Housekeeping

by Summer Cooper

  “Nick said he’ll print out a few and he’ll send me some digital copies. Apparently, he has to run them through some software to make them absolutely perfect. But I tell you, the ones he showed me were pretty perfect looking. I had no idea I could look like that.”

  “Why? You look amazing,” Richard said.

  “There you go giving me that swelled head again,” Angela said. Even as she said it she heard the Freudian slip. She wondered if Richard picked up on it at all.

  “So, how’s the new job going?” Richard asked.

  “Oh, the day job? It’s going okay,” Angela replied.

  “So, you’re already thinking of it as just ‘the day job’? That is good. That’s how you should always feel when you’re working on a dream.”

  “I didn’t even think of it before I said it. I didn’t mean it to come out that way, but you’re right. I am thinking of it as the day job. It’s okay. I enjoy it, but it is far from being a passion. It’s more of a job that has some things I enjoy doing incorporated in it.”

  “Well, that is something you can use later on,” Richard said.

  Angela nodded as she tried the bruschetta. It was like a taste bomb going off inside of her mouth.

  “Oh, wow. This is so good,” Angela said.

  “I know right? Sad to say I didn’t make it, but I know who to talk to,” Richard said laughing.

  “I just realized I don’t know that much about you,” Angela said.

  “Well, you grew up as my daughter’s best friend. I’d like to think you know a bit about me.”

  “Well, yeah. I know basics, but I’d love to know what makes you tick.”

  Richard laughed. “What makes me tick? Well, I’ve never really answered that question before. I don’t know if it’s ever been asked to me that way, but I think I like it.”

  “You still haven’t answered it,” Angela said.

  “I’d say the main thing that makes me tick is the pursuit of happiness.”

  “The pursuit of happiness? That’s a different and very straight forward answer to that question, but very interesting. Would you care to elaborate on that?” Angela asked with a fake interviewer’s voice.

  “Sure. I believe that one should be happy in life and that if they aren’t truly happy then they need to reexamine their goals and their priorities to figure out why. I’ve always done what made me happy. I knew I loved the practice of the law but I also wanted to be a part of the entertainment world, which I’ve always been fascinated by. So I became an entertainment lawyer. I knew that I didn’t want to work under someone else’s thumb so I worked hard to start a successful firm. I knew that I love women and I love romance. I want to be truly in love so badly I can taste it. So far it’s the only thing that has really eluded me, which is probably why I’ve spent my whole life searching for it so hard. To a lot of people that gives them the wrong idea about me.”

  “Oh, so you sleep with a lot of beautiful women just because you’re searching for love?”

  Richard smiled at her. Angela was shocked that she had put him on the spot that way, but now she really wanted to get an answer out of him and see where he was going to take this. She had to know straight from his lips.

  “Sex and love are two very different things. I have a strong desire for women and for sex—I won’t ever deny that. But when I find the one I’m supposed to be with then I’ll commit myself full-heartedly to that woman and forsake all others.”

  “You think you can just stop the chase and the hunt just like that?”

  “Oh, yeah. Every man goes through the phase where he loves to hunt and seduce women. But eventually, that life becomes lonely and unfulfilling. If it didn’t then most men would run around forever aimlessly. I surpassed that part of my life many years ago.”

  “What about Stephanie?”

  “Stephanie is the mother of my child, and I’ll always love her for that. But I can’t stand the way she’s just deserted her. I know Naomi blames me, but I really have tried to reach out to Stephanie, hoping that she’ll repair their relationship. But I know how she feels; she has always resented Naomi. How can someone resent their own daughter? Naomi has never admitted it, but I know she realizes that her mother feels that way.”

  “Yeah, she doesn’t ever talk about that. Her mother is a very sore topic.”

  “I knew when she was young that her mother felt the way that she does and it quickly began to drive a wedge between us. I realized slowly that I had lost respect for Stephanie and I had lost my love for her; she wasn’t the woman I thought she was. I had married too young and impulsively as a young man and if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have that amazing daughter of mine, so I can never say it was a mistake. But I just hope that one day Naomi will bury that anger she has or direct it to the right place. Right now I’m just an easy target. Naomi has always idolized her mother, which I guess is typical of children who so desperately want the love of a parent that just refuses to give it.”

  Richard pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes. Angela was finding it hard to take that this big, beautiful man was crying in front of her. He was visibly upset about the strained relationship he had with his daughter. She felt a bit guilty that she had stirred all of that up just because she wanted to know the truth about who Richard was.

  If he was faking then he was the best actor she had ever seen and she had met many. She felt that his feelings and the words echoing from his sweet lips were true. He had so much love for his daughter and Angela knew that one day Naomi would realize what a fool she was being and accept the way things were. But no one could push her into it, she had to discover it all on her own time. Richard understood that perfectly and he was strong enough to wait, despite the obvious pain he felt.

  “It will all work out okay,” Angela said, placing her hand on his.

  Richard looked up at her and smiled, “Thank you.”

  After the picnic, Richard had another surprise in store. He grabbed Angela by the hand and led her to another part of the park and to a roadway where a hansom cab with a horse-drawn carriage was waiting. The horse was beautiful and majestic looking as if it had been waiting its whole life to do this job for them that day. Its mane was stunning, its hair smooth and shining under the midday sun. It was glorious. Angela had not been on one of these in forever.

  Richard climbed in first and then held out his hand to help her up. Before she knew it they were off.

  The trotting of the horse’s hooves on the pavement was a perfect melody of light percussion that had a lulling effect. Angela felt like she could just fall asleep right there with her head on Richard’s shoulder and just drift away for a bit.

  That would have been the best way to end this day.

  Richard snuggled up a bit closer to her to encourage her comfortable leanings, his arm wrapped around her pulling her close to him. His body was hard but warm with an inviting softness to it. When you were with a big, strong, generous man like this, it was so easy to let go of any worry or problem that you had with the world. Everything was just perfect when it was this way.

  “This is so sweet,” Angela said. “I haven’t been on one of these since I was a kid.”

  “It’s been a while for me too. It’s funny how such a simple thing like this can often be the most romantic.”

  “I agree,” Angela said. After a few moments, she had to ask Richard a question that was burning in her mind. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a lunch this romantic.”

  “I’m sorry?” Richard asked. He was obviously taken aback.

  “Well, you are the Richard Kane. And you have known me since I was a girl. I have to admit, I’ve had a bit of a crush on you for a while. When did you realize that I was someone you would want to take out?”

  Richard laughed. “Well, I’ve seen you grow from a young girl into the strong, independent young woman you are today. And sometime over the past few years as I realized that you’re now that woman, something just clicked in me. I guess I felt d
rawn to you somehow. I’m not sure that answers your question, but it’s how I feel. You don’t think I’m too old, do you?” Richard asked with a laugh. It wasn’t a nervous laugh, but a laughter that let her know that he was more than comfortable with his age and that the age difference between them didn’t mean a thing to a man like Richard Kane.

  “No, not at all.”

  “Good,” Richard said as he held her even closer.

  “So, tell me a bit about some of your exotic travels,” Angela said.

  “Wow, that is random,” Richard joked.

  “That’s me. Random ideas pop into my head quite often,” Angela replied.

  “Well, good. That’s the sort of thing I need to keep me on my toes,” Richard said as he let out a long sigh trying to gather his thoughts. “I’d say the most interesting trip I ever took was to Costa Rica.”

  “Oh, I’ve always wanted to go there.”

  “It’s beautiful—lush jungles and plant life, interesting people, and amazing food. But it’s so beautiful that it can also be deadly.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, when I went there about eight years ago, I went with a friend of mine who’s a bit of an adventurist. He loves to go to exotic locales and live off the land, hike through all sorts of crazy landscapes. So six of us decided to go on a three-day hike through the jungle. We came face-to-face with a panther at one point and I was actually almost bitten by a fer-de-lance—one of the most venomous snakes in the world.”

  “Oh my God! I would have died. I can’t stand snakes.”

  “Snakes are nothing to fear as long as you show them a healthy respect. They’re actually beautiful creatures who serve a vital function in the world.”

  “Hmm, I guess I never thought of it that way, but just thinking of them gives me the creeps.”

  “That’s just because you know that a small percentage of them are venomous, but most are not. There’s something about a snake that’s very primal. I take it you’ve never held a snake in your hand?”

  “Oh, no. The few snakes I’ve seen have sent me running away in terror,” Angela replied nervously. She was uncomfortable just thinking about the snakes, and she hated that he could probably hear the nerves in her voice. He probably thought she was some lame girly girl while he was some swashbuckling adventurer. Stay cool, Ange. Just stay cool.

  “Well, it’s amazing. To hold a big, long snake in your hand and feel it moving and sliding in and out of your fingers. It’s a gift to be able to tame one of them. The secret is to let it move… loosely… don’t try to squeeze it… just let it move freely and feel its warmth bonding with your hand.”

  Angela swallowed hard. She was suddenly not thinking about snakes... The way he was describing handling of the snake was putting disturbing thoughts in her head. She would have loved to grab his snake right then.

  She could picture it now: a big, thick, throbbing tool in her hand, her fingers kneading it just right and getting it perfectly primed…

  She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts, but Richard was still going. Beads of sweat were trickling down her forehead and she casually tried to wipe them away.

  “You have to be careful with the head, that’s the dangerous part. But as long as you’re touching the snake just right, it won’t feel threatened and it won’t bite. You just have to respect it.”

  “Right. So how did you come to almost get bitten?” Angela asked. She was thoroughly intrigued by the story; wondering how many different adventures Richard had been on and if she would ever have the opportunity to go through anything like that with him. As she thought this she realized that she was already seeing a future with him. Was this too soon to feel like that? She certainly didn’t want to reveal her cards and show her true feelings to him just yet. It was fun to keep a bit of mystery alive, especially this early in the game.

  “Well, we were walking through a clearing down towards a lake and I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked down and I had to squint really hard to make it out. You would not believe the excellent camouflage this snake had; the way it just disappeared into the surroundings was incredible, but I saw it move slightly. It was about a foot long and very thick. Our guide told us to move away and told us what the snake was.”

  “They didn’t kill it?”

  “Of course not. It was just minding its own business and hoping that it didn’t have to waste its most valuable weapon on some person who was being careless. So we walked on the other side of the path and tried not to disturb it.”

  “Wow, I would have screamed like a little girl,” Angela said.

  “Oh, I doubt it. I have a feeling you are much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

  Angela smiled and looked up at him. Her eyes were suddenly locked on his, captivated by his gaze. He was so looked stunning and the moment was perhaps the most romantic she had ever felt. It was as if they were all alone in the world right then.

  Richard reached down and cupped her cheek with his left hand and pulled her face up slightly towards him. His lips were brushing against hers now, sweetly and so softly that it felt like just a warm breath brushing against her.

  “Wow,” Angela said as their lips parted.

  “I’ll second that,” Richard said rubbing her arms in an embrace.

  Angela felt her whole body practically tingling; that had never happened to her before from one kiss. She thought about all of the times she had dreamed of doing that. It blew her expectations away. Most things that one fantasizes about never quite live up to the fantasy if you are able to actually do it for real, but Angela didn’t feel that way about what had just happened. It was ten times better than she ever thought it could be. There was more than a physical feeling behind the kiss; tt was tough to describe, but there was a need there. There was a strong urge to repeat the act over and over again. It was more than a desire; it was as strong and primal as the urge to eat any food put in front of you if you were lost in the desert for three days.

  Richard held her face close to his gingerly, enjoying the warmth and the embrace. His face was rugged, even more so than it looked. Angela did not expect the stubble to be so thick and coarse since Richard was always very clean shaven. She found the rough texture somehow appealing. It was animalistic and primal, masculine and sexy.

  Richard’s hand was suddenly on her stomach. Her shirt had somehow come untucked and a small piece of her skin was showing. His hand on an intimate part of her body sent her lust into overload and she was unable to resist as he kissed her once again, this time his tongue was intense and rigid, pushing deep inside of her and wrestling against her own.

  Her whole body felt on fire as Richard’s hand began to move slowly up her shirt. He was getting closer to her chest. She wanted it so badly. To hell with her ideals; twenty-two years was long enough. It was time for her to experience the love and the lust that she had denied herself all this time.

  And he was there. His strong hand was now cupping her chest, and pushing one of her bra cups up and over the breast. She wanted to stop him, she knew she should be stopping him, but it was too sweet. She had to let it happen.

  The wetness between her legs was flowing like it never had before and she was sure that she was about to soak through her panties. Oh, she wished his hand was there. She wanted him to explore that area and to show her everything in the world that she was missing.

  “No… I can’t,” Angela heard herself saying, barely above a whisper.

  Richard didn’t seem to notice as he was reaching behind now to unhook the bra. The hansom cab was private and there was no way the driver could see them, but it was still just a small barrier that separated them. What if he could hear? What if he just peeked his head around and saw what they were doing?

  It would have been so much fun. Angela was surprised by the thought. She had never known that she had so much unbridled lust and naughty, exhibitionist tendencies inside of her. She had to stop this, though. This wasn’t her and she was goin
g to be ashamed and embarrassed of herself if she let this continue.

  But it would have been so much fun. It would have been the most amazing thing she had ever experienced; she knew this, but the had to stop it.

  Richard’s lips were now on her neck, kissing her softly. Oh, the sweet, wet, cool lips pulling up a tiny piece of skin just long enough to give it a kiss and a suck in one sweet motion. Not enough for a hickey; just enough to be perfect. Oh, Richard knew just how to touch her. He knew how to feed her desires and her fantasies until she was powerless to stop them.

  Richard’s finger snapped through the bra strap as the last hook came undone. He smiled then, his eyes wild with desire. He reached up and pulled the bra off through the shirt, his hand slipping down to grab the bare chest, cupping and cradling it.

  His hand felt so good, warm against her cool skin as he massaged her chest with ease. As he continued to kiss her neck and inch his way down to her collarbone she was suddenly aware that the fingers of his other hand were now moving up her thigh.

  He was now touching her crotch, through the wet panties. Angela felt her breath stop in her chest as she gasped and waited for what was coming next. Was she going to let it happen? Was this going to happen right now?

  Oh god oh god oh god oh god...

  Richard’s thick finger moved the panties to the side and he was instantly touching the outside of her, feeling the first trickle of moistness. Her body stiffened as she realized he was about to enter her. His thick fingers began to push through.

  “Here we are!”

  The voice from up front suddenly broke through the beautiful romantic world they had just found themselves in.

  Angela froze with panic. Was the driver getting down and coming back there? Oh God!

  She quickly moved Richard’s hand away and pulled her shirt down. She grabbed her bra, which was now mostly in her lap and quickly stuffed it down her pants just a mere second before the driver opened the door and greeted them both with a friendly smile.

  “Are we all done or do you want another round?” the driver asked.