by Lacy Hart
Kristin didn’t even take the time to look at her email before she shut her computer down. She picked up her bag and turned off her office lights before making her way to the front door of the library. A few punches on the keypad set the alarm, and she was out the door and into the fresh night air. Kristin was grateful to feel the colder temperatures on her face after being in the stuffy library all day with crowds. More than once she felt lightheaded, and her stomach had turned over off and on, so she counted on the air to revive her a bit.
Kristin got to her car, sat behind the wheel, and started the engine. She rolled the window down so she could feel the breeze on her face as she drove. Before she pulled out, she looked at her cell phone and saw there were a couple of messages. One was from Izzy, and it was a picture of her from rehearsals dressed as a mermaid with a big smile on her face. The shiny green body certainly stood out in the photo.
The second message was from Wes and asked her when she might be home tonight. It had come in a few hours ago, but in all the hubbub at the library, she evidently overlooked it. Kristin told him she would be late tonight, and hopefully this wouldn’t cause another situation to argue about. The arguments and brief conversations grew more and more, the closer it came to Opening Day.
The last message was from a phone number she did not recognize. Kristin opened the message to read it:
I hope everything went well at the events today. It looks like you really know what you’re doing. I look forward to working with you and our next meeting. Let me know when we can get together.
Richard
“Richard? Who’s Richard?” Kristin said out loud to herself. It then dawned on her that it was Richard Trainor, the new board member. She was surprised he bothered to text her after just seeing her this afternoon, but Kristin took it as a positive sign that he genuinely wanted to take part in advancing the library’s cause.
Kristin put her phone away and drove home. She pulled past Wyatt and Jenny’s and noticed that all the lights were out in their house already. She worried that the same would be true when she got up the hill. A quick glance as she drew in front of the house let her know that Izzy’s light was still on. Izzy was probably doing homework or just chatting online with her friends or boyfriend. Now Kristin wondered about Wes.
Kristin slowly opened and closed the front door and worked her way inside the quiet house. She walked through the kitchen and saw no signs of life, and while the lights were on in the bedroom, there was no sign of Wes. Kristin left her bag in the bedroom and moved her way down the steps to the entertainment room. There she saw Wes sitting back on the leather couch, his bare feet up on the ottoman, as he watched a Spring Training game on the television. Kristin tensed, worried it meant he was going to be in a bad mood.
Wes peeked his head up as he heard her footsteps cross into the room.
“Hey, I was wondering when you were going to show,” he said to her with a smile.
“Sorry I’m late,” Kristin said. She shifted over to the couch and sat next to Wes. “I thought I told you I was going to be late tonight. We had the author’s day at the library today.”
“I forgot all about it,” Wes said honestly. He watched as Kristin took off her sneakers and put her feet in Wes’ lap. Wes started to rub the soles of her feet, massaging away some of the aches.
“Oh, that feels nice,” Kristin purred, closing her eyes.
“It’s alright,” Wes told her as he kept up the foot massage. “I saved a plate for you if you’re hungry. I made Salisbury steak.”
Kristin peered over at Wes.
“No, my stomach has been in knots all day. I think it’s been the stress of today, and, well, everything. Wait a minute, you cooked? You haven’t made dinner in weeks.”
“Well, I realized I hadn’t done a lot of things in weeks,” Wes told her. His fingers moved from Kristin’s soles to her heels, causing another light moan of pleasure and relaxation.
“It’s okay, Wes, I understand…. Ahhhh,” Kristin cooed. “If it means you’re going to do more of this, we’re all good,” she said with a smile.
“I know I’ve been neglecting you, and Izzy, and my parents, and just about everything else, and I know I’ve said I’m sorry before in the last few weeks, Kris, but I am. I think it’s all turning a corner now.”
Kristin nodded in agreement and got lost in the feeling from Wes’ touch. Besides the arguing, they had hardly spent any intimate moments together in the last few weeks. She noticed Wes’ hands had moved up from her feet to her calves, massaging her muscles through her stockings. Before long, Wes had gone higher, pushing Kristin’s black linen skirt up so that it was nearly around her waist. Kristin kept her eyes closed, getting more aroused as she enjoyed the feeling.
“I couldn’t wait to get home and get these pantyhose and this bra off,” Kristin remarked as she felt Wes hook his fingers inside the top of her pantyhose and peel them down her legs. The rush of fresh air she felt on her legs sent chills up her body.
“I think I can oblige you with all that,” Wes growled as he crumpled the pantyhose up into a ball and tossed them on the floor. His fingers quickly went to work on the buttons of her white blouse until it was completely undone. His fingers deftly opened the front clasp of her nude-colored bra, freeing her breasts.
Wes moved his body over Kristin’s and pressed himself against her as they kissed. Kristin’s hands hungrily pulled the t-shirt over Wes’ head so she could feel his bare chest against hers. His arousal was as evident as hers now as her fingers shot down to his jeans so she could unbutton and unzip. The jeans were down to his ankles in no time, with a little help from Wes, and Kristin gripped his strengthening erection through his briefs.
It was Wes’ turn to groan now, and his mouth first went to the nape of Kristin’s neck, kissing her over and over. His body moved against her hand with a will of its own, and Wes noticed that Kristin was shimmying out of her panties, getting them down just enough so that when she freed Wes from his briefs, he easily slipped inside her.
Kristin’s initial gasp at the feeling immediately turned to moans of more profound pleasure as the couple moved together now. Kristin kept her eyes closed, lost in the intensity. She heard herself panting loudly, and her fingers gripped the strong, tense muscles in Wes’ back as she tried to pull him even closer to her. The friction caused by Wes’ chest rubbing against her own nipples made them ultra-sensitive, and each movement felt electric, causing her to suck her breath in.
Wes brought his lips close to Kristin’s left ear, kissing her shoulder.
“Kris…” he whispered, “I’m…” Kristin knew by his groans he edged closer.
“Oh God, Wes, yes,” she said, wrapping her legs tight around his waist to pull him to her as she lifted her hips off the couch.
That was the only sign Wes needed as his body tensed. His hands gripped Kristin’s torso tight as he came, and it was more than enough to push Kristin over the precipice so that she experienced her orgasm as well. She groaned louder than she expected, and she was grateful the volume on the TV was up to cover the noise.
Wes collapsed against Kristin’s body, and the two lay together on the couch, trying to catch their breath. Kristin combed her fingers through Wes’ hair as his head rested just below her breasts.
“Oh, I have missed that,” Kristin said breathlessly. “I need to come home late more often.”
They both stayed against one another on the couch for minutes, giving each other light kisses, before Wes sat back.
“Where are you going?” Kristin said, beckoning him to come back.
Wes considered the question and decided that now was not the ideal time to answer that question with the truth, that he planned to go play with the Washington team.
“Nowhere,” he said with a smile. “I was just going to pull my pants up in case Izzy came downstairs.”
“Hmmm, I hadn’t really thought about that,” Kristin answered, pulling up her panties and pushing her skirt back down. “I guess
I got caught up in the moment.” Kristin worked her way out of the unclasped bra and buttoned her shirt up.
“You and me both,” Wes smirked as he put his t-shirt back on.
“So, I take it the day at the library went well,” Wes asked.
Kristin leaned in as Wes put his arm around her as they sat on the couch now.
“It was great,” Kristin said proudly. “We had big crowds, the authors were fantastic, and I heard nothing but good things from all the people I encountered. We will definitely do it again. I think we’ll get some excellent attention from the day, and maybe more visitors and more donations.”
“That’s great Kris,” Wes said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”
Kristin blushed and smiled. “Thank you,” she said softly.
“We should celebrate,” Wes said, getting up off the couch.
“I thought that’s what we just did,” Kristin added with a smirk.
Wes walked behind the bar and pulled out two champagne flutes, along with a bottle of champagne that chilled in the fridge. Before Kristin could say anything, Wes popped the cork and mist sprayed up from the bottle, and he began to pour into both glasses.
Wes walked back around and handed a glass to Kristin.
“To the best librarian in the state. And I’m not just saying that because you live here,” Wes said as he clinked glasses with Kristin.
Wes took a big slug of champagne, and Kristin sipped hers lightly. She quickly put the glass down on the floor next to the couch, stood up, and raced towards the bathroom.
Before Wes reacted, Kristin slammed the bathroom door closed, flipped up the toilet seat, and vomited. The retching sounds came through loud and clear, and Wes walked over to the door. He gently rapped on the door.
“Kris, are you okay?” Wes asked with concern.
Kristin’s stomach cramped once again as she threw up a bit more. She wiped the spittle from her mouth before she lifted her head.
“I’m alright,” she said as she attempted to regain her composure.
“Okay,” Wes replied, “but it’s not a real big ego boost when the woman you just made love to runs into the bathroom to puke,” he said jokingly.
Another wave struck Kristin as she got sick again.
“Not funny right now, Wes,” she managed to get out.
“Can I get you anything? Do you want me to come in?”
Just then, the toilet flushed. Kristin pulled the door open and stood in front of Wes, her shirt crumpled and covered with a few small stains.
“I don’t know if it was not eating right today, too much coffee, or something I picked up from someone at the library. I think the smell of the champagne pushed me over the edge. I’m feeling a little better,” Kristin said, wiping her mouth on her bare arm.
“Why don’t you go get changed and get to bed? I’ll get you a bottle of water. You want some Pepto or something?” Wes asked, trying to help.
“Oh no,” Kristin said, holding her stomach. “The smell of that stuff might make it worse.”
Kristin worked her way up the stairs while Wes cleaned up downstairs. He dumped out the champagne and straightened up the mussed cushions on the couch before he turned off the TV and went upstairs. He moved to the fridge and grabbed a couple of bottles of water to bring to Kristin. When he got to the bedroom, Kristin was already under the covers, fast asleep.
Wes placed the two bottles of water on the nightstand next to Kristin’s side of the bed and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead as he moved some strands of her blond hair out of her eyes. Kristin gave a small sigh and smile as she snuggled further into her pillow.
Wes removed his jeans and put them, along with Kristin’s clothing that was balled up on the floor, into the nearby hamper before he got into bed. He never got the chance to tell Kristin his news of the day, and he knew Randy would be getting back to him with more details tomorrow.
Tomorrow is another day, Wes thought as he picked up his phone so he could read up some more about the Frontier League and the Washington Wild Things.
13
Kristin had awakened twice during the night and got sick, and each time Wes got up with her to make sure she was okay or to clean up afterward. The fitful sleep made it that much harder to get up in the morning, and she had no memory of her alarm going off because either it hadn’t, or she slept through it. When Kristin got up and saw the clock showed 11 AM, she flew into a panic and leaped out of bed and raced to the bathroom to turn the shower on. She stripped out of the thin t-shirt she wore, her second of the night, and climbed into the shower even before the water had a chance to warm up. The cold water shocked her system, and Kristin’s eyes went wide as she worked through it. She washed her hair and body the best she could to get the stale smell off her that made her nauseated once again.
Kristin shut the shower off and got out to brush her teeth to get the bad taste from her mouth. She walked into the bedroom and removed clothes from her closet and dresser for the day when Wes walked in.
“What are you doing?” he asked her.
“I’m late for work, Wes,” Kristin rushed. She grabbed her undergarments out of the top drawer of her dresser and started to dress.
“No, you’re not,” Wes told her as he took her by the shoulders. “I called Karen this morning and told her you were sick and weren’t coming in. You were up half the night, and you obviously have some stomach bug. Go back to bed,” he commanded and guided her towards the mattress.
“Wes, I have too much to do. We have to clean up from yesterday, and I have pictures to upload, mail to answer. There’s stuff that needs to get done,” Kristin protested. She pulled away from Wes to start to dress again.
“Stop being stubborn and listen to me. I’m trying to help you. Just get some rest. All that stuff will still be there tomorrow. I’ll call Karen and ask her if she needs help moving anything. I can go down and help her if she does. It will be fine.” Wes brought Kristin back to the bed and had her lay down again.
“Okay,” Kristin resigned. She got under the covers but propped herself up with some pillows. “Can I at least use my phone to see if Karen needs anything?”
“Sure,” Wes said, handing her cell phone to her.
“Do you want anything? Water? Soup? A banana?”
“Some water, please. And a banana,” Kristin offered, taking her phone.
Wes went into the kitchen to fetch the items while Kristin looked at her phone. She didn’t see any messages at all from Karen or anyone affiliated with the library. The lack of urgency gave her some reassurance. Wes quickly returned to the bedroom with a couple of bottles of water.
“We’re all out of bananas,” Wes told her. “I’m going to run down to the store to get some. You need anything else?”
“Wes, really, you don’t have to…” Kristin started to say before Wes cut her off.
“I’ll be back in ten minutes. Text me or call me if you need anything else.”
Wes started to walk out of the room.
“Don’t I get a kiss goodbye?” Kristin asked.
“I’m not kissing you if you’re sick,” Wes said, and blew her a kiss and smiled as he left.
As soon as she heard the front door close, Kristin picked up her cell phone and called the library.
“Chandler Public Library,” Karen said in a sweet, professional voice.
“Karen, it’s me,” Kristin told her.
“Hey, Kris. How are you feeling? Wes said you puked your guts out.”
“Really? Wes said that?” Kristin said, shocked Wes would say that to anyone.
“Okay, he didn’t say it that way, but that was the gist of it,” Karen confessed. “What’s going on?”
“I guess I have some stomach flu or virus or something, I don’t know. Are you okay down there? I can come in if you need help.”
“Kris, I’m fine. It’s dead in here,” Karen responded. “Just a few of the regulars this morning. I was able to get everything cleaned up, and
most of it is put back where it belongs. There’s nothing important going on down here.”
“Oh, okay,” Kristin was a bit let down that there wasn’t more of a buzz about yesterday. “No one said anything about yesterday and how it went?”
“A few people said they had a good time yesterday, so I think it went well. Marion called looking for you, but she said it was nothing important and that she heard we did well yesterday. That was about it.”
“Alright, well I guess I can leave you…” Karen cut Kristin off.
“Oh wait, there was one thing,” Karen remarked.
“What? Should I come down?” Kristin said, flipping the blanket off.
“No, but you should know about it,” Karen’s voice was hushed now. “That Richard Trainor came in again today looking for you. I told him you were home sick and asked if I could help him with anything, but he said no, that he was looking to talk to you. Something about a meeting.”
