Cayla: BTW. I tried a stint as a personal shopper. Not for me. It’s frustrating dealing with someone who doesn’t know what they want. *Homer Simpson backing into the shrubs GIF*
Dex laughed hard, happy that they could joke about it. He missed having her around physically but was scared to increase the intimacy again just for her to crack. He’d also decided to leave that to her. He told her his decision a couple of weeks ago and left it in her court. He looked around the beach. It was a beautiful Californian day filled with sunshine and laughter. Blue water and tan sand. The tentative looks he used to get from his neighbors were now waves accompanied with smiles. He was finally in a place where he could enjoy everything in his life.
He stretched and abandoned his chair. It was lunch time and an official end to his attempt to sit still and do nothing. He could understand why it was appealing; it was just not for him. Standing, he wiped the sand off his board shorts, shook out his t-shirt, and slipped it back over his body.
Cayla: I sold my house. I’m going to move into your parents’ pool house, sip Pina Coladas, and ogle the pool boy until the butler beckons me for dinner.
Dex: Is that what you really think goes on at the Sinclair mansion?”
Cayla: Don’t know. I was never invited #fightme
Dex laughed as he walked up the side of his home from the beach entrance. He nearly jumped out of his sandals when he felt something warm on top of his toes. He looked down to find the cutest little puppy. He put his phone in his pocket and scooped up the dog.
“Are you lost, buddy?” he cooed as he looked at the collar. “Austin? Is that your name?”
Dex froze. The hairs on his arms prickled. He held the dog up for inspection. A cognac brown Dotson puppy named Austin. This couldn’t be a coincidence. He rounded to the front of his house with the puppy tucked in his arms, and his heart stopped for a second then kicked into overdrive.
“You know this whole self-discovery thing has led me to the conclusion that I was living in the wrong damn state,” Cayla admitted with a smile.
Dex felt all the emotions he could name but none were upset or angry. “Is that why you sold your house?”
“Yeah, while I think it would be fun to live in a mansion, I would prefer to be with you.”
His smile pulled out his dimple. “You have preferences now?”
Cayla nodded with a laugh. “Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Sinclair. I have a lot of opinions now.”
She looked different. She was always pretty, but there was a glow brought on by her new-found confidence and self-assurance. His eyes landed on the red romper that he couldn’t wait to strip off her body.
“You’re wearing red. Not pink.”
“I still love pink. It turns out that I also look great in red.” She did a slow turn giving him a view of how the outfit hugged her ass. He was on her in seconds, pulling her closer to him.
“I only see one suitcase,” Dex murmured and nuzzled her neck.
Cayla turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I sold my house on faith, but I still had to see if you would accept us here first.”
Dex kissed her softly. “Are you sure this is where you want to be?”
“Check your social media.”
Dex didn’t want to let her or Austin go, but he gave her the puppy and pulled out his phone. He had a lot of alerts on Facebook. He tapped the app. He had a relationship status request from Cayla. His lips stretched into a smile.
“If I hit accept that means you accept that you’re mine, no second guessing, no turning back, no balking in front of the next attractive black guy.” She nodded. “Living together is a higher level of commitment, and it also means we communicate like adults – no lashing out or unfounded accusations.”
“I get it. Girlfriend vows. I do solemnly swear…”
“That is a government oath for presidency or military enlistment.”
“And don’t those people have to be at least one hundred and thirty percent sure that they want to sign up…”
Dex kissed her again before he hit accept. The hole in his heart completely replaced with love and hope.
“Also, you may notice that I’ve uploaded every picture we’ve ever taken to ALL platforms except LinkedIn of course. Not just to the Gram and my Twitter verse. No backsies, your mom has already “loved” all the photos. If I’m yours, that means you’re mine. Winter is coming for all those bitches who’ve tried to scoop you while I was growing. I saw those thirsty ass comments.”
Dex laughed, happy to finally be on the same page. “Do you even watch Game of Thrones?”
Cayla laughed. “Not one episode, but that phrase sounds ominous AF. You’re stuck with me.”