Never Far Away

by Anie Michaels

  “There should be something for you in the bathroom. Go check it out.”

  She gave him a crooked eyebrow and slowly pulled back from him, then headed towards the bathroom. While she was gone he spread the sleeping bags out on the floor, lit the few candles that were spread around the room, turned the lights down, and opened the bottle of champagne. When he heard the bathroom door open he turned to see her. He knew what was waiting for him, but what he couldn’t have anticipated was the way seeing her affected him.

  She stood in the doorway and the candlelight dimly cast a golden hue on her that only complimented the creamy color of her skin. In contrast to her milky skin was the black lace that she wore. She rested her hip against the doorjamb of the bathroom, her hands behind her back, allowing him an uninterrupted view of her perfectly sexy body. She had pulled her hair down and it was falling softly down past her shoulders. She was absolutely everything he could ever want in a woman. From the way she was stubborn about the stupidest things, to the way she seemed to need him. He doubted he would ever be able to fully explain to her how he felt, so showing her was the next best option.

  “Ella, you’re breathtaking.” She smiled at him and then, lifting her hip off the doorjamb, slowly walked towards him. His eyes made no apologies as they roamed over her body. He was equally turned on by the sight of her gorgeous breasts which were deliciously pushed up in black lace, as he was by the simple vision of her bare feet. In his mind, shoes came off once you were trying to get comfortable. If Ella’s feet were bare, she was at home. It made him happy to know that she was at home when she was with him. His eyes moved back up from her feet and he admired the piece of lingerie he’d picked out for her. The black lace stretched seductively over every curve she had, clinging to the very parts of her body he wanted to get his hands on. The top and bottom of the negligée were lined in a soft pink lace, bringing out a softness against its black counterpart. The combination of the soft pink and sexy black did very arousing things for Porter.

  “You could have a future in lingerie, Porter. If I decide to open a store just for sexy undergarments, I could bring you on as a buyer,” she teased as she got closer to him.

  “That might be counterproductive for us, Babe. I would probably spend more money on samples than you’d make selling it.”

  “Porter?” She said, stopping a good six feet from him. “Why is it that I am in this beautiful negligée which, by the way, feels very luxurious against my skin, and you are still fully clothed? That seems hardly fair.” She put on a fake pout which only made him smile. He reached up and started slowly pulling at the buttons on his shirt.

  “You’d like to see me in less?” He teased.

  “Baby, if it were up to me and socially acceptable, we’d be naked one hundred percent of the time,” she said as she sauntered towards him again. “Well, at least if we were at home. I wouldn’t want any other women to see you without a shirt on. You’re lethal shirtless. We can’t be responsible for the toll your bare chest and arms would take on the population.” As she came to stand before him, she helped him undo the very last button of his shirt. He watched as she laid her palms flat on his chest, moving her hands up to his shoulders, pushing his shirt down his arms. “That’s better,” she said as she leaned forward and placed a kiss right over his heart.

  He ran his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. When he reached her hands, he linked his with hers and then pulled her hands behind her back causing her to fall into him, pinning her lace-covered breasts against his chest. Her face lifted up to his and he could see soft light flickering in the blue of her eyes. He was lost in her and he knew he would never find his way out. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers.

  “Sometimes,” he said so quietly it was almost a whisper. “Sometimes, the urge to hold you as close to me as possible is so overwhelming, I have to remind myself that I can’t just keep you all to myself forever. I just want to cling to you, feel you next to me at all time, feel you pressed up against me, making sure that you’re mine, and that you’re safe.”

  “With you is the only place I want to be, and the closer the better.”

  His lips found hers and, like always, they seemed to melt against his perfectly. Everything about her body lined up perfectly with his. She fit him, was made for him, was his. As he pressed their mouths together with even more fervor, she leaned into him more. He released her hands to cup the sides of her face, bringing them both deeper into the kiss as his tongue slipped past the seam of her lips. She opened for him willingly and he savored the taste of her. He felt her hands peruse up his back gently teasing his shoulder blades.

  “Do you want some champagne?” He asked, kissing down her neck, his most favorite spot.

  “Mmm….,” was all she could muster in response.

  “What does Mmmm mean?”

  She pulled back and looked him in the eyes.

  “I’ll take whatever you want to give me.”

  “Well, in that case, you get champagne. I want you relaxed and worry free.”

  “Being here with you gets me halfway there already.”

  He placed a quick kiss on her lips.

  “Good, I’m glad. Take a seat,” he said motioning towards the sleeping bags on the floor. He poured her and himself a glass of champagne and handed it to her. He took a seat behind her, wrapping his legs around her as she leaned her back up against his chest. He took one moment to nuzzle in and smell her hair, his lips smiling against the back of her neck. He brought his mouth to her ear and lifted his glass up in a toast.

  “To second chances, moving forward, and loving without regret.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ella

  The rest of the week had continued with little excitement, but more happiness and contentment than Ella could remember. Being with Porter every night was something she had quickly grown accustomed to. Friday had come and true to his word, Porter had taken the day off to look at houses and shop space with Ella. She had insisted that they drive her car, sighting many instances where Porter's large truck nearly decimated many smaller cars in Portland.

  “I don't want to cause any accidents, and I definitely don't want to spend the day cringing and hyperventilating because I'm a terrible passenger,” Ella said with her hand on the doorknob, ready to leave but hoping to convince Porter to see her point.

  “Fine,” he said dropping a kiss on her lips. “You drive and I'll control the radio.”

  She eyed him suspiciously. “What kind of music do you listen to?” Even to her the question seemed ironic. In her mind she chastised herself for not knowing what type of music the man she was going house hunting with listened to.

  He winked at her, a smile spreading slowing across his face that still had the dark stubble from the day before. “I guess you'll just have to weigh your priorities carefully. Do you want to drive? Or are you willing to risk your ears for the next hour?”

  She continued to look at him through slitted eyelids. “Fine.” When they got to the car and Ella started to pull out of the parking lot of her apartment Porter was flipping turning the dial on her radio and stopped on a classical station. He sat back in his seat and gave her a satisfied grin. She pulled onto the highway and laughed. “You think this is going to bother me? I made it through college listening to classical music while I studied. I could listen to this all day.”

  The soft classical music was the perfect backdrop to the hour-long conversation they had as they drove towards Salem. Ella told Porter stories of her childhood, a few involving Megan, but most were just tiny pieces of her life. She told him about the time she was in the third-grade play and she forgot her one and only line and then tripped over a microphone wire. She told him about her first kiss which happened her freshman year of high school during a dance. She told him about her dog, Scruffy, and how he had been with her from when she was five until she was seventeen.

  In between listening to her stories, Porter told her stories of his own. She
listened to him talk about playing baseball in his yard with his father. She also heard about his first kiss which happened to be inside his mother's restaurant one night after it had been closed down.

  “You broke into your mother's restaurant?” Ella stated, shocked.

  “No, I had a key.”

  “How old were you?”

  “I don't know, old enough to drive I guess. Sixteen? Seventeen?”

  Ella thought seventeen was a little old for a boy to have his first kiss. “Were you a late bloomer? How did you make it to seventeen without being kissed?” Porter shrugged his shoulders.

  “Probably the same way I made it to thirty-two without having a serious relationship. I just wasn't interested. I was too focused on making sure my mom was taken care of and that the restaurant was running smoothly. I didn't have much time for girls.”

  “So what made you go to all the trouble of sneaking into your mom's restaurant with a girl if you weren't interested?”

  He tilted his head at her and drew in his eyebrows. “I was uninterested in a girlfriend, but I was still a seventeen year old guy. I was pretty desperate. I think she only wanted to go out with me so I could get her access to the bar though. She was pretty drunk before we got to the kissing.”

  Ella pouted at him. “Your first kiss was with a drunk girl?” He shrugged again.

  “It could have been worse. My first everything could have been with that drunk girl. Besides, it was only one kiss. It didn't last long and it wasn't great. But it was an experience.”

  “Good point. So, who is running Porter Enterprises today?” He laughed at her.

  “Porter Enterprises?”

  “Well, along with the type of music you like, I also don't know the name of your company.”

  “Masterson Construction. It's kind of a play on 'Masters and Son'. I wanted to make sure I gave my dad a little credit. It was his life insurance that got me started in the business. But I also didn't want to deal with explaining that Dad was gone. So, I thought Masterson was a good compromise.”

  Ella reached out for his hand and laced her fingers with his. “It really is Porter. I love that name.” She took a deep breath, trying to let her feelings settle a bit. For as manly and rugged as Porter made himself out to be, he was also vulnerable and fragile at times. It was confounding to Ella. The juxtaposition of the protective and almost caveman-like persona she was use to and the inner child who just missed his father sometimes took a moment to reconcile in her mind. “So, who is manning Masterson Construction today?”

  “That would be Matt. I've known him for about ten years. He was the first person I ever hired when I started my own company. He moved here to be with his girlfriend Brook, who is now his wife.” Ella heard Porter's voice drift away and knew his mind was working something out. “He is definitely the closest friend I have. Actually, I'm surprised you haven't met him yet. I think out of everyone I know he's the one who has been the most understanding about why I am the way I am.”

  “What do you mean?” Ella probed.

  “He knows I don't date. He's never tried to set me up with anyone and he doesn't push the subject. I've told him about what happened to my dad, and he knows how I am about my mom. In fact, he's stepped in a time or two when something's happened at the restaurant and I was unavailable. He's gone over there, no questions asked, and just helped her. I am so grateful to him for that. He's never once questioned my decision to remain single or made me feel like less of a man because I wasn't sleeping with a different woman every weekend.” He let out a little laugh and sighed through the end of it. “His wife would kick his ass if he did.”

  “I think I'd like to meet these friends of yours,” Ella said softly.

  “I'm sure they're dying to meet you,” he said while giving her one of his brilliant smiles.

  A few hours later Ella and Porter returned to her car.

  “I cannot believe we just signed a lease on a house,” Ella said excitedly.

  “It's only temporary, Ella. Soon I will find a good plot to start building and we can build our dream house together.”

  “Trust me, I'm excited for that to happen too, I just can't believe we found a house on our first trip, and one that was immediately available too. How'd we get so lucky?”

  “It was about time some good stuff started happening for us,” he replied dryly.

  “I guess you're right. But you like the house, right? You didn't just take it because I wanted to?”

  “No, Babe. I liked it enough. It's no three-story craftsman on the beach, but it'll do,” he said with a wink. “Now let's go look at this storefront you're so excited about.” Ella was nearly bouncing in her seat. The storefront she'd seen on the internet looked perfect for her store. The real estate agent had assured her it had everything she was looking for.

  “Promise me you'll be honest when you see it? I want your truly honest opinion,” she pleaded with him.

  “Definitely.”

  When they pulled up to the store front Ella couldn't contain her smile. The store had a white awning that made it look quaint from the street. She had always wanted an awning at the Portland store, but it didn't fit with the urban feel of the street the store was located on. This street in downtown Salem had more of a intimate feeling to it. It felt more personal. Not only did it have an awning, but it also had display windows, another thing she'd always wanted. She could already see mannequins in the window with different ensembles for the different seasons.

  “Ok, Ella, this is the one I was telling you about,” Rachel, the real estate agent, said excitedly. “I think it has almost everything you've been looking for. Unfortunately it isn't already wire for security like you had requested, but that's something you can easily take care of once you take ownership. Let's go inside a look around.”

  Rachel was an older woman, probably in her sixties, and she was all business. She was friendly enough, but she didn't engage them in small talk and was very professional. It was refreshing for Ella to be around another woman who didn't openly gawk at her boyfriend. Rachel earned points for that in Ella's book.

  The inside of the store was as expected. Large and empty. The previous owners had gutted the place, and she preferred it that way. She could let her imagination run wild with an empty canvas. She was regretting not bring a pad and paper with her. Rachel must have noticed her concerned look on her face because she reached into her briefcase and handed Ella a legal pad and a pen.

  “Wow, you're good,” Ella said as she took the pad and paper.

  “I've been doing this a long time. I recognize the look of inspiration when I see it. Your fingers were almost miming making a list.”

  “Thank you,” Ella said as she started making notes. She spoke her thoughts out loud as she jotted them down. “We would need to build a backroom and stock area, fitting rooms, and shelving. The floors need to be replaced. Hard wood maybe.”

  “Cherry. It would warm the space up,” Porter chimed in. Ella turned and smiled at him.

  “You think it's cold?”

  “Yeah, but it's an empty room right now. We can make it right. Portland can handle the starkness of Poppy; the concrete floors, the dark walls. It fits. Here though, I think you'd want to go with something softer.” She smiled because it was like he was reading her mind.

  “Hardwood floors. Cherry wood. Butter yellow walls. White shutters around the mirrors. Shabby Chic. Drapes on the fitting rooms, not doors.”

  “Will you call it Poppy?” He asked.

  “I don't know yet,” she said, contemplating everything. “I think it might be good to call it Poppy, to draw in the people who already know the store in Portland and would want to shop here. But part of me wants to make this store different. A different vibe. I've been toying around with the idea of still using the name of a flower though. That way the stores are tied together, but this one could have its own unique look and feel.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It's just an idea.”

  “It's a good idea, Ella.�
� Porter said, wandering back to the other end of the room. “Is this space already have complete plumbing? I'm not a plumber.” Ella laughed to herself at Porter's constant insistence that he doesn't do plumbing.

  “Yes, the whole space has complete plumbing and electrical,” Rachel said cooly.

  Porter looked at Ella. “Do you know what this means?” He asked, his eyes wide, eyebrows raised.

  “Yeah, that is was meant to be and we were supposed to find this place?” Ella said laughing.

  Porter looked back at Rachel. “I don't do plumbing or electrical.”

  “Babe,” she heard Porter yell through the house. “Are you almost ready?”

  “For someone who didn’t really want to go, you sure are eager!” She yelled back through the bathroom door. Within a few seconds she heard a small knock on the door. She smiled and rolled her eyes simultaneously. She cracked the door just enough to see his gorgeous brown eyes peering at her through the crack.

  “May I help you?” She asked, smiling sweetly at him.

  “I think the real question is, may I help you? What do you have going on in there that’s taking so long?” Ella shrugged her shoulders and added ‘grumpy when kept waiting’ to the ever growing list of things she was learning and loving about Porter.

  “Give me five minutes. I’m almost finished.” His eyes glowered at her and he turned and walked away. She laughed, shook her head at him and closed the door. Even though he’d spent most of his adult life single, he seemed to be falling into the typical ‘relationship guy’ role with few problems.

  Ella needed to finish up a few things before they headed out to the club. Megan convinced them to celebrate at an actual dance club, which Ella wasn’t terribly excited about as she preferred dive bars, but Megan was so excited it was impossible to say no. She was also excited to let loose for a night and spend some time doing normal couple things with Porter. It bothered her a little that their relationship thus far had really been unconventional. She loved the way they met and would treasure their past because it only led them to where they were now, but she’d be lying if she said that it wasn't a little stressful at times. They needed a night of fun out with friends and with each other.