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“What if we fizzle out?” she asks.
“Then we at least know that we gave our relationship a real chance.”
“Max,” she says.
“Peyton,” I return.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say that we can make this work?” I plead. “That you will take me back and that I can tear up these papers.”
She hesitates, and I can see her emotions warring with her, but she opens her mouth with a small smile and I know that I’m done for.
“So, where would you stay?”
* * *
I thought ahead of time, in case she didn’t welcome me into her home with open arms, and got a vacation rental for the next week and planned to stay there.
“Are you sure about this? I can stay at my place, and we can naturally date this week?” Peyton asks from the inside of the house while I’m checking the BBQ, fiddling with the knobs.
“I’m not going to force you to stay with me, but I would love for you to. It’s your call, if it’s too much too soon, then just let me know. I’ll back off, but I want you to know I’m all in, I’m doing this for us, because I want there to be an us.” I reply as I move back inside the house.
“I just don’t want to push myself on you,” she says.
“I think that it’s me, who pushed myself on you. I want you with me, I want you to be involved every inch of the way. I want to run ideas by you and I want you to be a part of my everyday life. I want this.”
“I just haven’t done anything like this before,” she says.
“Neither have I.” I say standing in front of her. “I’ve never gone to these lengths in any relationship before you.”
She lays her hand along my cheek and smiles with a tilt of her head.
“I can see how much you are putting yourself out there, and I’m thankful. Please be patient, because this is so sudden. I’m not entirely sure what we’re doing, and I think that I need it to sink in a little bit.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to push, but I just want you to see that I mean business. I am invested, and I want nothing more than anything for this to work. I want us. If you want me to sign the divorce paperwork and we can have no strings tied to our relationship, then I will. I just want to be with you.”
“Tell me about this new office that you are opening,” she takes my hand and leads me over to the side of the living room where the couch and loveseat is.
Since the company name is widely known, it helps in providing a prominent image that is far greater than a brand new company.
I tell her the gist of what we will continue to do, but the new areas we will see as well as the fact that I will still have travel back and forth between here and Settle as a partner from time to time, but ultimately the intention is to call Los Angeles home.
She nods as I speak and takes in all the information with ease as I give it to her until I tell her the one part that involves her company.
“You mean you want to have my company on reserve for party planning and my name will be in the referral?” she asks.
“That would be my choice, but of course, it’s the call of your boss.” I tell her.
“I don’t plan to go into the actual party planning role of the agency, Max. I enjoy the aspect of managing the office versus the planning aspect. I’m not entirely sure whether or not I want to go into managing projects, or people. That was part of why I turned down Seattle.”
“So, I should take your name off of my proposals?” I ask.
“Please? While I enjoyed the planning of that one company’s rebranding, I’m not sure that is the part of the company that I’m suited for,” she tells me, with honestly.
“Okay, I can leave you out of it, if that would make you feel comfortable. But can I still have permission to refer our companies to yours?” I question.
“Of course, just leave my name out of it.” she says. “I’m sure Mr. Frederick would be thrilled about the referrals.”
