Chapter Thirty-Seven
Parker
The next morning, I woke to the smell of something delicious in my room. I turned over, my nose telling me where Sienna was instead of my bed. I pulled on my boxers and headed into the kitchen.
Sienna was humming to herself as she was pouring batter into her industrial waffle maker she had insisted on bringing from her house. It was big and bulky, but made the best fucking waffles I’d ever tasted.
She was wearing an old t-shirt of mine. It barely covered her crotch. My cock twitched, seeing the bottom of her bare ass peeking out from the bottom of the shirt.
“I love when you wear my clothes,” I said, coming into the room. I slipped my hand around her waist, gathering the fabric in my fists.
She ground her hips against me and I kissed the base of her neck. She moaned and her head tilted back. I lifted the shirt and cupped her breasts in my hands. Her nipples were already hard.
“I’m going to burn the waffles,” she said.
“Well, we wouldn’t want that,” I said and stopped kissing her. I let the shirt drop over my hands while I got one last touch of her.
We’d slept through the afternoon and night after we’d had sex. My stomach was growling with a hunger for food and Sienna. I decided food would have to be the priority if I was going to get my fill of Sienna later on.
“Do you want me to make some coffee?” I offered.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” she said, opening the top of the waffle maker and lifting a perfectly golden waffle onto a plate. I noticed a stack of bacon and eggs already set on the breakfast bar. “You’re going to have to start getting used to making coffee if you’re going to work with me.”
My mouth salivated at the sight of the food. “I’m sure you could teach me how to make your coffee.”
I was used to making coffee with pods, but since Sienna moved in almost full-time, she’d brought over her coffee maker that involved way more than pressing a button. I was still getting used to it. We worked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Being with Sienna made everything easy. We’d skipped over that “getting to know you” stage, which had always been my least favorite part of any relationship.
“You know, you don’t have to work for me,” she said. “The offer was nice, but Tony and I have been running the diner for some time. And we can do it without you.”
“Do you not want me to be there?” I asked.
“No!” she said, almost dropping the bowl she was pouring batter from. “Of course I want you there. Only if you want to be.”
“I do want to be there.”
She smirked. “Good.”
“Now that that’s settled,” I said, “try some of my coffee.”
I poured a mug of coffee. I noticed a few chunks of something as I poured. But it was too late to back out now. I cringed as she sipped it and made a face fit for someone who just drank mud.
“You can spit it out,” I said. “I know it’s awful. I don’t want to poison you.”
Like the graceful woman she was, she swallowed. “Okay, Parker, sit down and eat and I’ll make the coffee.”
She squeezed my hand and went to the coffee maker. I happily took the waffle and stacked bacon and eggs on top. I sat down at the breakfast bar where I was safely away from any and all cooking equipment.
While the coffee was brewing, Sienna finished up a few more waffles. I loved watching her work. This was her passion, and I was proud of my decision to bring back the diner so that she could continue being happy and fulfilled for the rest of her life. And it helped that she was half naked.
When the coffee was done, I got up and poured two mugs. It was the least I could do. When I got back to my seat, there was another freshly made waffle on my plate.
I smiled at her. “How did you know?”
“You were practically salivating watching me.”
“That wasn’t because of the waffles.”
She pulled a face.
“Okay, maybe it was partly the waffles, and partly my sexy girlfriend.”
“I think I need to wear your clothes more often,” she said.
“Definitely.”
“So, what do you want to do today?” she asked. “I need something to distract me or else I’m going to want to work on the diner all day.”
“How about we go surfing?” I suggested. “I know you’re going to be busy getting the place up and running for a little while.”
She nodded while taking a bite of her waffle. “That’s true.”
“And I find I do my best thinking in the water. Maybe you could find some inspiration.”
She sighed. “I could use it. I feel like I’ve wasted all my brain power over the last two months.”
“It hasn’t all been bad,” I said.
“I never said it was bad. Let’s just say it was an overdue vacation. And I’m ready to get back to the grind.”
We finished up breakfast and changed into our bathing suits. I had a hard time keeping my hands off Sienna, so we left the house a little later than expected. I loved the fact that I could touch her whenever I wanted. This was how a relationship should be. I still regretted wasting all those years with girls who only liked me for my money. It was a danger that people had warned me about, but I never thought others could be so callous to someone they were dating. I supposed that’s why there were so many single people out there. Selfish people who were only in a relationship to gain something. It didn’t make sense to me, but it didn’t have to anymore. Sienna made the most sense in the world to me.
Now that we were in the summer months, the beach was packed with tourists. But our little spot further down from all the food trucks and restaurants on the strip gave us a little more privacy. There were several groups of locals that had the same idea we did and stayed far away from the vacation-surfers that tended to spend more time in the water than on the board. It was a dangerous situation for the more seasoned surfers, so we liked to steer clear.
We wasted no time getting into the water. The days were hotter and the sand even more so. The temperature of the water eased my scorched feet.
“This feels so nice,” she said, standing next to her board in the water.
“It really does.”
She sighed deeply.
“What are you thinking about?” Normally Sienna couldn’t wait to get out there and into the waves. I’d noticed lately that she had many moments of silence to herself. I guessed after losing the diner she had a lot to think about. But now that she had her life back, I hoped she’d feel better about herself and her life with me.
“Everything,” she said, still focused on the water. “And nothing. It’s all so surreal.” Then she looked over at me.
With the wind in her hair and her sexy as hell body, she looked like a model on the cover of a men’s magazine. If we weren’t in a public place, I might have taken her right then and there.
“What you did for me was so over-the-top and amazing.”
“And?”
“And that’s all. These past few months have given me a little more perspective. I’m just reflecting.”
“Good, I was a little worried there.”
“Were you?”
I smirked. “No. You’ve been an independent and strong woman your whole life; I wasn’t expecting that to change just because we got together. I’m obviously always concerned for you, but I knew once you had the diner back, you’d feel whole again.”
She sighed. “I really do. You never really know how much something means to you until it’s gone.”
Our eyes locked for a moment. I saw a flash of regret in her eyes. I knew she wasn’t just talking about the diner.
I let the moment linger for a few seconds before I looked back at the ocean. “Are you ready?”
She lay down on her board. “You betcha.”
We paddled out through the waves to get far enough away from shore for our first run.
When we were sure we had the perfect wave, we went for it. Sienna hopped up on her board in a crouched position and rode the wave. I was a little behind her, and my insides warmed seeing the grin on her face.
After a few runs, we decided to take a break. We waded in the water away from the other surfers. Our legs dangled in the water. Sienna bumped mine a few times as we gently paddled to keep from drifting too far from shore.
“What do you think about opening up the diner tomorrow?” I asked.
“Tomorrow?” Sienna said with a surprised look on her face.
I shrugged. “Why not? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten everything about running a diner.”
She pulled a face. “Of course not, jerk. I haven’t been away that long.”
“All the inspections are in, so you’re good to go when you want. You can decorate along the way. How about diving back into it?”
“We could do a soft opening tomorrow,” she suggested. “I could invite Harriet and some of the other regulars. Just to make sure all the equipment is running before we open the doors for good.”
“The website and social media accounts have been updated,” I said.
“Since when?”
I smirked. “Since yesterday. I didn’t want you to see the changes to the accounts until I brought you to the diner. Everything is updated so once you give the firm opening date, I will be able to share that with your followers.”
“Parker, I don't have followers.”
“Yes, you do. My last count was around twelve-hundred. I expect that to grow once you open the doors.”
She balked. “From where?”
“Did you not know how I made a living for years?”
She looked up at the sky and smiled, closing her eyes. “I can’t believe this. I’m so lucky.”
“I’m the lucky one,” I said. “You make this relationship so easy to be in for me.”
“It is pretty easy, right?” she asked.
I was glad she felt the same way.
As the sun started to set against the horizon, Sienna and I called it a day. But we weren’t ready to leave the beach just yet. We propped up our boards and sat on the sand, side by side.
Sienna leaned her head against my shoulder and sighed. “I don’t remember the last time I sat and watched a sunset.”
“Today,” I said with a smile.
She punched me in the arm. “Smart-ass. You know what I mean.”
“I do. There’s been a lot of good moments for us recently.”
“There has been.”
I kissed the top of her head. The taste of salt water spread across my lips. I found that each day brought more good memories for us. And I suspected that would continue to happen for a long time. Harriet had been right about Sienna and me being together. It was so much easier and more fun than it had been with any other girl. Especially Rachel. I thanked whoever had been watching over me the day of the wedding. My last-minute decision had prevented me from making the biggest mistake of my life. I would have lost Sienna forever, and probably more money than I wanted to.
I put my arm around Sienna and watched the crash of the surf on the shore. Even though the sun was setting on today, I looked forward to tomorrow and the rest of the days ahead of us. I knew they would be happy as long as I had Sienna by my side.