He grins and lifts the top magazine, exposing a baby furniture magazine. "For the nursery?"
"Yep. I had an inkling the kitchen stuff might get overwhelming so what better way to counter it than with nursery themes." The small amount of tension I felt over the kitchen is gone as I start scouring the various themes. "Cute, huh?"
"These are adorable.", I murmur while looking at a sailboat themed nursery. "It might very well be as difficult choosing things for the nursery, but it's going to be a lot more fun and happy."
"I'll let you go through those while I finish putting together some folders for a meeting I've got tomorrow."
"Please tell me you'll be home in time for Audrey's birthday party?" Tomorrow is Audrey's birthday and is being celebrated at Trinity Nightclub.
"I'll be home in time. What I don't understand is why Audrey wants to celebrate at a nightclub. Why not have a dinner or a simple party?" I narrow my eyes and exhale a deep breath. "I'm just saying."
"It's her birthday, and that means she can celebrate in any way she wants. She's doing the dinner thing on Friday with her parents but wants to enjoy her actual birthday with all of her friends. Why do you have an issue with it?"
"I worded my comment wrong. It's not that I have a problem with Audrey celebrating in a club. It's more like I have a problem with you being in a club." I close the magazine in my hands and almost bounce from my seat. "And that's the reaction I was afraid of."
"Oh you should be afraid, very afraid. Being pregnant doesn't mean I can't go out and have fun with friends. You don't really think I would drink, do you?"
"No baby, no. It's just some guys can get handsy at clubs, and the last thing I want is for my pregnant wife to be groped." He means. I know this. Yet I need to ease him.
"You're going to be there. Our security is going to be there. I'll be fine." He leans back in his chair. "If you don't want me to go, I can tell Audrey I'm not going to be able to make it." I give him my best pout and sad eyes. A smile finally breaks on his face.
"Don't do that. We'll go." I squeal in excitement and run around the desk, jumping into his lap and covering him with kisses. "You knew I couldn't say no to your pout and sad eyes."
"I have no idea what you mean."
"Daniel, what did you get Audrey for her birthday?", Kate asks after we arrive in the VIP room at Trinity. Christian seems more relaxed knowing we've got our own private room. Audrey leans forward and holds up the golden heart pendant around her neck. A single diamond is placed in the middle of the heart.
"He got me this.", Audrey answers. "Isn't it beautiful."
"Very."
"We were on our way to dinner a few weeks away when I saw her admiring it in a jewelry store window.", Daniel says. "I went back the next day and got it. I also got her some coupons."
"Coupons?", Christian mutters. I'm standing by the wall and practically drooling all over the floor at how good he looks tonight in his dark jeans and a black dress shirt. I'm wearing a black dress with lace overlay on the top and an empire waist. Christian catches me watching him and motions me over to his side. I gleefully pad across the floor to him.
"Yes coupons, but they're no ordinary coupons."
"I bet they're of a sexual nature.", Elliot smirks. Kate lightly slaps him on the shoulder. "Hey watch it. I may need to rethink the entire moving in together." Although Kate announced last week her plan to move in with Elliot, she's not doing so for another week or so since she's got to pack.
"Maybe I need to as well.", Kate shrugs.
"Uh, hello? Does anyone want to know what kind of coupons he got me?", Audrey asks while waving her hands. "Some were sexual, but others were things like, "Good for one car wash by your boyfriend" or "Good for one foot massage". They're sweet."
"Sounds like it.", I smile. "Are you guys going to go and dance?"
"Hell yeah!" Audrey grabs Daniel while Kate tugs on Elliot. Christian and I, however, stay seated. "You're going to come too."
"I think I'm just going to stay in here and sway to the music. It's loud enough so we can hear it from here." Christian stands and holds his hand out to me.
"I know I was worried earlier, but I want you to have a good time tonight. Let's go and dance for a while. If you get tired or decide you're done, we'll come back."
"Fine."
"It's too bad Olivia couldn't make it.", Audrey says on our way out of the room. Sawyer smiles at the mention of Olivia's name. She was invited but had to work late at the magazine, one of the things that goes along with her new position.
We make our way downstairs with the other two couples taking off in the middle of the floor while Christian and I stay away from a lot of people. Sam Smith "Stay With Me" starts playing as Christian pulls me against his body. We're in our own little world. His nose brushes against mine just before his lips meet mine.
"We won't have many more nights like this.", he whispers.
"Soon we'll be spending our nights changing diapers and feeding Oliver.", I grin in response. I turn my head and see Audrey and Daniel slow dancing as well, but it looks as though they're about to go at right of front of everyone. "They seem to be enjoying the song." Looking past them, I see Kate with her hands on her hips as she scowls at Elliot. "And those two aren't."
"I'm sure it's nothing. Dance baby." My hands move to his chest where I feel his sculpted body. "Is someone feeling a little frisky?"
"No. I'm merely touching and relishing my husband's sexy body."
"For crying out loud Kate. Don't walk away from me.", Elliot begs. Kate marches past Christian and I and goes back to the VIP room. Part of me wants to stay on the dance floor with Christian, but I also feel the need to find out what's going on with my best friend.
"Come on.", Christian says after making my decision for me. We ease into the VIP room where Kate's once again scowling at Elliot. "What's going on with you two?"
"Nothing.", Elliot sighs.
"I wouldn't describe a scantily clad girl giving a "fuck me" look as nothing.", Kate snaps. "I was standing right there, but she just kept looking at you. You seemed to enjoy it."
"I didn't."
"It was clear she wants to fuck you Elliot."
"I'm going to tell you something, but I need you to not get upset. Or promise me you won't hit me at least. The girl was probably looking at me because she knows me. We used to hook up."
"You dated her?", Kate asks. Elliot answers with a headshake. "But you would have sex?"
"Yeah. We were friends with benefits although it was more benefits than friends. It only lasted about a month. The last time she and I..you know was a few days before I met you." Kate's eyes redden. "I understand you're upset, but it's not like I knew she was going to be here tonight. I can't control where all the girls I've hooked up go."
"This is not going well at all.", Christian mumbles so only I can hear him.
"Kate, I've got a past just as you have one. What happened between Becca and I has no bearing on my present.", Elliot says. Audrey and Daniel have walked into the room in confusion.
"I get the entire past thing, but it still bothered how she was looking at you. Now you've told me you were last with her a week before meeting me. That makes me wonder if you would still be seeing her if not for me.", Kate tells him as she plops down on the black leather sofa.
"I wouldn't still be with her. What I was doing with her wasn't going to go anywhere. I knew it. She knew it. It was strictly physical, nothing else. When I met you, I felt like I had been slapped into reality. Even though she may have been looking at me like she still has feelings, those feelings are only one-sided. I don't want to be with her. I only want to be with you."
"Wasn't that a song?", Daniel asks. "Hootie and the Blowfish performed it. I only want to be with you." His singing the title of the song breaks the tension in the room. "I used to love that song until it was played on every single station. It got old."
"Thanks. It's stuck in my head now.", Audrey groans. Daniel slides next to her and starts singing the song to her. "I'm going to scream if you don't stop singing."
"All right. I won't sing anymore especially seeing that I don't want you to scream until we're back at my place. That's where the screaming belongs."
"Too much information.", Christian says before looking back at me. "You feeling ok?"
"I feel wonderful."