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“Did your other employee come in?” I ask her setting the knife down.
“Yeah, after I called her, but she could only stay for a few hours, so will I need to go back in a few hours and stay until closing,” she drops her head in her hands.
“Shitty, but at least you get to come home and eat before slaving away for another few hours,” I smile.
“It’s what a business owner does. Does your mom still want to volunteer at the shop? I can’t afford to pay her, but having some more help during this time of year would be great.”
“We can check and ask. I’m sure she’s bored in retirement, Mason is in his room and I’m grilling, you want a double burger or a single?” I ask.
“I want a bath, some wine and a massage,” she says in a sigh. “But I will take a monster hug from Mason and a single, please?”
“Coming right up, and when you get back later, I’ll see what I can do for the rest,” I wink, take the plate of patties and head out towards the back through the mudroom to the BBQ.
I’ll definitely assure she gets the other requests.
The bookstore closesat ten on weeknights, and it takes roughly ten minutes to get from there to the house. I uncork a bottle and place a glass on the bathroom counter beside it, start the water and place one of those weird chalky looking balls that women are all about nowadays on the edge of the bathtub. I turn on a few of those flickering candles that my mom got me a million years ago and turn off the lights.
By the time that I hear the front door open and close. The lights are still on in the main part of the house, so she will know that I’m still awake. I step out of the bathroom just as she steps into the hallway. She looks exhausted, yet happy to see me, which melts away any nerves that I had.
“Hey,” I say as she walks into my arms. I hold her and feel her slump against me.
“Tonight was crazy, a book club full of drunk, rowdy women,” she says into my shoulder.
“Well, I’ve got the perfect remedy for that,” I steer her into the bathroom and when she realizes I’ve made her requests from earlier a reality she gasps, turns to me with her hand over her mouth and her eyes glistening.
“A massage will be made available to you after your soak if you want—but enjoy.” I kiss her temple and push her forward into the space and close the door behind her.
She opens it immediately and I turn around, she throws herself at me, my back slams against the wall and her lips are on mine. Then she retreats just as quickly as she came back into the bathroom.
I smile as I walk back to the living room, flip on the television, and sit on the couch. I’m not sure how quickly I fell asleep, but I feel Summer snuggle up to me and my arm automatically goes around her.
Her hand is caressing my chest in a mesmerizing motion, “thank you for my bath,” she says.
“Welcome,” I reply with my eyes still closed.
“I just wanted to thank you, go get to bed, you fall asleep here and you’ll be hurting in the morning,” she says attempting to sit up, but my hold stays firm on her.
“Just five more minutes,” I say with a small smile.
“I will give you a purple nurple,” she warns, placing her hand in position as my eyes shoot open.
“You wouldn’t,” I say.
“Don’t believe me?”
“You won’t.”
“I totally would,” she smiles devilishly.
“I could do the same to you too, you know,” I say.
“You could, but you won’t,” she replies with confidence.
“Can we call it truce, I’m not entirely sure why you were threatening a purple nurple with me, and I’m too tired to figure it out right now.”
She sat up and gave me space as I came to a full sitting position from my recently slumped over position. My arm goes around her, and I kiss her cheek. I’m not sure exactly how to take our friendship to a new level, other than with trial and error.
“Sum?” I begin as soon as I have her attention, I smile and spill out my thoughts. “I want to go at whatever pace that you do, but I want you to know that now that we’ve broken the seal that I’m all in, I’m ready for whatever you want and however.”
