NINETEEN
Dalt
It’s been another best day of my life, and when we get back to our houses I’m not ready for it to end.
“I’ll unload the car and then get changed,” I tell Nikki as we haul our sex spent bodies out of the car. “Go get dressed. I’m taking you out.”
“You are? I thought you were exhausted.” She lets out a little yawn.
“I only have you tonight before you leave me for a couple of days. I’m going to wine and dine you in the manner in which I plan on making you accustomed.”
“I don’t need to be wined and dined, Dalt. Takeout and Netflix and chill sounds good to me, as long as it’s with you.” She drapes her arms around my neck and presses a soft kiss on my lips.
“Sounds like heaven to me too, baby. But I have a surprise you’re going to love. I’ll take a raincheck on the takeout and Netflix.” I wrap my arms around her waist and return the kiss.
“Okay, but don’t forget the chill.”
“Never. The chill’s the best part of staying in with you.”
“What should I wear for this surprise?” She unwraps herself from me and opens the back door of the car to get her backpack.
“You can wear the sweet dress you had on earlier, but you better wear a jacket. You know how it gets colder when the sun goes down. Is an hour enough time for you to get ready?”
“More than enough.” She leans in and gives me another soft kiss before heading into her house.
I watch her walk away. My smile takes over my face as I think about how fucking lucky I am.
***
An hour later on the dot, I’m at Nikki’s door. “It’s open. Come on in!” she yells from what sounds like the top of the stairs. I’m not happy she apparently left the door unlocked while she was upstairs dressing. But when I walk in and glance up the stairs I’m too captivated to let her know about my momentary unhappiness.
She’s standing at the top of the stairs in the same polka dot dress she had on earlier, but with a short black leather jacket over it and royal blue cropped leggings underneath it. Instead of sandals, she has on her signature black Dr. Marten boots with thick, yellow scrunched socks peeking out the top of them. Her blue bangs match the color of her leggings and the rest of her platinum hair is hanging in waves almost to her waist. Her sun-kissed face is radiant and her gleaming smile is enough to melt my heart. I’m completely wrecked by the unique girl staring down at me. She’s my quirky, gorgeous, golden angel.
“All ready.” She runs down the stairs and leaps into my arms. “I missed you,” she says into the curve of my neck.
“I’ve only been gone a few minutes.” I smile into her hair and drink in her scent. I swear she smells like what sunshine would smell like on a field of strawberries…if you could smell sunshine.
“Still missed you. Mmm. I love the way you smell. And you look hot in that blazer.”
What was that? Ten words? Fifteen? A handful of words and her body pressed against mine and even though I’ve had her multiple times in multiple orgasmic ways just a couple of hours ago, she has me on my way to another raging hard on.
“Jesus, Bud. You’re making me crazy. I can’t get enough of you.”
“You wanna stay home? I can always order in.” She plants a kiss on my cheek. There’s nothing I want more than to stay in with her. I should have followed my own advice and stayed naked whenever I’m with her. But I know she’s going to love the exhibit and Garrett had to call in some favors to get these tickets.
“First your surprise and dinner. Then I’m going to bring you back here and chill all night long.”
“Then let’s leave so we can get back.” She takes my hand and practically drags me out the door.
***
Dalt
“Where are we? What? Are you kidding me right now? No way! How did you do this? These tickets have been sold out for months.”
When I pull up to the valet parking in front of the gallery, Nikki can’t stop babbling in excitement. I wanted to do something special for her and I knew she would love the touring exhibit for The Original Art of Children’s Book Illustrators. Proceeds from the tour are being given to several charities benefitting children. Even though the price of the tickets is for high rollers only, getting a ticket is about as difficult as it was to find Wonka’s golden one.
Since I just found out this morning Nikki was going to be back in my life, I called Garrett when I stopped by my house to pick up the food for the picnic. Being a powerhouse in the entertainment industry provides him with connections all over the world. I knew he could hook me up. Not five minutes later Garrett called back and said my name would be on the list at the door.
I didn’t tell him what I needed the tickets for, just that it was a charity event I wanted to support. I don’t want him saying anything to my father about Nikki and me before I get a chance to confront the old bastard myself.
We enter the door of the gallery. I stop to give the hostess my name and she checks me and my guest off the list. In the two minutes it took me to do it, Nikki has wandered off to the middle of the room. She’s turning in slow circles, gaping at the artwork like a girl who just entered the portal to Wonderland. It’s adorable how excited she is. She could almost be part of the exhibit, a sweet character in a children’s book.
“What do ya think? Did I do good?” I say when I catch up to her.
“Oh my God! You did so good, hockey boy. Look.” She tugs me across the room to stand in front of one of the drawings on the stark white wall. “Do you realize this is an original Theodore Geisel drawing of The Cat In The Hat?”
“No kidding? I thought Dr. Seuss did those.”
“Theodore Geisel was Dr. Seuss, silly.”
What do I know? Show me a picture of the nineteen seventy Stanley Cup Champions though, and I’ll name every one of those suckers.
“And look!” Nikki screeches and pulls me to the next drawing encased in glass on the wall. “This is an original Max in his tree-covered room by Sendak. Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”
“No. Not exactly,” I mumble, because I’m watching the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen getting all excited about a drawing of a kid in a monster suit.
“Eeep! Dalt!” she screeches, moving to the next drawing. Did she just say eeep? Is that even a word? “It’s Garth Williams!”
“You mean the country singer?” I tease her.
“What?” Her sweet face pinches like I just spoke Martian.
“It looks like Stuart Little to me.”
“It is! Garth Williams is the artist. Oh my gosh, Dalt,” she turns and throws her arms around my neck, “this is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you. Thank you.”
She’s squeezing me so tight I’m having a hard time breathing. I love how much she loves this and how happy she is. I’m okay with suffocating in her arms.
“I just wanted you to see what it was like,” I cough out.
“See what what’s like?” She loosens her grip and steps back to study my face.
“To know what it’s going to be like when your illustrations are hung in art galleries all over the world and millions of people are admiring them.”
She chuckles. “Oh right. I’m going to be the next Sendak.”
“No, you’re not.”
She frowns in confusion. “Not quite that admired, huh?” She smirks.
“Nope. You’re going to be way more famous than Sendak or this Seuss guy or whoever.”
“I think you’re my greatest fan. Maybe my only fan.” She throws her arms over my shoulders and plants a kiss on my lips. “But it’s okay, because you’re the only one I want.”
Man. I really love this girl.
“You’re the only one I want too, Nik.” I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into me. “But I know someday I’m going to have to share your artistic talents with the rest of the world. You’re good, if not better than any of these people. Let’s check out the rest of the exhibits so we can get out of here.”
I brush my nose across hers and I swear she purrs like a contented kitten. I know exactly how she feels.