"In other news..." I decided to watch the morning news as I ate my breakfast with Ava. She was curled up on the couch next to me. We were both comfortably eating in silence. I planned to spend my day relaxing just like this with Ava. I had made plans with Eric in the evening, but we had plenty of time to enjoy the day before I had to leave.
Since we had started our more intimate relationship, we hadn't had time to spend time together to simply relax. We were so fixated on physical connections, rather than emotional ones. Ava stood up and started to clean up our breakfast plates. I sensed something wrong so I decided to follow her into the kitchen to investigate further. Ava was washing the plates in the sink. I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my chin on her shoulder.
"Whatcha' thinkin' about?" I questioned. She put the plate she was holding down in the soapy water and leaned back into me. She was smiling, but I could tell it was a façade.
"You can tell me. There is something you are fretting about."
"What are we going to do?" My lips gently kissed behind her ear. I loved how perfectly Ava in my arms.
"Do about what?"
"Us, what is going to happen to us?"
"What do you mean? We are going to be just fine."
"How can you expect what we are doing to not have consequences? What if we can't manage this secret? If that day comes, what are we going to do? I don't want to be separated."
"Don't fill your mind with such negative thoughts. We don't know when, or even if we will be found out. Worrying like this will only stress you out." I felt her tense muscle relax a little as I rubbed my hands up and down her arms.
"I wish I could be as optimistic as you..."
"It's not optimism. I just want to spend my time working on the things that I can control, instead of waiting for things to happen that I can't. The reality is, no matter what happens, I am going to protect you. There is no need for you to worry that our world is going to be broken apart. I won't let it."
"I love you; you know that?"
"How could you not, I meant look at me." She started to laugh. I turned her around and circled my arms around her. She hugged me back and smiled at me. I was glad that, for now at least, her fears had been calmed. I bent down and kissed her gently. We didn't stop with a short kiss, and soon enough we were making out in the kitchen.
I took us back into the living room to cuddle on the couch. We spent the rest of the day laying together; until it was time for me to leave.
"Well, I'm leaving. I'll be home later; or do you want me to drop you off first?"
"No, you go out with Eric. I want to stay another night. So, come back to me soon, OK?" She was sitting on the couch still tucked in place from where I had just gotten up. I walked up and leaned down to give her another kiss.
"Of course, I can't keep my blushing beauty waiting for too long." I got one last kiss before leaving. Ava wanted to follow me out the door to see me off but I wouldn't let her since she was only wearing a lingerie piece. I told her to stay in it, I wanted something to look forward to when I got home.
I was looking forward to spending time with my buddy. I loved spending time with Ava but I didn't want her to consume every moment in my life. That would not be healthy for our relationship. I was hoping that in some small way, I would be able to talk about my relationship with Eric. He couldn't know who she was, but I needed a confidant that I could talk about this journey with besides Ava.
I pulled up to the bar Eric and I agreed to meet at. He had texted me that he was already waiting inside. I went up to our table and we shared a handshake and brief hug. A waitress arrived moments later to take my drink order. We 'shot the breeze' about a plethora of topics before Eric finally brought up what I knew he was wondering about.
"So, man, that date you went on. How did it go?" I laughed a little feeling the buzz that was running through me from my beer. I put my drink down deciding to take a break if I was going to talk about it. I need to have all my faculties so as to manage the conversation with delicacy.
"She's a very special girl man. I love being with her. I'm not just falling in love; I am in love. She beautiful, funny, tenacious...I don't even know where to start." He smiled listening to me talk. I continued to blabber on about all the thinks I could without revealing Ava to be my love interest. Eric listened intently nodded his head and smiling. I finally stopped talking and took a long sip of my drink. Eric also took another drink probably taking in all that I had said to him.
"So, when is the part that you tell me it is Ava you are dating." My drink fell right out of my hand. It spilled all over the table. In moments a waitress was on top of our table helping me to clean up my mess. Eric didn't say a word. All he did was watch me. My mind couldn't help but think back to what Ava and I had just discussed. I promised myself that I would protect her. Now that I was faced with just that task, I didn't know what to do.
