Mist & Fog 5

When I walked into my office barely making it on time, I was feeling flushed from Broderick’s lovemaking. It was a warmer day and I chose a soft white blouse with a pair of black slacks. I spent the entire day with Gary, going over the ad labels and suggesting colors, getting things ready for New York. Gary ordered lunch in and we ate sandwiches as we discussed work and what we had plans for the weekend. Right afterwards, we dove right into work again. By the time five rolled around, I was so exhausted, all I wanted was to kick back and soak in a tub of bubbles. When I got home, I turned on the water, poured in more bubbles than necessary and shed my clothes onto the bathroom floor. I grabbed a bottle of wine and glass and as soon as I stepped into the tub, my stress was washed away.

            I awoke to lips kissing me softly and when I opened my eyes, I saw Broderick leaning over the tub half naked. He picked up my pair of black lacy panties and stuck them into his pockets. I sat up, water sloshed over the edge, and he leaned back, running his fingers through my hair.

            “How’d you get in?” I asked.

            He smiled and gave me a kiss on the temple. “I made a copy of your key.”

            I pushed him back. “What? When?”

            “Don’t ruin the moment, sweetheart. I have wanted to come find you like this since the moment you entered my life.”

            When I opened my mouth to argue again, he took control of my lips to stop me. The fire began to unravel from my toes to my belly and slowly climbed up to my chest, making me pant like I’d been running for hours.

            “Broderick,” I whispered.

            “Shh…just feel, sweetheart. Feel what I can give you.”

            I let the words sink in and I slowly reached up my hand to his face. When our lips touched I felt as if the water rose in temperature. I pulled him into the tub, jeans and all, and didn’t care that half the water was on the floor. His lips were rough on mine, hungry as if he was sucking all the life out of me. When his hand pinched the side of my breast, I jerked and he kissed me deeper. When I pulled away, his eyes were hot and hazy, driving me into a drunken haze. I was panting as he slowly reached between us and laid a hand on my belly.

            “Tonight, I’m not going to stop until the sun rises.”

 

            “Wake up, sweetheart,” a soft voice said.

            I stirred and turned over, the blanket shifting to reveal my nakedness as I found Broderick sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed. I reached for the blanket, but he pulled it out of my reach.

            “I prefer to talk to you like this,” he said.

            I blushed. “I’m shy.”

            He raised an eyebrow. “You’re shy? After last night, you’re shy? After the tub, the bed, the couch, the kitchen—“      

            “Ok, what do you want?” I interrupted.

            He smiled and moved closer to me. “I’m taking you away. Get dressed in something I can get you out of easily.”

            I scoffed. “Where are you taking me? I can’t just get up and go. Every Saturday I’ve got lunch with my girlfriends. I haven’t been with them in forever.”

            “Don’t worry, I took care of everything. They know you’re busy.” 

            He got up to go and I grabbed the blanket to wrap around my body. I followed him out of the bedroom to the kitchen where he had set up breakfast. The smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes had my tummy rolling. But I ignored it as I grabbed his arm and turned him around. He was fully dressed and here I was, butt naked with a blanket around myself. Was I ready to start an argument I might lose?

            “What is it?” he asked.

            “Ok, look, we’re having a great thing here. But aren’t you taking it too far? I mean, you made a copy of my key without me knowing. Then you called my friends, I won’t even ask how you found their numbers, and now you’re whisking me away on a road trip? Broderick, I’m…this is too fast.”

            He took my hands and pulled me toward him. “Listen, in high school, all I thought about was getting with you. I didn’t have a shot back then. Today, right now, you’re in my arms and you’re mine. If I have to scare you into being with me, I will. I’m not letting you go that fast. I like being with you and I like seeing you go wild when I touch you. Is that so wrong?”

            I didn’t answer him as I stared at him. The face that looked back at me was pure love and I felt my heart drumming against my side. I sighed deeply, feeling drained. I pulled my hands away from him and turned my back to him. There was still so much I was running from and I was afraid that if I let him into my life, he would get caught in between it.

            “I’m not the girl you once knew. So much has happened that it has changed me…for the worse,” I said.

            He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “Is this about the affair?”

            “No, it’s more than that.” I turned around to face him. “When you knew me in high school, my parents were married and I was a happy girl. I didn’t know anything about hurt or pain. I was carefree and life was simple. All I had to worry about was what outfit to wear the next day to school.”

            He reached up and touched my cheek. “Go on.”

            Tears filled my eyes as the painful memories filled my mind again. “But…when I left for college, things fell apart. My mother had an affair and it ruined everything. My father was so torn about everything. Their marriage fell apart and she left him. He’s not over her and to this day, remains single while she’s moved on and married the man she left him for. She just had this huge glamorous wedding in Paris a few weeks ago. I thought my parents’ marriage was perfect and then it fell apart.

            “Then after that incident, I just fell apart. I thought that if my parents couldn’t be together, then there’s no point for me to try to find anyone to be with. I drove myself into my education and then I met Senator Cromwell and the life I thought was a disaster turned out to be nowhere close to what would happen. Can’t you see? I haven’t moved on and if you come into my life right now, you’ll just be caught in between my problems and I don’t want you to blame me later on.”

            Broderick caught my hands and brought them to his lips. “Sweetheart, nothing you say can make me stay away from you. It’s not negotiable. I’ve wanted you since high school when you wore ponytails and little cheerleader uniforms. Now as a woman in heels and short skirts, you’re driving me wild. I’d give anything to keep you in my life. I don’t care what ghosts I have to chase with you. I’ll do it. Hell, I’ll beat those damn ghosts if I have to. But to leave you and not touch you or be close to you, it’s not an option you have.”

            I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He wasn’t going to give up. Wasn’t that I wanted in a man? Now that I had found one like that, was I really going to let him go? “Broderick,” I said.

            “No,” he cut me off. “There is nothing you can say or do that will make me move an inch from you. I’ve had you and once isn’t enough, forever isn’t enough. I’m here and I’m not leaving. So you better get used to me being around because I’m not going anywhere.”

            It felt like lightning had hit me in the chest as I stood there staring at his eyes. I leaned in and gave him a kiss. He deepened the kiss and when I heard his groan echo in my mouth, I knew that there was no need to discuss things further. Words weren’t needed.