Love of Truth

by C. T. Oliver

  Craig’s soft chuckles pull me out of my post-coital bliss. “I think Larry wants to go out.” I look over Craig’s shoulder to see Larry tugging the comforter from under Craig’s leg.

  “Umm, I guess we should get up.” I wrap my arms and one good leg around him tightly.

  Craig hugs me tightly before rolling off. I instantly miss his body. “Let me get little man downstairs and then I’ll come back and draw you a bath.” He reaches for Larry and leans down to give me a kiss on my forehead.

  I go up on my elbows and watch as Craig bounces out of bed naked with Larry in hand. “Umm…babe? Forgetting something?” I can see out of the corner of my eye as Craig catches on to where my full attention is. He gives me a sensual smile as he pulls on a pair of running shorts and heads out of the bedroom with Larry.

  The puppies roam around the kitchen providing our morning entertainment as Craig and Ben make what they called, a cowboy breakfast. Blu comes down the stairs dropping his bag by the front door before making his way to the kitchen and straight to the coffee.

  “Alright my lovelies, my play time is over. Time to head back before the beezies I left in charge burn down my empire.” Blu fills a cup with coffee and turns to the puppies. “Come on babies, say goodbye to Uncle Blu.” He holds out both arms but only Mozart runs to him for goodbye kisses. “Hmmph. Larry as always, a pleasure,” Blu says dramatically to Larry. To which Larry answers with an eyebrow raise.

  I laugh at their exchange. “Don’t hate because he’s one of the great,” I glare at Blu just to annoy him further.

  “Pssshh, whatever. That guy is so overrated,” Blu says with a theatrical eye roll.

  “You don’t even know him,” I smirk, taking a sip of my own coffee.

  “Who did you name Larry after anyway? I mean, that’s not really a dog kinda name,” Ben asks from the stove.

  Pen giggles and continues to sip her coffee. “Go on babe, tell them.” Pen smiles, enjoying being in on the personal secret.

  “Yes, Amelia. Tell Craig why you named Larry, Larry.” Blu crosses his arms in front of his chest and leans against the kitchen island, grinning arrogantly.

  I take a deep breath. I have nothing to be ashamed of. “My celebrity crush is David Gandy.”

  Blu snorts. “Celebrity crush, my butt.”

  Pen giggles, close to tears. Only they really know the true depth of my crush for that man. Classy and in a suit, he is panties dropping hot.

  “The Johnnie Walker guy?” Ben asks, raising his eyebrows at me.

  “The tighty-whities guy?” Cory asks the same time as Ben. Giving me a playful smirk.

  I take a second to look at each of them and continue. “Anyway, his hairstylist is named Larry and because Blu got me Larry, I thought it would be an honor to name him after a hairstylist, therefore, Larry.” I smile widely at Craig who just shakes his head and grins back at me.

  “To honor me you would have given him a name that is similar to mine, not your wet dream’s hairstylist of all people.” Blu points over to Craig as a warning when he said ‘wet dream’ to emphasize his point.

  “You’re named after a color. What I am supposed to call him, Sapphire? That’s a porn star’s name.” My comment only annoys Blu further while Pen tries to hide her giggling fit.

  “Whatever, give your dog an old man’s name, what do I care?” Blu leans down to kiss Pen’s head before heading out of the kitchen.

  “Pen named her dog after a dead guy,” I yell after Blu.

  “Still better than Larry,” Blu hollers back. “Peace out people.”

  After the cowboy breakfast I passed out from the biggest food coma of my life while everyone goes about their day. In the evening I’m aware of Pen and the guys coming back from the bookstore and starting dinner. Craig spent the whole day sitting around the couch studying and keeping me company whenever I was able to pry my eyes open. Later into the evening, like he’s done in the last two evenings, Craig carries Larry and me off to bed with the biggest smile on his face. We make love and I cling to him throughout the night and into the morning.

  I’m a little bit more mobile this morning. The swelling is down a bit and I’m able to put some pressure on my ankle. I can move about the bedroom to pack up and head back to the city. The idea of going back to the city both saddens and worries me. Craig and I are working as a couple here, on vacation, what will happen when we get back to daily life? A life where I’m at school all the time, teaching and working in a lab. A life where Craig is going to school and studying to step into his chosen profession.

  “Okay, I think that’s everything here in the bedroom.” Craig comes out from the bathroom with all my things. “Did I miss anything?”

  “No, I don’t think so.” I throw all our dirty laundry into my bag and what was left of the clean clothes into his bag. It was his idea that we just separate them when we get back home. His exact word, ‘home’. It gives me so much hope.

  Coming down the stairs is a test of my pain threshold with my messed up ankle, but I’m able to do it in less than ten cuss words. Craig hovers over me constantly, but he has a great understanding that I like to do things on my own.

  Downstairs, Pen has set out a simple breakfast of fruits, yogurt, and granola for me, and eggs and bacon for the guys.

  “Amelia, you want me to drive you back?” Pen asks while handing me some coffee.

  “No, that’s okay, Pen. I’ll drive you guys.” Craig fills his plate and sits next to me at the table. “I don’t need anything at my apartment. I can stay over at your place and take care of you for a couple more days,” Craig winks at me.

  “Sure,” I smile at him.

  “Besides it’s not like there’s room for him at his place,” Cory chuckles while not so discreetly feeding a slice of bacon to Mozart.

  “Why? What’s wrong with your apartment?” I ask Craig.

  Craig rolls his eyes at Cory. “Have you ever tried to squeeze three over six feet tall guys, each with their own surf board and dirt bike, into a small one bedroom apartment?”

  Pen giggles. “Oh, are Ben and Cory staying with you until you guys move to Seattle?”

  At Pen’s mention of Seattle the bottom of my stomach falls out and I stare intently at my yogurt-covered granola. Craig grabs for my hand and squeezes it lightly. “Yeah, they’re staying with me and there’s no room at all.” Though he is speaking to everyone in the room, his focus is all on me.

  Cory chuckles. “Shit, I have to run out to the store just so I can have space to eat.”

  “No one asked you guys to come crash with me,” Craig glares at Cory.

  “No one asked you to get such a small ass apartment.” Cory mocks Craig’s tone, giving me a smile and lightens up my mood a bit.

  “Where is your apartment?” Pen asks, sitting down in between Cory and Ben.

  “The Taylor Building, Salmon and 15th.” Craig brushes his thumb back and forth on my hand. I think it’s his way of assuring me of his presence.

  “No way!” I gasp.

  “What?” Craig looks at me intently.

  “That’s Pen’s building.” I look back and forth between Craig, Pen, and then over at Ben who has a small smile at the corner of his lips. “How long have you been there?”

  “This will be my third year,” Craig answers while looking at Ben and then over to Pen.

  “Small world.” I shrug, eyeing Ben and Pen, who now is squirming in her chair.

  “Where’s your building, Shorty?” Cory asks as he feeds Larry some bacon.

  “Oh my gosh. Don’t feed my dog your spicy food!” I glare at Cory’s sheepish face. “I’m on Yamhill and 6th, it’s above Mode.”

  “Then why don’t we just take Pen home, and you and Craig can just go straight to your building,” Ben offers.

  “Will that be okay with you, Pen?” I can see the wistfulness on Pen’s face but at the same time I see doubt. It’s a look I’m all too familiar with. What is going with those two?

  “Sure. I think t
hat’s fine.” Pen offers me a smile that isn’t quite hers. I want to offer her to ride with us, but before I can open my mouth she’s already up saying she needs to finish getting her stuff. I don’t feel quite right, but I don’t want to argue or make a scene. I hope Pen is okay. I’ll have to ask her later.

  Craig and I drive in comfortable silence listening to his playlist of pieces from Alexandre Tharaund, one of my favorite pianists. The sweet melodies that I love so much are actually putting me into a funk today. I brush Larry’s little body to ease the sinking feeling I have in my heart. A big part of my worries is about Craig and I stepping into the city as a couple. Then there’s also the reality of him moving in a few months. I’m going to lose him, just like everyone else in my life.

  Craig’s hand reaches over the console for mine. “Amelia, you’re quiet. What are you thinking about?”

  I take a deep breath, trying to put words to my feelings. I’ve always been one of those people who believe in being upfront, so why not be truthful. “I’m scared.”

  “Of what?” Craig takes a quick sideway glance at me.

  “Of us. What if we don’t work out as a couple in the city? You and I are very busy people. And—” God, why is this so hard to talk about. I feel like there’s a hole in my heart. Who am I to have the right to say this? “You’re moving soon,” I whisper while looking out the window. I don’t even know why I’m bringing this up. We’ve barely gotten together.

  Craig squeezes my hand for me to look over at him. “Amelia, I promised to be honest with you and so I’m going to say this. I think we’re going to be okay, more than okay. I’m going do, not even try, do my best to make this work.” He smiles his comforting smile but the heaviness in my heart is still there.

  “How do you know?” I ask, looking into his beautiful teal-gray eyes.

  Craig just smiles wider. “I know how I feel. And how I feel when I’m with you, there’s nothing like it. I don’t ever want to walk away from that feeling.”

  I’m speechless. I’m still worried, but speechless to his declaration. I give him a nod and look out to the passing scenery.

  A couple of minutes later Craig pulls onto an exit and takes us into the Tillamook Cheese Factory. When we finally park, I see Cory pulling the truck up next to us. My funk is so heavy I failed to notice they were right behind us. Cory literally skips out of the truck and runs into the store with the glee of a little boy.

  After eating my weight in ice cream and cheese, Craig piggybacks me out to the SUV. I don’t know if it’s the cheese and ice cream or being bounced on Craig’s back but I feel very touchy feely with him. When he finally pulls out of the cheese factory, I can’t hold back my urges any longer. I put a sleeping Larry in the back seat and move closer to Craig.

  “Amelia, umm,” Craig takes in a few breaths to calm himself, “wha—what are you doing there?”

  I’m half way over the console, working my hand up his thigh. “I’m just being good,” I smile sweetly at him.

  Craig tries to hold in his laugh. “You want to be good with me now?”

  “Mm-hmm, I want to be so good with you.” I run my hand over the bulge outside his basketball shorts as I lean further over the console. I nuzzle my nose against his neck getting even more excited from his sexy stubble and his clean scent.

  “Amelia, I can barely see straight.” Craig lets out a staggered breath as I start to pull at the drawstrings of his shorts and tease his waistband with my fingers.

  I smile against his neck. “Just look straight, babe. And don’t press down on the gas too much.”

  I pull his shorts down his hip and he springs out warm and hard in my hand. “Amelia, if we get pulled over and go to jail for this, it’s totally your fault,” Craig grins and shakes his head.

  “But I was just trying to get him off, Mr. Counselor.” I look at him with what I hope is an innocent look before I lean down and take as much of him in my mouth as I can.

  “Jesus H. Christ, Amelia,” Craig growls. I can feel his body straining from the pleasure. I swirl my tongue all along his length and pay close attention to his tip. I can feel one of his hands reaching down and brushing back a lock of my hair and tucking it behind my ear. I suck at his tip, my tongue focusing on the slit. I taste a little bit of his excitement. I love the feel of him in my mouth. Even more, I love the emotions on his face whenever I do this. So much passion and lust. My mouth pays attention to the smooth tip as I stroke his length with my hand. I can tell he’s close from the way he’s twitching in my mouth. “Amelia. Baby, please stop,” Craig growls. I swirl my tongue around him with a little bit more pressure this time before giving the slit a taste with the tip of my tongue as I look up at him. His body tightens to the core and he comes in my mouth. I suck and stroke every drop until I’m satisfied. To his credit, the car is on course and Craig didn’t even let his foot off the pedal.

  “See babe. You were able to handle that just fine.” I sit back in my seat to see a very dazed Craig with flushed cheeks. He barely has a handle on his breathing. “You didn’t even swerve the car at all. I’m so proud of you,” I say in a cheery voice and clap my hands with glee.

  Craig chuckles, letting out a sigh as he struggles to pull up his shorts. “Baby, you are—” he sighs, “I don’t know what you are, but you’re just—” He let’s out another sigh with a happy dreamy look on his face.

  Chapter 24

  Amelia’s building is modern and classy. The outside is clad in gold-speckled black marble all the way to the top, giving the building a luxurious look. The lobby is paved in cream marble with shiny gold elevators gleaming against the espresso wood walls. The room is decorated with dark modern furniture and large vases of flower to soften the atmosphere. Mode shares the first floor with a high-end café with the same color schemes. Blu really does know how to create an image for his business.

  I pull into Amelia’s building following her instructions. The whole time thinking ‘I can’t believe my love has only been blocks away from me’. Larry starts barking his joy from my lap the second I the park the SUV in the garage under the building. “I guess little man misses his home.” I hand him over to Amelia.

  “This was his first trip away from home.” She holds Larry to her face and nuzzles his back while tickling his tummy. Adorable. Even in her tight Nike shorts and a v-neck t-shirt, she’s beautiful.

  I come over to her side and cradle her in my arms over to the elevator. “I’ll come get the bags once I get you up upstairs.”

  “Okay.” She gives me a soft peck on the cheek. “Thank you for staying with me. I think I’ve gotten kinda attached to you,” she says softly with a small smile on her lips.

  “I know I’m super attached to you.” I kiss her forehead, feeling my heart swell in my chest. I watch as Amelia punch in the code for the floor into the keypad. “How long have you lived here?”

  “Umm…since halfway through my freshman year.” Amelia wrinkles her brow to remember. “Blu was living on the fourth floor and needed a roommate. So I sold my house and moved in with him because it was closer to school. Then when the lady that Blu was working for put Mode up for sale, Blu and I jumped on the opportunity. When the lady bought the space she wanted her beauty shop to be on the top floor, but when that didn’t do so well she bought out the first floor. That was how we bought Mode and so we turned the top floor into our living space.” She looks over and smiles at me as we ride up to the fifteenth floor.

  “So you and Blu own Mode?” I ask in confusion.

  Amelia laughs and shakes her head. “Goodness no. I don’t know why, but I didn’t want to be a part of it. I wouldn’t feel right leaving Blu to hold the bag on the place. No, I helped Blu buy it with the money from the house father left me, and slowly Blu has been buying me out. But I wanted ownership of the living space, though. I love the space and the balcony. The view is breathtaking.”

  “I bet it’s very welcoming and beautiful just like you.” I nuzzle my nose into her hair and take in a lung
full of the mint lingering on her hair.

  Amelia gives me a small smile. “I wasn’t really expecting a guest to come over and I was in a rush to get out of the city, so it’s a mess,” she says as the elevator door opens to an oval clinical looking room. In the middle of the room a large glass table stands with a tall vase holding a few branches of cherry blossoms occupying the space.

  At the sight of the flowers Amelia squeals her excitement. She turns Larry so he can see the vase. “Look, Larry. Uncle Blu must have ordered those.” Larry simply looks up at me with his round eyes and an eyebrow raised as I step onto the floor.

  “Where to?” I ask, looking down the hallway.

  “Door on the left,” Amelia says, still eyeing the vase with the pale pink recently bloomed cherry blossoms. “They’re so pretty. I think I might want to take that into the apartment,” she grins mischievously.

  “I’m sure nothing is as pretty as you,” I smile down at her.

  She smiles and eyes me until we both start laughing. “You sure are milking it with those lines,” she sighs heavily. “But they are working.” She gives me a peck on the cheek before turning to punch in a code into the lock pad on the door handle.

  “Is everything on a code?” I ask.

  “Umm…yeah. Blu had them put in last year. He got pissed when I kept calling him during work when I locked myself out or lost my key. He said I probably wouldn’t lose my mind anytime soon so this was the best solution,” she explains and turns the handle to her apartment. Her apartment is more like a studio penthouse with a grand view of the city.