Devil’s in the Details (71 page)

Chapter 23

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" Victoria was bent down, looking over the kiddie gate we had placed at the bathroom door to encase Holly in.

I chuckled, bending down next to her, my hand on her back, "Yes. She has her brand new bone patterned bed, her bone toy, her Navy blanket and the floor is covered in pee pads." I shook my head laughing at the shopping extravaganza Victoria went on after breakfast. Carting Holly around in her sweatshirt as we trolled up and down the aisles at the pet store, buying the little dog anything she sniffed or looked at. I pointed at the stuffed goat Holly was currently pawing at, "I even gave her that, since it smells like you." I stood up, plucking at Victoria, "She has water and I have Mary on speed dial if you panic."

Victoria sighed, reaching down to pet the puppy one more time before standing up, "I hate leaving her, it's only been a day." She looked at me with her own big grey puppy dog eyes.

I frowned playfully, whispering an awe and bending down to kiss her, "We will be back in a few hours, she'll survive. She survived two hours in a car with Stacy." I yanked on Victoria's arm, hearing my phone ring, "Oh, that's probably Stacy. She was going to head to the restaurant and grab a table." I let go of her arm, walking to the bed to open the text from Stacy. "Yep, she's there and says it's busy as fucking fuck." I rolled my eyes, reaching for my leather jacket.

"Can we stay home? Rent a movie and snuggle on the couch? All three of us?" Victoria stood up fully from Holly, smoothing out her tight dark blue blouse that met very tight dark blue jeans that had my mouth watering and eager to regift her first birthday gift.

I shook my head, swallowing hard, "Nope. This is your birthday and it would be good for us to get out of the house and mingle with our friends. Dani is on her way, she messaged me while you were telling Holly we weren't leaving her forever. Stacy is there without her boyfriend, meaning they had a fight and she will want to get toasted." I shrugged my jacket on, walking back over, "And I want to go out on the town with this gorgeous woman on my arm and have every man, woman, and animal jealous of me."

Victoria rolled her eyes, reaching for me, "Alex."

"Don't Alex me, I mean it." I winked at her, winding my fingers in her uninjured hand, "Let me take you out and let loose. Be crazy and silly for your birthday." I looked over her shoulder at Holly dragging the stuffed goat into her bed, curl up with it and pass out in two breaths. "See, even Holly wants you to go out."

Victoria looked over, smiling at how ridiculously cute the puppy was, "Fine. But can we be home before two? I don't want to sleep away tomorrow before we go to your moms."

I nodded, kissing her cheek before rushing over to the end of the bed where I had set the small purple bag with the rest of her gifts in it, "Deal." I also snagged the car keys from the dresser, "I'm designated driver tonight. I already told Dani that too. So you two can indulge in your weird sailor drinking games."

Grabbing the bag and my purse, I shook my head one more time glancing at Victoria whispering to Holly that we would be back and not to worry. My girlfriend was a giant soft hearted mush.

I moved downstairs to the kitchen, setting the gift bag and my purse on the island counter so I could dig around making sure I had everything, when I felt two arms slide over my waist and pull me into her body.

A small kiss landed on my neck, "Thank you, Alex."

I sighed, leaning back against Victoria, "You don't have to keep thanking me. It's your day." I grinned, motioning to the gift bag, "You still have a couple more to open and knowing mom, she'll have something for you."

Victoria kissed me again, "I want to thank you. Today has been amazing. Everything you've done today, has made me happy and excited that it's actually my birthday." She leaned away, "Makes it easier to take turning thirty-two."

I glanced over my shoulder, "Thirty-two? My, aren't you an old lady."

Victoria rolled her eyes, "I had to look at my license and make sure. My memory isn't what it used to be, plus you're right behind me in years." She winked at me, reaching around to grab the gift bag. "Can we leave this here? Open it later?" She lifted the bag.

I sighed heavily, folding my arms and giving the blonde a look, "You can open it now." I smiled lightly, "I did have second thoughts about taking it to the bar. Knowing how much Dani drinks, she'd probably spill something on it."

Victoria gave me a knowing look, "Yes she would." She dug in to the bag, "Alex, you didn't have to get me more. Holly and the shower gift was plenty." She smirked at me, lifting the tissue wrapped gift out of the bag. "And then there was the unexpected lunchtime gift in the living room."

I felt my cheeks heat up, "I couldn't resist. You know how much I love those ripped jeans of yours. Giving me sneak peeks, begging me to do something about it." I ran a hand over my hair, feeling very shy at how much I always wanted to touch her, no matter what she was wearing.

Victoria laughed, unwrapping the light lavender colored tissue, "Remind me to wear those jeans every day, even to the office when school starts." She turned back to the gift, her smile fading as more was revealed to her. "Alex…I."

I moved to stand next to her. "Ward helped me with this. I called him about the hospital tour and we got to talking. I rambled about how your birthday was coming and what to get the woman who has everything Navy related in the world." Leaning against her, "He gave me a few ideas and helped me track this down."

Victoria delicately lifted the old book up, running her hands over the thick cover, "Alex, this must have cost a fortune." She looked at me with glassy eyes, "I…don't…"

I placed my hand on her back, "You don't have to say anything. Ward pulled a few strings and called in a few favors. Found the book in an old shop in Scotland run by one of his old Royal Navy buddies." I smiled, kissing her cheek, "I owe Ward my first born, but he and I both agreed this was the perfect gift for you."

Victoria smiled, shaking her head, "It's incredible. A first edition of Casino Royale, in hardcover." She ran her eyes over the blue grey jacket, the red hearts only mildly faded as they bordered the yellow wreath. Victoria grinned, "A whisper of love, a whisper of hate." She titled her head down, "Words that stuck with me from the first day I read this book and still carries with me now." She looked up at me. Her eyes happy, bright and teary. "It also reminds me of how we met."

I took one step closer, my eyes searching hers, "In your office?"

She shook her head, turning back to the book, "No, in the metro station." She paused, her face falling for a second, "A whisper of hate led me a whisper of love." Victoria sniffled, setting the book down on the tissue, "Until that point, I only heard the whispers of hate." She half murmured the words out, gently wrapping the book back in the paper. She cleared her voice and took one step away from me, "We should get going before Dani starts calling every three seconds."

I nodded, "Okay." I watched her smile, her eyes meeting mine for a split second, the clouds bearing heavy around her irises before she turned away, moving into the den where I heard her set the book down on the desk and slip out what sounded like a muffled sob.

My instinct was to run to the den and ask if she was okay, if I had stepped across a line by asking Ward, or what she really meant about that night in the metro station. The way she looked at me and spoke the words from the book, told me there was something more to her memories of that night versus what we both accepted as the truth.

I felt my jaw twitch, my gut twist and all of the strange wary feelings I had shoved away since the Navy formal and Victoria's weirdness from months ago, came back. All rolling into a tidal wave that woke me up to the fact I shouldn't be so blind for the sake of love.

Victoria appeared around the corner, her face back to the light happy one from before, "Are you ready?" She held up her phone, "Dani is already there. It seems her and Stacy have birthday shots lined up and waiting."

I forced a smile, turning to my purse for the car keys, "Then we better get going, Stacy left alone with shots for too long means I will be hooking her up to an IV as she barfs into a plastic bag." I rolled my eyes, trying to chase away the strange feeling. I took two steps to the door, Victoria's hand falling into mine like normal as we left the house. She squeezed my hand, holding the door open for me to go out first. I glanced at her, whispering a thank you and catching the look in her eyes. One of love and fear, a look I had not seen in a very long time.

I sucked in huge breath of the cold night air, and walked to the car, smiling to Victoria talk about the first time she got really drunk at eighteen with grandma Edith at a boozy bingo party.

I listened, wishing that I could stay blind forever, but I couldn't and it was getting harder to when Victoria was showing more and more that she was hiding something from me.

The bar was packed for a Saturday night, filled with couples trying to keep the romance alive, groups of sports fans hooting and hollering over the football game on large TV screens lining the walls. Then there was the occasional single and wanting to mingle, weaving their way through the bar, smiling and winking at everything with a heartbeat.

I laughed to myself when a few gentleman eyes fell my way, urging Victoria on to scowl at them and pull me closer. Staking her claim on me and earning a few soft sighs from a lady or two, wishing their man or woman was so chivalrous or as hot as Victoria. I held tightly on to her hand, leading us to the back of the bar where it was a quieter and less crowded. Spotting Stacy right away, I waved at her, she waved back excitedly while still drinking from the giant beer glass in her hand. Dani was across from her, a small army of empty shot glasses lined up in front of her.

She grinned and waved back as she spotted us, shifting out of the booth to take a few steps towards us. "Well I'll be damned to hell and back, the Professor left the house. I had my money on her talking you out of coming out tonight. Choosing instead to stay in with a bottle of bourbon and pajamas."

Dani opened her arms for a hug, I shook my head laughing as I quickly hugged the redhead. The last few months, Dani and I came to a strange, tentative friendship that was weird but worked. Smelling the whiskey on her, I realized she was on her way to getting hammered. "It took some work. She did almost talk me into a pajama party." I backed out of her arms, watching her rush to Victoria and bear hug her. I laughed shaking my head as Stacy appeared next to me, poking my shoulder.

"That sailor can drink. There's no way in hell I'll be able to keep up with her." She grinned at me, "Victoria is going to get wasted tonight, you know that, right?"

I sighed, setting my purse down in the booth, nodding, "I do, but it's her birthday and she's earned her right to get wasted and relax." I smiled, watching Dani and Victoria laugh and smile like I had never seen the two do before, "I like seeing her like this, it's rare to see her so free and happy outside of our bubble."

Stacy took a large sip of beer, "Did she like the fur baby?"

"She did, loved it. Victoria wanted to cancel tonight for fear of leaving Holly at home alone." I glanced at Stacy, "She hasn't had the dog a whole day yet and she's already spoiled her and become the overprotective parent."

Stacy giggled, nudging me, "And here we thought you would be the overbearing mom. I can only imagine what will happen when you two start pushing out babies." She raised an eyebrow, "If you two decide to do that. I know it's only been a few months."