I Hate You, I Love You

Chapter 10: The Wait

At the end of our date, Dinah walked me to my door and kissed me goodnight, promising to call when she got home. She called to tell me she got home safely and when I went to bed that night she was all I could think about. The way she looked at me with soft eyes when she thought I wasn't paying attention, like she knew everything about me. The smirk she sported after flaunting her chest to the young girl behind the counter, happy with the fact she made me jealous. How she was able to convey so much emotion in a simple kiss, without having to utter a word.

When I finally fell asleep that night I imagined holding her in my arms and smiled when I inhaled the smell of her sweet perfume that lingered on my skin.

"So we're standing around the nurse's station," Ally was saying as she waved her hands around for dramatic flair. A guy walks into a bar...insert witty punch line here.

My eyes watched her mouth as it moved to form words then spread into a wide smile before opening in laughter. My brain didn't care. All it could seem to do lately was think about Dinah.

Dinah. I smiled. She was currently in Connecticut on assignment and it had been three entire days since I'd seen her. She came by my place the day after our date as she was on her way to the airport to tell me that she just got a job out of state and wanted to see me before she left. The assignment was only a week long and she'd be back this weekend, but not being able to see her left me feeling, well, lonely.

Every night since she'd left she called me and we would talk for hours, but it wasn't the same as seeing her and talking face to face.

"Lauren," Ally shouted.

My eyes snapped open and focused on Ally. "Yeah, I'm listening."

"No you're not," Ally waved over the waiter. "Can we have the check, please?" She looked at me and pointed at my plate. "You haven't even touched your food. You're too busy over there on Cloud Dinah."

"What?" I feigned shock. "I am not."

"You didn't hear a word I said. You didn't even laugh at my story about work," Ally pouted. "So hear this," she perked up. "I'm planning a girls night for us this Saturday. Mani is coming. I'm inviting Dinah. And you better show up. Bring pajamas."

My ears perked when I heard that. Pajamas? "I'm in."

The check arrived and Ally grabbed it. "I'll get lunch since I'm the only one that ate."

Ally paid and gave me a hug before she left. The waiter brought a container out for my food and was nice enough to box the food up for me. I tossed a five dollar bill onto the table before heading home only to sit in traffic for forty-five minutes before I finally walked through my front door.

After putting my carry out container in the refrigerator, I went to the couch to lie down. I woke up a few hours later to my phone ringing. In my search to locate the device, I ended up missing the call. When I found it in my purse I was surprised to see that I had three missed calls and a number of texts. All from Dinah. As I was about to call her back my phone rang again.

"Hey," I answered. "Is everything okay?"

She heaved a sigh of relief. "Yes. I got worried when I couldn't get ahold of you."

I smiled as I walked into the bedroom and crawled into bed. "You don't have to worry about me, Dinah."

"But I do." There were sounds of movement coming from her end and I closed my eyes, imagining her in bed trying to get comfortable.

"I miss you," fell from my lips. My eyes shot open. I hadn't meant to say that aloud, but it was true and I couldn't take it back. "Have you talked to Ally? She's wants us all to get together this Saturday."

"Yeah, she called me earlier and invited me."

"Are you going?" I held my breath as I waited for her response. I hadn't realized how much I wanted her to be there until this moment. In fact, if she declined the invitation I would understand. She would just be getting back from work on the East Coast and would more than likely be exhausted. But, I decided then that if she didn't go I wasn't going either.

"Mmhmm," she hummed. "I wouldn't miss it." Hearing her say she was going made me giddy and my face scrunched up in excitement. I almost wanted to slap myself. What the hell had she done to me? "You're going too, right?"

Now I was. "Yeah."

"Good. Want to wear matching pajamas?" I could almost hear her stupid smirk through the phone.

Saturday couldn't come fast enough. The next few days I focused all my attention on the two pieces I was working on and had the abstract painting done by the time Friday evening rolled around. When I woke up Saturday morning full of energy, I went to work on the piece I was painting for myself. I hadn't put much thought into this piece because I wanted it to be what ever it wanted to be, to have it flow freely through me and onto the canvas. When it was time for me to get ready for the evening, I paused as I set my brush down, surprised to see a familiar brown eye and an even more familiar green eye looking back at me.

As I showered and packed my overnight bag, I put thoughts about the painting aside. Tonight I was going to see Dinah for the first time in a week. It was just after six when I got to Ally's. Dinah's flight was due to land around four so I had timed my arrival in hopes of meeting Dinah outside of the apartment building.

I waited fifteen minutes before giving up and headed inside. Ally answered the door in an apron covered in flour. "Are you baking or just dumping the flour on yourself?"

She laughed and pulled me inside. "Normani thought it would be cute to blow flour at me. You can put your bag in the guest bedroom."

"Got it." I kicked my shoes off at the door before dropping my bag off in the guest room. When I entered the kitchen Normani was dancing and Ally looked like a mime. Her face was now completely covered with flour and she was pouting. "What the hell happened?" Ally pointed at Normani. "I don't have time for this." I was half way to the couch when there was a knock at the door.

"Give me that," Ally said.

"No, I'm mixing it," Normani shot back.

With those two occupied, I bolted over to the door and pulled it open. Dinah stood in the hallway wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a red tank. Her hair was up in a messy bun, but she looked great. She smiled when she saw me and dropped her bag, pulling me into a fierce hug. Holding her and having her hold me felt so right. "I missed this," I whispered against her.

She pulled back and cupped my face, looking me in the eyes before kissing me softly over and over again. "Hi," she smiled against my lips.

"Hey," I said dumbly. I cleared my suddenly dry throat and stepped back. "Come in. Ally and Mani are in the kitchen assaulting each other."

Her laugh was music to my ears. She picked up her bag and stepped inside. "Where should I put this?" she indicated her bag.

"I guess you could put it in the guest room with my stuff." We walked to the guest bedroom where she put her bag down and pulled me in for another kiss.

"It was torture not being able to touch you," she said as her hands caressed my sides.

Grabbing her hands, I guided them to the small of my back and stepped into her. My arms slid up under hers and my hands gripped her shoulders from behind as I kissed my way up the nape of her neck to her earlobe. She smelled just the way I remembered.

"Are we assaulting each other now?" she whispered hotly.

"Dinah," I groaned. She smirked and my stomach did somersaults.