by Nancy Warren
When she thought she’d climb out of her skin with wanting, he slipped a hand between them, rubbing her hot spot in time to their thrusts.
Oh, it was so good. Too good. She couldn’t hold out. The dishes were banging together, the table hitting the wall, skin slapping against skin, all of it mixing with their mingled sighs and whispers.
“Oh, yes,” she moaned.
“You make me crazy.”
“Good.” She liked him crazy. She liked them both crazy with lust and wanting and this fire that died down but was never quenched.
And then she couldn’t hold back anymore. She felt the wave build, rise and crest as her body ground against his, and her head fell back on a long, heartfelt cry of release.
He was right there with her, and held her until they were both spent. “I think I put my hand in the butter,” she said, pressing her forehead to his hot, sweaty chest.
“Come on. Let’s get you in the shower.”
And somehow, under the streaming, steaming water, they took each other again. More slowly this time. The water pounded down like warm rain, or tears, and something frighteningly sweet began to unfurl inside her.
She didn’t want to think about what it might be.
She had too much at stake to go soft on a guy. Not now. Not with Jackson. So, she took her pleasure, gave him his and then climbed out and grabbed a towel, all business now.
“I need to get to work. Stop distracting me.”
He slapped her bare butt as he walked past her and into the bedroom. “Can’t help it. You’re impossible to resist.”
Then he pulled on old clothes he’d brought with him in a sports-type duffel bag, and she dug out her own. Then they headed out to her studio for another day’s work.
“Does it feel like a Gershwin day?” she asked, scanning through her player for suitable tunes.
“Why not?”
They worked together but not together for a few hours, and she found he was great to have around.
At noon he told her he was going to make lunch. “And if you’re not in the kitchen in half an hour, I will come and get you and drag you out to eat.”
“I’ll be there.”
He made her lunch, wraps with cheese and avocado and lettuce, not seeming to mind at all that he was giving up an entire weekend to look after her. When they’d finished the wraps he’d made, she said, “Look, this isn’t fair on you. You work all week and this is your time off. Please, go out. Do something fun.”
His smile was a little twisted when he answered. “It is fun for me, spending time with you. Besides, I’m learning how to make a stained-glass window. I had no idea.”
“At least get out for a walk or a run or something. Get some air.”
“I wouldn’t mind a run,” he admitted. “And I need to get a few things at the market, things I forgot for tonight’s dinner.”
“I am so going to come over and do something nice for you when this is over,” she said, blown away by all he was doing for her.
“Get back to work. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“Sounds good.” She kissed him goodbye before heading back to work. Then she realized what she’d done. She’d kissed a man goodbye she was going to see again in a couple of hours. She stalked out to her studio faster than she needed to, realizing she was starting to act like Amy used to act with Seth. What was she doing?
She’d imagined it would be a relief to have her studio back to herself for a few hours, but the truth was she missed having Jackson there. He wasn’t an annoying presence, asking her things every five seconds or trying to talk to her whenever a thought flicked through his brain. He had the same kind of focus that she did. He took whatever task she gave him and got right into it. If he asked a question, it was an intelligent one.
She’d come to enjoy having him working in her space, watching the way he handled the glass as though he might smash it to pieces if he wasn’t careful, how he’d picked up the basic skills pretty fast. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d told her he was good with his hands.
If she’d learned one thing, it was that she might be able to stand having a helper next time she needed one. She’d have to keep that in mind.
She was deep into a tricky bit of repair work when she heard banging on the door. She wondered why Jackson didn’t simply walk in, then thought maybe his hands were full. She started to fantasize about take-out cappuccinos. When she flung the door open, her jaw dropped.
“Amy! What are you doing here?”
“I came to see if you’re still alive.”
“Of course I am.”
“Good. Then you can take a break for thirty minutes and have some lunch.”
“You drove all this way to bring me lunch?”
“I tried to call, but you’re not answering your phone. I figured you were lost to the world.”
“I can’t find my phone. I put it somewhere.” She glanced around her vaguely, but no phone jumped out at her. “I already had lunch.”
“And here I thought you were working yourself to the bone, forgetting to eat or sleep or brush your hair.” Amy sounded a tiny bit peeved and Lauren didn’t blame her. She’d come a long way to rescue someone who didn’t need rescuing.
Only because she was a day too late, but Lauren didn’t share that fact with her.
Phone. Where the hell was her phone?
“Maybe you could call me again and I’ll see if I can find my phone.”
“If you didn’t hear me calling before, why would you hear it now?”
“I’ll turn off the music.”
She cut off Ella Fitzgerald in midcroon and Amy pulled out her phone and hit speed dial. A tiny sound came from somewhere in her studio. It took a few minutes and a few more calls, but she finally unearthed the thing. It was wedged between an old window frame and a roll of masking tape.
“Found it,” she said brightly, holding up the phone.
“Come on. I drove all this way, least you can do is make me some tea.”
“Sure. We can sit outside. I can take a break.”
Amy looked summer pretty in a white jean skirt and a floral top. Her Italian sandals showed off a new pedicure, and her hair and makeup were flawless. When she moved her hands, her wedding ring sparkled in the sun.
Lauren didn’t quite know what bothered her. Perhaps it was that Amy looked almost too well turned out for a casual Saturday.
Amy stopped at her car and pulled out two big bags of stuff. When Lauren opened the door for her, she walked them in and plopped them both on the counter, then glanced around in amazement. She opened the fridge door and peeked inside. “You have food.”
It was true. The fruit bowl was heaped with healthy fruit, the fridge contained plenty of produce and Jackson had stocked her cupboards with all sorts of dry goods.
Amy turned to her, seeming confused and a little put out. “I thought I was on a mercy mission. You didn’t answer your phone and I pictured you working yourself to the bone and not finding time to buy fresh food. I guess I was wrong.”
She couldn’t go on lying to her best friend. Not now that Amy had really gone out of her way to be a good friend bringing food and checking up on her. She took a deep breath. “Actually,” she said, “you’re not wrong.”
As she spoke, Amy started rustling in the paper sacks on the counter, digging out deli sandwiches and cookies. She’d even brought chocolate. When she emerged, she said, “What did you say?” But before Lauren could repeat herself and get started on her confession, Amy was speaking again. “I didn’t only come here to bring you food. It was kind of an excuse. I really needed to get away.”
Lauren moved behind her friend to put on the kettle. It seemed like a tea kind of talk was about to occur. “Why? What happened?”
“Seth forgot our anniversary,” Amy said in a clipped, disappointed tone.
She knew she’d been working too hard and maybe her social skills were already rusting, but unless she’d also been in a time warp, she was mis
sing something. “You’ve only been married a few weeks.”
“Not our wedding anniversary!” Amy exploded. “The anniversary of our first date.”
“Oh.” Lauren had never understood why people celebrated every relationship marker, but Amy and Seth had always celebrated the day they first met and then the day of their first date. She didn’t realize the tradition was supposed to continue once she and Seth were married. Kind of seemed as though Seth hadn’t realized it, either.
“Do you mind if I use your washroom? I drank two coffees on the way up.”
“No, of course not.” She couldn’t remember what toiletries Jackson had left in her bathroom, but she’d decided to tell Amy about him anyway. However, she didn’t want him to come barging in while Amy was in the midst of talking about her marital troubles so she quickly texted him. Amy’s here. I’ll text you when the coast is clear.
When Amy returned, she fully expected an inquisition, but it seemed as though either Jackson had hidden all traces of his presence in her home or Amy was too preoccupied with her missed anniversary to notice anything else.
Lauren brewed tea and Amy unwrapped sandwiches.
Not even for her best friend could Lauren eat a second lunch. “I already ate lunch. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were coming.”
Amy regarded the sandwiches, and then rewrapped them. She grabbed the cookies and the box of Ghirardelli. “Screw it. Life’s short. We’ll skip straight to dessert.”
So, they sat outside in the shade of a grape arbor at a small round table. The vineyards stretched in all directions, the vines green and laden with young grapes.
As they sipped tea and munched on cookies, Lauren said, “It’s not only that he forgot the anniversary of your first date, is it?”
Amy shook her head, looking miserable. “I don’t know what to do. We’re still getting wedding presents and I’m wondering if I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
“No. I’m sure you’re not. You love Seth and he loves you.”
“I thought so, too. We were so perfect together. But since we’ve been married, I’m seeing a side to him I don’t like.”
“I’m sure there’s an adjustment period.”
“I guess. But—” her face started to pinch “—I think he might be having an affair.”
“What? Already?” Then realizing that was a completely tactless thing to say, Lauren continued, “I mean you’ve only been married six weeks. How could he possibly be having an affair?”
“I don’t know. But he’s out a lot. And when he comes home late and I ask him where he’s been, he gets really cagey. The other night he told me he was working late, but I’d already driven by his office and his car wasn’t there. Why would he lie to me unless he has something to hide?”
Lauren did not like the sound of that. And she’d been a witness to the night that he’d disappeared for a couple of hours after playing squash with Jackson. “Did you confront him?”
“Of course I did. He started yelling at me and said I didn’t trust him. Then he went out and slammed the door in my face.” She shoved a chocolate in her mouth. “And I keep eating because I’m upset, which is making me fat.”
“You’re not fat.” She nibbled a cookie, thinking. “Have you thought about marriage counseling?”
“Who goes to marriage counseling after six weeks of being married? It’s so humiliating. My parents paid a fortune for the wedding and both of our folks helped us buy the townhouse. If they found out we’re having problems already, they’d kill us.”
“I’m sure they wouldn’t. Anyway, why would they find out?”
“Because, if we started going to counseling, Seth would blab to his dad. They work together and he tells his dad everything.”
And Amy was as much of a blabbermouth with her own mother.
“You have to do something.”
“I am. I’m making sure I always look my best and I bought some new lingerie, and I’ve been reading books on how to improve our sex life.”
“Is it working?”
“Not really. The sex used to be so good between us. Now sometimes he says he’s too tired.”
She thought of how she’d been last night and how understanding Jackson had been. She said, “Maybe he really is too tired. You told me he’s got more responsibility now at work. What if you—I don’t know—just kissed him good-night when he’s tired.”
“It was so much better before we got married. If we were together, we both looked nice and we’d go out to nice places and we’d have sex. And when we were tired, we both went home to our own places.”
“Maybe you should have kept your apartment,” Lauren said. She was joking, but Amy looked at her seriously.
“Maybe I should have.”
They talked for a while longer, but Lauren didn’t know what to say or how to help.
Amy stood up. “Well, I’d better get going. You’ve got work to do. But thanks for listening. I really needed to talk to you.”
“Of course. Anytime.”
They hugged.
“Don’t forget the housewarming party next Saturday.”
“You’re still having it?” With the marital crisis going on, she’d assumed they’d drop the idea.
“Of course we’re still having it. A lot of the same people will be there that were at the wedding. I’m hoping that when we’re reminded of how special our wedding was, we’ll get the spark back again.”
“I hope it works.” Though privately she thought that any spark that could die out in six weeks probably wasn’t much of a spark to begin with.
When Amy drove away, Lauren stood for a moment, gazing after her. Hoping it would all turn out okay.
Then she texted Jackson that the coast was clear.
He arrived about ten minutes later, wearing running shorts and a technical shirt. She took a moment to admire his athlete’s build.
He grabbed a paper sack of groceries out of his car and must have caught her expression. “What?”
“People keep showing up at my house and donating food. I’m starting to feel like the food bank.”
“Amy brought food?”
“She did. Also chocolates.”
“Damn,” he said. “I forgot the chocolates.”
They walked into the kitchen together. “I’m so sorry you had to stay away. I had no idea Amy was coming over.”
“I felt like Clint Eastwood in Bridges of Madison County. Waiting for the busybody tea lady to leave so I could come back and screw my girl.”
“You watched The Bridges of Madison County?”
He shot her a sheepish grin. “The woman I was with at the time wanted to see it.”
“Of course she did. Well, much as I’d love to drag you to my bedroom now, the tea party is over. I need to get back to work.”
“Did she set your work back very much? You’ve got a sort of tense expression on your face.”
“No. It’s not that.” She glanced at him. “Seth keeps disappearing. She’s worried he’s having an affair.”
“Seth?” He shook his head. “Seth’s not that kind of guy. Anyway, he’s crazy about Amy and they’ve been married, what? A month? Two months? They’re practically still on their honeymoon.” He unpacked his food sack and added things to her full fridge.
“Except I get the feeling the honeymoon ended before the wedding.” She held up a hand. “Don’t say it.”
He turned to look at her. “Say what?”
She pitched her voice low and imitated him. “‘Never getting married.’ It’s what you say every time there’s something about Seth and Amy that you don’t like.”
“I wasn’t going to say that. I think marriage can work. With the right person.”
He turned and headed out the door toward the studio. She was so stunned she stared at his retreating back for a moment before following him out.
17
“TELL ME THE housewarming is canceled,” Jackson said as he laid foil around the edges of one of the cut pieces.
They’d fallen into a pretty efficient routine. He helped with everything except the cutting, the glass grinding and the soldering, all of which she preferred to do herself. But he was adept and had quickly caught on. He also worked long hours without complaint. She had to admit she wouldn’t be half as far along if he hadn’t given her his time this weekend.
“I asked Amy that, too. No. It’s going ahead.”
“What is it with these people? Their marriage might be over before it starts and they still have parties?”
“She thought it would bring them closer.”
“Ha. Remember the antipasto plate?”
“I know. But after that they did okay.”
He cut another section of foil. “Is this another deal where we bring a present?”
“I’m not sure. I think so.”
“What are they going to do with all that stuff if they break up?”
“What are they going to do with it all if they don’t? Did you see all the wedding gifts? Plus the shower gifts and then there’s all the shopping Amy’s been doing. They’ll need a bigger place for all their stuff.”
“What are you getting them?”
“I thought I’d give them one of my wine coolers. I know I make them, but Seth’s always said he’d like one.”
“That’s a great gift. It’s personal. Something you actually made. I’ll probably go online and see if there’s anything left at the gift registry they don’t already have.”
“Too bad you can’t buy marriage counseling. That’s the gift they need.”
They worked together the rest of the weekend. By Sunday evening, she looked around the studio at window after window, ready to deliver. She threw her arms out and turned in circles. “I can’t believe it. I’m not only going to make my deadline, I’ll have these to Sylvia early.”
Jackson watched her, a sleepy smile on his face. “Good.”
She walked over and threw her arms around him. “Are you staying tonight?” She knew he had to get back to work and had wondered if he’d leave today, but he hadn’t mentioned anything and she didn’t feel she had the right to ask.