The next few weeks fell into a blur. Aymie spent at least three afternoons a week at Jackson's place, sometimes more. Max's recovery was going well, and he was scheduled to get his cast off a week ahead of schedule, which shocked the veterinarians and Jack as well. The old boy was still kicking, and seemed determined not to be slowed down by his injury.
Business seemed to be picking up at Jackson's company, and he needed to spend more and more time at the office. Ted seemed to have been growing a spine right before his eyes and had set up several meetings with a handful of different activist groups and spokesman, all interested in advertising their product. There was even talk about opening up a second branch of the company on the other side of the country. That was still far off, but the idea thrilled Jackson right down to the bone. That he could have built this from the ground up and it could take off the way it had made him swell with pride.
Things hadn't been quite so positive on Aymie's end. She had spent the afternoons that she wasn't at Jackson's at home, painting and expanding her mediums. She'd finished multiple canvases in different styles and color schemes, and was starting to consider selling a few pieces on the side. Her mother was becoming more and more needy now that Aymie wasn't at home all the time. The house wasn't as clean as it normally may have been, meals were not prepared as often, laundry didn't get finished, and that set the house on edge. There was a growing tension between Rosaline and Aymie that caused them both to grit their teeth. Rosaline grew resentful of Mr. Davis, of the fact that she'd even suggested sending Aymie there in the first place. And Aymie's resentment for her own mother only grew as her needs became more and more apparent.
She and Mr. Davis had discussed it more than once, whether it was during their hours of pillow talk, or over dinner. He reminded her that she was her own person, that she may love her mother but that didn't mean she was in service to her. How was she going to grow if she was constantly tethered to her mother? How was she going to build a life? Those conversations weighed heavily on Aymie and made the normal, everyday tasks that her mother left for her seem like requests to move mountains.
Spring was slowly but surely melting away into summer, and the temperature was steadily climbing into the seventies almost every day. Mr. Davis had opened up his pool, and the entirety of his yard was in direct sunlight for the majority of the day, save for a few hours in the evening. This presented Aymie with the opportunity to work on her tan in the afternoons that she was there, and today was one of those days.
She and Max lounged on the back deck, the sun beating down and warming the two of them. Max was belly up, his tongue lolled out to the side, basking in the warmth and Aymie lay on a beach towel in a bikini, untied at the back to ensure she didn't have tan lines. It was close to two in the afternoon, and she knew she should apply some sunscreen, but she didn't want to move. Everything was quiet and peaceful, so warm and inviting, and she sighed happily at the beating sun on her back.
"All good, Maxy?" she asked the pooch, peeking over at him. He groaned and rolled over to the side, pushing himself up and hobbling over to a shady spot to lap at some water and take a break from the sun.
"Good boy. It's important to hydrate."
Hydration was exactly what Aymie intended to do as well. She rolled off of her beach towel, hanging it over the banister of the deck, and stood up to stretch. The pool rippled, sending wild designs and shimmers along the bottom, and beckoned her to take a dip. An idea crossed her mind that brought a smile to her face. Mr. Davis's house was well concealed, viewable only to her home; the other side of the yard had tree cover, giving her all the privacy in the world. She slipped her bikini top off along with her bottoms, tossing them in a heap on the planks of the deck, then canonballed into the pool. The splash cascaded up onto the deck, flinging water across the wood that soon evaporated in the beating sun and Aymie emerged with a contented sigh, slicking the hair back from her face.
She floated. Kicking her legs up from the bottom of the pool she arched her back just a bit, letting her arms drift off to the sides as the air in her lungs kept her up above the water. Her eyes drifted closed, the contrast of the beating sun on her skin and the cool of the water around her soothing her. She allowed all thought to drift away from her mind, all of the stress of her mother's pressing needs, Derek's growing irritation with her absence, and the guilt she still felt in her chest to melt away. The sound of silence beneath the crest of the water beckoned and eased her, drawing her into a relaxation that she sunk easily into, floating atop the water. Occasionally a breeze would waft through and tighten her skin, making her smile. At this moment, there was not a worry in her mind.
Aymie wasn't sure how long she floated that way. The sun's heat caused her to drift in and out of sleep, the stillness in her limbs keeping her straight and afloat. Shadows crept along the edge of the yard steadily, reaching dark fingers across the grass and the corners of the deck, eventually lurking at the edges of the pool. She didn't stir on her own, but the sound of Max working up to standing roused her, her eyes peeling open and her feet reaching down for the bottom of the pool.
"Oh, honey...you're so burnt..."
Aymie looked down at herself after Mr. Davis called to her, eyeing the bright red skin of her chest and torso. She didn't feel it, of course...but she wrinkled up her nose at the sight. This was going to hurt later. She wandered over to the edge of the pool to look up at Mr. Davis as he greeted Max, and he looked back over at her with a smirk and a raised brow.
"Awfully bold of you, don't you think?" he asked, nodding to her nakedness. "What if someone saw you?"
Aymie shrugged. "The only person that could see would be mom, and she's at work until five or six."
Mr. Davis looked at his watch. "Well it's after four."
He chuckled and reached a hand down to help her up and out of the water, which she took, hoisting herself up and out of the pool. She reached for her towel, but Mr. Davis stopped her. He held the towel in his hands, taking a step back and eyeing her over from head to toe. Aymie felt her cheeks flush under his gaze, despite the burn on her skin. She reached for the towel again, snatching it out of his hands.
He grinned. "You look so good, honey."
She wrapped the towel around herself and planted a hand on his chest, kissing him softly on the lips once before she pushed past him and padded inside. Max followed her. She stepped into the kitchen and began to prepare Max's meal, pulling out a dog bowl and his kibble, along with his pain medication, which was half as strong as it was before. Max wagged his tail as he watched her fix his food, his tail thunking off the leg of the table.
"Hungry, Maxy?" she asked him, grinning down at the golden as she bent and placed his food down next to his water bowl. He wasted no time in digging in, and Aymie began to wash her hands as Mr. Davis stepped into the kitchen, setting down his briefcase on the table.
"Long day?" she asked, peeking over her shoulder as she dried off her hands.
He nodded, launching into his explanation of the day's events, the meetings he was in, emails he responded to, jobs he doled out, and so on. Aymie listened, as she did every day, attentive to his words. She always enjoyed hearing about his afternoons and the embellishment he put on them. She wanted to be his outlet, his calming presence that brought him out of his working state of mind, and into something calmer and more comfortable. To this point, she'd done well.
He sighed, shrugging a shoulder and rising to his feet to slip his hands around her waist and pull her in close, planting a slow, deep kiss on her lips. She loved when he kissed her like this. There was something so intimate about it, as though every kiss were their first, explorative and curious. His tongue curled around hers, bringing shivers to her and she slid her arms around his neck, surrendering to him.
They stayed that way for several long minutes, sucking kisses from one another, breathing deep, clutching at each other's form until Mr. Davis pulled back, smirking down at her. He ran a fingertip across her bottom lip, now swollen from his kisses, and pushed the digit into her mouth, which she suckled on slowly.
"I brought you something."
Aymie's eyes brightened and she popped his finger out of her mouth, kissing it before she grinned. "What is it?"
He cocked his head in an indication for her to follow him as he headed past her and towards the stairs that led to his bedroom. Aymie followed happily, scampering behind him with her towel still wrapped tightly on her torso. Excitement and anticipation pooled in her tummy as her steps mimicked his. What would it be? Something new for them to try in bed?
Aymie was more than satisfied with their sex. Every meeting was like their first, passionate and breathless and deeply, wholly satisfying. He knew every curve and crevice in her body, every erogenous zone that sent her into a frenzy. She was learning his, the ways to touch him and please him that made him breathless and lose control on his calm, cool, and collected exterior. It was such an adventure and Aymie knew she'd never get enough.
