by Brandy Blake
“Well, I’m not completely color blind, but my vision is limited. I still see colors, they are just muted, and some don’t look as bright as they would to you. So, it’s not as bad as being color blind. I guess it would be more like color challenged.” He laughed.
Amanda laughed. “You are an amazing man.”
“It is about time that you noticed that! This is the bedroom and master bathroom.” He walked into a room at the end of the hall.
“Oh, I love the tub, is that a Jacuzzi?” She peered into the master bathroom.
“Yes, you want to take a bath together? We can put bubbles in it if you want.”
“How did you know I love bubble baths?”
“Don’t most women? Plus, the Jacuzzi tub is perfect for mixing up the bubbles and giving you a heap of them, with very little soap used.”
“Well, when should we be back to the hotel?”
“We have time for a bath, we’ll go back at around midnight; the traffic should be lighter.”
“Sure, how can I pass up the chance?”
“Okay, I’ll start the water and put the bubbles in. You, my dear, can just undress and look sexy for me.”
She smiled at him. “So, this was just another ploy to get me naked?”
“If I could, I’d have you walking around naked at all times. Of course, I would never get anything done. On second thought, we’d have to pick times for that, and I’d be sure to enjoy them!”
He turned on the water and poured in the bubbles, and a lavender scent hit her nose immediately. “Oh… I love lavender!”
“Good thing I had that for bubbles.”
“I have to ask, why would a man have lavender bubble bath?” She wondered if they were from a woman who he had over before.
“Like I said, the Jacuzzi bath is perfect for bubbles. Don’t share my secret though, I know it’s not very masculine of me. But it takes me back to when I was a younger boy. I loved bubbles and my mother would always fill the tub up to the brim with them. I don’t think that bubbles should be limited for just girls.”
“You are right, why can’t everyone enjoy them!”
She undressed and walked around the bedroom. The bed was huge and had a canopy over it. She lay back on the bed and sighed. It was comfortable, the mattress conformed to her body perfectly. It felt like she was wrapped in a silk glove, thanks to the silk sheets he had on the bed. “I love this bed!” she yelled out to him.
He walked out of the bathroom. “You do look wonderful on it. If you stay, you’ll be able to enjoy that bed!” He laughed.
“I already promised to talk to my parents and Janice tonight. I won’t make up my mind until I make sure Bow Tie will be taken care of, and that the ticket change isn’t too pricey.”
“I already told you I would pay for the difference. It doesn’t matter how much it is. I’m not a poor man, I have plenty of money, and I will pay for this, no matter how much it is,” he said firmly.
“I still have to make sure that they are able to watch Bow Tie. If not my parents, Janice. But I can’t leave the cat to fend for itself. That would be cruel, she trusts me to make sure she has food and water. I have to ensure her welfare while I’m gone,” Amanda said.
“I know, sweetie. I don’t mean to push this so much. I just really want you to realize how much you mean to me.” Mike pushed her down on the bed and kissed her deeply. “The bath should be about ready.” He held his hand out and helped her up.
The bubbles had almost run over the sides of the tub, there were so many. Amanda smiled and jumped up and down like a little girl. “So many of them.”
“I put a little more in than I normally would. I wanted to make sure we had plenty of bubbles.” Mike smiled.
She kissed him, and he helped her into the tub. She watched as he undressed. His chest was almost bare, with a sparse amount of hair that covered it. He was well-built. She hadn’t really concentrated on his body much, well… one part, before this.
She could tell that he worked out, his stomach wasn’t a six-pack, but it was flat. His arms held just the right definition of toned muscle, he looked very trim and fit. Not the type of guy she had imagined would go for a bit of a bigger woman like her.
Again, not that she was fat, she was fit. But she held a bit of extra weight here and there on her body. Her butt was larger, and no matter how much she tried to work on it to slim it down, nothing had ever seemed to help.
He lowered his pants, her eyes were drawn to his underwear, which showed the erection that was hidden behind them. She sucked in a deep breath.
She looked away for a second, then couldn’t resist, and turned back to view him as he removed all his clothing. He revealed the hardness that she had come to know quite well. She licked her lips. She had never made love in a bubble bath.
Mike crawled in the tub and pulled her over to him. He kissed her neck and murmured sweet nothings into her ear. “I really hope that your parents or Janice are able to watch the cat. I can’t think of a better way to end every night than this. I can take a nice warm bath with you and make sweet slow love to you.” He kissed her neck.
Amanda leaned back against his hard chest. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feelings of closeness between them. She felt his fingers as they ran over her body, under the bubbles. Suddenly, he took a bunch of the bubbles and blew them into her face.
She laughed and grabbed a huge handful of bubbles and threw them at him. The bubble fight ensued and soon there were bubbles all over the floor of the bathroom. They laughed as they continued to try and get as many bubbles on each other as they could.
“Okay, you win.” She took a deep breath as she laughed. “I can’t fight anymore, I’m crying from laughing so hard.”
He chuckled. “That was far too easy to win!” He threw another handful of bubbles at her.
She shook her head. “Just how old are you?” She couldn’t hold back the laughter, though.
“Old enough.” He pulled her to him and kissed her.
“I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a bubble bath quite this much. But all the bubbles are on the floor now. We’ll have to clean them up,” Amanda said.
“I got it, you just enjoy the Jacuzzi and let it relax you.” He got out of the tub.
She watched him as he mopped up the water and the bubbles. Soon her eyes were drifting shut. The warm water, and the circulation of the streams of jets, hit her in all the right spots. Making muscles that had been sore, relax. He’d given her quite a workout over the last couple of days.
“Hey Amanda, time to go.” He woke her up. “Sorry, I’d let you stay in there longer. I know how relaxing it is.”
“You didn’t get to enjoy it as much though. I enjoyed it plenty. Plus, I’m hoping I’ll be able to share this tub with you many more times.”
“Me too, actually.”
He helped her out of the tub and dried her off with a towel.
“The towel is warm,” she commented.
“I put it in the dryer to warm it up, so that when you stepped out of the tub, you wouldn’t be too cold.”
“That is so sweet of you.” She kissed him.
Amanda allowed him to dry her off, then took the towel and dried her hair as much as she could. It hadn’t gotten too wet, but she didn’t want to go out into the rainy weather with a wet head. The last thing she wanted was to get sick.
They dressed in silence and she thought about everything new she had learned about Mike today. She also tried to figure out if her parents or Janice would give her any grief about staying longer.
The biggest issue she had thought of was trying to be good with him paying the fee to change the ticket. She felt as if she would be taking advantage of his good nature and she didn’t want to feel that way.
Even though he had stated many times he was okay with paying for it, and wanted to, she still felt like it wasn’t right. But, he’s the one who’s asking you to stay, her mind reminded her. Amanda wasn’t sure if that was enough, though.
Amanda knew that her fear that he wasn’t completely serious was holding her back. But, she laughed at the stupidity of that thought. He’d made it clear many times over how he felt. He was already talking about visiting her in Phoenix. How much more committed did she need him to be?
She shook her head. She’d always been a person who carefully analyzed a situation and made an educated decision. No guesswork would be involved in her decision. To her, this was closer to guessing than an educated decision, though.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he opened the car door for her.
“About staying,” she admitted.
“Good, have you come any closer to a decision?”
“I have to make that call first. But, if they say yes, I will most likely extend the trip.”
“Wonderful. For how long?” he asked.
“It depends on how long they are willing to take care of Bow Tie...”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” In her mind, she worked out the logistics of this decision, and if it was wise or not. She was almost positive that her parents would agree to keep Bow Tie longer. They loved the cat. Was this a smart choice for her emotionally? Staying longer would guarantee that her feelings for him would be sealed, and she would either love him madly, or have found something she didn’t like, and possibly ruin the memory of what they had.
Do you like him? she asked herself.
Yes, she thought and smiled. He was caring, romantic, amazing in bed, intelligent, and funny. All good things. But, no one is perfect, and so far, you’ve not seen his flaws, they have to be there. The side of her mind that liked to point out the negative spoke up.
Not all things that were negative would be bad, she thought. Maybe he liked to wake up later than she did, would that be so bad? she thought. No, it wouldn’t really matter to her. She could do several things, lay beside him and study his features to memorize him, for when she left. Or she could get up and do work. There were so many things that made her want to stay, and very few that made her want to leave.
Chapter7
Mike dropped her off at her room, then went to his to try and get some sleep. “Make your call and see if your cat can be taken care of, and you can stay a bit longer, okay?” he reminded her as he walked out the door.
“I will.” She smiled at him.
She dialed her parents’ number and waited for them to answer the phone.
“Hello Amanda, how is London? Have you gotten to see anything interesting? How is the seminar?” her mother asked rapidly.
“Hi Mom, London is cold and rainy. I saw Big Ben today, and will get to see more soon, but the seminar takes up most of the day, honestly. The seminar is very informative. How is Dad? Is Bow Tie behaving?”
“Your father is nervous about his operation that is coming up soon, but that’s to be expected. Bow Tie is great, your father loves having her around, and so do I. She’s such a cuddly kitty!”
“She’s no longer a kitty, Mom!” Amanda chuckled.
“Well, she’s got a ton of energy most of the time and moves around a lot more than your father and I!”
“So, Mom, I have a question to ask you.”
“Sure, what is it, sweetie?”
“I would like to stay a bit longer in London, and was wondering if you were willing to watch the cat for a bit longer?” Amanda was not giving any of the reasons behind her wanting to stay.
“You will be back in time for your father’s operation, right? I mean, just in case something happens, though I hate to think negatively about this. We have to face the fact that things do happen sometimes and people don’t always make it through once they go under the knife.”
“Oh, of course, Mom, I will only stay a couple weeks more, and I will be back before Dad has his surgery.”
Her mom paused. “So, what is your reason for staying longer?”
“I just want to be able to visit some more of the sights, and with the seminar, it is hard to get out and see things. If I stay a little longer, I can take a few tours and see some more things. You wouldn’t believe the amount of choices you have, there are so many things to see, and I’ll never be in this part of the world again,” Amanda explained, leaving out the fact that she had met a man.
“Yes, this is true. You know your father and I always wanted to travel and see the world. He got to a bit, being in the service and all. His stories always made me want to go and see different countries.
“But, then you came around, and we just couldn’t hop off and go places. After that we had the twins, and we put our traveling dreams on the back burner for good.”
“I remember Dad’s stories when we were growing up. It is one of the reasons I signed up for this seminar here in London. All of his stories do have a way of making you want to see more!” Amanda admitted.
Her mother chuckled. “He will be pleased to hear that. He always hoped you kids would be able to see more than just the United States. He said it made you more open-minded, and not as judgmental about other nations.”
“Yes, don’t think you know everything about a person from another country. You have never been in their shoes or visited their country. It could be more difficult than you could ever imagine for them.” Amanda repeated one of the lessons her dad had always told his kids when they were younger.
“Exactly. I always wished I could travel.”
“You still can, Mom. Perhaps after Dad recovers from this surgery, you can visit somewhere, anywhere,” Amanda said.
“We are thinking about it. We started to save money,” her mother admitted.
“Great Mom. Where are you hoping to go?” she asked.
“We would love to go on an African Safari, or maybe even to London. Scotland is a possibility, or even China. We haven’t decided on the location yet, as you can tell.” Her mom chuckled.
“I know it can be hard. Even just picking out what you want to see in a location. I was looking up places to see in London and trying to make a list. I had pages and pages before I finally decided, I’ll never be able to see it all. That’s why I called you, so that I can at least see a few more things!”
“Okay, honey. Let me know the new date of your arrival and the flight information. Unless Janice is picking you up. But, I would still like to know when you are coming back.”
“Thank you, Mom. I love you. Tell Dad I love him. Give Bow Tie a hug from me and kisses.”
“Will do, and we love you too!” her mom said.
She smiled and hung up the phone. She looked at the time, it was far too late to call Mike. So, she dialed Janice up.
“Hey chick! How is the romance going?” Janice answered the phone.
“Confusing, and wonderful.”
“Well, they often can be confusing. Anything new?”
“I think I’m going to stay a couple of extra weeks in London.”
“Really? Must not be too confusing!” Janice chuckled.
“He asked me to stay, so he could show me around, and have more time with me. What is confusing, is that I don’t get how he could feel the way he does, and so quickly.”
“Why wouldn’t he feel the way he does? I keep telling you how wonderful you are, maybe now you’ll agree with me!”
“But, he’s told me some things that make me believe he honestly could think that he loves me,” Amanda said slowly.
“Again, why wouldn’t he love you? Amanda, you just don’t realize how great of a woman you are. You’ve always been this way. It is one of the many reasons why you keep allowing that asshole Eric back into your life. You don’t need a loser like him, you are a strong and powerful woman, just realize it,” Janice preached.
Amanda laughed. “I know I’m strong, I would never have opened up my business if
I didn’t know that. It is just that… I don’t know, I’ve never had a guy treat me this way. I know I deserve to be treated good; it is just odd when it finally happens. I’m questioning my sanity, am I really experiencing what I am? Or am I just imagining it? Does that even make sense?”
“Yes, it does. You’ve just dealt with Eric for far too long, and thought he was the only option you had. Then you went over there to London, found a guy, who realized that you are wonderful. He has shown you, and you just aren’t sure if it’s real. Tell me what he’s said to you,” Janice said.
“He asked me to stay longer, because he wants to be able to have more time with me. He doesn’t want this to end yet. He also said that we can make a long-distance relationship work, if we really want to. He’s talking about visiting Phoenix one day, he said that I changed his mind about soulmates and falling in love at first sight too.
“Take into account, the way he can play my body like a fiddle singing out a symphony, and he’s just the perfect package. That is what scares me! I can’t seem to find anything wrong with him,” Amanda admitted. “Though he has a slight issue with color blindness, but that’s nothing.”
“It sounds like you may have really found the perfect match for yourself. You know, they do say that this happens. I know you don’t believe in it. However, people find someone who is almost their perfect partner, and they are able to live a long and very happy life together. Why question it? Why not just enjoy it, and see where it goes?” Janice stated.
“Yeah, this is what I’m trying to convince myself of, I just really don’t want to be hurt.”
“Stop thinking of it that way. Instead, think of it as a wonderful relationship, and one that you will enjoy from day to day. Don’t try to plan out every single move of the future, it will drive you crazy. Or should I say crazier than you already are!” Janice laughed.
“Very funny. I’m trying to think of it that way. He just says something that is so romantic from time to time, and I wonder if he’s just being this way to woo me, and in the end… never talk to me again.”
“Again, just enjoy it for what it is. If it ends when you leave, you at least had this wonderful month that you will always be able to look back on and smile about. Well, once you are over the heartache of missing him. That will be the hard part, if it happens.