by Rinna Ford
I threw my purse down on my bed and dug out my phone when I got home from dinner with Mom and Harlan. I took my shoes off and went outside to sit in the backyard garden, digging my toes in the grass. I sent Brogan a text.
Me: What are your plans tomorrow? I got the day off!
Brogan: No plans yet. What do you have in mind?
Me: Meet me for lunch and and then I’ll take you to one of my favorite places.
Brogan: Deal. Elgin will be here tomorrow morning. Would it be alright with you if he came for lunch?
Brogan: He has to leave to go back home after that.
Me: Sounds great! I can’t wait to meet him!
We made plans to meet at noon. I sat in the garden and smiled. I really hoped things worked out between us. He made me feel things I never thought I could. I had fun with Jesse, but I didn’t feel the butterflies like I did with Brogan. I sighed with contentment and a firefly landed on my hand. People rarely ever see lightning bugs anymore because of cities and towns spraying for mosquitoes every spring and summer. It was a shame because they were one of my favorite bugs as a child. I used to love to catch them in my hands and watch them crawl all over me. I never kept them though. It seemed cruel to me to put a living creature in a jar.
One firefly became two, and two became four, until there was a small swarm around me in the garden. I smiled even bigger and I swear their lights became even brighter.
I heard my mom gasp from the back door. I looked over to her so see a worried expression on her face. But the look was quickly replaced by wonder.
“Beautiful!” she breathed, and padded over to the garden and gently sat down next to me, careful not to squash any of the insects. “I haven’t seen any fireflies in a very long time,” she whispered.
“I know. Me either.” Mom put her arm around me, my head dropped to her shoulder, and we sat in silence and watched the lightning bugs flicker in the night. The insects kept landing on me then flying off. They didn’t touch my mom though. Strange.
When the bugs had all flown away, Mom stood up and held out her hand to help me to my feet.
“I think they made you their queen,” she joked as we walked inside.
I smiled at the thought. Queen of the fireflies. I’d gladly take that title any day.
I slept in the next morning and I woke up feeling refreshed. I ate breakfast with my mom and we talked about the upcoming school year. It would be my last before graduation. She knew that I wanted to design and create outdoor living spaces in cities and was proud of me for it. She loved nature as much as I did. My mom seemed to have a natural green thumb that most people were born without. She could make anything grow and flourish.
Mom left to go to work early, wanting to go shopping and grab lunch first. I told her bye and good luck (she was going to need it with that horrible human being), and started to get ready for my day.
I was nervous to meet Elgin. Brogan told me himself how important Elgin was to him and I was afraid he wouldn’t like me. I dressed in tight off-white tank top and a high waisted tan a-line skirt with sandals and left my hair down and wavy. I hoped he would like me.
It turns out I worried for nothing. I liked Elgin instantly and I think he liked me too. He was light and carefree compared to Brogan’s dark and intense nature. They complimented each other like Tessa and I did. He was as tall as Brogan, but with dark auburn hair loose and wavy and had light green eyes. He was handsome for sure, but I seemed to only have eyes for my giant brick wall.
We ate at a BBQ restaurant in the city and the guys loved it. I think they ended up ordering at least one of everything on the menu and shared like a married couple. It was adorable. They even let me have a couple of ribs, which was sweet. I got the impression that it was a big honor for me to be able to share with them.
Toward the end of our meal, I turned to Elgin. I put my elbow on the table and my chin in my hand and gave him a sneaky look.
“Tell me something about Brogan that he wouldn’t normally tell me.” Elgin’s face broke out in a large grin. Brogan smiled too. I think he liked that we were getting along.
“Okay,” Elgin began. He sat up straight in his chair so I knew it would be something good. “He loves to read children’s books. He especially loves… what is the series called?” He looked at Brogan.
“Harry Potter,” Brogan finished for him. He looked at me “So what? I love Harry Potter. I’m not ashamed of it. It’s a great story about good triumphing over evil.” Elgin and I broke out laughing. “What?” Brogan laughed with us.
I leaned over toward Brogan and whispered, “I love Harry Potter too.” I gave him a wink and sat back in my chair. He kissed the back of my hand and put it on his knee.
Elgin watched us intently with a wicked grin plastered on his face. I think he approved.
Brogan told me that he wanted to drive Elgin back to the hotel and that I could meet him there and drop off his car. I think he wanted to talk to him before he left. So I followed behind the Tesla in my jeep, and waited in the parking lot as the guys said their goodbyes.
After Elgin got into an Uber, Brogan walked over to my jeep and got in on the passenger side. He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss before buckling in.
“Was it a good visit?” I asked as we pulled out onto the street.
“Yes. We needed to discuss work, but he was only here for the morning. He’s due back this evening.” I just smiled. I knew he wouldn’t discuss his work with me, not that I would even understand it. “So tell me about this ex boyfriend of yours.” I sighed. I really didn’t want to talk about him.
“Why?” I asked angrily. “What does it even matter? You’re leaving in a week and a half and I’ll never see you again.” He stared at me dumbfounded, but I couldn’t stop. “You don’t have the right to demand things like that. Not when you’ll forget all about me the moment you get home.”
“Pull over,” he said in a low voice.
“What? Why?” I questioned.
“Just pull over, Alya. I want to talk to you and I need your full attention,” he demanded. I found a gas station off to the right so I pulled over.
He sat there for a second without saying a word. I think he was trying not to pummel me. But then, he spoke.
“I care about you, much more than I thought I would. I tried to stay away from you at the beginning, but you were filled with so much light that I couldn’t look away. I am drawn to you like I have never been drawn to anyone in my life, and I wanted a taste of that. So when I die, I can die knowing that I felt true happiness, even for a month.”
I began to cry into my hands. It wasn’t fair. The rain started to fall in heavy sheets around my jeep.
He pulled my hands away from my face and made me look at him. “I wish I could take you with me, but I can’t. It’s not allowed. I would give up everything to be with you, but it’s just not possible. Please understand. I’m so sorry, Alya.” He looked desperate but I couldn’t help the tears running down my cheeks. My hope of us being together was gone, smashed to pieces.
“You can take me back to my hotel now and we can go on with our lives and maybe save a little more heartache, or you can take me to this special place of yours and we’ll make some more memories together. I’ll let you make the decision, my love and I’ll respect whatever it is.” He kissed my folded hands and held them against his lips, watching me with worried eyes.
My love. He called me his love. I knew in that moment I couldn’t walk away from him before I absolutely had to. I would deal with the heartache after, but for now I wanted to be with this man. I got a tissue out of the center console and dried my eyes as best I could.
I looked over at his still worried expression, and gave him a small smile. “I can’t let you go yet. I won’t until I have to.” That was all I could say or else I would start crying again. Then I nodded and put the jeep in drive just as the rain started to slow down.
Chapter Thirteen
“Isn’t a cemetery where people bury their d
ead?” Brogan asked as we got out of the jeep.
The rain had finally stopped. I brought him to Bonaventure Cemetery, which despite the headstones, or maybe even because of them, was one of my favorite places. The moss that hung from the large oak trees and the colorful flowers made it seem so peaceful. If any place would allow the dead to rest, it would be this place.
“Yes they do,” I told him. He took my hand and we walked down the lane.
“Not that I don’t think it’s beautiful here, but why is this one of your favorite places?” He was genuinely curious.
I took a deep breath and let it out. How did you explain something that is more of a feeling than anything else?
“I’ve lived all over the country. I lived at the beach, near farming communities, every kind of place you can think of. But when my mom brought me here for the first time, I was at peace. No other place I’ve ever lived or even visited offered me that. I could spend hours, days here and just… be at peace. I don’t know how else to describe it.” He looked down at me from the corner of his eye and gave a small smile. “You think it’s morbid, don’t you?” I asked. “Tessa doesn’t understand my fascination with this place. She thinks it’s a little strange.” I looked at the ground in front of me. I didn’t want to see the laughter in his eyes.
He didn’t speak for almost a minute. I started to panic even more, thinking that bringing him here was a mistake. That as soon as I dropped him off at the hotel he would pack up and leave, never looking back. But he stopped and turned to me, putting his finger under my chin to make me look up from the ground.
“Yes, it’s a little morbid,” he chuckled. “But I think I understand what you’re saying.” He raised his head and looked around. “I could feel at peace here too. Don’t worry so much about what other people think.” I smiled when he looked back into my eyes. I pulled on his shirt and he leaned down to kiss me.
“It’s hard not to worry when you want someone to like you,” I told him. I really wanted him to more than like me, but I didn’t dare say it. He kissed my forehead then began walking again.
“You don’t have to worry about scaring me off,” he said. “You are my dream girl, remember?”
I smiled at that, then my thoughts went gray and the smile fell from my lips. It wasn’t fair. No. I wasn’t going to let the future ruin today. Determined to have a good time, I took his hand and led him around the cemetery.
Brogan liked looking at the all of the different headstones and monuments. He was amazed at the history and the grandeur of some of them. He especially liked looking at the military headstones. I told him there were tours available, but he just told me we’d do it another time. As we walked, I told him what I knew about the different parts of the cemetery, taking him on my own little tour. He listened quietly, only asking questions every now and then. We spent several hours there, and decided we’d come back again before he had to leave. I think he grew to love the place as much as I did.
On the drive back to his hotel, Brogan and I decided to go to his suite and order room service. I was still full from all that BBQ from lunch, but he was a giant of a man and was starving again. He thought room service would be the fastest way to get something to eat, because apparently I didn’t feed him an afternoon snack and he was getting a little cranky.
“Next time I’ll pack you a snack if ever we’re away from places that serve food for more than a few hours,” I teased him. I laughed while he scowled at me.
He put the key card into the lock of his suite and opened the door mumbling about him not being a child. I laughed again and went in search of the room service menu. I found it on a desk and handed it to him.
Brogan sat down at a chair and looked through the pages of the menu with a purpose. I sat on the couch and watched him. Even cranky, he was hot.
“Do you want anything?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“I’ll have a salad with grilled chicken and Balsamic dressing, please.” I told him.
I waited for him to call in our order before making my move. I put my foot up on the coffee table and unbuckled my sandal and gently threw it at him. It hit him in the leg, making him turn around and scowl at me again. I bit my lip to stop from smiling as I did the same with my other sandal. But this time, he caught it when I threw the shoe at him. I couldn’t stop the smile that spread over my face when he stood up. He looked a little annoyed, but I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.
“Why did you do that… not once, but twice?” he asked as he stalked over to me, still holding my sandal.
“I just wanted to get your attention,” I told him still grinning. “I know you’re not a child.” I laid back on the couch and began rubbing my legs on the cushions, making my skirt ride up on my thighs. His eyes went to my legs and began to darken. He dropped the sandal, and the annoyance washed away from his face. In its place was hunger, but not for food.
“You wanted my attention, Dream Girl?” he asked. “Is there something you need that I am not giving you at the moment?”
I slowly pulled my hands over my head in submission and nodded.
“I want you.”
“You have me. All of me.” He wanted me to say it. To tell him exactly what I needed him to do.
“I want you to stop brooding and touch me. I want you inside of me.”
He gave me a sexy smirk. “You only needed to say so.” His large hand reached down and picked up one of my feet. He massaged it, working his way up my leg. I bit my lip as he moved higher and higher until his hand cupped my butt under my skirt. He was suddenly in between my legs, his hard cock pressing against me. I moaned but it was cut off when his lips descended onto mine. I loved being with this man.
The hand that wasn’t under my skirt was pulling my tank top out of the waistband so he could touch skin. He got his hand underneath and touched my side.
“Touch you like this?” he asked as he kissed down my neck.
“More,” I sighed, eyes closed.
His hand roamed higher until it found my breast. It moved under the cup of my bra and found my nipple, squeezing it.
“Is this what you want, my love?” he asked again.
“I want more,” I begged.
His hands moved away from me, pushing my skirt up exposing my panties. He quickly pulled them down my legs and threw them over his shoulder. One hand moved up my thigh until he found home. I moaned loudly as he filled me with his fingers.
“More, please!”
He smirked, then got up. He took off his shirt and walked into the bedroom, coming out with a condom. He unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down just far enough to free himself.
He was on me again, his hardness pressed against me. He rubbed his cock up and down my pussy, making me even more slick. Then he thrust in with one quick movement, making me scream with pleasure.
One of his hands held both of mine over my head as he moved in and out, faster and faster, while the other hand was between our bodies, rubbing my most sensitive spot. I screamed in complete ecstasy as I came long and hard, making him come with me.
He released my hands and I wound them around his neck. I kissed him slow and deep, never wanting to let go.
As our kisses were slowing, we heard a knock on the door. We both began laughing as we imagined what the person from room service must have heard.
“One moment!” Brogan yelled as he got up and disposed of the condom. I followed him into the bathroom with my panties in hand to freshen up. He buttoned his pants and threw on his shirt before answering the door.
It turns out we were both hungrier than we thought. We both ate every bite of our meals and decided to call down for dessert. I guess we worked up our appetites. We ate our sweets and watched a movie together on the couch.
When we were both completely full, we laid down together, him behind me with his arm thrown over my waist and my legs wound in with his. This was what I always dreamed of, this exact moment. I sighed as the movie played on the TV, and slowly fell asleep.
&nbs
p; I woke up some time later, still snuggled on the couch with Brogan, and I realized that he fell asleep too. Not very easily, I turned around in his arms so we were face to face. I nearly fell off the couch at one point which caused him to wake up.
“We fell asleep,” he said in a drowsy voice. I touched his face and gave him a sweet kiss.
“I love sleeping with you, but I really need to get home.” He looked disappointed, but nodded.
I untangled myself from him and walked into the bathroom to try and wake myself up enough to drive home by splashing water on my face. I looked at my watch. It was 1:13 in the morning. My mom was definitely going to have some questions for me.
He was putting on his shoes when I walked back into the main room of the suite. “I’ll walk you out,” he said and stood up from the couch. I met him at the door and we walked to the elevator in silence.
Out in the parking lot Brogan took my keys and unlocked the jeep for me. I pulled on the front of his shirt for a kiss, then got in the jeep and closed the door.
“Let me know when you get home,” he said, then held his hand up to wave.
I drove home wishing I was back in Brogan’s suite, in his bed. I wanted to be sleeping on his chest and waking up to his handsome face. My heart ached, I wanted it so badly.
Nope. Not doing this. I was going to enjoy our time together, dammit. I’d let myself fall apart when he left.
I got home and walked through the living room and into the kitchen. I pulled out my phone and texted Brogan. I told him that I made it home and that I wished I was there with him. He texted back that he missed me lying next to him. I smiled and put my phone down.
I made myself a glass of water and took it into my bedroom. I went through the motions of getting ready for bed and setting my alarm. I needed to be up by 6:00 which was only four hours from that moment. I sighed. The morning was going to be rough.