How To Bake The Perfect Apple Pie. Gina Calanni

I want to fall into a hole and not be here in this moment. I feel like a fool. I shouldn’t have overreacted.

      “I know and I’m sorry, truly.” Jack pulls my chin up. “Lauren, I promise I will never stand you up again.” He kisses me deeply. His hands are in my hair and I let my arms wrap around his body. His amazing scent of sandalwood and apples invades my senses. I’m immediately at ease. I’m dancing in the air. Jack is here. I’m in his arms. His big muscular arms. Arms that wrap me up and make everything better.

      I pull back from his mouth. “Let’s get out of here. Did you check any bags?” I eye his book bag.

      “I travel light.” Jack picks me up in his arms. “You’re the only thing I need.”

      I laugh. “Jack, put me down.” I’m aware of the other passengers who are ogling us. But it is quite a thrill to be in the air and in his arms. Especially since my last trip to the airport had left me empty-handed and depressed.

      Jack sets me on the ground, but I still keep walking on air. He grabs my hand and our fingers link together as we exit the airport terminal and enter the cold air.

      I’m anything but chilled. Jack has warmed me all over with a kiss from his lips and now the grasp of his hand. We hustle to the car and I beep my key fob to unlock the door. Jack opens the driver door.

      “Do you want me to drive?” He stares down into my eyes.

      I crinkle my eyebrows. “You don’t know where we’re going.”

      “Lauren, I’ve been to your house before.”

      “Right, but I seriously doubt you would be able to remember how to get there.” I toss my hair over my shoulder.

      “That’s why I have a co-pilot.” Jack taps my nose.

      I hold up my keys. “If you want to drive, you have to do it blind.” I raise an eyebrow at him. “As in no GPS and no Lauren.”

      “No Lauren—sweetheart, you know I’d never leave you alone in a dark parking garage.” He grabs the keys from my hand and leads me to the passenger side. Jack opens the door and slides me into the seat. He leans in really close to me. “I’ll take your challenge.”

      The door shuts and I roll my eyes. He is so arrogant. I almost hope he gets lost. Not that I want to be lost. But just so he can be knocked off his pompous ass.

      Jack turns on the keys and backs out of the parking spot.

      “So how was your flight?” I purse my lips to the side. I’m going to talk the entire trip even if it’s nonsense. I’m convinced the added jibber jabber will distract him enough to hinder his success in making it home.

      “It was really great, Lauren.” He cocks his head to the side and nods with too much emphasis.

      “Oh cool, that’s good to hear. And the food, did you have dinner?” I flutter my eyelashes at him.

      “No, unfortunately they didn’t feed us.” Jack feasts his eyes on me. “But it’s okay, they wouldn’t have served anything to my interest.” He winks at me.

      I roll my eyes. “Oh why is that, no Chinese?” I laugh.

      “Yeah, I doubt they serve Moo Gai Lauren on the plane.” He smirks at me.

      I roll my lips. “I haven’t eaten yet either,” falls from my mouth.

      “Do you want to pick up some takeout or would you rather be served?” Jack gazes at me. His icy blues are digging in deep to my brain and wandering down my body, tugging at my heated zones.

      I blink my eyes. “I wouldn’t mind going out for something to eat.” I raise an eyebrow at him.

      “All right, I’ll take you out. How about Indian?”

      I jerk my head back. “Mmm curry. Yes.”

      Jack clicks on the blinker and we exit the highway. Does he even know where he’s going? This is only the second time he’s visited me and the last time was a pretty limited weekend. We picked up Chinese and went to breakfast, but that’s it for dining spots.

      I cannot believe it. The car slows and Jack is pulling up in front of Mantras. One of my favorite Indian restaurants.

      “How did you know about this place?” I scrutinize his face and stare directly at him. I want to pull the answers from his mind. How could he know?

      “Good question, Lauren. I’m going to let you in on a secret, but you have to promise to keep it between the two of us.” He inspects me, waiting for a response.

      This is silly. But I oblige. “Yes, I’ll keep it a secret.”

      Jack leans in to my ear and whispers, “Google.”

      My shoulders slump and I groan. I can’t roll my eyes back far enough. “Haha. Fine.”

      I unbuckle my seat belt but before I can lift the handle on the door Jack is pulling it open.

      “Come on, let’s experience an array of flavors.” Jack pulls me in close to him and kisses my lips. I almost melt. But it’s cold and though I’m heated, I’m not a puddle. Jack leads me to the restaurant and we enter through the dark door.

      ***

      We’re back at my house and after my third glass of wine I run my eyes over Jack’s face. His eyes are full of worry. He looks exhausted.

      “I don’t understand. Why you don’t hire a manager to replace Sherry?” I sip my wine.

      Jack runs a hand through his blond hair. He takes a gulp of his wine and places it on my coffee table. “Lauren, would you consider coming back to Texas and helping me run Vintage Estates?”

      I blink several times. After Sherry took off with all the money from Vintage Estates, and then some, I had helped Jack get things somewhat settled over Christmas. His Aunt Minnie had transferred a large sum of money to help get Vintage Estates sorted financially and I’d helped organize all of the accounts and bills. He had asked then if I would stay, but I told him I couldn’t because of my promotion and that was before he asked me to marry him.

      “Jack…I can’t. I just started my new position. It would jeopardize everything I’ve been working towards to leave it.” I wipe a hair off my face.

      He shakes his head. “I know, I’m sorry for asking. I just…it would make things so much easier if you were at my side.” Jack pulls me into his lap.

      I bite my lip. Shiat. This is so difficult. My heart is screaming at me, telling me to say yes and rush off to help Jack and Vintage Estates. But my brain has thrown a big foot down and blared veto power music in my mind. Leaving my job right now would be career suicide. I can’t and won’t do it. It’s just not right. I owe my business-self more than just to rush off with some guy. Argh…but he isn’t just some guy…he’s Jack and we’re supposed to be getting married.

      One of us will have to budge. One of us will have to move. Why shouldn’t it be me? I swallow. But why shouldn’t it be him?

      “Listen, I really want to…but it just doesn’t make sense businesswise for me.” I bite the inside of my cheek. That was a really callous thing to say. “I mean…it would be suicide for my career.”

      Jack leans forward and pours more wine into our glasses. He takes a long sip. “You’re right and I’m proud of you for not buckling. It might be the easiest option but it doesn’t mean it’s the right one. I’ll figure something out.” He puts his wineglass down on my coffee table and places his hand on the back of my head.

      “We’ll figure something out. You’re not alone in this, Jack. This isn’t all on you. We’re a team now, right?”

      He smiles at me. “Right.” Our lips meet and I’m being led away from my worries, away from the what-ifs and hows. Nothing is there, just bliss. Pure, deep, loving kisses. Kisses