Chapter 123 - Living the Dream
Aaron really did miss Keeley and was more than a little peeved that Cameron saw his girl twice since they returned from Monaco and he couldn't even get a text back.
He texted her on Saturday morning to see what she was up to and got no response even after multiple messages sent throughout the day. By late afternoon he couldn't take it anymore; there was no way she was too busy this time.
He drove over to her apartment and banged on the door, ready to demand an explanation.
Aaron was not prepared to find the love of his lives looking like she just rolled out of bed when it was 4 PM. Her outfit screamed coziness and it was adorable, especially when she began blushing. It had been years since he last saw her blush. He couldn't even remember the last time.
Her explanation was reasonable but he didn't want to let her go after not seeing her for a while so he resorted to what she would probably refer to as kidnapping. She didn't even fight him on it aside from being slightly pouty. Progress.
Holding her like that…Aaron hadn't done it since the night she was drugged. He wanted to kiss her but had to hold himself back. Friends. They were friends. The kissing would come later.
"What did you get me?" she asked, no longer acting angry once he had deposited her in the passenger seat.
"If I tell you it will ruin the surprise. I think you'll find it amusing."
"And you picked this all by yourself? You didn't cheat and get somebody to help you?"
Suddenly Aaron was grateful he didn't ask for Cameron's help picking it out. "No, I picked it personally."
"Hmm," she said skeptically. He would show her. The spoon truly was ridiculous.
When they arrived at his apartment building, Keeley requested he give her a piggy back ride this time instead of just picking her up out of nowhere. He happily complied.
The only other time he had done this was when she unconscious from the drug. Why hadn't he ever carried her in his first life? Having her this close was wonderful!
His stomach sank. It was because back then he cared too much about decorum. He never would have allowed Keeley to leave the house in anything less than designer clothes, let alone let people see him carry her.
Aaron had been an idiot. What does decorum matter when you love someone? That's when it's supposed to go out the window.
He reluctantly set her down when they made it up to the penthouse. Keeley had buried her face in his neck in the lobby, presumably because she didn't want anyone to see who she was. Her face was still tinged pink as she stepped away from him.
"Where's the souvenir?"
He produced the box from the kitchen counter and handed it to her eagerly.
Keeley ripped open the packaging and stared at it. "…this is a spoon."
"Look closer."
She examined it more thoroughly, discovering the etching of the palace on the curved part. She snorted before dissolving into giggles. "Why would they even make something like this?"
"I have no idea. It was the most random thing I found though. Since you obviously like it, what do I get as a reward?"
Her laughter stopped immediately. "Who said anything about a reward? This wasn't a bet."
Aaron sighed. She was right; it wasn't. Why couldn't he ever get anything from her? Even getting a backhanded compliment was like pulling teeth.
"I went all the way to Monaco and brought you this spoon and you can't even do anything to thank me?"
Keeley looked at him suspiciously. "What do you want?"
"You were already watching TV on your day off. Watch here instead; my TV is much bigger." Her time was precious, which was why he wanted it. It would give him the illusion of feeling loved by her again.
She actually seemed relieved. "That's all?"
"That's all," he confirmed.
"Alright. Do you have any food though? I'm starving."
After she stayed the night, he purposely stocked up on snacks and food he knew she liked in case she came back. He instructed her to check the pantry.
"Ah, you have frosted animal crackers," Keeley sighed happily as she pulled out a bag. "I haven't had these in ages. Snacks are so expensive!"
She carried several different packages of snacks to the room that held the enormous entertainment system and a bed-like couch that took up most of the space. She was so awed by the splendor of the room that she dropped her bag of goldfish crackers.
"This is the coolest TV room I've ever seen in my life."
Aaron felt gratified. He had set it up with her in mind after all. Crossing the room, he picked up the remote and scrolled through the DVR recordings until he found what he was looking for.
Keeley's jaw dropped. "You…watch Dancing with the Stars?"
No but it was a show he noticed she watched a lot in his past life. He figured with how busy she had been lately that she hadn't had time to watch this season.
"I recorded it for you. I'm going to go get dinner; I'll be back."
Aaron turned and left the room without giving her a chance to respond. Now was the time to dote on her in the way he never could before. Anything in the world she wanted, he would have waiting for her before she even asked.
When he came back with one of his delivery service's ready-to-bake meals, she was so wrapped in blankets that only her face poked out and she was concentrating hard on the TV.
How odd. He had never seen her do this before. Was it comfortable?
"You look like an Eskimo," he noted.
"It's the best way to watch TV when it's cold," Keeley replied defensively.
"I never said there was anything wrong with it; simply making an observation. You seem very comfortable."
That was good news for him—if she liked it here, he could more easily convince her to visit again soon. Aaron wanted her to feel at home here in the apartment he bought for her.
Three episodes later, Keeley showed no signs of wanting to leave. She was engrossed in her show. Every so often Aaron would offer to refresh her snack supply or get her water but aside from that he was nothing but a room decoration.
He didn't mind one bit. Truthfully, he was thrilled. He could work on the expansion plan on his laptop and enjoy having her near him at the same time.
Aaron was living the dream.