Trivial Pursuits Ch. 21

"Looking for a pace to live."

He looked at her in sharp confusion. "What?"

"Mr. Cho's son is selling the house. I think it'll be on the market by the first of the new year, less than four weeks away. My contract won't extend to the new owners, so, even if they allow me to stay, it won't be at my current rate. Anyway, I don't know if I could live there, not with new people weeding his garden and trimming his hedges." She teared up, much to her annoyance. Clearing her throat and tossing the apple core away, she went on. "So, I think it's just best if I find a new apartment somewhere."

"Live with me."

Alessa looked up sharply at Denny to find him gazing at her intently, something fierce in his eyes. Denny hadn't meant to blurt out his first thought, but he didn't regret it either. Instinctively he knew this was the next step they needed and instantly wanted nothing more than to wake up next to her every morning.

For the rest of his life.

"Move in with me," he repeated, softer this time, the sharp intensity placed with honest longing.

"Denny, I'm not sure—"

"What new thing have you ever been sure about?" he asked gently, coming to sit across from her at the small table, his boiling water long forgotten. "What have I ever suggested that you didn't first want to refuse? But hasn't everything turned out fine? Better than fine?"

She regarded him, half want, half fearful uncertainty.

"And what happens in a year?"

The shift in his expression was miniscule, but to Alessa, it spoke everything. The idea that she still behaved as if this arrangement-their relationship-was only an experiment, that their time together was only finite, no matter how exquisite, upset him immeasurably. And yet, she knew the near-imperceptible tightening of his features was his attempt at restraining such frustration with her.

"You really think I'll be over you in a year? That this will die that quickly? If at all?" he asked evenly, daring her to contradict the strength of his feeling. The depth of hers.

'But if not a year, when?' She didn't want to live in that uncertainty. But how could she avoid it?

"I need to think about this, Denny. I'm not saying no, just...it's not prudent to rush headlong into something like this," she argued.

Denny was silent as he considered her reasoning. He nodded in acceptance. "Very well, but will you promise to discuss this with me before you make your decisions? Allow me to argue my case?" He gave her a soft smile of encouragement as he continued to study her.

Alessa's expression remained solemn, but she nodded. "Of course. If I want to say no, I'll give you a chance to convince me," she replied, though she knew she really wasn't likely to raise any objections. The only reason she had to reject the offer was based on her fear that it would all end badly, that he would eventually stop loving her as he claimed and move on to someone else. And what could he say in defense of that? He would promise that it wouldn't happen, or as Lou claimed, sometimes messy, heart wrenching break ups did occur, but that the joy experienced before then was always worth the risk. And what sort of reassurance were any of those answers?

But it was the call she received on the following Monday that forced her hand. It took her a moment to realize it was Hyun-Joong's voice on the other end. He was calling from Seoul and had been thinking about her. "Have you now? And what were you thinking?" she asked smiling, reclining back in her chair, happy to be distracted from the contract before her.

"How badly the team here needs you."

"You mean at the Seoul office?"

"Yes. Right now the two lawyers Denny has assigned to handling the day-to-day, well one of them is alright, but the other, just a tourist!" he laughed miserably. "He has no idea about any cultural implications of some of his decisions. The man's a moron."

Alessa frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I could say something to Denny about it. Which lawyer?"

"The only thing I want you speaking to Denny about regarding Seoul is that you've decided to leave him for me," he chuckled. "So, what do you say? Seoul? Come over here and soak up the Korean lifestyle?" he begged prettily.

Alessa giggled, but then sighed. "Can't."

"And why is that? What's so great about San Francisco? Or is it that your work is everything you dreamed of?"

There was a pause as she debated admitting Denny anchored her more than anything else, but Hyun-Joong beat her to it. "Or is it a who?" he asked knowingly. "You'd really give up your career for some casual relationship?"

Alessa sighed. "It's a little more serious than casual, I'm afraid," she admitted, ironically feigning gravity to hide just how serious her feelings were.

Again another pause. "How serious?"

"Well, we've met each other's families; we spend the majority of our free time together; he told me he loves me; and now," she took a deep breath, "he's asked me to move in with him."

At first, the silence on the other end lasted so long Alessa thought they'd lost the connection, but when she asked if he was still there, he spoke.

"No, I'm still here. Alessa, I'm sorry, I didn't realize things had gotten so serious. Congratulations, I guess," he answered in a voice not as merry as his words, before bucking up and laughing. "Well, to the best man go the spoils I suppose. But if you ever change your mind, I'd like you to sincerely consider coming to Seoul, all flirting aside. Even if for just a year assignment. You'd be invaluable and it would be the experience of a lifetime."

Alessa nodded softly, though he couldn't see her. "Sure, if something here changes, I'll be sure to keep you in mind."

After another minute of catching up, they said their goodbyes, and when Alessa hung up, she studied the computer in front of her for only a moment before standing up and striding purposefully to Denny's office. Clare waved her on through with a smile. Alessa knocked softly on the door before stepping in and shutting it behind her.

Though both of her feet were solidly planted on the carpeted floor before his desk, she felt as if she were at the end of the plank, about to step off to either plunge into shark infested waters or fly with fairy dust.

"Okay. I've thought about it and, provided all the particulars are worked out, I have decided to move in."

Denny's pleasure was immediate but measured. "Glad to hear it. And what terms do we need to work out?"

"Bill payment, primarily, though logistics of furniture meshing are also essential. Closet space."

"You don't really have a lot of furniture," he pointed out, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips.

"That's not to say that I don't want to feel at home in my surroundings. While your furniture is...nice, it's yours. If I couldn't change anything then I would feel like little more than an extended weekend guest."

He nodded. "And what pieces did you have in mind?"

She opened her mouth and then shut it, thinking rapidly for an answer. "Well, perhaps furniture isn't the issue, but the few decorative items I have that I wouldn't want to be without. Like my Ryman print."

Denny's brow furrowed. "You mean your white painting?"

Her head cocked to the side just a little, a trace of stubborn defensiveness at her chin. "What do you mean? There's some blue-gray in it," she muttered before adding, "And just because it seems mostly white doesn't mean there isn't something to it. The original is priceless. It's an excellent example of reductive art."

"The white painting," he repeated and then gave a shrug. "Sure, it's a nice piece. And clearly you like it. I see no problem with it. What else?"

"Well, I don't know off the top of my head," she said in slight exasperation, not having intended to be put through the third degree. "But when I have to box things up for storage, I'm sure I'll wanna keep some things with me."

Denny had stood during her answer and walked around to the front of his desk to lean against it, a true smile at last breaking his slightly antagonistic expression. He cocked back his head, inviting her nearer. When she was within reach, his arms wrapped around her waist pulling her intimately against his body. Her hands went to his chest as her face angled up.

Cupping her cheek he murmured, "Sweetheart, I'd let you bring a circus with you if it meant I'd fall asleep with you in my arms every night." And then he swept his lips over hers in a sweet caress only meant as thanks, but which grew into something so much more fevered and needy.

The buzzing of his phone finally pried them apart, Alessa smiling warmly as she wiped her mouth dry. Unfortunately the call was one he had to take. Looking at her apologetically, he mouthed that they could discuss it that evening. She nodded in understanding and departed his, her skin humming with electric tingles of excitement and dread.

Alessa postponed her nightly run in order to push through the last of the work before her and be free by seven or so to eat dinner with Denny and discuss logistics. She went to the break room to retrieve her dinner and found Denny had food in there as well. And though others still milled around working, the unease that they might begin to catch on to her and Denny's relationship seemed diminished somehow. She therefore carried her and Denny's food to his office without much thought to who noticed.

Standing in his doorway, she took a moment to smile at his appeal. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms as he leaned on them reading the paperwork before him. His suspenders that day were black and were nicely balanced with the pale blue shirt and white collar.

"Good evening," she demurred silkily and walked in after shutting the door. "I brought food."

Denny sat back in his chair, stretching his arms high and back to stretch his tired body. "You are a goddess."

"I don't know about all that."

"A good bar wench at the very least, then."

That made her laugh. She had begun to dig out their food from their respective bags, putting them on the plates she had brought. "And just what are the duties of a bar wench?"

He watched her smiling mouth, images flashing in his mind of just what a bar wench would do if paid. "I'm sure you can use your imagination."

As she handed him his plate her eyes flicked up to him. "Maybe. Alas, this establishment doesn't allow sheep," she deadpanned.

Denny burst into laughter. It took him a moment to recover before he was able to take a bite. Once they had settled into their food, he began the conversation.

"Okay, so how should we do this?"

Alessa looked up from her turkey and cranberry sandwich. She gave a delicate shrug of her shoulder. "I don't know, how have you done it in the past?"

Denny's mouth twisted in half smile. "I haven't," he confessed.

"You haven't? You mean you've never lived with someone?"

"Nope. You'll be my first," he said softly.

How he made her face flush hot even after all their time together, she'd never know. "Oh, well, I guess we'll just go about it systematically." She cleared her throat picking up a pen. "Well, first is rent. Oh, but it's a condo, right? You're buying it?"

He nodded. They were silent as they studied each other, their legally-trained minds going down the very same path of thought. "You know," Denny started preemptively, "we could draw up a cohab agreement, stating that you could have a return on the equity you contribute to if ever...we no longer lived together."

She thought a moment, her gaze steady though her heart beat rapidly. "Maybe let's see how the first month pans out before we make this too complicated. After all, I plan on paying rent at the moment, not buying property, regardless if I live with you or not. We can consider my contribution just that. At least for now."

When Denny only nodded, she continued on. She suggested a joint account to which they would contribute an equal amount to pay all their bills from. Denny shrugged and said it was very logical.

With that arranged, she began to make a list of things she would need to do in order to get everything moved. "It's only Monday," she thought out loud. He looked up, catching her eyes. "I could get everything packed by this weekend...well, at least things I'd want to take with me. I could be ready by Friday," she said slowly, gauging his reaction. "How 'bout you? Can you clean out half of your closet?" she tried to smile playfully.

"To make room for you? Absolutely."

Again she was blushing, and so she cleared her throat and looked down at the paper she was making notes on. "Okay, if you can work on getting all your hard bills listed this week and then this weekend we can sit down and make a budget for other things, such as groceries and whatnot." She scribbled some notes, using work as a distraction from the rising and falling of her stomach that was not ready for this ride. Once there was nothing personal left to discuss and delegate, she turned her attention back to her food.

Denny had finished his own dinner and was back to writing on his laptop. "And what are you working on?" she asked.

"I'm making a pitch to that new communications technology start-up I told you about, the one that spun off from SRL. They're in the market for a strategic planner, and I think they could be big."

"So you're going after them?"

"That's right. I have a meeting set up for Wednesday."

"Chances?"

"Good. Very good."

"Well, I'd wish you luck, but I doubt you need it." He finally looked up at her and smiled. There was a moment of silence before she sighed and gathered her things. "I'll leave you to it then. Besides, I should probably go start packing." She couldn't contain the smile of excitement. "See you tomorrow."

Denny was equally pleased, again cocking his head at her from across the desk. Knowingly, she placed her hands on it and leaned over to kiss him goodbye. The rest of the week continued on in an exhausting and busy cycle of work and packing. Alessa cut down her time at the office to only twelve hours and returned home every evening by eight to pack a few more things and clean.

Conversely, Denny stayed at the office later and later working on his proposal. And when he met with the two-man team on Wednesday, the excitement in their young faces guaranteed him he'd just gained another quality client, though they had forty-eight hours to give him their official decision. When their call late Thursday morning confirmed it, he made arrangements to meet them Friday afternoon with all the requisite paperwork and tentative plans for their next steps.

Between the few suitcases full of her clothing and three boxes that held her books and more personal items, Alessa hadn't brought much with her. After work on Friday, she returned to her apartment and loaded her little car. In the end, she had decided to keep none of her furniture or small appliances, and the Cho family had agreed she could put whatever she wished in with their estate sale. As she had been more interested in getting rid of it all than in making money from the small amount of stuff she'd collected since college, she'd priced everything ridiculously low the night before.

Alessa stood at her front door, taking one last look around the small flat cast in the white light of the December moon. Nostalgia arose, soft like a ghost off the white surfaces, wrapping itself around her, lacing its fingers through her chest to tug at her heart. But it was for the lonely life she finally had the courage to leave behind, and so she took a deep breath and forced a smile. She walked out the door and locked it, hoping everything sold so she wouldn't have to return.

When Alessa arrived at Denny's, she'd hope to find him in his condo waiting for her. But as she unlocked the door and flipped on the lights, she realized despite the late hour he wasn't home. Just as she thought to call him, her phone chimed. It was a text from him to inform her a few of the partners had taken him out to celebrate his newest client, and they'd dragged him off to one of their favorite bars afterwards. He wrote that he'd try to be home before midnight.

Alessa chuckled morosely as she realized their first night together would be that of the stereotypical professional couple who had little time for each other. She sighed as she went into the kitchen for some wine, telling herself to stop being melodramatic.

She spent the rest of the late evening going through his closet, smiling because she found it exactly half empty. When she went into his guest room, she found the second half of his wardrobe hung in that closet, though there would still be room for more of her clothes as well. She put all her in-season clothing in the master closet and the off season clothing in the other. There was also an equal amount of space in the dresser, and as he was a man with simple needs, there was plenty of space in the bathroom for all her toiletries.

Alessa was seated before his bookshelf with a few candles flickering and half a bottle of wine as she glanced through a few of her favorite titles before placing them on the shelves she'd managed to make space on. She was absorbed in an old copy of The Ship of Theseus when Denny came home a quarter after twelve.

Though it was more common than not to spend Friday nights together, the thought that she was now home, that her home was his home, made something tingle along his spine and dance in his gut.

"'Ev'ning, Sweetheart," he greeted warmly, dropping his coat and briefcase down where he stood as he gazed at her sitting on the floor.

"Don't you mean 'good morning', handsome?"

"Is it?"

"About fifteen minutes ago."

"Then why don't we go into the bedroom and celebrate the first day together?"

Her smile was interrupted by a yawn. "I don't know if I can. It's been a pretty long day and I'm beat."

"Oh, no no no, Sweetheart," he said, offering out his hand. "Moments like this deserve a christening."

"Do they?" she questioned, accepting his hand.

Pulling her up to him, he remained adamant. "They demand it."

"Well then, perhaps I can muster the energy. Just this once."

He kissed her nose before sweeping her giggling up into his arms. He didn't bother blowing out the few candles as he carried her to their bed to make playful, ecstatic love to her.

The following morning over breakfast Denny detailed his latest triumph and shared his plans for the new technology company. Not only were there a charter to finalize and a corporation status to file, but there were also a number of patents to file. He was going to be swamped for the foreseeable future.

After breakfast they went Christmas shopping, much to Alessa's discomfort. She hated shopping for gifts, always at a loss for what to buy or riddled with guilt that she was giving something the person didn't want or need but now had to pretend to be thankful for. In a moment of introspection, however, she recalled her inspired shirt and tie purchase and the following presentation over dinner and her most recent purchase at the Cal Academy, and wondered if there was something special about Denny that turned her into such a creative gift giver.

Denny, conversely, loved the hunt of matching someone with the perfect gift. His philosophy in general was that a gift should be something useful or wanted, but slightly out-of-the-box so the receiver wouldn't think to buy it for himself. He had always loved solving the mystery of gift buying and the anticipation as he sat and watched the person open his present. More often than not, his choices were a success, and he always felt a ripple of pleasure unmatched by anything else.

The remainder of the weekend was spent eating and working on their separate caseloads, and as Denny held her as they went to sleep late Sunday night, Alessa felt a wave of relief relax the tightness in her stomach. Whatever she had been anxious about, hadn't happened. Quite the contrary, she realized; staying with Denny, the knowledge that she was home had felt natural. Right. She sighed and snuggled a bit deeper into him, content for the moment. Happily expectant of the future.