During those nights I introduce him to Supernatural. It’s then that we finally get to know each other better. At first, we only talk about the movies, television, and books we liked to read. We gradually share our first kisses, our favorite songs, silly musings. He finally gets me to tell about not having an orgasm until that fifth client, of growing up taught sex was for baby making only and not to be enjoyed. Grant thanks me for sharing my past with him and it feels like it’s a normal relationship without strings besides we want to be with each other.
When I wake up sore I’m not surprised, it doesn’t help with the pain. I moan at the idea of getting out of bed. Grant’s at my side from I don’t know where, almost instantly. “Are you okay?” Embarrassed, I try to roll away from the edge of the bed he’s sitting on. “Anne, what’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing, I’m fine. Please, please go away.” I moan, hiding under the covers.
“What? Oh,” It clicks for him, last night I hadn’t felt well. Grant had been sweet about simply holding me when I told him once he came to bed. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Hold on, let me get you some water and something for the pain.”
He’s gone. I want to die from the pain and embarrassment. Then I think about having to go back to sleeping alone for a week, and I really want to cry. Grant is back, setting down the glass of water, he nudges me. “Anne, sweetheart, don’t hide. It’s okay.” He pulls me into his arms. “Alice is looking for a heating pad now. You can spend all day in bed, or the tub, for now at least try the over the counter pain pills to start. Please, sweetheart, don’t cry. Is the pain bad?”
“I’m sorry, not really, this is embarrassing and hormones. Please ignore me. I’ll go lay down in the spare bedroom. I won’t bother you with all this for the week.”
His arms tighten around me. “The fuck you will. You stay here. It won’t be easy just sleeping with you but I’m not willing to sleep without you.” I cry harder with relief, knowing he wants to sleep with me even without sex. There have been a few nights where I was asleep before he came to bed and he let me sleep, only pulling
me into his arms before he fell asleep. “Unless you want to go.”
I’m quiet too long, he starts to pull away. My grip on him tightens as I fight to stop crying. “No, I don’t want to. I thought you’d want me to.”
“I want you in bed, with me. Thanks, Alice. Here, Alice has the heating pad. Oh, and these are for period pain and hormones. Let’s get these instead.”
His tone of relief makes me laugh. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually all over the place, but I haven’t been on birth control in years. I guess these are a little different. The good thing, though, is this will probably the last month I’ll go through this.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, the birth control is one of those low dose things I can stay on and not have a flow. The doctor said if I keep taking it, by the second month my flow should be light and none by the third month.”
“Is it safe? Especially after not being on birth control for a while. No wonder your hormones are all haywire.”
With a sniffle, I shrug. “My doctor said it was. I’m happy for the reprieve. Thanks for being so nice. No one wants to wake up to all this.”
“Don’t apologize to me for anything.” His phone is ringing in his office. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I have a conference call I need to take. Rest, Alice has put in an order for chocolate and the good ice cream.” He kisses my temple then he’s gone.
For the rest of the week Grant surprises me with just how much he takes care of me. After I eat breakfast he checks on me to make sure I have everything I need.
His touch is always tender as he tucks in the throw I like to have over me when I read or watch television. He even spends time talking with me about the book I’m reading, or sharing what he’s working on. I don’t know why it feels different from our late night talks, maybe because there’s no television to distract us. Grant’s full attention is a heady thing to enjoy. It isn’t for long, only about ten or fifteen minutes, but it feels even more intimate then sex for some crazy reason.
Alice is even more indulgent. She’s quick to supply every munchie I request, without a murmur about unhealthy fat or salt.
At night, when he comes to bed he always wraps me tightly in his arms. The night I wake up when Grant pulls me into his arms, I let him know our week of going without was over. His response is intense, lasting all night. We make up for the lost week.
We easily fall back into our loose schedule during the next week. I miss our talks during the day but don’t dare say so to Grant. By the end of the fourth week I’m going stir crazy. I check the time and decide to bother Robin. It’s her half day, which means she’s in a store buying yarn for her knitting.
“Hey, how are you, my dear gets-to-sit-on-her-ass-all-day friend?” Robin answers on the second ring.
“Going out of my fucking mind is what I’m doing, as I sit on my ass. You and Alice are my only connection to the outside world. And no talking about Supernatural. We can get down to that when we watch it on Thursday.”
“Pff, then what in the world is there to talk about?”
“I don’t know. How’s things with the new roomie this week?”
“Ugh, I don’t know. She is uber weird, all quiet with her in her room all the time. I tried to get her into an episode. I was on Netflix binging season nine, the best season since season five and it was bananas. She didn’t think Dean was hot, she said he was okay. Okay? Then I had to explain it to her. I mean, seriously she had no idea about Supernatural. She was all judgmental about my love for Crowley too.”
“King of Hell will turn some people off. Huh, what does she do again?”
“She’s a genealogist. Which, in a city like Boston, keeps her busy. She also makes bank, unlike you, I asked for her last three months of bank statements and her pay is fat. Then she takes side jobs for extra money.
“Her bank statements are impressive, they also say she’s as boring as she seems. She has a serious coffee addiction, and if Amazon one click were a button, hers would be broken. I can’t believe it but she reads more than you do.”
“Give her some time to get used to you and the place. It has only been a little over a month.”