Page 11 of Strawberry Cake

“Not really. I moved around a lot when I left my parents’ house,had a few roommate situations and now I finally have a place of my own.”

“It does feel nice to have your own place.”

“You have your own too?”

“Yeah, I moved in a few years ago.”

“I finally felt like a real adult when I was on my own. It was a little scary but I’m happy now.”

“And that’s all that counts.”

“Decan?”

“Yes, Hope?”

“Earlier, you apologised for missing my call.”

“I did.”

“You don’t have to do that. I mean it’s sweet that you did. But we’re both adults and have lives. Even if it takes you days to get back to me, that’s fine. Things happen.”

He stared into blank space, trying to find a response. “Oh.”

That made her giggle. “Maybe that was too much too soon.”

“No, I just… Well, that came unexpectedly—in a good way. I like that.”

“Good. I’ll let you be now so you can get some work done.”

“I’ll text you on Tuesday.”

“Can’t wait.” And with that, she hung up.

He stared down at his phone until the screen went dark. This was too good to be true. All his other dates suddenly felt so…childish. Not only that, but Hope didn’t expect him to be at her beck and call at all hours, nor did she expect him to pay for everything. This sounded healthy—maybe a little too healthy? Was that a thing?

He set his phone aside again, forcing himself to return to work until Marco could serve as a distraction.

Decan

Tuesday passed far too slowly. Decan had spent the morning working, then visiting the gym when that no longer served as a distraction. Once he’d freshly showered, he pulled out a dark blue collared shirt and matching slacks. Once his curls were neatly tucked away in a bun, he added his bracelets and silver necklace, unbuttoning the top of his shirt to tease at his inked skin underneath.

Traffic was a bitch as always. It was the only thing he hated about the Galleria Area. To be honest, Houston traffic was horrific at any time, but the I-610 had to be the worst of it. Hope lived on the west end of Spring Branch, not far from the toll way on Hammerly. As directed, he parked by the closed leasing office and texted her. A second later he saw her approach. As she opened the door and slipped inside, Decan admired her curves that were deliciously accented by a knee-length summer dress.

“Oh, wow,” she said with a smile. “You look handsome.”

“You look breathtaking yourself.”

That adorable blush he was falling for deepened her cheeks. “Thank you.”

Decan waited long enough to make sure she was strapped in before driving in the direction of the steakhouse.

“Have you been to this place before?” she asked, smoothing her skirt over her thighs.

“Often. It’s one of my favourites.”

“Their menu did look good. But do they reallywalk aroundwith steaks, like an all you can eat buffet?”

“They do.”