CHAPTER36
LARISA
After working on my new laptop all day, I was in awe of how amazing it was. I hadn’t quite realized how much I’d been struggling on the old one until now. The software on the one Tanner had gotten me was incredible, and everything worked so fast and so seamlessly that my world had seriously changed because of it.
And to think, I’d never have bought it for myself. I might’ve purchased some of the same software Tanner had had installed for me, but I never would have spent so much on the machine itself.
The only drawback was that whenever I looked at it, which was all day, I thought about the man who had given it to me. Tanner had outdone himself with this gift, and even though I’d already thanked him, I definitely owed him another thank you.
I still couldn’t believe he’d gotten me anything at all, never mind that he’d bought me something so expensive. Price tag aside, it was possibly one of the most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for me, and I absolutely loved it. I loved that he hadn’t needlessly dropped a wad of cash on something that was impractical and unnecessary.
I didn’t quite know why he had felt he needed to get me a gift, but I’d grudgingly come to accept that he had. I had been contemplating how I could give it back to him without offending him, but now that I’d turned it on and worked on it, there was no way I was returning it.
He’d gotten it for me and I was keeping it. My mind was just blown by how precisely he’d managed to sum me up, as far as the perfect gift was concerned. It showed a tremendous amount of thought in choosing something that I would truly appreciate and be able to use.
It wasn’t what I’d have expected from someone like him. If I’d known he was going to get me anything, I’d have guessed he’d go for some flowers or maybe a piece of jewelry. Definitely not something like this. Not only was it far too expensive, but it showed a lot of insight into who I was and what I’d really like.
I closed the program I’d been working on and wheeled my chair far enough away from my desk to be able to hook my one leg underneath me. Then I picked up my phone. Leaning back, I rolled my neck from side to side and used my free hand to massage the muscles in my shoulders while I thought about what I could say to him.
I needed something that would accurately convey just how much this meant to me without sounding too gushy or too cold. The perfect in-between was difficult to find, though. My immediate thoughts would all sound too professional and therefore too cold to let him know how much this meant to me, but what I wanted to say would be much too unprofessional.
Eventually, I pressed my finger to the screen to unlock my phone and opened my messaging app. I’m just going to wing it.
Me: Hope you had a good day. Sorry for leaving so abruptly last night. You took me by surprise with the gift and I didn’t handle it as well as I should’ve. Thank you again for the laptop. It’s honestly changed my life. I’ll be sending you the first designs for the house soon. Good luck for the rest of the week.
As soon as I hit send, a wave of regret crashed into me. I didn’t know what I should’ve changed in the message, but as it sat there and I waited for him to read it, it felt like I could’ve done better. This is why I don’t just wing things.
I should’ve typed it up first, reread it, changed what I wanted to change, and then I should’ve sent it. But it’s too late for that now.
Sighing softly, I pushed my chair back farther and got up, taking my empty coffee cup to the sink to wash it before I started thinking about dinner. I’d barely walked into the kitchen when my phone beeped in my hand.
Tanner: You’re very welcome. I’m glad you like it. Can’t wait to see the designs you come up with for the house, but take all the time you need. There’s no rush. How was your day?
Surprised by the last question, I smiled as I washed my mug. It was such a domestic thing to have asked. I wouldn’t have expected it from him, but I was learning to expect the unexpected with that man.
After drying my hands once I’d set the mug down on the drying rack, I picked up my phone again to reply to him.
Me: Thanks to that laptop, I had the best day I’ve had in a long time. I can’t believe how fast it is. How was yours?
Tanner: Good. I’m glad. Day was fine. I went to see my mom. She says hi, by the way.
He added a few smiley faces at the end of the message, and I stared at it for a beat, my eyes wide.
Me: You told your mother about me???
Tanner: Yep. She wants to go see the house soon, but she’s also excited about what you’re going to do to it.
I swallowed. Hard.
Me: Well, now there’s absolutely no pressure, is there?
Tanner: LOL. My mom’s easy. Don’t worry about her. She’s just happy I’m finally branching out from the apartment. Apparently, she thought Jer and I would be raising our children there together.
Me: Wonder what Steph would’ve said about that, or do you mean yours and Jeremiah’s children?
Tanner: Mine and Jeremiah’s ;-) Mom never thought either of us would find a woman willing to put up with us in the long term, so she figured we could just adopt. Not sure that would’ve been a great idea. Poor kids.
Me: To be fair, they’d never be poor, but I get what you’re saying. What are you having for dinner? I’m considering eggs on toast.