Page 21 of Five Goodbyes

“Oh, Jasmine, I love you,” I say, my voice filled with awe.

“I never want to leave here,” she says.

“We can stay forever,” I tell her. I mean it. I’ll go anywhere she wants to go. I’ll live in a tent with this woman if that’s what she wants. Sure, I’ll miss people in my life, but as long as I have her, I’m complete.

We rest together for a while longer, and then when we’re both unable to keep our eyes open any longer, we get up and gather our clothes and head inside. I was in love with Jasmine before we came to Africa, but that love has transcended now. It’s been taken to an entirely new level, and I’ll never let her go. I pray nothing will break this bubble the two of us are in. I’ll give my soul to stay right here where we are.

Chapter Eight

“No, a little lower,” I moan.

“Here?” Jasmine asks.

“Lower.”

“Here?”

Jasmine’s thumbs reach the spot in my back that is knotted up, and I momentarily lose the ability to breathe. There’s nothing better than a muscle this tight getting the right amount of pressure for it to finally let go.

I’ve been lying face down on the bed for the better part of twenty minutes getting a massage from the very skilled hands of the woman I love. We arrived home to Miami two days ago, and I had to rip myself away from her long enough to go back to my apartment for a change of clothes, and to make sure the two plants I own aren’t dead.

We lasted all of one night apart. That’s it. And even in that we talked for almost an hour on the phone. I was out like a light within seconds of our call ending, unable to even move from the couch.

There are still five days remaining on our mandatory time off from work and we’re doing everything we can to relax before getting back into the game of life. My body’s still sore and incredibly stiff in places from the insanity of the last ten days — especially in the spot just under my scapula that’s currently being kneaded.

“Okay! Yes! Ahhhh . . .” I let out as quick bursts of electricity burst up my spine.

“You’re such a baby. Stop all the rolling around and whining. It’s only a little pressure,” Jasmine says as she laughs while putting a white-hot fire poker into my back.

At least that’s what this feels like. This massage started out nice but has quickly turned into some medieval torture session as soon as she found this one muscle balled up on itself. No wonder men suffer in silence. Why would we want to go through this on purpose?

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. My mom, dad, and brother are landing here in about an hour,” Jasmine says.

“What?” I ask, because her words aren’t actually registering.

“My family will be here in about an hour.”

I do a quick twist of my body, and sit up, so she’s now straddling my lap and our faces are inches away from each other. Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time we’re in this position I’m instantly thinking of getting naked. The other point-zero-one percent is this situation.

“Are you messing with me?” I ask.

“Well, not yet,” Jasmine playfully responds as she leans in for a kiss.

“No! Are you serious about your family arriving?”

“Absolutely. What’s the big deal?”

“Maaayybbeee you not telling me until an hour before they arrive is the big deal. How are we going to explain our situation? Are they staying here at your place? Do I need to leave? Am I going to be meeting them? What do we tell them about us?”

“Relax. They know all about you. I’ve been talking to my mom about you far longer than I’d like to admit. My dad, who’s a total dudes dude, knows I’m not an idiot and wouldn’t be hanging around with anyone not worthy of my time or attention. And my brother’s twenty-two, or twenty-one, I can’t remember, and like everyone else at his age. A complete self-absorbed whacko.”

I can only stare into the beautiful blue eyes in front of me, dumbfounded at how lackadaisical this entire situation is for her.

“So, are you saying your mom knows all about us?” I inquire.

“More than I’m going to admit to you.” A wry smile follows Jasmine’s statement, and I don’t refuse the next attempt of her kiss. Then, another thought pops into my head and I again pull back.

“When are you going to get them? Don’t you want to get ready? Take a shower? Get dressed? Shove me out the door? Are we ready for this?”

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