“Do you have to go to the office today?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m yours all day.”
She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “All day? Whatever will I do with you?”
He chuckled low in his throat before kissing the top of her nose. “I’m sure I can think of something.”
“Well, for now, we’ll enjoy some late lunch or early dinner.”
“Sounds good to me. What’d you order?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I stuck with what I know—Chinese.”
“Perfect,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the loveseat.
“Hold on, I’ll grab our wine,” she said, rushing to the kitchen where they had forgotten all about the wine they had before diving right into hot and heavy sex.
It had been amazing. But it was always amazing with her. He had a feeling he knew what it was. There was a little something happening deep inside his heart and soul. He thought about telling her he was falling head over heels for her but held back. The ink on her divorce papers wasn’t even dry. Her physical bruises had faded, but he was sure there were plenty more, deep and hidden. He didn’t want to scare her away by professing his love for her, and needed to tread lightly. She tended to be a little gun shy and telling her he loved her could send her underground. She was a runner, with a long history of picking up stakes and moving on without a word.
“Thank you,” he said, taking the glass from her.
“You look like you’re a thousand miles away. Is everything okay?”
He smiled. “It is absolutely perfect. I was thinking about you and this new life you are embarking on.”
She sat beside him, their thighs touching as they each sipped their wine. I think it is going to take me a while to get used to it. I mean, I know it isn’t going to be easy and I’m sure he is going to contest it, but it feels really good to have actually done something.”
“You did something huge and I’m proud of you. Whatever you need, I’ll be here for you.”
There was a brief silence before she leaned forward and picked up her television remote. “I know my TV isn’t quite as massive as yours, but I promise, you’ll still be able to see the picture,” she teased.
“Ha. Ha.”
“Is there anything in particular you like to watch?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Not really. I’m more of a surfer than a watcher. I get bored fast and tend to change the channel every few minutes.”
“Then I’m just going to keep my hand on this remote,” she said, moving it away from him.
He laughed again, more than happy to let her be the one in control. He was happy just sitting next to her. She expertly navigated the channels, landing on a cooking show.
“I think I’ve heard about this,” he mumbled, immediately drawn into the show.
She turned up the volume a little. “I’m totally vying for that older lady. She’s a southern homestyle cook, which is my favorite food, even though I don’t eat it all that often.”
“Why don’t you?”
She looked at me as if he was daft. “Because the main ingredients are butter, lard and more butter.”
He burst into laughter. “Sweetheart, a little butter is good for the soul.”
“And murder on the hips.”
He reached over and placed a hand on her hip. “I love your hips. I would love them with extra padding. There is nothing you could do to make me not want your body.”
Her laughter filled his ears. “You say that now. A few weeks of biscuits and gravy, mashed potatoes and my all-time favorite fried chicken, and you will be singing a different tune.”
“Will you cook a homestyle meal for me one of these days? I mean, I’ve had meatloaf and what not, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had some real comfort food.”