by Jez Strider
“You want a brush or do you want to use your fingers?” I curled my fingers, making a claw like motion at him.
“Fingers, for sure. You have to paint with yours, too.”
I glanced down at my hands. Less than a year ago I would have had perfectly manicured fingernails and the thought of sticking them in paint would have been horrifying. “Well, duh.” I poked him in the ribs and he laughed.
“Duh!” He repeated.
Gavyn would probably not be pleased with the introduction of that word into Mac’s vocabulary. Oops.
Malcolm dipped an index finger on each hand into the paint and went right to work on his art. His brow furrowed with concentration and the tip of his tongue was sticking out of his mouth sideways. I sat down in a cross-legged position beside him.
“You draw a house and I’ll draw the family,” He said.
“Any kind of house in particular?”
“A cool one.”
“Got it,” I said and gathered some paint onto my finger.
A strange kind of peace found me as I sat there with my new friend and painted. I remembered simpler times when I’d carry my crayons and coloring book clutched to my chest and pestered my brother until he joined me. Franklin would color one page of the open book and I would color the other. Amazingly, he never ran me out of his room or told me to quit bothering him. Even when he reached his teenage years, he’d often check on me to make sure I was alright before he’d leave the house to hang out with his friends or go on dates.
I shook away the memory and focused on coloring in the roof and front door with red paint. A swipe across my brow left me with a bright streak on my forehead. Mac looked over and started cackling at me.
“Oh, you think it’s funny?” I grinned as I reached out and put a dot of color on his nose.
“Hey. Now I’m gonna look like Rudolph.”
“Hmm. Want me to paint your face like the superhero on your backpack?”
His mouth fell open and he nodded in slow motion. “You can do that?”
“Sure.” I already had the red paint, so I started with that as a base. I went to my paint supplies and grabbed a few brushes to fill in the black and white details after I’d finished with the base color. Mac hopped up on the sofa and I went to work.
“Is it done yet?” Mac squirmed in his seat.
“Almost.” With minimal mistakes, I finished with his face paint. I gave a final stroke and grinned. “Done.”
He hopped off the couch and darted into the bathroom to check himself out in the floor length mirror behind the door. “I can’t believe it. I’m Spider-Man.” The awe in his voice carried out to me in the living room.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it!” He ran back into the room and pretended to shoot webs from his hands. “We have to do yours now. I’ll paint it.”
Having a six year old paint my face didn’t sound like a great idea, but hurting his feelings would be even worse. “Let me do an outline of what I want and you can color it in.” I glanced at the images on the wall from when we were painting earlier. He’d colored between the lines… mostly.
“Okay. I can do that.”
I smiled nervously and picked up the plastic cup filled with blue paint before heading into the bathroom. Staring in the mirror, I tried to come up with an idea. I dipped my finger into the paint and begin making the outline of a star around my left eye. Points touched my forehead, nose, and cheek. There would be enough of my face for him to paint to feel like he’d created the image.
When I returned to the room, Mac blinked a few times. “What superhero is that?”
“It’s not, but I like it. Is that okay?” I smiled.
“Sure.” I sat down in the floor and held the cup of blue paint while he dipped his finger in it and extended his hand toward my face.
I closed the eye where he’d be painting and kept the other one open to supervise. “Be gentle around my eye, please.”
“Gentle… like petting a puppy. I can do that.” He nodded.
Mac wasn’t kidding. He had more focus than any painter I’d ever seen. The entire process took a good fifteen minutes he was so careful. When he finished, I jumped up and sprinted to the bathroom as he had so I’d appeared excited. It wasn’t perfect, but he’d mostly kept within the outline I’d made.
“This is awesome!” I tried to sound convincing, which wasn’t difficult. Playing with Malcolm was a blast.
“Yay!” He clapped his hands together when I returned to the room, causing the blue paint that was still on his palms to splatter.
“Are you ready to wash your hands or do you want to finish your painting on the wall?”
“Oh yeah. I forgot.” He fell to his knees and returned to working on his family of stick people. There had only been Gavyn and him before. Now he was adding a girl to the picture. The triangle skirt gave it away.
“Is that your Nanna?”
“Nope. It’s you.”
The simple inclusion touched my heart and I regretted my behavior when I found out Gavyn had a son even more. “Oh yeah, it looks like me.” I nodded as I joined him on the floor once more to finish painting the house I’d been working on.
Chapter 21
A quiet rapping at the door made me groan and roll over on the bed. When the knocking happened again, this time louder, I forced myself out of my deep sleep and glanced at my watch. The only reason I could see it was because the TV was still on and dimly lit the room.
I climbed out of bed, checked to make sure Malcolm still slept soundly on the sofa, and went to the door. When I checked the peephole I saw Gavyn and smiled as my heart raced. The locks and doorknob wouldn’t cooperate fast enough for me to get it open. Finally, I did and wrapped my arms around Gavyn’s neck. His eyes had gone wide with surprise.
“Was it that bad?” He asked, holding me by the shoulders a short distance away from him after we had hugged. Up and down, he was looking me over with a both eyebrows lifted.
“No, I… missed you, I guess.”
“That’s good, but why are you such a mess? And are you the new lead singer for KISS?”
“Huh?” I’d forgotten about the face paint. “Oh…” I laughed. “No, we painted each other’s faces and on the wall.” I stepped back, letting him into the apartment. “He’s on the couch.”
Gavyn kissed my cheek on the side of my face that wasn’t painted before walking over to my couch. “Wow, I bet he loved that. Where did the stuffed animal come from?”
“The milk had spoiled so we walked to the store on the corner to get a few things.”
“He gave you the look?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged.
I saw him glance at the coffee table covered with empty TV dinner boxes and candy wrappers. “I should have done this before I left.” He stuck his hand in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.
“No, I don’t want any money. Really.”
“I’d feel better about all this,” He whispered, returning to where I was standing a short distance away.
“Hey, I ate plenty of that candy, too. Still have a small tummy ache.” I patted my belly. “Save it for when my next tooth needs to come out.”
Gavyn reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. Only the tips of his fingers gently grazed my forehead. “You’re quite the catch, Farrah.”
“Not really. I’ve probably taught your son plenty of bad habits today with all the candy and wall painting.” I gestured toward the area of the wall Mac and I had decorated earlier in the day. “If he starts saying ‘Duh!’ to everything you say… that’s my fault.”
He laughed out loud then covered his mouth. This stifled the sound to more of a snicker so he wouldn’t wake Malcolm. “Don’t worry. My Mum said shit accidently and he went to school saying it to everyone. She had fun explaining that one.”
I led Gavyn over to the bed in the room and we sat down on the edge. “Your mom seems pretty awesome.”
“She is. It�
��s not ideal and I miss my kid, but it helps that she keeps him through the week.” He yawned, stretched, and cracked his neck to the side. “I’m exhausted. I’ll get him up and we’ll get out of your hair.”
“Stay,” I said. “No reason to wake him. I don’t mind sharing the bed unless you steal all the covers.”
“You sure?”
I nodded. “Maybe tomorrow all three of us can spend the day together before your mother has to pick him up.”
Gavyn shook his head in disbelief. “What happened to the girl that was angry and disappointed in me?”
Feeling ashamed, I lowered my gaze and looked at my hands in my lap. “I understand why you didn’t tell me about him. He’s too special to have random women brought into his life. I was shocked when I found out. That’s all.”
Gavyn lifted my chin with one finger and I met his gaze. He didn’t speak until we had eye contact. “I won’t keep anything else from you. I swear. After seeing everything you’ve done today while taking care of Mac for me, my feelings for you are reaffirmed and I know you’re meant to be in our lives.”
“Since the day we first spoke, I have felt like I’ve known you forever.” I reached out and touched his chest with my palm flat. Even with his shirt on, I could feel the hard muscles.
He leaned forward and nudged my chin a little higher with his nose before pressing his mouth against mine.
“You guys are gross,” Mac said and stuck out his tongue in disgust. He flipped over and faced away from us on the sofa. In a few seconds, he was snoring again.
Gavyn and I broke the kiss. I laughed awkwardly, crawled higher in the bed, and pulled up the covers. Gavyn did the same, keeping his pants and t-shirt on as he slid in beside me. He beckoned me closer with his hands and I curled against him.
“Next time we should stay at my house where we have a door for privacy,” He whispered into my ear. “I can’t wait to wake up and see your face tomorrow… even if there is a blue star on it.”
Chapter 22
The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual. Gavyn slept on his back beside me. His chest rose and fell in slow breaths. For a long while I didn’t move. I lay there watching and listening to every subtle move and sound. All my worries vanished and I relaxed as if I was in a state of waking meditation.
I rolled over to see the television still on. Malcolm shoved a spoonful of cereal into his mouth as he watched an educational cartoon I’d never seen before. I slipped out of bed and grabbed some clean clothing for the day. As I walked by Mac on my way to the bathroom, I ruffled his curly hair. He didn’t seem to notice. Another bite of cereal was shoveled into his mouth.
Half the star on my face had been rubbed off on my pillow. I didn’t care much. If the recipe for paint I’d used had been correct, it would wash out of the linens. I turned on the water and let it warm before climbing into the shower. Cupping my hands together, I splashed my face several times with water. My breasts were covered with bluish fluid. The paint was washing off.
“Farrah!” Malcolm knocked on the door several times urgently.
“Yeah?” I called out. I’d been looking forward to more than five minutes of peace and quiet for myself.
“I gotta pee.”
“Can you hold it?”
“No!”
I shut off the water, half dried myself, and dressed in a hurry. As I was stepping into the living room, Mac pushed by me and slammed the door to the bathroom shut.
“I don’t know how families make it with only one bathroom,” I mumbled.
“I take it your household had more than one?” The yelling had awakened Gavyn and he was sitting up in bed. He rubbed his eyes before reaching for his glasses on the nightstand.
“Yeah.” I still had the towel in my hand so I squeezed excess water from it. My shirt was getting soaked.
“Sorry about Mac.”
“It’s alright. If you gotta go… you gotta go.” I grinned, wrapping my hair up in the towel and securing it on top of my head.
“On Sundays, we usually pick up some sandwiches from the deli and go to the park. Do you want to do that?”
“I’d love to. I have to be at work by five.”
“That’ll work out well for us, too.”
“You can shower when Malcolm gets out. I need to fix my hair while you do.” My cheeks flamed red. I could feel the heat.
The corner of Gavyn’s mouth lifted into a smirk. “Let me make sure he gets cleaned up and then you can do that while I shower.” He kissed my cheek when he passed me and entered the bathroom. I went into the kitchen and made a bowl of cereal for myself.
Several minutes later, Gavyn returned to the living room and retrieved Mac’s spare set of clothing from his backpack before disappearing into the bathroom again. When they came out the next time, Malcolm was scowling and crawled onto the couch. He crossed his arms, snuggling securely into the corner with his stuffed bird.
“Ready,” Gavyn said.
I wasn’t sure what had happened, but I didn’t say anything until we were in the bathroom. “What was that about?”
“He’s pissed because I made him remove the face paint.” Gavyn lifted off his shirt and folded it. He caught me staring and grinned.
I’d been right. His everyday clothing had been hiding a washboard set of abs and toned pecs. “Wow.” I blinked several times before remembering my manners and turning around. “Sorry.” I removed the towel from my hair and tossed it onto the sink beside me.
His arms curled around me from behind, resting over my waist. “I kind of liked the way you were looking at me.” He nibbled at my ear.
“Yeah, well, I need to be on my best behavior right now and looking at your body doesn’t make that easy.”
“What does it do to you?” He whispered softly, flicking his tongue over my earlobe.
“You have a kid. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to explain the birds and the bees to you.”
He unbuttoned my jeans before I’d finished my sentence. His right hand slipped into my pants, rubbing me through the thin fabric of my panties. “Does it do something here?” He pressed forward from behind while simultaneously pulling me against him. I could feel his hard length through his pants, pinned against my butt.
My words caught in my throat as he increased the rotation of his fingers between my legs. I couldn’t believe how quickly he found the right spot. “We shouldn’t do anything….”
“We’re not doing anything, Lovely. I am. Just a little bit.” He removed his hand from my pants and lifted his fingers to his mouth. I could hear him lick them. “Mmm.” Then, the brief respite from pleasure was over and his slicked fingers were against my clit again.
I found myself grinding into his crotch without even realizing it until he groaned quietly against my ear. I reached up and smacked at the switch to turn on the ceiling fan. It spun to life, making a loud whirring noise. “Don’t stop,” I whispered.
“Oh, I won’t. You’re shaking so much. It’s close.”
I nodded quickly, biting down on my lip as his mouth found my neck. When the orgasm wracked my body, I clenched my legs together around his hand, locking the moving fingers in place. If he hadn’t been supporting me with his arms, I think I would have hit the floor. He continued to rub me even after I’d ridden out the wave of pleasure. The sensation was unbearable and I released my grip on his hand.
“Good girl.” He kissed my cheek softly, returning to his normal self. I heard him unzip his pants and they drop to the floor.
Both my hands were resting on the door to support me. I hadn’t expected anything like that. Gavyn was definitely the one if he could get me off that easily. He had clit radar. I turned around when I heard the shower curtain slide once to open and then another time to close.
Through the thin material, I could see the outline of Gavyn’s form. The body wash spurted into his palm and then he lowered his hand. I wanted a better view, but I didn’t want to push our relationship too fast. His hand moved back and forth
and I could see that he was stroking his shaft. It was slowly at first and then faster. Then he paused, giving a few jerks of his hips before going still and I knew he’d released.
I turned my attention to the mirror. Maybe I was trying to hide that I’d been watching his shadowy form jacking off, but he knew I had seen it all. I picked up my toothbrush and with a shaky hand spread the green gel paste onto the bristles. As I brushed my teeth, I kept thinking of his touch… Gavyn and I definitely needed another date night alone.
I finished brushing my hair, applied some make-up, and cleared my throat before speaking. “I’m ready. I’ll be in the living room.”
“I’ll be out in a minute, beautiful.”
Chapter 23
Light cloud cover and a breeze kept the day from being unbearably hot. Across the picnic table from me, Malcolm bit into his half foot sub sandwich and gulped it down. Beside me, Gavyn scolded.
“Eat like a normal person. The playground isn’t going anywhere.” He chuckled briefly.
I smiled, taking a hefty chunk out of my meatball sub. “I’ve eaten a sandwich too fast and choked before. No fun.”
Malcolm slowed down his chewing and sighed. His foul mood from having to wash off the face paint had faded by the time we left the apartment.
Now we were sitting at a picnic table in a busy park. The closest attraction to us was the playground equipment. Several children were already crawling through the holes or climbing up a small wall. A short distance away, two middle-aged women were power
walking around a track. They were probably moving faster at that pace than I could run and I was half their age. A few other people were running. Even further out, there was a fenced off area of the park for dog owners.
“I’m done. Can I play now?”
“Go ahead,” Gavyn said with a grin.
Their voices brought me back from looking around the area. “Have fun,” I said.
