Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50681 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50681 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 253(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)
“You’re up to something. Spill it.” Mitch pushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear and gave me a funny look. “I have class tonight.”
He’d been busy with his internship at an LA-based marketing firm that primarily managed social media content for big companies. He hoped they’d hire him full-time within six months. According to Mitch, that would give him ample time to get acclimated to his classes in the masters program at UCLA. He was on the career path he’d envisioned before we’d graduated last month. And in a way, I was too.
Well, sort of.
I had no idea what my dream job was, but I was willing to give anything a try. Including real estate. I took my test before graduation and got my license right away. I was still in the process of building my clientele, but the market was hot so I figured I’d give it a try. This didn’t have to be my forever job, but it was a good start.
Mitch was the forever part; the rest we’d make up along the way.
“Oh, yeah. Well, come on in,” I said, pressing a quick kiss on his lips before pulling him down a short hallway to a spacious living room overlooking a good-sized backyard.
Mitch linked his fingers through my belt loop and narrowed his eyes. “Who lives here?”
“We do. If you want.” I shrugged nonchalantly, as though my heart wasn’t pounding in my chest.
He cocked his head and narrowed his gaze. “Keep talking.”
“I think we should live together,” I blurted. “I know it’s a big step, but we’re ready for this. Your studio is too small for both of us. And while I appreciate your grandmother’s invitation for us to move into the main house…that ain’t happening. Take a look. If you’re not sold on it, we’ll find something else. What do you think?”
“So you’re asking me to live with you? Officially?” he asked with a sweet, shy smile.
“Yeah. Officially.” I kissed his forehead and then his nose. “In a place of our own.”
“Let’s do it,” he whispered.
“Don’t you want to look at it? I have a few more I can show you in the neighborhood. This is just the closest to Maryanne and—”
“I love it.” He swiped at his eyes and nodded.
“Hey, are you crying?”
“No. I’m…we’re really doing this, aren’t we? We’re adulting and being responsible and—”
“Ugh.” I made a face and shook my head. “I don’t like those words. We’re just being us and taking the next step. I’d ask you to marry me too, but I don’t want to overwhelm you at once, ya know?”
Mitch threw his arms around my neck and beamed. “I’d marry you now, you know.”
“Right this second?”
“Yes. I want to grow old with you, Evan. I want the whole next chapter and the fifty or more that come after that. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” I crashed my mouth over his and swayed him from side to side. When we finally broke for air, I kissed his hand in a chivalrous gesture and opened my arms wide. “Let me show you around. The yard is huge. Plenty of room for barbeques, handstand contests and best of all, we should be able to throw the football around easily.”
Mitch groaned on cue and slipped his hand in mine. He moved to the sliding glass door and pulled me outside. Then he laid his head on my shoulder and flashed an adoring grin that told me he was with me all the way.
We didn’t have to rush but we certainly weren’t going to wait. Balance was the key. And with him at my side, our future was bright.