Love for Dessert (Contemporary Romance)
Read Love for Dessert (Contemporary Romance) Online
Authors: Kate Goldman
Published by Kate Goldman
Copyright © 2014 by Kate Goldman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems – except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews – without the permission in writing from its publisher, Kate Goldman.
Table of Contents
I want to dedicate this book
to my beloved husband, who makes every day in my life worthwhile. Thank you for believing in me when nobody else does, giving me encouragement when I need it the most, and loving me simply for being myself.
1
Anastasia Emmott shuffled papers around on her desk aimlessly as she stared out the giant glass windows of the office. The sun was still somewhat bright against a blue summer sky.
Her phone sat beside her computer and she picked it up with one finely manicured hand as she checked the time. Half an hour until her shift was done. It was another boring day at work and Anastasia thanked the heavens that it was Friday.
Lately it seemed like the office was a noose around her neck, suffocating her slowly. Though she had never been a particularly negative person, Anastasia couldn’t deny the fact that she was growing to hate her job. Her coworkers had seemed friendly, and they had been at first. That was a year ago. Now, they seemed dull.
They weren’t cruel or unusual. It was just that they were so completely and utterly boring. She swore that if she looked up the definition of the word “boring” in a dictionary, their pictures would be next to it. All they did was work, take care of their kids and maybe play golf on the weekends. For a twenty-five-year-old like Anastasia, they and their kind of life didn’t look very appealing. Though her cubicle was pretty big for her position, and she made enough to get by comfortably, she craved excitement and something different almost every day.
Her phone rang quietly. The caller ID read Ariana Clemens, Anastasia’s best friend. She looked around to make sure no one was watching her take a personal call. She was glad to see that everyone was busy staring at their computers or chatting among themselves. “Hey Ari, what’s up?”
“You will not guess what happened! You need to come over tonight. I’ll tell you
all
about it.” Anastasia grinned. Typical Ariana. Her excitement was always infectious, and Anastasia loved it. Ariana had always been like this, ever since they had been small children.
“Alright, alright. I will. I’m off in half an hour, I’ll head there immediately, okay?”
“Mmkay! See you soon!” A quiet click told Anastasia that Ariana had hung up. That was Ariana, never a dull moment.
Anastasia sat back in her comfy black chair, playing with a strand of her light golden hair as she wondered what Ariana’s great news was. Her phone buzzed, letting her know she had a text. Ah, it was Aaron. Aaron Rose was Anastasia’s boyfriend of three years. They had met while she was at college, and had been together ever since. His dark brown hair and twinkling blue eyes attracted her to him almost the moment she laid eyes on him. She was almost certain that this was the man she was supposed to be with for the rest of her life. And he seemed to feel the same.
How’s work?
The text read.
I’ll be home earlier tonight, so I’ll make or bring dinner. C U.
Aaron used to text her with smiling faces and sweet words, but Anastasia pushed her feelings of insecurity deep down into her heart. They were in love. And he would propose one day, right? Anastasia sighed as she texted back that she would be home after Ariana’s.
The next half an hour sped by as she attempted to work, but found herself constantly distracted, thinking about Ariana’s news. She remembered her mother had tried getting her diagnosed for ADD because she was so easily distracted, but had finally come to the conclusion that Anastasia was just different and her mind worked in different ways.
Anastasia’s mother, Erica Emmott, was indeed something else. She had already been married five times, and was soon about to go on her sixth. Erica was always telling Anastasia that she needed to find a man, to get settled down. And after Anastasia found Aaron, she didn’t stop there. She just kept saying that Aaron needed to propose. Just thinking about her gave Anastasia a migraine.
Anastasia opened her email inbox, and saw there was an email from her mother sitting there. Speak of the devil… The subject title read
ANASTASIA!
in all capital letters and a loud exclamation mark. That sounded like trouble but Anastasia clicked it anyway. She scanned it quickly, taking in her mother’s irritated words, telling her that she needed to visit and it had been ages since she had last. In actuality though, it had only been a couple days.
Thankfully, Anastasia’s phone beeped, letting her know that it was time to clock out. She grabbed her phone and bag, and headed out as quickly as possible. She breathed in the fresh air of Chicago, happy to be free for the night. It was easy to get a taxi and she headed towards Ariana’s place.
As soon as Anastasia reached the apartment that Ariana shared with her boyfriend Peter Gold, she knocked on the door, excited. “Hey!” Ariana called happily as she opened the door. “Come in, come in.”
“So, what’s the big news? Spill it!” Anastasia collapsed onto the sofa as Ariana smiled coyly. Ariana’s adorable features made her look like a child and her flaming red hair seemed like something out of a cartoon. She had freckles on both cheeks, something she had been self-conscious about but with Anastasia’s help had gotten over.
“It’s about Peter…” Ariana giggled. “He proposed!” she exclaimed as Anastasia let out a squeal of surprise.
“Oh my God! Show me the ring!” Ariana held out her left hand and there it was, the big sparkling diamond. “That’s gorgeous!” Anastasia felt a pang of jealousy but she pushed it away. It truly was a beautiful piece of jewelry, and it showed very clearly just how much Peter loved Ariana.
“Will you be my maid of honor, Ana?” Anastasia nodded happily as she oohed and aahed appropriately over the incredibly expensive rock. “So, Ana,” Ariana started after the initial surprise had passed, “when is Aaron going to pop the question?”
Anastasia sat back into the sofa and picked at her perfectly manicured nails nervously, unsure how to answer the question. “I guess sometime soon. I’m sure he will though…” she said in a wistful tone. She couldn’t deny the seeds of envy that grew within her heart, for she didn’t want to admit that it looked like Aaron was never going to propose.
“Don’t worry, Ana, I’m sure he’ll propose soon! Then I can help you plan your wedding!” Ariana was endlessly optimistic, and Anastasia was glad that Ariana didn’t notice that anything was wrong. She didn’t want to talk about it at all. The rest of the visit passed uneventfully, and Anastasia had a fun time discussing wedding plans with Ariana.
She returned home around six, looking forward to seeing Aaron. She turned her keys in the lock and opened the door, feeling relaxed the second she saw the familiar sights of her own apartment. A lovely aroma was in the air and Anastasia was certain that Aaron was making something delicious. “I’m home, darling!” she called happily. Anastasia walked into the kitchen, dropping all her things on a chair beside the table. “What’s cooking?”
“Just soup.” Aaron was wearing a plain white apron, stirring something in a big silver pot. “Welcome home.” She kissed him on the cheek as she grabbed white bowls out of the cupboard. “It’s almost done. Thanks.”
Aaron looked good today, and Anastasia liked it. She could smell his signature scent as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. “You smell nice.” She kissed his neck tenderly. Usually, this was Aaron’s favorite move of hers.
Aaron didn’t say anything, and merely ladled the soup into the bowls. “Let’s eat.”
She was hoping he would compliment her, or say he loved her, or show any sort of affection, but he didn’t. Anastasia pressed her lips together as she sat down and began to eat her soup. “This is good.”
Aaron smiled awkwardly.
Anastasia continued to attempt to make conversation. “So, you remember what is in two weeks, right?” She grinned happily.
“Our anniversary, right?” Aaron hoped he was right, because he honestly didn’t know.
“Yep! I was thinking of going out to dinner… Just a small celebration. What do you think?” Anastasia picked at her soup. Aaron had forgotten that she didn’t like onions. Again.
“Yeah, sure, that sounds good…” he said in a quiet tone. He was tired, yes, but recently, to him, their relationship had seemed like one big bothersome thing that stood in his path. He loved Anastasia, he truly did, but he felt like they just weren’t the right fit for each other.
Anastasia wasn’t the type of person to point out things that were wrong. She lived by the motto “ignorance is bliss.” So she kept her mouth shut.
He’s just tired from a long day at work, right?
she thought, hoping it was true.
“I’m done,” he said as he brought his bowl to the sink, and dropped it loudly. Anastasia sighed as she picked at her soup, her appetite suddenly lost. She forced herself to finish the rest of the food as she washed the bowls and put them away. Anastasia had grown into the role of housewife, and sometimes she wondered if Aaron took her for granted.
She headed into their shared bedroom, where she found Aaron using his laptop at the desk. “Hey,” she said.
He didn’t even look up. “Hi.”
Judging by his response, he wasn’t too enthusiastic to be talking to her but she brushed it off and continued on. “So, Ariana’s getting married… Peter proposed. Isn’t it wonderful?” she said as she moved closer to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his neck. She planted a kiss on his cheek.
“I suppose,” he said as he kept his eyes trained on the bright screen.
Clearly, Aaron wasn’t getting Anastasia’s hints about marriage. “Do you think we’ll be like them?” she tried again, more obvious this time.
“Maybe.”
Anastasia moved her hands downwards towards Aaron’s crotch area, her intentions clear to him. She wanted a reaction out of him, or something more than a couple one-word responses but she wasn’t going to get it. “Ana, I’m busy, not now, okay?” Aaron had never been one to turn down sex and this surprised Anastasia more than anything.
“Alright… I’m going to bed then,” Anastasia muttered, her heart heavy. “Goodnight.”
And that was that.