“Yeah, I made it back on Thursday night.”
“Okay, good, can you come on in tomorrow morning then?”
Gregg groaned and again rolled his eyes, “I kind of was hoping to have a couple of days off.” He put his arms around her waist as he said this.
“Well, you had a couple of days off, Thursday and Friday and the whole weekend.” His boss said.
He looked down at Ashley, and she shrugged her shoulders as if to say it was fine. “Okay, I can come in tomorrow, then.”
“Good, see you in the morning.”
“Yeah, you too.” He said, then hung up. Then he turned to her. “I am so sorry…”
“It’s ok, Gregg! I am sure I can find something to keep me occupied while you are working for a couple of days.”
“I know, I just was hoping to spend more time with you before you left.”
She could see the sadness in his eyes when he mentioned her leaving. She raised up on her toes and kissed him. “I won’t be gone forever.”
That made him smile, “Promise?” he asked.
“I swear.”
They went back to his house and ate some of the leftover spaghetti for lunch. Then cuddled up on the couch to watch the movie that they had started twice now but never finished watching. He got up and made her afternoon coffee and brought it to her on the couch, and when she took the cup he laid down with his head in her lap. Closing his eyes.
She looked down at him and smiled, running her fingers lightly through his hair. The thought of having to leave made her feel sadness at that moment. They had so much fun and so many laughs and warm nights already. She felt like she had known him for years instead of days. How am I going to explain this to my father? She wondered. Whatever happened, she knew she had to come back. She knew she needed him in her life for a long time.
After about an hour, he woke up and pulled her down to where she was lying in his arms and they both napped together. The afternoon came and went outside but the moment seemed to last forever for them in each other’s arms.
When Gregg awoke, finally, he decided to let her sleep and went to take a shower. Dreading going into work the next morning. He hated that Ashley would have to hang out without him and hated that he would miss those hours with her. Hearing the bathroom door open brought him out of his sadness, however, and her voice shoved the last remaining bits of it down the drain entirely.
“You didn’t wake me up.” She said, peeking behind the shower curtain.
He leaned over and kissed her. “I figured I would let you sleep.”
She smiled. “I could use a shower, I suppose.”
He motioned for her to come in with him, “Well, there’s plenty of room.”
When she got into the shower, he pinned her to the wall, kissing her passionately. She loved the way his lips felt pressed against hers, and the way his body felt when it was next to her. It brought a fiery excitement in her every time he put his hands on her. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before.
“How has nobody snatched you up yet?” she asked him between kisses.
He considered this a moment, “I guess I was always waiting for somebody like you.”
They finished showering, in between kissing and touching each other. They would have probably stayed in longer if the hot water had not run out. He took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom again. Feeling his desire for her grow with every single step they took. Putting his hands on her neck and gently lifting her face up to meet his, he asked, “Can I keep you?”
“I’d be upset if you didn’t,” she replied to him.
He picked her up and laid her down onto the bed. He wanted to kiss her entire body, to memorize every inch of her before she left. Savoring every moment as he did so. Her body melted beneath him; she was unable to contain herself any longer. The longing she felt for him was so intense that it was almost a deepened desire at this point.
The air was electric in the bedroom as they made love again, and when they were done, her legs were still shaking. He kissed her neck and kissed down her chest and the rest of her body, before making his way back up to her lips. “I love you, Ashley.”
She smiled; she knew he meant it. She could feel it in the passionate way he kissed her and made love to her. “I love you too, Gregg.”
The next morning, they made love again, even more passionately than the night before. Then she made him breakfast as he showered. She would have taken a shower with him but figured that would have made him late for work, and she did not want that.
“Are you sure you’ll be ok all morning by yourself? I can come back at lunch and leave you my car or something. Since I sort of took up all your time, and we never made it to the rental place, it only seems fair.” He said as he was getting ready to walk out the door.
“Sounds great. I’ll be ok, I probably will just sleep honestly. I think you wore me out.” She replied, and they laughed.
He took her in his arms and kissed her. “I’ll miss you. Call me or text me if you need anything.”
“I will,” she kissed him, “have a great day at work.”
When he walked out and shut the door, she felt like she already missed him. She tried remembering the last time she had been in love but could not think of a time it ever felt as good as she felt now. She heard his car start as she sat down on the couch.
As he sat in his car, he felt like the distance between them was already too much. He felt like she belonged next to him all the time, and without her, he felt almost empty. He got out of the car and walked back up to the door, needing to steal one last moment with her before he left for the day.
She was sitting on the couch when he came back in, and he walked over to her and kissed her. She pulled him down on top of her. “Miss me already?” she asked.
“So much.” He said and kissed her. He slid his hands under her shirt as he kissed her, he wanted to feel her soft skin once more.
“You are so going to be late if you keep that up.” She said, smiling.
“I know, I know. I can’t help it though, you’re just so… you.” After kissing her a little longer, he groaned painfully, standing up to leave. “Stay just right there like that until I get back.”
“Deal.” She said, “Now go before you’re late.” They laughed, and he left for work.
…
When he came back from lunch, she was asleep on the couch, and he woke her up and offered her some of the food he had brought home. Instead, she led him by the hand to the bedroom and told him that all she wanted for lunch was his body pressed up against hers.
“I can’t say no to that.” He replied and made love to her again.
The next day played out the exact same way, only this time he called in after lunch and told his boss that he needed the rest of the day off. He could not bear to leave her again so close to her leaving.
They ate lunch and dinner together in bed. As they laid there that night in each other’s arms, they talked about when they would be able to visit again.
“Do you really think we can make this work?” She asked him.
“I think it’s worth a try, I know I want you in my life forever.” He told her.
She began to cry. He took her in his arms and held her, wanting to cry himself at the thought of having to sleep alone after having her with him all these nights. But he pushed the feeling down and just comforted her instead.
In the morning, when he took her to the airport, he walked her in. When they got to the check-in area, she froze. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in and kissed her. “We will be fine, I promise. I love you, Ashley, and I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.”
Tears began to pour out of her eyes, and he kissed her.
“I love you too,” she said, trying to keep from sobbing.
They said their goodbyes, and he watched her walk off toward the security checkpoint before he turned to walk away. As he was walking, his heart sank. A feeling of sorrow at letting the woman who was possibl
y the absolute love of his life just stroll away off to another country to go to another life that was not here with him. The pain was almost too much to bear. He turned and ran to try and catch up to her.
She was standing in the security line, towards the back, when he found her again. She was crying, and pain stabbed him in the heart again. He never wanted to see her cry.
She was standing there looking at the ticket in her hand. Flight from Edmonton to Houston, Texas; worlds apart. Tears rolled down her cheeks, hot and wet.
“Ashley!” Someone called.
She turned, and Gregg was running back over to where she was standing.
The sobs she was trying to hold back came all out now, “Gregg, what are you…”
He did not let her finish. He grabbed her into his arms and kissed her.
“Don’t go. I mean, I know you have to go, but just get more stuff and come right back.” He said, his eyes glistened with tears he was trying to hold back. “I need you here with me.”
“Are you serious?” she asked, the thought filled her heart with utter delight.
“Dead serious, we can get married, we can do whatever it takes to keep you here, just please come back.”
She kissed him. Kissed him knowing those were the last lips she ever wanted to press hers too for the rest of her life. Knowing that she needed his arms around him every day as long as she lived.
The security guard came up and told them they were holding up the line and needed to wrap this up.
“Okay, I will call you as soon as I get back and we can figure it all out.” She told him.
“Deal, just hurry up and come back.” He said to her and kissed her again.
…
On the plane, she wanted to cry, but she could not make any more tears come out. She knew that she would be back in his arms soon and that she would get that happily ever after moment that most people only dreamed of. She knew that this was meant to be. Before she drifted off to sleep on the plane, she couldn’t help but think that somehow, her mother had set this all into motion from heaven. That she could finally let go and be happy once again.
Dirty Point Page 5