Getting in my car, I drive to Theadora’s house. Her car isn’t there when I arrive, so I park on the road out front and wait. My hands slide in my black pants as I lean on my car, the sky going dark around me. A street light is all the illumination Theadora has out the front of her house.
Finally, her car is driving up her street, and I know it’s her without even looking. She slows down then gently pulls in her driveway. Turning to look her way, I watch her get out of the car. She’s wearing a fiery red skirt with a white, shiny shirt which is tied at the waist. Sky-high heels on her feet as she leans in and collects her bag then looks my way.
“Your sister hopes you will visit her soon,” I tell her. She eyes me with suspicion. “Sydney said you requested my number?”
“I did,” Theadora replies. She brings her bag in front of her in some sort of protective gesture while her eyes dart to the house then back to me. “Would you like to come in…” she nods to the house, “… for a drink?”
“Yes,” I say all too eagerly.
Theadora watches as I push off from my car and reach for her purse to carry it inside. It’s large, she obviously has her laptop stored inside because I can see it hanging out of the top. With her keys in hand, she walks to the door. I watch her from behind as she unlocks the front door and steps in. Sky-blue eyes glue me to the spot, twinkling like stars from the heavens. She holds me in her gaze as if she intends to ensnare me in her trap, just like a fly in a spider’s web.
“Sydney told me you said no.” She walks farther inside her house, looking away and breaking my trance.
“I did. If there’s anything you wish to discuss, we don’t do it over the phone. I prefer in-person when it comes to you.” I’ve never liked talking on the phone with her, always in person, that way I can judge her expressions. Even before I knew what I wanted, that I fully want her, I couldn’t stay away. Even now, I run the same path she does in the hopes I may catch a small glimpse of her, which is sometimes enough to help with the hunger I hold for Theadora.
“I wanted to talk to you about opening an account for Benji. For when he’s older.”
“He already has one.”
She’s opened the refrigerator, and is now holding the door as she stares at me, frozen to the spot. Her mouth falls open and her head jerks back in surprise.
“It’s in his name. He can access it when he is twenty-one. I contemplated eighteen, but then I remember how I was at that age and decided it would be best to give him a few more years to mature.”
“Okay, well, can I have the details? I would like to add some money to it.”
“There is no need to.”
Her eyebrows pinch as she pulls out a bottle of wine. “Why not?”
“Because he has enough in there to last him a lifetime. Trust me.” I look at her bottle of wine she’s holding and state, “I’ll have a glass if you’re offering.”
“It’s not coffee.” She smirks, grabbing two wine glasses and setting one in front of me on her kitchen counter. She pours two half-full glasses and smiles as she hands me mine.
“This will do.”
“We can’t be friends, can we?” Theadora puts her glass to her lips and looks over the rim, waiting for my reaction.
Reaching out, I take the glass and drink, then placing it back down on the counter, I wipe at my lips, then lick them as I stare at Theadora and am pulled into her endless clouds of possibilities.
That’s what she is for me.
Possibilities.
So fucking many possibilities.
“No, we most definitely cannot be friends,” I tell her.
Theadora sips her drink. “So what can we be?” she asks, placing her glass down.
“I guess that’s up to you. If I had it my way you’d be naked right now, and I would be devouring every inch of your luscious body until you couldn’t possibly breathe or function.”
Her breathing picks up as she thinks about what I’ve just said, imagining it, and unlike before, her first reaction isn’t to run. I like that, maybe a little too much. I take a step closer, testing our boundaries and she doesn’t step away, just keeps her watchful eyes locked with mine.
“That is not the first step we should be taking,” she says.
“But you think there is a first step?”
Her eyes drop to the floor. “I’ve tried… twice, not having you in my life. Somehow, we are always pulled back together. I believe there’s a reason for that, I just don’t know what that reason is yet.”