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“I might be eighty, but my eyesight is twenty-twenty. I see it in your eyes when you speak of her. You might not be completely there yet, but it’s coming. I feel it.”
I find myself staring across the flower garden at my friend. She’s right that I’m nowhere near ready to talk about those kinds of feelings, but I’m also not scared of them. For the first time in my life, I’m not scoffing at the prospect of falling in love the way Jaime is. I feel it deep in my soul. There’s something there–something powerful and infinite. If or when it comes to that, I know I’ll have to tread lightly or risk running her off for good.
“On that note,” I say as I stand up and stretch. “I have a date with a beautiful woman this evening so I better hit the shower. And you should probably be warned, there could be entertaining later this evening.”
“I’ll leave my television on when I go to bed.” Her soft chuckles follow me as I walk up the stairs and slip inside to get ready for the evening.
***
I’m probably more nervous tonight than I was two weeks ago when I pulled into this very same driveway. Last time, little did I know that I’d be introduced to some of the craziest grandparents known to man.
The breeze off the Bay is cool tonight, cloud coverage for as far as the eye can see. My plan is to take her to the small barbeque joint down by the docks, followed by that movie they’ve been promoting heavily on television. It’s the latest Nicholas Sparks book to be turned into a big screen movie, and after my conversation with Jaime last weekend, I think she’d enjoy seeing it.
Wiping my clammy hands off on my dark jeans, I grab a lightweight jacket from the passenger seat and throw it on over my dark t-shirt. Fortunately, I found a few new shirts in the back of my closet that have never made it to work yet. Once they do, they’re stained up or full of holes even after the first day of wearing them on the job.
Stepping up on the porch, I knock on the screen door. Orval comes to the door with a wide smile. “Heya, Ryan. Come on in,” he says while holding open the door. “Your girl’s just finishing up upstairs. She’ll be along in a few minutes.”
“Great.” I shove my hands in my pockets and glance towards the stairwell. Just knowing that she’s up there, getting ready, has my pants suddenly too small. I picture her naked except for some barely-there panties and maybe a lace bra.
“How ya been?” he asks, pulling my attention away from the walking wet dream upstairs.
“Good. Staying busy at work with more projects on the horizon. You?”
“Oh, I’m getting by. This arthritis is acting up in my wrist again,” he says, flexing his wrist a few times. “Damn stuff makes it hard to make a fist.” His demonstration is tight with jerky movements and causes him to grimace.
“I’m sorry to hear that. My grandma had arthritis in her knees. It made it difficult for her to walk at times.”
“Can you imagine the wrist? It makes it hard to grip the tiger in your pants.”
He says it so matter-of-factly that I almost miss his statement. Almost.
“Excuse me?” I ask, instantly regretting it as soon as the words spill from my lips.
“Oh yeah. It’s hard to beat the bishop when it flares up. Emma loves to watch, you know.” Then he elbows me in the chest.
“No. I…can’t…just no,” I stutter, wishing aliens would beam me up to their spaceship or a piece of the ceiling would fall on my head, causing temporary amnesia. Anything to get me out of my current situation.
“There she is,” Orval sings.
My attention is pulled back to that staircase as Jaime makes her way towards me. She’s wearing sexy jeans that hug her sweet curves, a pink loose top with see-through sleeves, and black ankle boots that I suddenly wish were wrapped around my neck. Her hair is swept to one side, exposing the long column of her neck. I want to lick every inch, every curve of that enticing section of skin.
And I won’t stop there. I want to lick everywhere.
She’s breathtaking every time I see her, and tonight is no exception. Blood zings, my body hums, and a desperate need to take her consumes me. Jaime has quickly become my obsession. She’s my one desire, my greatest treasure.
Jaime must recognize the heat blazing in my eyes because hers suddenly widen, her breathing shallow. My pants are so damn tight that surely my legs will be numb any moment from lack of blood flow. Right now, every bit of blood my body possesses is in one concentrated location. It’s horribly painful, but I’m unable to adjust myself because I’m trapped by the fierceness in her eyes. She looks like she wants to eat me for dinner and still come back for seconds.
I’d be all for that. In fact, I vow to make that happen.
As soon as possible.
“Looks like someone’s a little excited,” Emma whispers to Orval, yet she’s loud enough that everyone within a two-mile radius probably heard.
“It’s all right, boy. I still get wood every time my Emmy comes into the room.”
Jaime makes a sound, which is a cross between a gasp and a choke. I, on the other hand, am stunned silent. The wood I was sporting a few moments ago is shriveling up so tightly that it might never reach its full potential again.
“Dear God, please make it stop,” Jaime mumbles heavenward as she reaches me. “Ready?”
