Aria's POV:
"Ms. Walton-" My new coworker peeked through the large wooden door. My head lifted from the focus of my planning. "You have a moment?"
With a smile, I put my pen and glasses down.
"Of course, Ms. Smith, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Easing through the door, with a small bag and binder in hand, she simply pulled up an empty chair from the students' desk to sit before mine. She then smiled,
"How are you today?" My expression grew bashful as I exhaled a breath and hung my head,
"I'm alright, Ms. Smith, how about you?"
"Oh I'm good, I just finished my planning for today, and I just wanted to ask if I could have lunch with you?" I smiled at her seemingly nervous exterior. "That's only if you'll have me though. You seem to be the only person nice enough to accept my company in this department," she laughed nervously.
"Oh that's not true, Ms. Smith-"
"Alana...please." I paused, then smiled again,
"Alana- They're probably just intimidated by you, honey bun. You're a young teacher who carries herself exceptionally well and hasn't made a single mistake yet. The board adores your youth and work ethic, so they probably feel threatened."
"But that's ridiculous to me though, I don't-"
"Of course you don't think that of yourself but what the hell do they know?" She shot me a slowly confident grin. "The only reason I know is because I have a friend like that," my head shook with a slow smile as I remembered a best friend I hadn't spoken to in a while. "No one approached her due to them thinking she was a stuck up bitch and thought she knew every damn thing. When in reality she only had RBF and was the biggest sweetheart the minute you spoke to her."
Letting her eyes humorously wander with a scoff, "the story of my life," she said.
"Don't worry sweets, they'll figure it out," I laughed. "Until then, you have me. Of course we can have lunch."
Alana flashed a cheeky grin, and I couldn't help but smile. "So we're friends?"
"We are."
Her smile grew. "You're pretty cool Ms. Walton-"
"Aria. And so I've been told," I said with an appreciative nod.
After lunch with Alana and about an hour and a half of more work, I attended the end of day meeting, and was soon out of the school building.
Driving my Audi sedan, I stopped for a quick trip to Target before heading home. Sure enough, I spent a good 300 dollars, and would get an earful from my boyfriend, but he'll be alright. I was certain to grab his favorite dessert.
Just as I'd changed into a black velvet tracksuit, much like those in the 2000s, and was on the sofa, about to relax, I heard the front door open. Our alarm system announced an entry and I paused the tv show with a craning of my neck.
"Hey babydoll," Dylan came up behind the sofa and bent down to kiss my cheek. I smiled, leaning into it as he then glanced toward the kitchen. "Went to Target, I see?"
"Okay, before you-"
"How much was it this time?" he asked through a sigh. "And don't lie-" a finger was pointed at me as he began a walk to the kitchen, looking through the bags.
"Oh, you know....just about-" I glanced down at my twiddling fingers before mumbling, "three hundred, nothing too bad."
I could practically feel him stopping in his tracks.
"Three hundred dollars?? Really Aria-"
"Okay, it was stuff we needed.....for the house."
"Yeah right," Dylan shot me a look before opening the fridge. "For the house, my ass. I bet there's a ton of things you just saw and thought, 'oh my gosh, I need this,' when we have it here already."
Biting my lip, I stood from the couch with mildly swinging arms , then waltzed over into the kitchen to stand behind him as he shook his head at the open refrigerator.
My arms snuck around his waist from behind, and I sweetly placed my head on his back, inhaling the scent of his navy blue suit jacket. "You mad at me?"
Dylan closed the fridge before turning to face me, cupping my pouting face in his hands. "No, you've done worse." I laughed, and he smiled into a kiss on my forehead.
"Would it help if I told you I got your favorite dessert?"
A delighted gasp was directed toward me as he drew back a bit.
"Really?!" I nodded with pride. Dylan kissed my forehead again. "Ugh, I love you. And I'll have the three hundred back in your account by tomorrow," he said before letting me go and heading for the stairs.
I turned in his direction with a scrunched face. "Bubba, I can spend my own money you know!"
"Sure you can, but you're not going to!" He called down before being up to the second floor of our condo and out of earshot.
Pretty soon, I heard the shower start and couldn't do anything but shake my head with a smile before making my way back to the couch.
~~~~~~~
A good half of a movie, a bowl of ice cream, and a placed take out order later, and my boyfriend still hadn't come back downstairs. I glanced around the first floor of our place to make sure he wasn't sitting quietly around here somewhere, but found nothing. The hell is he?
Pausing the movie, I stood from the couch with a stretch before skeptically ambling toward the stairs.
The whisper-like low speaking I heard on the other side of our closed bedroom door prompted my eyebrow to suspiciously arch. I just know like hell... Dylan hardly ever takes phone calls in private, let alone whispers to where I couldn't hear.
Deciding to listen a bit more before barging in, I leaned my head against the door, giving my ear better access.
"Do you think you can do that?" he asked. "If it's not any trouble. I just want things to go perfectly, no hiccups or let downs." The hell is he talking about? Couldn't be work related, right? Dylan then laughed, and by now both my eyebrows were inching toward the ceiling. "Of course not, she doesn't know or suspect a thing." Who is she?! She as in me?! "Yeah okay, no problem. It's good talking to you too...alright, thanks y'all. Bye."
Taking that as a cue, I pushed down on the handle to swing open the door. Sitting at the mini office in our bedroom, his neck snapped in my direction.
"Oh hey baby. I'm sorry, I know I took too long."
Maybe I should just act like I don't know a thing. If it's something, time will reveal it.
"I missed you," I said with a pout as I went to take a seat in his lap. The office chair rolled back as I did so. "The movie's halfway finished and I ordered Chinese."
"Oh thank God, I was not in the mood to cook tonight-" I chuckled, reaching a hand up to run through his damp hair.
"Neither was I."
Dylan's eyes wandered my face before amorously looking me up and down. He smirked,
"How long ago did you place the order?" I glanced behind me, as if we weren't the only two that lived here, then faced him with a similar expression. He was already leaning in to plant gentle kisses on my neck before I could respond.
"Like five minutes ago," I said, biting my lip to control my breathing a bit. "It takes about forty five minutes to get here."
My boyfriend's arms wrapped around my waist and before I knew it, my legs were straddling his waist as he walked us to the bed.
"That'll do," Dylan said before retracting his lips from my neck.
My brown eyes peered into his blue ones and within a split second, our lips were engaging in a rather passionate kiss.
Dylan's POV:
Man I hope she didn't overhear that phone call. I'm screwed for sure if she did.
As I kissed down my girlfriend's body, I couldn't help but replay the past five minutes in my mind.
Earlier today, at the office, my personal plans for today had my focus elsewhere. I didn't exactly let it interfere with my work; my coding was flawless as usual, but I couldn't help but be a bit anxious.
This morning, I sent a text, individually, to some old friends of Aria and I from high school. Though I don't know much due to our lack of communication over the years, I was aware of the very busy lives most of them now live.
Sade has her own fashion company, and from what Aria's told me, she's become very popular within the business. Hunter's a celebrity event planner, and she and Sade live very close together up in New York. Lauren's a famous singer now, just as I had a feeling she would be. And Kingston's living in Houston, Texas now, and has an established career in the marketing and sales business. He and Aria chat often over the phone despite his distance; her and Sade not as often but Sade visits when she has time. As for Silas, he went his separate way during college and I hadn't heard from him or Tina since.
It was with due intention that I speak to each of them over the phone tonight, hence the text I sent earlier. I needed to work out a date that everyone would be available to come to Tampa for a dinner, 'for old times sake.' I made sure to emphasize this dinner's importance, and their attendance. The only ones I could reach, however, were Sade, Hunter, and Kingston. Lauren's a busy girl, I understand, and I figured she'd respond when she could, so I didn't worry.
The one thing I was worried about though, was this dinner. The group hadn't been together since high school, and some of us haven't seen each other at all since then. Would things really be that different after seven years? Or could we just pick up where we left off? Guess we'll have to see.
The sound of my girlfriend's moans drew me from my thoughts as I mindlessly brought her to her climax. Zoning out during sex wasn't something I did often, or ever, but I was sure to make it worth her while either way, even if my mind was in overload with thoughts.
To my pride and ego, Aria had released a faint breath of pleasure, relief, and satisfaction as she came down from her climax.
Just as I began kissing back up her body, the front door buzzed, signaling our take out's arrival. Right on cue.
~~~~~~~~~~