“That sounds like it would work.It would take a huge load off to have a backup plan.”
He stopped kneading the clay.“Okay, that’s probably enough wedging.Want to throw a pot now?”
He led her over to a pottery wheel, explained how it worked, gave her some tools she could use, and then sat at the wheel opposite to demonstrate how to get started and how to cup her hands to center the clay on the wheel.
“We’re aiming for an equal distance from the center so that the pot you build is even and balanced.”
She watched him, then tried it herself.“This is harder than it looks,” she said, realizing that her clay was lopsided.
“Here, hold your hands like this.”He came behind her and put his hands around hers, making it nearly impossible to focus on the task at hand.As he guided her hand around the clay, showing her how to apply the proper pressure, she was acutely aware of his body.His hands on her hands.His arms brushing hers.The scent of soap, the heat from his body.
“How’s that?”he murmured into her ear.“See how it feels different?”
“Yes,” she whispered, licking her lips.
“Okay, let’s move on to the next step.”He stood and returned to his wheel, leaving her wishing they could have stayed on that step much longer.But she was here to learn about pottery, so she pulled her focus back to his hands on the wheel.
His hands.They were beautiful hands.Capable hands…
Focus, Sarah.
He made a dent in the top of the clay then began pulling it up with his fingers, forming a perfect cylinder.
“Now you try,” he said.
She followed his instructions, adding a little water when needed, and soon had formed sides on the vessel she was creating.“Hey, I did it,” she said, stopping the wheel to view her work.
He looked up from his own wheel and grinned.“That’s a great first try,” he said.“It takes some people a lot longer to be able to do that.Getting it centered at the beginning helps, right?”
“I can see that,” she said, admiring her cylinder of sorts.
“Now you want to work at it a little longer to get the thickness of the walls uniform and to make it as tall as you want it to be.Is this a mug or a vase, or…?”
“Can I make it into a mug?”
“Yes.Once we get this part done, we let it dry to a leather hard state, after you trim the cup.I’ll show you how to make a handle and attach it.”
They worked a little longer.
“How’s Riley’s visit with Graham going?Does she like the baby?”
Sarah pulled a face.“She says he cries a lot and ‘doesn’t do much.’You know what she said?‘Why can’t he be more like Dash?’”
“Sounds like Riley.She likes to be active.”
“Fortunately, Graham is doing things with her every couple of days.He’s been keeping me up to date after I insisted that he try harder.”
“So, your heart-to-heart worked?”
“Yes.I don’t think he understood how much she missed him, because she was always telling him about what she was doing here.And I think he was, on some level, jealous of you, because Riley always talked about what Simon was saying.”
“I can see that.I might be jealous in that situation too.”
“He’d like to meet you when he brings her home next week.Do you think you’d be okay with that?”
Simon spent a few minutes focusing on his clay before he answered her.
“How do you feel about that?Do you usually introduce men you are dating to your ex?”
