THEODORE JACKSON KISSED Millicent Whitlock under the warm glow of the street light. It was quick, short, and he pulled away before she could react properly. Millicent held unto his hand as he stepped back from her. They both had work tomorrow but, she didn’t want the night to come to an end so quickly. Not yet, though.
“Are you free tomorrow?” She asked, tilting her head and bouncing slightly on her heels. She was still giddy from their date tonight at a candle lit restaurant where they had Italian wine and excellent garlic bread. She had loved the drive home too.
A look passed Theodore’s face. “Millie...” he started, exasperated, pulling his hand from hers. Millie almost shrunk, missing the warmth of his hand.
Her face fell and she looked at his shoes. “You don’t have to.” She said, trying to sound like she wasn’t disappointed. She didn’t want Theodore to get mad and think she was being needy.
“We just went on a date today,” he reminded her. As if she could forget.
She had been surprised, she wouldn't lie, when he called her. She was usually the ones making the plans in their relationship, the one trying to make things work.
“It’s our one thousandth.” Millie said, quietly, kicking a pebble away.
“Our what?” Theodore asked, already tired.
“Our 1000th day, since we started seeing each other.” she said, looking up. “I wanted us to do something together, tomorrow.”
Theodore gave her the smile that had won her over all these years. He pushed the blonde strands of hair falling into his face away. “You’re really cute for remembering things like that. But, don’t worry, I have a wonderful surprise planned.” Mischief danced in his dark eyes, “You’ll be shocked.”
He closed the distance between them and captured her lips again, long enough this time, causing her head to spin. She soon forgot to ask what the surprise would be, and when she would get it, distracted by his kiss.
As Theodore walked back to his car, he looked at her, “you’ll know when you see it.” his thin lips quirked up.
And then, he was gone, zooming off down the street and into the night. As Millie unlocked the door to her home, she couldn’t help but smile.
Finally, it seemed, Theodore was starting to see their relationship in a new light, he was starting to put in the work. It was all the motivation she needed to start working on completing the project and freeing up her day tomorrow.
***
LOGAN FOREST ADJUSTED the tie around his neck and proceeded to yank the thing off. He downed the rest of the whiskey in his glass and returned the bottle to his mother’s kitchen. His mother — Delilah Forest— descended the stairs, a glass of red wine in her right hand and the rest of her silk gown was gathered in the other. Her dark hair cascaded, in shiny waves, down her shoulder and back. It was the one thing Logan loved about his mother. It was one of the many resemblances between the two.
She smiled, a small smile that made her look younger, when she saw Logan. “Darling...” she called, her voice steady but her eyes unclear. Logan was sure that this wasn't her first or second glass.
He walked over to the bottom of the stairs and grabbed her hand, leading her to the living room, just incase. “What’s the occasion?”
“Oh, this?” she raised the glass and brought it to her lips, “I thought of a certain man with beautiful brown eyes.”
Logan surpressed a cringe. There it was. She was thinking about the same man from fifteen years ago. The same man who had broken her heart after she found out that he had a family.