With a sigh, I did my best to try and concentrate, sometimes going over the same sentence three times. Grrr.
I ran my hands through my hair, the blonde strands falling back into place, only to be disturbed again by bored, roaming fingers. My eyes fell to the clock:
4:57
Three minutes to go.
I sat up straight in my chair. Fuck it. I felt like being bad. I give enough to this company to steal three minutes.
Grabbing my purse as my computer flashed off, I headed toward the elevator.
* * *
I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm with the turning signal as I waited for the stoplight to turn green, when I spotted the grocery store just down the street. Deciding that I wanted to pick something up for dinner, oh! Maybe some Sloppy Joes! Cody and I had had Sloppy Joes last month.
"Yeah." Flipping the turning signal off, I pressed the gas when the light turned.
* * *
With a happy, contented sigh, I sat at my table upstairs, so glad to get back to my pottery after so long. Tonight I decided I wanted to sculpt.
I started out with a basic glob of clay, wetting my hands and the clay, just working it through, no real project in mind, just feeling, letting the smooth stuff run through my fingers, the wet, squishy sensation calming and familiar. I could feel the curves of my burgeoning creation, letting instinct take over, just creating blind.
I could hear a symphony in my mind as my hands worked, light and color flashed before my mind’s eye as I lost myself in the work, just waiting for it to be done so I could look at it.
Finally, the moment had come. Though my eyes had been open the entire time, now I could finally look. I nearly choked.
Before me was the torso of a naked woman, replete with a full set of breasts.
"Shit." I buried my face in my hands, not caring about the wet sludge still clinging to the skin. Besides, clay’s good for the pores.
* * *
The light glinted off my forgotten glass of water, the sound of the turning page the only sound in the house.
"Wait, didn’t I already read this?" I muttered, brows drawn as I flipped the page back, irritated that I could not concentrate. Again. With a sigh I tossed the book aside, knowing there was no way I was going to get through it tonight. Instead I decided that I should eat. Those Sloppy Joes were calling my name. Padding to the kitchen, my gaze found the clock on the wall, and I saw that it was nearly eight. With a sigh, I pushed through the kitchen door.
The smell of dinner permeated the room, and seeped out into the rest of the house. My stomach was beginning to growl in response.
Ding dong
I looked up, almost dropping the pan from the stove top.
Nearly running to the kitchen door, I made myself slow down and take a deep breath before picking up my speed again when I saw the glint of a car in the driveway from the overhead street lights. Taking one more deep breath, slowing my pace to a normal gait, I unlocked the door and flipped on the porch light as the late August evening began to fade into night.
I stopped short when I opened the door to see a blue teddy bear with legs. The light blue bear smiled at me with it red mouth and large black eyes, the tips of its paws all a light green color to match the satiny bow around his neck.
"Well, look what we’ve got here." I leaned against the door frame. One of the bear’s arms waved at me, guided by barely hidden fingers. "Come on in, bear. Bears are always welcome here." I grabbed the bear under his arms, the big guy nearly as large as me, and turned to go back inside.
"Hey!" An indignant voice called out from the porch. Chuckling, I set Big Blue down, and turned back to a grinning Cody.
"Hi!" I grabbed her in a huge, bone crushing hug. She hugged me just as tightly. "I missed you," I breathe as I allow myself to be absorbed in her.
"I missed you, too," I barely heard. After a week without her, I had been about ready to go stir crazy. Finally pulling away from her, I took a step back inside the house, pulling her along with me.
Cody looked wonderful in her black cargo shorts, ribbed, white tank and black and white Vans, her hair down and wild. She raised her head, nose sniffing the air as a slow, gorgeous smile spread across her incredibly tanned face.
"It’s gonna be a Manwich night!" she exclaimed, heading straight for the kitchen. I followed, not wanting to let her out of my sight.
"You sit, I’ll finish this." I turned the stove back on, and began to stir the seasoned meat again. Cody plopped down on one of the wooden kitchen chairs, her legs spread wide, hands resting on the seat at the apex of her thighs, feet bouncing with nervous energy. "So what did you guys do? Did you have fun?" I asked over my shoulder.
"It was okay." She sighed. "Did a ton of hiking."
"Oh, hiking’s fun." I looked her, my hand resting on my hip as I waited for the meat to finish.
"Eh..." She scrunched up her nose, then her eyes fixed on me. "But then, I guess that all depends on who you’re hiking with." A slow smile crept its naughty path across her face.
"All too true." I smiled back, turning back to the stove.
"Why didn’t you go?" she asked. I shrugged.
"Well, I had missed so much work during the accident, and all."
"Oh, come on, Brooklyn. Your boss would have happily given you the time off." I chuckled, nodding.
"True." I shrugged again, loath to tell her one of the main reasons.
"Come on, dude. It would have been fun," she said, her voice pleading.
"Well, you know..." I tried to hide my face from her, also trying to hide my smile.
"No, I don’t." She was teasing me, challenging me. Finally I looked at her, turned the burner off, and walked over to her to stand between her legs, one hand on her shoulder. I could feel the incredible body heat oozing off her in waves.
"I felt kind of weird, you know, interrupting your family." It sounded like a lie even to my ears.
"We covered that, Brooklyn. Remember, the day I left?" Remember? How could I forget!
"Yeah." Yet again I found myself shrugging. I was in shy mode, you see. She reached down, setting a hand on the side of my thigh down by my knee. I rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Why else?" she pushed.
I sighed, deciding to just spill the damn beans. "Fine. I didn’t want to share." I couldn’t look at her.
"Share?" she asked, a question in her voice.
"Share," I said again. She stood, I took a small step back.
"Share?" She was playing with me now. I looked up into eyes made even more electric from her recent tan.
"Yes." I lifted my jaw in defiance, so did she. I giggled.
"Share what?"
"It’s more of a whom," I said.
"Fine. Share whom?" She took a step even closer, her eyes full of mischief.
"You," I muttered, my voice small as I peered up at her through my bangs. She grinned, but then took me in her arms, laying her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her. God, it felt so good to hold her again.
"I really missed you, Brooklyn," came a small, timid voice in my ear. This, of course, just made me pull her even tighter to me.
"I missed you, too, Cody."
"I really wish you had gone."
"Oh yeah?" I asked, feeling her child-like nod in return. I was beaming, my face threatening to split in half from my smile. "Come on, you most adorable creature. Let’s eat."
* * *
We sat on the couch, Cody with an arm running along the back, one leg bent up on the couch while her right foot laid flat on the ground. The TV was on, some Monday night movie playing, though I couldn’t tell you for the life of me what it was. No, no. My mind was on Cody.
I kept thinking. I wanted so badly to repeat what we had done before she’d left me for a week. Have I said that before? Man, I missed her.
I had no idea it was possible to miss a person this much. I mean, I really missed Rand, big time, but this felt different somehow. This was a "pacing-the-floorboards, counting-the-minutes" kind of miss.
How do I go about kissing her? Does she want to kiss me again? She hasn’t made any moves to really touch me that much, certainly not for us to—
"Ugh!"
Suddenly I found myself pulled against her, my back to her front, and the wind nearly knocked out of me.
"Hello," I said, tilting my head back and eyeing her with drawn brows. She grinned.
"Howdy." She clasped her hands together just under my breasts. "What are you doing all the way over there?" she asked, her breath hot in my ear.
"Well, uh, actually. Um," I looked down at my fidgeting hands, fingers unable to stay still. "I was just thinking about stuff," I hedged.
"Like..."
I shrugged. "I don’t know. Just stuff."
She leaned down to whisper in my ear, her voice more throaty than before. "Like..." She drew the word out to stretch an almost interminable length of time.
I blushed, knowing she couldn’t see me, and decided to just tell her. Sort of.
"Well... I was thinking about the day you left." I started to tug at the hem of my shirt, looking for anything to occupy my hands.
She didn’t say anything, and I turned back to glance at her, shocked when I saw her pink-tinted face, eyes downcast. "I liked that," she whispered, coloring even further.
I giggled, mostly from nervous energy, and nodded quickly to reassure her.
"Me, too."
We sat silently for a few seconds before she spoke.
"I was wondering, if maybe, you know..."
"We could..."
"Do that..."
"Again."
I smiled up at her, nodding. "Exactly." I turned myself so that I was facing her, my legs tucked over hers, one hand resting on her shoulder, the other snaking up to the back of her neck. My eyes were totally focused on hers, so blue, so deep, so beautiful. There was so much to Cody, and to see it, all you had to do was look into those eyes. A sea of possibilities.
"I really did miss you when I was gone, Brooklyn," she said quietly, her voice breaking my thoughts. I smiled, unable to help myself. I began to play with the small hairs at the nape of her neck.
"I missed you, too. I couldn’t concentrate on a darn thing. It was horrible." Cody grinned at my dramatics.
"I missed those." She pointed shyly at my lips.
"Well, here they are," I found myself saying, quite surprised by my boldness.
"So they are."
My eyes closed automatically as Cody leaned in, pulling me to her. Our lips met, desperate for what we had missed over the last seven days. I heard a small moan escape her, and it sent another bottle of kerosene into my own fire.
Cody’s lips were soft, yet demanding as they glided against mine, her tongue almost immediately asking mine to come out and play, which of course it did. I turned my head to give her more access, her fingers once again kneading my flesh in pleasure, this time that of my thigh.
I was pressed against her, and could feel the unbelievable softness of her breasts against mine. I had no idea that Cody, who was so tough, held that don’t need anyone attitude proudly, could be soft, tender, yet insistent. A combination which definitely turned my crank.
Our movements slowed down, our kisses turning into explorations of the mouth, lips, and tongue. My hands never strayed further than her neck, my fingers contented with the feel of her hair and her throat, hers roaming over my thigh and my back.
I have no idea how long this went on, but I’d guess at least thirty minutes judging by how much of the movie had gone by.
Slowly she pulled back from me until our foreheads were touching. Both our breathing was heavy, my body flying from its new-found freedom and connection.
"We should try and get some sleep." I said, taking several deep breaths to try and still my blood.
"Yeah," she said, her voice so quiet, so filled with emotion. I felt warmed by it. "Come here." She pushed herself down in the couch, and pulled me with her so I was laying flat on top of her, my hands tucked under her torso, her arms wrapped tightly around me. I rested my head against her chest, listening to the soothing beating of her heart, since calmed, but still strong.
Never in my life had I felt so close to someone, so absolutely taken in, and cared for. As I lay with her, I felt as though the world could stop around us and begin to attack, and we’d be fine.
Where had this girl, so young, and inexperienced in life, yet with so much to give, been all my life?
* * *
I sat at my desk, eraser end of my pencil tapping on the page before me, the page that had been sitting before me for the past half an hour with only two marks of correction on it.
With a sigh, I ran my hand through my hair for about the thirtieth time since I’d gotten to work almost four hours ago. Soon I’d be able to power a small community by the electricity that was charging the strands.
I heard Rhonda’s voice walking past as she talked with her assistant, and automatically thoughts of Cody came to mind, followed, of course, by a smile. I leaned my chin on my hand, and brought back that amazing kiss from last night. Damn, she was so good at that! How could I possibly kiss her that way? She was my boss’ daughter, and, hell, she was a daughter! Does anyone find this a bit strange?
Still, I couldn’t resist her, nor did I want to. This had gone through my mind so many times, and though I wasn’t ready to put any sort of label on myself or what I was feeling, I knew that it was different than anything I’d ever known, and would ultimately change my life forever.
"Screw it."
I shut my computer down and grabbed my purse. I felt like playing hooky.
As I drove toward the gallery, I wondered what the hell we were going to do today, well, if I could get Cody out of work, that is. There was so much I wanted to do with her. No, get your mind out of the gutter, you pervert.
I wanted to take her places, show her things that I knew about, share that knowledge with, and gain from her source. I wanted to learn new things with her, from her, and us to discover things all on our own.
Just the two of us. I craved her, craved her presence and what she had to offer, which was so much more than people knew.
I pushed the glass doors to the gallery open, and looked around. Keith had gotten some new art up on the walls, his old series long gone. I hadn’t been in here for a while, this Ben thing still a little strange for me.
"Hey, you. Lost, little girl?" I heard whispered in my ear, and I shivered.
"Maybe. Wanna show me my way home?" I asked, leaning into the touch on my shoulder.
"You got it."
I chuckled, turning to see a grinning Cody.
"What are you doing? It’s too early for your lunch time." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"I’m playing sick, and so are you," I informed her.
"Is that so?" I nodded. "Well, I’m not so sure how my boss will take that news."
"What news? Hey, Brooklyn. How are you sweetie?" I found myself in a monster hug.
"I’m good." I squeezed him tight. "I want to steal one of your employees for the afternoon. You don’t mind, do you?" I asked, looking up at him through my bangs as I played with his goatee. He grinned at me.
"You’re so bad." He gave me a low, evil-sounding chuckle. "You have her back by tomorrow morning at eight sharp, and she can go on good behavior."
"Thanks, buddy." I smiled, hugging him again. I turned to my prisoner "Let’s go. Your parole officer has arrived."
"Oh, does this mean I get to be whipped?
"Kinky."
* * *
We drove around town, Cody making me laugh as I passed people, her commentary on each one hilarious. She talked about the lady with the huge purple hat that clashed so badly with her bright red hair, dyed unnaturally, and then blue-pants outfit. She made conversation between two dogs that were tied to a park bench as their owner sipped a Coke and read the newspaper.
I took her to lunch, then we went shopping, me trying on all the latest fashions as Cody yawned and rolled her eyes at each new outfit I found to try.
"You know, I think you’d look better in nothing at all." She grinned as I came out with yet anther shirt. This, of course made my blood boil all over again. And just when I’d gotten myself under control, too.
What was it about this girl? I couldn’t keep my hands off her, though I succeeded for the most part in trying. I was so drawn to her, like I have heard about so many times before, and always envied, but was never able to find. Kind of like the way Rand talked about, and still does to a degree, with Pete.
Now I looked at her, eyes locked onto her face, her body, everything about her. I was feeling bold, so I took a step toward her, our breasts nearly touching.
"You first," I whispered, my eyes sweeping across her face, stopping at her lips before roaming up to her eyes. She met my gaze, a mixture of fear and desire reflecting my own. I watched the movement of her throat as she swallowed.
"You got it," she said, looking around the crowded store before she leaned in for a quick kiss, pulling back before we were spotted.
"God, how do you do it?" I breathed, then headed back into the dressing room where I could lean against the wall, my hand over my pounding heart.
* * *
Over the next week we talked, laughed, bonded, kissed... She took me out skateboarding, where of course I fell on my keester, but it was just good, old-fashioned fun. That was what I liked so much about Cody, among other things. She was fun, she was interesting, she was beautiful, sexy as hell, and made my body feel things that it had never felt.
What was it? I asked myself this question on a near daily basis.
* * *
I sat at my desk, eyes barely able to stay open from my late night. That part I really needed to stop. It was beginning to affect my work, and I wouldn’t stand for that.
Yawning once again, I took a long, slow pull from my coffee, closing my eyes as the hot liquid slid down my throat only to throw up a nice bolt of energy to revive me.
"Yum," I muttered and turned to my assignment. The phone rang. Picking up the receiver, I narrowed my eyes at the proof before me that was a complete mess. "Brooklyn Fletcher."
"Hey, gorgeous," I heard purred in a low voice on the other end. That instasmile spread across my face.
"Hey, yourself." I sat back in my chair, legs stretched out in front of me as I ran my fingers across the smooth surface of the blonde wood.
"I was wondering if we could get together a little earlier tonight," Cody said, her voice still in that low, sexy tone that I had come to crave.
"Sure. What’s up?"
"Mom." My brows drew.
"Huh? You’ve lost me."
"I sure hope not." She teased. I smiled. Never. "My mom wants me home tonight."
"What!" I looked around, my little outburst catching some attention. I smiled at Danny who was in the cubicle next to mine, then turned back to my phone call.
"What? Why?" I heard her sigh.
"I don’t know, to be honest. Something about family night, or some shit."
"Since when?"
"Since tonight, I guess." I could hear the edge in her voice. She didn’t like it any better than I did, but she was doing it anyway. Why? Cody would more tell Rhonda to kiss her ass then cut her night with me short. Wouldn’t she?
"Oh." I slumped in my seat. "Okay. Well, um, do you want to skip it?"
"No, of course not. We’ll just have to cut it short is all."
There hadn’t been a time yet since, well, things, that Cody hadn’t stayed the night. I sighed.
"Why don’t you just come to my place as soon as you get off work. We’ll go from there."
"Kay. Look, I have to go."
"Alright."
"Later."
"Bye."
I hung the receiver up, my good mood seeping out my ears. What the hell are you doing, Rhonda? I had the strangest feeling my stomach, as if this "family night" was nothing more than a device to get Cody home. Yes, so maybe I did sound paranoid, but I couldn’t shake that feeling. Some of it may have been my own guilt, but not all of it.
I knew Cody was really nervous about the fallout when Rhonda found out about us. Hell, so was I.
But still, Rhonda had no right to try and dictate her daughter’s life! Cody was nineteen years old, and very much able to make her own decisions. She always had. Of all people, Rhonda should know this.
As I stared at the screensaver on my screen, part of me wondered if Rhonda was beginning to feel empty nest syndrome. Yeah, Jake would be around for some time, but Cody had always been a definite presence. Jodi had gone off to college and was living her own life.
"Hey, daydreamer."
My head jerked up, and immediately my eyes narrowed. Rhonda smiled at me from over the top of my cubicle.
"Hi," I said, moving my mouse to bring my work back to life.
"Do you have the Scott ad done yet?" she asked, her voice chipper and friendly. My eyes scanned the unfinished work, and I shook my head, somehow hurt. I had figured she was going to invite me over for the supposed family night.
"You know, Ron, I’ll let you know when it’s done, just like I always do." I looked up into surprised eyes, instantly feeling like shit for snapping at her. Despite everything, I had looked up to Rhonda as a friend and mother stand-in for almost three years.
Taking a deep breath, I got my emotions back under control.
"I’ll send it to you within the hour," I said, my voice calmer, more back to normal.
"Okay," she said, an uneasy smile on her face. She studied me for a moment, then walked away.
Slumping back into my chair, I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.
* * *
After work that night, we watched a movie, both of us sitting on the floor, Cody leaning against the couch, me against her. She held me in her arms, my head back against her chest. We only had a few hours, and I wanted to be touching her as long as I could so I could take it with me, hold the warmth against me throughout the night.
The strange thing was, though we hadn’t slept in the same bed, her always across the hall asleep in the guest room, I still knew she was there. That alone warmed my heart. Tonight, well, tonight she’d be across town.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice quiet in my ear. I nodded, but said nothing. I was too lost in my thoughts. Why was she going along with this? I wanted to be mad at her, but I couldn’t.
* * *
Cody had left around seven that night, and I had gone to bed just about immediately after. I needed to catch up on my sleep, anyway.
But today as I stood at the counter slicing some French bread, I thought about the situation.
I think I had finally figured out why I was so bothered by this thing with Cody, going along with what Rhonda had wanted and all. Cody was really all I had in some ways. The situation with my parents, I didn’t see Uncle Bruce very often, and when I did, it wasn’t really in a father/daughter capacity. Rhonda, well, the jury was still out on that one. Rand was gone, Keith was with Ben, and though we were still friends, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to call him up in the middle of the night to come save me from my midnight demons like I used to.
What was this for Cody? Was I an experiment for a rebellious nineteen year old girl? Somehow I didn’t think so, but it was still a possibility. Did she mind how much I had come to depend on her? She didn’t seem to mind, in fact, it was almost as though she reveled in the trust put in her.
I started when I heard the doorbell. With a quick glance at the clock on the stove, I knew who it was.
"Come in!" I called out. The door squeaked open, and I heard a skateboard being leaned against the wall. Soft footfalls of the flat-soled Vans were headed toward me, the swinging of the kitchen door announcing her presence.
"Hey, you," she said, hugging me from behind as I started cutting up a tomato.
"Hi." I muttered. If I was twenty years younger, my bottom lip would actually have been sticking out.
"How was your day, dear?" She squeezed me around my middle.
"Good." I groaned out from the pressure. She waited for me to elaborate. When I didn’t, she sighed.
"Ooookay, how’s the weather?"
"Rainy," I said simply, pushing the tomato slices away, and grabbing another one. I wanted so badly to talk to her, tell her how insecure I was feeling, but couldn’t for some reason. I don’t know what stopped me, but it did.
"Okay..." She reached around me and took the knife from my hands, setting it on the side of the cutting board. "Something’s obviously wrong, and I don’t really feel like having any vital organs removed." I smiled, but still said nothing. Strong hands turned me around to face her. She looked concerned. "What is it, Brooklyn?"
I sighed, looking down at my feet before pulling my gaze up to her face. It’s now or never, kid.
"Cody, what do you think of us? Of our relationship? Hell, is it a relationship?" I shook my head, my confusion rattling around my brain.
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