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“That was incredible,” she whispers. “If I ever forget, remind me that’s my favorite way to get woken up.”
“After seeing you come that hard, I might wake you up every single night. Prepare to be sleep deprived.”
Her hand drifts along my upper thigh. “What about you? Don’t you want to…”
Tugging her tighter against my aching dick, I say, “Nah, I’m good. Go back to sleep now, Elowyn.”
I pull her closer so that our bodies are flush against each other, reveling in the warmth radiating between us. Elowyn settles against me until I never want to let go of this moment and how it makes me feel just to be next to her. My heart swells in my chest as she melts against my body before finally drifting back off to sleep with a soft sigh.
Instead of sleeping, I stroke Elowyn’s hair and the dip of her hip. For hours we lay there tangled together until I finally can’t fight the heaviness of my eyes anymore and I fall asleep too.
*****
“Oh, Weston! Did you fix this?”
When I rub the sleep from my eyes, I see Elowyn sitting at the counter with a glass of iced coffee and a bowl of dry Froot Loops. It takes me a minute to figure out what she’s talking about, struggling to climb out of the haze after last night. I used to be a light sleeper, but ever since Elowyn started climbing into bed and fitting against me like a lost puzzle piece, I sleep like the dead.
“Did I fix what?” I grumble, trying to wipe the sleep off of my face.
“My laptop, you goof,” she teases, shoving a fistful of cereal into her mouth. “This was so sweet of you. You didn’t have to do this, but it’s totally amazing.”
“It was an easy fix, and you needed it.” Stumbling into the kitchen to join her, I open the fridge and grab the last of the orange juice, taking a swig straight from the bottle. Now that my mouth isn’t as funky, I can think straight. And I realize that she’s totally dressed and has her keys and purse sitting next to her. “Are you going somewhere right now?”
Her nose crinkles. “Yeah. Work.”
“It’s ten o’clock.” I stare, not comprehending. “In the morning. Also, you’re wearing khakis.”
“Oh. No.Otherwork,” she clarifies, chugging the rest of her coffee and rising to put her dishes in the sink.
“You work two jobs?” This is news to me, especially after her insistence at the mall that she’s doing well financially.
She tugs her lower lip between her teeth. “Kind of. Not really. I work once a week at the pharmacy my dad owns. It’s not bad. I get to see my dad for a while, and he slips me a few hundred every time. It’s also nice to feel helpful, you know?”
I had no idea her parents owned a pharmacy. Now it’s all clicking into place. “Is this why you think you want to be a pharmacist?”
“That was always the plan. One of us was going to take over, only my sisters chose other occupations. So… it fell to me. I’m the youngest, so I’m his last hope.” It sounds more like she’s trying to convince herself than convince me. She chews on her lip, frowning. “My dad and I have always been close. And I’ve let him down.”
“I don’t see how. You still help. Not a lot of people would even show up like you do.”
“It’s complicated. I have to go or I’m going to be late,” Elowyn insists, changing the subject abruptly. She reaches for her keys, then leans over and pecks me on the lips. “Thank you for the laptop thing again. Really. You’re not hard to have around.”
My arms naturally wrap around her and pull her in close for a real kiss. For a few seconds, I forget that I’m only living with Elowyn because my apartment is scorched earth. She makes me overlook my problems so easily, I could get used to it. She’s like the salve they probably sell at her father’s pharmacy, soothing every burn.
After she leaves, I can’t stop thinking about the conversation. Someone decided way too early on exactly who and what Elowyn should be. I know just what that feels like. Suddenly, there’s an expectation, a role you’ve been cast in that you can’t drop out of. And I don’t think anybody ever asked her what she really wanted. She’s so focused on pleasing other people, I don’t think she’s ever asked herself. Always saying yes to her family at the expense of her own happiness—sounds really familiar. It’s not that I don’t think she’d be a fine pharmacist. Frankly, I think she can do anything she puts her mind to. I just don’t think it would make her happy. And she deserves to feel like she has the world by the tail.
The solution occurs to me while I’m tidying up around the place and trying to shove her tiny vacuum cleaner into that overstuffed closet. She could run a gifting business, no problem. She just needs a push in the right direction, someone to tell her that she can and that they’ll be right behind her every step of the way.
It’s easy enough to put together an online storefront for her and set up a social media page with a post or two. I don’t link anything to her full name, not just yet. I want that to be her call. But I make sure it looks nice and inviting, optimistic and joyful without being too sweet. Like sunshine on a sweet summer day. I try to make it remind me of her.
This way, she can use her creativity and her special skills all in one. She inspires me, and I hope this online store does the same thing for her.
I lose track of time, and I’m just barely finishing up when she gets back from the pharmacy. I nearly jump off the couch when I hear the key in the lock.
“So I, uh,” I stammer, trying to sound cool as she thumps her purse down on the counter and reaches into the fridge for a can of soda. “I did a thing today. A thing for you.”
“Another thing? After the laptop thing? Jeez.” She stops to chug half the can of soda, wrinkling her nose when the bubbles tickle the back of her throat. “Buy a guy a few shirts and let him sleep on your sofa bed and suddenly he’s doing ‘things.’”
“Wow,” I draw the word out low and long, shaking my head with a smile. “The bar is set really low with you, huh? Just gotta step right over it. If it gets any lower, let me know so I can grab a shovel.”
