Weston opened the door, letting Monty run in and guided Laina in. The house, at first sight, was cozy and clean. The walls were bright and creamy and the couch was light slate blue. He offered her a seat on the couch and she took it sitting against a pillow. He quickly swept a piece of her hair back and walked through a doorway.
Laina touched her face where the hair had been and re-tucked her hair behind her ears. She picked up the fuzzy milk colored pillow and held it in her lap. The room had tall, medium-sized windows with no blinds and long heavy curtains with a decorative lace one between them. Now that she really looked, there were decorations everywhere: Candles on the coffee table, a blue rug over the white carpet, large hand painted vases and statues near the TV.
There were pictures on the walls with hints of pastel pink that warmed up the decor. The same pink was in stitches around the couch arms and barely noticeable flowers on the hem of the curtains. She leaned over real close and stared at them. Tiny blossoms hidden in the weirdest way.
"It's extravagant, I know," Weston said, making her jump. She turned and saw him holding a couple of glasses, which he sat on the table with a clink.
"It's beautiful." She said squeezing the pillow. He gave her a glowing smile and laughed to himself.
"It looks more like a magazine. Incredibly lifeless. Gina's an interior decorator and I implored her to not bring her career home..." He stopped, feeling that it was obvious that he had lost that war.
He took a hold of the yellow glass cup and sipped it. Laina stroked the pillow in her lap and looked down at her glass. It was tea. She wanted to drink it but felt horribly uncomfortable.
"You should think about a few plants." She finally took the glass and sipped it clunking the ice together. Weston leaned back in his chair and threw his arm over the back. He crossed one leg over the other and lightly bounced his boot.
"Hm, if you don't mind me asking, what made you move so quickly?" He paused and continued. "Without clearing out the house beforehand."
Laina set her glass down and pulled her hair to the side, twisting it with both hands. Her eyes darted around the room lost in thought. After accidentally meeting his eyes, she stopped and opened her mouth just enough to think about closing it again.
"I used to live down a few streets from here when I was a kid. I came down here to help clear out my parent's house and my step-sister told me she had already sold it. Everything. So I stayed in a hotel uptown and had a dream about here. When I woke up, I drove around and saw that the house was for sale. I stopped, and the daughter was there talking to someone." She took a deep breath.
"I talked to her and she really just wanted it gone, so I bought it. She barely wanted enough to even cover the property and my mom had left me more than enough money to cover it. There was just something about having my sister sell our parents' house and then finding this one being sold the same way."
"Do you regularly let your dreams drive your financial decisions?" Weston's dimples pop as he tries to hold his grin in. His eyes squint and he looks like a boy sprawled out ready to play and laugh. He's the only warmth in the room.
"Only when they feel right." She matches his grin. For a moment, and only a moment, the room seems to melt away. She only sees his smile and the way his movements make him seem so open to her. Then in a click of a door, the room snaps back and Gina walks in, the smile dropping from her face.
She stood there in her white blouse and pencil skirt with a look that felt like thousands of tiny knives stabbing into Laina. Weston stood up and kissed her cheek, never taking his eyes off of her. He didn't even look towards Gina when she opened the door.
"I didn't realize we were having guests over." She gripped the bag in her hand tighter and stomped through the room throwing her glare over her shoulder as she walked into the kitchen. She slammed down the bags and Laina made a face.
"Maybe I should go." She whispered leaning towards Weston. He shook his head no.
"Stay. I want you to." His voice was gravely and hushed. It caused her stomach to squeeze. Again in her head, she screamed 'married' at the top of her lungs. Was he flirting with her? Was his personality just that way? He made air hard to breathe.
Weston sat up and gave her a short smile. His boot tapped on the floor in slow soft pats. He reached out and placed his hand on the couch just beside her knee and stood up, leaning down next to her ear.
"She's just a prude around other people. Gina doesn't hate you and I know it seems that way." He stood up, winked at her, and went towards Gina. Laina's heart skipped. He was really close just then. Just a brush away from being incredibly personal.
There was low talking and Laina stood up and moved around the side table and peeked around the corner. She pulled back a bit and covered her mouth. Gina was bent forward over the counter with Weston just behind her talking into her ear. One hand was tightly wrapped around her upper thigh and the other stroked her hair.
Weston pulled her back and turned her around to face him. She looked up and away still snooty when he said something low. Her eyes opened wide and she looked up at him. He ran his hands down her shoulders and grabbed her hips, pulling her against him.
"Gina?" His eyes were dark and lusty.
"Yes, Sir." She whispered looking flustered. He smiled and kissed her cheek.
Laina squeaked softly and scrambled back to the couch. She was there sitting with her cup in her hand when Weston came back and paused. His eyes were still dark when he looked at her. He bit his cheek, glancing down at the discarded pillow Laina had been squeezing viciously.
She sat there leaned back looking like she had suddenly become comfortable with her glass between both of her hands. Weston smiled slowly and walked around the coffee table and sat down on the other end of the couch. He knew just by looking at her that she had seen something. He bit his lip and laughed.
"Do you like chicken stir-fry, Laina?" Gina peeked around the corner with a soft smile. She had thrown on a patchwork apron and her face had softened. There were no more piercing glares or dead voice.
"Yes." Laina nodded nervously. The mood change in the house was incredible. Gina smiled at her and looked flustered when she looked at Weston sitting behind her. He was smirking.
The moment Gina popped back into the kitchen the smirk slipped away. Laina never saw it for a second. Weston grabbed the remote and flicked on the TV. The news came on.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
