Callie

The ring was beautiful. The proposal, sneaky but I was genuinely happy.

I’d said yes because I could see my future with Noah, but saying it out loud to others, I froze up.

It concerned me that I forgot it so easily once I slipped the ring back in the box. I saw it in his eyes when he spotted my naked finger. It hurt him; I needed to make it up to him.

I walked over to the couch holding my hand up in front of my face.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have spent so much on the ring. After all, we’re going to need money, soon.”

I sat in his lap, snuggled up close to him.

“Money for what?” He hugged me to him as he grabbed my hand and kissed my ring.

“To turn this place back into a house.” I looked up.

“What?” Noah leaned back.

“I thought we had to wait until you graduate.”

“Well, apparently, journalism is a more stable profession in his eyes, so he said we can go ahead and do what we want to the house.”

“Why don’t you let me buy it from him?” He nibbled on her neck.

“No. It’s my house.” I leaned back. “My contribution to the Patrick household.”

Nice save.

“What’s mine is yours,” He said.

“You’re going to far out run my earning potential. Let’s save your money for our old age.” I rocked her hips.

“My earning potential is also limited by age.” He groaned and shifted under me for more direct contact.

“You sound like an old man.” I sighed. “You’re only twenty-six.”

He leaned back and eased the pressure.

I pouted.

“I probably have about four to six more years left in me.” Noah’s said and sighed. “I’m tired of getting hit.”

“Wow.” I said and blinked. The idea of Noah not playing football caused a chill to run up my spine

The average player was in the league for four years. He’d far surpassed that, but what would he do once he retired.

“How much do you think we are going to need for our old age?” He asked and went back to kissing my neck.

“I don’t know.” I pushed him back. “What do you think you’ll do after retirement?”

“I don’t know. Probably coach.”

“That could move us around a lot," I said.

“Or if I stick with Coach, we could be here forever.” Noah's college coach was the one who brought him to New York and was in line to take over as head coach when the present coach retired.

“We don’t have to think about this right now.” I scooted off his lap. Talking about money and retirement. It was all so depressing. I was only twenty-three. We had our whole life ahead of us.

Noah gripped my hips and pulled me back towards him. He stared in my eyes, searching for an answer, but instead of asking the question, he kissed me. A long and wet kiss that made my insides flip. I moaned in his mouth and ran my finger over his hardness. He groaned and held me tight. We moved against each other, building the tension. Noah snaked his hand down my pants as he stared into my eyes. One hand slid through my folds and the other rubbed the tattoo on my wrists. The 89 tattoo marked me as his long before we meet. I grinded against his hand. The pressure crested. At its peak, I cried out and rode the wave down before falling on his chest.

He continued to rub my tattoo. He brought my wrist to his mouth and kissed it.

I stood up. My legs wobbled from the orgasm. I headed into the kitchen.

I spotted the food in Tupperware on the counter.

“You cook?” I yelled into the other room.

“Yeah. I forgot about your dinner with your dad.”

I ate a piece of asparagus. The balsamic glaze was sweet and tart.

Noah walked into the kitchen.

“I thought we would celebrate.” He said as he washed his hands.

“I’m sorry.” I frowned.

“That’s okay.”

I hoped up on the counter.

“Come here.” I motioned to him.

Noah grinned. He ran his hands over my thighs and around my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Let's continue this celebration, in the shower. I kissed his neck, “and in bed, and maybe again in bed in the morning.”

“Doing what exactly.” He whispered in my ear.

“You want me to say it?” I rolled my eyes.

“Yep.” Noah grinned.

I leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Fuck me, Noah.”

Noah loved to hear me talk dirty. It made me super uncomfortable, but it turned him on. So I whispered them.

He scooped me up.

I hugged him close and continued to whisper naughty things to him as he walked us up the stairs.

I crawled out of bed early the next morning. I thought we’d celebrate more after breakfast in bed.

I padded down to the kitchen. Nip sat by the back door. He perked up and barked when I entered. He had a guilty look on his face. I peeked into the laundry room and saw Valentine sitting in her crate. Her blanket pulled out and on the floor beside her.

I bent down.

She stood and wagged her little tail.

“Oh sweetie, you slept on the coal metal all night.” I pouted and let her out.

She placed her little paws on my knees. I leaned down and gave her a kiss.

I heard Nip at the door. He scurried away when I turned.

I picked Valentine up and carried her back to the kitchen and opened the back door without acknowledging Nip. He ran out towards the back yard. I walked down the steps and sat Valentine down. It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, the sun was out.

When Nip did his business, he came and stood at my feet.

I knelt down and pointed at him with a stern face. He licked my finger and wagged his tail. I shook my head, scooped him up and kissed him.

“Keep it up, Nip.” I nuzzled him to my face. “One day she’s going to remember how mean you were to her and retaliate big time.” He kissed my cheek. I put him down and went back inside.

We had all the stuff for breakfast tacos except for tortillas. I pulled on a jacket over my nightshirt and leggings. Slipped my flip-flops on my feet and walked out front. The bodega on the corner carried everything and if they didn’t, they would go to the store a few streets over and get it for you and deliver it to you. A family owned business, they’d been here as long as I could remember.

I pushed into the store and the bell over the door rang, announcing my arrival.

The smells in the store always made my mouth water. The meal preparation business was new for them, but it had revitalized the shop.

I spotted Linda behind the back counter. The front was empty.

“Good morning.” I waved and went to the last aisle to the left.

“Hey Callie.” She was cutting up something. “How was dinner last night?”

“We never got around to it.” I grabbed the tortillas and walked to the back to the shop. “I thought I’d cut it all up, make some eggs and have breakfast tacos.”

“Too much celebrating last night.” She winked and giggled.

“Yeah.” I said and narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”

“You’re getting married.” She yelled and waved her hands over her head. I forgot sometimes that she was only seventeen. It was her thick Brooklyn accent and cropped black hair. It made her appear older.

“Noah told you.”

“Yeah. He showed Dad and I a photo of the ring, yesterday.” He wiped her hands on her apron. “Let me see it.”

I held my hand out.

She grabbed my fingertips and turned my hand. “Wow. What’s the cut? It’s unique.”

“Ascher cut.”

“Four carats.” She said like a seasoned ring observer.

I nodded.

“With his money, he could have sprung for eight at least,” Linda said and cackled as she picked her knife up and continued her meal prep.

I smirked. He told the people at the local bodega. The news would be city wide in a matter of hours. I didn't’ want to keep it a secret, but it happened not twenty-four hours ago.

“I’ll put them on your tab as soon as I finish up,” she said.

“Thanks.” I waved the tortillas at her and headed for the door.

“Oh. When’s the date?”

I stopped at the door.

“What date?” I narrowed my eyes.

“The wedding date?” She held her hands out and stared at me like I had horns. “If you do it in New York, we’d love to cater it for you.”

“Uhm. Sure. I’ll let you know.”

My chest hurt and that panicked feeling returned. I looked up and down the street, waiting for the paparazzi to attack with the good news. The only people on the street were a couple of kids walking to school and an elderly gentleman sitting on a stoop talking to himself.

No paparazzi here.

I climbed the steps to the brownstone and unlocked the door. I pushed open the door to my apartment and headed for the stairs. My phone on the kitchen counter, beeped.

I picked it up and unlocked the screen.

It was a text from Kate.

Kate: Preston told me the good news. I’m so excited for you. Can’t wait to talk wedding plans next week in Aspen. {Heart emoji}

Wedding plans.

Aspen.

I leaned against the counter. I flipped the tortilla packet over and over in my hand. When I dropped it. I grabbed the handle of the cabinets and reminded myself to breath.

It was all happening so fast.