I managed to make my way back to the porch just before Nick arrived. "What's that smirk for?"
"Nothing," I said knowing full well I was going to be ready if he was going to finish the job he started.
"I bet it's not."
"You'll find out."
"I guess so," he said with a brief uncertainty to it.
"I've never noticed how nice the foliage in the neighborhood and on the street are."
"One of my favorite things about it. Unfortunately the scenery isn't matched by the neighbors. I swear almost all of them are antisocial."
"That's too bad."
"At least I don't have to worry about what they think of you once any of them notice you've moved in. IF they've noticed."
"If they do, I hope they don't get too jealous or anything. I wouldn't want them to plot something against us out of a vendetta of us being perfect."
"Shhh! Not so loud," I said half serious.
"You don't actually think they would... Do you?"
I was enjoying too much of the raspberry filled lemon confetti cake that he added a zesty orange and lime garnish. "Wow, you experimented with this, I'm guessing."
"Just a hair. Wait 'til you've had Pasadena's famous Bacon Brownie. Three layers of brownie with three alternating layers of gnash topped off with caramelized bacon covered in a little brown sugar."
"Ugh, tomorrow!"
"Maybe later in the coming week. Also known as heart attack on a plate. And maybe since you're a mac-n-cheese girl, Las Vegas' own mac-n-cheese waffle."
"Stop! That sounds sooo heavenly good."
"Well..." he said nervously "we don't really know them so it's not out of the realm of possibility. But you don't have to do anything for that to happen." Continuing back on topic.
"This is nice. I think I'm starting to get used to this being OUR house."
"I think I need my sunshine to set on me."
"Is that a come-on?"
"Do you want it to be?" What was I gonna say? How was I gonna turn it back on him? I couldn't.
"I did, actually. Touche."
"Then what are we waiting for? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. We can go into the observatory some other time." I was hoping we might even make whoopee in there eventually.
I took the opportunity to dart up the stairs so that I could make my preparations from earlier complete. I generally tried to plan my sexual activity within a few days after I had had my period. I would still do all the other preventative stuff, but I liked that extra precaution. I slipped into that nightie, slapped some lipstick on just for fun and I was ready. But when I was approaching the closed bedroom door, the muffled noise I had heard from down the hall was getting louder. It wasn't sexy music and it wasn't just any romantic music. It was sexy romantic music, the tasteful stuff. But what I wasn't expecting was what I saw when I opened the door.
New from the last time I was in that room, LED candles on the desk and nightstand as well as LED lights that gradually changed colors illuminated from the floor along the walls. An aroma of peach-lavender wafted about the room. A few Hershey's Kisses lay on my pillow to complete a fresh bed set covered in the same yellow rose petals from my birthday as well as some red ones. It was a pretty open room so there wasn't much to bump into. Speaking of bumping into, in that moment, I had felt what was Nick's hands wrap me in a hug from behind as he kissed the top of my head. "I need my angel to feel welcome and happy when she's here," he said.