Page 27 of The Marriage Sham
My resolutions from last night come roaring back, spurring me on to take action without further thought. So there in the early light of dawn, I lean down and kiss her, my lips rejoicing in finally being where they want to be. My heart gets in on the rejoicing when she moves under me, kissing me back.
Tracing my hand through her hair, I keep the kiss going, needing it more than I need my next breath. When she nips at my bottom lip with her teeth, granting permission, my hand sweeps down her body, pressing her hips into mine. I have no thought other than to be as close as possible to her, to never let this feeling end. Even when my glasses get knocked sideways, I persist, not caring about them, nor the time, nor the surroundings.
When you have heaven in your grasp, why care for earthly things?
“Oh!” Francie pulls back suddenly, her eyes shooting wide.
“Wha—?” I lean in again, intent on getting her lips back at all costs.
She pushes my chest with one hand, the action finally clearing the haze in my head. I blink my eyes and realize the moment has ended far quicker than I’d like.
“My meeting! What time is it?” Francie starts flailing, trying to find a way out of the fluffy couch with my body blocking her in. A hand finds my face, and my glasses finally give up their perch, flying off my face and onto the floor.
“Hold on—“ I try to grasp her arms long enough to get off the couch and out of her way. But the cushions have other plans, swallowing us whole like a venus flytrap.
“How old is this couch?” I mutter.
The shrill ring of Francie’s cell phone bounces off the walls and sends her into full panic mode, those arms swatting at me in the tight space. If I could move, I would, if only to avoid bodily harm. When her knee gets entirely too close to precious territory, I find new motivation to continue my quest to get out of this soft couch. I tuck my chin to my chest and roll, hoping for the best. I land in a heap on the floor, deciding to stay tucked as Francie leaps over me, that t-shirt slipping off her shoulder again.
“Frances Ledbetter,” Francie answers breezily, like she didn’t do a full-out sprint to the phone after fighting a grown man and a soul-sucking couch. I shake my head, chuckling at her ability to be professional at all times. I squint to see the numbers on the clock over the fireplace. It’s only 5:35 A.M., and she answered the phone like clients calling this early is normal.
Blindly feeling under the couch, I find my glasses. After jamming them back on my face, I’m pleasantly surprised to find them intact, no scratches or cracks to speak of. Now that I can see farther than my own arm’s length, I watch Francie on the phone, pacing in front of the dining table, that t-shirt barely covering the tops of her thighs. Her hair is a rumpled mess, and I smile, knowing I put some of those knots in there.
I wonder what she’ll look like with grey strands threading through her auburn tresses. I hope to God she never stops wearing those oversized t-shirts, no matter how old she gets. Maybe I could keep buying them for her every Christmas, just to make sure she never runs out. A silly tradition that carries us through the years.
“You got it. See you in an hour.” Francie hangs up and tosses her phone back on the table. She’s a whirling dervish of activity, blazing through the living room to get to her shower. I watch her go, wishing I could calm her down. Instead, I clean up the popcorn and do the dishes. Then I make her a plate of toast, knowing she won’t want it, but I’ll force her to eat it anyway.
When she flies into the kitchen dressed in a suit and high heels, I hand her a cup of coffee (cream and stevia, just the way she likes it). She gives me a grateful smile while she gulps it down. The toast pops up and I butter it, handing it to her with a stern look.
“Will you make sure Granddaddy eats something? He’s been finicky lately.”
I pull the plate from her hands, setting it on the counter and caging her in. “I will take care of everything here. All I want you to do is wow the crazy lady with how brilliant you are. And then tonight, we’re going to celebrate.”
Her eyes soften, and she takes her first full breath of the day. She nods and I lean in further, liking the color coming back to her cheeks.
“You’re going to do great. Trust yourself. I do.” And then I kiss her, wide awake and full of purpose.
When her body finally relaxes against me, I step back in order to let her fly. A smack on her backside gets her moving, and I know I’ll pay for it later, but for now, her nerves are settled. I’ve done what she needed me to do.
She grabs all her things and runs out the door to her car, taking a quick moment to wave and wink at me over her shoulder.
While she’s off impressing everyone who’s lucky enough to meet her, I get busy making plans. Groceries, flowers, dessert, then try to fit some work in.
I have a woman to woo. And not just any woman.
The one I plan to grow old with, till death do us part.
