Lily

Lily sat across from Wyatt at the table. They were seated at the very back of the restaurant, right next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving them the perfect view of the sunset as it dropped below the horizon. The sky was dark orange, and the ocean reflected the amazing colors.

“It's so pretty,” Lily said, with a sigh as she gazed at the view.

“So beautiful,” Wyatt agreed.

After a moment, she glanced back across the table to find that Wyatt wasn't even looking at the ocean at all. He was sitting there, gently gazing back at Lily. She bit her bottom lip and pushed a strand of hair over her ear.

“Thank you for taking me here,” she said.

“You're very welcome.” Wyatt placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward a bit. “Thank you for coming with me.”

The waiter walked up to the table. He looked to be in his forties, but was clean shaven and had his hair slicked back. He was dressed in a three-piece suit and carried with him a bottle of champagne.

“Are you two ready to order yet?” he asked, in a thick English accent.

“Yeah, I think we are,” Wyatt said. “I think we're both going to have the sushi platter.”

“Ah, yes,” the waiter said. “A little taste of everything. Excellent choice.”

While he spoke, the man poured Wyatt and Lily some champagne. Then he set the now half-empty bottle onto the table.

“I'll have your order out momentarily,” he said, then spun around to leave.

Lily lifted her glass of champagne. “Here's to our first date?”

Wyatt smiled. “Yes, here's to that.”

Their glasses clinked and they each took a sip.

“So, how are things going at your house?” Lily asked, not too sure of where would be the best place to start a conversation.

“Things are going well overall,” Wyatt said. “I mean, Mildred is doing fine with Maggie.”

He paused and it was almost like he wanted to add something to what he had said, but he didn't.

“Is Maggie still practicing her numbers like I told her to?” Lily asked.

“I'm not too sure to be honest.” Wyatt took another sip from his champagne, then set the glass down again. “I've been at the office all week and have pretty much only come home to try to catch a few hours of sleep. I feel horrible about it, but sometimes I feel like if I'm not at work, then my entire business will fall apart.”

“Do you really think that's true?” Lily asked, swirling the bubbly champagne in her glass.

“I guess I don't know if it's true, because I'd never let that happen,” Wyatt said. “I do feel like if my business get my attention, then nobody will take care of things there. It's frustrating, but I also think that's just something you have to deal with as a business owner.”

“You don't want to work yourself to death, though, Wyatt,” Lily said, then immediately wondered if she had overstepped her boundaries by suggesting something that really had nothing to do with her.

“I know,” Wyatt said. “It's just hard. I guess my work is the one thing that I feel like I have some control over. I try to be home as much as I can but sometimes it's impossible. When that happens, it makes me feel like the worst father in the world. It's like I can't win. I'm either a great business owner or a great father. I can't seem to make it happen so that I'm both.”

Lily listened closely. She was sad to hear Wyatt was troubled, but also happy that he had chosen to open up to her. This was exactly what she had wanted on this date. She wanted to know the other side of Wyatt that she had never seen before. She wanted to learn about who he really was, to dig deeper in finding out what made him so amazing and so complex.

“For what it's worth, I think you're an amazing father,” Lily said.

Wyatt lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Yeah?”

“Yes,” she said. “Maggie adores you, Wyatt. I know that, because I see it in her eyes. She looks up to you. She sees you as a hero. In her mind, you're invincible, you know that? I know that sometimes it's hard to see things like that, but trust me, it's true. You should never kick yourself because you think you are doing a good job of raising her. You're doing a better job than most men do, and you've had to deal with some things that most men haven't. You shouldn't be ashamed. You should be proud.”

Wyatt's face relaxed. “See, this is why I like talking to you. You always make me feel okay about things. It's funny, but I don't know anybody else who is able to do that.”

Lily couldn't help but to smile at the comment. It made her feel really good. “I just tell you what I know is to be the truth.”

He sighed, and took a slowly sip from his glass. He set it down and unwrapped his cloth napkin, before placing it on top of his lap. “Well I really appreciate it, Lily. I do.”

“So how has the house felt different without me there?” she asked.

Why did I just ask that? She thought. Dammit. I didn't mean for that to just spill out. I'm such an idiot.

Wyatt nodded slowly. “It has, actually.”

“I didn't mean to bring all of that up again,” she said. “I don't know why I even said that.”

“No, it's okay,” he assured her. “I think it's a fair question. I told you a little bit over the phone, but not everything.”

She cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Wyatt ran his fingers through his hair. It was almost like he was a little nervous. “You're going to think I'm crazy.”

Lily laughed. “I doubt it.”

“Seriously,” he said. “I'm nuts. So about fifteen minutes after you left that morning, there was a knocking on the front door. It turned out to just be Mildred, but I didn't know that right away. I got so excited, thinking that it was you. I had hoped that maybe you had forgotten something in the guest bedroom and you had come back to pick it up.”

Lily's heart melted as she watched him speak. “Really? You got excited?”

He nodded. “Yes. Embarrassingly so. I was in the basement with Maggie and I ran up the stairs as fast as I could to get the door. Of course, I was a little shocked and admittedly, somewhat disappointed, when I saw Mildred standing on the other side.”

Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had Wyatt really missed her just as much as she had missed him? He'd had mentioned on the phone that he had been thinking about her, but she never realized it was like this.

Maybe he really does feel something toward me, she thought. Maybe this is actually real. Is it possible that it wasn't just my imagination?

“Since we're letting all of this out, I guess I should tell you that when I got home that day, I just started crying,” she said, her cheeks tingling as she began to blush.

“You cried?” Wyatt said. “That makes me feel horrible.”

“It wasn't bad tears,” she replied. “Well, not all of them were bad anyway. I was crying because I realized that my life at your house was one of the best weeks I'd ever had. And I mean ever. Sitting on my own couch in my own living room, I felt so out of place. It was like I didn't belong there any more.”

Wyatt was silent for a moment. It seemed like he was just trying to take it all in. “Wow. I had no idea.”

Lily nodded. “I know, it's ridiculous. I realize that it was only a week of living at your house. I was just a guest. But you know what? After a few days, it started to feel like I was where I belonged.”

“It's not ridiculous,” Wyatt said. “You know what is, though? You're going to think I'm out of my mind, but I started to actually miss your cooking.”

Lily laughed. “Stop. Now I know you're making things up.”

Wyatt shook his head. “I'm being serious. I guess it wasn't the actual food that I missed, though. It was just having you there to cook it. I miss knowing that you'll be there when I come home from work.”

Lily's eyes slowly filled with tears as her body filled with emotion. She did her absolute best to hold it all back, though. The last thing she wanted was to cry like a fool and ruin her makeup.

Streams of black mascara down my cheeks probably won't look good with this dress, she thought.

“You know, I've eaten takeout Chinese every night since I've been home,” she said, laughing through the pain. “Do you know why?”

He shook his head. “No clue. I mean I know you like Chinese food, but I didn't think you liked it that much.”

“The reason I have been ordering Chinese takeout is because we ate it every night at your house after I screwed up making dinner,” she said. “It's not that I love Chinese, it's because it reminds me of spending time with you and Maggie.”

“So we're both crazy then?” Wyatt asked, with a mischievous grin.

It caused Lily to chuckle. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Does that mean that I can tell you that there's been more than once that I'd woken up in my bed and thought you were laying there next to me?” he asked.

Lily smiled wide. “Only if I can tell you that I've done the exact same thing. Not only that, but I think about you constantly. Not in a creepy, stalker kind of way, though. You're just always on my mind. I find myself wondering what you're up to during the day and sometimes I wonder if I ever cross your mind.”

“You cross my mind all the time,” he said. “Honestly, I never realized how incredible you were until you moved in under my roof. I feel like last week was the first time I ever had a chance to really get to know you. I mean Caroline knew you pretty well, but I was always working too much to have the time to chat with you.”

“We're all busy,” Lily said. “It is what it is. I'm just glad we've gotten the chance to learn about each other.”

Wyatt shook his head. “This is insane, you know that, right? I mean, it's kind of crazy that I think about my daughter's surrogate mother all the time and I'm taking her out on a date. I can't imagine what someone would think if they ever heard about it.”

Lily shrugged. “Weren't you the one who said that I shouldn't worry about what people think?”

“Touche,” he replied. “That's a good point. You're absolutely right. Who cares what a stranger might think? All that matters, is that we're having fun and enjoying our lives.”

“Here's to that,” Lily said, lifting her glass again. “To the enjoyment of our lives.”

Wyatt clinked his glass against hers. “That's something I'll cheers to.”

They both took a swig, emptying the glass. Wyatt filled them again with the nearby bottle. Lily was beginning to feel a little buzz from the alcohol now, but it was nice. It allowed her inhibitions to lay low for a while and gave a chance for the real Lily to come out.

It was clear that both of their walls were slowly dropping. Lily and Wyatt were becoming more relaxed around each other by the minute. Soon, they were acting as though they'd been on many dates before. It started to seem almost like this wasn't their first.

“Looks like the food is coming,” Lily said, nodding toward the waiter who had a giant plate in each of his hands. He maneuvered expertly through the maze of tables and people, arriving next to Wyatt and Lily.

“Sorry for the wait,” he said. “We are exceptionally busy this evening.”

“No problem at all,” Wyatt said.

Lily watched as the waiter set the platters down in front of them. He began spouting out each kind of sushi that was on the plates, but she couldn't even pay attention. She was too enthralled by the amazing man that sat across from her. His eyes, his face, his hair, his chest. Every single part of him was just perfect. She found herself more attracted to him than ever. It was like each layer of his personality that she peeled off, another trait of his was revealed. All of it was good, too. All of it made her want him even more.

* * *

Lily had Wyatt had eaten their fill of sushi. They sat back in their chairs, finishing off yet another glass of champagne.

“You weren't joking,” she said. “That was the best sushi I've ever had.”

“Wasn't it amazing?” Wyatt asked. “It's so fresh. I'd keep on eating, except that I don't think I could fit another bite of sushi in my stomach.”

“Me either.” Lily gently patted her stomach. “Although, there were some pretty good desserts on the menu. There a small chance, that I might just able to fit some dessert in.”

His eyes lit up. “You know what, I think I could make that happen, too. What did you see on the dessert menu that caught your eye?”

“They have green tea ice cream,” she said. “Have you ever tried it before?”

Wyatt shook his head. “No, I haven't. I'm not going to lie, though. Something about green tea and ice cream sounds like kind of a gross combination.”

“It's amazing,” she said. “If we order some, will you try it?”

“Of course,” he replied. “I'll try just about anything once.”

The waiter approached a few minutes later and took the dessert order. Now that the table was cleared, Lily was able to lean in a little bit. The only thing between Wyatt and herself was the flickering flame of a candle in a clear glass jar.

A warm, tingling sensation tickled between her thighs as she drew in a breath. His cologne entered her nose. He was wearing the same scent as he had a week prior, when they'd fooled around in his living room. Smelling it brought the memory to the forefront of her mind and as soon as it was there, she started to get turned on. She imagined being back in the moment, with his hands all over her body. Her lips began to tingle, just think about his passionate kiss and the way it had made her feel.

Wyatt cleared his throat and scooted forward in his chair. He brought his elbows to the table and dropped his hands. Lily did the same thing. They were so close to touching that she could feel the warmth coming off of his fingers. She wanted to reach forward just a bit, but wasn't sure how he'd react to it. Luckily, she didn't have to make the decision. Wyatt made it for her.

He scooted his arms a little further toward Lily, placing his hands on top of hers. His touch caused the tingling sensation to increase and she drew in a slow breath through her teeth.

“This was a really nice date,” he said. “I hope it doesn't sound too cheesy, but there's honestly nobody else in the world I'd rather be here with than you.”

Lily's heart practically leaped through her chest at his words. “Me too.”

His green eyes seemed to glow in the candle light. The way he looked at her said more than words ever could. She knew that he thought she was beautiful and that he was telling the truth, when he said that there was nobody else he'd rather be there with.

Time seemed to stand still as they gazed into each others eyes. Lily wasn't sure if was mere seconds that were passing or if it was full minutes, but she didn't care. She could have stayed right there in that moment for eternity. She was comfortable there with him. She felt safe.

At one point, the waiter came up, breaking her from her trance.

“Your dessert,” he said, placing the plate between Wyatt and Lily. He then set two spoons down next to the plate. “Anything else?”

Wyatt looked toward Lily. “Maybe another drink?”

She nodded. “Yeah, actually. Another drinks sounds nice.”

“Shall I open another bottle of champagne?” the waiter asked.

“I think I'd like something different,” Wyatt said. “Can I get an old fashioned, with Maker's Mark?”

“Of course, sir,” he said. “And you?” He turned toward Lily. “Um, well, how about vodka with cranberry and soda.”

“Perfect.” The waiter gave an affirmative nod and then turned to retrieve the drinks from the bar.

“So, this is green tea ice cream, huh?” Wyatt asked. “It's very... green.”

Lily chuckled. “You've got to try it, though. Don't judge a book by its cover.”

Wyatt picked up one of the spoons and took a small scoop of the ice cream, popping it into his mouth. Lily watched his eyes light up.

“That's actually pretty good,” he admitted.

“Told you.” Lily ate a spoonful, savoring the green-tea flavor as it melted across her tongue. “It's actually one of my favorite parts about getting sushi. I'm surprised you've never tried it.”

“I'm glad I have now, though,” Wyatt said, before taking another bite.

The two of the finished off the ice cream in no time. As soon as they were done, the waiter arrived with their fresh drinks.

They sat silent for a moment. Lily washed the ice cream down with her vodka and soda, while Wyatt did the same with his whiskey. They didn't say anything. It wasn't an awkward silence, though. In fact, Lily found it to be very comfortable. It was almost as though they were simply enjoying each others company and didn't need to use words in order to do that.

Wyatt took a long sip from his drink and then set the glass down.

“So I feel like I need to be honest with you,” he said.

Lily cocked her head to the side a bit. “Okay.”

“Last week, when we were fooling around,” he said, with a pause. “I'm sorry about how that ended.”

“You don't have to be sorry, Wyatt,” she replied. “It's all good. I completely understand why you didn't feel up to doing anything with me physically.”

He shook his head. “It wasn't fair to you. I've been thinking a lot about what had happened, though. I've been thinking all of my hesitations and fears. It hit me out of nowhere, but I suddenly realized that I need to let Caroline go.”

Lily reached across the table and took his hands. “You don't have to do that for me, Wyatt.”

“I know,” he said. “I'm not doing it for you, though. I'm doing it for me. I loved Caroline more than anything. You know that. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Caroline wouldn't want me living like this. She wouldn't want me spending the rest of my days grieving over her. She would kick my ass if she saw how messed up I've been.”

Lily listened intently, just allowing Wyatt to open up to her. She didn't reply. She just sat and listened.

“I guess what I'm getting at here, is that I want you,” he said blatantly. “I want you, Lily.”

Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but to smile at the comment. “What do you mean?”

Wyatt's eyes dropped down a bit, sneaking a quick glance at her chest. Then he looked back up to meet her eyes again.

“I want to finish what we started last week,” he said, and Lily was sure she saw his eyes dilate. She could feel the sexual tension in the air now. It was unmistakable. She was confident that it wasn't just her imagination.

Lily gently bit her bottom lip for a moment. Then she said, “I like the sound of that. I want it, too. But Wyatt, I don't want you to do something you aren't comfortable with.”

He kept his eyes locked with hers. “I'm comfortable with it now. I've thought about it a lot. Plus, I realized something else. Caroline loved you, Lily. She thought you were the greatest woman on the planet. She wouldn't have allowed you to carry Maggie if she'd questioned your integrity in the slightest. If there's anybody on Earth that Caroline would have approved of for me to be with, it would have been you.”

Lily's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to hide her surprise.

“Wyatt, I don't know what to say,” Lily said, as tears of happiness began to fill her eyes.

“There's really nothing to say,” he said, with a smirk. “Although, I guess I do have one question for you.”

She dropped her hand and raised an eyebrow. “What's that?”

“Want to get out of here?” he asked.

The look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. It was a similar look that she had seen a week before, when they'd almost made love in his living room. It was a deep and powerful, almost instinctual, stare. It was as though he was undressing her with his eyes. She loved it. It turned her on and made her blue panties soaked in the front.

“Yes,” she said, her response sounding almost desperate. “Yes, Wyatt. Yes. Let's get out of here. Right now.”