Chapter 5
Slipping into his pajama tops I could detect a faint smell of his cologne and I couldn’t resist burying my nose in its folds. Oh gaud I needed him…wanted him. Crawling between the sheets I let the tears flow.
I could hear him downstairs tidying up the kitchen then it was quiet. I couldn’t sleep. I wondered if he was lying awake too. I wasn’t ignorant of those feelings that were stirring deep in my belly. That fire that I’d squelched a long time ago or so I’d thought.
Drifting into a dreamless sleep I awoke to the smell of coffee. For a moment I was confused then rolling over I again caught a waft of his cologne. His face swam across my mind and my heart did a double beat. A surge of feelings burst inside me…caught me unawares. Morning vulnerability before I had time to mentally reinforce those bricks. Mornings were still the hardest for me.
Crawling out of bed I gathered my clothes and headed across the hallway to the bathroom. I couldn’t believe my eyes; lying on the counter was a new toothbrush still in its wrapping. There was one of those little sample tubes of toothpaste, a comb and brush and fresh towels. Luckily I carried some basic makeup in my purse. Wrapping a towel around my hair I stepped into a hot shower and felt my muscles relax.
After making the bed and tidying up I took a deep breath and headed downstairs. By now I could smell bacon frying…I was hungry! Following my nose to the kitchen I stopped in the doorway. He had his back to me and I admired his broad shoulders and noticed how he filled out the seat of his jeans and another kind of mental picture flitted across my mind’s eye.
Turning from the stove with spatula in hand he saw me watching him. “Good morning beautiful lady, how’d you sleep?” There was a light, a life to his eyes that hadn’t been there yesterday. I briefly wondered if the same was true of mine…
“Good morning. I slept fine once I got to sleep.” I replied smiling at him. What a wonderful picture he made. I poured myself a cup of coffee and offered my help. He said it was all done and we sat at the table over a delicious leisurely breakfast.
In fact, too leisurely; a beep of a horn and a startled look on his face and he realized he was late opening the shop. I shooed him off telling him I’d clean up here.
An hour later I pulled on my coat and scarf and headed for the shop. The sun was shining and somehow he’d managed to not only hook Bell up to the sleigh but clean the walkways and parking lot of snow.
I entered his shop just as he was getting ready to take a young couple off to pick their tree. Excusing himself he took my arm and led me behind a rack of decorations. Taking my face in his hands he just looked in my eyes and seemed to struggle for words.
“I don’t know what to say hun. There is so much inside me that is just bursting to come out and I don’t know where to start. You know, last night when you shut that door in my face…” I interrupted with “I’m sorry….”
“No hun! Don’t be sorry. I wanted to stay with you so bad but when that door came shut I had to smile and I thought to myself...Good girl, you’re not gonna give in to this old fool.”
“To me it meant you are taking me seriously. I’m not just a passing fling. We coulda spent the night together but it would’ve taken something special away from what we feel…it would’ve been too soon.”
I couldn’t look him in the eyes because that’s exactly what I thought this was. Oh not right now. Now it was new and exciting but given time I’d just be another fling to him. Been there, done that and although he didn’t see this as a game, I did. Games ended but I’d enjoy it while it lasted.
Pulling me close his lips covered mine. His fingers tangled in my hair and his tongue sought mine. That fire in my belly flared and I kissed him back. Pulling away he leaned his forehead against mine and whispered, “Good morning Darling.”
Taking my hand he led me to the counter handed me a pen and pushed a tablet of paper in my direction for me to write my phone number on. As I did he told me he’d called me that night as soon as he closed the shop.
We all walked out the door and he stopped for a moment, apparently remembering the tree in my trunk. He asked me if I had a tree stand…I did, I’d picked one up a week ago. “Leave the tree in your trunk Hun, I’ll come get it out for you and put it in the stand.” I nodded.
Leaning down for a quick kiss he then turned his attention to the young couple. I crawled in my cold car kicking myself for not warming it up before leaving. Now I faced a slow, tedious drive home. Although the plows had run, it was still slick.
I had time to think driving home. Would he really call me? Probably. But I wasn’t ready to become that pampered woman. I’d worked hard to become independent and fiercely so. It was good to have a man do for me but about the time I got use to it they were gone and I had to do for myself again.
No. I would unload my tree myself and set it up. I didn’t need any man’s help.
To be continued…
Copyright blbadgley
12/02/08
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