“Hey, you okay?”
She silently nods without opening her eyes.
“I brought your sandwich in. Why don’t you eat some more?”
“Are you mad I dropped by?”
“No, I’m not mad. Just surprised. But now that you know where I am you can drop by whenever you want.”
The corners of her mouth turn up and her eyes pop open. “Really?”
I scoot her legs over and sit on the edge of the bed. “Sure.”
She sits up and picks up the glass of milk, and taking several long sips she starts back in on the sandwich. While she eats she regards my bedroom, and seems to be taking everything in with great interest. It makes me see my stuff with a fresh eye.
She points to the black and white prints framed on my walls. “What’s with all the photos of bridges?”
I tip my head as I scan the images. “I think they’re fascinating. Bridges get you places. If they weren’t there you’d have a hard time going to those places.”
She looks at me with a surprised expression, like I have a milk mustache I forgot to wipe off or something.
“What?”
“That’s really great. I didn’t know you were so deep.” She winks at me.
“Oh, I’m deep, so deep—an endless well really. I’m surprised you didn’t pick up on that until now.”
I’m glad to see her looking better.
“Well, now I know. And I like your place. It’s cool. Not exactly like I imagined.”
“And how did you imagine it?”
“Not so thought out. Everything works together design wise . . . it’s pretty sophisticated for a dude.”
“You still think I’m your sprinkler man, don’t you? I’m a designer, remember?”
“Well that explains the sage-colored walls and couch you can’t lie down on.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “Are you really going to shame me for my couch?”
She bites her lip. She looks like she’s holding back a grin. “Nah. You know I love designer stuff.”
“I’ll say. Look at your place.”
“Watch out. I’m feeling hormonal.”
I drop my arms down to my sides. “Thanks for the warning.”
She pats the spot on the bed next to her. “Come sit over here.”
When I sit on the opposite side of the bed she slides a little closer to me.
“So which is your favorite bridge picture?”
I don’t even pause to think about it. “The one of the Golden Gate Bridge. I love how it’s rising out of the fog. It’s like you don’t know where you’re going to end up or how you got there.”
“But because it’s a steady bridge you trust that it’s going to be okay on the other side,” she says quietly.
I nod.
She slides farther down on the bed and I follow suit.
“So how was your date last night?”
“Is that why you came over?”
“Well you didn’t return my call, so I figured something big must have happened.”
“What if it did? Would you be happy?”
Her eyebrows knit together like she’s thinking really hard, but finally she says softly, “Yes, I would be happy.”
“Well yeah, something really big happened.” I’m about to tell her what a let- down the evening was when she jumps in with a true Elle inquiry.
“Oh my God. Was the sex phenomenal?”
“I promised you we wouldn’t talk about that.”
“But I need to hear.”
“Why?”
“If I can’t have mind-blowing sex at least I can live vicariously through you.”
“And what if it wasn’t mind-blowing?”
“Make something up, damn it! And make me believe it.”
“But I promised not to do this!”
She grabs my T-shirt in the center of my chest, makes a fist of it and pulls hard until we are face-to-face.
“To hell with the promise! I need it, Paul. I was up all night imagining it.”
Her cheeks are hot pink and I remember the hormone warning. At this point I’d tell her anything to keep her calm considering the shape she was in when she showed up here.
“Okay, I’ll tell you if it’s really what you want.”
She nods and lets out a sigh. Her fingers loosen on my T-shirt.
Where do I start with this fiction story? At least the first detail can be honest.
“So Melanie and I met at Osteria Mozza.”
She shakes her head firmly. “I don’t want to hear about the restaurant unless you had sex in the bathroom.”
This woman.
“So no build-up? Got it.”
“Yeah, get to the good stuff.”
“We’d both been drinking and the flirting was really intense, so when we got out to the valet stand she pushed me up against the building and ground all that sexiness up against me.”
“In front of everyone?” she says with her mouth agape.
“Oh yeah. I bet I could have fucked her right there and she would have gone for it. She dug her hand into my back pocket and grabbed my ass like she meant business.”
“Was the anaconda awake?”
“Hell yes,” I lie.
“Oh God, I bet she liked that.”
“Judging from the way she grabbed onto it and moaned I would say so.”
“Hot damn. So there was grinding and what else? Kissing?”
“Naturally.”
“Is she a good kisser?”
“Incredible kisser.” I’m full on lying now. What the fuck?
She sighs. “Oh man, I love great kissing.”
“Yeah, it was so hot.”
“Was there lots of tongue action? Was it so good you got dizzy?”
If she only knew how not dizzy I got. “My head was spinning it was so hot.”
“Oh God,” Elle says as she unbuttons the top button of her shirt.
“What are you doing?” I ask, trying not to get alarmed.
“Don’t worry. I’m just trying to get some air on the girls. I’m burning up.”
“Do you want some ice cubes to suck on? I’ve heard pregnant ladies like that.”
Grinning, she shakes her head. “So did you go to her house or yours, or wait! You didn’t do it in the car, did you?”
“Oh course not!” I respond, pretending to be offended. “I’m classier than that on a first date.”
“What about by the fourth or fifth date?”
“Anything’s possible by then.”
She chuckles. “Okay, but back to last night . . .”
“So we went to her place.” My mind scrambles to make up where she lives but Elle takes care of that reminding me that extraneous details are frowned upon.
“Did you go straight to the bedroom?”
I nod. “Most of her clothes were off by the time we got there, and damn she is fine. What a sexy body.”
Am I imagining things, or did Elle just snarl and bare her teeth?
“Of course, Ms. Perfect is fine. Don’t worry about the chubby pregnant hormonal girl over here. Let’s hear about her perfectly flat stomach and long, lean legs.”
“Geez, Elle, next time we do this can you give me the rulebook first? How am I supposed to know what you want to hear versus what will piss you off? Besides, what the hell do you mean chubby? You’re not chubby.”
She runs her hands over her hips and rolls her eyes. “Whatever. So did she worship the anaconda?”
“Are you asking if she dropped to her knees to blow me?”
She bites her knuckle and nods. I’m really wondering if this is a good idea.
She looks so excited but this could implode any second.
I let out a low whistle. “Yes, she did and she sucks cock even better than she kisses.”
“Did you run your fingers through her hair, and watch?”
“Naturally. What? You thought I’d close my eyes while that was going on?”
“My ex used to close his eyes.”
“And . . .” I prompt while waving my hand.
“He’s an idiot!” She grins.
“Believe me, Elle, if your mouth was on me I’d never take my eyes off you.”
I’m picturing it in my head and the heat moves down my chest straight to my groin.
She curls closer to me . . . too close. “Damn, you know how to make a girl feel great.”