I never thought we’d have a bad day between us, but we were young and maybe a little naïve to what lay ahead.
Chapter 7
Rosy
I check over the numbers one more time before I close out the accounting system and yawn. It’s time to get out of here and home to my husband. Every time I think of Darian as my husband I smile, loving that I get to call him that. Without thinking, I rub my finger along the gold band on my finger, a reminder of what matters.
Darian thinks I should have a giant rock to not only warn other men away, but because he thinks I deserve one. When he brings it up, I explain that his sisters being a part of it meant my ring was worth more than any diamond.
“Dr. Pepper with extra ice.” Lindsey sets the cup down on the desk next to me. “I tossed in a few cherries.”
“You’re a saint,” I manage to say around gulps as I enjoy the burn.
“You’re the saint. It takes me five times longer to do those numbers.” She rolls her eyes at herself.
“That’s why I do them for you. Gotta do something with that fancy college degree,” I tease even though this is accounting work. It’s not a far stretch from finance, and bookkeeping here is child's play.
I’m not sour about my degree even though finance wasn't a dream of mine. When I got to college, nothing grabbed me so I picked something sensible. The crazy part is that I make way more money serving tables than I do at any other job I’ve found. Well, the ones my father wasn't making sure I was strong-armed out of. For now, I’ll keep waiting tables and picking up small accounting jobs here and there.
“You have no idea how much this takes off my plate.”
“That makes it more than worth it.” Lindsey has always been there for Darian, and now she’s often there for me too. If there is anything I can do to make her life easier I’ll do it in a heartbeat. She’s only a handful of years older than me, but I often look to her as a mother figure for advice. We all do, really, because she’s an old soul that gives you the truth.
The other night waitress, Nikki, knocks on the door before she pops her head into the back office. “Rosy, there’s a man here to see you.”
“Is it a regular?” Lindsey asks as I stand, already knowing who it is.
“No, I’m meeting someone.” I glance over and see Lindsey lift an eyebrow.
“A man?”
“Yes, a man.” I shake my head, trying not to laugh. “I thought it was best to meet him here.”
My shift is over, but there’s no rush to get home. I live within walking distance, but Darian has a longer commute and won’t be home for another hour. It’s best that I do this and then tell Darian what I’ve done even though I already feel guilty.
“She’ll be right out,” Lindsey tells Nikki as she closes the door and I know I’m about to get grilled.
“It’s a man three times my age who has a fascination with clocks,” I rush to explain so I can speed up the impending interrogation.
“Wait, what?”
I laugh because it’s almost impossible to surprise her. If the twins were here, they would be going on about sugar daddies at this point.
“He buys vintage watches.” I walk over to my purse and grab the bag I keep it in. “I’m selling my grandpa’s watch.”
“You didn't tell Darian you’re doing this, did you?”
I shake my head, and she gives me a look.
“I know it’s going to be a fight, but it’s going to be a fight after I do what needs to be done,” I say firmly. I’m not backing down from this. Darian is always handling things for us, and I want to do the same.
Lindsey opens the door and motions for me to go ahead.
The deal is already set, so when I go out to meet him, it’s only a quick inspection before we make our exchange. He gives me his card in case I come across any more watches, and I take it to be nice, because this is the only one I have.
After I say my goodbyes to the diner, I make the short walk home. Dread begins to build in my stomach right away because I know there’s going to be a fight. I love my husband more than anything in the world, but there are a few demons he wrestles with. One being that he thinks he has to prove that he can take care of me. He already does, and I’ve never been happier in my life than I am right now.
When I get home I toss my keys onto the small dining room table that Darian and I spent last weekend refinishing. We watched reruns of The Office and ate Chinese food on the floor as we laughed and sanded. It was wonderful.
I hop in the shower and wash the smell of the diner off of me. When I’m fresh out of the shower, my phone chimes, and it’s a text from Darian telling me he missed the train and he's going to be fifteen minutes later than normal. Another text comes through and he tells me he’s bringing home pizza, and I smile.
It’s a little while later that I’m sitting on the sofa with the money from the watch on the coffee table in front of me. When I hear the key in the door I walk over, the ball of nerves tightening in my stomach. He smiles when he sees me as he sets the pizza on the table and comes over to pull me into his arms. He takes his time, his hands moving over every curve as he kisses me until we’re both breathless.
“Missed you,” he murmurs against my lips.
“I missed you too.” I give him one more kiss and he releases me. “Beer?” I ask.
“No, I think…” His words trail off when he sees the money on the coffee table, then his whole body goes stiff.
“I sold my grandpa’s watch,” I blurt out before he can ask.
“You what?!” It’s extremely rare for Darian to raise his voice, so the impact is not lost on me. “The grandpa that you loved and adored?”
I swallow and nod my head because I did love him fiercely. If he was still on this earth, he would have disowned my parents for the way they've treated Darian. I think a little of why I fell in love with Darian so fast, and it’s because he reminds me of my grandpa in some ways. I’ve never once doubted my grandpa would’ve welcomed him with open arms if he’d been alive, and Darian knows that.
“If he were here he would tell me I should’ve done it forever ago.” That’s the truth. My grandpa made himself a very rich man. It was later in life he realized what was really important, and he made sure he taught me those things. Too bad he couldn't undo what had been done with my father.
“We’re getting it back.” He grabs the money off the table, and I can tell from the look in his eyes he’s on a mission already. It's the same look he gets when a brilliant idea hits him.
“Darian.” I put my hand on his chest. “Hear me out, and then if you want to get the watch back, I’ll give you the card in my purse to do that.” He relaxes under my touch only a fraction.
“Okay,” he agrees, letting out a deep breath.
“Our time together is the most valuable thing to me, and I know it’s yours too.” I didn't grow up in the system like he did, but I do know what it can feel like to be all alone. “You’re having to spend two extra hours a day getting back and forth to work because the car needs fixed. I hate it and it’s a waste. Just like the watch is a waste sitting in a box under our bed doing nothing.”