The First Night
The salt water dripped off the ends of my hair and onto my bare shoulders as I walked up the front drive of my house in Bishopville. Ocean City had been in the midst of a heat wave the entire month, and today my beach had been overly crowded. I had blown my whistle non-stop from 10am until 5pm, not even breaking for lunch, but instead flagging the neighboring guard to send me a sandwich and bottle of iced tea from Mad Hatters. I should have known better than to sign up for guarding the surf beach. I was so glad this day was over...now I could relax and wait for Jehu to arrive. He was flying in for the first time today. I had taken a few days off to spend with him, and boy was I ready for this mini-vacation.
I made it up the steps and to the front door before Charlie started to yelp from inside. God I love that dog. Finding the door locked, I fished around my guard bag for my keys, and then opened the door, allowing the cold air from the AC to wash over my body as I breathed in the smell of home. Charlie lapped the dripping salt water off my legs as I walked past the living room, dropping my bag and flip-flops in the hall, and stepped into the kitchen. I instantly noticed the note on the table, stark white against the dark, mahogany table. I skimmed it quickly as I picked at a bowl of grapes next to it.
Kate: Sorry we didn't catch you before you left this morning...you always have been the early riser in this family. We're off for the next few days, taking Sarah to MWU to meet the girls she'll be playing with next season. Tell your friend we can't wait to meet him and to make himself at home until we get back. Love you!! Have fun! -Mom & Dad
Wow, the house to Will and myself for a few days. This could be a weekend that I hadn't expected, but had longed for with every inch of my body. Getting goose bumps just thinking about his presence in a few hours, I knew I had to move fast. Reaching down to give Charlie a good belly rub, I looked at the clock: 5:13pm. He was planning to arrive here around 7pm, which didn't leave me much time. I gave my pup one more loving pat, grabbed my belongings from the hallway, and practically skipped upstairs to shower.
Pulling a sundress over my head, I dotted Hypnotic Poison on my wrists, behind my neck, and after a moment of hesitation, a single shot inside my dress.
You never know
, I thought to myself. I straightened my room, opened the window and lit a few of my slowest burning candles.
Sexy. Exactly what I was going for.
I sprayed some of my perfume on the freshly washed sheets before spreading them onto the bed, admiring the colors of my newly remodeled room. The spring green of the walls and clean white lines of the sheets, curtains, and molding contrasted beautifully with the dark blue of the carpeting and the rich, mahogany of the furniture. The candles cast a romantic glow over the wood and the breeze from the open window made the curtains billow into the center of the room.
Perfect enough for a movie...it's just missing some music. But that can come later; don't want to jump the gun.
Flitting downstairs, I admired the feel of the cotton, yellow dress against my smooth skin. Tanned and silky from my coconut oil lotion, I glanced at my reflection in the front door as I passed, my blonde hair offsetting the turquoise in my earrings, knowing that Jehu wouldn't care what I wore, but this would definitely knock his socks off. I stepped out into the back yard, turned on the grill, lit the tiki torches, and walked off to the vegetable garden to start dinner.
Sitting on the edge of the porch swing watching Charlie chase the emerging fireflies, I ran over the meal I was preparing in my head. Fresh salads from the garden, fresh brewed sweet tea, and blackened, grilled red snapper all served al fresco. Dessert was fresh strawberries, marinated in their own juices, which were currently chilling on ice next to the champagne. The clock read quarter of 7pm, and the only thing left on my list before Will arrived was to reapply my lip-gloss, turn on the turntables, and remember to breathe.
Leaning with my hip against the railing and my foot propped up against the banister, I watched the taxi pull up the street and stop in front of my house. Hidden behind the hanging branches of the corkscrew willow, Will stepped out, pulling a single bag from the seat, while simultaneously handing the driver his fare. Resisting the urge to sprint towards him or burst into "happy tears," I waited until his eyes locked in mine, and I stepped down into the grass and towards him. Seconds seemed like minutes as we moved closer to each other, stopping a foot or so from touching, allowing our eyes to scan the faces we waited so long to see. Other than the breeze dancing through the leafy foliage, there was silence. Will raised a hand very slowly, as if he was afraid that this moment was all imagined, afraid that if he attempted to touch me I would vaporize and float away with his dream, waking again to his empty bed in Colorado. His fingers grazed my forehead, brushing a few strands of hair out of my eyes. He tucked them ever so gently behind my ear as my eyes closed and I let out the breath I had been holding unconsciously. Dropping his bag along with his inhibitions, he whispered my name as the hand behind my ear grasped the back of my neck and pulled me into him.
If there were a kiss to go down as the best kiss in humankind's history, this one would be it. We kissed as if the world would end when we stopped. The first touch of my lips to his had caused an electric current to run through my body, and as he parted my lips with his tongue, I let a quiet moan of pleasure escape. Using this as a signal, Will changed the angle, kissing me deep and long, with more passion than I had ever experienced in a kiss. His arms circled around my waist, pulling me up and into him, holding me as I had so wanted to be held. Breaking the kiss, our foreheads leaning against each other as we breathed heavily. Pulling back a step, he held my face in his hands, sliding his thumbs over my cheeks before moving his hands down to my shoulders. His eyes penetrated mine, forcing time to flee and the earth to stand still as we watched the love between us glow like halos around a candle's flame. The serious moment reflected our capricious personalities as Jehu scooped me up and spun me around, the two of us laughing as we moved the world into motion again.
After giving him a tour of the yard and the house, Will and I sat casually at the picnic table in the back yard. Dusk had settled giving the sky a violet hue streaked with orange clouds. Fireflies pirouetted across the lawn, the only lights visible other than the bakers dozen of tiki torches I had stationed around the yard. The clean linen tablecloth over the picnic table was now littered with dirty napkins and glasses, the plates on the ground for Charlie to lick. It felt so natural to be in the crook of Will's arm, my head resting next to his, my fingers laced through his. Our feet, bare and crossed together on the grass, looked perfect together. I wondered if he knew how naturally comfortable this felt. Glancing up at him, I saw that he had already had his eyes shifted down towards my face. Placing a kiss on the tip of my nose, he asked if he could help with the dishes. Feeling a mosquito bite my ankle, I took his offer and began to gather up the dishes. He took them from my hands, laying his lips on mine long enough to leave me breathless, and strode into the house with Charlie at his heels.