“Holy Christ, woman, what was that!” I gasp out, kissing her neck, her arms running over my back, giving me goosebumps. She giggles from under me, and I feel her pussy grasp me again. My hips shift into her again. “I can’t get enough. I’m never fucking close enough to you,” I breathe out as I kiss down her front, in between her breasts, tickling her ribs slightly. She squirms, laughing and the sound is better than all the chants of the stadiums.
She smacks my ass and pushes at my shoulders. “Go. Get off me, you’re too heavy now.” I raise my head from kissing her stomach and dart up, licking a nipple then claiming her mouth when she gasps from mytouch.
“Just needed one more lick.” I wink at her and push myself up. “I’m going to go for my run, and I’ll bring back coffee. Go back to sleep for now, baby girl, it’s still early.”
~~
I’m making my second lap around the track, my air pods in, playing my favorite old school tracks from Tupac. Nothing like a little gangsta rap to get you moving in the morning. California Love is interrupted by a call. I glance at my arm band holding my phone and see that it’s Adam.
“Hey bro, you’re up early, what’s happening?”
“Where are you right now?”
His tone of voice makes me uneasy. “I’m at the track. Why?”
“Did you see the news yet?”
I slow from a jog to a walk. “No, what’s going on?” I ask slowly, my mind turning out all kinds of scenarios right now.
“Gage, it’s your venue. It went up in flames last night.”
There’s a pause. I’m not sure I heard him correctly.
“My … what?”
“The Holiday Star Inn! It had an electrical fire last night and burned down. It’s gone.”
I’m still not processing this. “Fuck.” I take my hat off and bend down at the knees, steadying myself on the ground. Running my hand through the turf and fake grass lining the track, I get lost watching the sunrise through the goal posts.
“You need to tell my sister before she hears it on the television or sees an article. She’s probably got google alerts set for the place.”
“Shit. You’re right. Ok thanks, I’m heading home now.”
“Listen, whatever you need from me, just say the word, man.” I know Adam wants to swoop right in and fix this.
“I will bro. I’ll call you in a few.”
I can’t believe this. The only hall that was available, and only by some coercion on my part, is gone. Where on earth are we going to find a venue big enough and ready for us in a weeks’ time? And how am I going to break this to Francesca? She has had her heart set on this place. Pushing our wedding date further out is going to wreck her. Though it may look like a good thing to some, gaining extra time to prepare, I see it for what it really is, a hindrance. It would mean more time for her to agonize over every detail. More time to cause undue stress and anxiety for her.
More time for her to decide to back out.
I make quick work getting to the parking lot, jumping in my truck, and calling Bobby, praying Chess hasn’t heard anything before I can get to her first.
He answers with a groggy ‘morning’.
“Yo, B, I’m sorry to wake you. I need you, it’s an emergency.”
“Anything.” I hear him shift around through the phone, his tone urgent.
“Wake Britt, send her over to my house. There’s been a fire at the Holiday Star. It’s gone, B. Nothing, just nothing is left. I have to get home and tell her, but she’s going to need Britt.”
I hear him already waking Britt, asking her to get dressed and head over quickly.
“Thanks, bro, I’ll call you once I talk to Chess.”
I end the call throwing the phone onto my seat and race home. Thank God there is no one out on the streets right now, Tom would probably have a field day with how many road violations I just broke tryingto get home.
I pull into our driveway and see the kitchen lights are on. She must have gotten up after I left. I jump out of the truck, afraid of what will meet me at the door. I walk in, calling out to her so she knows it’s me.
