by Harmon, AJ
“Thank you. I figured that you weren’t interested.”
“No! I mean…I should have called you.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Damn! This is hard. “My family, well, they have certain…expectations of me and…” She sat in the chair opposite him. “My mother believes that when I marry…” She crossed her legs and tucked her hands under her thighs. “My parents would consider it to be lowering my standards if…”
“Hold on!” He held up his hands to stop her. “Are you trying to tell me that your family does not consider me good enough for you? They don’t even know me! They’ve never even met me!” He was irritated, and in his mind for good reason. “Oh,” he continued as the realization dawned. “Emma doesn’t think I’m good enough.”
Beth closed her eyes. “Yes…but I don’t care anymore. They do not have control over who I fall in love with or who I choose to date. I am no longer going to be beholden to their outdated and ridiculous notion of a social status.”
“So if you marry someone that they deem inappropriate, what will they do?”
“It doesn’t matter because I don’t care.”
“Humor me. What will they do?”
“I guess I will become the black sheep of the family and…well, I’m not really sure,” she admitted.
Tim couldn’t believe what he was hearing. In fact, it was downright ludicrous! What fucking century do they think it is? he wondered. But the reality was clear. If he was to pursue her, she could quite possibly lose her family, and he wasn’t going to be the cause of such heartache. He loved her too much to inflict on her that kind of pain.
Tim stood and took one last look. He drank in the sight of her and then he walked around the sofa towards the door.
“I saw you last night,” he said softly. “And I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He continued walking to the door. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Beth. You deserve to be happy.” He opened the door and left.
As he walked down the hallway to the elevator, he knew that Matt would tell him he’d been a coward not to lay his heart out and tell her how he felt, but how could he after hearing about her parents’ expectations for her? How could he put her in a position to make such a difficult choice; him or her family? He couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t do it. He loved her enough to let her go.
Matt could call him a coward, but it didn’t matter. He punched the elevator button and waited…and waited…and waited for the doors to open. When they finally did, he stepped inside. Goodbye Beth.
*****
Did he just leave? DID HE JUST LEAVE? Beth’s mouth dropped open as the door clicked shut. He left!
“I do deserve to be happy!” she told Cleo. ”I deserve to get married and be happy! And not with someone like Gerald.” His name was even difficult to say.
Cleo didn’t respond.
“You like him, right?”
Cleo tilted her head.
Beth ran to the door and flung it open. She ran down the hall as the doors to the elevator began to slide together. Tim saw her and threw his arm up to stop them from closing.
“Don’t go!” she pleaded.
“Beth,” he sighed. “I don’t want you to have to choose between…”
“There’s no choice,” she shook her head.
Tim stepped out of the elevator and the doors closed behind him. “I’m not going to come between you and your parents.”
“I think I love you Tim. I shouldn’t say that but I do. We hardly know each other but it doesn’t change the fact that when I’m with you I’m more myself than when I’m alone. It doesn’t even make sense but it’s how I feel. I know that the last few months have been unbearable for me and I don’t want to experience that again. I want you in my life. Please don’t go.” A small sob escaped her lips as a tear spilled down her cheek.
Tim wiped away the moisture with his thumb and stepped toward her. “I came here to tell you that I was in love with you. I was going to tell you that my life was without meaning unless you’re beside me. I was going to tell you that I want to be the only man that you kiss from now on. I want to be the only man that touches you. I want to be the only man you think about. I want to be your only man. I love you Beth.”
His lips grazed hers and he caught her sob as it escaped. He pushed his fingers into her hair and held her held close to his and kissed her again. A bark jerked them apart as Cleo stood next to them wagging her tail.
“I love you too girl,” he laughed and scratched her ears.
“Let’s go back inside,” she said as she took his hand in hers and laced their fingers, leading him down the hall.
The door opposite flung open and there stood Jerry and Vince beaming with joy.
“That was beautiful,” sighed Vince.
Tim chuckled. “Goodnight guys.” They walked into Beth’s apartment and he shut the door behind them.
*****
Her skin was as soft as he’d remembered. He lips were as warm as he remembered. Tim held her in his arms and breathed deeply, relieved that she had been the one to take the ultimate risk, but he uneasy with her decision to put him before her family. Tim knew what his family meant to him and it was crazy to him that she would be willing to give up that bond for him. However, he’d met Emma, and wondered if the family dynamic she’d grown up in was not the same as his.
He looked into Beth’s eyes and realized that she was willing to accept the possibility. She was prepared to give everything up to be with him, and he loved her all the more. He swept her up into his arms and carried her down the hall to the bedroom. The walls were a shade of dusty pink and the bed was covered in a maroon satin duvet.
“Emma’s idea,” she whispered as Tim laid her gently on the bed.
“I don’t care what the color is,” he said softly. “I won’t be looking at it. I have eyes only for you.”
Beth chuckled.
“Too corny?” he grinned.
Beth nodded and laughed and pulled him down to her so she could kiss him. He lay down beside her and pulled her into his arms and they kissed each other tenderly. Beth laid her head on his strong chest and listened to the beating of his heart. Tim stroked her hair and closed his eyes, truly understanding Matt’s words. A woman had never made me feel the way I felt about Janie and it fucking scared the shit out of me. He understood. It had scared him, but it didn’t scare him anymore and the woman lying in his arms was his future. Of that he had no doubt.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“That my brother is a wise man.”
Beth pushed herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. “I don’t know much about you at all,” she admitted. “I mean, I know who you are as a person…who you are in here,” she placed her hand over his heart, “but not about your family. In fact, I don’t even know your last name.” That realization startled her. “What is your name?”
“You know my name,” he said.
“Tim. I don’t know your last name!”
“Really? My name is Timothy Ward Lathem, named after my uncle, my mother’s brother. He is my mom’s only sibling and…” he trailed off as he saw her face. “What is it?”
“Your last name is Lathem?”
“Yeah…is something wrong?”
“So Matt Lathem?”
“Is my brother,” he answered.
“Bloody hell!” she exclaimed and laughed.
“What? You know Matt? You’ve heard of Matt… probably,” he answered his own question. “Everybody’s heard of Matt.”
“Emma said just last night she’d love to marry a Lathem and I told her we didn’t know any!” She laughed some more.
Tim thought about her statement. Emma wanted to marry someone based on their name and reputation. Beth, on the other hand, had fallen in love with him only knowing he was a fireman and that she knew him to be a good man. The knowledge only confirmed what he already knew. This was the woman for him. She was his future.
“Matt is t
he oldest and I’m the youngest of seven boys.”
“Seven?”
“Yep,” he nodded. “My parents are still together and still in love and there’s just two of us left that aren’t hitched…yet.”
Beth looked away.
“And I want you to meet them all,” he smiled. “But I’ll make sure you’re well prepared first. They can be a bit…a bit overwhelming.”
“I’d like to meet them.”
“And I’d like to meet your family.”
Beth squirmed a little. “You know, we don’t have to think about that now. Let’s just enjoy this moment, right now, without spoiling it with talk of my family.”
Tim let it go…for now, but he decided he would meet her family and he would protect her from them, if necessary.
He linked his hands at the back of her neck and pulled her to him. As his lips touched hers he whispered “I love you,” and then showed her just how much with his body. He rolled her onto her back and kissed her more, his tongue darting in and out of her mouth. Then he moved his way down her neck and over her sweater to her breasts. He nipped at her nipples under layers of fabric but felt them harden in his mouth.
“Let’s get rid of some of this,” he said and pulled her to a sitting position. She held her arms over her head as he lifted the sweater from her. As he gazed at her teal blue bra, he gasped at the swelling flesh spilling over the lace trim and he lowered his head to kiss the temptation before him. His hands slid around her and flicked open her bra and with his teeth he pulled it from her body. The straps slid down her arms and he tossed it on the floor.
“You’re beautiful,” he said as he took one perfect little rosebud into his mouth and sucked gently.
Beth arched her back to him and let her head fall back, silently giving him permission to take all he wanted, all he desired. She was his to do as he pleased. He rolled his tongue over her distended nipple and he heard her gasp. He moved to the other nipple and gently pushed her backwards ‘til she was again flat on the bed.
“Let me love you,” he begged. “Let me love you forever.”
It took little time for all their clothes to be on the floor and Tim sliding inside her. She was slick and ready for him and he began slowly, savoring every inch of her and she every inch of him. The thrusts became quicker and more determined, both of them wanting, desiring, needing release.
Beth squeezed her eyes shut as she climaxed. It was perfect – exceptional in every way. Her muscles constricted around his shaft and the sensation pumped through her body with every heartbeat and left her breathless and spent. Her spasms sent him over the edge and his control was shattered as his orgasm pulsed inside her.
Physically drained, they lay in each other’s arms and gasped for air until their breathing returned to normal. Then they slept with their limbs entwined and hearts joined and dreams of a future together.
16.
They spent the next several weeks really getting to know one another. Beth had started a ritual where every night before they fell asleep together, they would each share a memory of their childhood. If Tim was working, Beth would call him before she went to bed and they would talk for as long as they could before Beth drifted off to sleep or Tim had to leave for a call.
At dinner, whether eating out or dining in, they would each ask three questions of the other that had to do with their work and career, including university and all jobs prior to their current one. Tim had always felt uneasy about sharing his experiences, but with Beth, it seemed so natural to bring her into his world. She’d been to the station several times and had even won over Ralph Lindberg. Bringing cupcakes when she visited had helped.
Tim had been an excellent student but hadn’t been an avid reader…until now. Beth introduced him to her favorite authors and she would regularly read him excerpts from the manuscript she was editing. He discovered he was enjoying reading her recommendations and afternoons in the park with Cleo would often end lying on a blanket under a tree, each of their noses in a paperback.
She was the first woman he’d ever had in his apartment, other than family of course. She’s expressed great curiosity in his home gym and Tim had become her personal trainer, although more often than not, the sweat that covered their bodies was from making love rather than working out.
Cleo accepted him willingly as her new ‘dad’ and Tim had purchased a huge bed for when she stayed over. The guys at the station loved her and she visited with Beth often. A couple of the guys were even ‘borrowing’ her when they went on runs. She had made lots of new friends.
After two months of spending every possible minute together, Tim knew it was time to introduce Beth to her family. They had been asking, no, begging to meet her since he had reported back that he had gone to her apartment that Sunday evening and they had each bared their souls and it couldn’t have worked out better. Matt was especially proud of his baby brother and had told him on more than one occasion that a real man was one who was able to share their feelings. Tim was appreciative of the compliment.
With Independence Day approaching, Tim decided it would be the perfect time to introduce her to his family. As they had done years before, Peter and Maureen had rented a house in the Hamptons and the whole family was going for the three day weekend. Tim had called in every favor he could to get the holiday off. He’d reminded everyone how he’d worked for them during the winter when they were sick and grudgingly, one by one, his coworkers had come through and he, for the first time in six years, was not going to work on the fourth of July. He was going to the Hamptons with Beth.
The Sunday before their trip he’d used the family dinner table to plead with them all to be gentle with her…to go easy on her.
“We really need to meet her, you know,” said Rory, Andrew’s husband, “Because the only Beth I’ve known was Matt’s ex.” A few of the family muttered in agreement.
“Sorry Janie,” he added.
Janie laughed. “You know, I hadn’t put that together, but yeah, we need to give the name Beth better representation, and I am sure that your Beth will do the trick.”
Matt smiled at his wife, lifted her hand and kissed it. “I love you,” he mouthed.
“I know,” she grinned.
“I’m sure she is a lovely girl,” said Maureen. “If she’s captured your heart then I’m sure that we will all love her too.”
So on Thursday of that week, Tim arrived at Beth’s apartment and loaded her suitcase, a bag of dog food and Cleo’s bed into the trunk of his black Volvo C70.
“I’ve never had a dog in the backseat,” he said. “I hope she fits.” Cleo jumped in as soon as Tim pushed the seat forward. “That answers that question,” he laughed. After kissing Beth, he helped her into the front seat and ran around and jumped in beside her. “Off we go,” he exhaled. “Are you ready?”
Beth grinned. “I hope so.”
“They already love you, you know. No pressure.”
“No pressure,” she repeated, adopting it as her mantra for the drive to the beach.
Getting out of the city was tricky. The Long Island Expressway was more like a parking lot than a freeway, but eventually the traffic lightened and they were moving at a good pace. It ended up taking almost four hours to reach the beach house and as they pulled in the driveway, Beth had a minor panic attack as she saw all of the cars.
“Bloody hell!” she cried. “It looks like a car show!”
Tim pointed out the vehicles and their owners. “The black beamer is Matt’s and the Land Rover is Matt’s. Huh?” He was confused. “Oh wait! I bet Ray drove the beamer up with mom and dad. And Matt would’ve brought the Rover. Okay,” he continued. “So the Red Audi is Andrew and Rory and the white Audi is Mark and Katy.”
“A popular car in your family?” Beth grinned.
Tim laughed. “The Lincoln is Paul’s, the Ford is David’s and…and it doesn’t look like Ben is here yet.” Tim looked up and down the street for any sign of Ben’s red Porsche 911. “Oh, but Tyler�
��s here,” he said pointing to the navy blue BMW M5. “I bet he has Adam with him.”
“I know we’ve gone over all your family and I’ll try to remember everyone,” Beth said, wringing her hands with anxiety.
“You’re gonna be fine!” Tim took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. “I’m not gonna let you out of my sight. I’ll be beside you the whole time, k?”
Beth nodded and took a deep breath. “Who’s Ray again?”
Tim grinned and told her all about Matt’s driver and how he was really a member of the family. Beth leashed Cleo and led her from the car as Tim hauled in their suitcases and Cleo’s giant pillow. Maureen met them at the front door of the huge house that had grey shake siding with white trim. It was exactly what she would expect a beach house to look like.
“Oh Beth,” Maureen smiled as she stretched out her arms, “It is lovely to meet you dear.” Maureen embraced her warmly and then hugged her son. “And this is the famous dog, Cleo.” She petted her on the head.
Beth smiled. “Yes, this is Cleo. Thank you very much for inviting me Mrs. Lathem.”
“Pff,” Maureen snorted. “Call me Maureen. And thank you for coming. We’re all very anxious to get to know you.”
She led them inside into the comfortable dwelling. The foyer was small but inviting, a huge staircase directly in front of them. To the left was a dining room with a massive dark wood table and to the right was a large living room with lots of comfortable looking sofas and chairs. It was also full of people.
Beth took a deep breath as Tim squeezed her hand and they took a step into the mass all eager to say hello. Ella pushed her way to the front and looked up at Beth with big blue eyes.
“I’m Ella,” she announced and held out her hand.
“Hello Ella,” Beth smiled and squatted and took the chubby hand in hers. “My name is Beth and I’m very happy to meet you.”
“Momma, she talks funny,” Ella turned to look for Janie.
Beth laughed. “I do, don’t I?” Ella nodded. “I’m from England. That’s a country far away from here and we all talk like this.”