Let's go.

Part 18: The Gallery

He bends his down and brushes his lips across mine. "I missed you too; I bought a suit for your dumb gala tomorrow night," he says with a grin then adds, "You look hot, I guess I better go put something nicer on."

I lean away from him and take in his appearance. He is wearing a pair of light wash, worn Levis with holes at the knees, black combat boots, and a dark gray sweater.

"You look great, you don't have to dress up for this," I reply.

He rakes his eyes down my body and grins, "Nah, you look classy, the least I can do is put on a pair of jeans without holes in them."

"Wait, you own jeans without holes in them?" I ask and bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing.

He leans over and whispers hotly in my ear, "Oh, you're gonna get it later."

I giggle and he squeezes my ass over the skirt. "Just give me a second," he says and walks back toward our bedroom.

Once he is gone I turn to Ben and ask if he is coming tonight.

He shakes his head no and says, "Nah, I hate Brooke's art shindigs. They are always so uptight and lame."

"It's not one of those art nights, Frank is coming tonight," I reply.

"Oh, well, then I might come," He says with a grin and takes a beer out of my fridge.

"Oh good!" I reply excitedly.

"Hey, give me one of those," Layne says from behind me indicating the beer.

I turn around at the sound of his voice and I feel my jaw drop at the sight of him.

He is wearing a dark silk shirt with small white flowers on it, dark brown pants, and leather Durango style boots. He shrugs into his black leather jacket then reaches for the beer Ben extends to him. He has combed his hair back and it is curling at his neck and my hands itch to run through it.

"Wow," I say finally and bite my lip. He leans over to me and kisses me.

"Thought I'd match your seventies vibe, darlin'," he says against my lips.

"You look so hot," I whisper. He grins down at me and says, "Keep it in your pants."

I giggle at his reply and shake my head.

"Girls, are you ready to walk down to the gallery?" I ask.

"Ben, you're comin' right?" Layne asks as he downs the beer.

Ben nods yes and says, "Yeah, the Frank parties are the only ones I enjoy, the others are too snooty for me."

Layne raises an eyebrow at me in response to Ben's snooty comment and I just shrug.

I take the girls' hands and Layne locks the front door and places my keys in his jacket pocket. Annie reaches up for his hand and he smiles down at her kindly.

"Are you girls ready?" He asks the three of us and Annie and Lily giggle in response. And fuck, I'm embarrassed to admit that I giggle too.

He reaches over to Annie and tugs on her long dark braid. Then his eyes meet mine and he says, "She kind of looks like you."

"She's my cousin's daughter," I say and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "I'm meeting your family tonight?" He asks.

I nod and a wide smile spreads across his handsome face. "I'm glad I changed my clothes."

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Brooke's art gallery is only a few blocks away from my house and is located in a small brick building next to a coffee shop. The street lamps turn on as we near, basking the sidewalk in a warm glow and backlighting the trees that line the road. Their leaves have turned dark red and orange. But it's late autumn, and this time next week the trees will be bare, and only the memory of their beautiful colors will remain. I look over at Layne holding Annie's hand and my heart swells. Another fleeting moment. My time with him is as ephemeral as the leaves to the trees.