by Thia Finn
“What’s going on, Lola?”
“I’ll be there in a few, and we’ll talk.”
“Uh, sure. I’ll be waiting.”
What could she possibly tell me that I was not going to like? I pulled a bottle Jack Daniels out, knowing it might be a long night.
A small amount of time passed before the front door opened, and Lola walked in looking as beautiful as ever. Why did I ever waste so much time being angry with her? I still beat myself up over my stupidity every time I thought about the minutes we missed spending our time together.
She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I pulled her to me, taking in the wonderful fragrance she always wore. I leaned her back far enough so I could get to those luscious lips of hers and kissed her softly at first. The kiss deepened when she opened her lips, allowing me access. I slid my tongue along hers as we dueled for space.
Lola backed away finally and looked me in the eye. “That was some greeting.” A slow smile formed on her lips. “Thank you.”
“The pleasure was all mine, but this feels kind of formal. What I would prefer to do is scoop you up and take you to my bedroom and have you thank me for a lot more fun ideas I have.” I had to wiggle my eyebrows at that, and she laughed.
“And as good as that sounds, we need to talk first.” Oh, shit. This did not sound good at all.
“What’s going on, Lola?” I watched as she moved around to the other side of the couch and perched on the left cushion, sitting back with her feet tucked under her so I couldn’t sit close to her. I didn’t like her body language right out of the gate. It was as though she was trying to put space between us before she spoke. I chose to sit down directly in front of her on the coffee table so at least I could rest my arms across her thighs. I wanted the closeness and connection even if she didn’t.
“Babe, just tell me. What’s rolling around in that beautiful mind of yours, that’s so important?” She looked at me as though she was trying to gauge my frame of mind before she even told me her news.
“Okay, so you know I’ve been applying for positions at the Medical Center?” I nodded. I knew she worked on applications every day. “Well, I got a call today, and I’ve been asked to come in and interview at Texas Children’s Hospital to work with a great team. It’s the perfect job for me doing exactly what I’ve wanted to do since I graduated. I don’t have the job yet, but I’m so excited about the chance to interview for it.” Sharing the news got her all worked up because she started bouncing up and down. How could I not be happy for her with all of her enthusiasm? I gave her a congratulatory hug, squeezing tightly. I wanted to be happy for her because her happiness was important to me.
“That’s wonderful, chéri. You won’t have any competition because I know you’re perfect for the position.” I said this out loud, but in my mind, I thought, Fuck no, please don’t do this. Please don’t take a job like this. You’ll be working all the damn time. I’ll never get to see you. I realized I sucked in the boyfriend status. I was a selfish prick for thinking it, so I wouldn’t dare say those things to her, but dammit, I didn’t want her to live and work in Houston. I wanted her sweet little ass right here beside me so I could touch her, and love her, and share everything with her when it happened.
Her enthusiasm ramped up when she started telling me all she’d learned about the position and the famous doctors she would have an opportunity to work with. Dammit, all to hell. I fucking hated this. I didn’t want to think about what it meant for us. Would there even be an us?
“When is this awesome interview scheduled?” I tried hard to hide the disappointment I was feeling, but I thought I failed miserably.
“Next week, but I’ll need to go home to prepare. I need to brush up on the newest procedures and what’s out there in the world of pediatrics. Plus, I’ll need to get hair and make-up done, so I look my best for the interview. There’s just so much to do to get ready. Oh, Gunner, I’m so excited. I can’t wait. I’m trying hard not to get ahead of myself, though. I know they must be interviewing several great candidates.”
I unfolded her from the distant position and tugged her over on my lap. “Babe, I’m sure you’ll knock ‘em dead at the interview. You’ll be living in Houston full-time then, right?”
“Well, yes. Where else am I going to live if I work at the Med Center?” She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. In this position, she easily made her way down my neck while she talked to me. I loved when she kissed and nipped my skin, but right then my mind was racing around with nothing but negative thoughts.
“Are you thinking of living in that area of Houston so you’ll be close to your job?” I clasped my hands together over her hips. This talk meant nothing to me, but it filled the quiet from the chaos going on in my mind.
“Probably there or close to it. I might live in downtown so I can take the Metro and not worry about driving every day. I got so used to not driving in Paris that the idea of having to do that daily doesn’t really appeal to me.”
“Uh huh. As long as that’s safe. I don’t know about the rail in Houston, it might not be like it is in Paris.” I knew this was insignificant shit at this point, but I felt the need to point out any negatives I could think of. “You know Houston overall isn’t as safe as living in Austin. People don’t walk places like they do here. They also don’t allow animals at places like they do here. Oh, and there are a lot more fucking places to go out in Austin with all of the music venues.”
“I’m not going to worry about that kind of stuff until after I’m offered the job. I want to focus on staying positive.” I knew she saw right through my need to point out all the reasons she needed to not leave Austin. “Gunner, I don’t live here now. I live in Houston, remember? I know what it’s like. You just don’t want me to go.” Her voice still had a light tone to it, but her face said otherwise.
“Tell me what you’re really thinking, Gunner? We both knew when I came here that it was a vacation for me, not a move to Austin. I have to go to work. No, I need to go to work. I’m not living with my mom for any longer than is necessary. Besides, I love the career I chose, and I want to go back to nursing now that I’m settled in Texas again.”
“I realize all of that, chéri, and I’m fucking happy you even had the chance to come out to Austin, but you going back to Houston to live sucks. I don’t want you to go. I don’t want you to leave me. Stay. Hell, move in with me. My house is fucking big enough for us both unless you don’t like it. We can move. You can pick out the damn house. I don’t fucking care where we live.” I knew I’d gotten carried away with the invitation, but that was okay. I wanted her with me. “You know, Dell Children’s Hospital is a great hospital, too.”
“I’m not moving in with you, Gunner. We’ve only been together a week. We aren’t ready for that. I’m not ready for that.”
Shit. That was not the answer I hoped to hear. “I know, babe, but I don’t want you that far away. How will we ever get to that point if you’re living in another damn city? You might as well be living in another state.” I raised my voice a little louder the more I spoke, so I backed it down a notch.
“Look. I want you to be happy, but dammit, I want us to be together. I don’t want to lose you to some prick doctor in Houston.” I pushed a panic button in my mind now that I had allowed thoughts like that to slip the fuck in.
“Whoa, Gunner. Don’t get carried away just yet. First, I don’t have the job, and second, I don’t know where I’m going to live when I do get a job. Let’s just see how things go. Maybe I won’t want the position if they offer it and I find out what it entails. Don’t write me off too quickly.” I knew she was saying all of those things to make me feel better because if they offered her a job, there was no way she would turn them down.
She kissed and gently bit below my ear as she moved around to straddle my lap. I looked down into her deep, chocolate eyes. “So you’re going to ply me with sex now to get your own way?”
“Would it work?” she said
between nips at the dip in the bottom of my neck. I pulled her hips forward and rubbed her against the boner that was now growing.
“Doesn’t it always?” I slid my hands under the bottom of her tank top lifting it over her head, where a racy, little, red bra made of nothing but intricate lace greeted me. Her gorgeous tits showed through the lace, making me harder by the second. I leaned her back so I could feast on them without removing the lingerie from her tanned skin. I bit at the pebbled nipples and ran my tongue around one, knowing that lace was adding to the friction of the movement. Sucking the peak into my mouth caused a low deep moan to escape her lips, and I knew she loved the attention to her sensitive breasts.
I turned and laid her down on the leather sectional. Her legs wrapped around my body, so I picked up the outside one and kissed behind her knee because she loved that spot to be caressed. I nibbled my way up; my progress stopped by her shorts.
“Oh, chéri, we need these little babies to be off already.” I ran my finger under the inner seam and felt the wetness gathered on her panties. “You’re wet for me, too.” I moved my finger under them to run it up her slit to her swollen clit where I circled it without actually touching the nub. As I slid down her body, I bit her mound through the material, and she arched off the couch trying to get closer to my mouth.
Not being able to stand it any longer, she tore at the button and zipper of her shorts, and I pushed them down her body. The matching lacy red that barely concealed her smooth skin was fucking hot, and I laid down with my face hovering just above the triangle. I leaned in, covered her pussy with my mouth, and pressed down on her clit with my tongue through the lace.
“God, Gunner. That feels amazing with the lace scraping my skin.” Her head moved from left to right as I continued my assault on her sensitive clit.
I moved the G-string to the side so I could add my fingers to the mix and traced a line from the clit I was worshiping to her opening. I slowly circled the slick entrance with the tip of my index finger as my shoulders pushed her legs further apart. “Put your foot on the back of the couch, chéri. I want to have all of you.” I wrapped her other leg over my shoulder, so I had complete access.
I pushed the lace in harder on her clit with my tongue pointed into her while I continued circling her entrance without slipping inside. “Gunner, do it, please. I’m dying here.” Her breathy sound barely audible.
“No babe, not yet. Just a little edging for you, and when you do come, it’ll be the best ever.” I continued to bring her to that edge with my tongue on her clit and my finger circling but stopped each time she was on the precipice of falling over.
“Gunner, OH. MY. GOD. Please just make me come already.” I loved hearing her beg.
“Soon, I promise.” I continued my assault knowing it was driving her crazy, but it was going to be great, she would be thanking me later. Finally, when she started trying to control the experience by grabbing at the back of my head and grinding against me, I circled her opening and plunged two fingers in while I bit down softly on her engorged clit.
“Gunner, Gunner, Gunner…don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.” She was screaming louder and louder as I curled my fingers upward and rubbed over that roughened patch in the front of her slick channel each time I pushed inside her. I kept it up until she finally stopped shaking and contracting on my fingers.
I rested my head on her abdomen and waited for her to rejoin me. Before she found the energy to speak, she ran her nails over the top of my head as my long hair fell down on her soft skin. I loved the way it felt on my scalp as I listened for her breathing to even out to match the calm strokes she touched me with.
“What the fuck was that, Gunner?” she said when she started curling her fingers around the strands.
“That was the best way to experience an orgasm for a woman. Do you agree with this statement?”
“I so fucking agree. Why are we just now practicing this experience?” I raised my head and looked at her as she dropped her hands to the shaved back of my head.
“The girls shouldn’t leave those Cosmos around while I’m sitting here waiting for you to get dressed unless you don’t like me learning new things to try out on you.” I kissed my way across her stomach, stopping to leave some wet kisses at her cute little navel.
“If it means I get an experience like that, I’ll buy you your own subscription.” She laughed.
“I’m assuming then that you’ll like what I do next.” I rolled her over on top of me as I moved her up my body to position her above my mouth.
“Is that subscription available online?” She gasped aloud when I slid a wet little finger over her back entrance.
Our time together ran out far too quickly, and the group of ‘freaking hot babes’—Hayden’s words, not mine—piled into the SUV, and we waved goodbye to them. Damn, they were a sight, but I missed Lola already. She said she was sad to leave, but I knew she was fucking excited to get back and prepare for her interview. I couldn’t hold her back now that she had made up her mind. I could already see myself burning up Interstate 10 all the way to Houston every damn chance I could. This fucking sucked.
“Dude, I’m heading home. I swear these weeks have been the best of my life, but my ass is dragging.” Hayden walked to his truck. “Besides that, I’m really missing my Crew-man. He’s been spending way too much time with his cousin, and now it’s time for payback.”
“How the hell are you going to do that? Peri won’t leave that little rug-rat of hers. She’ll hardly leave yours either,” I said as he climbed in and started the motor.
“Yeah, I know, but I made her promise me to let me keep them both so they could have a few days of alone time. They never leave Tucker, so tomorrow morning they are going to go out to Fredericksburg for a few nights in one of those nice bed and breakfast places. I tried to get them to go off to the Caribbean, but she wasn’t having that. Said when she left the country, he would be sitting between them on the plane. Crazy woman.”
“That’s not crazy. That’s love, dumbass.” I tapped the hood, and he backed out of the driveway, waving as he went.
Maybe that’s the kind of life I needed to be thinking about creating. I fucking loved having Lola with me every day we were together, and now she was gone. What was I supposed to do with myself while I waited on her? It was going to suck a big one.
I called KeeMac when I got in the house to see if he wanted to get together and go over some music he mentioned, but didn’t get an answer. “Ugh,” I said out loud to no one. “I hate being alone.”
I put on my bathing suit to hang out at the pool. I felt like a damn kid sitting in the house pouting. I planned to drink some beer and try to enjoy the rest of the day. Once I had the tunes adjusted, I headed out the door, making sure to put on flip-flops before I stepped out on the hot sidewalk. I learned the hard way about not wearing them at the beginning of the summer.
The first thing I saw when I got out there was that big ass bucket of lotion the girls used during their volleyball game turned naked-nubile-nymphs pool extravaganza. I wondered if that little shit Hayden knew how lucky he was. The jug was turned sideways on the pool deck, and I knew it had spilled out from the greasy looking ring around it. Some had made its way into the pool, also.
“Damn kids. Probably got this fucking mess all in the pool filter, too,” I said as I went to pick it up.
“Holy shit!” My feet went up, and my head went down.
“Girls, you’re giving me a massive headache. Could you keep it down just a little?” I had been listening to a play-by-play recap of their time in Austin. It was the best time I’ve had in forever, but do I really need to know every move they made? I didn’t even WANT to know some of the things they were sharing. “Your ability to over-share, Ivy, is amazing.”
“It’s not over-sharing if you were there, Lola. It’s more like a re-experiencing. Surely you did some things you would like to share with us, too.” I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a look that had curi
osity written all over it.
“That would be a big no.” My comment caused the girls to burst out laughing. I laughed too, but I wasn’t sure if they were laughing with me or at me. At some point during the time there, we had all been caught in some compromising position and by the end, the girls grew so brazen with their actions, that getting caught seemed like their objective.
The laughter died down when Journey asked me, “So, would you prefer to share your feelings for Gunner?”
“Why would you go there, Journey? I don’t know if I want to talk about it.”
“I went there because you’ve been having an amazing time with a great guy once you two got your heads out of your asses. You had to have developed some feelings for him, right?”
I drew in a deep breath not knowing how to address her comments. “Oh, Journey, I don’t know. He is great in so many ways, but can I base a relationship on two weeks of my life?”
Ivy jumped in. “Hell yeah, you can. What’s not to like about him? How far from perfect can he be?”
“There’s no such thing as a perfect guy, Ivy,” Abbie added.
“And you base this on personal knowledge, Abbie?” Ivy shot back. “Have you ever even had a relationship with a guy?”
“Yes, I have. I’ve been in love.” Abbie sounded indignant.
“Oh, really, Abbie? Is this with a real guy that we know?”
“Yes, it’s a real guy. We were in high school at the time, but I loved him.”
“Loved him, loved him? Like enough to sleep with him?” Ivy prodded for more information.
“That’s none of your business, Ivy.”
“So that would be a no. How can you know some guy is perfect if you’ve never done the nasty with him?” Ivy goaded her.
“You don’t have to have sex to know if a guy is a great person,” I jumped to Abbie’s defense and told the entire group.
“That’s true, Ivy,” Journey added. “You don’t have to have sex with them, but it sure helps for making up your mind. So back to my question, Lola. What’s going on with you and Gunner?”