Life, Love & A Little Coffee

Chapter Seven- Rants And A Half

Ada fell asleep during the car ride and he hesitated waking her up when he pulled into the furniture store. It was obvious she slept about as much as he had this weekend, and she finally looked peaceful. A car in the parking lot had their alarm go off, so he didn't have to be the one to wake her.

Her green eyes opened drowsily. "We there?"

"Yup."

Tom stepped out of the car and walked around to open her door for her. He got a kick out of seeing her cheeks turn red from the gesture. Tom had was raised with a father who was a superb role model, telling him that all those miniscule gestures add up and make someone's day a little brighter.

Ada tucked her hair behind her ear and got out of the car, walking by his side into the store. There was little he could do to brighten her spirits, but he'd buy just about anything in this place if it distracted her from her worries.

"What's your spending limit?"

Tom shrugged. "Dunno. I guess we've reached the limit when my credit cards tell me no more."

Ada laughed. "How quickly does your credit card usually tell you 'no more'? Nevermind. Doesn't matter. Worse comes to worse, I have my card."

Tom leaned in. "I'm not taking your money, Ada."

While he wasn't chauvinistic by any means, this also wasn't her house and he wasn't about to let her spend her money on his place on anything more than a houseplant.

Ada just patted his arm like a grandmother. "We'll see what your card has to say at the end."

She scampered down an aisle, plopping down on a brown leather sofa, the kind she'd described Wednesday night. She wasn't as happy as she hoped though and sulked as she bounced a few times before discarding the sofa for another further down.

This one she leaned back in, moving around positions with a grin on her face. "Sit next to me," she ordered.

Tom did as he was told and admitted that Ada's smile was earned. "I like it." His hands felt around for the tag until he found it. "The fucking thing's twelve hundred dollars!"

Ada hit a button and her feet went up. "Yeah, but it reclines. You can't put a cost on happiness, Tom, and this couch is happiness."

"They put a cost on happiness and that price is too damn much!"

Ada looked at him, lines appearing between her eyebrows as she grimaced. "Have you been furniture shopping before?"

"Sure."

"New?"

Tom shook his head. "No."

"Please let me get you this couch."

His eyes narrowed at her. "No. You're out of your damn mind, woman. You aren't buying me a twelve hundred dollar couch."

The idea was fucking absurd to Tom. A rug, maybe. A clearance patio chair, sure. But a couch? Hell no.

"Ooh. It has a matching chair and a half!"

Ada jumped from the couch and ran over to the biggest chair he'd ever seen.

"What the hell is a chair and a half?"

"Will you stop swearing?" she scolded. "You're in a public place."

Tom rolled his eyes at her, which earned him a glare. "I'm sorry, but you seriously just said 'chair and a half' and that makes zero sense.

"I thought we were going furniture shopping. But you know what this is? It's pretentious. You got your twelve hundred dollar couches and your chair and a half." Tom pointed to the other side of the store. "You know what they got over there? A lamp made of crystallized angel tears or some shit for six grand."