Four days in Austin. Four nights in this luxurious suite. Four mornings like this—waking with Porter’s body curled around mine like a vine, his arms wrapped tightly as though he may never release me.
Because he loves me.
Our relationship has changed during this trip. Transitioned into something very different. So much more.
“I want to talk about September.”
I’ve been wondering if this conversation would come up. “What about September?”
“Don’t go to Austin.”
Don’t go to Austin. There isn’t a lot of wiggle room for misinterpretation, but I need to know that Porter and I are on the same page. The same paragraph. The same word. “Be specific about what those words mean to you.”
“Stay in Birmingham… with me.”
Changing my life plans for a man is a big deal, but it’s astronomical size when you’ve only been dating him for a short time. I’ve known Porter for a lot of years but I don’t truly know him.
And yet I know I love him.
“I’m asking a lot. I’m well aware of how much, but I know that letting you get away would be the biggest mistake of my life.” He pulls me against him and kisses my bare shoulder. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I don’t want to lose you.”
“Staying is a big deal. You’re asking me to change everything for you.”
“I’m asking you to change everything for us. I’m asking you to want me more than you want whatever you think is here for you.” He kisses my shoulder again. “Austin can wait.”
“Your mom said something along those same lines.”
“You talked to her about leaving Birmingham?”
“Yeah. She told me I should stay and see what happens with us.”
“Don’t you like where this is going?”
“I do. Very much.”
“Then stay. And we can do lots more of this.” He flips me over so I’m lying on my back and kisses the side of my neck. “And this.” He moves lower and kisses the space between my breast. “And lots more of this.” He moves down and kisses my stomach.
“Mmm… I do love me some of this.”
“I’m going to be doing everything within my power to persuade you to stay. If I have to eat your pussy morning, noon, and night to convince you, I will.”
“Porter…” He can be so crude.
“I’m not kidding, Frankee. I’ll do it.”
“I know you’re not kidding.” This man goes down on me every chance he gets. I’m not complaining.
“I have six weeks to convince you to stay. I think I should start my persuasion tactics right now.”
And he does.
* * *
“I can’t believe I’m dropping you off. That was the shortest four-day trip I’ve ever taken.”
“I know. And it was really four days for the convention and then two additional days for travel. You could almost count it as six days.”
Porter walks me to the front door, carrying my suitcase. “I’m going to hate being in bed without you tonight.”
“I know. I’m going to miss waking up with you wrapped around me.”
Our house doesn’t have a foyer so entering the front door puts us in the living room where my parents are on the sofa watching television.
“Hey… there’s our girl,” my dad says.
Porter puts my suitcase on the floor. “Returned safely, as promised.”
“I never worried she wouldn’t be. How was the convention?”
“It was great. I learned a lot. Got to see the latest trends.”
“Did you explore Austin while you were there?”
“Not a lot. We went out the first night but the daily itinerary ran until five every day. That didn’t leave a lot of time for sightseeing but at least we got to have dinner at some great restaurants and talk shop.”
“Thank you again for giving Frankee this opportunity.”
“Happy to do it.” Porter steps toward the door. “I will see all of you at Stout’s party tomorrow night.”
“See you.”
He leaves and it feels unnatural to watch him go without a hug or kiss.
Of course, my parents want to hear everything about my travels the minute he’s gone. What I thought about my first flight. The hotel. The conference. I do my best to stretch the truth as far as it’ll go, hoping I won’t need to tell any lies. I know Porter and I are lying by omission, but I don’t want to add any additional untruths to the mix if I can help it.
I’m showered and preparing for bed when my mom taps on my door. “Can I come in for a minute?”
“Sure.”
She shuts the door behind her. She never does that unless she plans on having a conversation that Dad or the boys don’t need to hear.
“What’s going on?”
She sits on the end of my bed, a sign that she has no intention of leaving anytime soon. “I want to talk to you about Porter.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“What’s going on between you and him?”
It’s one thing to lie by omission, but it’s another to look her in the face and fabricate a story. I can’t do it. “We’re seeing each other.”
“Why haven’t you told us?”
“I was afraid of what you’d say about my entering into a relationship with him when I know I’m leaving in September. And Porter was worried about our relationship causing problems with Daddy. It just felt unnecessary to say anything when we knew it would be over soon.”
“Did you share a room with him on this trip?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“Are you being careful?”
“Yes.”
My mom inhales deeply and releases the breath. “You’re twenty-one, and maybe I should have known, but I didn’t think you were sexually active.”
“You weren’t wrong. I was a virgin until Porter.”
“Oh.”
“I love him.”
“Has he told you that he loves you?”
“Yes. And he’s asked me to stay here with him instead of moving to Austin.”
“Would you do that? Stay for him?”
“It seems irrational to drop everything for a guy when our relationship is still so new. But I love him. And I believe him when he says that he loves me. Which makes it irrational to walk away from something real.”
“You don’t have to make this decision right now. You have a little time.” She isn’t telling me this is a horrible idea. She isn’t telling me I should end things with him.
“He says he’s going to convince me to stay.”
“Your dad and I wouldn’t mind that. You know we don’t want you to move away.”
“Will you please not tell Dad just yet?” I hate asking that of her.
“Your dad and I don’t keep secrets from each other.”
“I know. And I’m not asking you to lie to him or keep a secret. I’m just asking you to put off telling him until I make a decision about where things are going.”
“I can keep it to myself for the time being. But you shouldn’t tarry. The longer you put it off, the more likely he is to find out on his own. And I can promise you that it would go much smoother if this news came from you and Porter.”
“I know. Do you think that Dad will be okay with Porter being so much older than me?”
“How much older?”
“He’s thirty.”
“That’s definitely older. But you’ve always been an old soul. I can’t imagine you dating a boy your age. I think your dad will be okay with it as long as he treats you well.”
“He’s so good to me. And his family is too. They are lovely.”
“You’ve already met his family?” She clearly wasn’t expecting that.
“Yes. His mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and I’ve been speaking with her over the phone about her treatment. She asked him to bring me home last weekend. His parents, his brother and his wife, his sister and her husband and their children were there. They treated me like I was part of their family. It felt right.”
“When it’s right, it’s right. I don’t think you felt that way for no reason. It’s very possible that he’s the one. And personally, I can’t wait to see what happens.”
“Me either.”
* * *
I’m miserable. Not that this surprise birthday party isn’t awesome. The coordinator did a fantastic job. It’s that I’m in misery watching Porter across the room talking to this woman and that woman.
“Hey, Frankee. Having a good time?” It’s Jason, one of Lovibond’s delivery truck drivers. Cute guy about my age but not my type.
“Oh, yeah. Fun party.”
“It’s cool they invited everyone from the brewery.”
“That was nice.”
“Your dad looks like he’s having a good time.”
I look at my mom and dad on the dance floor and they are cutting a rug. “My parents love to dance.”
“I can see that. Would you care to dance with me?”
All I’m doing is standing against the wall while Porter makes the rounds, talking to every female in the room but me. So why the hell not?
The band is playing their rendition of ‘Come On Eileen.’ Not bad. “Sure. I like this song.”
Jason cups his hand over mine, puts his hand around my waist, and does this weird rocking sideways motion. This guy must not go clubbing, or he’d know this is not a couple song, and you sure don’t dance like one to a song like this.
My mom and dad are out-dancing me. For real. And my dad is laughing his ass off about it.
“Shut up, old man.” I have nothing to work with here.
I’m grateful when the song ends, but the next one is slow. The Pretenders’ ’I’ll Stand by You.’ And the dude doesn’t let go. “Up for another dance?”
“Sure.” One more won’t hurt.
He pulls me closer, and my natural reaction is to lean away. “You dating anyone?”
“Yeah.” Your boss. And he’s standing behind you looking very pissed off.
“May I cut in?”
“Sure.” Jason stops and passes me off to the boss man.
Porter puts his arms around my waist and pulls me much closer than he should. He cups his hand around mine and brings them to rest between our chests. A very romantic position for us to be in. “A boss and his intern shouldn’t be dancing like this.”
“Don’t care.”
“People are going to take notice.”
“Let them take notice.”
I look at my parents, and they’re in their own little world, paying zero attention to Porter and me.
“You look beautiful. And it’s fucking killing me that I have to keep my hands off you.”
“You didn’t look like it was bothering you too much when you were talking to all of those women.”
“All of those women?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I wasn’t on the dance floor holding any of them.”
“He asked me to dance, and it was a fast song. In the club, we bounce to the remix of that song. I never dreamed that he would grab me like that.”
Porter lowers his face until our lips are nearly touching. “You’re mine. I’m not going to let another man touch you like that. And if I have to blow our cover to put a stop to it, I will.”
“Cage the rage. Nothing happened.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I lose my mind when I see another man put his hands on you. I hate it.”
“No one is putting his hands on me. Only you.”
“I’m so damn ready to get you alone. I’m counting down the minutes until I can get you out of this dress.”
“Do you want me to meet you at your place when this is over?”
“Yeah. Do you think you can spend the night?”
“I’d love to, but I should probably go home after being gone all week.”
“I missed having you in bed with me last night.”
“I know. I missed being next to you too.”
“I want you with me every night.”
“I wish I could be.”
“There are ways to make it happen.”
“Like what? Getting married?” I chuckle. “Because that’s the only way my dad is going to go along with his little girl being bedded by you every night.”
Porter doesn’t laugh. Or smile. “Well… I’ve already made the decision that you’re mine, and no other man will have you.”
That sounds an awful lot like he’s hinting at marriage. “What are you saying?”
“What do you want me to be saying?”
I’m too scared to say the words.
“You take all the time you need to come up with what you’d like me to be saying. And when you decide what that is, you let me know.”
The song ends and Porter leaves me standing on the dance floor. Stupefied. With maybe some sort of hint of a marriage proposal hanging in the air.
I’m not certain. But we’re damn sure going to discuss this later tonight.