“He and Ronda are so eager to see you. I told them we were going to see this evening.” she told him. He had held her fingers as she traced his watch and matched his bigger fingers with hers.
“We can go see them together when Charlie is home.” he said.
Tina’s heart jumped when he said that.
They were already planning to do things together.
“He has already gone home. The doctor gave him the green light this afternoon, I left while he was about leaving.” she said.
“That’s great. I am happy nothing happened to him.” David said.
Tina didn’t reply but she was elated. She didn’t know what she would do if something bad happened to Charlie.
They stood, talking in front of the ocean for about an hour before deciding to go home.
“Are you sure you can walk from your car park to your apartment alone? It’s pretty late.” David asked.
Tina was touched. Toby had forced her to be with him after her appendectomy but that was one of the few times he showed concern. Toby left too many little things. He had a single-mindedness that banished the needs or wants of any other person. That was why he had gotten so close to Katherina in the first place, he didn’t care that their relationship due to his closeness with Katherina. Tina looked at David; she saw the pure concern there.
“Don’t worry, I am safe. But just to get you to follow me home, I accept your offer of guidance.” she said.
David blushed when she said that and squeezed her hand.
He drove immediately behind her car and packed his car in the next space to hers. He was at her door before she came out and walked with her to her house.
“You still stay here? This is where you grew up.” David said.
“I moved back two weeks ago. I am renovating it, you could come tomorrow or Sunday and help with the renovation.” she said.
“I’d love that but I am travelling back to Texas early tomorrow morning, my sister’s friend is getting married. The bride personally asked that I attend, I can’t miss it. But I’ll call; I will call every day I promise. We could do it next weekend, leave work some for me.” he said apologetically.
“You better call.” Tina said pushing his nose gently with her index finger.
She was at the door now, backing it and facing him.
“I need to go now.” he said.
Tina wanted to climb the step to her door but she didn’t raise her leg high enough. Her heel caught the step and she almost fell. David caught her just in time; she had been distracted by him. She was still in his arms even though she was slowly getting to her feet.
“Thank you for a beautiful evening. I cannot remember the last time,” Tina was so close to David as she spoke. She could feel her cheeks brush his lips. “the last time, I had such a lovely evening.”
David looked into her eyes and Tina drowned in the depth of his gaze.
“I had a wonderful night too.” he replied.
Tina saw him look down, saw his gaze drop south of her face and return back.
“You are stunning.” he said, his voice choking with want.
Tina saw him draw closer and opened herself to him. When they kissed, she remembered that time in front of her room window. His kiss was not hungry and demanding, it did not consume immediately like Toby’s. His kiss was David’s. He probed, asking questions and moving forward only with your unspoken consent. Tina didn’t want it to end. She could feel herself stretching to meet his mouth despite the heels she wore.
He had grown really taller when he left.
Tina felt his mouth leaving hers. She didn’t want it to stop but she moved back too. She knew he saw her flushed face. He placed one finger on her swollen lips then dropped it.
“I have to go Tina. I’ll call you.” he said and turned back.
She watched him get into his car and drive back without turning back. She laid her back on her unopened door and exhaled. David was back in her life.
CHAPTER 19
LOVE LIKE THEIRS
T
ina had just woken up when someone called her the next morning. She was just setting up her renovation plans for that day. The phone rang in her room and Tina had to run to get it so the call didn’t drop. It was David.
“Hello, good morning David.” Tina said.
“Good morning Tina, how was your night?” he asked.
Tina had sat down on her bed, her gaze falling absently out her window. She remembered the kiss last night. She touched her lips; her fingers grazing them as she listened to David speak.
“Hope you had no problems getting home last night, given you got home even later than I did.” she asked.
“No, none at all, everything was okay. Thank you for last night, it was perfect” he said.
His voice had become a massage when he was saying the final statement. Tina could still feel the warmth of his body so close to hers.
“That was the best night of my life David. You still know how to make me feel alive.” she said.
“You say that like I once forgot how to do that.” he replied.
Tina was sure he was smiling then. She smiled too.
“No, you never forgot.” she replied.
“How about your trip? When are you leaving?” she asked.
“I am on my way to the airport already. I am calling you from my car.” he replied. “I wanted to make sure I talked to you before I got into the plane.”
Tina blushed. She had never been thought of like this before now. David was a darling.
“Have a safe trip, honey. Bring me souvenirs when you are coming. You should be back by Sunday right?” she said.
“Yes, I’ll take a plane back by Sunday morning. The bride wants me to attend the church service that morning but I don’t think I can risk missing my flight.”
Tina heard the sound of other cars driving past, horns blaring; David must have gotten on the expressway now.
“I have gotten to a busy road now Tina. I’ll call you when I get to Texas.” he said.
Tina cut the call and put the phone in her pocket. She already missed him. She wanted him to be back so they could work on renovating her place together. She went back to the sitting room to plan where she would work that day.
After a few minutes of rumination, she decided to continue with her former plan of decorating her room. She wanted to go visit Charlie in the afternoon. He was good now but the doctor had advised rest, he would be home.
*******
“You didn’t tell us you were coming.” Ronda said.
She was opening the door for Tina to enter. Tina had left her house that afternoon after decorating her room for Charlie’s place. She expected to meet Ronda there too.
“I guessed no one goes around after an accident. I knew even if he wanted to go anywhere you would sit his ass down.” Tina replied.
Ronda smiled and Tina saw the space between her front teeth. She was beautiful when she smiled.
“Where is he?” Tina asked after looking around the sitting room and not seeing Charlie.
Ronda pointed to the doorway to his bedroom.
“He is in there, doing something on his laptop.” she answered.
Tina glared at her when she heard.
“I tried to take that away from him, he wouldn’t budge.” Ronda said. She understood that the doctor had stated that Charlie has as much rest as possible. Tina expected him to be asleep.
Tina walked into his room and saw Charlie watching a video on his laptop. She went to him and dragged the laptop away from him. Charlie had been smiling when he saw her, the smile had disappeared now.
“Why would you do that?” he asked.
“The doctor asked you to rest throughout today. You are too stubborn.” she said.
“I cannot lie around like a vegetable all day Tina. I am sorry to disappoint the doctor.” he said with a mischievous smirk on his face.
Tina smiled when his smirk became a grin. He was okay; he didn’t seem affected by
the accident at all. She looked at Ronda and spoke in a sterner voice than she meant.
“Next time, drug him.” she said.
Charlie and Ronda burst into laughter upon hearing that.
“There isn’t going to be a next time Tina.” Charlie said.
“Where is your car anyway?” Tina asked.
“I am not sure but it should be at impounded somewhere. I want to rest today, I’ll find out on Monday.” he said.
Tina wanted to comment on what he said but she saw his eyes and knew he was goading her. Ronda had gone out of the room.
“Was anyone killed in the accident?” she asked.
“No, I heard only one man in the bus broke his leg. Thank God.” he answered.
“It was a freak accident.” he explained further.
He explained what happened to her. A dog had run across the street at the last possible moment and in his attempt not to hit it, he had run into the bus. The fact that both vehicles had not been running at too quick a speed was what prevented the accident from being far bigger than what it was.
“David flew to Texas today; he’ll be back on Sunday.” Tina said, changing the topic all of a sudden.
Charlie smiled when she said that.
“You would know.” he said, staring at her shaking leg.
“What do you mean?” she said, picking up a pillow to throw at him. She understood what he said perfectly.
“You never got over him, right from Evergrant high.” he said.
Tina didn’t bother refuting him. There was no point and she would never win. She still threw the pillow though.
“So did you see him on Friday?” he asked.
Tina blushed when he asked. Her eyes twinkled and she saw Charlie’s brows rise when he saw her response.
“I don’t think I need to ask how that went. Your blush has answered enough.” he said.
“We had dinner, it was a lovely evening.” she said.
Tina heard the door open behind her. The aroma of Ronda’s cooking followed her in. She must have been in the kitchen.
“Food is ready.” she said before sitting down beside Charlie.
She saw Charlie lift his gaze to meet Ronda’s eyes. It was only for a second but she saw their gaze held. Ronda smiled and turned back to Tina. She was still smiling when she stood.
That was the kind of love Tina wanted. Two people whose hearts spoke the same language. Ronda and Charlie were proof that love was not race-dependent; neither did it care about backgrounds. It was two people always acting as one, thinking as one, always in each other’s hearts. She wondered how Ronda would have felt when David called her to tell her Charlie was in an accident. She imagined the way her heart would have ached. Then she remembered the way her world crashed when Toby had left her, she didn’t want to think what would happen if something happened to Ronda or Charlie.
Charlie had gotten up from the bed. He was going into the sitting room.
“I told him you guys said you wanted to meet him.” she said, still sitting while Ronda and Charlie stood.
“Oh, what did he say?” Charlie replied, not turning back.
“He wants to see you guys too. I think he’ll visit when he comes back.”
Tina was following them out of the bedroom. Ronda had cooked and served the food on the dining table in the dining room. Charlie’s flat was big. It was a three bedroom flat with a dining room and another room that Charlie had converted to his studio. He had told Tina many times he would buy it. Tina always loved its sprawling space.
The meal was delicious; Ronda had always been an excellent cook. Tina felt like going home when she finished eating. She was tired and wanted to get some rest. She reminded Charlie about the doctor’s warning about resting before leaving his apartment. She had just gotten into her car when David’s call came in.
“I am just leaving Charlie’s place. He is fine now.” Tina told him.
She and David discussed all the way till she got home. He was at Texas.
CHAPTER 20
A PAIR OF PIGEONS
T
he week didn’t race past quick enough. Tina left the painting of the sitting room and her parents’ room undone. She wanted David to join her in doing it when he came. David had come back from Texas that Sunday. They spoke every day, innumerable times in one day. David couldn’t find space to come to see her, he apologized about that but he was very busy. His only free days were Fridays and he was free just from late in the afternoon.
Before noon on Saturday morning, Tina was standing in front of her garden with a cup of orange juice when David’s car taxied to a park. He rode a convertible with a deep black color, the kind of black that didn’t shine.
“I didn’t know your car was a convertible.” she said after greeting him.
He looked back at it, spinning the keys on his middle finger.
“I have two cars Tina. I ride this during the week too but I only drop the hood on weekends. And even then only when I am going out for leisure.” he said, collecting the cup from her and taking a drink.
“Then you shouldn’t have dropped it.” Tina said, snatching her drink from him.
David smiled when she collected it. She smiled back then turned to go in.
“I have more inside, let’s go in.” she said.
David followed her, placing his hand in the small of her back as she walked to the door.
“Why did you say I shouldn’t have dropped the hood?” he asked her when she got to the door.
“You aren’t coming here for leisure David, you have loads of work to do.” She answered smiling afterwards.
David pinched her arms gently in response.
Tina wanted to paint her parents’ room with a cool green color. Her mom loved green and she felt it would resonate well with both of them since they were both nature lovers.
If they ever use this room again.
David agreed with the color, he loved green too. The room was much bigger than her room; the walls were higher so David’s height was a great plus. The painting took hours to complete and by the time they were done, the sun was setting. They both were covered in paint. Tina could see streaks of paint on David’s face and neck where he had absentmindedly scratched his face.
“I think we are done now. The room looks radiant.” David said.
Tina looked round the room. Her parents would be delighted if they saw the new color their room had. Darkness was creeping in and Tina could see shadows, small ones cast on David’s face. She walked closer to him and held his hand. He dropped the brush and covered the paint tin he was holding.
“Let’s go have dinner David.” she said dragging him out of the door.
“I think we are a little too filthy for that. We should have a shower first.” David replied.
They had gone up the stairs to her room. David was looking at his paint-smeared shirt in her mirror.
“Will these come off?” he asked, trying to scrape a stubborn spot off.
“Yeah sure, it’s water based paint. Don’t sweat it.” she said.
David was pulling off his shirt, revealing his torso. Tina caught herself gaping at his chiseled body. David must have put in a lot of hours into working out while he was still at Texas. It didn’t look like he had stopped now that he was in California.
“Yes, I work out, stop being so weird about it.” David said, reading into her stare.
His chiding had broken her stare making her break into a big smile.
“Thank God you are mine.” she said as she moved closer to him.
David turned to face her, opening his arms to welcome her into his embrace. Tina crushed herself into his naked chest, dragging in the sickly smell of paint. He smelled of paint and sweat and David.
“I never forgot that kiss by the door last week. You took me years back, to our kiss in this room.” Tina said.
“How do you know what my mind thinks every time?” David said. “It did the same for me too.”
“I do think the kiss
we shared last week was much better.” David continued.
“Are you sure?” Tina asked, tracing an obscure figure on his chest with her finger.
“Yeah, I do. Although that doesn’t mean we can’t do one better.” he said.
“I would love to try.” Tina replied.
She saw his head dip, his lips quivered in readiness for the union with hers. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, just a little; leaving an inviting little crack.
She felt her breath still as her mouth joined with his. She pushed her hand around his back, rubbing the muscles that stretched across his back. His kiss was increasing in intensity and was soon a ferocious fire. Tina tried to match his fervor, eager to please and unable to control the rolling waves of want that washed through her. His mouth left hers and traced a path down her neck. She felt a tickling where his tongue met her skin.
“I just tasted paint; I think we need to have a bath.” David mumbled on her skin.
Tina laughed when she heard it. The laugh was deep and throaty, sounding like the chesty grunt of a hungry bull. David laughed too.
“You have developed really weird laughter now.” David said.
Tina slapped him playfully on his left cheek.
“Let’s go have that bath you mentioned.” she said, leading him into the bathroom.
Before they entered, Tina helped David shed all his clothes. She eyed him, watching his limpness grow. She removed her short skirt and threw her shirt towards the bed, leaving both of them utterly naked. She led him into the bathroom and switched on the shower. Then she picked up soap, rubbing her hands over it to form lather.
“You have to do more than wash to get me clean.” David said.
Tina smiled and edged closer to him.
“I plan to do far more than wash.” she whispered.
Tina didn’t see his kiss coming. It was hot and full of want. It took all her breath away, making her take her head out of the stream to inhale when he broke the kiss. He pushed her gently to the wall of the bathroom and fused his body with hers.
After All This Time: What She Wished Page 12