Aiken
“Hey there, good boy.” I rubbed the top of Smitty’s head with the hand that held a dozen purple roses, a giant dog bone in my other.
“Richards, where are you?” I set the flowers on the counter and threw my parka over a chair. Music floated from the second floor. “Got something for you too, tough guy.” I handed over the bone.
“Coming…I’m zippering my dress.” Claire’s voice carried through the hallway. Immediately, she had my full attention.
“Why didn’t you say so?”
She came into the kitchen in a tight red dress with a low-cut V-neck and a high slit on the leg.
“Whoa, maybe we should’ve done takeout?”
“No way, we’ve been in for nights…and before that, I was in for…forever. I’m looking forward to getting out.”
We’d flown home on New Year’s Eve, quickly collected Smitty from the kennel, ordered Chinese, and rung in the New Year like horny young lovers.
Claire was all business come the new semester. She was teaching an additional section of her research class and getting involved with the preschool again. With that came mentoring four additional graduate students.
I’d picked up two more websites. One for a local bed-and-breakfast and the other a large feed and surplus chain. Between new and old clients and discovering clues about my mom, Claire and I mostly had our evenings.
But those nights and weekends were ours to do as we pleased. Mostly, that meant staying in, tucked in each other’s arms. With clothes or without.
I tried to hide my smile.
Claire was living again.
Getting out, doing more stuff with work, having fun.
Thanks to me.
The only thing she was still stuck on was this house.
Since we’d returned from Pops’ place, I’d spent almost every night at Claire’s. We’d spent two or three nights at my house, but she liked hers, and honestly, I didn’t care. I wanted only to be with her. Location was insignificant.
And she’d gone through enough transition.
“Here.” She turned around and lifted her hair so I could zip her, when all I wanted was to unzip her.
We were in a weird state of semi-cohabitation—running, eating, fucking, not discussing what was next.
I knew better than to force or pressure Claire for more. Cleaning out Abby’s room had been enough change for a while. Though, I was getting close to wanting way more. Her wanting to go out instead of stay in was a good sign.
At least, I’d take it that way.
“Looks good.” I squeezed her ass. “Good enough to eat.”
Yanking her hair, I bit her neck. She moaned.
Sucking on her earlobe, I whispered, “Got you flowers.”
“I got you something too.”
She turned in my arms with a smirk on her face. “But it has to wait until we’re back from dinner.”
“Oh, does it now?”
My lips gravitated toward hers. “Love you, Richards. Happy Valentine’s Day and happy birthday,” I mumbled the last part.
