Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
*Disclaimer: ~ Though inspired in part by real people; none of the stuff in the story really happened or is intended to represent reality in anyway. It’s just a daydream.
The Promises we make pt 14
Was love supposed to hurt this much? It wasn’t like she’d know from personal experience. This need that was eating away inside of her was torturous. Trine lay back in her lounge chair and looked through the kitchen window to watch Larry as he talked on the phone to her father. Her heart literally ached as she told herself how foolish it was to fall in love with a man literally three times her age. A friend of her fathers, no less.
Then she thought about the way it felt when he held her earlier, his incredibly well toned arms wrapped around her while she buried her face against his chest and cried. She remembered how warm and solid he was, how he smelled. Just looking at him, now, stirred an uneasy feeling in her. It wasn’t unpleasant, just new, unfamiliar. Something she couldn’t really explain. It was like having a craving for something she’d never tasted.
She let her mind wonder what it would be like to kiss a man. She’d kissed boys before. Colin, but she didn’t consider him a man really. He was a guy, but not a man. Larry was a man.
She found it hard to believe, in fact that he was really in his forties. He was so cool. She watched the way he spoke on the phone, admiring the way his full lips formed words and imagined those lips kissing her. She wondered if he would probe her mouth with his tongue, the way Colin had, and her blood ran hot through her veins, her heartbeat picking up at the thought of it.
She imagined those hands, those strong hands with the long, ring clad fingers, touching her the way Colin had tried to. She had felt violated, uncomfortable with it then. The idea of Larry with those intense eyes of his and that sexy, brooding frown, wanting to reach under her shirt made her squirm. She didn’t even understand the need, exactly. She knew in her head what it was about, but it still wasn’t real to her.
She wanted to know more, to understand better. She bit her lower lip (a habit she’d picked up from Cat) and wished there were some way she could have what she wanted. No matter what, she always came back to the conclusion that it could never, would never, happen. She felt a bit like a caged animal, trapped in a situation and helpless to get out of it.
The opening of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by the White Stripes started and she bobbed her head in time to the bass line. This was one of her favorite songs, and not just because the bass guitar was the primary instrument for the first ¼ of the song, although she really did like that. The idea that a vocalist, a bass guitar and a drummer could sound so good with no pianist or lead guitar was sort of a rebellion, and that appealed to her a great deal.
Suddenly she heard a wild splashing and Pauley’s broken scream. Trine’s attention immediately diverted from her romantic musings and on the pool. Just a moment ago she had warned him not to sit on the edge of the pool and dangle his feet in because it made her nervous. He’d argued that Larry was teaching him how to swim, but Trine had snapped at him and ordered him to stay away from the water.
“Pauley?!” She screamed, leaping from her chair and running to dive into the pool without a moments further thought. Pauley was struggling to float, kicking and paddling for all his worth but he was frightened and wailing, swallowing large mouthfuls of water as he did. She was in the water in a heart beat, grabbing hold of the slippery bundle of flailing limbs and holding tight.
She could feel the little boy’s heartbeat fluttering rapidly in his chest, heard him gasping for air but choking on the pool water and his own sobs. Chlorinated water burned up her nose and stung her eyes as she fought her way to the shallow end of the pool where she could stand and hold him above the water. He was still frightened and kicking.
“Pauley!” She heard Larry calling, heard his footsteps pounding across the tile as he hurried to help. Trine used the last of her energy to hold the boy up as far as she could so that Larry could take him out of the water. Larry grabbed hold of the soaking wet, screaming child and held him tight. Pauley was wailing, weeping with fear as only such a young child will do, and Larry had his eyes pressed closed tightly as he rocked the boy slightly back and forth.
Trine clung to the side of the pool, resting her head against the smooth tile and trying to catch her breath, her heart still racing out of control. Pauley’s sobs faded into soft sniffles, and Trine could hear Larry muttering to the boy about having told him not to go near the pool alone and how badly he’d scared them. She raised her head to look up at them as Larry knelt down beside the pool, Pauley’s little arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
Larry extended one strong arm, hand out to help Trine out of the water and she gratefully accepted. They sat there, dripping wet, at the edge of the pool for several long moments while they caught their breath and waited for the fear to dissipate.
“Are you ok?” Larry asked her, casting a glance at her over the boy who was holding on to him for dear life. Trine nodded silently, still too out of breath to speak. Larry slid a hand around behind her head and leaned down to kiss her firmly on the forehead. “Thank you.” He told her breathlessly.
She smiled weakly at him, her heart racing again at the feeling of his warm, soft lips against her skin. She held her breath and looked up at him, his face still closer than she’d ever gotten to him before. She held on to the moment, memorizing every little thing about the way he looked, the hear radiating from him, the way he smelled even. The steady sound of his breathing, the shape of his muscular arms as he held on to Pauley.
“His little nose is running.” She told him when her eyes finally fell on Pauley and saw the little red eyes and dripping nose. She reached out and pushed his hair back from his forehead tenderly, and realized she was crying again, too. “You scared me.” She told him, a sob welling up in her chest and her face crumpling as she wept with relief.
“I … I …. Di (sob) dn’t mean (sniffle) to!” He assured her, his little voice still broken from fear and embarrassment. “I fell!” He added, as if angry with the tile for being slippery.
“We know. It’s ok now.” Larry assured him with a sigh. “Let’s go inside.” he said, hurrying to the door and holding it for Trine and then rushing Pauley to the bathroom so he could wipe his nose and strip him out of the wet clothes. “Where are his pajamas?” He asked Trine, who stood in the door and stared at them, still in shock.
“Oh. Right. I’ll get them.” She told him, turning and hurrying back to the front room where Simone had left Pauley’s bag when she dropped him off. She took it back to them, relieved to see some color returning to Pauley’s face, even though he was still shivering.
“You need to get into something dry, too.” Larry told her, looking at her standing there in her dripping wet tank top and jeans. “Go on. He’s ok for now.” Trine hesitated for just a moment longer before going to her room and wrestling out of her wet clothes. She kept thinking over and over to herself that she should have been watching him closer. This was all her fault.
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“Tessa? What’s wrong?” Edge asked as he opened the door to let Tessa in. He had been planning on seeing her later, but had been taken by surprise when she showed up on his doorstep.
“Am I going to be the manager for Tequila Monster’, or is Bono?” She demanded, her cheeks flushed rosy pink, her brown hair mussed slightly. Her honey brown eyes shone with indignation.
“What?” Edge asked, completely confused by this statement.
“I was hired as Tequila Monster’s manager, Paul and I decided I didn’t even need him, short of introductions to his contacts. The band told me they had faith in my ability and I’ve been working my ass off for them. So why is it I know absolutely nothing about the fact that they flew off to Scotland today for a concert?” She ranted, not mad at Edge but needing desperately to vent her frustration.
“Oh.” He said, his almond shaped eyes widening as he realized that when Bono had hijacked the band and the plane earlier, he had neglected to call Tessa. She was right, of course, it was beyond rude. It was unprofessional and disrespectful. It was also completely and utterly an oversight on Bono’s part.
“Have I been deluding myself, believing I was actually serving a purpose?” She asked, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. Edge hurried to gather her into his arms, chuckling a little, but trying not to seem patronizing.
“Tessa, this was not about how good or bad of a job you’ve done. This was about Bono and the fact that he could literally forget how to find his own house if he didn’t have so many people looking out for him. He gets something in his head and focuses on it, everything else just flies right out his bloody ears.” He told her with a gentle smile.
She was beginning to calm down a little. How could she not, in his arms? She hadn’t felt so relaxed in all her years than she felt when he held her. Still, she was insulted by the situation. If this was all it took to make her forget such a legitimate complaint, she might never get anything done around him.
“That’s true.” She agreed slowly, and he laughed out loud at the tone of her voice. He’d never heard her pout over anything before. “But you guys wouldn’t do that to Paul.” She added in her defense.
“We left Paul in Nova Scotia once.” He told her, laughing again at the look of utter shock on her face at this revelation. “It’s true! If Adam hadn’t spoken up, he might’ve been there for awhile, too.” He added, and now she was laughing, too, with her hand over her mouth. It really wasn’t something she should have found so funny. Edge continued, imitating Adam’s smooth, cool accent.
“Excuse me, but do you think perhaps you could turn the plane around, please? I believe we’ve forgotten our manager.” He said, and Tessa’s body shook with laughter, both at the situation and at Edge’s uncanny imitation of Adam.
“Remind me to make my own travel arrangements.” She laughed.
“It really was his mistake… he told Bono he was going to be late. If he’d have thought it through he would’ve told Larry or Adam.” Edge told her, smiling still, loving the way her eyes turned golden brown when she was happy.
“Ok, I guess I’ve learned my lesson. I’m going to have tracking chips implanted in the band members from now on, just in case.” She told him. After another bout of soft laughter, he rested his forehead against hers.
“So, I guess that means you have the rest of the day off.” He suggested with a rakish smile, that made her own lips twitch up into a wicked smile.
“Whatever will I do with all the free time?” She sighed playfully.
“I may have a suggestion or two…” He told her, leaning in to catch her earlobe between his lips and tugging gently. His breath was hot and wet in her ear and every muscle in her body automatically tensed, every nerve aroused. “If you’re feeling adventurous.” He added, making her laugh out loud.
“Adventurous, huh?” She said, her voice fading to a whisper as his mouth slid down the side of her throat, soft and hot against sensitive skin. He ‘mmm-hmm’ed, his mouth still on her skin, the vibrations spreading down her spine and making her shiver. His hands slid up over the curve of her hips, over her waist and sides catching the bottom of her shirt and tugging upwards on it eagerly.
Tessa laughed again at his enthusiasm, her laughter catching in her throat his strong hands found sensitive flesh and began to massage it firmly, the way he had learned through experience would make her laughter become a moan.
“What got into you?” She asked, no amusement in her voice now, just desire. He smiled and then caught her mouth in a passionate kiss. She rubbed his back as his kiss washed her sensible thoughts away, and , feeling more adventurous by the moment, she slid one slender hand around his hip and over the coarse denim boldly. He jumped and caught her hand in his, but it was too late. Her hand had already found the bulge in his pocket.
“What…?” She muttered, sensing his dismay but not understanding what he could be hiding in his pocket that would make him so uncomfortable. He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration and drew in a deep breath.
“It’s not exactly the way I meant to give this to you.” He said, digging into his pocket. “It was supposed to be… perfect.” He told her as he produced a small black velvet box. “Tessa, I want to wake up with you here, next to me, every day. I want to go to bed at night with my face in your hair.” He told her, reaching out and stroking a lock of her hair between two fingers.
“I… Are you …?”
“Tessa, will you marry me?” He asked, his aquamarine eyes full of sincerity. Hot tears were burning Tessa’s eyes before he had even finished speaking. She leaned in and kissed him softly, her arms wrapped around his neck and holding tight.
“Are you real?” She asked on a whisper, the tears streaming down her cheeks now. “Nothing in the world would make me happier.” She told him, feeling his body relax against hers. Had he really doubted that she would say yes? She kissed him and kissed him again, the joy bubbling out of her in flowing laughter between kisses.
“I’ll marry you today, tomorrow, the next day. Every day for the rest of my life.” She told him.
“I was thinking we might take a few months. Plan something nice.” He told her with a chuckle.
“We can get married at Christmastime.” She said enthusiastically. “Between the holidays and the fact that Cat and Adam will be having the baby, work will be slower right then anyway.”
“Anything you want.” He laughed, leaning in and kissing her again. She moaned against his mouth as he slowly drove all plans of weddings or anything else out of her thoughts. They had all the time in the world to decide on that. Right now, all that mattered was that they were in love, alone, and had nowhere else they needed to be.
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“What’s wrong?” Simone asked the minute she saw Larry’s face. He was exhausted and worried, in a way she had never seen him.
“Nothing. Now.” He told her and she scowled at him taking a long pull on her cigarette and waiting for him to continue. “Pauley had a bit of an accident earlier.” He told her and she quickly abandoned her cigarette in the ashtray and started hurrying for the bedroom where Pauley would be sleeping.
“Is he ok? What happened?” She asked as he stepped in her way, hands held out to stop her from going any further. “Tell me what’s wrong!” She demanded, and Larry felt a bit like he’d stepped between a mother bear and her cub.
“He’s fine. He fell into the pool earlier…”
“What was he doing by the pool alone?”
“He wasn’t alone, Trine was out there with him.”
“What was she doing? Why wasn’t she watching him?!?!”
“She was! Simone, Trine saved him. She was in the pool after him as fast as it happened. It was an accident. He swallowed some water, and he was scared shitless, but he’s fine now.” He informed her, pulling her up against his chest and wrapping his arms around her, smoothing her hair.
“God, Larry… If he’d…”
“Shh. I know.” He agreed, and she could hear the way his heart was still pounding just at the memory. “But he’s alright, and he’s not going anywhere near the water again without an adult. You can be sure of that.”
“Where is he?” She asked, hugging Larry tightly, more grateful for his strength than ever before.
“He’s sleeping. He tried to wait up for you but he was pretty wiped out. He has a present for you, he was determined to give it to you tonight so it’s on the night table next to him.” He told her, letting her go so she could see with her own two eyes that he was safe and sound.
She crept in the door quietly and gently lowered herself onto the bed next to him, kissing his forehead. He stirred a little in his sleep and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief when she heard him start snoring softly. She couldn’t stand to imagine what life would be like if she ever lost him. After whispering a soft prayer, she turned to go, finding the single red rose in the rather wrinkled plastic. She smiled through the tears that sprung to her eyes and raised the sweet smelling flower to her nose.
“Thank you.” She told Larry, though she could not see him. She knew he was standing just outside the door, waiting for her all the same.
“It’s from him.” He told her, stepping into the doorway. She smiled at the way the light framed him, making him seem like even more of a dream. She moved to hold him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head against his shoulder.
“Will you stay?” She asked him softly. “I’m staying tonight, since Trine’s here alone. I don’t think Adam would mind.”
“I think we’ve had this conversation before.” He joked.
“This time I was thinking maybe we’d sleep in the same room.” She told him on a throaty whisper, her lips beginning to caress the sensitive skin on his neck. He moaned, low in his throat, his eyes closing almost as if against his will. She shivered slightly at the sound; at the feeling of his muscles tensing beneath her touch. The thought that he could want her was the most exciting thing she could imagine. His hand slid up into her hair as his cheek brushed hers.
Those incredibly talented, full, soft lips found hers and set her on fire from the inside out. Just the memory of the other night had her trembling in anticipation. Somehow, they found their way across the hall into the other guest room without their lips ever parting. He was just as eager as he had been that first night, and she had to regain her composure and control, slowing him down and reminding him they were not alone in the house this time. Nor did she have an unlimited wardrobe to replace torn clothes in the morning.
She was rewarded with a broad, shy smile that made her heart fill to nearly bursting with such love it was nearly painful. She’d never in all her life felt this way about a man. She knew, in her head, that it could end in horrible heartache. Tonight, she didn’t care. All she knew right then and there was that he wanted her as much as she loved him, and she was going to take full advantage of that.
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Filtered through the curtains, the daylight was a rich gold enveloping the room. A soft breeze came through the window and blew across his face, bringing with it the scents of freshly cut grass and distant rain. Larry sighed, no longer quite asleep but not entirely aware of his surroundings either. One thing he did know was that he was happy. His body, mind and spirit were content. It was a good moment, one to linger in if at all possible.
Suddenly, the breeze was gone, replaced by a sudden stillness and a shadow. Larry frowned as he managed to climb up out of his slumber and force his eyes open. The first thing he saw was a pair of eyes peering at him from less than two feet away. He jolted in surprise and muttered a series of expletives that could make a sailor blush.
“Fuck, Pauley, you’ve put my heart sideways!” he said, running a strong hand over his face, scratching his nose and then running his hand through his shaggy hair. All in an instinctive effort to compose himself while his heart slowed to a normal pace. It wasn’t every day you woke with someone standing at your bedside and staring at you.
“Sorry.” The boy yawned, scratching his own nose in imitation of Larry.
“What’s wrong? Pauley?” Simone asked, rolling over and blinking up at Larry as she tried to understand what had occurred to rouse her from the deep sleep she had been in. “Oh, Pauley!” She said as she saw him standing there in his pajamas, his hair mussed and his little eyes tired. She glanced up at Larry who was now sitting up next to her.
“C’mere baby.” She told him, and he hurried around the other side of the bed and climbed in bed next to his mother happily. She cast a glance back at Larry and whispered. “Are you wearing anything?” And he chuckled and nodded. Luckily, he had gotten up in the night and so slipped back into his underwear, and it appeared, Simone had done the same. Otherwise this could’ve been considerably more awkward than it was turning out.
“Mommy, I have a flower for you.” Pauley told her, his little voice still gravely from sleep.
“I know, thank you.” She told him as she covered him over with the blanket and draped an arm over him protectively. She wondered if she should say anything about the unusual sleeping situation but before she could decide on just what that would be, Pauley peered up over her shoulder at Larry and spoke.
“I told you she liked you.” He said, and it took both Simone and Larry a moment to recall the conversation about how, in order for Larry to be Pauley’s father, Simone would have to like Larry enough to share everything with him, including a bed. Simone covered her mouth as she chuckled slightly , and she could feel the bed shake with Larry’s laughter at the boys words.
“I love him.” She whispered to the boy, who wrapped his little arms around her neck and smiled at her, his nose pressed against hers.
“Good, I love him too. I want him to be my daddy.” He told her with the nearly heart breaking sincerity of childhood.
“Well…” Simone started, but was stopped by the sensation of Larry’s lips against her temple.
“I want that, too.” He told the boy.
“It’s a little more complicated than that…” Simone said, glancing harshly at Larry. He didn’t need to get the boys hopes up.
“It’ll take a little more time, that’s all.” Larry assured the boy, his giant hand ruffling his hair affectionately as he curled up behind Simone, the length of his body pressed up against her back and cupping her perfectly.
“Ok.” Pauley agreed easily enough, yawning and stretching again before slipping out from under his mothers arm to crawl over her and snuggle in between them happily.
The Promises we make pt 14
Was love supposed to hurt this much? It wasn’t like she’d know from personal experience. This need that was eating away inside of her was torturous. Trine lay back in her lounge chair and looked through the kitchen window to watch Larry as he talked on the phone to her father. Her heart literally ached as she told herself how foolish it was to fall in love with a man literally three times her age. A friend of her fathers, no less.
Then she thought about the way it felt when he held her earlier, his incredibly well toned arms wrapped around her while she buried her face against his chest and cried. She remembered how warm and solid he was, how he smelled. Just looking at him, now, stirred an uneasy feeling in her. It wasn’t unpleasant, just new, unfamiliar. Something she couldn’t really explain. It was like having a craving for something she’d never tasted.
She let her mind wonder what it would be like to kiss a man. She’d kissed boys before. Colin, but she didn’t consider him a man really. He was a guy, but not a man. Larry was a man.
She found it hard to believe, in fact that he was really in his forties. He was so cool. She watched the way he spoke on the phone, admiring the way his full lips formed words and imagined those lips kissing her. She wondered if he would probe her mouth with his tongue, the way Colin had, and her blood ran hot through her veins, her heartbeat picking up at the thought of it.
She imagined those hands, those strong hands with the long, ring clad fingers, touching her the way Colin had tried to. She had felt violated, uncomfortable with it then. The idea of Larry with those intense eyes of his and that sexy, brooding frown, wanting to reach under her shirt made her squirm. She didn’t even understand the need, exactly. She knew in her head what it was about, but it still wasn’t real to her.
She wanted to know more, to understand better. She bit her lower lip (a habit she’d picked up from Cat) and wished there were some way she could have what she wanted. No matter what, she always came back to the conclusion that it could never, would never, happen. She felt a bit like a caged animal, trapped in a situation and helpless to get out of it.
The opening of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by the White Stripes started and she bobbed her head in time to the bass line. This was one of her favorite songs, and not just because the bass guitar was the primary instrument for the first ¼ of the song, although she really did like that. The idea that a vocalist, a bass guitar and a drummer could sound so good with no pianist or lead guitar was sort of a rebellion, and that appealed to her a great deal.
Suddenly she heard a wild splashing and Pauley’s broken scream. Trine’s attention immediately diverted from her romantic musings and on the pool. Just a moment ago she had warned him not to sit on the edge of the pool and dangle his feet in because it made her nervous. He’d argued that Larry was teaching him how to swim, but Trine had snapped at him and ordered him to stay away from the water.
“Pauley?!” She screamed, leaping from her chair and running to dive into the pool without a moments further thought. Pauley was struggling to float, kicking and paddling for all his worth but he was frightened and wailing, swallowing large mouthfuls of water as he did. She was in the water in a heart beat, grabbing hold of the slippery bundle of flailing limbs and holding tight.
She could feel the little boy’s heartbeat fluttering rapidly in his chest, heard him gasping for air but choking on the pool water and his own sobs. Chlorinated water burned up her nose and stung her eyes as she fought her way to the shallow end of the pool where she could stand and hold him above the water. He was still frightened and kicking.
“Pauley!” She heard Larry calling, heard his footsteps pounding across the tile as he hurried to help. Trine used the last of her energy to hold the boy up as far as she could so that Larry could take him out of the water. Larry grabbed hold of the soaking wet, screaming child and held him tight. Pauley was wailing, weeping with fear as only such a young child will do, and Larry had his eyes pressed closed tightly as he rocked the boy slightly back and forth.
Trine clung to the side of the pool, resting her head against the smooth tile and trying to catch her breath, her heart still racing out of control. Pauley’s sobs faded into soft sniffles, and Trine could hear Larry muttering to the boy about having told him not to go near the pool alone and how badly he’d scared them. She raised her head to look up at them as Larry knelt down beside the pool, Pauley’s little arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
Larry extended one strong arm, hand out to help Trine out of the water and she gratefully accepted. They sat there, dripping wet, at the edge of the pool for several long moments while they caught their breath and waited for the fear to dissipate.
“Are you ok?” Larry asked her, casting a glance at her over the boy who was holding on to him for dear life. Trine nodded silently, still too out of breath to speak. Larry slid a hand around behind her head and leaned down to kiss her firmly on the forehead. “Thank you.” He told her breathlessly.
She smiled weakly at him, her heart racing again at the feeling of his warm, soft lips against her skin. She held her breath and looked up at him, his face still closer than she’d ever gotten to him before. She held on to the moment, memorizing every little thing about the way he looked, the hear radiating from him, the way he smelled even. The steady sound of his breathing, the shape of his muscular arms as he held on to Pauley.
“His little nose is running.” She told him when her eyes finally fell on Pauley and saw the little red eyes and dripping nose. She reached out and pushed his hair back from his forehead tenderly, and realized she was crying again, too. “You scared me.” She told him, a sob welling up in her chest and her face crumpling as she wept with relief.
“I … I …. Di (sob) dn’t mean (sniffle) to!” He assured her, his little voice still broken from fear and embarrassment. “I fell!” He added, as if angry with the tile for being slippery.
“We know. It’s ok now.” Larry assured him with a sigh. “Let’s go inside.” he said, hurrying to the door and holding it for Trine and then rushing Pauley to the bathroom so he could wipe his nose and strip him out of the wet clothes. “Where are his pajamas?” He asked Trine, who stood in the door and stared at them, still in shock.
“Oh. Right. I’ll get them.” She told him, turning and hurrying back to the front room where Simone had left Pauley’s bag when she dropped him off. She took it back to them, relieved to see some color returning to Pauley’s face, even though he was still shivering.
“You need to get into something dry, too.” Larry told her, looking at her standing there in her dripping wet tank top and jeans. “Go on. He’s ok for now.” Trine hesitated for just a moment longer before going to her room and wrestling out of her wet clothes. She kept thinking over and over to herself that she should have been watching him closer. This was all her fault.
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“Tessa? What’s wrong?” Edge asked as he opened the door to let Tessa in. He had been planning on seeing her later, but had been taken by surprise when she showed up on his doorstep.
“Am I going to be the manager for Tequila Monster’, or is Bono?” She demanded, her cheeks flushed rosy pink, her brown hair mussed slightly. Her honey brown eyes shone with indignation.
“What?” Edge asked, completely confused by this statement.
“I was hired as Tequila Monster’s manager, Paul and I decided I didn’t even need him, short of introductions to his contacts. The band told me they had faith in my ability and I’ve been working my ass off for them. So why is it I know absolutely nothing about the fact that they flew off to Scotland today for a concert?” She ranted, not mad at Edge but needing desperately to vent her frustration.
“Oh.” He said, his almond shaped eyes widening as he realized that when Bono had hijacked the band and the plane earlier, he had neglected to call Tessa. She was right, of course, it was beyond rude. It was unprofessional and disrespectful. It was also completely and utterly an oversight on Bono’s part.
“Have I been deluding myself, believing I was actually serving a purpose?” She asked, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. Edge hurried to gather her into his arms, chuckling a little, but trying not to seem patronizing.
“Tessa, this was not about how good or bad of a job you’ve done. This was about Bono and the fact that he could literally forget how to find his own house if he didn’t have so many people looking out for him. He gets something in his head and focuses on it, everything else just flies right out his bloody ears.” He told her with a gentle smile.
She was beginning to calm down a little. How could she not, in his arms? She hadn’t felt so relaxed in all her years than she felt when he held her. Still, she was insulted by the situation. If this was all it took to make her forget such a legitimate complaint, she might never get anything done around him.
“That’s true.” She agreed slowly, and he laughed out loud at the tone of her voice. He’d never heard her pout over anything before. “But you guys wouldn’t do that to Paul.” She added in her defense.
“We left Paul in Nova Scotia once.” He told her, laughing again at the look of utter shock on her face at this revelation. “It’s true! If Adam hadn’t spoken up, he might’ve been there for awhile, too.” He added, and now she was laughing, too, with her hand over her mouth. It really wasn’t something she should have found so funny. Edge continued, imitating Adam’s smooth, cool accent.
“Excuse me, but do you think perhaps you could turn the plane around, please? I believe we’ve forgotten our manager.” He said, and Tessa’s body shook with laughter, both at the situation and at Edge’s uncanny imitation of Adam.
“Remind me to make my own travel arrangements.” She laughed.
“It really was his mistake… he told Bono he was going to be late. If he’d have thought it through he would’ve told Larry or Adam.” Edge told her, smiling still, loving the way her eyes turned golden brown when she was happy.
“Ok, I guess I’ve learned my lesson. I’m going to have tracking chips implanted in the band members from now on, just in case.” She told him. After another bout of soft laughter, he rested his forehead against hers.
“So, I guess that means you have the rest of the day off.” He suggested with a rakish smile, that made her own lips twitch up into a wicked smile.
“Whatever will I do with all the free time?” She sighed playfully.
“I may have a suggestion or two…” He told her, leaning in to catch her earlobe between his lips and tugging gently. His breath was hot and wet in her ear and every muscle in her body automatically tensed, every nerve aroused. “If you’re feeling adventurous.” He added, making her laugh out loud.
“Adventurous, huh?” She said, her voice fading to a whisper as his mouth slid down the side of her throat, soft and hot against sensitive skin. He ‘mmm-hmm’ed, his mouth still on her skin, the vibrations spreading down her spine and making her shiver. His hands slid up over the curve of her hips, over her waist and sides catching the bottom of her shirt and tugging upwards on it eagerly.
Tessa laughed again at his enthusiasm, her laughter catching in her throat his strong hands found sensitive flesh and began to massage it firmly, the way he had learned through experience would make her laughter become a moan.
“What got into you?” She asked, no amusement in her voice now, just desire. He smiled and then caught her mouth in a passionate kiss. She rubbed his back as his kiss washed her sensible thoughts away, and , feeling more adventurous by the moment, she slid one slender hand around his hip and over the coarse denim boldly. He jumped and caught her hand in his, but it was too late. Her hand had already found the bulge in his pocket.
“What…?” She muttered, sensing his dismay but not understanding what he could be hiding in his pocket that would make him so uncomfortable. He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration and drew in a deep breath.
“It’s not exactly the way I meant to give this to you.” He said, digging into his pocket. “It was supposed to be… perfect.” He told her as he produced a small black velvet box. “Tessa, I want to wake up with you here, next to me, every day. I want to go to bed at night with my face in your hair.” He told her, reaching out and stroking a lock of her hair between two fingers.
“I… Are you …?”
“Tessa, will you marry me?” He asked, his aquamarine eyes full of sincerity. Hot tears were burning Tessa’s eyes before he had even finished speaking. She leaned in and kissed him softly, her arms wrapped around his neck and holding tight.
“Are you real?” She asked on a whisper, the tears streaming down her cheeks now. “Nothing in the world would make me happier.” She told him, feeling his body relax against hers. Had he really doubted that she would say yes? She kissed him and kissed him again, the joy bubbling out of her in flowing laughter between kisses.
“I’ll marry you today, tomorrow, the next day. Every day for the rest of my life.” She told him.
“I was thinking we might take a few months. Plan something nice.” He told her with a chuckle.
“We can get married at Christmastime.” She said enthusiastically. “Between the holidays and the fact that Cat and Adam will be having the baby, work will be slower right then anyway.”
“Anything you want.” He laughed, leaning in and kissing her again. She moaned against his mouth as he slowly drove all plans of weddings or anything else out of her thoughts. They had all the time in the world to decide on that. Right now, all that mattered was that they were in love, alone, and had nowhere else they needed to be.
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“What’s wrong?” Simone asked the minute she saw Larry’s face. He was exhausted and worried, in a way she had never seen him.
“Nothing. Now.” He told her and she scowled at him taking a long pull on her cigarette and waiting for him to continue. “Pauley had a bit of an accident earlier.” He told her and she quickly abandoned her cigarette in the ashtray and started hurrying for the bedroom where Pauley would be sleeping.
“Is he ok? What happened?” She asked as he stepped in her way, hands held out to stop her from going any further. “Tell me what’s wrong!” She demanded, and Larry felt a bit like he’d stepped between a mother bear and her cub.
“He’s fine. He fell into the pool earlier…”
“What was he doing by the pool alone?”
“He wasn’t alone, Trine was out there with him.”
“What was she doing? Why wasn’t she watching him?!?!”
“She was! Simone, Trine saved him. She was in the pool after him as fast as it happened. It was an accident. He swallowed some water, and he was scared shitless, but he’s fine now.” He informed her, pulling her up against his chest and wrapping his arms around her, smoothing her hair.
“God, Larry… If he’d…”
“Shh. I know.” He agreed, and she could hear the way his heart was still pounding just at the memory. “But he’s alright, and he’s not going anywhere near the water again without an adult. You can be sure of that.”
“Where is he?” She asked, hugging Larry tightly, more grateful for his strength than ever before.
“He’s sleeping. He tried to wait up for you but he was pretty wiped out. He has a present for you, he was determined to give it to you tonight so it’s on the night table next to him.” He told her, letting her go so she could see with her own two eyes that he was safe and sound.
She crept in the door quietly and gently lowered herself onto the bed next to him, kissing his forehead. He stirred a little in his sleep and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief when she heard him start snoring softly. She couldn’t stand to imagine what life would be like if she ever lost him. After whispering a soft prayer, she turned to go, finding the single red rose in the rather wrinkled plastic. She smiled through the tears that sprung to her eyes and raised the sweet smelling flower to her nose.
“Thank you.” She told Larry, though she could not see him. She knew he was standing just outside the door, waiting for her all the same.
“It’s from him.” He told her, stepping into the doorway. She smiled at the way the light framed him, making him seem like even more of a dream. She moved to hold him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head against his shoulder.
“Will you stay?” She asked him softly. “I’m staying tonight, since Trine’s here alone. I don’t think Adam would mind.”
“I think we’ve had this conversation before.” He joked.
“This time I was thinking maybe we’d sleep in the same room.” She told him on a throaty whisper, her lips beginning to caress the sensitive skin on his neck. He moaned, low in his throat, his eyes closing almost as if against his will. She shivered slightly at the sound; at the feeling of his muscles tensing beneath her touch. The thought that he could want her was the most exciting thing she could imagine. His hand slid up into her hair as his cheek brushed hers.
Those incredibly talented, full, soft lips found hers and set her on fire from the inside out. Just the memory of the other night had her trembling in anticipation. Somehow, they found their way across the hall into the other guest room without their lips ever parting. He was just as eager as he had been that first night, and she had to regain her composure and control, slowing him down and reminding him they were not alone in the house this time. Nor did she have an unlimited wardrobe to replace torn clothes in the morning.
She was rewarded with a broad, shy smile that made her heart fill to nearly bursting with such love it was nearly painful. She’d never in all her life felt this way about a man. She knew, in her head, that it could end in horrible heartache. Tonight, she didn’t care. All she knew right then and there was that he wanted her as much as she loved him, and she was going to take full advantage of that.
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Filtered through the curtains, the daylight was a rich gold enveloping the room. A soft breeze came through the window and blew across his face, bringing with it the scents of freshly cut grass and distant rain. Larry sighed, no longer quite asleep but not entirely aware of his surroundings either. One thing he did know was that he was happy. His body, mind and spirit were content. It was a good moment, one to linger in if at all possible.
Suddenly, the breeze was gone, replaced by a sudden stillness and a shadow. Larry frowned as he managed to climb up out of his slumber and force his eyes open. The first thing he saw was a pair of eyes peering at him from less than two feet away. He jolted in surprise and muttered a series of expletives that could make a sailor blush.
“Fuck, Pauley, you’ve put my heart sideways!” he said, running a strong hand over his face, scratching his nose and then running his hand through his shaggy hair. All in an instinctive effort to compose himself while his heart slowed to a normal pace. It wasn’t every day you woke with someone standing at your bedside and staring at you.
“Sorry.” The boy yawned, scratching his own nose in imitation of Larry.
“What’s wrong? Pauley?” Simone asked, rolling over and blinking up at Larry as she tried to understand what had occurred to rouse her from the deep sleep she had been in. “Oh, Pauley!” She said as she saw him standing there in his pajamas, his hair mussed and his little eyes tired. She glanced up at Larry who was now sitting up next to her.
“C’mere baby.” She told him, and he hurried around the other side of the bed and climbed in bed next to his mother happily. She cast a glance back at Larry and whispered. “Are you wearing anything?” And he chuckled and nodded. Luckily, he had gotten up in the night and so slipped back into his underwear, and it appeared, Simone had done the same. Otherwise this could’ve been considerably more awkward than it was turning out.
“Mommy, I have a flower for you.” Pauley told her, his little voice still gravely from sleep.
“I know, thank you.” She told him as she covered him over with the blanket and draped an arm over him protectively. She wondered if she should say anything about the unusual sleeping situation but before she could decide on just what that would be, Pauley peered up over her shoulder at Larry and spoke.
“I told you she liked you.” He said, and it took both Simone and Larry a moment to recall the conversation about how, in order for Larry to be Pauley’s father, Simone would have to like Larry enough to share everything with him, including a bed. Simone covered her mouth as she chuckled slightly , and she could feel the bed shake with Larry’s laughter at the boys words.
“I love him.” She whispered to the boy, who wrapped his little arms around her neck and smiled at her, his nose pressed against hers.
“Good, I love him too. I want him to be my daddy.” He told her with the nearly heart breaking sincerity of childhood.
“Well…” Simone started, but was stopped by the sensation of Larry’s lips against her temple.
“I want that, too.” He told the boy.
“It’s a little more complicated than that…” Simone said, glancing harshly at Larry. He didn’t need to get the boys hopes up.
“It’ll take a little more time, that’s all.” Larry assured the boy, his giant hand ruffling his hair affectionately as he curled up behind Simone, the length of his body pressed up against her back and cupping her perfectly.
“Ok.” Pauley agreed easily enough, yawning and stretching again before slipping out from under his mothers arm to crawl over her and snuggle in between them happily.
Thanks for the update!
I love the part about Trine and Larry. I don't blame her for feeling the way she does.
