“So, you didn’t just message me because of the bikini photo? I really thought that was my big selling point.”
“What? Me? Noooo,” he laughed. “I’m not that shallow. Okay, maybe that was why I first messaged you, but it certainly wasn’t why I kept talking to you. You’re an amazing woman, Delilah.”
“I can’t believe you’re the person who bought this. It was a really expensive painting; I remember that much. I remember standing in the gallery and how my heart raced as I looked at all the intricate details built into the red paint. Then when I moved closer and looked at the blue, it was as if a calming sensation took over. It’s really an amazing piece of art.”
“Noah painted something that looked a lot like this after our trip to Hawaii. It had the blue as the waves and red as the sky. I lost it, though. He painted it before he got sick, and we didn’t save it. If we had known he would get sick, I’m sure Rose and I would have saved every single thing he had ever done while at school.
“Anyways, when I saw it at the show, I just had to have it. I actually have never spent that much on anything, especially a piece of art. I was just moved to buy it.”
“I see how it could look like the ocean. I bet this is very meaningful to you. That’s what I think art is supposed to be. I know some people just collect paintings because they are popular or the artist is the latest thing. But to me, art should be about the emotion that the work evokes in you. Especially if you’re going to be spending this kind of money on it.”
“I could sit on the couch and stare at it forever. It really does remind me so much of Noah, but not in a sad way. It’s more like I feel his presence and he’s watching over me. It makes me feel calm just standing here in front of it. Maybe I’ll even be able to go back to Hawaii someday and the beach that inspired Noah’s painting.”
“I’d love to take Connor to Hawaii someday; he’s always wanted to go there. Probably because I’ve always wanted to go,” I laughed.
“I would really like to meet your son someday. I don’t want to rush you, and I don’t mean that I should meet him right away. I don’t even know if I’m ready to meet a little boy after losing Noah, but I do know that I want to continue seeing you, and that means I want to know your son and love him as much as I can.”
“That sounds like a very reasonable plan. But…” I said as I pulled away from him. “I think it’s only going to happen if you can keep your promises. Don’t you agree that it’s very important for people to keep their promises?” I smiled as I lured him into what I was going to say next.
“I always keep my promises.”
“Then get to work on that massage,” I laughed as I turned around and pressed my back up against him.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he swept me off my feet and threw me onto the couch.
It was so much fun to be with Brandon. He made me feel like I was young and carefree again. Being around him had my heart fluttering and my face smiling like I’d thought I’d never have the chance of experiencing ever again.
His lips explored every inch of my body as we lay together in his living room. Each touch of his hands, each kiss of his lips made me fall more and more in love with him. As his hands explored me, I felt comfortable in my skin, more so than I had felt in a very long time.
It was weird to have the word love on my tongue after only knowing Brandon for such a short time. I knew it was odd and tried not to think about it, but as we moved together, I knew the truth. I did love him, and I’d love him for as long as he’d let me.
Brandon and I had bonded so much in our short time together that I couldn’t wait to explore what would be next for us. But in that moment, I just wanted to feel the pleasure he could give me. We made love on his couch for hours and hours as our bodies melted together into one.
Life hadn’t been easy for me. It had thrown me some wild and crazy turns.
I certainly hadn’t expected to find love while working at a dating company and I hadn’t expected for one date to turn into the amazing feelings that I had toward Brandon. But there we were: two hurt humans who had found each other and healed each other.
Epilogue
Brandon
“If we hurry, we can catch the sunset,” I urged as we got into the car that was waiting for us a
t the airport.
“Brandon, if you hadn’t been on that call with your new business partners, we would have gotten off the plane in time to get over here,” Delilah teased me as we had the driver head to the beach. “Don’t blame this on me. I had all my shoes packed and ready to go on time.”
“Mom, where are we going?” Connor asked.
Connor had done fantastically on our flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu. It was a long flight over a lot of water and I wasn’t sure how well he was going to handle it. Delilah had told me that he was afraid of planes and even had a nightmare the night before because he thought our plane was going to crash.
As soon as the plane took off though, Connor seemed to relax as he cuddled between Delilah and I, and we had a smooth flight. It probably didn’t hurt that I had splurged on a private jet – it was nearly impossible not to be comfortable on one of those. I didn’t like to waste money, but if it was going to make him comfortable, I was willing to do it. In fact, I would do almost anything for that boy.
Delilah and I had been dating for several months and my time with Connor had really helped me grow as a man. I’d been so caught up in the loss of Noah that I worried I wouldn’t be able to be around Connor, but I loved being around him. He was fun, and we played and got along great. He taught me all about his favorite animal, the squirrel, and I taught him about throwing a baseball and how to hit off a tee for his tee ball league. We had without doubt become buddies, which was a huge relief for me.
“We are heading to the beach before it gets too dark to see the sunset. Remember that really cool picture at Brandon’s house? The blue and red one that is in the living room?” Delilah said as she held Connor’s hand.
“The giant one? Oh, man, I love that painting. I like the blue side better than the red, though.”