by L. B. Dunbar
I followed Britton out of the room back to the small living room where Ben was seated on a couch watching television. I had a moment to finally take in the space I was all too familiar with in my younger years. The solid pine paneling that once made the room continually dark was painted white. The hardwood floors had been refinished and were a lighter color than earlier days. A large fireplace was the focus of the room and a television was over the low mantel. A dark blue couch was the principle piece of furniture, looking newer and fuller than the one I remembered. The two chairs that had once belonged to Leo and Gertie were gone, replaced with a wooden rocking chair and a solid wooden armchair. A large woven area rug covered the majority of the floor. I knew that the kitchen was off to my right and Britton’s room was through the other doorway on the left, opposite Gee’s hallway.
Britton followed my gaze to her room entrance then looked down at her feet again. She blushed slightly and I assumed some memory came to her mind like the ones that had been flooding mine. Ben was obviously trying to ignore us both or was really into his television program. Either way he didn’t turn around as Britton and I stood awkwardly by the front door.
“It’s late,” she said.
“It’s a long walk back to my car,” I replied.
“I’m sorry. I said we could manage.”
“I wanted to come with you.”
“You better go, huh?”
“I want to stay,” I whispered as I reached out and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. She leaned into my hand for a moment before she pulled away as if remembering something.
“You spent the day with your girlfriend, Gavin. Which by the way, where is she?”
“I told you we broke up. She’s on her way to New York.”
Britton bit her lower lip and I wanted to kiss the worry away.
“Let me stay. On the couch? It’s late. Please?” I bent at the knees to match our heights and looked up at her hung head. I couldn’t believe I suggested the couch after I’d refused to sleep on Karyn’s days ago.
Britton looked up and I felt Ben’s hand pat my back.
“Oh, let him stay, Britton,” he said as he smiled at her before walking down the dark hall to Gee’s room.
Take 20
Under the Moonlight
Britton set the couch up for me. She removed the back cushions, piling them on the floor, and laid a sheet over the bottom cushions. She went to her room and returned with two pillows and placed a blanket at the foot of the couch. She began a ritual of locking all the doors, both the front door and the side door leading to the screened in porch behind the fireplace. I knew there were patio doors in her room and another set in Gee’s room.
I laughed at her routine until she reminded me that she lived alone.
“The house is barely off the ground and I used to worry that someone would come in and steal Gee at night. I lock the doors, although I miss the fresh air at night. I installed air conditioning a few years ago.”
I reflected again on how much she had gone through alone. Worrying about her safety and the safety of a child was a huge responsibility that I never gave a second thought to it for myself in my fifth floor apartment in Los Angeles.
I sat on the couch and ran a hand through my hair. It suddenly hit me how tired I was after getting no sleep the night before; lying next to Zoe and thinking of Britton. It was after midnight and I stifled a yawn. I couldn’t think anymore.
“Good night, Gavin,” Britton said as she leaned around the doorjamb, half her body exposed to me, the other half hidden in the dark hall.
I looked at her, really looked. She was still Britton with beautiful blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a gorgeous body, but she looked tired too, and older. Not old, but older, wiser; wiser than I was by far.
“Good night.”
I fell asleep immediately as my head touched her pillows and the sweet summer scent of her surrounded me, lingering on the cases.
I’d been dreaming of her, of us, together. She was on top of me, her hair over my face, shielding us. It was slow and sweet, and I heard her moan and say my name.
“Gavin?”
Images were blending together and I couldn’t place where we were. I was too absorbed in the feel of her body over mine, slowly moving back and forth on me. She softly moaned again and closed her eyes, saying my name.
“Gavin.”
I realized I couldn’t recognize our location because it wasn’t a memory. It wasn’t a snapshot of us as young and blissful. It was us now, coming together in a new way as adults, rediscovering one another.
“Gavin, wake up.”
Why would I need to wake up? Her smooth skin, round hips, perfect breasts, and the wetness of her around me was heavenly. I heard her moan deeply and say my name again more forcefully, as if she was enjoying the pleasure I was giving her.
“Gavin. Wake up.”
My eyes flew open and I looked at the dark ceiling. It took me a moment to process the beams across the low ceiling, the feel of the couch under me, and the slight heat to the room. I was in her living room. I heard her voice, though, and I rotated my head to see her kneeling on the floor next to the couch. I sat up abruptly, aware that my body was betraying my desire.
“You were moaning in your sleep. I thought you were having a bad dream,” she whispered.
“How long have you been sitting there?”
“A while.”
“How long is a while?”
“Maybe half an hour. I don’t know. I lost track of time.”
I ran a hand through my hair and tried to subtly adjust myself. I was aware that I had no shirt on. I wore only my khaki cargo shorts and she was looking at my chest. I felt myself pulse harder, stiffer, knowing that trying to calm myself was impossible with her looking at me with those soft blue eyes.
“What have you been thinking about?” I asked
“You.”
I lay back down, but turned on my side and patted the couch where I made space for her to sit close to me. Despite our whispered voices, we sounded loud in the silent house and she seemed too far away.
“What about me?”
“What are you doing here, Gavin? Really?”
“I told you, I wanted to see you.”
“Well, you’ve seen me. But what is it really?”
She had on a long t-shirt in a light color and it rode up when she sat on the edge of the couch, exposing more of her bare thighs. The sleeves were short and her arms were bare to me as well. I couldn’t tell if she had on a bra or not, but I doubted it. The thought made me grow harder. I traced a finger up her arm, feeling the burn in my fingertip at the heat between us, and she shivered.
“Cold?”
“No,” she paused. “You haven’t answered my question.”
“I’m stalling.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t have a good answer.”
“Well, what’s the bad answer?”
“I don’t have an answer, period.”
I sat up and my hip touched the backside of her. I ran a finger down her arm again.
“I saw you on the beach with Gee a week ago.”
“I saw you, too,” she whispered low and breathy.
“And I just had all these memories and feelings return to me.”
“It’s been like a tidal wave,” she muttered.
I kissed her covered shoulder and pulled back only slightly, enjoying the spark on my lips. She turned her head to look at me over that shoulder, and I groaned at how sexy she still was. So sexy, and she didn’t know it about herself. She never had.
“Mmm…so you feel it, too?”
“Gavin.” She said my name in that sultry tone. I leaned to kiss her neck, under her hair, behind her ear. I noticed her chest rising and falling as it did the other night, though she tried to keep herself very still.
“A lot of time has passed,” she whispered, so softly.
I leaned in and brushed her lips, similar to the start of our kiss last n
ight. It was soft and tender, and I placed my hand in her hair to hold her head. I kissed her with several teasing, taunting pecks, pulling back slightly then returning with more pressure, and pulling back again to repeat the process. On the third time, I felt her relax and lean her shoulder into my chest. I tightened my hold on her hair at the base of her neck. She moaned softly against my mouth, and I realized it wasn’t her that was moaning in my dream, but me. Her moan was different. Soft, enticing, and inviting.
I ran my hand down her neck, over her opposite shoulder and around her arm, tugging her lightly toward me. When she didn’t move, I pulled back, breaking the kiss. I wrapped my arm around her stomach and pulled her down with me to lie on the couch. She twisted in my arm so she faced me, and I immediately felt us line up with one another on the narrow sofa. Her breasts were pressed firmly against my bare chest and the thin cotton did nothing to disguise her arousal. Her warm center was brushing against me through silky panties, and despite the sensitive pressure, I was throbbing with desire.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about?” I whispered in her ear
“About you, Gavin. Always you.”
She looked up at me with those bright blue eyes and I couldn’t hold back. I devoured her mouth. I nibbled, and licked, and sucked, then repeated the combination. True to Britton form, she followed my moves and increased them. She leaned into me like I remembered, and she pressed her breasts harder into my chest. She tipped her hips, but still held back from the full pressure. Her hand slipped up my arm to grip my bicep. She pulled back and looked at my mouth before she leaned forward to kiss my neck. I released the groan in my throat. She took the palm of her hand and rubbed slowly down my chest, over my rippled stomach muscles to the edge of my shorts. She let her fingers travel to one of my hips, which were slightly exposed as my shorts hung low. She grabbed the waistband, looping her fingers inside and using it as leverage to tug herself against me, hard.
She kissed my chest and moaned against my skin.
“Gavin, what are you doing to me?” She closed her eyes and moved her hips to press herself against me again, still gripping my shorts. I was ready to explode from the dream, the teasing kisses, and the pressure of her now. I slid my hands to her hips to hold her flush against me. She bent one knee slightly, allowing me to match the tip of me with her core. She groaned again and let her head roll forward onto my chest.
“Me?” I choked. “What about what you’re doing to me?”
“What do I do to you, Gavin?” She said breathily.
“You drive me crazy, Britton.”
She ground into me again and held herself there, pressing firmly on my throbbing head. Anymore pressure and I’d burst in my shorts, which would be embarrassing.
“Too much time has passed, don’t you think, Gavin?”
She kissed my chest again and returned her forehead to it. She was pulling back from pressing on me, and I could feel her leg shake against mine.
“It has been a long time.”
“Too long,” she whispered, rolling her forehead back and forth softly against my hard chest. “Too much time.”
I hardly heard her, but I felt her receding from me despite being in my arms.
“Don’t stop,” I said, almost pleading. It broke the spell for her. She pulled her head back abruptly and looked at me like I was a stranger.
“What am I doing?” she whispered. “What have I done?”
It didn’t make any sense to me. I didn’t want her to stop, but she seemed to be talking herself out of it.
“Nothing. You’ve done nothing. Don’t think.” I panicked as I looked at her eyes that appeared slightly drugged and dazed. She swung her legs behind her and twisted her body to a sitting position. I sat up next to her.
“I’m sorry.” She hung her head and her hair fell forward to shield her face. I used a finger to push the fallen hair behind her ears and kissed her shoulder again.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered softly. She stood without looking back at me and walked to the dark hallway leading to her room. After a few seconds, I heard the door to her bedroom close with a click.
Take 21
Under the Moonlight
I woke with a heavy weight on my back. I was face-first into the pillows, inhaling the summer scent of Britton when I felt the pressure on me. I rotated my head to see the television brightly lit on a cartoon character teaching the alphabet in Spanish, and two legs dangling off the couch. I tried to twist further, but something was holding me in place. I rotated my neck to peer over my shoulder, and saw Gee sitting on my back.
“Good morning, little man. Whatcha doing?”
“Watching TV.”
“I see that.”
Pause.
“You’re sitting on my back,” I continued.
“You’re sleeping in my spot.”
I chuckled and forced the turn, dislodging Gee and replacing him on my stomach.
“Why are you watching TV?”
“Why are you sleeping on the couch?”
I laughed again.
“Where’s your mom?”
“Sleeping.
“Where’s Ben?”
“Sleeping.”
“Why are you up then?”
“Because it’s time for Dora.”
“Who’s Dora?”
Gee rolled his eyes as if I was an idiot.
“Dora,” he said and pointed at the television. “I’m learning Spanish.”
“Because there are so many Spanish people in Traverse City?” I mumbled sarcastically and chuckled to myself.
“Because I plan to see the world one day and I need to know Spanish. My dad might take me.” He whispered the last part and I wasn’t sure he meant for me to hear it. It didn’t seem right that this dimpled boy, staring intently at the television, should live such a hopeless dream. His father was obviously some loser that wanted nothing to do with him or Britton, especially after he found out she was pregnant so young. Well, it was his loss, whoever he was, because the more I was around Gee, the more I thought he was a great kid. The more I was around Gee, the more I realized I wanted kids. I just had never wanted them with Zoe.
“So what’s on the menu for today?” I was hoping to switch subjects.
“Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. The usual.”
I laughed again and it sent Gee up and down.
“What about you?”
I smiled at his adult-like talk.
“I need to check out of my hotel, and I’m going to stay with my parents for a week.”
“Who are your parents?”
“Mr. and Mrs. Scott.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Scott are your mom and dad?” Gee seemed surprised, as if it was shocking that I had parents.
I wondered how Gee might know my parents and assumed he must have met them at the party the other night.
“Yep. They live on a farm. Growing cherries.”
“We have a cherry festival here every year.”
“I know that.”
“And everything is all about the cherries. Cherries here. Cherries there. Cherries everywhere.” He was saying it in a sing-song kind of way.
“Sounds like a song.”
“It’s from a book. Want me to read it to you?”
“Um…sure.”
Gee slid off my stomach and I made an umphf sound at the burn of the slip. I watched Gee run around the arm of the couch toward his room, and glanced back toward the television to see Britton standing in the doorway.
“Good morning,” she said softly. She looked down and her long hair fell forward, covering her face that was turning slightly pink. Her shapely legs were crossed at the ankles, and her white shorts showed off her tan legs. Her arms were wrapped around herself as if she was holding in a stomachache under her gray fitted t-shirt.
“Good morning.” I sat up, still aware that I had no shirt on. I picked it up from the floor before slipping it over my head and running my hands through messy waves.
“Slee
p well?” I asked her.
She shook her head in the negative. She looked slightly awkward, like she was struggling for what was to be said next.
“You should probably go,” she said softly again.
I looked around the room and back at her.
“Okay.” It was my voice that was low now, and I stood to stretch, raising my t-shirt slightly. She watched the cotton move up and turned pinker as my stomach muscles were exposed.
“Here we go,” Gee’s voice came through the doorway. He looked at his mom and back at me then he climbed onto the couch and patted the seat next to him.
“Sit.”
“Umm…I need to go, little man.”
“But I was just going to read to you.”
“Well, I…” I looked at Britton in desperation. “I…”
She cut me off. “One book, buddy, and then Gavin has to go. You need to thank him for carrying you all the way home, you lazy lobster.”
“I’m not a lobster, you’re a lobster.”
“I’m not a lobster, you’re a lobster.” She walked over to him and tickled him, which caused him to squeal with delight and his dimples lit up his face.
“One book. Gavin’s busy.”
“He’s not busy. He’s moving to his parents.”
Britton froze. She slowly turned her head to question me with her eyes.
“Well, I’m going to their place today. For the week. The wedding, remember?”
Britton’s shoulders fell. “Right.” She waited a beat. “Coffee? Espresso, right?”
My mouth fell open. After seven years, she remembered.
Scene: The Café
She was sixteen; I was eighteen.
It was awkward at times in my hometown when a girl who no one knew suddenly appeared and disappeared, and I often dropped my friends, when Britton was back. When she was fifteen, I loved to show her off. She had changed so much from the year before. She had more curves, a firmer stomach, and larger breasts. But when she was sixteen, she was a bombshell with her tight clothes that showed off all the details, and the light tan that made her eyes glow brighter. I didn’t like when others looked at her, as I suspected my friends wanted her.
