Page 117
KAT
Venice
We’re walking through St. Mark’s Square. He filmed all morning, and I filled mine with canal pictures and Tintorettos with some Titian thrown in. Ginny basically commanded me to go see that art. I took a couple of short gondola rides to take pictures from those angles. Then arrived early to finish watching him film. He was working a gelato stand with a man who looked old enough to have invented gelato. Bill nudged me to go get one and they filmed me being charmed by the man. His wife slapped his hand away as he tried to flirt. I take their picture, and they pose with their little stand. I learn that they’ve been doing this for fifty years and that seems like a damn good life.
Liesel and Bill hug the two of us and disappear, loading up their gear. Zane helps with the equipment then rejoins me as I finish my strawberry gelato.
He hands me an envelope.
“Happy Birthday. A day late because someone was gatekeeping.”
I turn the envelope in my hand. “We’re back to writing letters? I really thought we’d moved forward.”
He kisses me at the top of one of the bridges. We’ve been doing that every time. I lean on the railing and he puts his back against it. “I don’t want what’s in here. I want this.”
“Me too. Can you imagine? Two of us traveling and working like this.”
He turns around and leans over the railing looking at the view in this direction and then back at me. The dappled sun shading and illuminating his stupid sexy face.
“I’m starting to imagine it.” He taps the envelope and I open it.
My jaw drops.
“We leave in an hour.”
Chapter 59
Three Feet At Night
KAT
Cairo/Giza
From: [email protected]
Subject: Things I hope I’m brave enough to say someday
Z
Where was I? Oh, that’s right, how the hell did you become everything. I don’t even know how to say how hard I’m falling. When I let myself believe, lifting the old systems I put in place to keep myself from getting hurt, I see the other side of all of this. I see our parents letting us be in love without weddings, or expectations or problems. But mostly I see you and I doing you and I things. I used to be afraid there would be nothing on the other side of my curiosity but now I’m afraid you won’t be there which makes all of this better. It’s not time for you to know all of this but I hope you feel it building the way I do. I’m not so lost in life anymore, I’m lost in you.
K
I rouse Zane. “We have to go.” I smack his naked butt. He doesn’t move so I bite it.
“Hey. Ow. Not into that.”
“Not into assplay?”
“How is biting my ass, ass play? Do you even know what ass play is?”
“Playing with your ass,” I state then pinch it four times.
“In your ass. It’s playing in your ass. We’re getting lube so I can show you,” he says with his face still in the pillow.
I know exactly what it is. “No. That seems more like a honeymoon night thing, not a honeymoon phase thing.”
