AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Now that you have me where you want me, what will you do with me?”
“Everything, Viper. Absolutely everything.”
Wes
We started this day on the street, in front of a sea of people, holding on to each other like we never wanted to let go. Just a short time ago, Hayley and I swung on a pendulum from admitting our love, to defending it, to nearly losing it, then gaining it back. I’d resigned myself to what I thought was a deal breaker. I remember those moments like they just happened, when my hands were holding on to the beer and the shot in front of me. Hayley came to me and told me we’ll do this together. I don’t know what the fuck that looks like, but she’s with me. That’s all that matters.
I have a rare midweek day off. The post work madness is all around us. I couldn’t care less. My phone has buzzed in my jacket pocket about a half a dozen times. I’ll look at it later. Right now Hayley is grabbing a deli-style dinner for us. I’ll do everything I can to make sure even the simplest of things are special for her.
“Hayles? We should call your brother so you can just fuck off work again tomorrow.”
“I don’t think I can just blow off two days in a row, even if my last name matches the owner. However, I don’t want to let you out of my sight just yet. On the other hand, I don’t think when they said work from home they meant me.”
She slurps on her paper straw with an absolute smile on her face. I rescue the takeout bag from her hand, wrap my arm at her waist, and tug my blonde beauty against my body. “They never said it didn’t either.”
Hayley smacks my chest playfully, so I put her down. We walk hand in hand for blocks until we reach my apartment building. I like how light everything is and has been. We’ve barely had time to just be. I know things are weighing on her. They are on me too. I guess I’m doing one of the things I do best, brush it to the back until you can’t brush it away.
I’m glad we didn’t spend even one night apart. I can’t imagine what that would feel like. I know I hurt her by walking away. I thought I was doing the right thing. In the end, it only hurt us both. We’ve spent several nights sitting together, watching movies, playing board games, even reading books next to each other. I don’t know if we’re in an unnamed game of chicken, but neither of us has made a move to have sex. I know for me it’s starting to become impossible.
We agreed to have dinner outside on the balcony. The weather is so perfect it’s hard to pass up. The noise rising up from the city streets doesn’t seem to bother her. I know they don’t bother me. All I can do is focus on her. Hayley kicks her shoes off and is barefoot nearly the minute we walk in the door.
Her girlish nature is glowing in the fading sun. Her white dress rides just above her knees and the sleeves cap her shoulders enough just to leave a bit to the imagination. She’s got her left leg tucked underneath her with the right one left swinging slightly until it rests on my knee and stays there. Hayley’s commanding the conversation by telling me about one of the brand packages she’s been asked to contribute to. I love seeing the way her mind works. It’s so different from how I operate. I find it captivating.
She’s passionate, but in a different way. My passion comes out in how I go to bat for my clients to get them what they deserve in all aspects. Hayley’s passion is in the details, colors, all the current marketing strategies, and social media angles. I swear, she knows the curves before they happen.
“Wes, are you listening?”
I realize I’ve drifted off in thoughts about her in various states of dress and undress in places both public and private. “I am. I was. I just got distracted for a minute by this display of brains and the beauty of what your toes are doing to my thigh.”
“So, in the future, make sure I’m not touching you when I want you to really listen. Got it.” She smiles with a wink, trying to withdraw her foot.
“Oh no you don’t. Where does your foot think it’s going?”
“I have a question to ask. I need you to really be listening.”
“I am listening. What’s on your mind?”
“It’s been a few days since the test, what happened after? I know it’s been a lot. I wanted to just let us be together.”
“Out with it, Merlin. What is it?”
“I’d like to set up a time to meet Hannah. I think that needs to happen.”
“Wow. Okay. I think I can make that work soon. I’ll need to talk to her and see where her head is. I don’t want to push her.”
“I get it. I do, but there are things I need… questions I need answered.”
“I have a ton of questions myself. I don’t know where to begin.”
“I think just being honest and beginning with the basics is a good start. We’ve not really sorted it out for ourselves yet either.”
I run my thumb through the arch of her foot. “I know. I just want time with you, and only you, for a bit. I feel like we’ve spent all this time sneaking around, defending us. I’d like to just be with you out in the open, take you to dinner, just simple dating shit.”
“Do you know how to do that, Mav?”
“Hey.” I press my finger deeper, eliciting a deep squeal from her lips. “That was a new sound.”
“Did you forget I was ticklish on my feet?”
