by Wendy Smith
She laughs. “It means get that lily-white butt in here.”
I take a couple of steps, not moving my hands.
Bridget just shakes her head. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“You haven’t seen mine.”
“Not yet.”
She really is going to kill me.
“Turn your back.”
She slowly moves until her back is to me, and I walk toward the water, my hands covering me. Leaning down, I stick a finger in the water.
“It’s freezing,” I say.
She turns back. “It’s fine when you’re in it. Get in.”
I jump, letting myself fall into the water. This brings back memories of playing with friends when I was a child, before my parents died, when I had normalcy in my life.
Before I hid behind my geekiness.
The memory catches me by surprise, and when I hit the water I’m so wrapped in it, I barely feel the chill.
That hits about a second later.
I gasp, my lungs constricting for a moment before I take a couple of breaths and find my equilibrium.
“See? It’s not so bad.” Bridget laughs.
“I think everything shrunk.”
“I can check if you want me to.” She swims toward me, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her breasts press against my bare chest, and I harden against her.
“Cold?” she asks. She flashes me a cheeky grin before looking down at the water.
“Not anymore.” My eyes are drawn to her lips as she runs her tongue back and forward.
“If there’s shrinkage, I think it’s minimal.”
“I can’t believe you just said that.”
“You should know me better than that by now. Never waste an opportunity.”
I nod. “I’m getting to recognize it.”
With tentative moves, I place my hands on her waist before slipping my arms around her. Her eyes light up. “I’m glad you came here with me.”
“I’m glad I did too. I’m enjoying the Bridget Walsh introduction to Nettle Downs.”
She smiles. “I hope you know I don’t give this opportunity to just anybody.”
“I hope not.” I laugh. “But seriously. Meeting you has been amazing. It takes a lot for me to feel comfortable with people sometimes, but you just made me feel welcome from the start.”
“And now you’re naked in the lake with me.”
I nod. “Never done this before. I mean, I’ve never been naked in a lake with anyone.”
“I like that you’re up for a challenge.”
Part of me wants to say “always,” but that’s not true. There are some things that scare me more than others. Though, I would have thought this’d be one of them.
“Sometimes, I like to take risks.”
Bridget laughs and wriggles away. “Come on. Let’s make the most of the time we have down here.”
She drops under the water, and I stand, watching her swim a short distance.
I’m happy where I am. The water seems warmer already, and the sun shining down is glorious. She’s right about being outside. I need to do this more.
What else have I missed out on?
My world’s expanding so quickly, and for a guy who doesn’t like change, I think I’m coping remarkably well.
Bridget alleviates my fear.
Time passes so fast, it’s a surprise when I check my watch and find that we’ve been in the lake for nearly an hour.
The water stopped being cold forever ago, and I’m not looking forward to getting out now.
Bridget and I have our arms around each other. We’ve spent the past hour drifting apart, swimming, and coming back together again.
“I guess we’ve been in the water long enough,” Bridget says.
“I could stay here forever with you.”
She looks at me with so much affection, it takes my breath away. “I really like you.”
“I like you too. Though, I think you already know that.”
“I can feel it.” She laughs, letting me go. “I’ll get out first, and you follow.”
Nodding, I turn my back. The warm sun beats down, and I look up, closing my eyes and enjoying the rays. Never would I have done anything like this back in San Jose. Bridget doesn’t realize just how much she’s opening up my world.
“Bridget, I …” For a moment, I forget I’m supposed to have my back turned and move to face in her direction.
She’s standing on the rock above the lake, not yet having picked up the towel.
I was right.
I met a goddess.
Her wet red hair hangs heavy over her shoulders, and I drink in the sight of her full breasts. My breath catches as I drag my gaze down to look back into the water, and I don’t miss her shapely legs, nor the fact that she’s shaven.
“Tom.” She laughs. “It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you something and forgot where I was for a moment.”
“I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.” She pauses. “I picked up the towel. You can look again.”
When I look back up, she’s got the towel wrapped around her body, holding it together at the top.
“Get out of the water before you get cold,” she says.
“Are you going to turn around?”
She smiles. “Should I?”
I shrug.
Her gaze is fixed on mine the whole time as I walk toward her, and she hands me the other towel. “Not bad, Jarvis.”
“Glad you think so.” She grins as I grab the towel out of her hand and wrap it around my waist. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“Are you flirting with me?” Her eyes are full of mischief. I’m glad she doesn’t seem embarrassed because of my faux pas. I’d hate for her to feel uncomfortable.
“Maybe. I’m not sure.” I shrug.
She wraps her arms around my waist, not dropping her gaze for a second. “I’d be really happy if you did.”
“Then I am.”
Bridget laughs and pecks me on the lips. “We should get dressed, before we have company. Want to go back to my place?”
“I’d love to, but I should go to the motel.”
Her disappointment is plain to see. “Are you sure?”
I palm her cheek, and she closes her eyes. “I’ve got to get that application to Amy for the house, and there are some other emails I need to take care of. But I’ll see you in the morning if you still want to give me a ride to work?”
Turning her face, she plants a kiss on my palm. “Of course I do. Thank you for today. And last night.”
“I promise I won’t ignore you like that again.”
She grins. “You know you will. But I don’t mind as long as you make it up to me.”
“I’ll do my best.” I give her a tender kiss on the lips. She opens up, and I slide my tongue across hers. Urged on by the low moan that comes from her throat, I deepen the kiss. Her shoulders slump like she’s relaxing, and she leans into me.
“Just keep kissing me like that.” She smiles when we break apart.
“That’s easy.” I run my thumb down her cheek.
“Let’s get you back to the motel. Then you can apply for my new house.”
“Your new house?”
She shrugs. “You have three bedrooms. I’m sure there’s some space for me.”
My mouth falls open, and she laughs, giving me a light punch on the arm.
“I’m kidding, Tom. I know we’re nowhere near ready for that.”
When we’re dressed, I follow her lead back to the car, and look toward the lake. It’s so peaceful here. I’d love to do what Brad did and build a home out here. Somewhere not too far from this place where we can come for a swim and just relax.
We.
It might be too soon to think in those terms, but I’m not going to stop it from being my goal.
The drive to the motel is quiet, and I linger on Bridget’s lips when I kiss her. She might be just across town, but saying goodbye
is tough.
“See you in the morning,” she says.
I nod. “I’ll be waiting.”
It’s with great reluctance, I get out of her car. She waves before leaving the car park. I wish I was going back to her place, but today’s been a little intense, and I need time to process it.
Besides, I’ll never get a place to live if I don’t get this form filled out.
And I can’t focus when I’m around Bridget.
I’ve never been happier.
With the form filled out, I order room service and settle in for the evening.
My mind keeps wandering back to Bridget.
I love the way her body fits against mine, the tiny gasps she makes when I kiss her, the way her lips taste.
I’m not sure I could ever get enough of that.
And she’s content to be with me and not try and make me change. I am who I am—a creature of habit for a variety of reasons. She already knows I get fixated on things until I complete them. It’s only been a week, and I think she’s worked me out better than most people ever have. That includes people who have known me for years.
I pick up my phone and dial Mark. I’ve exchanged emails with him throughout the week, but I need someone to talk to, and there’s a limit to how much I want to share with Molly, Claire, or Belle.
“Hey,” Mark says.
“Hey. Thought it was time to give you a call.”
He laughs. “It’s so weird not to see you at work every day.”
“I know. It’s nice here, though. Not missing you at all.” I grin. “I found a house today.”
“Awesome. We’ll be online playing again soon, then.”
I blow out a breath. “Not for six weeks. I have to wait for the existing tenants to leave, but it’s the perfect spot. Lots of room, and not far from work.”
“Sounds great. How’s the goddess?”
At the thought of her, my face goes hot. The last twenty-four hours have been unbelievable. And so not normal for me. “She kissed me.”
“She did what?” Mark screeches down the phone.
“Bridget said I’d taken too long, so she kissed me.”
“Dude.”
I grin. “I really like her.”
“Guess she likes you too.”
I let out a contented sigh. “Guess so.”
“You’ve got it bad.”
Bridget, pushing her hair back behind her ear, and dropping her gaze. So forward and yet so coy. And the thing I like best is that she seems to sense my need to go slow with this.
I’ve never met anyone so in tune with me before.
Yet, we seem to be complete opposites.
“I thought I might struggle settling in here, but it’s been really easy thanks to her.”
“I’m really happy for you.”
“When are you guys moving here?” I know it’s a bone of contention between Mark and his partner. They both have careers, but there’s only really a job for Mark here.
“You already know the answer to that.”
“I know, but I had to ask. You’d love it here, Mark. The people are friendly. You two will have to come and stay with me once I get the house set up. Maybe visiting will help change Austin’s mind.”
He sighs. “Maybe. I’d like to come and have a look.”
“Molly’s talking about leasing a plane so we won’t be dependent on commercial flights in and out of the airport here. At least traveling will be comfortable.”
Mark laughs. “You don’t have to talk me into it. Tell me about the place you’ve found.”
“It’s a house. Three bedrooms and a study. Plenty of room.”
“You need it for all your nerdy stuff.”
I chuckle. “You can talk.”
“Is Bridget okay with that? Your Star Trek obsession?”
“She would be if she didn’t get it confused with Star Wars.”
He groans. “Perfect woman isn’t so perfect after all. Although at least she clearly knows which is better.”
I laugh. Any opportunity to get in a dig. “To be fair, it’s not all confusion. Some of it is her teasing me. I just need to teach her which fandom is superior. The best part is she wants to learn. Though, you might have to have a word with her when you meet.”
Mark pauses. “Why’s that?”
“She’s a fan of Jar Jar Binks.”
“Oh, that’s grounds for instant divorce.”
I laugh. “I knew you’d feel that way.”
There’s silence for a moment. Talking on the phone isn’t the same as talking face-to-face. The conversation still flows, but it doesn’t make me miss my friend any less.
“Seriously, I’m happy for you. I know I tease you a lot, but I’m glad you’ve finally found someone who’ll put up with you,” he finally says.
“Me too.”
“Anyway, I’m going to get going. Austin wants to watch some anime film and I promised I would, given that I made him sit through a Star Wars marathon the other night. Talk to you soon.”
I smile. “Sure thing. Have fun.”
Saying goodbye leaves me a little sad, but I sit back and think about the past week.
For the first time in, well, ever, I finally have all the pieces of my life coming together. The job I love, a home that suits me, and the woman I’m interested in who seems equally interested in me.
I took a big risk packing up my life and making the move, but it all seems to be paying off.
Can things stay this perfect?
12
Bridget
Monday usually sucks.
But this Monday is different. I haven’t felt this good in a very, very long time. Spending time with Tom did that.
I’m still not completely sure what to make of him. He wants me. I know that much, but he seems to be a little shy, like he needs to take things slow.
Brad called me just after I got to work. He’s bringing over a group of laborers he’s employed to do some work on both the retirement village project and this project. There’s not much for them to do yet, since we’re still in the planning stages.
It doesn’t take long before I hear the crunch of tires on the gravel. I walk outside to greet him as he climbs out of his truck. Two other trucks pull up beside his.
“I’ve got some workers for you.” Brad grins.
I look over his shoulder. A small group of men walk toward me. At a guess they’re all older than I am, and if they’re new to Matheson Construction they won’t have come across me yet. I wonder how this is going to go down.
They don’t even reach me before there’s trouble.
“We’re working for a woman?” One of them sneers.
Brad’s expression grows dark. “Bridget’s in charge of this project. And I don’t expect her gender to be a factor in the way you treat her. She’s the boss, and she’s good at her job.” He nods toward me. “One of the best I’ve ever worked with. Disrespect her and you disrespect me.”
The man retreats, but I bristle. I haven’t had to deal with any sexism for a long time. Brad runs an inclusive company that treats us all equally. This guy is going to have to fit in or he’ll be down the road. I have to put my foot down and keep it down.
I always knew I’d have to face this challenge again sometime.
“The public groundbreaking is next week. In the meantime, we’ll prepare for the foundations to be dug and make sure we’re ready to go. I’m keen to get going as soon as the ceremony is over,” I say.
The group mumbles in agreement and nods.
“I’ve got to get back, but I’ll be over a little later to go through the groundbreaking,” Brad says. He’ll want to take extra care with this being for Molly. I think he’ll be proud of what I’ve done so far.
“Thanks, Brad.”
He grasps my arm, and we walk a short distance to give us some privacy.
“Don’t let any of these guys give you shit. Although, I know you already know that.” He grins. “But any troublemakers, and get me invol
ved.”
“You don’t have to stick up for me. You’re not my dad.” I laugh.
He nods. “I know, but I don’t want anyone working for this company who doesn’t fit. And that means they treat everyone equally.”
My heart.
This was one of the reasons I fell for Brad in the first place. He’s never treated me as inferior in an industry that’s hard to break into as a woman.
“So, how are things with Tom?”
My eyebrows creep up. “Why would you ask that?”
His lips curl. “He said you were helping him house hunt on Saturday morning. I just wondered how you got on.”
“He found a place.” I grin. I thought it’d be weird talking to Brad about Tom, but it’s like speaking to any other friend. “But I don’t think that’s what you were wondering about. We hung out all weekend. He’s a nice guy.”
Brad nods. “He came for dinner on Friday. I agree. I’m glad you two are spending time together.”
I smile. “When I came to town, I had you. I want to help him settle in.”
“Uh-huh.” He nods again, and the teasing smirk on his face is ridiculous. It leaves me blushing because I just know what’s behind it.
“Okay. I might have kissed him a few times too. But that’s all you’re getting.”
He laughs. “As long as you’re happy. That’s all that matters.”
“He’s the sweetest. And yeah, I do like him. A lot.” I wave a hand at Brad. “Now, shoo, and let me get on with my work.”
“Yes, boss.” His expression straightens. “Give me a call if you need any help with this lot. And I’m saying that because sometimes new workers need to have guidelines reinforced and I’m happy to back you up, not because I think you can’t do it.”
I nod. “I know. I appreciate it.”
As I take the new workers on a tour, the guy who sneered rarely looks at my face. I’ve been here before.
I just have to remind myself that I’m the boss in this scenario and that he might be older than me, but he has no power.
I have to remember that, and stay on top of it.
By the time the afternoon comes, the workers have seen the site and all the equipment I’ve had delivered so far.
They mostly seem attentive, and I get the feeling a lot of them are just grateful for a job. A building project in the next town over collapsed a while ago, and while I don’t ask, I guess that some of them worked for that company.